Friday, December 20, 2013

Before you sign on the dotted line...

One of the biggest pieces of advice we can give our clients, or any bride is "make sure to read your vendor contracts VERY carefully". Contracts are done not only to cover the vendor, but the client as well. It's very important that if there is something you don't understand you ask someone to help. The last thing you want to do is sign a contract that you do not agree with or understand fully.

Here are some of the main things you need to make sure to carefully note on any contract:

 1. The dates and times are correct (start times and end times)

2. Hours of service - make sure to calculate the correct amount of hours you will need from a vendor. Overtime charges can get expensive so you want to make sure to add everything from the beginning. 

3. Cancellation and Postponment Policy: if you postpone your event some vendors will still work your event as long as the new date works for them at not additional cost. However other vendors have penalty fees. This is very important to keep mind and how what will happen to your contract if you need to cancel or postpone.

4. Publishing Rigths: almost every vendor has a clause on their contract that they have a right to use photos and video from your event for their own marketing use (social media, commercials, ad's, blogs,etc.). If you are NOT ok with this it's important to point this out from the beginning and make sure to have this point removed.

5. Almost every photographer/ videographer has a clause in their contract that states that no other photographer/ videogarpher can be present at the event unless they are from their team. It's important to be aware of this becuase many other vendors (DJ, venue, decorator) tend to include in their contracts that they can bring their own photographer to cover their work, however this would be a direct breach of contract with your own Photo/ Video team, it's very important that all vendors are aware of this and that if they want images from the event they need to contact your photographer directly if you allow it.

In the end, the main point is to read the contract and ask questions before you sign on the dotted line.

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