How I love/hate thee, let me count the ways… Since I’m stuck several thousand miles away from our wedding location and I can’t stomach $2 a minute phone calls, my father has been left in charge of sorting out the contract for the caterer.
Neither Mr. D or I are as eagled eyed as we should be, so it’s helpful that my dad is an ace at contracts; he checks them thoroughly, reviews statutes from the attorney general’s office etc before signing anything. He is your average “measure thrice, cut once” kind of guy - except it usually ends up “measure 10 times, cut once”. While this process has proved helpful with checking over apartment rental agreements and such, it’s been a bit different with the wedding.
There were a few problems in the original catering contract that worried my father. His main concerns were that although the catering company had the necessary amount of insurance if anything were to happen, would we personally need an additional insurance policy because we would be the ones sued in case of a terrible accident. Also, if for some reason the catering company cancels on us or they close their business, we lose our substantial deposit. These were just the tip of the iceberg for my dad, so he set about making revisions and emailing contracts back and forth between the catering company.
Although it hasn’t been fully sorted yet, I was wondering if anyone else has gone though something similar? Did you accept most of your contracts as is or did you make revisions to them?
I would recommend including any verbal promises made into the written contract, and also making sure the contract clearly spells out what happens in the event of a cancellation by the vendor. There are a lot of great lists out there in various wedding books and on websites to serve as a general guideline of what each contract should included at a minimum. As for the insurance issue, we’re responsible to indemnify our venue in the event they’re sued as the result of our event. While we’ve made sure our vendors have the appropriate liability insurance, we will also get additional coverage specifically for the event. The cost of such insurance is likely minimal in contrast to the amount of personal liability to which you could potentially be exposed.
Mrs. D'orsay, Baltimore/Lancaster UK
Age and Occupation: 24, Stay at home fiance (formerly in nonprofit communications)
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Web site developer and designer; co-owner of men's skincare shop
Engagement Date: August 10, 2008
Wedding Date: August, 2009
Venue: Oakland Manor
About Me: I'm a Maryland raised environmental policy wonk/activist/organizer and communications aficionado. In the past year I've lived in Baltimore, MD, Tucson, AZ, Miami, FL and Lancaster, England. In my not so spare time I enjoy planning trips with Mr. D' Orsay, visiting friends and family and crafting like a mo-fo. I also enjoy modern dance classes, rugby and soccer but have been banned by my mother, MOHs, and Mr. D' Orsay from playing till after the wedding. I have an unnatural addiction to cheese and shoes, but love Mr. D' Orsay more than either and can't wait to become Mrs. D' Orsay!
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