Wedding Venue Contract

Why Use a Wedding Venue Contract?

A wedding venue contract protects both the couple and the venue. It records what each side promised, so the details do not depend on memory on the wedding day. It is a specialized kind of commercial lease template built for events. When you have a wedding venue contract, you:

1. Can make sure that everything is exactly as planned, from the table settings to the music.
2. Can stay within budget, since contracts can make negotiations more effective.
3. Can easily search for a professional vendor through the venue provider. Normally, a professional wedding venue can package services and equipment for a lower price.
4. Will know the do’s and don’ts while renting the premises. When you and your guests are aware of the rules, it will be easy to avoid breaking them on your wedding day.
5. Can hold the owner accountable should any complications, hopefully none, arise.

Wedding planning may be the first big project couples take on together. In cases like these, securing a written lease agreement from their vendor is a must to ensure the success of the ceremony as well as please their family members.

How Do You Negotiate a Wedding Venue Contract?

Negotiating a wedding venue contract goes better when you know the order of the talks. Meet the provider, read the proposal, ask for a package that fits your budget and then finalize the terms. The steps below walk through each stage.

1. Set an initial meeting. Couples usually have a vision of what they want their weddings to look like. By setting up a meeting with the provider, they will know how they can make that vision come to life. Make sure to discuss concerns like food, entertainment, and other additional services. If you have a wedding planner, it may be best if he or she is also present during the meeting.
2. Wait for the venue owner’s proposal. After the meeting, the owner may need some time to draft a quotation that suits what you need. This can then be sent over to you via e-mail, which you and your partner can assess. Once the proposal is printed out, you can make notes and plan your negotiation strategy. You may use the checklist in FormsPal’s template for this.
3. Negotiate and look for a compromise. If you’re under a tight budget, be honest with the provider and ask if they can draft a package that suits that budget. Cutting costs can come in various ways, such as reducing the add-ons by outsourcing, limiting the number of dishes, simplifying the decorations, and lots more.
4. Finalize the new agreements. During the negotiation, you may want to have a revised contract already printed out. In this way, you and the owner can finalize on the spot. Just make sure that the document is fully reviewed before signing.

What Should Be Included in the Contract?

Wedding venue contracts are quite different from normal rental contracts. Not only do these affect the location but also ensure the program’s smooth flow. When writing or checking the contract, make sure they contain the following:

• Contact information for the couple, the planner and the venue
• The date and time slot
• The fees, the down payment and the cancellation policy
• The guest count, the space and the services
• Food and drink
• The scope of services
• Rules and limitations
• The indemnification clause

1. Contact Information

This should include the name, mobile number, e-mail, and address of the bride and the groom as well as their wedding planner and preferred vendors. Aside from this, the owner should also provide all contact information of their assigned managers or personnel. This will ensure proper coordination that will ensure a smooth reception program.

2. Schedule

Securing a date and slot should be the first thing that must be done. Therefore, the contract should also contain this information to avoid overlaps and have the venue 100 percent prepared in time for the ceremony or the reception. It is also important to notify any outsourced vendor about the time slot.

3. Financial aspect of the agreement

To reserve and block the venue, a down payment is usually made. This aspect can come before you sign the contract. However, couples are highly encouraged to finalize details through a written agreement first in order to avoid an unfair cancellation policy, hidden charges, and a non-refundable deposit. The wedding venue contract should detail these along with the total cost.

4. General information about the Wedding

All agreements resulting from the planning process should be finalized in the contract. These include the number of guests, room or space to be used, and services that will be availed. The bride and the groom may also put the decoration plan since this would affect the provider. Thankfully, those who have professionally hosted weddings before can already present several tried and tested different designs to suit different tastes.

5. Food

The food is one of the highlights of the wedding, aside from the bride and the groom, of course. If the venue also takes care of preparing and serving the dishes, it is best to pre-select their offerings and list these in the agreement. It is important to know your state’s laws and lockdown guidelines and whether liquor may or may not be served.

6. Scope of Services

The good thing about a professional wedding venue is that they have their own vendor and can package wedding-related services. However, the scope (e.g. duration, manpower, type of service, etc.) should also be clearly listed in the contract.

7. Rules and limitations

Rules vary from location to location, especially with Covid-19 restrictions changing now and then. All these, including health declarations, should be written in the contract to avoid future problems.

8. Indemnification Clause

Like any other agreement, both parties should know the indemnification clause, which will require the offending group to fix or pay for damages. If the event or premises is insured, there is nothing to worry about. If not, the couple may simply pay for insurance coverage, just in case.

Once your wedding venue contract contains the above information, you’re all set! Just make sure to review it and search for possible loopholes. In case you’re looking for a template, you can use FormsPal’s free wedding venue contract template below.

Wedding Venue Contract Form Details

The table below lists the basics of this wedding venue rental agreement template, including its other name and the number of fillable fields. Use it to check that the template fits your event before you start.

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How to Fill Out the Wedding Venue Contract Form

Filling out a wedding venue agreement is quick once you know the order of the form. The steps in this guide follow the FormsPal template on this page, part by part. Gather the names, dates, terms and amounts first, so you can fill in each part in one pass.

The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Wedding Venue Contract template filled with sample entries in blue, so you can see where each answer goes. The names, addresses, dates and amounts are examples only.

