How do you establish boundaries with your brides?

“Be brave and use your voice. I know this sounds like something we tell our kids, but as grown-ups, we need to be reminded of it…I have, in my contract, a way out for ‘bad behavior,’ and I've used it a couple of times. I've had calm conversations with clients and even charged an additional fee [for them] to keep me from canceling my contract. It works every time.” JoAnn Moore, CWC, MBC™, CGWP, CSS, 
Mountains and Meadows, LLC, Vail, Colo.“Everyone needs to know how to best contact you and when you are available. Let brides, grooms, and parents know the best way to reach you. Also, let them know when you will be on vacation, days of the week you do not take appointments, and your policy on evening phone calls. With out-of-town brides, it is also smart to let them know during what holidays would be problematic to schedule appointments.” - Gloria R. Boyden, MBC™,
Specializing in Beautiful Weddings, Carmel, Ind.“When working with new clients, I make a point of not answering their phone calls, or responding to emails after normal business hours. I want my clients to be delighted that I'm there for them at midnight the week of their wedding, but I don't want them to expect an immediate response during my family time, eight months out. Weddings are very time-consuming.  If you give your career the chance, it will take over your life.” - Ariel Yve, MBC™, Ariel Yve Design, LLC, Ojai, Calif.“After a record-setting 26 emails a day from one bride, I put limitations in my contract.  I will respond once a day for my custom clients. Lower-level brides get a once-a-week conversation, unless it is the week of the wedding; then, they can all call/text/email whenever.” - Lynn H. Wheatley, Lasting Impressions of Tulsa, LLC, Tulsa, Okla.“Teach them how to work with you. I’ve created a FAQ sheet that I send out with my planning information. It outlines my office hours, cell phone accessibility, and typical response times. Since doing this a few years ago, I’ve had minimal issues with boundaries.” - Wendy Dahl, PBC™, Chic Productions, Huntington Beach, Calif.“We clarify our boundaries with potential brides at the first phone call. If there are red flags, we don’t take them as clients. We outline our expectations, deliverables, and boundaries in writing when we go to contract.  Whenever we find ourselves in a situation where a client is not remembering their manners, I tell them gently but firmly that we do not do business that way. My motto with brides: Be clear, consistent, and courteous from concept to completion!” Merryl Brown, CWEP, Merryl Brown Events, Santa Barbara, Calif.“We stay away from text messaging with couples and will stop answering emails past a certain time unless it's really important or right around their wedding day.” -Lindsay Jani, Simply Sunshine Events, LLC, Randolph and Hoboken, N.J.“Unless the bride’s event is in production, I stick to my office-hour schedule.  I let all potential clients know from our first appointment that I have a 24-hour email and voicemail turnaround…The clients who don’t agree, I typically don’t want as a client.” - Polly A. Klein, Polly’s Petals & Particulars, Grayslake, Ill.“My office hours are stated on my Facebook page, voicemail, and in the welcome magazine we give new brides. We also verbally tell them the days we’re closed when they hire us. If a bride calls or texts after hours, I deal with it first thing in the morning but not during my personal time, unless it’s a true emergency. On my day off, I use the do not disturb feature on my cell phone, which only allows certain contacts to be connected. All other calls go directly to voicemail.” - Holly D. Lynch, PBC™, The Season Events, 
Rome, Ga.“Having a professional office space outside of my home helps because it establishes a separation of my business hours from my personal hours, and gives clients the mindset that I am not there 24/7.” - Christine Terezakis, MBC™, Dreamday 
Weddings & Events, Palm City, Fla.“I've always found it's easiest to establish boundaries early on and right in my client’s contract. I am clear on our policies for vacation time, weekend availability, and office hours. The clearer you are upfront before they are clients, the less likely they will be to overstep boundaries.” - Crystal Adair-Benning, Once-in-a-Lifetime Awesomeness, Canada, Scotland, and Australia“In the era of social media, we have a policy to not become ‘friends’ with our clients on Facebook (at least not until after their wedding). A lot of clients want to do this, but we feel it crosses the line between professional relationship and personal relationship. They can like our business page but not our personal pages. If they request to become friends after their event, we consider it at that point.” - Jenny Garringer, PBC™, Pink with 
Envy Event Planning Services, 
Beavercreek, Ohio“1. Set up a professional voicemail for your personal phone if your brides have to call your personal phone. Return all calls during business hours except in an emergency situation. 2. Separate your personal life from your professional life if you run a home-based business. Create a separate entrance, if possible, into your office to avoid brides walking through your home to enter your office. 3. Avoid giving your home address to brides if you do not run a home-based office.” - Fiyin Awe, Able Planners, Indiana