Wedding Planner’s Must-Know Guide to Contracts
Until you have an executed (i.e. signed) contract in your hands, avoid the temptation to begin working for any bride. Without a wedding planner contract a bride is only a potential client.
No contract, no client!
Review Sample Contracts
The best way to create your own wedding planner contract is to look at several sample contracts. This is a good basis for issues you might not have considered, and reviewing other contracts can provide strong, standard, language for your own wedding planning contract.
Here’s a sample wedding planner contract you can use as a starting point.
Send your Wedding Planner Contract ASAP!
Once a couple tells you that they want to move ahead and hire you as their wedding planner, send a contract within 24-48 hours. If you wait longer than that it may be too late and the couple may have already made the decision to work with someone else. The key is to have a standard version–Microsoft Word makes sense–of your contract on file. This way you simply fill-in-the-blanks with the details that are specific for each new client.
If you’re emailing the contract, convert into a PDF file before sending. This way there are no concerns about any of the wording being changed in any way. If you are sending the contract to your clients using the regular postal service, it’s helpful to include a self-addressed stamped envelope to make it easy for your clients to return the signed document to you.
Include a Cover Letter
This couple didn’t have to choose you, so express your appreciation to them for selecting you. Include a warm, personalized cover letter with your contract. Print both the contract and the cover letter on your company letterhead.
Wedding Planner Contract Must-Haves
Your contract should include the following items:
- Today’s Date
- Wedding Date (and time if you know it)
- Name of Bride & Groom
- Bride & Groom’s Contact Info – address, telephone, email, etc.
- Conditions – your role as wedding planner and restrictions
- Your Compensation – your total fees, initial deposit and payment schedule
- Description of Services
- Terms – include liability and legal issues
- Cancellation/Change Policy
- ‘Act of God’ clause
- Signatures of both clients
Have a Local Lawyer Review (IMPORTANT!)
Once you have created your standard contract that you will use for all of your clients, have your attorney review it. Laws vary by state, and what may apply in one state may not apply in another. A lawyer can also point out the omission of important terms or clauses that protect you.
Remember…
- A wedding planner contract protects YOU, the wedding planner. As the writer, you have the advantage of shaping things in a favorable way for your business.
- Deviating from the terms of your contract is risky! Be sure to put any changes along the way in writing.
- Advise your clients that each vendor they hire for their wedding (caterer, florist, photographer, etc.) should have their own contract.
The best wedding planner contract is one that is signed, filed, and does not have to be pulled out again, because when that happens it usually means there’s a problem.
HAPPY PLANNING!
Thanks for your information. I’m try to make it a profession.
Happy you found the info helpful. Let me know how things progress.
Hello, I was wondering if you could email me the word doc of the example so I can create my own from your version? All my best, Dawn
Hello Dawn,
Thanks for writing. I don’t have a word document that I can share, I’m afraid. However, the sample letter is relatively short and shouldn’t take much time for you to adapt.
–Debbie
I am almost there but the information provided above was very helpful. I am much closer.
Do you have samples of contracts, especially the Liability clause.
Gloria,
Within the article (inside the yellow box), there is a link to a sample letter of agreement/contract. Hope this helps.
Hi, what is the typical payment schedule, deposit percentage, etc?
Thanks,
-Theresa
Debbie, thank you for that information. I am going to uses your example and create my contract.
Hi Sylvia,
Happy to help.
–Debbie
Thanks debbie, I found your sample to be of great use and I really aprreciate what you done.
Faysha
Hello Faysha,
Thanks for writing. Happy to hear the sample was helpful.
–Debbie
I think the sample giving was very detail, being a event planning is my passion and viewing this information was very helpful I just added my site to be view and get business now that I have a website up and running. I would love your insight on and email me back. Thanks in advance.
K.Kornegay
Hi Debbie,
I too have a very basic and standard web site for others to view. Please review if you have time and give me your feed back. http://www.triumphantevents.vpweb.com.
Thanks,
Hi Debbie, I just want to thank you for providing this sample contract it’s a great help..is there any way I can contact you to ask you other questions..my business is an Event Designer and I know that a contract for me will fail into other lanes..I would love to ask you more detail questions..I thank you in advance for your time continue blessings to you.
Hello Audrey,
Thanks for writing and for such kind words. Feel free to leave a voicemail message on the Confetti Listener Talkback line whenever it’s convenient: 202-681-2126 or join one of the live Confetti shows (ConfettiRadio.com is the wedding planner talkshow that I host on Tuesdays) and ask your questions(s), then. You can find the live broadcast schedule by going to http://ConfettiRadio.com/schedule.
I hope this helps, Audrey. Thanks.
–Debbie