This guide is for couples from abroad who are about to book a photographer, venue, caterer or other wedding vendor in Prague and want to check them before sending money. It covers how to verify a Czech business, what a fair contract and deposit look like, what Czech consumer law does and does not give you, and the red flags worth stopping for.
The short answer
- Check the business in the public registers. Every Czech business has an eight-digit identification number (IČO), and you can look it up for free in ARES, the state’s business register search. It must appear on the vendor’s invoices and public information, including the website.
- Get a written contract with the date, hours, exact services, price, currency, VAT, payment schedule and cancellation terms, before paying anything.
- Do not count on the 14-day cooling-off period. Under EU and Czech rules it does not apply to services such as catering and leisure services booked for a specific date, which covers much of a wedding.
- Pay by bank transfer or card to an account in the business’s name, against an invoice or a payment request. Avoid cash deposits to individuals you have never met.
- If something goes wrong, complain to the vendor in writing first. For consumers in the EU, the Czech Trade Inspection Authority offers free out-of-court dispute resolution.
This is general information to help you ask the right questions, not legal advice. For a large contract or a dispute, ask a lawyer.
Step 1: check that the vendor is a real, registered business
Czech law requires every business to state its name, registered address and identification number on its business documents and in the information it makes public (Civil Code, section 435). A vendor with no IČO anywhere on the website, quote or invoice is the first thing to question.
| What to check | Where | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| IČO (identification number) | ARES, the Ministry of Finance’s search across state registers | That the business exists, its official name, address, legal form and whether it is still active |
| Company details (s.r.o., a.s.) | Public register (or.justice.cz) | Owners, directors, date founded, published financial statements, insolvency or liquidation |
| Self-employed vendors (OSVČ) | Trade Licensing Register (rzp.cz) | Whether the person holds an active trade licence and for what activity |
| VAT status | ARES (VAT register data) | Whether the vendor is a VAT payer, and therefore whether 21% VAT should be on the invoice |
Many good Prague photographers, make-up artists and musicians work as self-employed people (OSVČ) rather than companies. That is normal. What matters is that the name on the contract, the IČO and the bank account all belong to the same person or company.
Things you can check in five minutes
- Does the name on the quote match the name in ARES?
- Is the business still active, or has it been dissolved?
- For a company: is it in liquidation or insolvency? This shows in the public register.
- Does the website give a real address and a phone number that someone answers?
- Does the portfolio match the vendor? Ask for two or three complete weddings, not just highlights, and check that the same photos do not appear under other names online.
Step 2: read the reviews properly
Since January 2023, Czech consumer law has banned fake reviews and requires a trader who shows reviews to say whether and how it checks that they come from real customers. That helps, but it does not make every review genuine.
- Read reviews on more than one platform (Google, wedding directories, social media), and read the negative ones.
- Look at the dates. Twenty five-star reviews posted in one week, years ago, say less than a steady stream.
- Look at how the vendor answers criticism. A calm, specific reply is a good sign.
- Ask for one or two past couples you can email. Most established vendors can arrange this.
- For venues, ask your photographer or planner. People who work at many Prague weddings know which venues and vendors are reliable.
You can also start from the vendors listed in our directory of Prague wedding photographers and other categories, then run the same checks.
Step 3: what the contract should say
A wedding contract does not need to be long, but it must be in writing and in a language you understand. If the vendor sends only Czech, ask for an English version or a translation, and agree which version applies.
Checklist
- Who: the vendor’s full name or company, address and IČO, and your names.
- What: date, start and end time, location(s), exact services (hours of coverage, number of edited photos, menu, number of musicians), and what is not included.
- Who exactly: for photographers, make-up artists and musicians, whether the named person you met will work your wedding, and what happens if they are ill.
- Price: total, currency (CZK or EUR), and whether 21% VAT is included. Some Prague price lists exclude VAT, so check before you compare. Our Prague wedding cost guide shows typical published prices.
- Extras: overtime per hour, travel outside Prague, early-start fees, corkage, service charges.
- Payment schedule: deposit amount, due dates for the rest, and how you pay.
- Cancellation and postponement: what you pay if you cancel at different times before the date, and what happens if the vendor cancels.
- Delivery: for photo and video, the delivery deadline and format.
- Force majeure: what happens if the wedding cannot take place for reasons neither side controls.
