Wedding Supplier Professionalism

Any wedding supplier who runs a business needs to have a certain amount of info displayed on their website and invoices.  This is irrespective if they are a Limited Company or a Sole Trader or a Partnership.  This website is a great place to check out the legalities.

Website 

• If the supplier doesn’t have a website and only a Facebook page – ask why.
• If the supplier doesn’t have a landline – ask why.
• If the supplier doesn’t have an email address associated with their business name – ask why.
• If the supplier doesn’t have a Google Business with address details on – ask why.
• If the supplier doesn’t have a Privacy Policy – ask why.
• If the supplier doesn’t have a Cookie Consent thingy – ask why.
• If the supplier doesn’t have a contact address – ask why. Don’t take “I work from home” as an excuse.  See below on the invoice bit.
• If the supplier doesn’t have a contact number or name – ask why.
• If a supplier doesn’t have a Terms & Conditions page – ask why.

Many of the above are actually required by law.  The Cookie Consent info can be found here. The Privacy Policy info can be found here.

With the amount of very personal data that wedding photographers collect you should be careful of using a business that does not comply with simple legal stuff.

A newly updated data protection law comes into force May 25th.  It’s called the General Data Protection regulations or GDPR for short.  This short blog post on my educational website gives some insight into what wedding photographers and wedding suppliers should be doing. GDPR and Wedding Photography

Invoices

Just as websites need the info by law, so do invoices.  This UK Government website shows you what needs to be included.

All companies –

• a unique identification number
• your company name, address and contact information
• the company name and address of the customer you’re invoicing (B2B)
• a clear description of what you’re charging for
• the date the goods or service were provided (supply date)
• the date of the invoice
• the amount(s) being charged
• VAT amount if applicable
• the total amount owed

Sole trader invoices

If you’re a sole trader, the invoice must also include:

• your name and any business name being used
• an address where any legal documents can be delivered to you if you are using a business name

Limited Company

If your company is a limited company, you must include the full company name as it appears on the certificate of incorporation.

If you decide to put names of your directors on your invoices, you must include the names of all directors.

VAT Invoices

You must use VAT invoices if you and your customer are VAT registered.

These include more information than non-VAT invoices.

This isn’t hard to do – but it shows a level of professionalism that, by law, ALL UK business (and to be honest EU business) MUST show.  If they are not being professional with the basics you need to ask your self would they be professional at supplying you? Do the checks – play it safe.

• If a supplier uses a personal PayPal account – ask why.
• If a supplier asks for a Bank Transfer without any paperwork – ask why
• If a supplier is including a lot in the package as standard – ask why.

Why do I need to bother? I just want a wedding supplier?

Issue #1

You get in touch via the online contact form. You give them your wedding date, wedding venue, telephone number.  They get in touch and you both agree to meet at your home address to chat about your wedding plans.  The supplier puts all that data into a spreadsheet, stored on a laptop.  Unfortunately, the laptop get’s stolen.  Along with your data and goodness knows how many other’s data.  Laptops get stolen all the time, no biggie.  It get’s broken into, and with some operating systems that is really really easy for the right person. Your personal data is now in the hands of people who may wish to take advantage that

• They know where you live.
• They know when you will be away from home.
• They have a telephone number to confirm you are away from home on your wedding date.
• … think that hiring a wedding supplier who isn’t running a professional business as outlined above is ok now?

Issue #2

You get in touch with a supplier on Facebook.  They have no verifiable address and are using a mobile phone.  You’re looking for stationery.  The average spend for wedding stationery is around £300.  You send off your money via PayPal and use the gift option – the supplier asks you to do that because they don’t want to get charged.  Fine, you trust them.  The supplier does a runner, closes the PayPal account down and throws away the PAYG mobile.  You are out £300.

Issue #3

You find a supplier on Google. They have no verifiable address and are using a mobile phone.  You are looking for wedding photography.  They are charging £650.  You get in touch via the email given – joesweddingphotography@gmail.com and give the usual details.  They ask to meet at a local hotel or your wedding venue.  You like them, they ask for a deposit of £250 to confirm your date. You hand over the cash, they send a text message confirming receipt of the cash.  You know, to keep things “legal”.

You have just handed over £250 to a complete stranger, you have no idea how to contact that person other than a mobile or Gmail account, both of which can be ditched very easily. Websites can be set up cheaply and quickly and taken down in hours.

It’s an easy scam, to be honest – and if the website is good enough and the work is good enough and the deposit asked for is good enough then 11 months of work could be very very lucrative for a scammer. Say 3 bookings a month at £250 each.  That is 33 * £250 = £8250.

Do you research before you think it’s a great deal.  Ask the questions. 

Seriously.  If it looks too good to be true – it is.