In France, you will be asked by venues, suppliers and wedding planners to sign an estimate / quote or ‘devis’ in French to confirm any bookings. A service is only confirmed and thus legally binding when the ‘devis’ is signed by both the client and the company providing the service. The ‘devis’ should detail each service or product provided with the amounts before (HT) and after (TTC) the addition of French VAT. The VAT rate should be detailed for each service.
The ‘devis’ should also detail the terms and conditions of payment and sometimes include the general terms and conditions which by signing the document you are agreeing to. The terms and conditions are usually only provided in French, however some companies may include an English translation (they will however only accept a signature on the French version for legal purposes).
Each estimate has a number which will figure on the invoice (‘facture’ in French) you will receive from the supplier or venue after the service has been carried out. The‘facture’ will detail any payment instalments already paid and any remaining payments that need to be settled. In the case that you order any extras that were not allowed for on the estimate, you should be billed with an extras invoice most likely apart from the final invoice.
The French are extremely strict about the signing of estimates; they will very rarely accept a verbal confirmation. In my option this is a good thing for the client too so that once a price has been agreed, you will be less likely to find yourself with any nasty surprises in the final invoice.
