Terms & Conditions

For purposes of these Terms & Conditions, “Artist” refers to Bella Wess.

Booking & Retainer

A signed agreement and 25% non-refundable retainer are required to reserve the wedding date. The date is not officially secured until both the signed agreement and retainer have been received.

Once the date is reserved, the Artist turns away other bookings for that date; therefore, the retainer is non-refundable.

Final Payment

The remaining balance is due 30 days before the wedding date. If final payment is not received by the due date, services may be cancelled and the retainer will be forfeited.

Guest Count & Portrait Coverage

Packages are based on the approximate number of participating guests provided at booking. Guest count helps determine the appropriate package, service time, and painting capacity.

Portraits are created to suit the natural flow of the wedding. Guests may be illustrated individually, as couples, families, or small groups, depending on guest participation, requested compositions, and the flow of the event.

The contracted guest count represents the approximate number of guests the Artist is expected to accommodate during the contracted service period. It does not guarantee a specific number of individual paintings or a specific number of completed portraits.

The package price reserves the Artist’s time and availability for the contracted event and is not calculated on a per-portrait basis. A lower-than-anticipated number of participating guests does not reduce the package price.

If the guest count increases significantly after booking, the Client must notify the Artist as soon as possible. Additional service time or an updated package may be required and is subject to availability. Additional coverage is available at the applicable hourly rate and may be billed in 30-minute increments.

The Artist will make reasonable efforts to accommodate the contracted guest count within the agreed-upon service time. However, the number and composition of completed portraits may vary based on guest participation, groupings, timing, schedule changes, and the natural flow of the celebration.

Unfinished Portraits

The Artist's goal is to complete as many portraits as possible during the celebration. If a portrait cannot reasonably be completed during the event due to timing, guest availability, schedule changes, or the natural flow of the celebration, the Artist may complete the portrait afterward using reference photographs taken at the wedding.

Post-event portraits will be completed in the same general artistic style as the event portraits and will be mailed to the Client or guest, as agreed upon in advance. Any additional shipping or studio fees will be discussed with the Client before they are incurred.

Guest Pickup & Unclaimed Artwork

Completed portraits will be made available for guests to collect during or at the conclusion of the event whenever possible.

The Artist is not responsible for artwork that is left unclaimed after the event. If arrangements are made to ship unclaimed artwork, applicable shipping costs may be charged to the recipient or Client.

Client & Venue Responsibilities

The Client is responsible for providing accurate event details, including:

• Wedding date and venue
• Approximate guest count
• Event schedule
• Venue contact information
• Parking and loading information
• Any venue-specific rules or requirements

The Client will provide the Artist with a dedicated workspace, table, and a chair, with adequate lighting and reasonable protection from weather for outdoor events.

The workspace should be reasonably accessible and located away from excessive foot traffic, speakers, food service, or other conditions that could interfere with the Artist's ability to work.

The Artist should have reasonable access to the reception area and sufficient time to set up before guests arrive.

Schedule & Delays

The Artist's arrival and service times will be agreed upon before the wedding.

The contracted service time begins and ends according to the schedule stated in the signed agreement. Delays caused by late access to the venue, changes to the event schedule, lack of workspace, venue restrictions, or circumstances outside the Artist's control may reduce the amount of time available for painting and may affect the number of portraits completed.

The Artist is not responsible for portraits that cannot be completed as a result of such delays or interruptions.

Breaks & Meals

For bookings of five hours or longer, the Artist should be provided with a reasonable meal break and access to water. Meal timing will be coordinated with the event schedule whenever possible and will not reduce the contracted service time when reasonably accommodated.

Artistic Style

All portraits are original, hand-painted artwork. Because each portrait is individually created, natural variations in likeness, line, color, composition, and interpretation are part of the artwork.

Portraits are created in the Artist's established artistic style. Exact replication of photographs, facial features, clothing, or previous examples is not guaranteed.

Cancellations

Because the wedding date is reserved exclusively for the Client, the 25% retainer is non-refundable.

If the Client cancels after booking, any additional payments will be handled according to the cancellation terms outlined in the signed service agreement.

Postponements

If the wedding is postponed, the Artist will make every reasonable effort to transfer the booking to the new date, subject to availability.

If the Artist is unavailable for the new date, the postponement will be treated as a cancellation and handled according to the cancellation terms in the signed agreement.

Any changes to package pricing, travel fees, service details, or availability resulting from a new date will be discussed and agreed upon in writing before the new date is confirmed.

Travel

Travel within the included service area is included in the package price.

For weddings outside the included service area, additional travel, parking, tolls, and/or accommodation may apply and will be agreed upon before booking.

Force Majeure & Artist Emergency

The Artist is not responsible for failure or delay in performing services caused by circumstances beyond the Artist's reasonable control, including severe weather, natural disasters, transportation disruptions, venue closure, government restrictions, serious illness, or other emergencies.

If the Artist is unable to perform the contracted services because of an emergency or circumstances beyond the Artist's reasonable control, the Artist will make reasonable efforts to arrange a suitable replacement artist, subject to availability.

If a suitable replacement cannot be arranged, payments for services that cannot be provided will be refunded.

Photography & Portfolio Use

The Artist may photograph completed artwork, the Artist's workspace, and non-identifying details of the event for portfolio, website, social media, editorial, and promotional purposes.

The Artist will not publicly identify the Client or guests by name without permission.

Reference photographs taken solely for the purpose of completing artwork will not be used for promotional purposes unless separately permitted.

If the Client prefers that wedding artwork not be used for promotional purposes, the Client must notify the Artist in writing before the event.

Artwork & Copyright

All original artwork remains the intellectual property of the Artist.

The Client and guests receive the physical original artwork created for them but do not receive copyright or reproduction rights.

The Artist retains the right to reproduce artwork for portfolio, promotional, editorial, and artistic purposes unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Limitation of Responsibility

The Artist will perform services with reasonable care and professionalism. The Artist is not responsible for delays, interruptions, or incomplete artwork resulting from circumstances outside the Artist's reasonable control, including venue restrictions, guest availability, schedule changes, weather, transportation delays, or interference with the workspace.

Agreement

The signed service agreement, together with these Terms & Conditions, constitutes the agreement between the Client and the Artist regarding the services described.

Any changes to the agreed services, package, schedule, guest count, or other material terms must be agreed upon in writing by both parties.