You found the perfect vendor.
You loved their portfolio. You vibed with their team. You're ready to send the deposit.
Then they email you a contract — six pages, single-spaced, with words like "force majeure", "non-refundable retainer," and "liquidated damages."
You skim it. You sign it. And six months later, you discover something you wish you'd caught.
That's how most wedding regrets begin — not with bad vendors, but with unread contracts.
📝 1. The Deposit Trap
Almost every contract starts with a non-refundable deposit, often 30–50%.
What couples miss is the cancellation clause. Some vendors charge for cancellation up to 90 days before — meaning your full payment becomes forfeit even if you cancel half a year early.
💡 Tip: Before signing, ask: "What happens if I cancel three months out? Two? One?" Get the answer in writing.
⏰ 2. Hidden Overtime Fees
Photographers, bands, makeup artists, and even venues have time limits.
What's not always clear is how overtime is calculated. Some charge per minute. Some round up per hour. Some require advance approval, while others just bill you afterward.
💡 Tip: Ask: "What's your overtime rate, and how is it computed?" Add a sentence in the contract that overtime requires written approval.
🚚 3. The Travel Fee Surprise
Vendors based in the metro often add transport, lodging, and meal fees for out-of-town weddings — sometimes worth ₱20,000 per supplier.
If you have ten suppliers? That's ₱200,000 you didn't budget for.
💡 Tip: Ask for an all-in quote that includes travel, accommodation, and meals. Surprises here are the most expensive ones.
📦 4. What's Actually Included
"Photography package" can mean wildly different things.
One vendor includes a wedding album. Another doesn't. One delivers all the raw files. Another only the edited ones.
💡 Tip: Ask for a written deliverables list. Number of edited photos. Number of hours. File format. Album style. Get specifics, not promises.
🛑 5. The Force Majeure Clause
Storms, lockdowns, pandemics, government holidays — they happen.
Some vendors offer free reschedules. Others only offer credit. A few offer nothing.
💡 Tip: Make sure the contract spells out reschedule rights. "Within 12 months at no extra cost" is fair and standard.
❤️ Trust Vendors, But Verify Paper
Most vendors are honest. Most contracts are reasonable. But weddings are once-in-a-lifetime — and the cost of a careless signature is too high to risk.
Read every contract. Twice. Out loud if you must.
🧾 Keep Every Contract in One Safe Place
Lost contracts. Forgotten clauses. Missing inclusions. This is where most disputes begin.
Nuptl lets you store every supplier contract, payment date, and deliverable in one secure place — so nothing slips through.
Because your wedding deserves love, not lawsuits. 💍