What should you include in your wedding planner’s contract?
Episode Takeaways
- A written wedding planner contract ensures that you and your clients understand what each person is responsible for.
- You need a template BEFORE you have clients. Don’t wait until you have clients to begin working on a contract. You can download a sample wedding planner contract or letter of agreement here.
- Have a contract ready-to-go within 24 hours of your prospect meeting. Depending on the level of professional wedding planner service being provided, you may or may not be able to prepare your wedding planner’s c contract on the spot.
- Your wedding planner contract should clearly list the services that you’ll provide. Be as specific as you can. It’s important to also list what your services do NOT include – don’t be afraid to do this!
- List your fees, the initial deposit and the payment schedule . Insert the dates that you expect to be paid by your clients.
- Your wedding planner contract should include your cancellation policy, your back-up plan and an Acts of God clause — i.e. things that could derail the wedding but are totally out of your control.
- Have your clients sign the wedding planner contract FIRST– just in case your clients make changes. Print out two (2) copies and have your clients sign both originals.
- If you’re emailing the contract, be sure to convert the document to a PDF file to avoid any changes to the wording.
- Use the Weddings For a Living sample contract as a starting point, only! Please have a local attorney review your wedding planner contract before you begin using it (this is important!)
- Refer to your wedding planner contract as a guide to what you’ll do. Avoid doing any other wedding planner tasks that aren’t covered in your contract. Use a separate change order for additional professional services or planning that your client agrees to add-on at a later time.
- Make sure you’ve calculated your wedding planner fees accurately. You can’t ask your clients for money after the contract is signed because you underestimated your time and expenses.
- Double-check each of your client’s professional wedding vendor contracts, too.
Don’t do business on a handshake! You need a wedding planner contract for each wedding you’re hired to plan.
— WeddingsForALiving (@WedForALiving) June 10, 2015
- Collect a deposit with your signed contract. A deposit is an indication of that your clients are serious about you being the planner for their wedding. Nothing is confirmed without payment…not even a signed contract.
- Don’t do business on a handshake. remember, you’re a professional! You need a wedding planner’s contract for each wedding that you’re hired to plan.
HAPPY PLANNING!
Mentioned in this Episode
Sample Wedding Planner Contract – download a sample wedding planner contract as a starting point for your own contract.
Responses
Thank you very informative. Will like a simpler of a contract. And what % percentage of the cost must be change. Thank you Magda
Thank you very informative but what percentage of the cost must be change. Magda m mc lean. Thank you
Thank you very much for your information on wedding contracts. I always provide a contract to my clients. AND found out later, how important it is to put in your contract the items that are NOT included in your scope of work!!