Payment Schedule

Most event costs are not paid in a single lump sum. Venues want a deposit upfront, caterers bill in instalments, and photographers expect a final balance on the day. Budget milestones let you break each cost into a clear payment schedule so nothing slips through the cracks.

Overview

A budget milestone is an individual payment linked to a budget line item. Each budget item can have multiple milestones — for example, a venue might have a deposit, a second instalment, and a final balance. Each milestone has its own amount, due date, and paid status. The Upcoming Payments panel on your event dashboard surfaces the next payments due so you always know what is coming.

The payment schedule showing milestones with due dates and paid status.

Creating a Payment Milestone

1. Open your event and go to the Budget tab.
2. Click on the budget item you want to add milestones to (for example, “Venue hire”).
3. Scroll to the Payment Schedule section within the item.
4. Click + Add Milestone.
5. Fill in the details:
   • Label (required) — describe the payment, for example “Deposit”, “Second instalment”, or “Final balance”.
   • Amount (required) — the amount due for this payment.
   • Due Date (required) — when the payment is due.
6. Click Save.

Repeat to add as many milestones as needed for that budget item.

Common Payment Structures

Here are typical milestone setups for common vendor types:

Tip: Check your vendor contracts for exact payment terms and dates, then mirror them as milestones in DreamPlan.

Setting Due Dates

Every milestone requires a due date. Choose dates that match the payment terms in your vendor contracts. Due dates are colour-coded throughout the platform:

Marking a Milestone as Paid

When you make a payment:

1. Open the budget item containing the milestone.
2. Find the milestone in the Payment Schedule section.
3. Click the Mark as Paid button or toggle the paid switch.
4. The milestone displays a green checkmark and the date it was marked as paid.

The budget item’s overall paid status updates automatically. When all milestones for an item are paid, the item itself is marked as fully paid.

Upcoming Payments Panel

Your event dashboard includes an Upcoming Payments panel that aggregates milestones across all budget items. It shows:

• The next 5 payments due, sorted by date.
• The milestone label, budget item name, amount, and due date for each.
• Colour-coded urgency so overdue or imminent payments stand out.

This panel gives you a single place to see your financial commitments without opening each budget item individually.

Payment Schedule Widget

Within each budget item, the Payment Schedule widget displays all milestones in a timeline view:

• Each milestone is shown as a step on the timeline.
• Paid milestones are marked with a green checkmark.
• Unpaid milestones show the amount and due date.
• The total of all milestones is compared against the budget item’s estimated cost so you can verify everything adds up.

Tip: If the total of your milestones does not match the budget item’s estimated cost, DreamPlan shows a warning so you can correct it.

Tips

• Create milestones as soon as you confirm a vendor — this ensures you never miss a payment deadline.
• Match milestone amounts to your contract terms exactly — this is your financial source of truth for the event.
• Check the Upcoming Payments panel weekly — a quick glance keeps you ahead of deadlines.
• Mark payments as paid on the day you make them — this keeps your records accurate and your dashboard up to date.
• Use descriptive labels — “Venue deposit” is more useful than “Payment 1” when scanning a list.

FAQ

Can I edit a milestone after creating it? Yes. Open the budget item, click on the milestone, update the label, amount, or due date, and click Save.

Can I delete a milestone? Yes. Open the milestone and click Delete. The amount is removed from the payment schedule and the budget item totals update accordingly.

What happens if a milestone’s due date passes and I have not paid? The milestone turns red to indicate it is overdue. It remains in the Upcoming Payments panel until you mark it as paid.

Do milestones affect the budget item’s actual cost? Milestones track the payment schedule independently. The budget item’s actual cost is a separate field that you update manually. However, when all milestones are marked as paid, the total milestone amount can serve as a reference for the actual cost.

Can I add milestones to a budget item that is not linked to a vendor? Yes. Milestones work on any budget item, whether or not it is linked to a vendor.

Is there a notification for upcoming payments? Overdue and imminent payments are highlighted on the dashboard. Email notifications for upcoming due dates depend on your notification settings under Settings > Notifications.