Built for event planners and wedding coordinators

Stress-free event billing: secure the date with a deposit, track the balance automatically.

Whether you're coordinating a wedding in Nashville or planning a corporate gala in New York, WaffleInvoice lets you collect a 25% deposit to lock in the date, track remaining balances automatically, and give clients a professional portal where they can review and pay every invoice.

No credit card required. Free forever for unlimited invoices.

WaffleInvoice dashboard showing an event planner's deposit invoice and progress billing tracker

Sound familiar?

The billing challenges event planners and coordinators face.

๐Ÿ’ฐ

No clean way to collect a deposit and track what's left

You ask for 25-50% upfront to secure the date. The client pays. But tracking that deposit against the final invoice is manual, and you're not always sure what they still owe when the event is over.

๐Ÿ“Š

Progress billing for large events is chaotic

Big events bill in stages: deposit, venue deposit pass-through, 6-month progress payment, final balance. Managing four separate invoices manually across multiple clients at once is a spreadsheet nightmare.

๐Ÿ“‹

No professional proposal-to-invoice trail

You send a detailed event proposal in a Word doc, the client emails back "looks good," and then you invoice from memory months later. When a cost question comes up, there's no clean written record.

๐Ÿ’ณ

Collecting the final balance after the event is awkward

The event is over, the client is happy but exhausted, and you still need to collect the final $3,000 balance. The leverage window is closing and you have no frictionless way to send a payment link.

๐Ÿ—‚๏ธ

Managing multiple events and their billing simultaneously

You're planning 4-6 events at different stages. Which clients are paid up? Which are behind on their progress payments? Without a dashboard view, you're managing it from memory.

๐Ÿ“„

Vendor pass-through billing is messy

You advance costs for venues, caterers, and vendors and charge them back to the client. Tracking what you've advanced and what's been reimbursed across multiple invoices is complex without a proper tool.

The fix

Deposits, progress billing, and a client portal - all in one place.

๐Ÿ’ฐ

Deposit invoices with automatic balance tracking

Collect a 25-50% deposit to secure the date. WaffleInvoice tracks the deposit against the full contract amount and shows the remaining balance automatically - no manual math.

๐Ÿ“Š

Progress billing by event milestone

Create invoices for each billing stage: deposit, 6-month progress payment, 30-day final. Every payment is tracked against the event total so you and the client always know the balance.

๐Ÿ“‹

Proposals that convert to invoices in one click

Send a detailed event proposal with full scope. Client approves online. Convert the proposal to a deposit invoice in one click - the written record of what was agreed is attached to the billing trail.

๐Ÿ’ณ

Clients pay by Stripe from the client portal

Share a client portal link after every event. The client reviews their full invoice history, sees the remaining balance, and pays by credit card or ACH. No awkward post-event payment requests.

๐Ÿ—‚๏ธ

Dashboard shows every event's billing status at once

See all active events - which clients have made their progress payments, which are behind, which are fully paid - in one view. No spreadsheet, no memory required.

๐Ÿ“„

Vendor pass-throughs as separate invoice line items

Add venue advances, catering deposits, and vendor costs as separate line items on a pass-through invoice. Track what you've advanced and what's been reimbursed per event.

Your workflow

From signed proposal to final payment - with deposits and milestones in between.

1

Send the proposal and collect the deposit

Client approves the event proposal. Issue a deposit invoice - they pay by card or ACH. Date is secured. Written record is on file.

2

Bill at event milestones

Issue progress invoices at the 6-month mark and 30-day mark. WaffleInvoice tracks each payment against the event total and shows the remaining balance automatically.

3

Share the client portal before the event

Give the client their portal link so they can review all invoices, see the outstanding balance, and pay the final invoice from one page.

4

Invoice is closed before the last dance

Client pays the final balance from the portal. You get notified. Event billing is complete before you've finished packing your planning kit.

Works for every event type

Whether you plan weddings, corporate events, or intimate celebrations.

Wedding coordination

Collect a retainer to secure the date, bill at milestone stages, and send the final balance through the client portal before the event. The complete billing trail is clean from proposal to final payment.

Corporate events and galas

Manage multi-milestone billing for corporate clients with detailed progress invoices, pass-through cost billing, and a client portal for finance team access to all invoices.

Social events and milestone celebrations

Invoice for birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, and retirement events with deposit-to-final billing. Client portal gives the client everything they need without follow-up calls.

Destination events

Advance vendor costs and pass them back to the client as line items. Track every reimbursable cost across the event budget with clear documentation.

Virtual and hybrid events

Manage billing for virtual production events with the same deposit-and-progress billing structure. Clients pay online - no geographic friction.

Event design and floral

Invoice for event design work alongside coordination fees. Separate line items for design, rentals, floral, and labor. Estimate-to-invoice keeps the design scope and billing connected.

Most event planners start here

Free - $0/month

  • Unlimited invoices
  • Unlimited clients
  • Deposit and partial payment tracking
  • Proposals with client approval flow
  • Client portal for billing history
  • PDF downloads and shareable links
  • Manual payment tracking
Sign Up Free

Pro - $19/month

Upgrade when you need Stripe payments for deposits and progress invoices, automatic reminders before due dates, and recurring billing for retainer clients.

  • Everything in Free, plus:
  • Online payments via Stripe (card + ACH) from the client portal
  • Automatic payment reminders
  • Recurring billing for retainer clients
  • Email delivery from the app
  • Advanced event and revenue reporting
See pricing details

FAQs

Common questions from event planners and wedding coordinators.

Is WaffleInvoice free for event planners?

Yes. The free plan includes unlimited invoices, unlimited clients, deposit tracking, proposals with digital approval, and a client portal. No credit card required.

How do I collect a deposit and track the remaining balance?

Create an invoice for the full event contract, collect a deposit payment, and WaffleInvoice tracks the remaining balance automatically. Each progress payment reduces the balance shown on the account.

How does progress billing work for large events?

Create separate invoices for each billing milestone - deposit, progress payment, and final balance. Each invoice is linked to the client record in WaffleInvoice so you always know where each event stands financially.

Can clients pay the final balance online without me following up?

Yes. On the Pro plan, every invoice includes a Stripe payment link. Share the client portal link - clients can view all invoices, see the outstanding balance, and pay by card or ACH from one page.

How do I manage billing for 5 or 6 events at the same time?

Your WaffleInvoice dashboard shows every active client - paid, outstanding, and overdue - in one view. See which events are behind on payments without maintaining a separate spreadsheet.

Can I send a proposal before invoicing and convert it to an invoice?

Yes. Send a detailed event proposal with full scope. Client approves it online. Convert the approved proposal to a deposit invoice in one click - all line items carry over.

Ready to manage deposits and progress payments without the mess?

Send your first invoice in under two minutes.

Replace the deposit confusion, the progress billing spreadsheets, and the late-payment follow-up with a professional invoicing workflow that keeps every event financially on track. Free forever.

Related reading

How to Invoice as an Event Planner

Compare WaffleInvoice

WaffleInvoice vs HoneyBook ยท WaffleInvoice vs Bonsai

Also built for