When hiring wedding vendors I can't begin to stress this strongly enough, get a contract. Everyone from the baker, the butcher, and the candlestick maker, should give you a contract. A contract must be signed, dated and have a complete and detailed description, including number of personnel to be provided, the date and time of arrival of the services and product(s) you have contracted for and a breakdown of all fees-with the total cost and the payment policy clearly stated. A receipt alone is not a contract, all it does is show you have paid a certain amount of money for a service or product. If you are told your receipt is the contract then you need to make sure it has all the information a contract alone would have along with the amount paid.

I don't care how long the business has been around or how long you've known the owner or staff; it doesn't matter if it's a relative, a best friend or a friend of a friend of a friend. If you can't get the Who, What, Where, When and How Much in writing, turn around and walk the other way. Any reputable wedding vendor, including the officiant, will provide a contract.

A signed contract is your only guarantee that the vendor understands and has agreed to provide exactly what you want and when you want it at the price stated. Should anything go wrong, that little piece of paper can save you a lot of money.

I hope you caught the part that says "what you want" because that little phrase makes it your responsibility to communicate and define what is in your head to the vendor. Wedding vendors are not mind readers and it is not their responsibility to make an accurate guess of what you want. The vendor is there to offer you choices, provide different scenarios or describe what has been successful in the past but the ultimate responsibility for the decision is yours.

Know your budget for that area of your wedding before you speak to the vendor and, for crying out loud, tell the vendor what your budget is. The vendor will have no problem telling you if your budget is not within their price range. So often the bride or brides' family wants to impress the vendor and is embarrassed about the amount they have to spend. If a wedding professional talks down to you, tries to intimidate you or tries to push you into a corner to get what they want, walk away. There are others out there who want your business and will do their best to please you.

Now that you have a contract, read it! Once you sign the contract it is a done deal. If you change your mind and want to cancel, you will probably lose your deposit and may also be charged a cancellation fee. If you sign a contract which is a legally binding agreement for both parties and things have been left out or not what you agreed to, tough, it is too late to complain. I have a line in my contract that states "Under no circumstances are peppermint M & M's allowed in or around the premises." Well there are no peppermint M & M's but the point is, if the couple doesn't ask about the peppermint M & M's I have a pretty good idea they haven't read the contract and I will go over it with them.

Just remember--get a contract. Read the contract. Keep the contract on file. Enjoy!