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The Wedding Lawyer
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Pranav Bhanot

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Destination Weddings – Is the marriage recognised in the UK?

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There has been a surge in popularity in having a destination wedding. Guaranteed great weather, the picture perfect backdrop for the ceremony and quite often a trimmed down guest list. The question that often gets asked is whether marriages abroad are recognised in the UK.

  1. Your marriage should be recognised in the UK if you follow the correct process according to the local law of the country you get married in. To understand what the requirements are in the country of your marriage, you are advised to contact the embassy of that country.
  2. An overseas marriage cannot be ‘registered’ in the UK (rules may differ if you are part of the armed forces). If your wedding has taken place in one of the countries which the General Register Office (GRO) can accept formal notification,  a ‘record’ can be created for your overseas marriage by depositing the marriage certificate in the General Register Office. Contact the GRO (details below) to see which countries will accept formal notification.
  3. This ‘record’ can be created at any point after your marriage ceremony.
  4. In order to have your wedding certificate deposited you will need to contact both the British Embassy in the country you were married in as well as the GRO in the UK. When contacting these organisations, you will need to state that you wish to deposit your marriage certificate with the GRO.
  5. When contacting the embassy in the country of your marriage ceremony, you will need to provide them with a copy of your marriage certificate that will be authenticated and potentially translated by the local authority. The British Consular General will then forward this certificate to the GRO in the UK. All this maybe subject to a fee.
  6. Once the documents have been received by the GRO you will be notified. The documents are then held with the GRO. Should you need a copy of your certificate you can contact the GRO.

General Information on Marriages Abroad can be obtained by contacting either of the below organisations:

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Consular Division
King Charles Street
LONDON
SW1A 2AH
Tel: 020 7238 4567
Web : www.fco.gov.uk

Registering your Wedding

Marriages Section
General Register Office
Trafalgar Road
SOUTHPORT
PR8 2HH
Tel: 0151 471 4814
Web: www.gro.gov.uk

If you need assistance in understanding the legal requirements of getting married abroad, please contact info@theweddinglawyer.co.uk

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Venue Contracts: Checklist before signing the terms and conditions

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Couples usually get a huge sense of relief once their venue is booked. After all, once the venue is sorted the remainder of the wedding planning can continue. However, whilst it is appreciated that there is often a need for speed when securing a venue, care should be taken before signing on the dotted line,

Look out for the below points before signing the terms and conditions with your venue. If the venue terms and conditions do not mention the below, it is recommended that you address these points with them before signing.

  1. Ensure you have the full Agreement in front of you

The terms and conditions for a wedding venue is usually made up of:

  • The Particulars or Schedule (usually a separate document to the terms and conditions)
  • The General Terms and Conditions

Both documents are extremely important. You should always ensure you have both documents in front of you when you carry out your review before signing. It maybe the case that one document cross refers to the other document, therefore to understand what you are about to sign, it is a good idea to have all the documents to hand.

The Particulars/Schedule are specific to your individual booking. Therefore, it is advised that you carefully check;

