At a recent wedding fair I was asked why our blog is so unlike other companies’ blogs.
It’s true, we don’t spend time telling you “what a wonderful wedding we recorded last week, how the bride looked stunning and the event was simply heaven to be at” – all that gushing, celebrity mag sort of thing.
There are two reasons why we’re different. First, regardless of where they’d come in the airbrushed celebrity mags, every one of our brides looks simply stunning on the day. Secondly, making sure the event’s a success is part of our job, along with all the other suppliers. In reality that means making sure that any little problems that arise aren’t noticed by the bride and groom and are never allowed to become big problems.
In fact, that part of our job starts almost as soon as the girl slips on her engagement ring for the first time. Every decision the couple make about their wedding has the propensity to become a disaster because unfortunately the wedding business has as many sharks and conmen as the plumbing trade.
Here’s a few we’ve encountered personally.
Dress shops that sell the bride a wedding dress which patently doesn’t fit; menswear hire companies which send out suits without buttons; wedding cars that break down because they’ve not been serviced; church organists who play as if they’ve seventeen fingers on each hand; hotels which discount the price of the food for the wedding breakfast but double the bar prices to compensate; photographers who behave as if the church is a studio not a place of worship and think the entire day’s a photo shoot; DJs who insist on playing every record at full volume; and video cameramen who simply don’t know their craft or the art and skill of making television programmes.
How does the bridal couple avoid these pitfalls? Mainly by checking out the truth of every claim or statement that’s made. Most important is to ignore testimonials supposedly from other couples – “Thanks for a great DVD, you’re a star – Jason and Lynn” – even if Jason and Lynn are actually real people and not figments of the video producer’s imagination, would their message be printed if it wasn’t complimentary? When did you last see a testimonial which said, “My bouquet fell apart before I reached the church but the flowers on the altar were OK. I’d certainly recommend ABC florists etc”?
And finally, don’t rely on what other couples tell you. Referrals are supposed to be the best recommendations but in reality they’re only as good as the other couple’s taste and judgement. Some people like McDonalds, others Burger King, and still others detest all hamburgers. Whose advice should you take?
It’s the same with wedding suppliers, check out exactly what you’re buying – which is the message underlying most of the articles you’ll read in this blog. Caveat emptor – let the buyer beware – is always the best advice we ever give.
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