What’s acceptable, what’s not?

ONLY PHOTO SHOOTS ARE ACCEPTABLE

1. Dresses are NOT to be rented for REAL WEDDING EVENTS, including REAL elopements. These do not count as styled photoshoots. Weddings and Elopements are EVENTS.
2. Engagement photo shoots are allowed but NOT engagement parties – parties are NOT styled photo shoots. The dress should be put just before and after the shoot,  and NOT worn for any length of time that the dress may be damaged by heels, getting in and out of a car, etc.
3. Adventure vow renewals ARE allowed in national / state parks / nature and should be worn for only a short time to avoid damage to the dress in the wild, natural  environment. The idea is that the couple is alone in nature with a photographer renewing their vows somewhere epic.
4. Maternity sessions ARE acceptable, but gender reveal parties or any type of baby celebration party is an event and are NOT allowed because it is NOT a styled photo shoot. 
5. Anniversary PHOTO SHOOTS are acceptable. NOT anniversary parties.

 

THIS  AGREEMENT  is  made  between Sherry Peters / The Wild Love Collective hereinafter known as “Owner,” and the “Renter” of a dress.

By signing this agreement:

*You agree to READ this contract IN FULL, and to ADHERE to the terms and conditions with full comprehension of the terms when renting from The Wild Love Collective.  

*You agree that you ARE NOT a bride, nor renting for a bride for a real elopement or wedding.

*You agree that you ARE a photographer, model, event planner or in the wedding or fashion industry and that you intend to use it only for a styled photo shoot.

*You agree that if you are a model, you are renting the dress ONLY for a styled photo shoot, including maternity, engagement shoot or vow renewals – no events, parties, or pageants

* You agree that if you are a photographer or mama renting a maternity dress, you will take full responsibility for the dress while it’s in your possession and that you agree you are renting it for a mama to use for her photoshoot only, that it will not be used for any events such as a gender reveal or any type of party – only a styled photoshoot; 

*You agree to be the one responsible for shipping the dress back on the date you agreed to

*You agree that you have an “active” professional photographer, model, event planner, fashion industry or wedding industry Instagram account that can be verified

*You agree to provide Owner’s email address (sherry@thewildlovecollective.com) and social media handle @thewildlove_collective to all other photographers and vendors involved at the styled shoot if they would like to share images with the Owner

*You agree that dresses are not to be trashed, IN ANY WAY. The Wild Love Collective’s dresses and any other rental items are NOT to be used in any type of “trash the dress” session. 

*You agree that, upon immediate receipt of the dress, you will unpack and look over its condition.  If Renter sees damage of any kind  including, but not  limited to stains, tears or rips, Renter will immediately notify Owner with time-stamped photos BEFORE using the item, so as not to be held liable for damage caused by a previous renter. 

*You agree that any dress you rent that is valued at OVER $500 you will pay shipping insurance on the package for $1000. This will be indicated on the dress page. If shipping insurance is not paid, and the package is lost in the mail, you agree to pay $1000 for the lost package because you failed to adhere to this policy.

*You agree that if you break any conditions of the contract, you will NOT be subject to receive your full deposit back at Owner’s discretion. If you break more than one condition of the contract, this means to the Owner you have either not read the contract in full, or you are purposely being careless, or not understanding the needs of the business and you may be banned from renting again from The Wild Love Collective 

Refundable security deposit:

Owner charges a refundable security deposit at checkout to cover dry cleaning that may be necessary if a Renter gets a dress dirty in an indoor or outdoor environment, or… should a Renter decide to trash my dress, it will cover some of the cleaning or repair necessary.  I rent to all kinds of personalities, and it’s why I have to have a strict contract. Renter understands that this refundable dry cleaning deposit is assessed to pay a cleaning or repair fee if the dress is returned ruined, dirty, stained, ripped or with an odor and that it may not fully cover the cost, so Renter may. be invoiced for further monies, if deemed necessary. Renter agrees not to sue or hold Owner responsible for having to use the deposit for these terms.

See more terms that may apply under the “environmental concerns” paragraph.

Because most of these dresses go renter to renter during the busy season, cumulatively they will collect dirt on the underneath and require dry cleaning after being worn so many times. If the dress is returned rentable and in good condition for the next renter, you will receive your refundable dry cleaning deposit back, MINUS $25 to help pay for dry cleaning that will take place down the line towards a “future” dry cleaning. When dresses get dry cleaned is at Owner’s discretion and will vary by dress frequency of use.  If the dress is newly cleaned when you get it, but needs a full dry cleaning upon return because you were careless, you will be responsible for the ENTIRE dry cleaning bill.