  • The names of the parties are spelt correctly
  • The date(s) are correct
  • The Particulars clearly specify which facilities you have access to on the date(s) of your booking
  • There is clarity about access times and what time you must vacate the property on the date(s) of your booking
  • If you have agreed any time extensions, ensure these are clearly set out in the Particulars
  • If your wedding venue is providing you with complimentary or discounted accommodation, this should also be set out in the Particulars
  • The Particulars may also set out a break down of the costs of your booking. Ensure these reflect the final price that has been negotiated
  1. Your Rights and Obligations
  • Are you allowed to bring external caterers to operate on the day? It is worth while checking this as soon as possible as catering costs can differ massively depending on whether you are required to use in-house caterers or whether you can bring your own.
  • Are there any areas of the venue which are out of bounds on the wedding day? If so, could this impact you?
  • What are your obligations as to music? Are you allowed to bring your own DJ? Is there any information about what time music must finish? Are there any sound limit monitors or smoke machines that could impact on the big day?
  • What is the capacity of the venue? Do you have any obligations in terms of informing the venue of the final guest list numbers?
  • What are your obligations as to cleaning up the venue after the big day? If this is something you are required to do, are you in a position to make arrangements with someone to oversee this process? The newly weds would probably want to jet off on honeymoon rather than oversee the clean up operation!
  1. Payment, Postponement and Cancellation
  • Are you required to pay a deposit? If so, are you in a position to pay this? Before paying this, ensure you have got full confirmation from all important family and friends that the proposed date is suitable for them to attend. It may be difficult to change your wedding date once you have signed the contract. Also, you are advised to check any potential tube strikes, major sports matches or road works which could inconvenience your guests to making their way to your wedding.
  • When is the remaining balance payable? Ensure you are in a financial position to comply with the payment schedule. If you may struggle, negotiate this prior to signing the contract. Once the contract is signed, ensure you put diary reminders in on your phone or email calendar so you do not forget to pay your next instalment.
  • What happens if you cancel your booking? Ensure you are clear on your payment obligations in the event of you having to cancel your booking. You are advised to get wedding insurance for this very purpose.
  • What happens if the venue cancels the booking? In the event of the venue cancelling, the venue may try to limit their liability to only cover a ‘refund’ of any fees paid which will not exceed the total fee. If this is the case, you are advised to remind the venue that you may pursue them for consequential losses if they are in breach of contract. Consequential losses may include the cost of finding a venue at last minute, reprinting wedding cards or a change of cost for wedding transportation that may have to go to a different location.
  • Does the venue have the correct planning permissions to carry out the civil wedding ceremony? This should be checked before signing the agreement.
  1. Over-run
  • Is the contract clear about what happens if the wedding over runs the allotted time allocated?
  • Are you clear on the penalty? If this is not set out in the terms and conditions, ensure clarity is obtained before you sign.
  • What safeguards have you got in place, in case proceedings on the day overrun? You are advised to incorporate time buffers in your timetable in case there is a delay. It may also be useful to have a timekeeper on the day who ensures the programme runs to plan.
  1. General clauses
  • In the event of a dispute, do the terms and conditions make it clear how they will be resolved? For example, does it set out whom you can complain to and when a complaint should be made?
  • If you have not met representatives from the venue, the terms and conditions should make reference to the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. This means you will have the right to cancel the agreement within 14 days of the conclusion of the agreement.

For more information or assistance with interpreting or negotiating your venue contract, contact info@theweddinglawyer.co.uk

 

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The Wedding DJ/Band: 6 important clauses to include in your terms and conditions

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Weddings are great fun! But everyone knows the real fun only really kicks off once the DJ or live band have taken to the stage. This means DJs and band musicians are spectacularly important during the wedding day, in particular the reception. Ensuring you have airtight and a comprehensive set of terms and conditions will help to ensure you have the protection you need if the big day does not go to plan.

Here are just some of the clauses you may wish to consider incorporating into your terms and conditions if you have not already done so.

  1. Electricity Supply:

It seems like an obvious one but has the potential to ruin the big day. It is becoming more common for weddings and reception to take place at country estates and marquees rather than in established longstanding structural buildings. Therefore, ensuring there is a suitable electrical connection for you to carry out your service is crucial to the performance of your services.

The Client undertakes the responsibility for ensuring that [DJ Name Roadshow/ band] are given access to the venue and use of earthed mains electricity supply on their arrival. [DJ Name Roadhow/ band] assume the event venue meets the electrical safety standards to operate the Client’s selected package. In the event of any electrical risks being posed, [DJ Name Roadshow/ band] have discretion to reduce the size of the Client’s selected package in order to operate safely. The Client will continue to be liable for the agreed sum of the selected package. 

  1. Power Cuts

We have witnessed a surprising number of power cuts when a wedding reception is in full flow. This has been particularly common following thunderstorms in the hot months of July and August (which also tends to be wedding season) or where the electrical mains have not been able to cope with the output necessary to operate the sound and lighting system.

