When your wedding planner or coordinator fails to perform their duties, mismanages vendors, or causes your special day to go wrong, use this playbook to recover your fees and damages through demand letters and legal action.
Common Wedding Planner Negligence Claims
Negligence Type
Typical Fee Range
Recovery Likelihood
Planner no-show on wedding day
$2,000 - $10,000
High - full refund plus damages
Failed vendor coordination
$3,000 - $15,000
Medium-High - depends on contract scope
Missed booking deadlines
$1,500 - $8,000
High - clear negligence with damages
Budget mismanagement
$2,000 - $20,000
Medium - documentation critical
Timeline and logistics failures
$1,000 - $5,000
Medium - must show specific harm
Signs of wedding planner negligence
Vendors not booked or confirmed as promised.
Timeline errors causing ceremony or reception delays.
Missing on the wedding day or leaving early.
Failure to communicate important details to vendors.
Budget overruns without disclosure or approval.
What planners are responsible for
Coordinating all vendors per your agreement.
Creating and executing day-of timeline.
Communicating changes to all parties.
Problem-solving and contingency management.
Acting as your advocate with vendors.
Review your contract carefully: Wedding planner contracts vary widely. Some planners only provide day-of coordination while others handle full planning. Your recovery depends on what services were promised in your specific agreement.
Legal Framework for Planner Negligence
Contract vs. Negligence Claims
Breach of contract: The planner failed to perform specific duties outlined in your agreement. This is typically the stronger claim.
Professional negligence: The planner failed to meet the standard of care expected of a reasonable wedding professional.
Negligent misrepresentation: The planner made false statements about their experience or capabilities that induced you to hire them.
Standard of Care
Wedding planners must exercise the skill and care of a reasonably competent professional in their field.
Industry certifications (ABC, WPI) may establish a higher standard.
Experienced planners are held to a higher standard than beginners.
The planner's own marketing materials can establish what standard they held themselves to.
Recoverable Damages
Direct damages: Planning fees paid for services not rendered or negligently performed.
Consequential damages: Lost vendor deposits due to missed deadlines, premium costs for last-minute replacements.
Incidental damages: Time spent fixing planner's mistakes, phone calls, travel.
Emotional distress: Some courts allow recovery for wedding-day emotional harm in egregious cases.
Small Claims Court Thresholds
State
Small Claims Limit
Filing Fee
California
$12,500
$30 - $75
Texas
$20,000
$50 - $100
New York
$10,000
$15 - $20
Florida
$8,000
$50 - $300
Illinois
$10,000
$50 - $150
Limitation of liability clauses: Many planner contracts cap liability at fees paid. Courts may enforce these clauses for ordinary negligence but often refuse to enforce them for gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
Documentation Checklist
Contract Documents
Signed planning contract with all attachments.
Scope of services and deliverables list.
Timeline and milestone schedule.
Budget worksheets and spending authorization.
Payment Records
All payments to the planner with receipts.
Vendor payments made through the planner.
Additional costs incurred due to negligence.
Lost deposits from missed deadlines.
Evidence of Negligence
Emails showing unmet deadlines or unresponsiveness.
Vendor contracts showing what was booked vs. what was promised.
Timeline documents showing planned vs. actual events.
Photos and videos from the wedding showing problems.
Statements from vendors about planner's failures.
Witness Evidence
Guest statements about what went wrong.
Vendor statements about missed communications.
Family member accounts of wedding day problems.
Photographer/videographer footage showing issues.
Create a detailed timeline: Document every interaction with your planner from hiring to wedding day. Include dates, what was promised, what was delivered, and how failures affected your wedding. This becomes the foundation of your demand letter.
Demand Letter Strategy
Identifying Specific Breaches
List each contracted duty that was not performed.
Document the standard promised vs. what was delivered.
Connect each breach to specific damages suffered.
Distinguish between minor issues and material failures.
Key Letter Sections
Introduction: Identify yourself, the planner, the contract date, and the wedding date.
Contract terms: Quote the specific services and duties the planner agreed to perform.
Breach description: Detail each failure with dates, evidence, and resulting harm.
Damages calculation: Itemize planning fees, lost deposits, replacement costs, and other losses.
Demand: State the exact dollar amount and deadline for payment.
