Wedding planner contract template

Sample text of the wedding planning / coordination services agreement in VowSign, written for wedding planners and coordinators, with its optional lines shown. In the form, the reception location, the late-payment fee, and the reschedule change fee appear only when you fill them in or choose them. Read every clause below. When you are ready, fill it in and send it to your client for e-signature.

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5 clauses in this agreement

Wedding and scope
Fee and expenses
Changes and third parties
Cancellation, rescheduling, and force majeure
Liability and general terms

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What a wedding planning contract should cover

This agreement has five clauses and fits full planning, partial planning, or month-of and day-of coordination. Much of it is about where the planner’s job ends: what is in scope, who deals with the vendors, and what happens to the money if plans change.

Wedding and scope. The date, the ceremony location, an optional reception location, the service level, and the services included. Unless a service is listed, the planner does not provide catering, florals, photography, entertainment, rentals, legal services, financial guarantees, or vendor services. The planner is an independent contractor, not an employee, agent, or guarantor of any venue or vendor. The client agrees to give timely decisions, a realistic budget, an accurate guest count, and authority to talk to vendors.
Fee and expenses. The total, a nonrefundable retainer due on signing, the balance and its due date, payment methods, preapproved expenses and how fast they are reimbursed, and an optional late-payment fee. Day-of coverage has start and end times and an hourly rate for extra time.
Changes and third parties. The planner makes reasonable efforts to accommodate changes requested by a date you set. Major changes after that date may cost extra and are not guaranteed. The planner does not warrant other vendors’ pricing, availability, performance, product, licensing, or insurance.
Cancellation, rescheduling, and force majeure. Written notice, one cutoff that decides what is returned, how a date change works, and what happens if severe weather, a disaster, government action, an epidemic, a venue closure, or another circumstance beyond reasonable control prevents performance.
Liability and general terms. What the planner is not liable for, a liability cap at the amounts paid (to the extent the law allows), the client’s indemnity and hold-harmless promises, a promise to try good-faith discussion and then mediation before suit (except for urgent relief), a clause letting the prevailing party in an enforcement action recover reasonable attorney fees and costs to the extent the law allows, a requirement that disputes be heard in the courts of the governing state (small-claims court is allowed as an alternative), and governing state law.

Situations this contract is written for

Situation	What the contract says
The client expects something that was not on the list	Clause 1. The services you list are the scope. Unless listed, you do not provide catering, florals, photography, entertainment, rentals, legal services, financial guarantees, or vendor services.
A vendor does not deliver	Clause 3. You do not warrant another vendor’s pricing, availability, performance, product, licensing, or insurance. The client reports problems to you, and you may help with communication but do not take on the vendor’s obligations. Clause 5 also says you are not liable for third-party vendor failures.
Who signs with and pays the vendors	Clause 1. You may coordinate and recommend vendors, but the client contracts with and pays each vendor directly unless the parties agree otherwise in writing. The client stays responsible for vendor choices, vendor deposits, permits, insurance, and the wedding’s legal requirements.
Your out-of-pocket costs	Clause 2. Preapproved expenses are listed in the contract (travel, parking, lodging, postage, supplies, and assistants are named as examples) and must be reimbursed within the number of days you set after your invoice.
The day runs long	Clause 2. Day-of coverage runs from a start time to an end time you enter, and extra time is charged at the hourly rate you set. The client provides a meal and reasonable breaks for you and any agreed assistants for coverage over five hours.
The client changes things late	Clause 3. You make reasonable efforts to accommodate changes requested by the date you set. Major changes after that date may require an added fee and are not guaranteed.
The client cancels	Clause 4. The retainer remains earned. Cancelling more than the number of days you set before the wedding: you return payments beyond the retainer, less completed work and nonrecoverable costs. Within that number of days: the client owes the amount paid plus committed expenses and services performed, up to the contract price.
The client wants to move the date	Clause 4. A reschedule is effective only if you agree and are available. If so, payments may transfer once to a date within the number of months you set, subject to current rates and a change fee if you choose one. Otherwise the cancellation terms apply.
Severe weather, a disaster, a venue closure, or another circumstance beyond reasonable control	Clause 4. If it prevents performance, the parties try to reschedule. If they cannot, you return unearned funds after completed services and nonrecoverable costs.

What the template leaves to you

Your numbers. On this page the fees, days, and times are blanks. In the VowSign form some come pre-filled and you can change them: a 50% retainer, a balance due 30 days before the wedding, changes requested by 45 days before, expenses reimbursed within 14 days, a cancellation cutoff of 60 days, and a reschedule window of 6 months.
Service level and services. You choose full planning, partial planning, or month-of and day-of coordination (full planning is pre-selected), and tick what is included. Vendor sourcing, budget tracking, vendor coordination, and day-of coordination are pre-ticked. Design and styling, a wedding-day timeline, rehearsal coordination, and guest list and RSVP management are also on the list, and you can add your own line.
Optional lines. The reception location, a late-payment fee, and a change fee for rescheduling appear only if you fill them in or choose them. If you leave preapproved expenses empty, the contract says “none”.
Your state’s rules. Contract law and fee rules differ by state. See the note at the bottom of the page.

How to fill it in

Scope first. Everything else in the contract leans on the list of services, so make it specific. “Day-of coordination” and “full planning” mean very different amounts of work, and the exclusions only apply to what you do not list.
Expenses. List what the client has pre-approved, because the reimbursement promise in clause 2 refers to the preapproved expenses.
Coverage hours. Enter the start and end of day-of coverage and the rate for extra time.
The cancellation cutoff. This template has one cutoff, not a ladder. Set it so it matches how far ahead you start spending time and money. For comparison, Cancellation clauses benchmarked shows multi-step ladders from photography studios, including one in the UK.
Retainer. How a nonrefundable retainer is treated differs by state. The non-refundable retainer guide covers how courts and statutes in New York, California, and Texas approach it.
Payment timing. For ideas on spacing the balance, see Payment schedule benchmarks.

Questions

What is the difference between full planning, partial planning, and month-of coordination in this contract?

The contract does not define them. In the form you pick one of the three levels and tick the services you will provide, and clause 1 records both. The listed services are the scope, so be specific about what “month-of” or “full” means for you.

Is the planner responsible if a vendor does not show up?

The contract says the planner is not liable for third-party vendor failures. Clause 3 adds that the planner does not warrant other vendors’ performance and does not take on a vendor’s obligations. Whether a particular limit holds up depends on your state, so have an attorney review the contract.

Who signs the vendor contracts?

The client. Clause 1 says the client contracts with and pays each vendor directly unless the parties agree otherwise in writing.

What happens to the money if the wedding is cancelled?

Clause 4 uses one cutoff. The retainer stays earned either way. Before the cutoff you return payments beyond the retainer, less completed work and nonrecoverable costs. Inside it, the client owes the amount paid plus committed expenses and services performed, up to the contract price.

Can clients sign it online?

In VowSign, yes. You fill in the blanks as a short form, your client signs from a link on any device, and both sides receive the signed PDF.

Last reviewed: November 3, 2026.

The contract text

Wedding Planning / Coordination Services Agreement

Effective date:

Planner: , of , email/phone ("Planner")

Clients: and , email/phone (together, "Client")

1. Wedding and scope

The wedding takes place on . Ceremony location: . Reception location: . Planner will provide the selected service level: full planning / partial planning / month-of or day-of coordination, specifically:

Unless listed above, Planner does not provide catering, florals, photography, entertainment, rentals, legal services, financial guarantees, or vendor services. Planner is an independent contractor, not an employee, agent, or guarantor of any venue or third-party vendor.

Client will provide timely decisions, a realistic budget, accurate guest count and contact information, and authority for Planner to communicate with vendors. Planner may coordinate and recommend vendors, but Client contracts with and pays each vendor directly unless written otherwise. Client remains responsible for vendor choices, vendor deposits, permits, insurance, and the wedding's legal requirements.

2. Fee and expenses

Planner's total fee is $. A nonrefundable retainer of $ is due on signing; the balance of $ is due by . Payments may be made by . Preapproved expenses (including travel, parking, lodging, postage, supplies, and assistants) are: and must be reimbursed within days of invoice. Late amounts may incur $ and/or % per month where lawful.

Day-of coverage is from to ; additional time costs $ per hour. Client will provide a meal and reasonable breaks for Planner and any agreed assistants for coverage over five hours.

3. Changes and third parties

Planner will make reasonable efforts to accommodate changes requested by . Major changes after that date may require an added fee and are not guaranteed. Planner does not warrant another vendor's pricing, availability, performance, product, licensing, or insurance. Client will promptly report any vendor problem to Planner, who may assist with communications but does not assume the vendor's obligations.

4. Cancellation, rescheduling, and force majeure

Client may cancel by written notice. The retainer remains earned. For cancellation more than days before the wedding, Planner will return payments beyond the retainer less completed work and nonrecoverable costs. Within days, Client owes the amount paid plus committed expenses and services performed, up to the contract price.

A reschedule is effective only if Planner agrees and is available. If available, payments may transfer once to a date within months, subject to a $ change fee and current rates; otherwise cancellation terms apply. If a severe weather event, disaster, government action, epidemic, venue closure, or other circumstance beyond reasonable control prevents performance, the parties will try to reschedule. If they cannot, Planner will return unearned funds after completed services and nonrecoverable costs.

5. Liability and general terms

Planner is not liable for third-party vendor failures, guests, venue conditions, weather, delay, or decisions Client makes. To the extent allowed by law, Planner's total liability is limited to amounts paid under this Agreement, and neither party is liable for consequential damages. Client will indemnify Planner from third-party claims arising from Client's event, except claims caused by Planner's gross negligence or willful misconduct.

This Agreement is the entire agreement. A signed writing is required to change it. If a provision is unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue. The law of State of governs. The parties will first try good-faith discussion and then mediation before suit, except for urgent relief. Electronic signatures are valid.

Client will defend and hold Planner harmless from third-party claims, damages, costs, or fees arising from Client's or guests' conduct or venue permissions, except to the extent caused by Planner's negligence. To the extent allowed by law, the prevailing party in any action to enforce this Agreement may recover reasonable attorney fees and costs. Disputes may be heard only in the courts of the State named above; claims eligible for small-claims court may instead be brought there.

Client 1

Date

Client 2

Date

Planner

Date

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This template is general information, not legal advice. Contract law and fee rules differ by state; have a licensed attorney in your state review any contract before you use it with clients.