There has been a trend of renters breaching my contract in a variety of ways recently. These trends break the flow of my business, so to alleviate the stress during the upcoming 2022 busy season, there will be consequences for breaching various contractual terms and conditions, including a reasonable amount deducted from your refundable deposit.

What are these trends?

*Not mailing/returning dresses on the day you have agreed to  

*Not inspecting the dress upon arrival, taking photos of damage and reporting it BEFORE your photoshoot. 

*Mailing/shipping the dress  “ground” instead of 2 day priority 

*Returning a dress ruined, trashed, wet, smelling like swamp or needing dry cleaning when it wasn’t expected to, therefore interrupting the next renters ability to use the dress

*Not sending me the tracking number immediately when shipping the dress back to me or to the next renter. Please don’t make me chase you for it

Refundable deposits will NOW be returned once dry cleaning needs or repairs have been assessed and once 10-15 “sneak peek” images showing off the dress have been emailed to Owner. (sherry@thewildlovecollective.com)

If the dress is going renter to renter, the refundable deposit may only be refunded back when the next renter has received it and inspected it for themself and taken photos so that they are not liable for damage or stains before they use it. OR if as the Owner, I decide to inspect it myself after the other renter has returned it back to me.  You will be notified when the refund is being processed.

Renters do not have to send full galleries to me, I simply prefer your sneak peeks (10-15 images of the dress) that go out almost immediately to your clients and vendors instead 

When you make magic with my dresses, I want to promote YOUR photography, YOUR amazing team, and to promote your work without filling up my hard drives! Don’t forget to provide me with your vendor lists! I also ask that you PLEASE tag me in the photos and credit me in the post every time you post a photo featuring my dress! thank you! 

 

Cancellation Policy:

Full payment is taken during the checkout process to hold Renter’s preferred date for the rental. If a date revision is necessary after the fact,  the Owner can manually adjust in the back office if not interfering with another rental. Need a date revision because you are traveling? just ask! 

*Renter understands that there are no refunds given once the contract is signed, and that if rental is canceled, Renter will receive a CREDIT towards future rentals.  In an “qualifying” situation, cancellations, credits and re-bookings are at the discretion of the Owner. 

Owner reserves the right to cancel a booking at short notice. Cancellation may include (but are not limited to) an item not being available due to late return by a previous renter, damage to an item or lost packages. The Owner will endeavor to provide as much notice as possible. In the event of a cancellation by the Owner, a full refund will be given or Renter has the option to change the booking to another item or date. This is the ONLY reason why a full refund would be given.

Liability: it’s on the person who signs this contract – the Renter.

Owner will not tolerate any type of “trash the dress” session. There is simply no excuse for returning a ruined dress. Renter will receive a bill for the full cost of the dress if the dress is trashed, to be paid within 7 days. See more details below.

Renter agrees to always keep the next renter in mind, keeping in mind that the dress will be returned or sent to the next renter in the same condition in which it was issued or in “very good condition.” 

Renter will agree to take extreme care of any item or garment that has been rented, and will take responsibility to explain the terms and conditions of this dress rental to the models. If models are told they are also liable for the rental, they will be conscious about stepping on the train, dragging the train mud or water, or through anything that may prick and cause a hole in the tulle or other delicate fabric. So educate them so you aren’t held liable for their carelessness. 

Renter agrees that if the dress is sent to the next renter dirty, stained, ruined, torn or otherwise beaten up, and it affects the next renter’s shoot, Renter will pay for their rental cost of the dress plus the cost of a replacement dress to the Owner via an invoice to be paid within 7 days.

Renter understands that if they trash a dress, for whatever reason, they will be banned from renting another dress from the collection, and that their information will be shared with other rental companies.

Renter understands that all dresses are in EXCELLENT condition. Therefore, ALL dresses should be returned in excellent condition.

During the busy season (opposite of wedding season), my dress rentals are in extremely high demand, and most dresses may go from one renter to the other without being able to be inspected by Owner. It is upon the renters to let the Owner know if there are rips and tears that should be noted.

Do not EVER surprise the next renter with a ruined or dirty dress. Renter would not be pleased to receive a filthy/ruined dress.  You and every other Renter is paying for a well-taken care of dress. Likewise, do not ever SURPRISE Owner. Communication is valued and recommended.

