For most couples planning a wedding, entering into the world of negotiation with wedding suppliers is new! Wedding supplier contracts may seem daunting and a little mysterious to you so I’d love to clear up a few things. You’ve probably asked yourself all of the questions I’m covering today, so I hope to bring clarity and reassurance to you.
As a former wedding planner, someone who has planned her own wedding, and is now a wedding blogger, I’ve seen wedding supplier contracts from all sides. It’s because of this that I empathise with couples who are confused by these contracts! That said, I also empathise with suppliers who, despite having eloquently worded contracts, are still not being paid on time.
So let’s dig in.
“Will I need to pay a booking fee/deposit, and why?”
Most suppliers (not all) will require a booking fee or deposit of some kind. The actual amount you’ll pay is based on the final fee you’re paying, the service being provided, and the individual supplier’s preference. It is not unheard of to pay 50% upfront.
The reasoning behind this booking fee/deposit is so that the supplier can secure the date for you. Suppliers who provide a service (such as photography, music or makeup) tend to get booked up months in advance. They are constantly receiving inquiries from prospective couples and they need some assurance in order to keep your wedding date aside for you. Suppliers who provide a product (decor, stationery or food) won’t be able to start their work without a deposit.
“Will I need to pay in full before I receive the service?”
To couples who are new to the wedding scene (and let’s face it, that’s pretty much everyone) this may seem a little odd. You’re paying for your wedding venue in full before your day has arrived, trusting that everything will go off smoothly. Trust me, this is completely normal and your suppliers are not trying to pull a fast one on you. And to be honest, this is a pretty good thing for you too. The last thing you’ll want to be thinking about after your wedding is paying wedding suppliers. Once your Big Day has come and gone, you’ll want to head off on honeymoon and then come home and open your wedding presents and start your new life together. Factoring in unpaid invoices is a level of stress no-one should have to deal with.
“Could I pay on the day of my wedding?”
Some suppliers have made this an option. Most who offer this will request that they are paid before providing the service (in the case of musicians, photobooths and so on) or before handing over their work (such as a table plan or flower arrangements). Most suppliers will agree that paying in cash on the day isn’t a great idea and a lot of suppliers won’t accept payment this way. I don’t blame them, to be honest. Sometimes the envelopes get lost, or there isn’t enough money in the envelope, or the supplier is waiting to collect the envelope from an unreliable Best Man.
“But I’m still feeling a little uncertain about all of this!”
Well, I don’t blame you either. You’ve never dealt with these suppliers before and you don’t know if you can trust them. Thankfully, here at weddingsonline, we’ve come up with a wonderful solution to this. We’ve got a Deposit Guarantee Plan, which will offer you security when choosing one of our recommended wedding suppliers. We guarantee that your deposit will be safe with weddingsonline suppliers and this is just another reason to have a scroll through our supplier listing. This isn’t some kind of wedding insurance plan, it’s simply us providing peace of mind to our couples and backing our suppliers! The process is pretty simple; you register your deposit online and we’ll handle the rest! Read more about our Deposit Guarantee Plan over here.
