8 Steps to a Great Wedding Business Contract

By Dina Eisenberg, JD | SpeakupPowerfully.comYour business contract is not what you think. It’s more than just a binding agreement between two or more people, an exchange of money for value. It’s an opportunity to establish trust and set the tone for your entire working relationship. But how can you have a great wedding contract that feels good to you and works well for your couples?It starts with knowing your contract can’t always protect you. There are always unforeseeable circumstances. What do you do about payment if the bride or groom dies halfway through the planning or the baker goes bankrupt. Who plans for that? Your best bet is to create a solid contract that is a negotiated promise between you and your couple, a written memory of the conversations and agreements you had. It reflects your intention to work together and how. The contract creates trust and understanding that makes your work a thousand times easier. The intention is to find any snags now and resolve them so you can glide through to the wedding day. In fact, that’s a great way to start your conversation. To get there, follow these steps:1Have a written contract.It’s nice to do business on a handshake, but it’s smart to write things down. If you’re a wedding pro, review and revise your contract to make sure it’s enforceable and adequately covers your business. Just starting out? Spend your money on a contract before the business cards. It’s worth the investment. Check out Leverage-a-Lawyer for their package of essential contract forms.2Customize your contract.Many wedding pros use standardized forms, which is a fine way to start but isn’t the best solution. A customized contract means what’s important to you will be adequately expressed.  For instance, because I believe in collaboration all my contracts have a mediation clause.3Get rid of the legal jargon.You don’t need it; it creates misunderstandings.  For example, some contracts include a “hold harmless” clause. Sounds confusing until you realize all that means is that one party to the contract agrees not to hold the other party responsible. How much easier is that to understand?  Write what you want to include in your contract like your payment terms, scheduling, deadlines, and behaviors you expect (and don’t want) from clients in your everyday language. Then, ask a business attorney to make it binding.4Know your local and state legal requirements.Make sure you both know and explain any special differences that your couple might encounter hosting a wedding in your state. In Massachusetts, there are times when a police detail has to be part of the wedding cost. An out-of-state bride might not know that, or worse, refuse to comply. It’s your responsibility to inform her.  Also, if you intend to do destination weddings make sure your contract defines things like which law will take precedence—your state or the other location—if a lawsuit arises.5Have a variety of contracts.One contract does not suit all purposes. If it does, it’s too confusing to be enforceable. Consider an independent contractor agreement, a rental agreement, an agreement for design/planning services, a change order agreement, and a preferred vendor agreement.6Make it easy to sign.It’s best to have your contract discussion and signing face-to-face, but if that’s not possible, use one of the online signature services like Echosign or RightSign, which integrates with Google docs and Freshbooks for invoicing.7Add a dispute resolution clause.Stuff happens and your energy is better spent finding a solution than assigning blame. Having a trained neutral party available to help you and your bride find a solution will save you stress and aggravation.  A mediation clause  sets the tone for a collaborative and problem-solving partnership.8Talk directly and transparently with your couple.As a wedding professional with integrity, you are honest, but are you direct and transparent? Do you tell them what they need to know or do you “beat around the bush”? The more direct you are, the less room for misunderstanding.  Let couples know what you’re thinking. Sometimes, “I don’t know” is the right thing to say. Couples will value you more if they know you’re a human being doing your best, not a super planner seeking perfection.The conversation you have with your couple about your contract is the promise you both make to give your best efforts to create their wedding. It should be detailed, curious, flexible, collaborative, and most of all fun—something you and your couple will cherish and remember almost as much as their wedding day.