Give every event a current commercial summary
Record the event date, approved price, customer payments, due dates and responsible contact. Keep the original agreement and each accepted amendment rather than overwriting the history. Proposed additions should be distinguishable from changes the customer has approved.
The bookkeeping record should identify the nature of each receipt. A security amount, advance payment and payment of an issued invoice can have different implications. Obtain appropriate accounting and tax review instead of assuming the word deposit resolves the treatment. CRA identifies contracts and deposit slips as source documents; keep accepted event changes connected to those original records.
Illustrative example: the reception grows
A Victoria caterer agrees a reception for $14,000 before applicable taxes and receives $4,200. The customer later approves an extra $1,800 for additional guests and rentals. The revised agreed value is $15,800, with $11,600 remaining before taxes and any further adjustments.
The added guests require a $650 rental payment and $500 of extra ingredients before the event. The cash schedule shows those commitments alongside the next customer instalment. The owner can see the timing gap even though the revised booking value is higher.
Build a four-part change check
First, confirm customer approval and the exact revised scope. Second, update supplier quantities and cancellation commitments. Third, record the staffing change and the person responsible for approving hours. Fourth, revise the invoice and collection schedule. These steps connect the operational decision with the money it affects.
A shared event reference makes the check manageable. It belongs on purchase approvals, supplier bills, staff allocations and customer invoices. Small teams may use a simple schedule; the value comes from consistent references and current information, not from a complicated application.
Close the event after the last adjustment
After delivery, reconcile the customer balance, supplier credits, damage amounts and final staff costs. A payment received after the event must clear the correct invoice, and a delayed rental credit should remain visible until received. Record any open dispute with its owner and next action.
Finally, compare the event's direct revenue and costs before shared overhead. Note whether the result changed because of pricing, guest count, waste, extra labour or uncharged scope. That explanation is more useful for the next quote than a deposit total or a photograph of a full room.
Put this into practice
Sources and current guidance
A practical next step
Bring the records you have.
We can identify missing information, agree on the scope and organize the next bookkeeping step.
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