Wedding Planner Contract: What to Include

A solid contract is the foundation of every professional wedding planning business. It protects you, it protects your clients, and it ensures everyone starts the relationship with clear expectations.

Too many new planners work from a handshake and a WhatsApp thread. That works until it doesn't — and when it doesn't, the fallout can be devastating. A cancelled wedding with no cancellation clause, a client who disputes what was included, a supplier who names you in a complaint — all of these become manageable when you have a well-drafted contract.

This guide covers every essential clause your wedding planner contract should include. It's not a substitute for legal advice (always have a solicitor review your contract), but it's a comprehensive starting point.

Scope of Services

This is the most important section of your contract. It defines exactly what you're providing — and, just as crucially, what you're not.

Be specific. Vague scope descriptions lead to scope creep, which leads to resentment and disputes. Your scope should detail:

• Service level — full planning, partial planning, or day-of coordination
• Specific deliverables — number of consultations, supplier recommendations, timeline creation, venue visits, etc.
• Hours on the wedding day — specify start and end times (e.g., "12 hours on-site coordination from 08:00 to 20:00")
• Number of meetings included — in person and virtual
• Communication channels — email, phone, WhatsApp, and expected response times
• What's not included — additional meetings, stationery design, hen party planning, etc.

If a client requests something outside the agreed scope, you can point to the contract and offer it as a paid add-on. This protects your time and ensures you're compensated for additional work.

Service Add-Ons

List any additional services available with their associated costs:

• Additional consultation hours at £X/hour
• Rehearsal dinner coordination at £X
• Post-wedding brunch coordination at £X
• Extended on-site hours at £X/hour
• Stationery design and management at £X

Payment Schedule

Clear payment terms prevent awkward conversations and protect your cash flow. A common structure:

Three-Payment Model

• 33% retainer on booking — secures the date and begins the working relationship. Non-refundable.
• 33% at midpoint — typically due 4–6 months before the wedding, when the bulk of supplier coordination is underway.
• Final 33% one month before the wedding — ensures full payment before the most intensive period of work.

Alternative Structures

• Monthly instalments — useful for clients who prefer to spread costs, but requires more admin on your part.
• 50/50 split — 50% on booking, 50% three months before.
• Booking fee plus balance — a smaller non-refundable fee (£500–£1,000) to secure the date, with the balance split into agreed instalments.

Whichever structure you choose, specify:

• Exact amounts or percentages
• Due dates (tied to calendar dates or milestones)
• Accepted payment methods
• Late payment terms (e.g., "Invoices unpaid after 14 days will incur a 5% late fee")
• That no work will commence until the retainer is received

Cancellation Policy

Weddings get postponed and cancelled. Your contract needs to address this clearly.

Cancellation by the Client

A sliding scale based on notice period is standard:

• More than 6 months before the wedding — retainer is non-refundable; no further payments due.
• 3–6 months before — 50% of total fee is due (or retained if already paid).
• Less than 3 months before — 100% of total fee is due.

This reflects reality: the closer to the wedding, the more work you've done and the less likely you are to fill that date with another client.

Postponement

If the couple postpones rather than cancels, most planners offer to transfer the booking to the new date subject to availability, with any price increases applied. Specify this in your contract — it's more generous than a cancellation but still protects you.

Cancellation by the Planner

Include what happens if you need to cancel. Provide a full refund of any fees for work not yet performed, and ideally commit to helping the couple find a replacement planner.

Substitution Clause

What happens if you're ill on the wedding day? Your contract should address this.

A typical clause states that if you're unable to attend due to illness or emergency, you will provide a suitably qualified substitute coordinator at no additional cost. Maintain a shortlist of trusted colleagues who can step in — and have reciprocal arrangements with them.

This clause gives clients confidence and protects you from breach-of-contract claims if the unthinkable happens.

Communication Expectations

Set clear boundaries around communication:

• Response times — e.g., "Emails will be responded to within 48 hours during business days"
• Business hours — specify when you're available (e.g., Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm, plus scheduled weekend meetings)
• Preferred channels — keep communication on channels you can track and reference
• Meeting frequency — how often you'll check in and whether meetings are in person or virtual

This protects your work-life balance and manages client expectations. Without it, you'll find yourself answering WhatsApp messages at midnight.

