Read these clauses first
Wedding contracts are short and most of them are fair. The risk is not hidden in dense legal text, it is in the clauses that are simply absent. Work through this list in order — it is roughly the order in which missing clauses cause problems.
| Clause | What good looks like | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Cancellation by you | A sliding scale by notice period, with named percentages and dates | "Deposits are non-refundable" and nothing else, so 100% of the balance is theoretically at risk at any notice |
| Cancellation by them | They name a substitute or refund in full, and say which | Silent. If the contract does not say what happens when they cannot attend, you have no remedy and no replacement |
| Illness or non-attendance | A named backup, an industry network, or a full refund | "Reasonable efforts" with no obligation and no refund |
| Price changes before the day | Price fixed at booking, or increases capped and notified in writing | A right to increase prices "in line with costs" with no cap and no notice period |
| What is actually delivered | Counts and formats: hours of coverage, number of edited images, delivery deadline, number of arrangements, set lengths | "A selection of images" or "full day coverage" with no number attached |
| Delivery deadline | A stated number of weeks, with a remedy if it is missed | No deadline at all — the most common cause of complaints against photographers and videographers |
| Overtime | An hourly rate, stated in advance, and who can authorise it | No rate, so the price is set on the night when you have no leverage |
| Force majeure | Names what counts, and gives you a transfer of date rather than a forfeit | A broad clause that lets them keep everything and owe nothing |
| Date transfer | One transfer permitted, with a stated fee and a notice period | Silent, or transfer entirely at their discretion |
| Payment terms | Amount, exact due date, method, and any late fee | "Balance due before the event" — not a date, and not enforceable in your favour either |
The three that cost the most
No cancellation-by-supplier clause. Everyone reads what happens if they cancel. Almost nobody reads what happens if the supplier does. If the contract is silent, and your photographer takes a better booking or simply stops trading, you are left chasing a refund and finding a replacement in the same month.
No delivery deadline. This produces more unhappy couples than any other missing clause, because it does not surface until after the wedding, when your leverage is zero and the balance is paid. A number of weeks in writing costs the supplier nothing and costs you everything to be without.
No overtime rate. Timelines slip. When they do, you are negotiating a price at 11pm, in front of your guests, with someone who knows you cannot say no. Ask for the rate at booking and it becomes an ordinary line item.
How to ask for a change without losing the supplier
Most suppliers will add a missing clause. They are running a small business with a template, not defending a negotiated position. Ask once, in writing, and be specific:
Thanks — we are happy to go ahead. Before we pay the deposit, could we add two things to the contract? A delivery deadline for the edited images, and an hourly rate for overtime so we both know the number in advance. Happy with whatever is standard for you.
That email gets a yes most of the time. A flat refusal to put a delivery deadline in writing is itself the information you were looking for.
Compare the contracts, not just the prices
Two quotes are only comparable once you know what each one leaves out.
Common questions
What should you look for in a wedding vendor contract?
The date and hours, exactly what is delivered with numbers attached, a delivery deadline, the total, the deposit, the balance and its exact due date, an overtime rate, and both cancellation clauses — yours and theirs. Missing clauses cause more problems than unfair ones.
What is the most commonly missing clause?
What happens if the supplier cannot attend. Almost every contract covers your cancellation; many say nothing about theirs. Without it you have no stated remedy and no replacement obligation.
Can you ask a wedding vendor to change their contract?
Yes, and most will. These are small businesses using a template rather than defending a negotiated position. Ask once, in writing, before the deposit, and name the specific clauses you want added.
Is a non-refundable deposit legal?
Generally yes — it compensates the supplier for turning away other bookings for your date. What is worth scrutinising is whether the contract also puts the full balance at risk regardless of notice, which is a different and much larger exposure.
Should the contract cover overtime?
Always. Without a rate agreed at booking, the price gets set on the night, when the timeline has slipped and you have no leverage. An hourly figure in writing turns it into a normal decision.