Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Once governing your access to and use of the Once platform, including our website (onceweddings.co.za) and all associated services. By accessing, browsing, or registering on Once, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy.

You must be at least 18 years of age to create an account or use our platform. By using Once, you represent and warrant that you are 18 years or older and have the legal capacity to enter into a binding contract under the laws of the Republic of South Africa. If you are using the platform on behalf of a business entity, you further represent that you have the authority to bind that entity to these Terms.

If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, you must not use the Once platform. Access to certain features may require you to agree to additional terms or conditions, which will be incorporated by reference into these Terms if applicable.

To access the full features of Once, you must register for an account. During registration, you will be asked to select one of the following account roles: Couple (for users planning a wedding), Vendor (for service providers such as photographers, florists, caterers, and planners), Venue (for venue owners and managers), or Admin (reserved for Once staff only). Each account is limited to one role.

You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information when registering your account and to update your information promptly if it changes. Providing false or misleading registration information constitutes a material breach of these Terms and may result in immediate account suspension or termination.

You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to notify us immediately at hello@onceweddings.co.za if you suspect any unauthorised access to or use of your account. Once will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to protect your account credentials.

Vendors and venues who create listings on Once retain full ownership of the content they upload, including photographs, descriptions, pricing information, and any other materials submitted to the platform ("Your Content"). Once does not claim ownership over Your Content.

By publishing a listing, you grant Once a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to display, reproduce, and distribute Your Content on the platform and in associated marketing materials (such as social media posts, email newsletters, and promotional features) for the purpose of operating and promoting the Once platform. This licence continues for as long as your listing remains active and terminates upon deletion of your listing, subject to any cached or archived copies that may take reasonable time to clear.

You represent and warrant that You hold all necessary rights, licences, and consents to publish Your Content on Once, and that Your Content does not infringe the intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or any other legal rights of any third party. Once reserves the right to remove any content that, in our reasonable judgment, violates these Terms, is misleading, or may expose Once or its users to legal risk.

Once is South Africa's wedding platform. Creating an account, searching and browsing vendor and venue listings, and sending an enquiry to a vendor or venue are free. You never pay Once to discover suppliers or to make first contact with them.

Couples. Some couple features are free and some are paid:

• Wedding website & invitations. You can build a wedding website and send invitations for free on a basic theme. The premium wedding website (our premium themes, which include their premium invitation experiences) is a paid upgrade. Invitations are included with your website. They are not sold as a separate paid add-on.
• Once Memories. Our disposable-camera photo feature (cameras, capacity, and add-ons) is a paid feature. See the Once Memories section below.
• AI planning. Our AI planning assistant is a paid feature.

Paid couple features may also be offered together as a discounted bundle. Prices for all paid couple features are shown in South African Rand on the relevant page before you buy, and you are only charged if you choose to purchase.

Vendors & venues. Suppliers choose how they pay to list and transact on Once. We offer a choice of pricing models rather than fixed tiers:

• Annual subscription: a flat annual fee with 0% booking commission.
• Commission-only: no subscription fee, with a per-booking commission.
• Hybrid: a reduced subscription fee together with a reduced per-booking commission.

The current fees and commission rates for each model, and any founding or promotional offer that applies (for example a discount on a paid subscription plan for founding suppliers), are shown to you at sign-up and in your supplier dashboard, and form part of your Supplier Agreement. We do not quote a fixed rate in these Terms because the published rate card is the authoritative source and may change.

Commission is charged only on bookings that are facilitated through the Once platform, that is, where the initial contact between a couple and a vendor or venue was made via an enquiry on Once. Commission and collection are governed by your Supplier Agreement and, where applicable, the agent-collection model described in the Once Store, Orders & Payments section below. Subscription fees are non-refundable except where required by the Consumer Protection Act, 2008. Once may adjust its pricing and commission structure with reasonable notice; changes to subscription fees take effect at the next renewal following such notice, and do not affect bookings already confirmed before the change.

Once provides a platform that facilitates introductions between couples who are planning their wedding and vendors and venues who offer relevant services. When a couple sends an enquiry through the platform, Once delivers that enquiry to the intended recipient. Beyond this facilitation, Once is not a party to any contract, agreement, or booking that arises between a couple and a vendor or venue.

All contracts, bookings, and payments relating to wedding services are agreed upon directly between the couple and the service provider. Once does not review or approve the terms of these arrangements and accepts no responsibility for any disputes, losses, cancellations, or failures arising from them. We strongly encourage both parties to confirm all details in writing before making any payment.

Once does not guarantee that enquiries will receive a response, that a vendor or venue will be available for a couple's requested date, or that any booking will be completed. Our role is strictly that of an introductory platform.

The Once Store lets couples purchase goods and digital items, such as stationery, décor, favours, and downloadable templates, from vendors and venues who operate a shop on the platform (each a "Seller"). Products, prices, availability, personalisation options, and delivery arrangements are set by the Seller. Once does not manufacture, own, inspect, or take title to any product sold through the Store, and is not the seller of those goods.

