How to Use a Contract Addendum to Reschedule Your Client's Wedding or Event a SECOND time

A question I’ve seen a lot lately from wedding industry professionals, is what to do when a client decides to reschedule their wedding or event for a SECOND time. We’ve already discussed how to use rescheduling addendums and cancellation contracts in depth on this blog (if you haven’t seen them check out these posts (links), but now the question remains: can you send another addendum to a second rescheduled date?! The short answer is YES, you absolutely can, and we’re going to go over why you need to use a second contract addendum in this instance and how you should be using that addendum.

Ok, do I really need a second addendum!?

You ABSOLUTELY should be using a contract addendum anytime you and your clients decide to change items in your original agreement. You want to make sure that these changes are documented, and signed by both parties in case any questions come up later as to what’s changed, or your clients challenge the new arrangement. With all the changes in such a short time over the past few months, remember that things can slip through the cracks, so you want a straight forward document to point to later down the line on what everyone agreed to.

Having a solid document with you and your clients’ signatures is another way to make sure you’re protected, say if for example, your clients do decide to reschedule for a third time and you decide to charge a fee for that third rescheduling. Rather than you clients being surprised or thinking you will always  reschedule without a fee attached, you’ll have concrete evidence, in writing, signed by your clients by way of a new contract addendum, that their second reschedule was their final one and any additional changes would warrant a completely new contract.

The bottom line is you want EVERYTHING documented so there’s no question later down the line as to what you and your clients agreed to when rescheduling the wedding/event for a second time.

How do I send this second addendum to my clients?

Much like sending the first addendum, there are two main ways to deal with a second. The first option you have is to send the original agreement with the first addendum, and then attach the second addendum for your clients to sign at the bottom. This way all the documents are kept together and it’s clear that this new addendum is modifying the original agreement and also supersedes any other addendums that have been signed.

The second option is to have a clear reference in this second addendum to the original agreement. This can be done using the names of the parties and the date the original agreement was signed. For those using client management systems like Honeybook and Dubsado, this may be the easier way to go since these programs often will only let you send one contract and then sub agreements. This would be considered a sub agreement that all parties would need to sign.

The bottom line is...

You want to make sure that any changes to your wedding and event services are documented properly and clearly. With all the curveballs 2020 has thrown at small business owners, you NEED to make sure that you’re keeping accurate records of changes to your services. It not only will help you respond professionally and responsibly to your clients, it’ll also give you more peace-of-mind knowing you’re protected while still adapting your services to your clients needs and over delivering for them (ONE FINAL TIME)!

Links:

- Blog post on Rescheduling Addendums, Rescheduling Contracts, and Cancellation Contracts

- The Legal Paige Cancellation Contracts -

- The Legal Paige Rescheduling Contract -

- The Legal Paige® Facebook Community -  

THIS BLOG POST IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL ADVICE. EVERY SITUATION IS DIFFERENT & IS FACT-SPECIFIC. A proper legal analysis is necessary based on your location and contract. Consult an attorney in your home state for advice regarding your contract.

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