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Terms of Service

Last updated: April 20, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using bookbidwell.com and the Bidwell platform (“Service”), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service (“Terms”). If you do not agree, do not use the Service. These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and BOOKBIDWELL LLC (“Bidwell,” “we,” “our,” or “us”).

2. Description of Service

Bidwell is a reverse-auction marketplace connecting couples planning weddings (“Couples”) with wedding venues (“Venues”). Couples post event requests; Venues submit competitive binding bids; bookings are facilitated through the platform.

Bidwell's role.Bidwell is an intermediary. The wedding-services contract (the “Booking Contract”) is between the Couple and the Venue. Bidwell is not a party to the Booking Contract except as expressly stated in these Terms or the Venue Platform Agreement. Bidwell is not a wedding planner, caterer, insurer, or provider of the underlying event services.

Payments and contracts.Payment flows are processed by Stripe, Inc. via Stripe Connect; Venues complete separate Stripe Connected Account onboarding and agree to Stripe's terms. Booking Contracts and the Venue Platform Agreement are executed electronically via Dropbox Sign (HelloSign). See Section 10 for your consent to transact electronically.

3. Eligibility and Account Registration

Eligibility. You must be at least 18 years old and legally capable of entering into a binding contract to create an account or use the Service. If you register on behalf of a business (for example, a Venue), you represent that you have authority to bind that business to these Terms and the Venue Platform Agreement.

Account registration. You must provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration, and keep it updated. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities under your account. Notify us immediately at info@bookbidwell.com of any unauthorized use.

SMS communications. If you provide a mobile number, you consent to receive transactional SMS for account verification and booking lifecycle updates. Message frequency varies; message and data rates may apply; reply STOP to opt out and HELP for help. Consent to SMS is not a condition of purchase. See the Privacy Policy for full SMS/TCPA details.

You may not:

  • Create multiple accounts for the same entity
  • Use false, misleading, or fraudulent information
  • Transfer or share your account with another party
  • Use automated systems (bots, scrapers) to register or interact with the platform without our written permission
  • Harass, threaten, or abuse other users, or use the Service in any way that violates applicable law

4. Couples — Terms of Use

As a Couple using Bidwell, you agree to:

  • Post accurate and truthful event details including dates, guest count, budget, and location
  • Not submit fabricated, misleading, or speculative requests with no genuine intent to book
  • Not share venue bid details, pricing, or identities outside the platform for the purpose of negotiating directly or leveraging against the venue
  • Not use information obtained through Bidwell to contact venues outside the platform to circumvent Bidwell's booking process
  • Honor the cancellation and refund policies as stated in the Booking Contract
  • Engage in good faith with all venue communications and shortlisting decisions

5. Venues — Terms of Use

As a Venue using Bidwell, you agree to:

  • Submit bids that are accurate, genuine, and binding offers that you intend to honor
  • Not submit artificially low bids with the intent to increase pricing after selection (“bait-and-switch”)
  • Not contact couples outside the Bidwell platform to circumvent Bidwell's commission structure
  • Not direct couples to book directly, through your own website, or through any third party to avoid platform fees
  • Honor the pricing, inclusions, and availability stated in your accepted bids
  • Confirm or decline bookings within 48 hours of couple acceptance
  • Pay all applicable commissions as outlined in the Venue Platform Agreement

6. Anti-Circumvention

Both Couples and Venues agree not to circumvent or attempt to circumvent the Bidwell platform for a period of 24 months following first introduction on Bidwell. This includes but is not limited to:

  • Completing a transaction that originated on Bidwell through any other channel (direct contact, another platform, phone, email, etc.)
  • Using information obtained through Bidwell (venue identity, pricing, couple contact details) to facilitate an off-platform transaction
  • Encouraging or agreeing to cancel a Bidwell booking in order to rebook the same event directly
  • Creating sham accounts, fake requests, or fake bids to manipulate the marketplace

Violation of this provision may result in immediate account suspension, forfeiture of booking-fee payments, commission penalties of up to 2x the standard rate, and pursuit of damages.

Enforcement is handled through a documented review process: Bidwell reviews platform evidence, gives both parties a response window, and communicates a written decision. Disputed enforcement actions may be escalated to a second review under the dispute process in Section 10.

7. Binding Bids

All bids submitted by Venues through Bidwell are binding offers. Once a Couple accepts a bid and completes the booking process, the Venue is contractually obligated to provide the services described at the quoted rates. Fixed-price items lock at the quoted amount. Per-person rates lock at the agreed per-unit rate, with the total adjusting based on the final guaranteed guest count. Consumption-based items (e.g., open bar) lock at the per-unit rate, with the total adjusting based on actual usage. Venues may withdraw a bid only before it has been accepted by a Couple.

8. AI Features and Disclaimers

Bidwell uses artificial intelligence (currently powered by Anthropic's Claude) to provide features including Bidwell House, bid analysis, fit scoring, pricing insights, package completeness checks, and counter-offer coaching (collectively, “AI Features”).

