Venue Contract

I'm not a lawyer, but I would be very concerned if there was a clause that could invalidate things they said via email. It is very common for vendors to not budge on contract language, but if there are reasons for you to be worried, I wouldn't sign it. At the end of the day, the contract is the binding document, and if they want to, they can use it against you. Personally, I wouldn't sign it. I'm sorry about this! Contracts are so tiresome, and I definitely had to move on from some vendors because I wasn't comfortable with some of the contract language.

They are absolutely able to change things in their contract - whether the particular person you're working with is willing or authorized to is the question. I'd move on from this vendor because they don't seem like they'll be reasonable to work with going forward. If you sign it, a judge may still side with you because they're the sophisticated party and because contracts are supposed to allow both parties to negotiate, not just one party to dictate everything, BUT that's obviously a whole expensive ordeal and at the end of the day you want the wedding you want, not a win in court 2 years later. This doesn't seem worth the anxiety.

Contract clauses that state the entire agreement is what's written in the contract and that the contract supersedes any other written or verbal agreement are called merger clauses. They're standard contract clauses which prevent other discussions, emails, etc. to be considered to be agreed-upon terms should the contract come into question. Here, the force majeure clause would likely supersede the emails where they say what their COVID procedures are (this of course depends on your state's laws, judge's interpretations, etc.). Contracts are definitely negotiable, so if this venue isn't willing to change anything, I'd look elsewhere. Like Claire mentioned, you could prevail in court if it came to that, but that'll likely cost money and a few years, and it's probably not worth it when you could just go someplace else.

I would walk away and find a new venue. Too many red flags here. Also, you can't really trust reviews on Wedding Wire because they're known to remove the negative reviews.

Walk away. I'm a paralegal and I deal in contracts all day long. Walk. Away.

The clause at the end that worries you - would worry me greatly. And I would absolutely flag it if it came across my desk. Further, force majeure clauses are standard, but usually there is a clause that allows for the client to recover damages if they need to via a specific avenue (whether thats injunctive or not).

Saying that they won't specify what they will provide is troubling greatly. And having them say "well that will come later" indicates that they plan on adding an amendment, which in turn is a change to the contract, so they are able to do it, but they are giving themselves a loop hole to renege on just about everything they've discussed with you.

Walk away. To me that contract would get a big sticky note on it that says "Bad faith agreement" and would not be signed.

Worse yet. If the venue does not include any features subject to volatile pricing, a price increase should not be permitted. Some minor increases they incur should be either included in the bid or should be a minor loss of profit on their side. They should assume some standard risks in taking on a contract.

Agree with others that you should keep looking. Daughter's contract had a price increase clause (we signed about 16 months in advance), but the increase was capped at 10% of the price we agreed to when we signed. Yes, it could increase, but we budgeted for the maximum potential increase and didn't have to worry about a big surprise at the last minute.

I'm not comfortable with the price change at any time clause. That sounds shady. The force majeure is an "Act of God" clause which basically means if a tornado with no warning strikes & the building is lost, they're under no obligation to help you figure out what to do & that is a pretty standard clause. Lastly, refusal to include what's included is also shady. You need to know exactly how many tables, chairs, linens, the color of them, etc will be provided, if any. Waiting until "later" doesn't sound reliable. As a previous planner, Id guide you away from them & toward other options. It may seem overwhelming, especially if you're excited about that venue, but there are many others with more clear contracts. Protect yourself because very few will look after your well being. Vendors hear the word "wedding" & they also hear "cha-ching!"