Consequences: Outline legal action and industry complaints if not resolved.
Leverage Points
Reviews on The Knot, WeddingWire, and Google.
Complaints to wedding planner certification organizations.
Better Business Bureau complaints.
Social media exposure (truthful posts only).
Focus on contract breaches: Courts are more receptive to breach of contract claims than general negligence. Frame your demand around specific contractual duties that were not performed rather than vague claims of poor service.
Sample Wedding Planner Negligence Demand Letter
[Date]
Via Certified Mail and Email
[Planner Name]
[Company Name]
[Address]
[City, State ZIP]
Re: Demand for Refund - Wedding Planning Contract Breach
Contract Date: [Date]
Wedding Date: [Wedding Date]
Amount Due: $[Amount]
Dear [Planner Name]:
I am writing to demand the return of $[Amount] in fees paid to [Company Name] for wedding planning and coordination services, plus $[Amount] in consequential damages caused by your negligent performance.
BACKGROUND
On [Contract Date], I engaged [Company Name] for [describe service level: full-service wedding planning / partial planning / day-of coordination] for my wedding on [Wedding Date]. Per our contract, your responsibilities included:
- [Contracted duty 1: e.g., "Booking and managing all vendors"]
- [Contracted duty 2: e.g., "Creating and executing day-of timeline"]
- [Contracted duty 3: e.g., "Attending and coordinating the ceremony and reception"]
- [Contracted duty 4: e.g., "Managing budget and vendor payments"]
I paid $[Amount] in fees over [number] payments between [date range].
BREACH OF CONTRACT AND NEGLIGENCE
You materially breached our contract and failed to meet the standard of care expected of a professional wedding planner:
1. [Specific failure 1: e.g., "Vendor Booking Failure: Despite being responsible for booking the florist, you failed to confirm the booking, and they did not appear on our wedding day. This forced us to purchase emergency flowers from a grocery store for $[amount]."]
2. [Specific failure 2: e.g., "Timeline Mismanagement: The ceremony started 45 minutes late because you failed to coordinate vendor arrival times, causing the photographer to miss the first look and the caterer to serve cold food."]
3. [Specific failure 3: e.g., "Day-of Absence: You left the reception at 7:00 PM, three hours before the contracted end time, leaving no one to coordinate the remaining events including cake cutting and send-off."]
4. [Specific failure 4: e.g., "Communication Failures: You did not inform the DJ of the revised song list we provided two weeks before the wedding, resulting in incorrect music during key moments."]
DAMAGES
Your negligence caused the following damages:
1. Planning fees paid: $[Amount]
2. Emergency flower purchase: $[Amount]
3. Lost deposit to florist who no-showed: $[Amount]
4. [Additional damage items]
TOTAL DAMAGES: $[Amount]
DEMAND
I demand that you pay $[Amount] within fourteen (14) days of this letter. Payment should be made by [check mailed to address / electronic transfer].
If I do not receive full payment by [Deadline Date], I will:
1. File a claim in [County] Small Claims Court;
2. File a complaint with [relevant certification body, e.g., ABC, WPI];
3. Report this matter to the Better Business Bureau; and
4. Post truthful reviews describing my experience.
I have attached copies of our contract, payment receipts, communications, and photographic evidence of the problems. I am willing to discuss a reasonable resolution, but will not accept less than full compensation for the damages your negligence caused.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Email]
[Your Phone]
Enclosures:
- Wedding Planning Contract
- Payment receipts
- Email correspondence
- Timeline documents
- Photos documenting problems
- Vendor statements
In most states, emotional distress damages are not recoverable for ordinary breach of contract. However, some courts recognize that wedding services have a special emotional component and allow such recovery when the planner's negligence is particularly egregious. Focus on economic damages in your demand.
Many planner contracts limit liability to fees paid. Courts generally enforce these clauses for ordinary negligence but may refuse to enforce them for gross negligence, intentional misconduct, or violations of public policy. If the planner's conduct was particularly egregious, argue that the limitation clause should not apply.
Attorney Services & Contact
Wedding Planner Dispute Resolution
I represent couples seeking to recover fees and damages from wedding planners who failed to perform their contracted duties or provided negligent services.
Email owner@terms.law or use Calendly for a paid strategy session.