Renter should never use “dry cleaning” deposits as an excuse to get it dirty. 

Fit:

Renter understands and agrees that dresses. sizes and measurements are provided as a recommendation based on designer’s size charts provided, and it is the Renters responsibility to plan accordingly. Owner’s rental dresses are NOT custom made sizes to each of Renter’s models. Every body will fit differently in each dress, and each dress is made by a different company, so there is no standard size.

Renter is best to choose the size closest to the model’s measurement and if necessary, rent a size larger.  Because this is a styled shoot, renters should be prepared to clip a dress, use chicken cutlets to fill out the bust, and use double sided tape to keep it in place, if necessary.

Owner is not responsible for ensuring the exact fit of the dress to Renter’s model, but is happy to give advice based on her knowledge of the dress.

Environmental Concerns:

Renter must understand that rental dresses  are  not  to  be  used  around  anything with the  potential to cause damage including, but not limited to: smoke, smoke bombs, flames, sparklers — and NOT immersed in water (especially not salt water!) unless given explicit accommodations to do so by Owner. This includes not photographing dresses in heavy down pouring rain! When in doubt, call Sherry to ask.

Renter agrees that self tanners, facial makeup, body shimmer or body makeup, heavy perfumes and body oils are NOT to be used – – anything with the potential to stain! Renter will be billed for a ruined dress if stains are not completely removed by dry cleaning, should renter or model choose to overlook this term/condition. Best practice is to talk to your model about self tanners. Make sure they know not to apply self tanner the day of or before the shoot or you will be liable for a full dry cleaning.

Renter agrees that if they know the landscape they are using the dress in will get it dirty (ex: red rocks, black beach) they will communicate it to the Owner upon renting the dress – so that time will be scheduled to get it dry cleaned after its use, and that the Owner will know in advance so as not to rent out immediately to another renter. Renter will always be responsible for immediately paying for dry cleaning if dress is used in red rock or black sand environments. No exceptions.

Renter agrees that if the location & environment chosen to photograph the dress snags the dress, creates holes or tears in the material (burrs, spina, cacti) Renter will communicate this to the Owner immediately and CLEAN them out of the dress before returning. While it is not your intention to snag a dress,  you are still responsible for it’s care as YOU chose the location.

Please clean all debris including dirt, twigs, dust, grass – and shake all sand out of the dress before returning the dress, or you will pay for full dry cleaning. Please don’t send item back looking or smelling like the environment you shot it in.

Renter agrees to remove all debris from the dress, including but not limited to sand (brush off when dry), twigs, dust, pet hair, human hair and anything else that would deem it un-rentable condition for next renter. Always keep the next renter in mind as these dresses often go Renter to Renter. Do not surprise the next renter, or Owner, with debris on the dress.

Renter agrees that the dress will NOT be used around, or returned smelling of cigarette smoke or weed (marijuana), gasoline, fire, smoke, or have any burn marks. 

Dresses are strictly prohibited from being used in a 420 (marijuana) shoot  –  or any other type of shoot involving illegal drugs. If Owner finds out that a dress is used in this situation, you will immediately be invoiced for a dress replacement, and no longer be allowed to rent. Burn marks are unacceptable, as is the smell of smoke, marijuana, and I do not care to find drugs in pockets upon return. Thank you.

Do you live in a state where marijuana is legal? Unfortunately, it’s still prohibited to be used while in my dresses. It’s just my rule, Care to smoke in it anyway? If found out, which you will be, especially if you post it on IG, you will be banned from renting from me in the future. It’s just not worth it. I will not risk my dresses in this type of situation, and neither should you.

Renter agrees they will NEVER make an effort to clean or repair rented dresses without permission as this may cause further damage.

Renter agrees NOT to attempt to clean or repair the dress, or to let others in your family throw it in the wash for you. (Yes, it’s happened!) I trust my dry cleaner only. Don’t do it. If you have ruined a dress by trashing it, I certainly don’t trust you to clean it properly. Renter will send it back “as is to be assessed. Never attempt cleaning. Period.

Renter is fully responsible for loss, destruction or damage to the items due to theft, mysterious disappearance, fire, major stains or any other cause, other than normal wear and tear. Renter will immediately be invoiced for a dress replacement, no longer be allowed to rent and blacklisted with Owner and other rental companies.

