THE fine Print

In planning a Wedding you will be exposed to upwards of 20 Vendor Contracts of some sort. One of the things which never cease to amaze me is that many couples do not read the fine print. As a Consultant, once a Client signs with me, the first item on my to do list is to review any Contracts which they have signed to date. This allows me to become familiar with the Vendors they’ve selected and the expectations they have from the particular vendor.

I haven’t been able to determine if it’s just that couples don’t know what to look for specifically or if the excitement of booking that Photographer you just have to have”, outweighs your better judgment (no offense to my Photographers who I absolutely adore), but lately, I’ve found quite a few errors in the contracts I’ve seen. I’ve listed below some items which I’ve found recently during my reviews:

• Name stated on Contract for Couple is incorrect (misspelled or the wrong name entirely)
• Date listed on Contract is incorrect (this includes the day of the week as well as the actual YEAR on the contract…I’m guilty of this too at times though)
• Service Start/End time does not agree to package inclusion time
• Deposit amount received not stated on contract
•
…and then there is the FINE print. The items that only a Pro tend to notice that most couples will take for granted as a given. Now, I give my couples the benefit of the doubt because they plan what, One Wedding a year? I’m involved in many and it is my JOB to notice the items you may not. That being said going forward, at minimum, please do me a favor and be sure that your Contracts include the basics:

• Correct name, address and contact information for couple
• Correct Vendor Name/ Service package and price
• Any inclusions which were discussed which are not standard to the package selected
• Total package hours
• Payment information (including cancellation terms and payment due dates)
• Signatures from all involved parties
• “Initialed” revisions (or separate Amendment) for any changes to original agreement


So, for all of you happy Brides and Grooms to-be still in the process of sorting through the paperwork of your Wedding, just a word of advice- Please take time to review the Contract in its entirety and ask questions for any items which appear unclear. Believe me; it will save you time and money in the unfortunate event that anything should occur. After all, your Wedding is to be your Perfect Day…PureNSimple!