The VowSign blog — contracts & money for wedding vendors
Sourced guides on the parts of a wedding business that end up in disputes: retainers, cancellation windows, payment schedules, chargebacks and image rights. Every article lists its sources.
Guides
- Non-refundable retainer: how to write one that actually holds
Why a "non-refundable deposit" can still be refunded in court, what a retainer legally buys, and the sentences that make it hold.
- Wedding contract cancellation clauses: 30/60/90-day windows benchmarked
Real sliding-scale cancellation ladders from working studios, and how to write yours so it holds.
- What must be in a wedding photography contract — the full checklist
A wedding photography contract, clause by clause — and the mistake each section prevents.
- Image rights & model release: where wedding vendors get it wrong
Six common mistakes: guest consent, opt-outs, portfolio vs commercial use, AI training — and a three-sentence clause.
- Force majeure in wedding contracts: what it actually covers (post-COVID)
What a force majeure clause really does, post-COVID case law, and what happens to deposits.
- Wedding payment schedules: deposit & balance benchmarks (2026 data)
What the industry actually charges and when: deposit percentages, balance due dates, 2 vs 3 payments.
- How to win a wedding chargeback: the contract is your evidence
A card dispute can land months after the wedding. Your contract and paper trail are what win it.
- Chasing a late wedding balance without killing the referral
A friendly ladder for chasing a late balance — reminders, holds, and when to stop.
- Do you actually need a wedding CRM? (Or just contracts)
What a CRM does for a wedding vendor, the volume math that decides it, and when contracts alone are enough.
General information, not legal advice. Contract and fee rules differ by state; have a licensed attorney review any contract before you use it with clients.