When a wedding couple won’t pay the balance.

Most unpaid wedding balances are paid after a clear, polite letter. The rest usually need one more step, and very few end up in court.

Start with your booking terms

Before you write to anyone, read the terms the couple agreed to. Check the balance date, any late payment interest, and what the terms say about cancellation and complaints. If the couple has raised a problem with the performance, deal with that first, because it changes the tone of everything that follows.

The first two letters

Send a friendly reminder a few days after the balance date, with the amount, the date it was due and how to pay. Couples have just paid for a wedding and a reminder is often all it takes.

If that goes unanswered, send a final demand giving a clear deadline, usually seven days. Keep it factual and calm. A future review on a wedding forum carries more weight than the balance itself.

The letter before action

A couple who booked you as private individuals are consumers, so before any court claim you need to follow the Pre Action Protocol for Debt Claims. That means a letter setting out the debt, how it is made up and how to pay, with the protocol’s information sheet and reply form enclosed, and 30 days for them to respond.

The statutory late payment compensation that applies between businesses cannot be claimed from a consumer. You can claim interest if your terms provide for it, or statutory interest through the court.

If they still don’t pay

For most balances the small claims track is the right place. You can issue the claim yourself through Money Claim Online, and the court fee depends on the amount claimed. Keep copies of the booking terms, invoices, reminders and every reply, because the court will want to see them.

Many couples agree a payment plan once a claim looks likely. If they do, put it in writing with a clear schedule and say what follows if an instalment is missed.