7 Topics to Discuss Before Paying a Nonrefundable Deposit

When it comes to planning your next celebration, we know that you are eager to get booking! Our team works with planners like you every day and we put together topics to discuss with your potential vendor ahead of booking and putting down a non-refundable deposit.

Here are some of our recommended topics to discuss:

Best Form of Contact Information

• What is the best way to contact you? 

• Do you prefer calling or texting? 

Communication is always key and is no exception when it comes to booking for your next event. Our first suggestion is to make sure you and the vendor are aware of the best way to communicate with one another. 

If you would prefer that they text you, please make sure they have the right phone number to do so. If you would like for them to email you, make sure they have an email address you actively use and will check for incoming emails. It’s incredibly important that both parties know how to best get a hold of each other to talk about event details, payments, and more.

Special Requirements: Insurance, Electrical or Other (COVID-19 related)

• Does the venue for your event require the vendor to have a Certificate of Insurance? 

• Is the venue still under any COVID-19 related restrictions that the vendor needs to be aware of? 

• Are there any special electricity or space requirements that the vendor needs?

These are three important questions that you as a planner and the vendor should be aware of ahead of the event. Please make sure if there are any additional special needs required by you or your venue, that you inform the vendor ahead of the booking and payment to ensure that they are the right fit for your event. 

If there are still COVID-19 restrictions, you can reference this checklist.

Arrival Time and Set Up Needs

• Is the start time of your event when you’re looking for the performer to start their service or when you’d like them to arrive?

• Are there any specific set up requirements you need ahead of time? 

Making sure you and the vendor are on the same page when it comes to timing is key for making your event a success. Depending on the services you're requesting, the vendor may need extra time to set up for their performance. For example, if you have guests coming at 4pm and want the vendor performing at that time, they probably need to arrive an hour early to be ready in time. You should also discuss whether they require a sound system, tables, tents, or lighting prior to the event. 

Rain Dates/Postponements

• Do you have a postponement or rain date in mind? 

• What will happen with any payments in event of needing to postpone or reschedule? 

While we may not like to think about postponing events, it does happen and it’s important to plan accordingly. If you do need to reschedule your event for any reason, do you already have a new date in mind? Ahead of payments being made, it is important to know what would happen to those payments should you need to reschedule.

This is especially important for outdoor events. Our Event Protection Policy outlines what happens to payments made through The Bash in the case of planner or vendor initiated cancellations. However, we still recommend discussing this with the vendor prior to booking and making a nonrefundable deposit payment.

Contracts

• Will you be sending me a contract for this event?

While all bookings confirmed through The Bash are covered by Our Guarantee, we always recommend the use of contracts. If the vendor sends you a contract, it’s important that you take some time to read through the entirety of the contract before signing it and sending it back over. 

A couple of items that will be addressed on the contract may include; amount of group members, attire, set up time, balance payment options, etc. If you have any questions about your contract, don’t hesitate to reach out to your vendor to clarify before signing.

Performance Expectations and Needs

• Do you provide the specific services I’m requesting? 

• What can we expect from your performance? 

Another reason we always suggest speaking with the vendor before putting down a deposit is to make sure the vendor provides the services you requested. Are you looking for a DJ to spin a playlist you made specifically for your event? Do you want guests to be able to make requests during the performance? Checking in to make sure the vendor is comfortable with your requests and is able to provide you with those services is incredibly important. If you have any customizations to request for your event, please let the vendor know as soon as possible. 

Final Price and Availability

• I received a quote for our event a fews days/weeks/months ago and I wanted to reach out and see if you’re still available for our event? 

• The date and time of our event has been updated since I received your quote, are you still available?

If you submitted your request and decided you would come back to it later on, that’s perfectly fine! If a few days have passed or dates and times have changed, we do recommend that you reach out to the vendor to ensure that they are still available for your event. Vendors book up quickly and if your vendor is no longer available for your event, we can help to locate another great option. 

Communicating with your vendor prior to booking or putting down a non-refundable deposit payment ensures that you’re both on the same page on all topics above and more. At The Bash, we’re here to help make your event planning process as easy as possible. 

If you have any additional questions along the way, our Account Services Team is here to help you. Please contact us – we’d love to chat!