Supplier Referral Policy

Transparency builds trust. Your contract should state:

• Whether you receive commissions or referral fees from suppliers you recommend
• If you do receive commissions, whether this affects the cost to the client
• That all supplier recommendations are based on quality, reliability, and suitability

Many UK planners do receive referral commissions from suppliers. There's nothing wrong with this, but it must be disclosed. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) guidance is clear: undisclosed commissions that influence recommendations are misleading.

If you don't take commissions, say so — it's a selling point.

Expenses Policy

Clarify who pays for what:

• Travel expenses — are they included in your fee, or charged separately? Specify mileage rates (HMRC's approved rate is 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles) or public transport costs.
• Parking — at venues, supplier meetings, etc.
• Accommodation — for destination weddings or venues far from your base
• Samples and materials — if you're sourcing stationery samples, décor items, etc.

State whether expenses are included in your package price or invoiced separately with receipts.

Intellectual Property

Your planning documents, timelines, design concepts, and processes are your intellectual property. Your contract should state:

• Planning documents and timelines are provided for the client's personal use only
• They may not be shared with other planners, published, or reproduced
• Your branding, templates, and planning frameworks remain your property

This prevents clients from taking your detailed planning documents and handing them to a cheaper coordinator to execute.

Confidentiality

Include a mutual confidentiality clause:

• You will keep the client's personal details, budget, and wedding plans confidential
• The client will keep your proprietary processes and pricing confidential
• Both parties may share information with relevant suppliers as needed for the wedding

Photography and Portfolio Usage

Specify your right to use photographs and details from the wedding in your portfolio and marketing:

• "The Planner may use photographs from the Wedding for portfolio, website, and social media purposes unless the Client opts out in writing prior to the Wedding."

Give clients the option to opt out, but make the default position that you can use the images. Your portfolio is your livelihood.

GDPR and Data Protection

As a wedding planner, you'll handle significant personal data: names, addresses, phone numbers, dietary requirements, and potentially financial information. Under UK GDPR, you have obligations:

• State what personal data you collect and why
• Confirm how long you retain data after the wedding (industry standard is 2–3 years for contractual purposes)
• Explain how data is stored and protected
• Note the client's right to request deletion of their data
• If you share data with suppliers (which you will), note this

You should also have a separate privacy policy on your website that goes into more detail.

Force Majeure

COVID taught the entire wedding industry the importance of force majeure clauses. This covers events beyond either party's control:

• Pandemic, epidemic, or government restrictions
• Severe weather events
• Venue closure or bankruptcy
• Bereavement of immediate family

Specify what happens in these circumstances — typically postponement without penalty, or a partial refund depending on work already completed.

Dispute Resolution

Include a clause requiring both parties to attempt informal resolution before legal action:

• "In the event of a dispute, both parties agree to attempt resolution through direct discussion in the first instance."
• "If informal resolution is unsuccessful, the parties agree to mediation before pursuing legal action."
• Specify which jurisdiction's law governs the contract (England and Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland — they differ).

Mediation is cheaper, faster, and less stressful than court proceedings for both sides.

Liability Limitation

Limit your liability to the total fee paid by the client. This is standard practice and prevents disproportionate claims. For example:

• "The Planner's total liability under this agreement shall not exceed the total fees paid by the Client."
• Exclude liability for supplier performance (you recommend and coordinate, but you're not responsible if a supplier underperforms)
• Exclude liability for weather, venue issues, or other factors outside your control

Getting Your Contract Right

A good wedding planner contract should be:

• Clear — written in plain English, not impenetrable legal jargon
• Fair — protecting both parties equally
• Specific — leaving no room for ambiguity on key points
• Professional — reflecting the quality of your service

Invest in having a solicitor draft or review your contract. Template contracts from the internet are a starting point, but a solicitor familiar with UK consumer law and the events industry will ensure your contract is enforceable and comprehensive. Budget £300–£600 for this — it's one of the best business investments you'll make.

Review and update your contract annually as your services, pricing, and experience evolve.

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