[DJ Name Roadshow/ Band] will not accept any liability for power cuts which interrupt the service provided, however, will endeavour to co-operate with the venue to try and rectify any problems. If reducing the equipment booked by the Client will overcome power supply problems at the venue then [DJ Name Roadshow/ band] are given full authority to do so without consulting the Client. The Client understands that no compensation or price reduction will be given for power cut issues or for the reduction of equipment due to power supply problems.

  1. Venue Restrictions

It would be important to make it clear that DJs and Bands cannot be responsible for any venue restrictions which could detrimentally impact on the delivery of services. For example, many hotels and country estates have sound limitation monitors and smoke alarms. The client making the booking should be responsible for ensuring venue limitations will not impact the delivery of your service.

The Client will be responsible for checking and resolving any limits or restrictions attached to the venue, which could negatively impact on the ability of [DJ Name Roadshow/ Band] to carry out their services. This includes devices such as smoke alarms and sound limitation monitors. The [DJ Name Roadshow/Band] will not be responsible for any interruption to the service provided due to venue limitations or restrictions, unless [DJ Name Roadshow/Band] were notified about these at least 14 days prior to the [event date].

  1. Time required to install and take down equipment

Ensure you have protected yourself to have enough time to set up and take down your equipment without the risk of incurring any penalty. Unfortunately this clause will not protect you if you arrive late, therefore, it is important that you arrive on time to set up and have accurately estimated to the client how long it takes to set up and take down your equipment.

The Client is responsible to ensure [DJ Name Roadshow/ Band] has sufficient time to set up and dismantle their rig/equipment based on the package booked. [DJ Name Roadshow/ Band] will not accept any liability for insufficient set up or dismantle time that results in either the booked package not being set up prior to the event or any additional charges for late exit of the venue. [DJ Name Roadshow/ Band] can provide an estimate set up and dismantle time for the Client to plan accordingly. 

  1. Additional artists to perform alongside the DJ or band

An increasing number of couples are booking celebrities and other performers to perform alongside the DJ or Band at their wedding/reception. This can sometimes cause technical or communication hiccups, particularly where the equipment belonging to the DJ or band has to be used for the additional artist(s) to perform. Therefore, it may be an idea to have full transparency as to any additional artists who may be performing on the evening.

If the Client invites any additional artist(s) (independent of [DJ Name Roadshow/Band]) to perform at their event, the Client must inform [DJ Name Roadshow/Band] as to the identity of the artists and whether they require any technical requirements to execute their performance at least 7 days before the date of the event. The Client’s failure to do this may result in [DJ Name Roadshow/Band] not being in a position to cooperate with the additional artist(s).

  1. DJ/Bands are not to be responsible for USBs/CDRs devices.

It may be the case that you will be provided with a USB or CD Rom by a guest or the couple for the purposes of a performance, pictures or a song request. You may be required to insert the USB/CD Rom into your system so the music/photos can be played or displayed. It is important to make it clear that you are not responsible for that device or the contents on the device.

The Client and/or their guests will be fully responsible for any USB or media devices given to [DJ Roadshow/ band] and it is the responsibility of the Client and/or their guests to collect any USB or media devices after the given purpose is exhausted. The Client understands that any unclaimed USB or media devices following the event will be disposed of after 14 days. Further  [DJ Name Roadshow/Band] will not be responsible for any damage or distortion to the contents of the USB or media devices. 

 

If you would like your DJ/Band terms and conditions reviewed – contact info@theweddinglawyer.co.uk

 

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6 Contract Drafting Tips for Wedding Photographers

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If you are a wedding/event photographer or thinking of setting up a photography business, this blog will hopefully provide you with a basic understanding of your legal rights. We also provide a basic checklist of items to be covered in your service contracts.

