Mike Holmes on Weddings?

No, not really but but he gave great tips today on the Nate Berkus Show. I love watching his show because he always has great topics that I can always draw inspiration from. From cooking how to’s to home design don’ts, I can certainly relate to his topics and apply them to my profession as a wedding planner.

On today’s episode, Mike Holmes, expert on home renovations, author of the book Make it Right, and stars on Holmes on Homes that airs on HGTV, gave tips on what every contract should have to protect yourself and the contractor. Nate had a couple who was burned by a contractor who was referred to them by a “friend of a friend of a friend” and who had a contractor’s license. This contractor made a mess of their home and their wallets to the tune of over $100k.  

How does this relate to you, the bride and groom? Mike Holmes offered 5 things that should be in your contract when hiring contractors, well your wedding vendors are in fact your contractors and every tip he offered is relevant. When you’re shopping around for your wedding vendors, do your homework and do it thoroughly.

1.      Get a Detailed Quote – Outline every detail that you expect from your vendors. You want to list everything from soup to nuts. This is the document you’ll use to make the decision to hire your wedding vendor. The quote will be the foundation for your contract.

2.      Change Orders – When you have a contract in place and need to make any changes, make sure you have an amendment that’s signed by you and the wedding vendor.

3.      Start & Finish Dates – If your wedding vendor is making guarantees to perform time specific tasks, you should include in your contract a definite start and finish date and time. To protect yourself, you can include a penalty if the deadline(s) have not been met. Doing so will also help weed out the legit from the posers – get in the contract.

4.      Subcontractors – If your wedding vendor is subcontracting from other vendors, you want to know about it and you need details of who they are and their credentials in your contract.

5.      Termination Clause – You have to have a clause in the contract that will give you both an exit if either one of you are unable to meet your obligations to the agreement.

Once again, Nate Berkus has moved me to action. I will revise my contracts to not only protect my business, but to also protect the interests of my future clients.

What special terms did you include in your wedding contract OR what should you have included that you wish you had?

I hope you've enjoyed reading this article. If you need personal, professional assistance with planning your wedding, feel free to contact me at info@stylishweddingsandthings.com. Don't forget to join our email list to keep up to date on the happenings with Stylish Weddings & Things and to receive a free wedding report to help you with your wedding planning.

A Stylish Wedding Awaits you!

Your Friend and Wedding Planner,

Sherries