Renter agrees that if the dress is damp from snow or rain, that they will contact Owner if they cannot fully dry it before shipping it back or to the next renter on the agreed upon shipping date. If a dress returns smelling of mold because it was damp in transit, dry cleaning deposit will be forfeited immediately and you may be assessed more fees for additional dry cleaning. Let me tell you how many times I have.received a dress back smelling like swamp… and the renter tells me they don’t understand because they weren’t in water. But they shot in the PNW. Do not send a dress back damp or wet! Communicate with me so I can give you another day to let it fully dry, if able!

Renter understands that, if being provided a bodysuit with a dress, that model must wear their own underwear underneath, and that bodysuit MUST STILL BE hand-washed that evening to be dried before shipping back the next day. No exceptions! 

Damage, rips & repairs

Unless you are renting a dress or item from Owner that is brand new, it is likely that most dresses will have some type of wear and tear, including small holes in tulle, small rips, light stains. Never expect a brand new dress, but know that most dresses are in excellent condition and any minor issues cannot be seen in photographs.

Light damage is bound to happen to dresses over time, and if it’s something that is normal wear and tear, I totally understand. Please communicate a small tear or rip that you create. Do not hide it.

It seems that damage comes in waves – how is it that I get 3 incidents of totally trashed dresses in 3 weeks all in the PNW in February, or 3 incidents of torn tulle on the top layer of a dress all at the same time? I don’t get the trend? That said, if I can repair it at a low cost, I will try. But, I appreciate communication, and downright honestly. Do not be a pompous arse about it, be honest. I will give you more grace.

I’m not looking to do anything but have great dresses to put out for rent. If you ruin a dress, you need to take the responsibility for ruining it and paying for the damage. So work with me, and I will work with you. Own up to what you did…let’s come to how we can fix it, and the less “pompous” you are about it, the more we can fix it  

Replacement costs of a dress rental

If you are careless or reckless with the item, the least you will be billed for is dry cleaning and/or repair.  If the dress is torn, ripped, sliced, wrecked, filthy or generally trashed in the opinion of the Owner, the refundable dry cleaning deposit taken will first be used to try to salvage the dress and if the dress is beyond cleaning or repair, the Renter will be billed for the full cost of a replacement dress.

Renter will be responsible for the full cost of the dress (minimum $350 – maximum $2000 designer) as it will be rendered unusable for other renters to use or for the Owner to rent. Renter will be invoiced for the full cost, if necessary, in order to have the dress replaced. 

Full cost of a replacement dress will be billed to the Renter by the Owner and expected to be paid within 7 days of the invoice. If the same dress is no longer available to purchase, a dress of equal or lesser value will be purchased instead, at Owner’s discretion.

If Renter refuses to pay the invoice for a dress replacement, legal action will be taken against the Renter.  

Shipping: How it works 

Shipping from OWNER to RENTER is included in your rental price. Renter is ONLY responsible for paying to ship back to Owner, or to the next renter, if applicable.

Renter choses 4 consecutive days on the calendar for the rental are as follows:

Day 1: The day you want to receive by

Day 2/3: Your styled shoot date/s

Day 4: The day you agree to put it back in the mail to Owner or next renter.

If day 4 falls on a Sunday, Renter can drop in the mail the next business day, Monday. Negligence to mail out on time leaves the possibility of it not reaching the next renter in time. 

Upon shipping, Renter should IMMEDIATELY send the tracking number to Owner to send to the next renter or so that Owner can keep her pulse on where the dresses are. Please, do not make Owner chase you for the tracking number. When Renter drops off the package, immediately message me the tracking number or a screenshot of the receipt to the Owner.

Renter agrees to put these rental dresses in the mail within the 4 day rental time frame chosen on the website, as agreed upon. It is the Renter’s responsibility to FIND TIME to return the dress on the dates agreed to, and if something out of the ordinary happens where it cannot be mailed on time, Renter agrees to communicate this to the Owner immediately.

Renter will always use 2 day priority shipping at UPS, USPS or Fedex unless explicitly given instructions by Owner, otherwise. No exceptions.

Renter agrees that they will never ship asking for a signature to release a package back to Owner. Owner travels too much and is unable to provide a signature.

Renter will NOT use Ground shipping for cheaper shipping rates as time is of the essence going from Renter to Renter. No exceptions unless explicitly communicated by the Owner.

Renter understands that Owner will include a checklist of how to have a smooth dress rental process. Read it if you have questions, it’s extremely detailed! If you don’t read it, I know. THAT is where things go wrong.

Renter to keep the box and plastic that the dress is sent in. Renter will repack the dress back in a box with a plastic bag to protect against the cardboard and to help release air to fit a smaller box, with the dress rolled carefully to prevent wrinkles.

Renter will NOT stuff a dress in a box and send it to the next Renter, or Owner. That is careless. Carefully fold and roll as gently as possible to prevent wrinkles, and put into the bag, release air and place in a box.

Disclaimer: Neither the Owner or the Renter are responsible for any delays of item(s) once shipped, as there might be uncontrollable delays by delivery carriers (USPS, UPS, FedEx). Due to covid and periodic extreme weather around the country, shipping is not always guaranteed on time. Owner recommends Renter to ALWAYS have a backup dress in case shipment does not arrive on time.

Owner will NOT give refunds or discounts for an item that is in transit, and for what it can not control. 

In the event of refusal to return the dress/es or any other items in a reasonable amount of time, Owner reserves the right to invoice Renter for the items in question, and take legal action against the Renter if not paid within 7 days of the invoice.

All rentals take place on the website, and are set up to be rented no less than 7 -10 days in advance. 

If Renter should have a late request (within 7 days of the styled shoot date) Renter will message Owner. If Owner can logistically pull it off, Renter will be responsible to pay overnight shipping, and therefore will be responsible for paying shipping both ways. Otherwise, ALL bookings will take place more than 7 days in advance.

Owner does not rent worldwide. Please send a message with your location if you have any questions on if I ship to your part of the world, including Canada and Mexico. Certain restrictions apply.

 ***ADDRESS TO SHIP DRESS BACK TO: Sherry Peters, The Wild Love Collective, 426 Main St, Stoneham MA 02180

**Important information for competitor dress rental companies:

Please note: my terms of agreement are copyrighted. please contact your own lawyer to write a contract that works for your business. Copyrights are extremely important to me as a business owner and as a photographer and I prosecuted to the full extent of the law should you infringe on my copyright.

As owner of The Wild Love Collective, I pride myself on searching out a different inventory of dresses for my renters, and because of this, I also pride myself in having a great relationship with most dress rental companies that are in this space since 2019. If you pay attention, the big players in this industry/space try to keep it this way, and may only have a few overlapping dresses that are the same.

In 2022, the market become saturated with new dress rental companies on the scene. Please keep this in mind. Dresses rent better if not everyone has the same dresses! Please don’t copy. Follow your own journey, buy your own dresses, use your own sources. And please don’t ask use how we do business, or for our sources. Put in the sweat, blood and tears that we did to to build our businesses from the ground up and to remain friendly amongst each other.. It wasn’t easy, it doesn’t happen overnight, but there is space for all of us, just keep plugging and do it YOUR way, follow YOUR WHY!

SALE OF DRESSES:

Occasionally I destash my closet to make space for different dresses to rent out. Anyone is welcome to purchase from me, including competing dress rental companies, brides and photographers.

Only BRAND NEW ITEMS/dresses for sale may be returned within 14 days of purchase/receipt –  unworn, unwashed, clean with original tags. More details will be on the receipt on “how to return new items.”

*All other sale items/dresses are “used” rental dresses that have been used in photoshoots by myself and other photographers, event planners, or models. These used items MAY NOT BE RETURNED OR REFUNDED. They are typically sold deeply discounted prices, my wholesale price, and/or may be sold as a LOT (or bundle, more than one item) to give you discounted rates. Sale prices and terms are non-negotiable.

Some used items/dresses may have blemish, small stains or tears that may be overlooked because a photographer used it and did not disclose the issue, or the discrepancy is very small and are deemed unnoticeable for photography purposes. It’s just the way of the dress rental industry.

Please buy carefully and know that you are buying at your own risk.   If you are unsure, please do not purchase. If you are purchasing used items/dresses from my website, or any of my social media accounts, you agree to these terms.

If purchasing more than one item (or a LOT, as described above) of items/dresses, you cannot simply return an item/dress from a “lot” of dresses simply because you do not like it. You have purchased this “lot” at a discounted rate because you bought the whole lot. You are not allowed to cherry pick after the purchase is complete.

Example: You go to a yard sale, bargain for a bag of clothes for $16. You decide to go home and after more thought, return 2 of the dresses in the bag, expecting a $4 refund back. Hold up. You were given a discounted price for the LOT (more than one item) of clothing, discounted. You will not receive a refund back. Thanks for understanding!