When shelling out thousands of dollars for a wedding venue, every detail matters. Here, we’re looking at clauses you should add to your contract… just in case.
You can never be too cautious when it comes to the details of your wedding. After spending months or more planning, the day should be perfect.
Of course, sometimes unavoidable things will happen that are outside of your control (for instance, the weather), but other than that, the big things should all be taken care of and run according to plan. Specifically, we’re talking about the venue, and we find it necessary to add these clauses to your contract.
Cannot cancel reservations due to renovations
Before signing the contract, make sure the venue agrees not to conduct any renovations during the time of your wedding. You can simply have them agree to not cancel your reservations or go as far as to insist that no renovations be taking place on your wedding day.
Venue damaged due to natural disaster
Discuss any potential natural disasters that may occur on or before your wedding day. Don’t just think about the venue, though — make sure to discuss with your vendor what would happen if roads were damaged and guests couldn’t drive to the wedding. Would you want a money-back guarantee or at least some of the payment back? It’s always best to be prepared.
Wedding planner in charge of venue gets ill
What if the wedding planner at the venue — the person responsible for making sure everything goes according to plan — is ill on your wedding day or not able to attend for some reason? Have a back-up plan in place. Though the venue will have an alternate planner, it won’t be the person you’ve been working with the whole time. Perhaps you would like to be compensated for this mishap. Put it in the contract!
What is covered in case of an accident?
You’ll want to go into detail with the wedding venue about what would happen in the case of an accident. What, specifically, would you and your groom be responsible for? This can include anything from someone injuring themselves on the dance floor to a guest damaging the property. Most venues require you to release them from liability for any mishap, and if that’s the case, you’ll want to look into liability insurance.
Miscellaneous fees
Add a clause to the contract stating that all fees are revealed and there will be no additional, miscellaneous fees tacked on at the end. Once a final price is agreed upon, no one — except for you and your future spouse — should be able to change that.
Landscaping clause
Seems strange, but people have actually added in clauses stating that the landscaping must be maintained, the grass must be green and the flowers must be bloomed. Depending on when you sign the contract and when your actual wedding is, the seasons may have changed — and you don’t want to be left with unappealing landscaping.
Details of the bar
If your venue is providing bar service, the contract should include all the details. This includes the type of alcohol that will be served, what time the bar will open and close, how many bars there will be and the final price.
Two final tips…
- Have an outside party, such as a trusted friend or wedding planner, review the contract in full before you sign it.
- Read all the fine print — and do not sign anything until you are 100 percent on board!
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