Five reasons why your wedding and events business needs solid terms and conditions

You would not believe how many wedding businesses are out there without any terms and conditions! As an insurer, we can tell you that this is a definite recipe for disaster when things go wrong.

Take it from me, the Wedding Insurance Group has got first-hand experience dealing with claims that could have been prevented had the wedding and event business (or professional) used terms and conditions before their appointment by the couple.

That’s why I asked Hannah at Waldrons Solicitors to share her expertise on why terms and conditions are crucial for your business. This is a mutual exchange of information that is designed to empower businesses owners so they can make better decisions and minimise risk.

1. Getting paid is essential to your business

Terms and Conditions should set out what your payment terms are, when the deposits are due, when final payments are due, what happens if they are not received, what your refund policy is, whether you charge interest on late payments and what the payment actually covers.

Not having these specifics leaves you at the mercy of the reasonableness rules in the Sale of Goods Act and the Sale of Goods and Services Act.

2. “Right now!”

Times for delivery of service and goods are vitally important to the bride and groom. Timings however are sometimes out of your hands in relation to preparation (missing the big event is not something you would be able to get out of!) and so terms and conditions can give you flexibility in relation to this and can limit your liability if an “act of God” means you cannot perform your responsibilities.

3. “Oh no, they changed their minds”

Not all weddings end happily ever after so having clear terms and conditions regarding cancellation or termination of the contract can save difficult conversations later especially when the other parties may be in a very emotionally charged situation.

4. “Oh and I want white butterflies riding white doves playing harps”

Your terms and conditions should set out exactly what you are and are not providing. You want to be able to exclude things that have been said in meetings or over email or last minute changes of mind and just point to the specifics agreed in the contract.

5. Making the small print clear

Written terms and conditions should set out reasonable limits on your liability, what you are and are not responsible for and in what circumstances. The bride and groom will have statutory rights and you cannot override those but you can in some cases take the benefit of certain provisions, but only if you have specifically said so in writing.

Need help drafting your terms?

Some of our clients have used Hannah for their terms, hence why she was very kind to share her expertise. It’s understandable that budgets are limited for small companies and sole traders; however, these types of businesses are at greater risk of closing due to uncertainty caused by a lack of solid terms.

If you are concerned about your current state of business terms and conditions, contact Hannah for a chat.

h.scott@waldrons.co.uk

01384 811 811

About our relationship with Waldrons

Waldrons Solicitors are our recommended supplier of legal services. We do not share endorsement commissions. Our relationship is purely for mutual benefit so wedding businesses have access to high-quality legal services, which in turn minimises risk and the probability of claiming.

Need insurance for your wedding and event business? Call 0121 550 2380 - 9 am to 5 pm, Mon to Fri or request a callback.