Cancelling An Appointment With A Vendor
Posted in Planning0
Ok so we have an appointment with a videographer next weekend, and I had another look through their portfolio today. And I really don’t like their work anymore. The camera is pretty shaky in some areas and they haven’t edited it out. Anyway, we both really like the last videographer we met with so we don’t want to meet with this one, as it will waste both of our times. Is it rude to cancel the appointment? Should we just go anyway? If I cancel what do I say?
Latest activity by FutureMrsB , on March 19, 2012 at 3:53 AM
Part Two: Tell Them What You Want
- In this section, youll give the vendor a general idea of what you need them to do. Make sure to visit the vendors website to get familiar with their scope of work. Browse their service offerings, work samples, and photos to get a better idea of what you can request from this vendor.
- If youre not 100% sure about what you want, you can let them know that. For example, if youre contacting a caterer, you can say, We havent decided on plated or buffet style, so wed like to see an estimate for each option.
- If you have any strong preferences or non-negotiable requests, youll want to make that clear in this section. In the catering example, this might be something like, We plan to serve vegetarian dishes only.
Do I Have To Pay A Cancellation Charge
A cancellation charge is not necessarily fair just because it is in the contract you signed. If you are faced with a cancellation charge, it needs to be reasonable.
Cancellation charges should be a genuine estimate of the business direct loss.
So youre clear on any costs, you may want to query the cancellation charge and check when it would apply before signing a contract.
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What Is A Wedding Services Contract
A wedding services contract is a document that specifies the terms under which wedding services are to be provided. When planning a wedding, you may work with a number of vendors that require you to sign a contract for wedding services, including:
- Officiants
- Transportation services
- Wedding planners
You may also need to sign contracts with the wedding venue and the reception venue. Like other types of contracts, these are legally binding once both parties sign and agree to the terms.The purpose of this type of contract is to protect both the vendor and the person contracting wedding services.
You may want to steer clear of vendors who dont use wedding services contracts or refuse to agree to any terms in writing.
Your Caterer Wont Adhere To Dietary Restrictions
Its not uncommon to host a wedding with a guest list full of dietary restrictions and special food requirements. Now, obviously you should be upfront with your caterer about expectations in this regard before booking. However, if more guests than you anticipated have special diets or if your caterer said they could accommodate and now refuses, youre in a bad situation. This one is tricky because ideally, you vetted caterers who specialized in special diets or dietary restrictions. That said, you cant necessarily assume everyones needs ahead of receiving their meal enclosure cards.
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I Need To Cancel My Wedding Venue
No one wants to find themselves having to cancel or move the date of their wedding, but it can happen – due to family illness, for example.
And you may have paid a deposit, or even the full cost of your venue already.
If you cancel your venue it is usually only allowed to keep an amount of money that will cover its actual losses.
For example, if you cancel one day before your wedding day, it will be unlikely that the venue will be able to cover all of its costs.
If you cancel at short notice, the business will have reasonable grounds to keep most – if not all – of your deposit, minus any savings it can make.
Possibly by cancelling orders, staff or if it is able to reuse any stock at a later date .
In some cases they may choose to charge a cancellation fee. If they do so, this should be explained in your contract.
It is reasonable to expect your venue to give you a full or partial refund if you cancel well in advance because it will be able to resell the booking.
The Competition and Markets Authority says non-refundable deposits can only be a small percentage of the total price, you can read our guide to challenge a non-refundable deposit.
Key Information
Confirm The Service Hours And Overtime Fees
If your party ends up running later than expected, you could end up paying a hefty price to vendors working outside of their planned hours. Confirm the actual hours that each vendor will be rendering their services, particularly when it comes to entertainment and bartenders. Also be sure to see what their overtime fees are so that you know what to expect if you decide to keep the party going.
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How To Politely Decline A Wedding Vendor
Here’s the scenario: As a bride or groom, you’re spending quite some time researching, emailing, and interviewing with potential wedding vendors. In this case, let’s say you found three different wedding photographers, they’ve all sent you their proposals, and after weighing in your options, you’ve decided to go with lucky number three. That’s awesome because of course you want to do business with someone you connect with! But what to do about photographers one and two? Here’s where it gets tricky, right? The easier thing to do is to just drop the communication and hope that they get the hint. Most likely they will, but the truth is, there’s a kinder and more polite way of doing this and that’s simply letting them know you’re declining their services.
Seriously, we prefer it.And please don’t feel bad. You didn’t do anything wrong.
Lastly, if you’re able to give me a reason why you’re declining my services, please tell me. I want you to feel comfortable doing so because I want to keep growing. As we all know, writing a rejection feels awful, and it’s absolutely normal for us to not want to hurt someone’s feelings. But again, because I’m coming into this from a professional standpoint, your honest reason is actually very valuable to me as a vendor. That way, I can improve whatever might be an issue. Consider it sort of like a dating relationship. No one wants to be ghosted. Even if it’s hard at first, we’d all rather hear the truth or reason than be left hanging!
“Hi ,
Etiquette For Canceling Your Wedding
Letting Guests Know & Explaining Cancellation
- Just like if you are postponing your wedding date and formal announcements have been made you should send out a printed card. We understand this is a very difficult time, but being proactive and honest will help in the long run.
- Example from Weddings Expert, Nina Callaway:
- Mr. and Mrs. Jeffery ScottAnnounce that the marriage of their daughterAnne ScottKamau ThomasWill not take place as scheduled.
