Blog Client Experience Entrepreneurship Finance Your Couples

Optimize Your Wedding Business: Modern Contracts & Payments

Client expectations are shifting toward speed, automation and transparency, and wedding pros like you are evolving their processes and systems to deliver the best customer experience. 

A great place to start? Modernizing your contracts and invoicing processes. Strong operations are the bread and butter of any wedding business, and upgrading these systems can help you delight couples and get paid faster. 

We spoke with Nora Shiels, co-founder of Rock Paper Coin, for expert insights on how to modernize your contract and invoicing systems and stay ahead.   

1. Stay tech-savvy

One of the first trends identified in the Rock Paper Coin’s recent study is the industry’s growing tech-savviness. 

According to the RPC team, the most successful vendors are those who are: 

• Automating admin tasks: Nora recommends using an industry-specific customer relationship management (CRM) tool to handle follow-ups, contract reminders and invoice tracking—saving hours each week.
• Making booking easy: Make sure your website and Storefront is clean, easy to use and features a straightforward inquiry form. 
• Using digital tools strategically: You’ve told us you want quality leads and easy-to-use, time-saving tools. So we’ve updated the WeddingPro Inbox with automated replies and smart fields so you can respond to potential clients while you’re on the go. 

2. Embrace digital signing and countersigning 

Today’s couples value speed, trust and clarity. Digital signing and countersigning make contracts easier and more secure for everyone—and adoption is growing quickly. In fact, the percentage of vendors using countersigning doubled from 23% in 2024 to 50% in 2025, according to RPC.

What do they mean? 

• Digital signing: A secure way to sign a contract on a computer or a phone. 
• Counter-signing: When the second person adds their signature to a contract after the first person has already signed it, the final signature is the seal of approval that shows both parties agree to the deal, which makes the contract officially active and legally binding.

Why do they matter? 

• Faster payment: 84% of invoices were paid before their due date in 2025 (up from 72% in 2024), according to RPC.
• Legal protection: Both signatures are on record.
• Stronger trust: Couples see that you’ve signed the agreement, too.
• Flexible options: Clients enjoy choosing from fee structures and payment options that work best for them. 
• Clear expectations: Everyone is aligned from the start.

Researching which platform to use 

When we asked Nora what features wedding vendors should look for in a contract-signing platform (with legal thoroughness and efficiency in mind), she said:

“Security is key when looking at new platforms, especially those that handle signatures and exchanging money. Double-check that your platform complies with e-signature laws and allows for customization, countersigning and adding multiple signers.” 

She also advised that the platforms should allow you to:

• Use templates: 45% of businesses use templates to send contracts or invoices, and, on average, invoices are sent in just 1.78 minutes and contracts in 2.65 minutes, according to the RPC report. 
• Keep pace with changing payment preferences: Whether it’s digital wallets or Buy Now Pay Later, ensure the provider can accommodate innovations in payments. 
• Track IP addresses and timestamps: This enforces proof, protection, and professionalism. IP addresses act as a digital fingerprint, showing where the contract was accessed and signed from, essentially proving the signer’s identity or location in case of disputes. 
• Export contracts when needed: Once exported, the contract is “locked” and therefore harder to alter once it’s signed. Exporting contracts is also good for backup as you can store them in multiple locations such as local drives or cloud storage. 

3. Offer digital payment options 

Allowing couples to pay online improves their customer experience and helps you get paid faster. Nora and the RPC team found that fewer vendors today are accepting cash or checks, with most moving toward secure, flexible online payment platforms. When we asked what red flags vendors should watch for when choosing tech partners, she advised: 

• Look for a security and privacy policy: Nora said they should be accessible and easy to find—“If you can’t find one on a platform’s website, tread lightly.” 
• Find customer service details, should you need them: “Poor or non-existent customer support is an instant red flag!” 
• Make sure AI isn’t the only option for help: “While AI chat boxes are great for general items, you should be able to talk with a human.”
• Do your research: “If you can’t find much history or reviews about a platform, keep looking.” 
• Ensure it’s easy to use: “If it is outdated, clunky or challenging to navigate, you will likely be able to find a better, more intuitive fit.” 

4. Keep your clients safe

Some couples still think paper checks or bank transfers are safer than digital payments — but that’s an old myth. Modern payment platforms can actually protect both you and your clients while making transactions faster and smoother. Here are three key security tools to look for:

• Advanced encryption: Scrambles payment info so hackers can’t read it — look for HTTPS and strong encryption in your payment tools.
• Tokenization: Swaps card numbers for random “tokens” that work for charging but are useless if stolen.
• Real-time fraud detection: Spots suspicious charges instantly so scams are blocked before money changes hands.

When you choose a platform with these protections, you’re showing couples that you take their security seriously — and that builds trust from the very first payment.

Overcoming tech hurdles 

Despite all of these benefits,some clients may not be fully on board with paying online or e-signing a document. Nora shared insight into what the most significant pain points are when it comes to using digital tools in your business:

• Intimidation: Some clients are simply hesitant to try new things—new technologies can be daunting. In saying that, Nora pointed out that “More often than not, you hear vendors regretting not onboarding earlier, rather than regretting incorporating tech into their business.” 
• Costs: Getting new software often costs money, which can sometimes come with hidden costs. However, you will be making some of that money back in the time the software is saving you. 
• Client hesitancy: The quick answer is yes. Nora mentioned that most clients nowadays have signed something online, so they are rarely hesitant. If a client is hesitant, however, you can explain how the platform works and walk them through the process. “It is essential to share with clients and potential clients that you take data security seriously and have processes in place. Use client-friendly language, rather than legal jargon, when explaining items so the contract makes sense to them.” 

Looking ahead

It’s clear that automating workflows and using digital tools isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a must. These tools can help make your processes faster and more efficient, and ultimately put money in your pocket faster. The message is clear: wedding vendors who modernize contracting and invoicing can book faster, get paid sooner and create smoother experiences for their clients.

For more ways you can streamline your business processes, check out How Wedding Pros Use AI: From Inspo to Action.