Who's to Blame?

This was on the news on Friday, November 13, 2009 at 4 pm on KABC, channel 7 in Los Angeles.{I saw a teaser of it on Oprah, I was catching up today} Yes, you really do need to do your homework before hiring any professional. When deciding on a wedding planner, look for one that is an association or can at least give you names of previous brides. And a professional wedding planner will do just that, help you PLAN & Coordinate your wedding day. We do not make your food, your dress or take your photos. We rely on professionals in those fields to do it. We do not sign contracts with vendors. We do not take money up front to pay for other vendors. BIG RED FLAG! We will refer and recommend vendors but it is up to you the couple to pay and sign a contract for their services. We will help you distribute final payments and gratuities on the wedding day, but it is your money, not ours.

As a couple please do not go to a one stop shop. Yes, I can bake, but not your wedding cake. I can drive, but not a limo., I can play music, but not like a DJ. I have a camera, but they won't look the same. I can arrange flowers but not for a wedding. You need to taste the food and cake before your wedding. You should go to an event the DJ is at to get a feel for him. Have the floral designer show you examples. You should see lots of photos from the photographer before you book. Also, an engagement session so you can see if you feel comfortable with them. Meet the wedding planner before you sign anything. Make sure your personalities mesh. You are paying these people A LOT of money. Your wedding is one of your most expensive purchases, don't come away from it like this couple. I feel sorry for them, but one person doing everything? Come on! As a wedding planner I can't do their jobs if I am doing my job right, which is coordinating your wedding day. Likewise, they can't/shoudn't be doing my job if you are paying them to be your floral designer, caterer, photographer or DJ.

Thanks for hearing me out,

Wedding Planner Scam

Yes, I too, was sent an e-mail that was intended to cheat me out of my hard-earned money!!! It was from a couple in Australia who wanted me to plan their wedding in just six weeks. It sounded a little fishy but, I figured I would e-mail them back and we will go from there. She seemed nice enough, except her spelling and grammar were atrocious. We sent a few e-mails back and forth. I started calling vendor's and making appointments, but I wanted to make sure they would pay me first before I actually booked anyone. I e-mailed them my letter of agreement and a Pay Pal invoice. A day letter they were a little weirded out about Pay Pal. Which of course is a red flag!!! I didn't hear from them for a few days . She sent me an e-mail saying her 'cousin' was going to send me a cashier's check for more than double my full fee. Many bells & whistles started going off!!!

I did look up her 'fiance'. He seemed legit and was actually located in Australia. When I finally found her, using her e-mail address she was listed on 'Christian' dating sites in the United States. She is supposed to be from Dublin.

I then looked up Wedding Scams and the letter that was sent to me was almost verbatim to what other Consultants received. Just names, dates and the country were different. Thankfully, I was able to nip this in the bud before it went any farther.

To see what the bogus letters look like & what others have done click on these links. http://perfectmemoriesevents.blogspot.com/2008/02/psa-for-wedding-planners-scam-alert.html
http://thebridalpartyllc.blogspot.com/2007/11/scam-skm-fraudulent-business-scheme.html

Lesson Learned

Please don't let this happen to you!!!