Instead, you want to examine the quality of the product or service and see if it would be a good fit for your wedding. Unfortunately, overlooking details of a contract is a small error that carries a large price tag. “When you sign a contract for services or tangibles for your wedding, you become legally obligated to everything in that document,” says wedding planner Samantha Goldberg of Gold Events in Chester (908-450-9766; goldeventsplanning.com) “It can be a really scary thing for couples. You have to be sure that the verbiage in the contract is not just one way and that both parties are protected equally.”

Goldberg has seen many cases where couples have lost thousands of dollars by not reading the fine print. “If you are working with a photographer who doesn’t have a partner and he gets sick or can’t make it,” she says, “what’s the backup plan? If your wedding venue burns down a week before your wedding, are you covered? Couples really have to be smart and protect themselves.”

Shielding yourself from the pitfalls of contracts doesn’t require a lawyer, just a few important tips. According to Goldberg, it’s incredibly important that you get everything in writing. “Unfortunately, it’s not about a gentleman’s handshake anymore,” she says. “Whenever you speak with a vendor about changes or addendums to your contract, you must get it in writing.” There is also a series of clauses that you should negotiate into your contracts, including the protection clause, which covers couples if a vendor is unable to render services. Other essential clauses are the cancelation clause, which protects couples if they have to cancel their wedding, the minimum guest clause, which protects couples if fewer people go to their wedding than expected, and a more comprehensive act of God clause, which covers couple from natural disasters.

Goldberg also advises that clients receive a copy of the vendor’s contract before signing. “If you are interviewing a vendor and they do not want to show you their contract, then that’s a red flag,” she says. “If they are a great company, then they will have nothing to hide. Anyone who is afraid to share their legalities is not a good person to do business with.”

Goldberg, who is currently on the Style Network’s Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?, also recommends that couples who are homeowners speak with their insurance agent, since wedding insurance is built into many homeowner insurance plans. “The excitement and spontaneity of getting married often leads to couples rushing into vendor contracts, but if they aren’t protecting themselves, things can turn sour,” she says. “This may be the most important day of your life, but to the vendor, it’s business. Remember, the only person who can protect you is yourself.”