Hiring vendors for your special day can be one of the more exciting and detail-oriented tasks of wedding planning.

It’s imperative to make sure that you and your vendors are ALL on the same page about every aspect of the wedding day, pricing, expectations, timing, and so much more.

That’s why it’s so crucial to read your vendor contracts, make any edits that are necessary, and have open communication with your vendors. According to The Knot, unless you and your vendors both sign a contract and you pay them a deposit, there’s no real guarantee that they will hold the date and deliver the services that you need before or on your wedding day.

So, make sure to issue contracts for each and every vendor that you are hiring. If you have a wedding planner assisting you with the details, they will help you handle this in a timely manner.

When reading your wedding vendor contracts and finalizing the details, make sure to check for these specific items…

1. Dates and times

Make sure that the times and dates are correct on your vendor contracts. After all, you wouldn’t want your flower vendor showing up to install your florals three days before the big day! And you certainly wouldn’t want the food to get the wrong day and/ or time and not be able to deliver when you need it.

This may be an obvious tip, but it’s crucial to double check dates and times to make sure that everyone is on the same page about when they are expected to set up, take down, and provide support and services for your wedding.

2. Flexibility in the schedule

It may also be important to you that your vendors allow for some flexibility. If it rains and you need to move locations last-minute, if you need to make a reasonable change, or if you need to add or take away a few guests from the list; make sure that there is language for that in your contracts with your vendors, especially your venue.

3. Pricing details

Your contract should also include all pricing details, or at least a number to work with or negotiate. To make sure that you stay on budget for your wedding, try to get the contracts agreed upon early into the planning process.

Knowing and understanding the line items and pricing details for all of your vendors will just help you and your wedding planner piece together the necessary components of planning your special day and working with a budget.

4. Timeline

If you are still waiting on outstanding details or confirmation for any vendors, make sure that there is a clear, concise timeline outlined in your contract with them. You need to know exactly when you’ll have details on which flowers are available for your centerpieces and bouquets, the types of shots your photographer will be able to take, and if the bar will be able to make your specific signature cocktails.

If certain details like these are not confirmed at the time of the contract being signed, make sure you have an appropriate timeline to get confirmation so that nothing slips through the cracks.

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