Hi L. Parker, In the contract you prepared upon booking the client you should have stated the deposits are non-refundable. The deposit serves as you retainer to reserve the date. As good business policy I offer to refund all or part of the refund If I can book the date, but upon short notice it is usually hard to do. I always remind the client they can forward the deposit to another date in the future. I hope this helps.
Make sure you prepare a good strong contract and allow for all the pitfalls life offers.
Chris
I had a bride cancel on me the week before and didn't (now I do) have the refund part as clear as I should have, ended up giving her half of her retainer. Thanks for the comments back :)
I get so close to my brides I feel bad not giving them something back-- since hers was a break up. However I did lose another job on the same day when I reserved hers... hopefully it doesnt happen very often :)
all of my contracts clearly state that a deposit secures the agreed upon date. therefore, any cancellations will not receive a refund of their deposit. the deposits do count towards the total owed for the session or wedding, so I am always willing to let them schedule again in the future. With weddings...if the bride calls of her wedding, that deposit is lost. :(
your contract should state the "retainer to book the date" is non refundable. Deposits are for the specific service and can be deemed refundable by a court of law even if your contract states otherwise.
Retainer fees are non-refundable. We do allow our clients to use that as credit towards another date or service. It's important to clearly define that in your contracts so there are no misunderstandings.
What does your contract state? If you’re not using one, get started and address deposits. If you don't feel comfortable, then stats it's refundable. But have something about it. Go over it at the time of signing, so there are no surprises down the road. It's good business.
Hello! My contract is solid I dont do anything without contract-- I needed some help on cancellations... I had a bride cancel the weekend before (they called ot off) and didnt know what to give them :)
Well, I guess you need to find out if it's a postponement, or canceled all together.
If the wedding is postponed, and the new date they selected is a conflict on your calendar, that's another issue. If cancelled altogether, or the new date has a conflict on your end, these is really nothing you can do. However, you have put in a lot of "up front time" and you, as a professional, should be compensated.
Here is how I spell it out: If a total cancelation or a conflict occurs from a new selected date, I refund 1/2 of their deposit. I only require a $150.00 deposit, this holds the date from the signed my agreement.
Thats what I did-- it was cancelled al together so I gave them back 1/2 of the retainer. Thanks for the reassurance! I did do alot of footwork for this wedding, too bad it happened they way it did! Have a great weekend!
I also have a no refund on my deposit. I have had people cancel their date and I have turned down a wedding for that weekend a few days before they canceled. I do explain this in the consultation so the bride is fully aware that they will not get it back and I have it the contract they sign.
