Contracts Part 4 - Retainers

Officiants-should-require-retainers You’ve connected with the couple and everything went terrific. Or, so you thought. You agreed upon the date and fees. You heard their love story and immediately the ideas started flowing. So, naturally you got right to work. Oh, the excitement. You could anticipate the emotions as the words rolled out.

But then – an abrupt, “We’ve decided on a different officiant.” Or worse, silence. Ghosted.

When working with couples, it is important to protect your own interests. You are important. You bring skills and passion to your profession. Your time is valuable. Until you receive a signed agreement and retainer, you don’t have any obligation to hold the date or begin work.

Protection

Securing a financial commitment protects both the officiant and the couple. For starters, the officiant is assured that they will be compensated for the date, even if the couple backs out. So, whether the ceremony suddenly changes from a Saturday morning to evening and you can no longer make the new time, or it is canceled altogether, you get a partial payment. Equally important, a retainer lets the couple know that there is a plan in place and their JP or notary has locked in the date. A commitment. Because money has exchanged hands, all parties will have greater confidence in the arrangement.

Retainers

Words matter, especially in a legal document. Use the term retainer in your contracts, not deposit.

Retainers

A retainer holds a date on your calendar. You are making yourself available, and will not take another event at that time. You saved their date and likely turned down other potential clients. In other words, if the couple bails on you at the last minute, you can still keep the retainer.

Deposits

A deposit is like a down-payment. The fee is a portion of the total payment of services rendered. If there are no services, then there is no deposit. In other words, if the ceremony is canceled you’ll need to return the money.

Final Payment and the Marriage License

Determine when you expect to receive the final payment. Of course last-minute quickies are different. But, if you have a wedding that is scheduled, set a limit on when you need to receive final payment. Are you comfortable collecting final payment on the day of the wedding? Or, would you prefer to have this out of the way? It may depend. If you will be sharing a customized ceremony and vows, then definitely get payment first. Otherwise, what is to stop the couple from taking your beautifully crafted words and having someone else run the show?

Securing the marriage license ahead of time also alleviates the worry that the couple might forget it.

This article is the fourth in JPus’ series on Contracts. See the others for more guidance. Part 2 outlines the structure of the agreement. Contracts Part 3 specifies what to include in your contract. Details on the importance of having a written agreement is in Contracts Part 1.

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