The intellectual property rights of photographs

Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, the owner of the copyright in the photographs will be your business. This means that your customers/ third parties will not be able to use the photographs, for example for use on social media, without your permission. Permission usually takes the form of assignments (giving the rights to the other party) or licenses (giving consent to the other party to use the photographs).

Licenses are beneficial to your interests as you keep the rights over the photographs, whilst allowing your customers to keep and use them for their own personal needs. When giving license for use of the photographs it is important to clearly outline the extent of the license – i.e. what material the customers are allowed to use and how they are (and are not) permitted to use the material.

Procedure for cancellation

A well drafted service contract will always contain provisions for what would happen in situations of cancellation. For example, in the event of a cancellation by the customer, the contract may contain a grace period within which they would receive a refund of payments already made, or a deadline after which they can no longer claim a refund.

In the case of a cancellation by your business, clauses should be inserted into the contract that you will oblige your to take reasonable endeavours to provide a substitute service.

Quality of the Photography

It is important to insert a clause which provides guidance as to the quality and nature of the photographs, in order to provide legal protection for your business in the event that your customers are dissatisfied with the photographs.

Commonly businesses provide sample photographs and insert a clause guaranteeing that the photographs produced will be of the same style and standard as the samples. This ensures that as long as you can produce photographs which are comparative to the sample, customers will not be able to take legal action for any dissatisfaction. You can also add that the photographers must have the necessary artistic discretion to capture and produce photographs in accordance with such style and quality.

It may also be useful to insert a ‘key moments’ clause. In such a clause you would guarantee to use reasonable endeavours to capture a certain list of key moments (for example the bride coming down the aisle), whilst also adding that you cannot guarantee the capture of unexpected moments and will not be responsible for capturing all attendees.

Changing plans

There is an expected level of the unexpected when planning weddings. To protect your business from liability, you are advised to insert a clause stating that you will not be required to refund the customer where you are unable to attend in the event of a last minute change of location or time.

Details about the event

Remember to insert the smaller details about the events which you will be photographing. For example, making sure the photographers on the day have a contractual right to a hot meal, or if not a meal that they can have a lunch break to go and get themselves a meal.

Clarity, Specificity and Brevity

As with any contract, it is important that each clause be worded clearly and carefully, to avoid conflict between the parties due to misinterpretation. Keep sentences as to-the-point as possible, taking away all unnecessary wording. It may be important to define terms used in the contract, especially technical terms of the photography process. Look at each clause and ensure that the words cannot be interpreted differently from what you intended.

For further guidance on drafting your terms of business contact info@theweddinglawyer.co.uk

This blog is by a guest blogger –  Yavnik Ganguly

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Pricing strategies for wedding photographers – 3 tips

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The wedding photography industry is a competitive one. There are lots of different photographers out there, offering up their services to happy couples around the UK. Whilst the quality of your images, the professionalism of your service and of course, how much you appeal to the couple are all important considerations when a bride and groom picks a photographer. How you are priced, and how you present those prices are also a big consideration and is often what distinguishes a good photographer from an excellent one. However, the issue of pricing and in particular a lack of transparent pricing can sometimes be open to dispute.

This means that it is vital that you put together a good quality pricing strategy. So, to help you make the most of your wedding photography business, we have put together our top tips for creating wedding photography pricing strategies that really work.

Focus on a few clear packages rather than several complicated ones

Confusing your potential customers with a complicated and confusing pricing strategy is never going to encourage them to use your services. Many photographers also make the mistake of creating too many different packages to choose from, all with really subtle changes such as an extra hour or a few extra photographs.

The best approach to take is to concentrate on two or maybe even three packages, all of which have obvious differences. This means that your potential customers will be able to see the different levels of what you can offer, and decide which one is right for them or your budget.

By keeping things simple, you will also minimise the chances of disputes arising due to misunderstandings relating to the pricing scheme.

Start small and allow the customer to build up

Another great idea to tempt customers into coming to see you for wedding photography is to offer a more tailor made approach to your pricing. Start with a low cost basic package that only contains a few elements of what you can do. This will entice customers to come and see what you are able to offer, and then you can start to upsell or add in the different services that you can provide.