A contract of sale is formed directly between you and the Seller. When you place an order, you make an offer to purchase the items in your cart; that order is only accepted, and a binding sale concluded, once the Seller (or Once on the Seller's behalf) confirms the order. We may decline or cancel an order before it is fulfilled, including where an item is out of stock, a price or description is materially incorrect, payment cannot be verified, or we reasonably suspect fraud or a breach of these Terms.

Once as intermediary and collecting agent.To enable Store transactions, each Seller appoints Once as its agent for the limited purpose of (a) collecting the amount payable by you on the Seller's behalf, (b) holding those funds until the release conditions described below are met, and (c) remitting them to the Seller, less Once's commission and any applicable fees. Because Once collects on the Seller's behalf, your payment of the order total to Once discharges your payment obligation to the Seller for that order. Once acts only as an intermediary in the payment flow and is not itself a party to the underlying contract of sale.

Pending remittance (not escrow).Amounts you pay for a Store order are collected by Once as the Seller's agent and held pending fulfilment rather than remitted to the Seller immediately. This is an agent-collection arrangement under a written mandate. It is not an escrow service. Funds are remitted to the Seller once you confirm that you have received the order, or after the applicable release window has elapsed without an unresolved dispute or return request. Holding funds in this way allows an eligible refund to be made from the amount still held. Once does not pay you interest on funds held, and holding funds does not make Once the seller of, or responsible for, the goods.

Payment processing.Card and bank payments for Store orders, and for other paid features on the platform, are processed by our third-party payment provider, Stitch Money (Pty) Ltd ("Stitch"). By paying, you agree to Stitch's applicable terms in addition to these Terms. Once does not store your full card details. We are not liable for losses caused by a failure, delay, or error of the payment provider or your bank, except to the extent such liability cannot be excluded under applicable law.

Prices displayed in the Store are in South African Rand and include value-added tax where applicable. Delivery charges, where they apply, are shown before you confirm your order. You are responsible for providing accurate delivery and contact details; Once and the Seller are not responsible for delays or non-delivery arising from incorrect information you supply.

Your rights in respect of Store purchases are governed by South African law, including the Consumer Protection Act, 2008 (the "CPA") and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, 2002 (the "ECTA"). Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes any right you have that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded.

Cooling-off (distance purchases). Where a purchase is a distance transaction concluded electronically, you may be entitled to cancel within the statutory cooling-off period without reason and without penalty, and to receive a refund of the price paid (less any charge the law permits us or the Seller to retain). The cooling-off right does not apply to certain items, including goods made, personalised, or produced to your specification, and digital items that have been downloaded or accessed, as set out in the CPA and ECTA. Where an item is excluded, this is indicated before you purchase it.

Faulty, unsafe, or misrepresented goods. If goods are defective, unsafe, not as described, or otherwise fail to meet the standards implied by the CPA, you may be entitled to a repair, replacement, or refund. To request a return or refund, contact us at hello@onceweddings.co.za within a reasonable time of receiving the order, with your order number and a description of the issue. Where the return relates to a fault, defect, or our or the Seller's error, we or the Seller will bear the reasonable cost of return.

Approved refunds are made to the original payment method through our payment provider and, where the funds are still held, are paid from the amount held for that order. Refunds may take a reasonable period to reflect depending on your bank or card provider. Once will facilitate refunds and returns in its capacity as intermediary and, where the matter concerns the goods themselves, in coordination with the relevant Seller.

Once Memories is our in-platform photo feature that lets your guests capture and share photos of your wedding. Once Memories is a paid feature: cameras, guest and photo capacity, and optional add-ons (such as an unlimited film upgrade) are priced in South African Rand and shown to you before you purchase. During our beta we may offer a limited promotion, such as one active camera per wedding at no charge; any such promotion is a temporary beta benefit, not a standing entitlement, and may be withdrawn or changed at launch or on reasonable notice.

Paid Memories features are purchased as one-time charges for the item or upgrade you select. They are not recurring subscriptions and are not billed automatically after purchase. The price shown at the point of purchase is the price you pay for that item; there is no further charge for that camera or add-on unless you choose to buy another. Payment is processed by Stitch, and the feature is enabled once payment is confirmed.

Because Memories features are digital and are enabled immediately on purchase, they are generally not refundable once activated, except where a refund is required by the Consumer Protection Act, 2008, or other applicable law, or where the feature fails to function as described. Cameras and their photos are retained for the period described on the Memories page and in our Privacy Policy, after which they may be removed. Once may change Memories pricing or the features included in a paid item with reasonable notice; changes do not affect an item you have already purchased.

Once allows couples to post reviews of vendors and venues they have interacted with through the platform. Reviews must be honest, accurate, and based on genuine first-hand experiences. They must not contain defamatory, abusive, discriminatory, or unlawful content, and they must not impersonate any other person or organisation.

