The thing about contracts: They’re contracts.

Contracts are written for a purpose and truly do work best for everyone involved. However, contracts must be one of the hardest and most emotional subjects for venues concerning weddings or any business, for that matter.

When a couple gets engaged, they are so excited and in love that they sometimes think with their hearts. They are entering into a lifelong agreement with each other -- as well as shorter-term agreements with the various vendors that help them celebrate their love.

Just like a commitment of lifelong love, signing contracts with a venue should not be taken lightly. Remember when signing a contact with anyone that it means you have agreed with their policies and are legally bound to that agreement.

Contracts are written so everyone involved with an event has an understanding of what to expect.

Occasionally, couples think nothing of signing a contract and calling a few weeks later wanting out. After a contract is signed, that date goes off the calendar for any future bride. Following a cancellation, it is often too late for another couple to book with us; they have moved on either to another date or to another venue.

Couples and their parents might not understand that a vendor actually loses money every time there is a cancellation. We are not making money if we have an open date.

Before signing a contract with anyone, we recommend all parties read the entire contract word for word. If you don’t understand a paragraph, ask the vendor to explain. We have always made a point to explain our cancellation policy and to make sure everyone involved understands.

Think of it like this: You can’t buy a car and a month later say, “I don’t want this car anymore, so I want my money back.” Don’t taint your beautiful wedding day with ugly actions.

Where has all the e-mail gone?

Have you ever e-mailed a venue and never received an e-mail back?

There could be several reasons why:
1. The venue’s e-mail server could be down.
2. Your e-mail could have gone to their spam folder.
3. You could have typed the wrong e-mail address.

I do understand that this does happen, and it happens often, especially with spam folders. I’m not sure if it is our e-mail settings, security programs or something else, but I know I need to check my spam folder at least every other day. It amazes me how many requests for prices I find there. If you happen to not get a response from a vendor within a 24-hour period, please send another e-mail or give them a call.

Leaving a voice message works the same way. Things happen with phone messages, too. The venue may not be able to understand the message, or you might have given the phone number too fast. Sometimes the vendor accidentally clicks delete.

There are businesses out there that don’t return calls or e-mail within a proper time frame, which I think is a 24-hour period. Try to contact one more time, and then move on. After all, who wants to do business with a company that doesn’t take care of business?