Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using United Vows ("Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you disagree with any part of these terms, you may not access the Service.

2. Use of Service

Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to use our Service. By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you meet this requirement.

Account Security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account.

3. Vendor Services & Marketplace Disclaimer

United Vows provides a platform connecting couples with independent wedding vendors. We are not a party to any agreements, contracts, or transactions between couples and vendors.

• VENDORS ARE INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS: They are not employees, agents, or partners of United Vows.
• NO WARRANTY: We do not guarantee the quality, safety, legality, or accuracy of any vendor services or listings.
• SOLE RESPONSIBILITY: You are solely responsible for your interactions with other users. Vendor selection is at your own risk.
• DISPUTES: Any dispute regarding vendor services must be resolved directly between the Couple and the Vendor. United Vows is not responsible for refunds or damages.

3.5. Release of Claims

BY USING THE SERVICE, YOU HEREBY RELEASE UNITED VOWS (AND OUR OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, AGENTS, INVESTORS, AND EMPLOYEES) FROM ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, DEMANDS, OR DAMAGES (ACTUAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL) OF EVERY KIND AND NATURE, KNOWN AND UNKNOWN, SUSPECTED AND UNSUSPECTED, DISCLOSED AND UNDISCLOSED, ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH DISPUTES WITH ONE OR MORE USERS, OR YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE.

If you are a California resident, you waive California Civil Code Section 1542, which says: "A general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or released party."

4. Payment, Commissions & Fees

United Vows uses Stripe Connect for payment processing and escrow services. By using the Service, you acknowledge and agree that:

Our payment structure includes:

• Payments are held in escrow and released to vendors upon milestone completion
• Transaction fees are tier-based:
  • VERIFIED tier: 9% platform fee
  • ESTABLISHED tier: 8% platform fee
  • ELITE tier: 7% platform fee

  Vendor tier is determined by total escrow GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) and quality metrics. See Section 4.5 for Founding Vendor Program discounts.

• Stripe's standard processing fees also apply
• Refunds are subject to our refund policy and vendor agreement
• Disputes may be subject to mediation or arbitration

4.5. Founding Vendor Program

The Founding Vendor Program offers early adopters exclusive benefits and permanent recognition on the platform.

Program Structure

• Tier 1 (Gold Founding Vendors): First 10 vendors per category per market
  • First 3 bookings: 0% platform fee
  • All subsequent bookings: 50% discount on tier-based fee through December 31, 2027
  • Permanent "Gold Founding Vendor" badge
  • Priority #1 search placement through December 31, 2026
• Tier 2 (Silver Founding Vendors): Next 10 vendors (positions 11-20)
  • First 2 bookings: 0% platform fee
  • All subsequent bookings: 50% discount on tier-based fee through December 31, 2026
  • Permanent "Silver Founding Vendor" badge
  • Priority #2 search placement through June 30, 2026

Permanent Badge & Filter Visibility

Founding Vendor badges and filter visibility are permanent benefits that last as long as the vendor maintains an active marketplace listing. Couples can use the "Founding Vendors Only" filter to discover the platform's earliest and most trusted vendors.

Conditional Status & Loss of Benefits

Founding Vendor status is conditional upon maintaining marketplace eligibility:

• If a vendor loses their marketplace listing for any reason (including but not limited to: CRI score below 75, Strike 2 policy violation, ratio cap enforcement, or voluntary departure), they permanently lose Founding Vendor status.
• Founding Vendor status cannot be recovered even if the vendor rejoins the marketplace later. This ensures the exclusivity and prestige of the Founding Vendor designation.
• Active fee discounts are paused immediately upon listing deactivation and permanently forfeited if the listing spot is claimed by a waitlist vendor.

Program Closure

After the 20th vendor joins each category in each market, the Founding Vendor Program closes permanently for that category-market combination. Vendors who join after position 20 are Standard Vendors with no founding benefits.

5. User Conduct

You agree not to:

• Use the Service for any illegal purpose or in violation of any laws
• Violate the rights of others, including intellectual property rights
• Transmit viruses, malware, or other harmful code
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems
• Harass, abuse, or harm other users or vendors
• Post false, misleading, or fraudulent content
• Circumvent our payment system or escrow services

6. Intellectual Property

The Service and its original content, features, and functionality are owned by United Vows and are protected by international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

User Content

You retain ownership of content you submit. By posting content, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, and display that content in connection with the Service.

7. AI Services

Our AI-powered features (planning assistant, vendor matching, profile builder) are provided on an "as is" basis. While we strive for accuracy, we do not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of AI-generated recommendations. Always verify information independently.

8. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, UNITED VOWS DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES AND SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR:

• Vendor service quality, reliability, or performance
• Damages resulting from use or inability to use the Service
• Loss of data, profits, or business opportunities
• Indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages

Our total liability shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the past 12 months or $100, whichever is greater.

9. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold United Vows harmless from any claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including legal fees) arising from your use of the Service, violation of these Terms, or infringement of any third-party rights.

10. Dispute Resolution & Covenant Not to Sue

Arbitration Agreement

Any dispute arising from these Terms shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except where prohibited by law.

Class Action Waiver

You agree to resolve disputes on an individual basis and waive any right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration.

Covenant Not to Sue

You specifically agree not to bring any legal action, lawsuit, or claim in court against United Vows, its officers, directors, employees, or agents, for any matter released or waived under these Terms. Violation of this covenant may result in immediate termination of your account and liability for our legal costs.

11. Termination

We may terminate or suspend your account and access to the Service immediately, without prior notice, for conduct that we believe violates these Terms or is harmful to other users, us, or third parties.

12. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify users of material changes via email or through the Service. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms.

13. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States and the State of [Your State], without regard to conflict of law provisions.

14. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms, please contact us: