Understanding Contracts

When hiring wedding professionals, reviewing contracts and understanding what you are agreeing to is extremely important for you and the vendors you will be working with.

If you do not understand something, ask. True wedding professionals will be more than happy to explain all terminology, clauses and any other questions you may have.

Several items should be included in all your contracts:

•  The date, time & location of your wedding. If your venue has multiple rooms, be sure to include which room your wedding will be in.
• Total cost with a line-item breakdown of what is included. This should cover your deposit amount including the date it was paid and your outstanding balance with your final payment due date or payment terms spelled out.
• Contact information for both you and the vendor.
• Detailed list of what the vendor is providing.
• Arrival and departure times.

Other items to consider:

• Is the vendor you are planning on hiring insured? Not all vendors are but it is required at some venues. And in general, it’s best if all your vendors have liability insurance. 
• Many contracts are completed months before the actual service is performed so include as much detail about the services being provided as possible but also know that changes will more than likely be made throughout the planning process. Make sure you have documentation of all changes that are made.

We want you to have fun planning your wedding but we also want you to get what you think you are signing up for. That’s why reviewing your contracts closely is crucial.