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Event Decor Contract: What to Include for Balloons and Weddings

A contract is not there for court — it is there so there are no arguments before the event: what exactly will stand in the room, what it costs, what happens to the booking fee if the party is cancelled, and who is responsible for the arch the guests knocked over at midnight. Here is what a decorator’s contract for balloon decor, a photo backdrop or a wedding is made of, and which documents go with it.

What kind of contract a decorator signs

Event decor is usually treated mainly as a contract for services — you design the decor, make it, install it and take it away — often with goods such as balloons and flowers, and rental equipment, mixed in. One contract fits balloon decor, a photo backdrop, a wedding, a birthday or a corporate party: only the description of the decor and the amounts change. The client can be a person celebrating a wedding or a birthday, or a company ordering a corporate event. With a private client, the contract has to respect consumer protection law; with a business, the usual rules between businesses apply.

In many countries consumer law limits how much of a booking fee you can keep when a private client cancels, may give a cooling-off period for contracts signed online or away from your premises, and expects private clients to see the total price including tax. Check these points with a local lawyer.

What a decor contract should include

1. Definitions. What the event, the venue, the design, the scope of decor, rental and consumable items, installation and takedown mean. Without them, half the arguments start with “I thought that was included”.
2. Scope of services. The event, date, time, venue and address, and the scope of decor — by the approved design and the appendix.
3. Design approval. A mockup or a rendering shows the concept; it is not a photo of the finished setup. Say plainly which deviations are acceptable: shades of balloons and fabric under different light, swapping some flower varieties for equivalent ones, small differences in the size and number of balloons.
4. Changes after approval. How the client can add or remove items and how the price is recalculated.
5. Price and payment terms. The total, the booking fee (retainer) that holds the date, any advance payment and the final balance, with due dates. And separately, how the price relates to taxes: whether VAT, GST or sales tax is included or added on top.
6. The venue. What the client provides: access, power, storage space, weather protection outdoors, the venue’s approval of your fixing or rigging method. And what happens if the install fails because of the venue.
7. Installation and takedown times. Load-in and load-out windows and the person who accepts the work. Balloons, fresh flowers and outdoor decor go up as close to the start of the event as possible.
8. Handover and acceptance. How the client inspects the result and when they report any issues.
9. Guarantees and their limits. Latex balloons soften within days, faster in sun and heat, and the odd one may pop; fresh flowers wilt; outdoors much depends on the weather. Add a limit on your liability for damage caused by guests or the venue, within what local law allows.
10. Rental items. Arches, stands, vases and furniture remain yours. Who is responsible for them until takedown, how damage is recorded, and whether a security deposit is needed.
11. Cancellation and liability. What happens to the booking fee and the advance payment if the client cancels the event, and what happens if you cancel.
12. Photo rights and marketing, force majeure, data protection, dispute resolution, and both parties’ names, contact details and signatures.

A booking fee to hold the date

The most common dispute for decorators is a cancellation a couple of days before the event. The date is taken, you have turned other clients down, and some materials are already bought. That is why the booking fee is worth spelling out on its own, as a dedicated clause or, as IQDeco does, in a short separate agreement: that it counts toward the price, and what happens to it if the client cancels, if you cancel and if the date moves. The other amounts, the advance payment and the balance, live in the contract itself.

An appendix with the decor brief

So that a month later nobody has to remember what was agreed, the contract comes with a description of the decor: the parameters, a project description, the list of items and the images. Then both the design and the list of items become part of the contract, not a message thread.

A sign-off at handover

A short completion certificate, signed on site or after takedown, records that the services were provided, which payments were received, which rental items were returned, and any issues noted at the time. It does not take away a private client’s legal rights, but it settles most “was that agreed?” questions.

Where to get a decorator contract template

There are plenty of templates online, but most are written for interior decorating in general or for selling goods, not for a one-night event with rental arches and balloons that will deflate. If you use someone else’s template, check that it covers the design with acceptable deviations, the booking fee, the venue’s duties and rental items. Have a lawyer review the final text: this article is not legal advice.

How to build the contract from the project data

In IQDeco the document pack is built from the project data:

• A decoration services agreement covering the points above.
• A booking fee agreement.
• Appendix 1, a decoration brief with the description, the list of items and images.
• A completion certificate.
• A photo and video release, a privacy notice and a balloon care and safety sheet.

The texts follow the country of your account: the EU, the UK, the US or Australia. The event, date and venue come from the project, the client price and the advance payment come from the project card, you add the booking fee in the documents form, and the balance is worked out for you; the tax wording follows your studio details. There are no item prices in the documents: the client sees the total, not your cost. You enter your studio details once and the client details when you build the documents; those client details stay in your browser and are not saved on the server, because the documents are generated right in the browser as Word files that you can edit. Prefer your own wording? Download a template, edit it and upload your version.