Not only is this method going to encourage more people to enquire about your service, but the customer won’t feel pressured into going for a package that isn’t everything that they need. Instead they can pick a basic starting point and develop it into something that is perfect for them.

One of the objectives of recent consumer legislation is to protect the consumer from feeling pressurised into entering into a contract. Therefore, by providing the consumer with discretion and autonomy to choose a package, this will assist in minimising a dispute.

Show off what you can do

You should never underestimate the power of examples of your great work. If you are looking to tempt new clients into signing up with you, it is a good idea to show them exactly what you can offer them. If you are proud of your albums, make sure you take some examples of this, have a beautiful studio that they can view their photos in, have pictures of this, or better yet, invite them to take a look round.

Remember that even with the best pricing strategy, you still need to sell yourself as a business, which means that you always present yourself in the best light. In doing this you can assure your potential clients that come their big day, they will be presented in the best light possible too!

For more information about pricing strategies or to recover an unpaid debt contact: info@theweddinglaweyer.co.uk

 

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A brief introduction to protecting your intellectual property

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What is intellectual Property?

Intellectual property refers to tangible or intangible creations of the mind such as inventions, literary, artistic works, designs, symbols, names and images used in commerce.

Why is intellectual property important to a wedding supplier?

The UK wedding industry is growing at a phenomenal rate and intellectual property protects more than just an idea or concept but also protects genuine business assets and the overall long-term viability of your business.

Your intellectual property can

  1. Set up your business apart from other suppliers within the industry.
  2. Be sold and licensed, providing you with an important revenue stream (particularly when the wedding season slows down).
  3. Form an essential part of your marketing and branding so it is instantly recognisable by consumers at every wedding event.
  4. Be used as security for loans.

How is this relevant to a wedding supplier?

Wedding suppliers may have branding and corporate identities that they may wish to protect, however more specifically photographers, videographers, cake designers, wedding dress designers, invitation card designers, DJs and bands, dance choreographers, designer florists are just a few of the wedding suppliers who we have assisted with their intellectual property disputes over the past 12 months.

There are four different categories of intellectual property. These are trademarks, copyright, patents and registered design. Depending on which category your work comes within, this would impact how it is to be applied, registered, renewed and infringed. Therefore, ensuring you obtain legal guidance is essential in ensuring you gain the maximum protection for your intellectual property rights.

How to protect your intellectual property

  1. Be IP Smart – Engage a specialist lawyer to assist you with reviewing your business and analysing which areas of your business can benefit from intellectual property protection.
  2. Protect what is important to others, not just you – What you may believe is important, is not necessarily what your competitor believes is important. Engage a lawyer to scrutinise which areas of your business could benefit from the most protection.
  3. Invest in a well-written non-disclosure agreement – Make sure your employment agreements; licences and sales contracts all protect your intellectual property too.
  4. Act Quickly – It doesn’t take long for a competitor to copy you. When it comes to registering your intellectual property aim to work as quickly as possible. 

For any more information relating to intellectual property rights contact info@theweddinglawyer.co.uk

 

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6 reasons why you should engage a specialised wedding industry lawyer?

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There is heaps of money to be made in the wedding industry and there is a reason why the most successful suppliers have engaged a specialist lawyer to assist them with meeting their commercial, regulatory and legal objectives.

The UK wedding industry can be competitive, tight knit and sometimes ruthless. Therefore, having a lawyer on your side can assist you in protecting your business and financial interests while allowing you to focus on progressing your business.

  1. Knowing the most effective structure for your business

Choices, choices choices! Should you be a sole trader, partnership or limited company. There are choices to be made and implications that follow from your choices. A lawyer can assist you in making recommendations about the most appropriate business structure that would be of most benefit to you and your business. Whatever option you choose, a lawyer can assist you in making an informed choice during  the decision making process. A specialist lawyer can also assist you with drafting partnership agreements or articles association that suit you and your business.

