Are Verbal Vendor Contracts Trustworthy When Wedding Planning?

In Collaboration with Oscar Collins

Wedding planning entails navigating multiple agreements with various vendors. In the midst of cake tastings and venue hunting, it’s easy to want to simplify agreements with verbal contracts with your vendors. 

Understand the legal and practical implications of these agreements and explore how to navigate contracts confidently.

Understanding Verbal Contracts

A verbal or oral contract is an agreement that is outlined and agreed via spoken communication rather than a written document. It could be a handshake deal with your florist or agreeing to a specific service via video call. 

Are Verbal Contracts Legally Binding?

An oral contract can be valid, but it can be tricky to prove in court in case of disagreements. A legally binding contract usually relies on three factors — offer, consideration and acceptance. For example, you’re chatting with a local baker about your wedding cake. You describe your dream cake, and the baker agrees to make it for $1500 and deliver it by 11 a.m. on your wedding day. You accept the deal.

In this example, the offer is the wedding cake priced at $1500, the consideration is the payment for the “something of value” being exchanged, and the acceptance is your verbal agreement to the offer. The presence of these factors indicates to the court that the oral contract may be legally valid.

The Risks of Relying on Verbal Contracts

While they may seem convenient at the moment, verbal contracts can lead to some serious miscommunications.

1. Lack of Evidence

Oral contracts lack the nitty-gritty details that written agreements provide. What happens if the vendor gets sick? What are the cancellation policies? Without these details in writing, there’s no certainty, which is the last thing you need prior to your wedding day.

2. Memory Issues

Verbal agreements may lead to disagreements when one forgets a crucial detail. What you remember might not be what the vendor remembers, which may lead to major disputes and more stress.

3. Little to No Legal Protection

Without a written agreement, you have little protection if a vendor suddenly forgets what they promised, goes out of business or changes staff.

5 Tips for Navigating Vendor Contracts

Wedding planning is stressful enough — don’t let a verbal contract add to the mix. Here’s how to protect your peace of mind when making deals with wedding vendors.

1. Get Everything in Writing

The first rule of verbal agreements is to always follow them up with a written contract. Write all the dates, deadlines, prices, agreements, cancellation policies and other important details in a document. It might seem like extra work, but it’s a small price to pay for a stress-free wedding planning experience. The benefits of a written contract include:

• Summarizes the specifics: A written agreement serves as a reference point for you and your partner regarding what to expect from the vendors.
• Protects from sudden cancellations: A contract has terms for no-shows, cancellations and nonperformance. If your wedding band fails to show up, your written agreement specifies the refunds or penalties that you’re entitled to.

2. Read Carefully

Wedding planning involves many details, making it tempting to quickly sign contracts without careful review. However, it’s crucial to understand the terms you’re agreeing to. A basic contract contains:

• Your and your partner’s names
• The vendor’s name, business name and office address
• Services
• Cost of services
• Terms of payment
• Due dates
• Signatures of both parties

3. Understand Liability Clauses

Identify who is responsible in the event of an incident on the property. Liability clauses indicate the amount and type of liability the couple and vendor assume in the contract. Some vendors waive their liability for losses, accidents, theft or injury, especially in situations where the occurrence is out of their control.

4. Don’t Rush

Take your time to review the contract. Don’t feel pressured to sign it until you’re comfortable. Read it with your partner or a trusted individual, such as your wedding planner, a family member or a contracts lawyer who is barred in the state where your wedding will occur. A second pair of eyes can catch things you might have missed or suggest helpful changes.

5. Ask Questions

After reading the details, ask questions. It’s your wedding, and you have the right to know what you’re signing up for. The ideal vendor should answer all your questions confidently and even offer to adjust their contract to your interest, if possible. 

Protect Your Wedding Day

While verbal agreements possess some degree of legal validity, they carry risks that can affect your big day. Protect yourself from major misunderstandings by insisting on written contracts with all your vendors.