Wedding and Event Contracts
Event contracts combine substantial prepayment with a date that cannot move, which makes the cancellation and failure provisions considerably more important than in ordinary purchases.
Deposits and payment schedules
Establish whether the deposit is refundable, partially refundable, or non-refundable, and at what points further payments fall due.
A genuine deposit securing a booking is normally non-refundable if you cancel. A payment described as a deposit that amounts to most of the fee may be challengeable as a penalty in some jurisdictions if it bears no relation to the supplier's actual loss.
Check the schedule of remaining payments and what happens if you cancel after each stage, since liability typically escalates as the date approaches.
What happens if the supplier cannot perform
This is the clause most often overlooked. If the photographer is ill, the band's singer loses their voice, or the venue is damaged, what happens?
Look for an obligation to provide a suitable substitute of equivalent standard, at the supplier's cost, and a refund provision if they cannot.
For sole traders, ask directly what their contingency arrangement is. Many have reciprocal arrangements with colleagues; some have none.
Force majeure
These clauses excuse performance in defined circumstances outside either party's control, and they were scrutinised heavily following widespread event cancellations in 2020 and 2021.
Read what is actually listed, and what happens to money already paid if the clause is triggered — return of payments, a credit, or a postponement right.
A postponement right with a defined window for rescheduling is more useful than a vague promise to be reasonable.
Specification
Be precise about what is included: hours of attendance, number of staff, quantities, specific items, and what happens if the schedule overruns.
For photography and similar services, specify deliverables and timescales — number of images, format, editing standard, and when they will be provided. Delivery delays are a common complaint.
For venues, establish what is included in hire and what is charged separately, including corkage, staffing, cleaning and any minimum spend.
Insurance
Event insurance covers supplier failure, cancellation for defined reasons, and public liability. Cover for supplier insolvency is particularly relevant given how many event businesses are small.
Buy it early, since cover for circumstances already known or foreseeable is excluded.
Check what is excluded, particularly around communicable disease, which many policies restricted after 2020.
Practical points
Pay deposits by credit card where possible, since additional statutory protection may apply if the supplier fails to deliver.
Keep all correspondence, including messages where changes were agreed informally.
Confirm details in writing a few weeks beforehand, which catches misunderstandings while they can still be resolved.
This article is general information and not legal advice.
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