Planning a wedding means lots of juggling, researching, and sometimes bartering with wedding vendors. To make sure nothing goes wrong on your big day — especially in the form of massive unexpected vendor fees — it’s important to have detailed contracts with those servicing the event. When you’re talking about a contract that’s worth thousands of dollars (and more importantly, the assurance that your big day will go as planned) it’s worth taking extra steps to plan for your wedding’s what ifs. Here’s how to make sure each contract you sign protects you sufficiently.
Get EVERY Detail in Writing
You should get a signed contract with each vendor you use for your wedding. This should include details like:
Per-hour costs of unplanned services. Be sure to know how much it will cost if a photography session runs late or if catering needs to bring in extra food.
Plan Bs. What happens if your florist can’t get the orchids you ordered? Have alternatives planned — along with any cost differences — in writing.
Schedules. When will the flowers be ready, when will decorations be set up and taken down (and what happens if the party runs late, keeping your clean up crew late), and when will you get proofs or prints from your photographer?
Copyright ownership. Find out whether you’re allowed to copy designs made by your invitation designer, or whether you can repost your photographer’s work on your blog.
Insurance. Who pays for the broken camera when your little brother trips the photographer? Make sure each vendor shows you proof of insurance.
Payment, including deposits and retainers. Get a timeline for when you must pay your vendors in full. Also, know whether you only lose your deposit or have to pay vendors in full should the wedding be called off or postponed. Don’t pay your deposit until your contract with a vendor is complete — you likely won’t get your deposit back just because your florist couldn’t get the right clot of roses.
Consider Using a Wedding Attorney
So many wedding vendor contracts can be overwhelming. To avoid ending up in disputes over money, food, photography, deadlines, or injuries (think twice about hiring a horse-drawn carriage), consider hiring an attorney to help you sort everything out. Don’t expect your wedding planner to have legal advice for you; in fact, you should have an attorney look over your contract with such coordinators.
Every wedding is likely to have a few hiccups, but many can be avoided with a solid wedding vendor contract. Getting everyone’s obligations on paper protects both you and your vendors, making sure your wedding day is a happy one.
1 comment
Midwest musician
As a wedding vendor, I agree, never hire anyone to provide wedding services without a contract, and don't be afraid to ask the vendor to change any contract terms which appear to be only in favor of the vendor. However, be prepared that the vendor will have learned (the hard way) not to budge on certain points--you may even find yourself appreciating the vendor's point of view, when you learn why they have certain stipulations in their contract. A good wedding vendor has lots of experience with how things have gone wrong, and has revised their business model and contract in such a way to enable the best results for everyone.