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Tricky Questions To Ask When Booking Your Wedding

Tricky Questions To Ask When Booking Your Wedding


Alison Hargreaves Guides for Brides Bio
Alison Hargreaves Updated:
8th of March 2023

Let's address the elephant in the room. With so much talk of wedding businesses needing financial support and questions around refunds from affected plans, we understand why you may be nervous about paying deposits.

However, we don't share that fear and we want to help you get the reassurance you need.

It’s OK to ask the tricky questions and your wedding suppliers will be happy to answer them. In some instances, you may need to find the answers yourselves. For others, it will be best to reach out to your venue or supplier directly so that you can completely understand their policies, terms, and processes.

The few remaining dates for 2021 and 2022 are filling up fast and you may find that you’ll have to make some difficult compromises. But there is good news! Venues and suppliers understand how you feel and are keen to reassure you so that you feel totally comfortable to book.

We've noted the key questions you might want to ask below.

Here's your booking questions checklist:

Couple looking at wedding suppliers


Is this a reputable, established business?

Before you even get to the booking stage, it is easy to check out the venue or supplier’s references online without even needing to ask the business any difficult questions.

  • Are they listed on reputable wedding directories, such as Guides for Brides?
  • What is their website or portfolio like?
  • Do they feature in real weddings?
  • Do they have online reviews or testimonials?
  • Are they recommended by other businesses?

Any business that has been doing weddings for a while will have a clear online “footprint” or a good reason not to, such as working with high profile clients where discretion is essential. Do your research beforehand and contact them directly to make sure they are the best choice for you. 

What is the booking process?

It is best to ask this question directly to your venue or supplier. Certain dates are a valuable commodity and reserving a date usually involves paying a deposit to show your full commitment. You may be able to hold a date for a short time to read and fully understand the contract. If you need more time to visit other venues or speak to suppliers, it's OK to ask to be tentatively pencilled in and this is better than saying nothing.

Businesses want you to make the right decision, they know that you'll be shopping around and will be pleased when you come back to choose them. If you are keeping your options open though, don't expect them to turn down other bookings in the meantime. However, if they know you are likely to book, most will steer other couples to an alternative date.

How much is the deposit?

A deposit should reflect the cost to the business if you subsequently cancel the booking. For businesses that can only offer limited dates, the deposit may be significant to reflect the value of your chosen date. For other businesses, it may be a nominal amount just to show your commitment and cover costs of any paperwork and initial planning.

Zoom consultation with couple

Can we pay a lower deposit?

If you're not comfortable with the size of the deposit, speak to the business directly. Most will be happy with a smaller, initial deposit and then a follow-up payment by a pre-agreed date. Paying a deposit of any size gives a clear indication that a contract has been offered and accepted, so it is an important part of the booking process.

Will my deposit be safe?

This is the question that makes couples the most anxious. Let’s face it, if you can’t trust this business with a deposit, are they the right business to trust to deliver on the most important day of your life? Dig deeper and ask more questions, especially to further understand their booking process and confirm your trust in them. If you’re still not happy, and they aren’t prepared to accept a lower deposit, sadly that is the one time to walk away.

id="depositinsurance">Can we insure the deposit?

There is only one insurance company currently offering any cover (as of November 2020); their policy doesn't cover anything covid-related, so it is unlikely to give you the assurance you'd be paying for. The alternative is to pay by credit card. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act protects payments of between £100 to £30,000. Remember that the business will be charged hefty fees for the transaction and that many small businesses aren't able to take credit card payments or may ask you to cover these fees.

Paying with credit card

What happens if restrictions prevent us from using all the services we have paid for?

Your venue or supplier will have a sliding scale for smaller or larger weddings. It is simple for them to set out different costs for different scenarios, but it is worth establishing what those costs, or savings, will be when you book. The other thing to consider is contingency plans. Many businesses have had to learn to adapt this year and will likely already have a plan in place to give you some assurance.

What happens if there are additional costs incurred by the business or venue?

Due to government restrictions, many venues and businesses have needed to invest in their covid security and additional health and safety assets. Despite all the extra costs of operating during covid, we've been incredibly impressed that wedding businesses have honoured the prices they'd originally quoted. If there is a particular situation that concerns you, ask if you'd have the right to cancel without penalty if additional costs from following government requirements become prohibitive. 

What happens if we have to postpone?

This is the most important question to be asking as there isn't a standard answer. Every business needs a different policy depending on their availability, their pricing structure and their up-front costs amongst so many other factors. You'll want to know:

  • How far in advance are you allowed to make the decision to postpone?
  • How long will they hold the back-up date to allow you to check availability with other suppliers?
  • Is there a charge to move to a like-for-like date?
  • How much will it cost, or how will the amount be calculated, for moving to a more desirable date?
  • Will there be a reduction in cost if you move to a less desirable date? 
  • Will the remaining payment schedule be moved to fit the new date?

Before Covid it was rare for a wedding to be postponed so it wasn't a scenario many couples or businesses had considered. 10 months in, most have a clear, fair and well tested system in place and it can be reassuring for you to know what that system is in advance, just in case your plans need to change.

What happens if we need to cancel?

You will have spent time talking to your venue and suppliers before booking and they will be as committed to you as you are to them. If either of you change your mind for any reason, it is understandable that there are consequences.

Check the contract; some will require you to pay in full if you cancel in the weeks before the wedding, especially if most of the costs have already been incurred and the date can't be re-sold. Most will assume that any deposits and prepayments are forfeited to cover any costs to date. However, it is incredibly unusual to cancel; almost every couple has been able to postpone. 

Couple after their wedding

Questions we can help answer

Why aren't deposits held in "client accounts"?

Unlike property rental contracts where deposits are held securely by the DPS or "Deposit Protection Scheme", most wedding deposits are not strictly a deposit but are a part-payment. They go towards the total cost of the wedding rather than being held securely to return after the wedding. As such, most businesses use deposits and prepayments as working capital in the weeks or months between your booking and your wedding date. The recent CMA investigation established that it's not unusual for a third of the costs to have been incurred by a venue before the actual wedding day. 

Why isn't there a standard contract for wedding services?

It's impossible to have a "one size fits all" contract for wedding businesses as each operates differently. Some suppliers, such as planners, celebrants and bridal boutiques supply the majority of their services at the start of the contract. For others, such as florists and cake makers it is during the week before the wedding. Photographers and videographers supply as much of their service after the wedding as they do on the day and beforehand. Venues have the greatest variation of all, with some able to fit weddings around their usual business and others working year-round to prepare for their upcoming weddings.  

Why do we feel your deposits are safe?

Finally, to address the biggest concern, it's helpful for us to draw on our 25 years of experience working with the type of businesses that you are thinking of booking through Guides for Brides. We speak to these business owners several times a year, every year. We get to know them, understand why they do what they do. They are deeply committed to their businesses and to the couples they work with. They know that weddings will be back and demand for their services will be high, so they will do anything they can to be there for you for your wedding day.

You can help support them through the quieter months as well as ensuring you have your first choice of venue and suppliers for your wedding. Have faith in them, pay your deposit with confidence and enjoy moving forward with your planning. 

Ready to progress your wedding plans to get the best availability?  Find the best venues and suppliers here to get started.

Alison Hargreaves Guides for Brides Bio

About the author


Alison Hargreaves

Alison has been advising brides, grooms and bridesmaids for more than 25 years. She has an unrivalled knowledge of the British wedding industry and frequently appears on podcasts and expert panels. She regularly attends international wedding conferences to keep the UK at the forefront of wedding planning trends.

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