  • Guidance, not advice. AI Features provide informational guidance only. They are not a substitute for professional legal, tax, financial, or event-planning advice. Do not rely on AI output for decisions that require professional review.
  • Possible inaccuracy. AI output may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect. Always verify numbers, terms, and details against the written bid, the Booking Contract, and the Venue's own representations before relying on them.
  • No guaranteed outcome. AI match scores, pricing benchmarks, counter-offer suggestions, and similar signals are heuristics. They do not guarantee that any bid will be accepted, that any counter-offer will land, or that any booking will proceed successfully.
  • Data processing. To deliver AI Features we send relevant event and bid content to our AI subprocessor. We do not send payment information. See the Privacy Policy for subprocessor details and retention windows.
  • No training on your content. Neither Bidwell nor our current AI subprocessor uses your API-submitted content to train AI models.
  • Human review for consequential decisions. We do not use AI Features to make legally significant decisions about you (for example, account termination or fraud adjudication) without human review.
  • Feedback. If you believe an AI output is inaccurate or harmful, email info@bookbidwell.com.

9. Commissions & Payments

Bidwell charges Venues a commission on confirmed bookings. The applicable rate depends on the Venue's agreement at registration:

  • Standard Rate: 10% of the total booking amount
  • Founding Partner Rate: 8% of the total booking amount (permanently reduced for qualifying early Venues — see the Venue Platform Agreement)
  • High-Volume Rate: 6% for Venues exceeding 25 bookings annually

Commissions are deducted from venue payouts. Couples do not pay commissions. Payment processing is provided by Stripe, Inc. through Stripe Connect; Venues must complete Stripe Connected Account onboarding and agree to Stripe's then-current Connected Account Agreement as a condition of receiving payouts. Bidwell does not hold funds outside of platform escrow windows disclosed in the Venue Platform Agreement.

Venue payouts follow a progressive release model:

  • Booking fee and mid-installments: released within 3 business days after each couple payment, minus commission
  • Final balance: released 7 days before the event, minus commission

10. Booking Contracts and Electronic Signatures

When a Couple accepts a Venue's bid, Bidwell generates and routes a Booking Contract for both parties to sign through our e-signature subprocessor, Dropbox Sign (HelloSign). By using the Service you consent to transact electronically and agree that your electronic signature, click-to-agree actions, and electronic records have the same legal effect as a wet-ink signature or paper record under the U.S. federal E-Sign Act (15 U.S.C. §7001 et seq.) and equivalent state laws.

You may withdraw your consent to transact electronically by emailing info@bookbidwell.com. Withdrawing consent will prevent you from completing bookings on Bidwell, which may result in cancellation of pending bookings under Section 11.

The Booking Contract governs the wedding-services relationship between Couple and Venue. These Terms and the Venue Platform Agreement govern your relationship with Bidwell. In the event of conflict, the Booking Contract controls as between Couple and Venue for wedding-services obligations; these Terms control as between you and Bidwell for platform obligations.

11. Cancellation & Refund Policy

  • Venue cancellation: Full refund to Couple of all payments including booking fee
  • Venue fails to confirm within 48 hours: Full refund to Couple
  • Couple cancellation: Refunds follow graduated tiers based on days before event (90+ days before event: 75% refund of total paid; 60-89 days before event: 50% refund of total paid; 30-59 days before event: 25% refund of total paid; Less than 30 days: non-refundable)
  • Administrative fee: $250 applies to all couple-initiated cancellations

12. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranty of any kind, express or implied. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Bidwell disclaims all warranties, including without limitation the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, non-infringement, and any warranties arising from course of dealing or usage of trade.

Bidwell does not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free; that any defect will be corrected; that AI Features will be accurate; or that any particular venue, bid, or booking will meet your needs. You use the Service at your own risk. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties, so some of the above may not apply to you.

13. Limitation of Liability

Bidwell facilitates connections between Couples and Venues but does not guarantee the quality, safety, or legality of any venue or event services. To the maximum extent permitted by law:

  • Bidwell is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, including lost profits, lost data, or loss of goodwill, whether based in contract, tort (including negligence), strict liability, or any other theory.
  • Bidwell's total aggregate liability for any claim arising from your use of the Service shall not exceed the greater of (i) the total commissions paid by or to you through the Service in the 12 months preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or (ii) one hundred U.S. dollars ($100).
  • Nothing in these Terms limits liability for gross negligence, willful misconduct, fraud, or any liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.

14. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless BOOKBIDWELL LLC, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from (a) your use of the Service, (b) your violation of these Terms or any other Bidwell agreement, (c) your violation of any rights of a third party, (d) any dispute with another user (including disputes between Couples and Venues about the Booking Contract), or (e) your content submitted to the Service.

15. Intellectual Property

All content, branding, design, and technology on the Bidwell platform — excluding User Content — is owned by BOOKBIDWELL LLC or its licensors and is protected by U.S. and international intellectual-property laws. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from any part of the Service without our express written permission. “Bidwell,” the Bidwell logo, and related marks are trademarks of BOOKBIDWELL LLC.