Once reserves the right, but is not obligated, to review, edit, or remove any review at our discretion, including reviews that we believe are fraudulent, fabricated, in breach of these Terms, or likely to cause harm. We will not remove negative reviews solely because a vendor objects to their content, provided that the review does not violate these Terms.

Vendors and venues must not offer incentives, discounts, or any other benefit in exchange for positive reviews. Soliciting, purchasing, or otherwise manipulating reviews on the platform constitutes a material breach of these Terms and may result in immediate account suspension, removal of all reviews associated with the account, and potential referral to the relevant consumer protection authorities.

When using Once, you agree not to engage in any of the following conduct, which we consider incompatible with a trustworthy platform:

• Submitting false, misleading, or inaccurate information in your account registration, listing, or communications with other users.
• Spamming, harassing, threatening, or engaging in abusive communication with other users of the platform.
• Circumventing or attempting to circumvent the platform's commission structure, including directing couples to contact you outside the platform in order to avoid a commission payment.
• Scraping, crawling, or otherwise extracting data from the Once platform through automated means without our express written permission.
• Uploading or transmitting viruses, malware, or any other malicious code that could damage or disrupt the platform.
• Impersonating any person, business, or organisation, or falsely claiming affiliation with Once or any third party.
• Using the platform for any purpose that is unlawful under the laws of the Republic of South Africa, or that infringes the rights of any third party.

Once reserves the right to investigate suspected violations of this section and to take any action we deem appropriate, including suspending or terminating your account, removing your content, and reporting conduct to law enforcement authorities.

The Once name, logo, brand identity, website design, user interface, and all original content produced by Once, including but not limited to editorial articles, platform copy, and feature designs, are the proprietary intellectual property of Once and are protected by South African intellectual property law, including the Copyright Act, 1978, and the Trade Marks Act, 1993.

You may not reproduce, distribute, adapt, publicly display, or create derivative works based on any Once-owned content or materials without our prior written consent. Unauthorised use of Once's intellectual property may constitute an infringement actionable in the South African courts.

User content, including photographs, listing descriptions, and review text, remains the property of the respective user, subject to the display licence granted to Once as described in the Listing Content section of these Terms. Nothing in these Terms transfers ownership of your content to Once.

Once operates as a platform facilitator. Our platform connects couples with vendors and venues, but we are not a party to any transaction, contract, or agreement entered into between users. Accordingly, Once accepts no liability for any dispute, failure, cancellation, financial loss, personal injury, or other harm arising out of or in connection with the services provided by any vendor or venue listed on the platform.

The Once platform is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. We do not warrant that the platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Once's total aggregate liability to you for any claim arising from or related to your use of the platform, whether in contract, delict, or otherwise, shall not exceed the total amount paid by you to Once during the 12-month period immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim. Nothing in these Terms limits liability for death, personal injury, or fraud caused by our gross negligence or wilful misconduct.

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or in connection with them shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa, without regard to its conflict of law principles. The parties agree that the courts of South Africa shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising from or relating to these Terms or your use of the Once platform.

Before initiating any formal legal proceedings, both parties agree to attempt to resolve any dispute informally. You must contact us by email at hello@onceweddings.co.za with a written description of your dispute and the resolution you seek. We will acknowledge your message and engage in good-faith discussions for a period of 30 days from the date of your notice. If the dispute is not resolved informally within this period, either party may proceed with formal legal action.

Nothing in this clause prevents either party from seeking urgent interim relief from a court of competent jurisdiction where such relief is necessary to preserve the status quo or prevent irreparable harm.

Either party may terminate the account relationship at any time. You may close your account by contacting us at hello@onceweddings.co.za or through the account settings page in your dashboard. Once may suspend or terminate your account immediately and without prior notice if we determine, in our reasonable discretion, that you have materially breached these Terms, engaged in fraudulent or abusive conduct, or acted in a manner that is harmful to other users or to Once.

Upon termination of your account:

• Your listing will be removed from public view and will no longer appear in search results or vendor directories.
• Active enquiries may be closed, and ongoing communications may be terminated.
• Your personal data will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the applicable retention periods described therein.
• Any outstanding commission obligations that arose prior to termination remain due and payable.

Provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination, including ownership, warranty disclaimers, indemnity, and limitation of liability, shall continue to apply after termination.

Once reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will post the updated Terms on our website with a revised "last updated" date. For material changes, those that substantially affect your rights, obligations, or how the platform operates, we will notify registered users by email at least 30 days before the updated Terms take effect.

Material changes include, but are not limited to, changes to commission rates, subscription fee structures, Store order or payment terms, Memories pricing, dispute resolution procedures, or the scope of the licence you grant to Once for your content. Where changes are required to comply with applicable law or to address urgent security concerns, we may implement them immediately with notice provided as soon as practicable thereafter.

Your continued use of the Once platform after the effective date of any updated Terms constitutes your acceptance of those Terms. If you do not agree with the updated Terms, you must stop using the platform and may close your account before the effective date. Continued use after that date will be deemed acceptance of the revised Terms in full.