What is Force Majeure?
Force majeure: a legal term referring to unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract.
From inclement weather to a sudden illness, anything can throw a wrench in your plans and create a stressful situation. When it comes to wedding planning, there is always a chance (as much as we would rather there wasn’t!) that something can go wrong. It’s important to know how to handle force majeure and how it affects wedding videography as well as how it applies to videographer contracts.
What Counts As Force Majeure and Act of God in Wedding Video?
An act of God counts as uncontrollable weather or natural forces beyond human control, so an extreme weather event may result in a videographer being able to carry out their work due to the disruption. Essentially any reasonably unforeseen occurrence could mean that carrying out the agreed work is dangerous or not possible. The definition of these things however can be different and it’s important to understand what is in your wedding videography contract to avoid confusion and importantly, financial implications!
How Does it Apply to Wedding Videography?
The good news is the use of force majeure in a contract protects both parties from liability, in the event of an act of God, sudden illness, or other external factors. It is used in most wedding videography contracts for this very reason. Similarly, if the couple is unable to fulfill their obligations due to an unforeseeable event, they may be able to use the force majeure clause to avoid liability. This way, both parties are protected. That’s why it’s super important to understand how it works in a particular contract.
Cancellation Policy in Wedding Videography Contracts:
There are some basic outlines to force majeure clauses which also apply to wedding videos, they must:
- Define the breach for which a promisor seeks to be excused. ● Determine the “force majeure event”
- Require (and define) the causal connection between these two. ● Explain what will happen if the booking is excused.
Make sure to ask your videographer questions about their force majeure policies and cancellation policies so that you understand what to expect in the event of an unforeseen circumstance. Additionally, make sure to have a backup plan in place in case something goes wrong. This can help ensure that you are prepared for anything and can minimise the impact of a last-minute cancellation.
Understanding what force majeure is in wedding videography means you can avoid it being a tricky subject. Chat with your wedding videographer and ask any questions you need in order to understand the agreement you have in place. You can also check things like FAQs or other information on the videographer’s website that often references this type of thing; for example, we have a section dedicated to FAQs and explain our force majeure there too
