Only Sappy With You: May 2011

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

BBB

This was brought to my attention by a fellow WW bride. http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/2010-year-impact-abc-news-investigations/story?id=12467469

This is getting so ridiculous!

Today I was made aware of a very disturbing incident that has happened over the past few days on the wedding website forum of weddingwire.com. Apparently there was a "fraudulent" vendor who was posting/using pictures that belonged to other people and claiming them as their own. When a member of WW spoke up against it, she was banned, received at least one horrible email, and was screamed at over the phone by a rep of WW. There have been massive responses and posts made on behalf of this member, as well as outrage against WW not having a strict set of guidelines on who may and may not qualify as a vendor. Another complaint is that WW deletes any negative feedback left on vendor reviews at the request of the vendor. Yeah, that's really helpful to the people who use WW as a resource for finding good vendors.

It's true that everything here is hear-say but the fact that there has been over 300 posts/responses against this specific topic really makes you stop and think that maybe there is some substance to all of this.

Moral of the story: Don't rely solely on internet reviews when searching for any type of service. Check out the BBB for your area ( Minnesota Better Business Bureau,) and request a list of references for any vendor you may be considering booking for your event and then call them! This woman at WW apparently gave a bogus contact number and when one of the brides called it, some person answered who had no idea what the caller was talking about.

Be safe and happy hunting.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Take the Self-Tanner Test - Project Wedding

Wedding Budget: Elegant and Affordable Flowers - Project Wedding

Never thought of this before.

DIY Personalized Wax Seal - Project Wedding

This is an awesome idea! I have everything on here, although I would think that varnish would be better to seal the finished dowel than a stain. I do pyrography - probably the best art/craft that I have ever picked up on (and I'm quite artsy if I do say so myself X-D) Pyrography is the art of decorative woodburning. So far I've made a book cover, decorated two boxes, made and burned runes although I want to do another set out of harder wood (sumac is not ideal, just fyi,) and a tabletop.

If you want to try your hand at it but don't want to invest in an expensive woodburning tool, joann fabrics has one for $15.00. A word of warning: You won't be good at it right away. It takes some getting used to. Play with it for a bit on scrap wood. When burning, put a fan in the window and turn it on so that it helps carry the smoke out and away from you. It can be toxic to breathe the smoke in, depending on the wood and if it's been pre-treated. Also, the rounded top is easier and much better for doing pretty much everything, including writing words, then the pointed tip. The pointed tip is good for carving lines though.

Easy RSVP Tracking - Project Wedding

This is a great idea! I never would have even thought to do that.

5 Ways to Have A Fairytale Wedding On A Limited Budget - Project Wedding

Good tips! We're getting married on a Friday and having an evening wedding, which was one of our major budget-making decisions. Everything else went from there. Don't be afraid to negotiate with vendors - you shouldn't have to pay for things that you don't want or aren't going to use. Definitely do a lot of DIY projects. I disagree with the need to hire a wedding coordinator. For some people it might be a good idea but I do think it's an unnecessary expense, especially if you have people you are close to who are also helping you plan your wedding (i.e. Future Spouse, in-laws, maid of honor and best man, siblings, etc.)

One thing that I like to follow: is something worth the money you'll pay to have it? That designer wedding dress that you love, is it worth the +$2000, or are you willing to shop around a bit to find something that looks like it but for a fraction of the cost? Remember that, while you want this day to be special for everyone involved, and while the dress is important to many women, it's just a dress. Shop around at town boutiques for deals. Also, if you have your heart set on a trash the dress session, keep that in mind as well when budgeting for a dress.

Create a Wedding Emergency Kit - Project Wedding

An absolute must-have. This may be a good idea to give one to each of your wedding party members (men too, though modified of course) in case of any emergencies they may have as well. Men's kits could include: safety-pins, facial tissue, ibuporphen and breath mints, antacids, etc. Obviously theirs will be a lot smaller than those for the ladies but still, it would be nice to have.

Only Sappy With You

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