  1. Having legally compliant and enforceable business terms and conditions

When dealing with consumers or other suppliers, it is essential that you have air tight and legally binding terms and conditions. These may need to comply with the latest consumer and business related legislation or reflect ethical or good practice. Having unambiguous and clearly written terms and conditions can assist in safeguarding you from potential disputes in the future. It will also ensure all parties are clear on their responsibilities and liabilities.

  1. Dealing with consumer complaints amicably, professionally and quickly

Lawyers appreciate how time consuming and draining it can be for business owners to deal with disputes. Further, any supplier will be aware of how quickly bad news can spread in the wedding industry. Therefore, being able to deal with complaints amicably, professionally and as quickly as possible will distinguish a good supplier from an excellent supplier. A specialist lawyer can assist you in resolving complaints by looking for compromises and negotiated settlements. In the event, of complaints escalating, a lawyer can ensure your business responds swiftly and robustly to any legal action that may arise.

  1. Ensuring you get paid

A lawyer can assist you in making sure you get paid on time and chase any debts in a professional manner from your customer. This will ensure your business can continue to operate with minimum disruption.

  1. Protecting your brand and creativity

With a rapidly growing wedding industry, protecting your brand has never been so important. If you are a business, it is within your best interests to ensure your branding remains unique and identifiable by the consumer. Having a specialist lawyer can help you create and file trademark and patent applications that are worth considerably more than the fee you will ever pay the lawyer.

For example, if you are a photographer you may wish to ensure your copyright in your work is protected so you can freely exploit your images in a way that you choose. Inventors and designers may also find it useful to engage a lawyer to ensure their unique designs and inventions are protected from copying.

  1. Knowing your employment obligations

Recruiting and retaining talent for your business comes with its own set of challenges. Understanding and applying the rapidly evolving employment legislations to your workforce is crucial. Businesses within the wedding industry often rely on casual working and freelance arrangements that come with their own set of peculiarities. Having a lawyer who can assist you establish work place protocols, create employee agreements and provide advice in the event of an employee dispute is crucial to keeping your business on track.

The Wedding Lawyer is a platform that can assist you with all the above and as well as the following areas of law:

  1. Commercial and Corporate work
  2. Dispute Resolution
  3. Real Estate
  4. Intellectual Property
  5. Business and spouse immigration
  6. Employment

For more information contact: info@theweddinglawywer.co.uk

 

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The Wedding Entrepreneur’s Business Plan – 5 Tips

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Business plans can make or break your wedding industry business and therefore it is worth taking time out to make one.

  1. Sums

Know your sums! One of the most important aspects of a business plan is ensuring the sums add up in the financials section. This is particularly important if you intend to pitch to investors, as they will be interested in understanding your calculations and projections for the business before they take a leap of faith and invest in you. Even if you are not looking for investment, knowing your sums will allow you to plan your financials better when starting out a new business.

  1. Succinct

A common misconception is that business plans have to be huge documents with hundreds of pages. An investor will want to understand your business from a quick glance and how it will make money. Therefore, keep your structure and language simple. It maybe worth having an executive summary to provide an overview of the business plan covering What the business does? How it will operate? Why it should thrive in a competitive wedding industry? Whether the sums add up?

  1. Suppliers

Know your wedding supplier competitors and your target market. Ensure your plan highlights how you are different to other suppliers in the wedding industry and who your business is targeting.

  1. Specific

Be as specific as possible about your business idea, how it will operate and how you intend to delivery your business plan.

  1. Style

A well-presented business plan could also influence whether someone may wish to invest in your business idea. Therefore, focusing on the style of your business plan can be just as important as the content.

For further advice about setting up your wedding supplier business contact: info@theweddinglawyer.co.uk

 

 

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6 steps to becoming a wedding industry entrepreneur

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The UK wedding industry is worth over £10 billion a year and it is encouraging to see so many independent start-ups being established along side the larger more established businesses. Every year, wedding exhibitions provide a platform for new businesses looking to exhibit the goods and services.

