Dear and loyal readers, while my style of reflective writing has been compared to Miss Manners as well as Dear Abby, the simple truth is that I have nothing on common with either of these women as they sit at a desk and muse over written issues or complaints from their readers- I actually experience these issues first hand out in the battlefield of consumers!
What a luxury to simply “imagine” how you would react to an issue rather than experiencing one and, being forced into the position of rectifying this solution in a very small timeframe.
The simple truth is that while it may appear I have no sense of humor with my strong desires for perfection and order, without it I would quickly suffer a nervous breakdown!
Cindy Daniel can often be found laughing somewhere when disaster is knocking the wind right out of my sails at events! She finds my “blowing a gasket at some unexpected incident” incredibly funny.
My sister is much more lackadaisical than I and, she always has been. I’m considered to be a dictator, “bossy” and, if getting the job done requires this of me- perhaps I am.
You see, I’m not a spoiled rich kid who has lived the life of luxury. Quite the opposite as everything that I have accomplished in my life and within my own community has been through hard work, perseverance and finally survival.
I’ve sacrificed new cars or holidays to fund my businesses and, worked at no charge for years to establish myself within the industry. My reputation IS my business!
After years of trying to get paid- I decided to merge Texas Twins Events and Texas Twins Treasures to create The Pawning Planners and “get around” the non paying clients.
My original business plan had been that the “have’s” would cover the “have not’s” and for obvious reasons, that plan didn’t work out. However, my desire to accommodate anyone regardless of their income was a dream that I wouldn’t give up on!
For some reason that I may never understand, being paid has always been #1 in my dispute resolution issues associated with any of my businesses and, I continue to be baffled as to how a wedding couple that paid in advance for every other aspect of their wedding would assume that the easiest mark to “stiff” would be their wedding officiant?
Back to the venue with two broken windows and the Bride who had explained she was on a very “tight” budget and requested a reduced fee, I agreed to perform this wedding for $75.00 with a deposit of $37.50 due two weeks prior to her event and, the balance paid prior to my arrival. Most of you already realize that this amount is far below industry standards in DFW.
I arrived and was greeted by a “wedding consultant” hmmm, the Bride could easily afford $250 am hour but, had written me a $37.50 check that bounced with insufficient funds? That’s right, keep reading this gets better and better!
The wedding consultant informed me that the Bride had locked herself in the bathroom after her front tooth, a veneer I’m assuming, fell out.
I knocked on the door and announced myself as I most assuredly had planned to address not only her bounced check, but my reduced payment in FULL. At this point, I advised her that I had an emergency kit with super glue that would temporarily resolve the issue and told her I had a returned check for her deposit and now needed payment in full.
In fact, I had to assist her in gluing the tooth back on before being hurriedly rushed into the main area of the venue by the wedding consultant.
The Brides mother was quite drunk and bumped I to me knocking me over in a dressing area and, the wedding consultant hustled me right to the altar WITHOUT my being financially compensated!
Rushed through this ceremony, I signed the document and told the Bride that I would file it after receiving her payment (as clearly outlined on my website www.texastwinsevents.com).
My photographer gave me the disc and I developed the photos the Bride had requested in my photo/wedding officiant package which is quite a bit more expensive than the $75 I had agreed to do this wedding for not knowing she had paid the venue (broken windows and all!) $3750 and, the wedding consultant on top of that no less.
Three weeks later, I find out that her second check had bounced after I had filed her license and sent her wedding photos. You see, fixing her broken tooth and doing everything that I had committed myself to do was all for naught.
Today I received a phone call from this very same Bride inquiring as to why she hadn’t received her license. “Did you get my check? I see on your website that you don’t file license unless you are paid first and I haven’t gotten my license so I’m worried if you filed it because I didn’t pay you.”
Ah yes, the old “check is in the mail routine.” Another bounced check fee from this toothless bride was the last thing I needed to deal with! Because I realized this, I filed the license anyway without being paid just to out an end to this fiasco and a Bride that was obviously a pathological liar to boot.
Under these types of circumstances, anyone “sitting at a desk” writing how they would react has no clue what “real life” issues attributed to the wedding and events industry actually are and, because of these very same reasons, I have nothing in common with writers who possess a creative imagination ya all.
The reason is, living reality is remarkably different from creating it on a piece of paper!
I’m hoping the Bride used the $75 she cheated me out of to make a dental appt and get her tooth (as well as her honor to abide by her commitment to others) repaired.
Preparing for another week of the adventures and Travels of the Texas Twins, I’m certain there will be yet another unexpected issue arise.
Rest assured that I am and always will be prepared for any issue that may arise in my travels dear readers for I am a Wedding Warrior!
Wendy M Wortham
Texas Twins Events
www.texastwinsevents.com
Comments by Wendy Wortham