How to Negotiate a Wedding Vendor Contract: A Guide to Planning the Perfect Wedding

Planning a wedding, big or small, is no easy task. The choices in colors, themes, and seasons alone can seem overwhelming. Nevertheless, when planning a wedding no bride or groom can afford to overlook even the smallest detail in a wedding vendor contract. Every service or commodity purchased for a wedding, from the flowers and the cake to the caterer or the hall, is typically purchased through a wedding vendor contract.

The contract will generally include the service or item to be purchased, the total price, and the amount due upon the signing of the wedding vendor contract (the security deposit). Contracts for big-ticket services, such as the catering contract, may have stipulations for payment at specified times before the wedding day, with final payment due a week or a few days before the wedding. Contracts for smaller services, such as photography, may require payment in one or two lump sums at a date prior to the wedding.

Each wedding vendor contract should be specific enough to clarify your wishes as a customer. For example, a wedding vendor contract for flowers may include an itemized list of the flowers (e.g. bride's bouquet, boutonnières, bridal party flowers, and cake flowers), a brief description of the color and type of each item, and the approximate number of stems that can be expected in each item. In addition, the time and date the items will be delivered or picked up by the bridal party should be clearly stated either in the initial agreement or in an addendum thereto.

Similarly, the contract with your wedding DJ or band should include the length of time the service will be provided, whether the DJ or band will be responsible for keeping the wedding reception moving along in a timely manor, and whether the DJ or band will be taking breaks during the night.

Another example is a contract with a bakery, which may include the number of people that can be fed from each cake, the style of cake, the type(s) of fillings being purchased, and the type of frosting or decorations that will be used. Again, the time and date the wedding cake will be delivered, or picked up by the bridal party, should be clear.

If you wish to negotiate more favorable terms, do so before you sign any agreement with a wedding vendor. For example, if you are having a Friday night or Sunday wedding, you may be able to negotiate a discount of up to 30 or 40 percent. Trying to negotiate better terms after you sign the contract will almost always fail, since the wedding vendor already has an enforceable agreement.

The terms of every wedding vendor contract you enter into should be clear to you before you sign the contract. If you are dealing with a vendor who refuses to put the terms of the wedding vendor contract in writing, you may want to seek alternative sources for the product or service you wish to purchase. A reputable wedding vendor will have no misgivings about putting the terms of your agreement in writing since a written agreement will protect both parties.

Depending on the law in your state, you may have several options if a wedding vendor fails to perform the contracted services. When a wedding vendor contacts you before the wedding date to cancel the contract, you may be entitled to your money back. Not only may you recover for the money you have already paid out of pocket to the wedding vendor (e.g. the security deposit), but you may also be entitled to damages that are the natural and probable consequences of the vendor's breach of contract. For example, you may be entitled to compensation for your distress, inconvenience, and the diminished value of your wedding reception. Having a clear contract in writing will help you to enforce your rights in a court of law if necessary.

Sources:

Deitsch v. Music Co. (1983), 6 Ohio Misc. 2d 6.