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According to Murphy’s law, everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Planning a wedding is no exception to this.

No matter how detailed is your plans, things might (and unfortunately will) go wrong. Here are common wedding mishaps and how to avoid them.

1. Beware of unfair and excessive cancellation fees for weddings

Due to unforeseen circumstances, your wedding might be cancelled and you don’t want to be caught in a situation where you have to pay exorbitant cancellation charges.

Every professional event management company provides their clients with terms & conditions before you are asked to make a deposit. Usually, this contract will also state the company’s payment terms.

Always check your planner’s and vendors’ contract terms and conditions for any clauses that could prohibit you from transferring the service you had procured in advance to a different couple. You never know when you might need it.

Even when a contract has a clause prohibiting the transfer, if the cancellation is due to a reasonable cause, vendors are usually open to allow such transfer and help the couple out of goodwill. Sometimes, they will charge a small administrative fee but that should be it. Good planners and vendors care about their reputation and they want to have a good reference.

2. What if there’s an unforeseen event, such as flight cancellation because of the recent Mount Raung eruption?

Do make sure you read the terms & conditions of your wedding contract and pay attention to the famous “Act of God” clause. A wedding is different from a flight, for instance: flights can be rescheduled, but a wedding and the venue probably not if the villa is booked for a short period only and the weather or other natural hazards affect the festivities. It would be difficult to recover the costs from such unforeseen circumstances, and should be discussed with your event manager before signing a contract.

3. Wedding insurances are not unheard of, but these mostly only apply for weddings that take place in Western countries and not for Indonesia.

Do your homework first but at one point you’ll have to go with the flow: Choose your destination and your wedding planner wisely; weigh your options as stated in the term & conditions and assess the likeliness of the weather or a political situation affecting your wedding. Check your travel insurance and the villa policies as well so that you know your options.

Our services have never been turned down just because Bali is not being covered by international insurance companies. In the end, there is only so much you can prepare for but eventually you have to take a leap of faith. Going without a wedding insurance is still the most common conclusion my clients have come to.

In my almost 5 years of living in Indonesia, I have not had one case of a couple not being able to get married due to a sudden natural phenomena, or an economical or political problem.

Read and discuss the terms and conditions of the contract with your wedding planner and ensure that you understand and agree with all the points before signing anything.

4. How can we avoid wedding planners who have money issues? How can you check for their credibility?

I advise going to TripAdvisor, social media channels or their websites, and Google the company’s name in general and see what comes up. Planning your wedding with a planner is trusting someone else. A good and reliable company will have regular updates on their social media channels and websites. It’s always a sign of professionalism if the wedding planner or sales manager replies you within 24 hours. That means they are there to help you and want to do business. Try to get to know the planner, Skype them, trust your own guts!

All related costs should be disclosed to you before you pay a deposit.

The couple should not expect exact cost for a quote for items that are sourced for a year or two in advance. In a fast developing and changing environment like Bali, prices go up every year. It’s not the event planner’s fault if a quoted price from last year is different now – unless of course you have paid a deposit already, then the cost should not increase.

5. What happens if a company closes down or does not fulfill their duties when we have already paid a deposit?

Check the contract on what was agreed upon. Such issues should be brought up immediately as there is often room for negotiations. In the end you actually have a lot of power to bargain!

Continue back to The complete guide to planning a perfect wedding in Bali

Do you know of any more things that could possible go wrong before a wedding, or tips to avoid wedding mishaps? Share with us in the comment section below!

PLEASE NOTE: All the above information is correct at the date of publication. If you come across any changes or updates, please let us know and we will update the information accordingly. Thank you!
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