1. Opening paragraph, Section 1 Event Information and the planner's contact
   Fill in the Contract Date, then the Owner and Client names. Complete the Section 1 lines from Venue Name down to Event Name, then the number of days before the Event for the final Guest count. Under Section 2, add the planner’s name, phone, email and address.

   

2. Section 2 Contact Information: Bride's Name
   Finish the planner’s address if it runs onto this page, then enter the Bride’s name, phone, email and address.

   

3. Groom's Name and Section 3 Description of the Venue
   Enter the Groom’s name, phone, email and address. Under Section 3, enter the approximate square feet of inside space and mark each listed item (dance floor, restrooms, outdoor space, planner, sound/light system, kitchen) as Included in Base Rental Fee or Available for Additional Fee. Ask the venue owner for the total square feet of the usable space. You may also get a layout, which you may want to use for planning your wedding day.

   

4. Section 3 Additional Items and applicable fees
   Continue the list with the ice machine, playground equipment, piano, bridal party room, photo booth, grounds, TV/DVD player, hotel room and tent. Mark the items that apply, use the Other line for anything extra, and write the fees for these items on the Applicable fees line. Don’t leave the boxes blank as these can be easily ticked after the contract signing. It is better if you mark them with an “X” if the specific service or equipment will not be included.

   

5. Section 4 Food
   Tick who provides the food (Client or Client’s caterer, or Owner), whether the cost is included in or added to the Base Rental Fee, and banquet style or sit-down service. Write the price per Guest and the age cutoff, and list the food choices if Owner provides the food. Make sure you request a food tasting session before ‘signing on the dotted line’.

   

6. Section 5 Beverage
   Tick the alcohol option, whether a liquor license is needed, who provides the bartender and who obtains the license, then write the beverage price on the Beverage price line. Read the printed sentences on serving alcohol before you initial.

   

7. Section 6 Entertainment and Section 7(a) Tables and chairs
   Tick the music options (DJ by Owner or Client, live band, dance floor set up, Other). Under 7(a), tick who provides the tables and chairs, the table type, and write the quantity and any other information.

   

8. Section 7 Set-Up: tables, decorations, dishes and linens
   Tick whether Owner or Client provides and sets up the tables and chairs, decorations (centerpieces, floral, other, with a description), and dishes, place settings and linens. Use the Other Set-Up Information lines for special requests. You may attach visual representations of the desired designs (e.g. sketch or photo) as well as the floorplan.

   

9. Section 8 End Time of Event; Cleaning Up
   Write the Over-Time Fees on the line provided, then tick whether Owner or Client is responsible for break-down of furniture and clean-up.

   

10. Clean-up deadline and Section 9(a) Base Rental Fee
    If Client does the clean-up, write the date and time for the break-down and the removal of personal property. Then enter the base rental fee for the Venue.

    

11. Section 9 Additional Fees
    Tick each additional fee that applies (food, beverage, bartender, tables and chairs, dishes and linens, DJ, flowers, cake, photographer, videographer, storage, parking attendant, early arrival, cleaning, refundable deposit) and write its amount. Use the three Other fee lines for anything else.

    

12. Sales Tax and Total Fee
    Write the sales tax if it applies, then add every amount above into the Total Fee. You may check your state’s tax percentage on these types of events.

    

13. Section 9(b)-(d) Down Payments and Section 10 Insurance
    Write the amount of the down payment (normally 25 to 50 percent of the total). Take note that for some venues, the down payment becomes non-refundable after a certain date. Then write the First and Second Down Payment due dates, the balance and its due date, and who checks are payable to. In Section 10, tick the insurance option and add any other requirements on the lines provided. Section 11 is printed text and has nothing to fill in. Section 11 goes hand-in-hand with the previous terms as this clause explains that both parties are liable for any damage that resulted from their negligence or willful misconduct.

    

14. Section 12 Cancellation and the Additional Terms lines
    Write the Cancellation Deadline. Since weddings are normally scheduled months before the actual event, venue rentals are often canceled. While this is allowed, owners should indicate a deadline for changes (e.g. 2 months before the event). Then describe on the lines what happens to the Total Fees and Deposits paid after that date. Depending on your state, down payments are forfeited or a penalty would be applied. Sections 13 to 15 are printed text, so read them. Use the Additional Terms and Conditions lines (printed as number 14) for any special agreement. If you find a loophole in your agreements, you may still add special conditions in section 14.

    

15. Additional Terms continued and signatures
    Finish any additional terms on the remaining lines. Then both the Owner and the Client sign on the By line and print their name on the Name line in their own column.

    

Which Other Forms Help With Wedding Planning?

A wedding has many moving parts, and each one can have its own form. These templates cover the details that sit around the venue agreement, from the guest list to the flowers. Use the ones that fit your event.

• Wedding guest list template to count guests before you fill in the headcount
• Printable wedding timeline template to plan the schedule for the day
• Wedding flower order form for the decorations
• Catering order form if the caterer is not the venue
• Printable photography contract for the photographer
• Deposit receipt template to record the down payment

General information, not legal or tax advice.

Jennifer M. Settles

Author & Attorney

With over 25 years of experience as a business and transactional attorney, Jennifer has mastered the craft of closing highly successful deals for her clients. Through her wide-ranging expertise in commercial contracts, real estate transactions, M&A and corporate law, Jennifer secures results that are second-to-none.