The wedding industry is becoming more competitive but there is scope for new businesses, particularly those businesses which are creative or looking to provide a common service in a more personal way. We believe competition in the wedding industry is healthy as it assists in raising the standard of service provided to consumers.

Therefore, if you have an idea, here is our six-step guide to becoming a wedding industry entrepreneur.

Step 1 – What is your big idea?

What are your key skills or services that you can offer to the wedding industry?

It is particularly important to think about this if you are planning on bringing a new service to the wedding industry rather than buying into a franchise or buying an existing wedding business. The clearer you are about what your offering is, the easier it will be to explain to potential investors and consumers.

Put together an ‘offering statement’ or ‘elevator pitch’ about your offering. This will encourage you to think about your business idea in a concise and effective way.

Step 2 – Market Research

More and more businesses enter the wedding industry every year. It is interesting to see how many businesses enter the industry without fully completing their market research. Consider the following questions:

  1. Who are your potential competitors?
  2. What is the geographical remit of your potential competitors?
  3. Can you offer something different from your competitors?
  4. What do you consider as your Unique Selling Point?
  5. Why would a consumer or investor want show interest in you rather than your competitor?
  6. Why would a consumer hire you for their wedding day? 

Step 3 – Creating a business plan

Getting a business plan done early on will allow you to think realistically and objectively about your business, encourage you to set out your objectives, gain an understanding of the income and expenditure and assist you in checking whether you can run a profitable business.

A business plan doesn’t have to be overly complicated but should sufficiently convey the market research, financials and operations of the business that you are looking to set up.

Step 4 – Creating synergy

The wedding industry is full of suppliers and this means there may scope for your business to partner up with either a similar business or complementary business. Therefore, networking with other wedding related businesses with the view of partnering up could assist you in cross referral of services and access to a wider customer base.

Step 5 – Know the law

Before your start trading, ensure you obtain professional advice to ensure you conduct your business affairs in a legally compliant manner. In particular, you may wish to obtain advice on the following: tax, trademarks, patents, liability, VAT, business formation, employment rights and drafting of business terms. Read this blog for more information about engaging a wedding industry lawyer. 

Step 6 – Test your product or service

You may think you have a wonderful business idea but good business ideas are not enough. The aim to turn your ideas into income. Testing your business over a limited amount of time will allow you to determine the consumer demand. If you are selling goods, you may wish to try selling them on an online market place. If you are providing a service, you may wish to publicise your services (e.g. through social media) before investing in any equipment or major overheads to see how the consumer responds. Be open to making changes if necessary to operate your business as effectively as possible.

Good luck in starting up your business.

Should you require any further information or guidance contact info@theweddinglawyer.co.uk

 

 

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Poor wedding photos! What can you do?

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Complaining that you look more like the beast than the beauty on your wedding day is unlikely to be a good enough reason in the eyes of the law to provide you with consumer rights against your photographer.

However frustrating this may seem, consumer rights legislation is more focused on the ‘quality’ of your pictures rather than the aesthetics of the subject matters in the picture.

The starting point is that you should expect a reasonable quality of image from your photographer. However, where this has not happened, you can do the following:

  1. Contact your photographer to see whether they are able to edit the photographs to enhance the quality. A face-to-face meeting is usually more effective and shows a level of seriousness on your part.
  1. If the pictures are so poor that you are unable to use them, you should be able to seek a full refund. There is also a possibility that you will be entitled to claim for compensation to reflect the loss of memory of the day. In claiming compensation, it is useful to keep the amount to a realistic figure to reflect your disappointment. Any extortionate claims are likely to be unsuccessful.
  1. If some of the photos are good quality but the rest are missing or unusable, you will only be able to claim a partial refund.
  1. You may benefit from gaining an expert opinion from another photographer to comment on the quality of the photographs. This could assist in strengthening your case.

Should you require any assistance in complaining about the work of a photographer – contact   info@theweddinglawyer.co.uk

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