16. User Content

By posting content to Bidwell — including venue descriptions, photos, bids, messages, reviews, and testimonials (“User Content”) — you grant Bidwell a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, sublicensable license to host, store, reproduce, modify (for formatting), display, distribute, and promote that User Content (a) in connection with operating and improving the Service, and (b) for Bidwell's marketing, promotional, and case-study use across any medium (web, email, social media, decks, press).

You represent and warrant that you own or have all necessary rights to post the User Content, that it does not infringe any third-party right, and that it is accurate and not misleading. You retain ownership of your User Content. The license granted above survives termination of your account with respect to User Content already posted.

17. Account Termination

By you. You may close your account at any time through account settings or by emailing info@bookbidwell.com. Closing your account does not release you from obligations under active Booking Contracts or the Venue Platform Agreement.

By Bidwell. We may suspend or terminate your account, with or without notice, for violation of these Terms, fraudulent activity, non-payment, or any conduct that we reasonably believe harms other users or the platform. Upon termination, all outstanding commission and payment obligations remain due and payable, and the following survive: Sections 6 (Anti-Circumvention, for the stated period), 8 (AI Features disclaimers), 12 (Disclaimer of Warranties), 13 (Limitation of Liability), 14 (Indemnification), 16 (User Content license for posted content), 18 (Dispute Resolution), and 22 (General Provisions).

18. Dispute Resolution, Arbitration, and Class-Action Waiver

Please read this section carefully. It affects how disputes between you and Bidwell are resolved and limits your ability to pursue class actions.

18.1 Informal resolution first

Before filing any claim, you agree to contact us at info@bookbidwell.com and attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute for at least 30 days.

18.2 Couple–Venue disputes

Disputes between Couples and Venues about a Booking Contract are first submitted to Bidwell's platform mediation process. If mediation does not resolve the dispute within 30 days, either party may proceed under Sections 18.3–18.5 below or pursue remedies available in the Booking Contract.

18.3 Binding arbitration with Bidwell

You and Bidwell agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service — except those carved out in Section 18.5 — will be resolved by final, binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules. The arbitration will be conducted by a single arbitrator. The arbitrator — not any court — has exclusive authority to resolve any dispute about the interpretation, applicability, enforceability, or formation of this arbitration agreement (delegation).

18.4 Class-action waiver

You and Bidwell each agree that any arbitration or other proceeding will be conducted in your individual capacity only. You waive any right to participate in a class action, class arbitration, or representative proceeding.

If this class-action waiver is found unenforceable for a particular claim, that claim may proceed in court, but the remaining claims will still be arbitrated individually.

18.5 Carve-outs

Either party may bring an action in court (i) in small-claims court for claims within that court's jurisdictional limits, or (ii) to seek injunctive or equitable relief regarding intellectual-property infringement or misuse of confidential information.

18.6 Opt-out of arbitration

You may opt out of the arbitration agreement in Sections 18.3 and 18.4 by emailing info@bookbidwell.com with subject Arbitration Opt-Out within 30 days of first accepting these Terms. Your opt-out must include your name, account email, and a clear statement that you are opting out. Opting out does not affect any other provision of these Terms.

19. Force Majeure

Neither party is liable for failure or delay in performance caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God; hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and other severe weather; fire; pandemic, epidemic, or public-health emergency; war, terrorism, riot, or civil unrest; government action, law, or regulation; labor disputes; failures of the internet, telecommunications, or third-party service providers (including payment processors and hosting providers); and other similar events (each, a “Force Majeure Event”). The affected party must use reasonable efforts to mitigate and resume performance. Sections 14 (Indemnification) and 18 (Dispute Resolution) survive a Force Majeure Event.

20. Modifications to Terms

Bidwell may update these Terms from time to time. We will post the revised Terms with an updated “Last updated” date and, for material changes, notify registered users by email at least 14 days before the changes take effect. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to a revised version, stop using the Service and close your account under Section 17.

21. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Subject to Section 18 (Arbitration), any proceeding not covered by arbitration will be brought in the state or federal courts located in Delaware, and the parties consent to personal jurisdiction and venue there.

22. General Provisions

  • Entire agreement. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, the Venue Platform Agreement (for Venues), and any Booking Contract you sign, constitute the entire agreement between you and Bidwell regarding the Service and supersede any prior agreements on the same subject.
  • Severability. If any provision of these Terms is held unenforceable, that provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.
  • No waiver. Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of future enforcement.
  • Assignment. You may not assign or transfer these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign or transfer these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of substantially all assets.
  • Relationship. Nothing in these Terms creates a partnership, joint venture, agency, franchise, or employment relationship between you and Bidwell.
  • Notices. Bidwell may give notice to you by email, in-app message, or posting on the site. You must give notice to Bidwell at info@bookbidwell.com.
  • Headings. Section headings are for convenience only and do not affect interpretation.
  • Language. These Terms are in English. Translations, if provided, are for convenience; the English version controls in the event of conflict.

23. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Contact us at info@bookbidwell.com.