Notify Vendors & Venue
Dont Forget to Cancel Your Honeymoon
What About Canceling My Dream Dress?
How to Proceed With Gifts
Engagement Ring?
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Postponement Cancellation And Termination
There are different reasons for needing to postpone a wedding. For example, in a 2020 study by Brides, 66% of couples opted to delay their wedding during that COVID-19 crisis year. In some cases, a wedding may need to be canceled altogether, or you may decide that you no longer want to work with a certain vendor.
When reading through a wedding services contract, look for a section or sections covering postponement, cancellation, and termination. Specifically, look for:
- Cutoff dates for canceling or terminating services
- Acceptable reasons for postponing, canceling, or terminating services
- What youre required to do to postpone/cancel/terminate the contract, such as making a written request
- Terms relating to the return or reimbursement of deposits and other fees paid
Handle Your Dirty Business In Writing
It’s totally cool if you prefer to start the breakup conversation in person or over a phone call, but it’s in your best interest to follow up with a written recap of what was discussed. Keeping clear records of cancelling a contract is crucial, as it’s possible your vendor may request additional money be paid or they may refuse a refund of your deposit. As well, you need to be very clear about your intention to sever ties, including a statement of the date the work will end and why.
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Important To Be Cautious
It is also important to be cautious when addressing friends and family and not put personal feelings in the letter.
Even though the relationship may have gone sour, this letter is going to both parties friends and family and should be nonspecific in nature.
Start the letter like a typical letter. The address of the sender should be listed first on the left hand of the page, followed by the date and then the person the letter is going to.
It is not necessary to put both parties names, if the relationship has split. If it is a delay in the wedding, then it would be acceptable to put both parties on the letter.
Because you will be addressing many people from many places, a formal salutation is best, especially if you dont know the person.
The first paragraph should be used to reiterate the parties names and the dates of the nuptials you are cancelling.
Make sure to start with an apologetic tone even in the first paragraph, as some people may be upset by this cancellation.
The second paragraph can state a small generic reason of why the event is being cancelled or rescheduled, but this is up to the party and is not required.
This section needs to mention a thank you for the gifts and to also state that they will be returned.
Give a specific time table, as to when the gifts will be returned. End with an additional apology followed by a formal closing.
It Matters When You Cancel
“The tricky part is that every event vendor is different, based on their industry and the amount of prep work,” Fox says, explaining that the standard she’s used to seeing requires a nonrefundable deposit of ¼ to ½ of the total contract cost. Payment is generally due in full within 30 days of the event, so if you’re canceling the contract less than 30 before the wedding, Fox says you should expect to pay in full. “Note that this does vary, especially based on the experience of the vendor and how many materials the vendor must procure up front.”
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Discuss With Hired Vendors
Once you’ve spoken with your planner and venue about rescheduled dates and understand your vendor contracts and postponement clauses , reach out to the vendors you’ve hired about rebooking. “Vendors want you to have a wedding of your dreams, but also have to remember they’re small businesses running on survival,” Meyer says.
Take Charge: Kendall recommends being proactive, especially now in a time such as a widespread crisis. “Send a mass email to your vendors, with the dates that you can make work,” she says. “The earlier you can do that, the betterespecially if you’re having a wedding in a state of an outbreak or international. Its hard to make the decision, but you have to consider people’s health and your relationships with the guests you’ve asked to celebrate with you.” That said, Valley recommends dividing outreach into two waves: First, talk to your primary servicesyour photographer, videographer, florist, band, and caterer. Then, reach out to vendors capable of doing more than one wedding in a weekend .
Account for Additional Costs: “You may lose here financially if everyone doesnt have the same dates available,” says Stefanie Cove of Stefanie Cove & Co. in Los Angeles. “Be prepared for that and remember this is a hard time for everyone involved.”
Set A Sincere Tone With Reviews
Since vendors rely on reviews for new business, consider offering during the breakup to leave a positive review online. Doing something to help the vendor goes a long way in getting the vendor to help you, says Marie Kubin, CEO of Rent My Wedding.
But if the conversation is starting to sour, dont be quick to threaten a bad review. Although it might seem like this should prompt the vendor to do what you want, it’s actually the opposite, she says. Leaving a bad review will pretty much guarantee that you will not get a refund, ever. Why? Bad reviews harm a vendor’s livelihood, so they have no incentive to take another hit by giving you a refund. If you don’t get a refund after a couple of months, then, by all means, leave a review about your experience but don’t use a bad review as a weapon to force a refund.
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The Circumstances Around Your Wedding Cancellation
In the case of an ‘Act of God‘ like our Storm Emma/Beast from the East snowpocalypse, most suppliers will try to find new date that works or give you a refund. Some have an ‘Act of God’ clause in their contracts that means no payment is required in the case of a fire, flooding or extreme weather.
If it’s a bereavement or an illness, suppliers will generally be as understanding as possible, though you still won’t be guaranteed a refund.
If you’re cancelling the wedding because of a break-up or because you’ve changed your mind, suppliers may not be as accommodating.
Photo by via One Fab Day
Check Your Contract Terms
The first thing you’ll need to do before calling it quits with your vendor is check your contract terms, specifically the cancellation and deposit terms. Most vendors will have been paid a percentage upfront to start working on your wedding and they’ve likely devoted time and effort to your big day by the time you decide to call things off. If you’re not happy with the terms of the cancellation agreement you signed, you may be able to settle an agreement with your vendor outside of court. Otherwise, now would be the time to call a lawyer and discuss your options.
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