Wedding Vendor Payment Schedule
Full guide at https://www.expensebot.ai/blog/wedding-vendor-payment-schedule
Standard deposit amounts by vendor:
- Venue: 25–50% at signing; final balance 30–90 days before
- Photographer / Videographer: 25–50% at signing; final 7–30 days before
- Caterer: 25% at signing; final 7–14 days before
- Florist: 25–50% at signing; final 14–30 days before
- DJ / Band: 25–50% at signing; final 14–30 days before
Month-by-month payment timeline:
- 18–12 months out: Venue, photographer, videographer deposits
- 12–6 months out: Caterer, florist, band/DJ, planner deposits
- 6–3 months out: Dress, rings, hair/makeup, transportation deposits
- 1–2 months out: Venue, photographer, florist, DJ final balances
- 2 weeks out: Caterer final, transportation final
- Day of: Officiant final, gratuity envelopes
The final-balance crunch: Multiple large final payments hit within a 30-day window. For a $35,000 wedding, expect $14,500–$23,500 due in that window. Plan for this early.
Key contract clauses to check: Payment schedule, cancellation policy, inclusions, overtime rates, force majeure.
Track all payments automatically with ExpenseBot's wedding expense tracker.