Contracts and E-Signatures for Wedding Planners
A wedding is a year of planning compressed into one day that cannot be moved. Your contract with the couple has to survive a date change, a vendor cancellation, a guest count that doubles and, occasionally, a wedding that does not happen. Codec Document helps wedding planners send clear contracts that couples sign from anywhere, with retainers, payment schedules and cancellation terms stated before the emotion starts.
The hardest conversations happen when there is no contract to point to
Most couples are wonderful clients. But when a wedding is postponed, downsized or cancelled, the planner who wrote clear terms can point to them calmly, and the planner who did not has to negotiate with two stressed people and their parents. Retainers, milestone payments, what happens to vendor deposits and how many revisions are included are all questions that are easy to answer in month one and painful in month ten.
How it helps wedding planners
Contracts both partners sign
Each partner, and a parent paying for the wedding if needed, signs from their own phone. The contract completes when everyone has signed.
Retainer and payment schedule in writing
Non-refundable retainer, milestone payments and final payment date, stated clearly so nobody is surprised when an invoice arrives.
Postponement and cancellation terms
What happens if the date moves or the wedding is cancelled, and how vendor deposits are handled, agreed before anyone needs to use it.
Vendor agreements you coordinate
Send florists, DJs and caterers their own agreements for signature, so the whole wedding runs on written terms, not text messages.
Electronic consent for consumer contracts
Couples hiring a planner are consumers, and consumer contracts can be signed electronically under the ESIGN Act, 15 U.S.C. § 7001. Where another law requires a disclosure to be given to a consumer in writing, § 7001(c) sets out the consent the consumer must give to receive it electronically. Whether a non-refundable retainer is enforceable depends on state law and on whether it is reasonable in relation to the work reserved, so state the reason for the retainer, such as reserving your date, in the contract itself.
The postponed wedding
A wedding planner in California had a couple postpone their wedding by nine months when the venue flooded. Her contract said the retainer carried over to a new date within twelve months and that additional planning hours were billed at a stated rate. Because both partners had signed it, the conversation took ten minutes. A colleague without a written postponement clause spent weeks negotiating a similar situation and ended up refunding half her retainer.
What to put in writing with every couple
- The services included, from full planning to day-of coordination, and the number of meetings.
- The retainer, why it is non-refundable and the milestone payment dates.
- What happens if the date moves, including how long the retainer carries over.
- Who contracts vendors directly and who is responsible for vendor deposits and cancellations.
- The hours of coverage on the wedding day and the overtime rate.
- How decisions are approved when several family members are involved.
Questions people ask about this
Can couples sign if they live in different cities?
Yes. Each partner receives their own link and signs from wherever they are.
Is there a wedding planner contract template?
Yes. You can start from a wedding planner contract template, adjust it to your services and send it for signature.
Can I include a payment schedule?
Yes. Write your retainer and milestone payments into the contract so they are agreed when the couple signs.
Can I brand the contract with my logo?
Yes. Your logo and business details appear on the document, which matters for a business built on presentation.