Deposits: záloha and závdavek
Czech contracts use two different words for money paid in advance, and the difference matters.
| Term | What it is | If the wedding does not happen |
|---|---|---|
| Záloha (advance payment) | Part of the price paid early | Settled according to the contract’s cancellation terms; in principle it is part of the price, not a penalty |
| Závdavek (earnest money) | A deposit under Civil Code section 1808, handed over when the contract is made, confirming it | If you fail to perform, the vendor may keep it. If the vendor fails, you may ask for double the amount back |
Ask the vendor which one they mean, and make sure the contract says what happens to the deposit if you postpone, if you cancel, and if they cancel. A deposit of a reasonable part of the price to hold the date is normal in the wedding industry. Paying the full price many months ahead is not, and it gives you very little leverage if something changes.
What Czech consumer law gives you, and what it does not
When you book as a private person with a Czech business, you are a consumer, and the Czech Civil Code gives you protections. Three points matter most for wedding bookings.
1. The 14-day cooling-off period usually does not apply
For contracts made online or at a distance, EU law gives consumers 14 days to withdraw without a reason. But the rule excludes accommodation, car rental and catering services booked for specific dates, and services related to leisure activities with a fixed date. Much of a wedding falls into those groups. Treat every signed booking as final unless the contract itself gives you a cancellation right.
2. Unfair terms in consumer contracts do not bind you
The Civil Code (sections 1813–1814) treats as unfair, for example, terms that let the vendor withdraw without reason when you cannot, let the vendor keep prepayments for services it does not provide after it ends the contract, or impose a disproportionate penalty on you. A cancellation fee that rises as the date approaches is normal; a fee of 100% a year before the wedding deserves a question.
3. Cash has a legal limit
Czech law does not allow cash payments above CZK 270,000, and payments split into several cash instalments can count together. For large venue or catering bills, pay by transfer.
Invoices and payment
- Pay against a written invoice (faktura) or payment request that shows the vendor’s name, address and IČO. A VAT payer’s invoice also shows its VAT number (DIČ, starting with CZ) and the VAT amount.
- Check that the bank account belongs to the vendor named in the contract. A last-minute change of bank details by email is a classic fraud pattern: confirm it by phone.
- Card payments give you a chargeback route through your bank if a service is not delivered. Ask your card issuer about time limits.
- For euro payments, agree who pays the bank fees and the currency conversion.
- Keep all receipts. You need them for the final payment and for any complaint.
Red flags
- No IČO, no address, or a name that does not match the bank account.
- Pressure to pay immediately because “another couple wants the date”.
- Full payment demanded far in advance, or a large deposit in cash.
- No written contract, or a contract that names a different company than the one you talked to.
- A price far below every other quote for the same service.
- Portfolio photos that appear on other vendors’ websites.
- Vague answers to “Who exactly will be there?” and “What happens if you are ill?”
- Cancellation terms that only work in one direction.
If something goes wrong
- Write to the vendor by email, set out what was agreed and what happened, and give a reasonable deadline for a solution. Keep copies.
- Use out-of-court dispute resolution. The Czech Trade Inspection Authority (ČOI) handles consumer disputes with traders in the Czech Republic for consumers in the EU. It is free, you must first have tried to resolve the claim with the trader, and you must start within one year of making your claim. Its outcome is a proposed agreement or a non-binding statement, not a court judgment.
- Ask the European Consumer Centre in your own country if you live in the EU, Norway or Iceland. The ECC network helps with cross-border complaints free of charge.
- Card chargeback or court as a last step. For couples from outside the EU, the vendor’s contract terms and your bank are often the main routes.
Plan your Prague wedding with vendors you can check
We work with Prague vendors every season and can help you compare quotes and read contracts before you pay. Send us the quotes you have and your date. If you have not chosen vendors yet, start with the planner.
Sources
- Czech Civil Code: Act 89/2012, section 435 (business identification), section 1808 (závdavek), sections 1813–1814 (unfair terms in consumer contracts)
- European Union, Your Europe: cancelling a purchase, the 14-day rule and its exceptions
- Czech Ministry of Finance: ARES business register search
- Czech Act 254/2004 on the limitation of cash payments: CZK 270,000 limit
- Czech Trade Inspection Authority: alternative dispute resolution and European Consumer Centre
- Taylor Wessing: amendment to the Czech Consumer Protection Act, in force from 6 January 2023 (consumer reviews)
Checked against these sources in November 2026. Laws change; for a specific contract or dispute, ask a lawyer.
