Weddings are expensive! Let’s not kid ourselves! It’s not even the individual costs of things, it is when you combine them together you see a massive figure looming on your budget that makes you want to hid behind the couch and cry!
If you have been looking at venues, suppliers and items, no doubt you will want to secure them as quickly as possible, but here are some important tips before paying the deposits:
Do The Budget
Don’t go into a wedding blind- Write out EVERYTHING you want and then put real prices next to them (i.e. what you have been quoted) If you don’t do step 1, every other step will fail.
Find out how much deposit is needed and add it up
If your wedding is going to cost $30,000 but to secure the suppliers you need $10,000 right off the bat for deposits, can you afford it? Don’t get caught in the trap where you just can’t pay to secure your wedding- You run the risk of missing out on the company you want or in some extreme cases, having to cancel the wedding.
Are you sure on the date?
Be 100% sure that is the date you want as changing it may void your deposits, incur extra charges or your supplier may be unavailable. Check if there are any public holidays, grand finals, travel restrictions, etc that may affect the day before paying deposits- once they are paid it is usually the point of no return.
Deposits are NON REFUNDABLE
Only pay a deposit if you would be willing to walk away in an emergency. The deposit is to secure your booking, you cant ask for it back if you change your mind or need to cancel.
Read the Terms and Conditions
Read very carefully what you are entitled to when booking your supplier. Make sure you understand what happens if you cancel/they cancel/you change the date/etc.For example- In Komodo Music’s T&C we say:
It is understood by the client that the $200.00 deposit (Two Hundred Dollars) is non-refundable. If client cancels 30 days prior to event, all monies paid will be refunded (apart from deposit). All outstanding monies must be paid if cancelled after 30 days to event and full balance must be paid 7 days prior to event. If the client meets with their allocated DJ and is not satisfied, providing it is reasonable to do so, Komodo Music will re-allocate a DJ and organise another meeting. If there is an emergency on the day of the function, Komodo Music will do everything within its power to cover a show with a replacement DJ or equipment.
As you can see, in some circumstances you would be entitled to some money back you paid providing it was within a certain time period. Read your contracts carefully & know your rights.
If you would like some more tips on "PAYING OFF YOUR WEDDING", check out the other blog we did HERE
Hopefully this will help when organising your budget, good luck and happy planning :-)
