Contract Signing Tips!
The time has finally come to sign the contract to secure our wedding venue!
I can understand how stressful this can be to brides. It is not only a big financial commitment but usually one of your first wedding related commitments. For people that are pretty indecisive (like me) this can be quite a big deal.
As I mentioned before, I’m a Wedding Specialist at a Boston Hotel and used to being on the other side of things. I am constantly putting contracts together for Brides and Grooms and because of this, I feel extra prepared and a little less hesitant about signing my own.
There are a few things that you should really look out for in your contract. Every venue is different so this may vary but here are some tips.
via Real Simple {source}
1.) Make sure you know what you are signing for. Speak with the Wedding Specialist to see what you are responsible for, IE: food & beverage minimum, package minimum, deposit, etc.
2.) If you are going with a venue that has packages, ask to see if you are able to put the package you want in the contract so the price does not increase. Usually if you are having your wedding a year out, you can confirm the current years pricing.
3.) Confirm that you have the correct date, time, venue location on the contract. You don’t want to find out down the line that you have secured the wrong date.
3.) Talk about all of the “what ifs.” For example, say you need to cancel the wedding, change the date, etc. There will be a cancellation policy in the contract that will usually have a time line of costs associated with each.
4) Make sure you understand the deposit schedule. Sometimes there will be specific times when you need to pay and other times you are able to wait until right before the wedding.
5.) Read EVERYTHING. Wedding Venues are not out to get you or take advantage of you. Most of the clauses in the contract are there to protect you and your venue in case something were to happen. Also look for the outside food policy. Most hotels will not allow outside food so please consult the contract or ask your Wedding Specialist before buying lots of food or beverage that you will not be able to use at your event.
There is so much more I could write about but I hope this gave you a little insight!
Always remember that your wedding contact is there to help you and is happy to answer all of your questions. It is a big commitment so it’s best to ask as many questions it takes for you to feel comfortable.
What advice do you have for brides as they review their venue contracts?
A lesson I learned is “don’t assume you understand contract language.” If you have even the slightest question, ask! When our contract made mention of locked in on prices I made the assumption that when we signed it, we’d be locked in. Fast forward a year later when we are finally setting up our meeting with the venue and I find out that the prices aren’t locked in until we choose our menu. The prices changed about 6 months after we signed and of course they don’t have to notify you. Being so late in the game at this point there was no way to get extra money and very few places left in our budget where we could cut, so in order to afford the meal we had to cut back on our bar.
My best tip is to always check the service charges in advance. 15% or more adds a huge amount to your final bill and is often an unexpected charge. Find out before you sign the contract so that you can build the service charge into your budget and adjust menu choices accordingly.
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Also be sure to see if the venue/caterer wants to charge you an additional percent of the bill if you pay via credit card. In about a dozen States (including New York and California) this is illegal. Also, the agreement vendors make with Mastercard and Visa stipulates that the vendor is not allowed to discriminate and charge more for the use of credit card (regardless of what State you live in). While American Express does not have this stipulation, if the vendor accepts MC and Visa, then Amex cannot be discriminated against too. I have had a few vendors (not just the venue) try to charge me anywhere from 3-5% just in this “fee” – and not only is it against the agreement they have with my credit card, it’s illegal in the State I live in!
