HOT TOPIC: Wedding deposits

How do deposits work when it comes to suppliers? We asked these North East businesses how they take care of the financial side of things

We require a £100 booking fee to secure your date in our diary. Your bridal trial payment is requested ahead of your trial taking place, and the final balance due one month before your wedding date. Of course, all artists are different, so do check with yours.

Leigh Meakin, MUBYLEIGH | www.mubyleigh.com

We charge a fixed fee for our service and pass on our discounts to you, then help you keep on track with all the suppliers for deposits and balances; giving you plenty of notice on when they need to be paid. We work directly with venues and suppliers, and all monies owed are paid directly to them from our client.

Sarah Lydon and Leanne Manson, Plan Our Wedding | www.planourwedding.co.uk

At Langley Castle Hotel we ask for a £2,000 deposit to book your exclusive use wedding. We then ask for 50% six months before; 75% with three months to go, and the final balance six weeks before your big day.

Katie Livingstone-Evans, Langley Castle Hotel | www.langleycastle.co.uk

When you have decided on your suit and the amount of people in your party, we require a 50% deposit for both hire and purchase when placing the order. The remaining balance is then due on collection of the suits. If you hire suits, please bear in mind we require a refundable security deposit per suit, too.

Jess Robson, Mr Munroe | www.mrmunro.co.uk

Once you’ve had an initial consultation, we work out a ballpark quote, sending a deposit invoice of £300 to start the process of creating your designs and sourcing your ethically-sourced diamonds or gemstones. Once you’re happy with your design, we send an invoice for 50% deposit then start making your rings. You can also spread the payments throughout, so it can help with budgeting. When your rings are ready, we issue you the final balance and organise coming to collect them – or post them to you.

Emma Hedley, Emma Hedley Jewellery | www.emmahedley.com

Deposits can be a tad steep, so I keep mine reasonably low at a fixed rate of £250, regardless of total package cost. It’s also fully transferable in the event of rescheduling requests, as weddings are stressful enough as it is! I’m laidback with regards to payment – as long as we’re settled up by the time your images are done, that’s all that matters! I’ll still rock up on the day without full payment if I know the situation is tricky, as I understand that unexpected costs arise.

Ed Charlton, Ed Charlton Photography | www.edcharltonphotography.com

I take a 30% deposit to reserve your date, before we work through the ideas you have for your ceremony as well as hearing about your love story. After that, I’ll write up the plan for your service, following which the second payment of 35% is due. A week before your ceremony the final instalment of 35% is paid, before I arrive on the day and deliver the ceremony you’ve always dreamed of.

Nichola Reeder, Rebel Heart Ceremonies

| www.rebel-heart.co.uk