diff --git a/src/Marello/Bundle/NotificationBundle/Email/SendProcessor.php b/src/Marello/Bundle/NotificationBundle/Email/SendProcessor.php
index 80a3b98ab..7119febc9 100644
--- a/src/Marello/Bundle/NotificationBundle/Email/SendProcessor.php
+++ b/src/Marello/Bundle/NotificationBundle/Email/SendProcessor.php
@@ -117,6 +117,11 @@ public function sendNotification($templateName, array $recipients, $entity, arra
                 )
             );
         }
+
+        if ($this->recipientsNullOrEmpty($recipients)) {
+            return;
+        }
+
         $emailModel = $this->emailTemplateManager->getLocalizedModel($template, $entity);
         if (null === $emailModel) {
             $emailModel = $this->createEmailModel($template);
@@ -240,4 +245,24 @@ private function getTemplateContentType(EmailTemplateInterface $emailTemplate)
             ? EmailTemplateModel::CONTENT_TYPE_HTML
             : EmailTemplateModel::CONTENT_TYPE_TEXT;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * check if recipients are available for sending out the email notification
+     * @param array $recipients
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    private function recipientsNullOrEmpty(array $recipients)
+    {
+        if (empty($recipients)) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        foreach ($recipients as $recipient) {
+            if (null === $recipient) {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Marello/Bundle/OrderBundle/Resources/config/validation.yml b/src/Marello/Bundle/OrderBundle/Resources/config/validation.yml
index 3a483cbef..06fe452ad 100644
--- a/src/Marello/Bundle/OrderBundle/Resources/config/validation.yml
+++ b/src/Marello/Bundle/OrderBundle/Resources/config/validation.yml
@@ -36,16 +36,16 @@ Marello\Bundle\OrderBundle\Entity\OrderItem:
 Marello\Bundle\OrderBundle\Entity\Order:
     properties:
         customer:
-            - NotBlank: ~
+            - NotBlank: { groups: [Default] }
         salesChannel:
-            - NotBlank: ~
+            - NotBlank: { groups: [Default, commerce] }
         paymentMethod:
-            - NotBlank: ~
+            - NotBlank: { groups: [Default, commerce] }
         shippingMethod:
-            - NotBlank: ~
+            - NotBlank: { groups: [Default, commerce] }
         billingAddress:
-            - NotBlank:
-                message: 'marello.order.address.validation.billing_not_blank'
+            - NotBlank: { groups: [Default, commerce], message: 'marello.order.address.validation.billing_not_blank' }
+
         shippingAddress:
-            - NotBlank:
-                message: 'marello.order.address.validation.shipping_not_blank'
+            - NotBlank: { groups: [Default, commerce], message: 'marello.order.address.validation.shipping_not_blank' }
+