The Big Day: Your Wedding
Posted by Michelle Moquin on May 23rd, 2010
Good morning! How is everyone? I can tell you I am beat, and in need of drink and food….specifically a cup of coffee, and honestly pancakes are ringing my bell this morning.
Doug and I went to the San Francisco Symphony Black and White Ball last night with friends and it was a blast. Probably the most fun that I’ve had at this ball in years, if not the most.
We started off meeting our friends at RN74, one of Michael Mina’s restaurants, for drinks and apps beforehand, and then headed to the ball.
If any of my local readers went, I hope that you got to experience Kool and The Gang, because they rocked with the best dance music all night – Okay, the band playing earlier in the evening covering Michael Jackson was awesome to dance to too, but I have to say Kool was just the best to boogie, and a fantastic was to end the evening. I was totally in my element and loving it.
Readers: If you had the pleasure of attending this party of the year, did you have fun? Blog me. I’d love to hear how your evening went.
So onto today’s write….
It is that time of year when couples plan their big day. Planning weddings can be a stressful time even if one hires a Wedding Planner. The scammers know how important all of the little details, making up the perfect wedding day, can be.
And the last thing you want to happen with your hard earned money is to be conned. But the scammers are out there and they don’t care that it is your wedding, your special day that you’ve been planning for months.
They prey on the ‘in love and happy’ hoping to make a killing. Even if you’re not the bride or groom to be, the scammers target people who are involved in weddings such as photographers and wedding planners too. So be on the look out. Here’s an article from scambusters warning you of their tricks:
WEDDING SCAMS
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Spring is the most popular time for weddings — so it’s also the peak period for wedding scams.
You might have read recently of a wedding scam in Boston, when thousands of brides-to-be and bridal service exhibitors were conned into paying for tickets and booths at a non-existent Home and Bride Show.
And, as the Boston non-event demonstrated, they’re targeted not just at the bride and groom but also at photographers, wedding planners and others involved in what is supposed to be a wonderful day.
So this week we highlight four key areas where everyone involved in weddings needs to be on the alert.
1. Phony Events
We’re thinking of two wedding scams here:
* Exhibitions and shows like the one in Boston, which were promoted through a website and probably cost victims in excess of $100,000.
Action: Always check the credentials/references of anyone who claims to be organizing an event. If they don’t have a track record, be wary — at the very least avoid paying in advance.
* Bogus weddings — a Nigerian advance payment trick, in which a photographer or wedding planner is “booked,” receives a check that turns out to be worthless, and is asked to wire cash payments to another “service provider,” who is actually the scammer.
Action: Just don’t ever agree to do this, however plausible it sounds. Tell whoever contacts you that it’s simply not your policy. Anyway, never wire cash to someone you don’t know or
are not 110% sure of.
Check out our earlier issue on Nigerian advance fee scams.
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=8JUKO&m=1b73Y9toi0tWfo&b=qz3ap6jkZLJ2W1b1.t4rJQ
2. Service Providers Who Let You Down
Yes, they do that — bridal gown makers and suppliers, bakers, caterers, entertainers, wedding planners and even venues can let you down, either by unintentionally failing to deliver or through an out-and-out wedding scam in which they never intended to play their part.
Action: A reputable wedding planner (get references) can take a lot of the risk out of organizing the big day, including conducting all the necessary checks, though they probably won’t be involved in buying the wedding dress (see also below).
Also consider taking out insurance for things that might go wrong.
If you’re doing it yourself, try to spread the hard work of checking everything out, including eyeballing venues and going to see entertainers in action.
3. The Dress Label Wedding Scam
You wouldn’t credit it but a number of wedding gown suppliers have been in hot water with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for mislabeling dresses or even switching labels.
They might do this to disguise the origin of the dress, the fabric content or the cleaning instructions. You could pay a fortune for a “silk” dress that’s actually cheap fabric worth only a fraction of the cost.
It’s not illegal for a bridal salon to insert its own label in a gown but the FTC does have stringent rules about what retailers and manufacturers can and can’t do.
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/ l=8JUKO&m=1b73Y9toi0tWfo&b=mOiQuaLdG9Pudnm0Ph9zOA
Action: It’s mainly down to reputation here. You’re unlikely to have the time to check out the accuracy of the label, but you can perhaps ask the vendor if the labeling complies with
FTC regulations, to let them know you know.
If you’re having the dress altered, again check out the reputation of the service. If you’re in any doubt, get a written contract from them stating what will be done, how much it is expected to cost and when it will be completed.
4. The Overseas Wedding Scam
Happily, getting married abroad does not generally lead to a scam but it sometimes still can be a fraught and troublesome business.
The main risks to watch out for:
* Weddings not officially recorded. There was a widely-reported incident in the Dominican Republic in which hundreds of couples paid for weddings that were never recorded.
* Weddings conducted by people not qualified to officiate.
* Extra charges and overpricing for services.
* A marriage license that is not recognized in your home country.
Action: Again, a qualified, reputable wedding planner in your chosen venue will help. Otherwise, consider a pre-visit to the location.
In your home country check with the embassy, consulate or tourist information bureau of the country in which you’re planning to wed, about who can perform weddings and what the licensing system is.
Then check with the authorities in the community where you’re marrying, that the individual is registered and qualified. Also check with them afterwards that the marriage has been recorded.
For US citizens, the Department of State has a useful guide on marrying abroad. Check with them, or the equivalent in your home country, about recognition of marriage abroad.
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=8JUKO&m=1b73Y9toi0tWfo&b=NaXjDe3fDBUMGeLWGuWgdQ
Some general information on marriage in a limited number of countries can also be obtained from Overseas Citizens Services, Room 4811, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520.
American embassies and consulates abroad frequently have information too about marriage in the country in which they are located.
In addition, even if you’re getting married in your home country but perhaps plan on a non-religious or non-traditional marriage, it’s as well to check with your state Attorney General’s office on who is permitted to officiate.
For many people, getting married is one of the most memorable days of their lives. Just make sure it’s memorable for the right reason and not for a wedding scam.
Peace out…I’m off to eat – Have a great Sunday!
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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May 25th, 2010 at 10:27 am
OMG! I have been almost scammed. Thanks for the article.