I’m often asked what percentage of my events are unpaid and what percentage I spend my own money on to ensure beauty- the answer may surprise ya all! You see, many families don’t have even low cost fee structures for their event. For nearly four years, I’ve “covered” their expenses out of my own pocket when necessary in order to grant the gift of a beautiful ceremony.
On August 14, 2015, Joanna Magee will wear a wedding dress that I provided her and carry a bouquet that I’ve also provided with her young sons wearing cowboy hats that I purchased. Are you surprised? Don’t be for people often come to me with a vision that includes many items that they can’t afford and I scramble to sell my own possesions to provide them. Often, Dream Event families have no idea of the costs involved in my end to “pull off” a successful Dream Event. Although officiating at weddings, baptisms, christening or a funeral doesn’t cost me anything other than my time and travel expenses, the fuel, the vestments, the cost of making funeral arrangements and the time involved aren’t free. You see, I can’t keep funeral arrangements and add them back into my inventory. They are kept by the family or, placed graveside.
After years of using my own funding to buy clothing for flower girls and purchasing items to “pull together” a Dream Event, I’ve decided to sell Pawning Planners tshirts and mugs in order to meet the demands of a business that I started to afford anyone the opportunity to enjoy a Dream Event.
You see at the inception of Texas Twins Events Texas Twins Events my plan was for clients who could afford to pay for services to cover costs of families who could not. Sadly, this has never happened and continues to be a problem for me. Websites, Copyrights, Trademarks, Photos, Camera Equipment, Advertising costs, travel expenses and everything else related to Texas Twins Events and The Pawning Planners has been funded SOLELY by myself and my husband. I’ve yet to make a profit due to the hundreds of families who come to me needing help.
Haven’t ever met anyone that would sacrifice their time and money to “pull an event out of their own hat? Or pocket?” Me either, but my commitment for families supersedes my own income and because of this and simple economics- I’ve been forced to “think outside the box.” Being creative requires great sacrifice on my part and that of my team as we often travel with two suv’s packed with my floral designs and photo props along with my staff to events that are outside Fort Worth, Texas.
When Terry and Lisa Williams wanted a 50’s themed wedding, it was I who purchased the tops and poodle skirts, provided the bouquets, boutenniers, chairs and tables, cakes, flower baskets, Centerpieces and ring pillows to “pull it all off.”
I took an antique dresser and mirror in trade along with a vintage bicycle but, having “flipping” items isn’t always effective to cover expenses and I’m upside down occasionally during the Pawning Process.
Yes, it’s expensive to have a Dream Event and vendors don’t simply “give me” items- I PAY for items I don’t have on hand out of my own pocket! You see, I’ve never had a sponsor other than myself to provide these items for families. A few years ago, I had been promised a wedding cake for the Fort Worth Pride Parade by a local bakery who “backed out” when they learned it was an LBGT oriented parade. The end result was that I covered the expense myself. Last year, our dear friend Tom McAvoy opened the Rainbow Lounge for a celebration to give families an opportunity for a reception when couples were forced to leave the state in order to marry. Again, I provided at my own expense the wedding cake, my staff and my decorations to “pull it off” with the help of Tom’s venue. Rudy Smedley opened the doors of his karate studio to provide a free building when torrential rains forced me to move Terry and Lisa’s 50’s themed wedding “under cover.” A wedding at a karate studio? You betcha, the Redneck Reality for me is that I’m often forced into “being creative” in order to save money and, for families who can’t afford to rent a venue, options are limited to backyards and parks. Texas heat makes this somewhat unbearable during June and July but- without my own venue, options are obviously limited. Parks and backyards are FREE!
So you see, due to the demand of worthy families versus those who can afford low cost services and ceremonies- it’s essential that I find a way to continue meeting their needs while finding a creative way to fund them. Normally, sales from my reupholstered and refurbished items sold at Texas Twins Treasures fund Dream Events however, paint and stain along with upholstery and labor fees aren’t free for me either.
I must attain the fabric or buy the stain and pay my upholstery man then the listing fees, final value fees and seller fees to eBay and PayPal not including taxes associated with the sale itself.
I’ve met many wonderful folks these past four years who would never have found anyone else to provide flowers, clothing, shoes, photography, cakes, and other “extras” if they had not have found myself and my team of committed Pawning Planners/Texas Twins Events members who took photographs and help me load, set up and tear down events after I made the chair bows and floral designs to bring beauty to the event. Loading my SUV with items I’ve spent my own money to attain and hours to create beautiful floral designs was an act of passion for me. I’ve never enjoyed a beautiful wedding with “all the extras” and, because of this- give families all of the “extras” that I one day hope to enjoy myself.
Funerals are another expensive endeavor for me because the funeral spray requires me to purchase the flowers and spend up to 4 hours designing and donating it along with myself officiating the memorial at no cost for families who don’t have burial insurance. Nothing I do is free- my gasoline isn’t free, flowers to make bouquets and Centerpieces aren’t free, cakes aren’t free, film isn’t free, nothing is FREE to me! I’ve spent over $40,000 to create unique and diverse businesses that address needs within my community and hours writing creative content blogs to rise within the search engines these past four years, I’m that driven and I realize that the market for lost consumers that no one else would help exists. I realize this because my husband “went broke” during the real estate crash and with my son marrying- I too struggled to buy flowers and create the floral designs myself to save money.
So, after four years of refurbishing and flipping items or selling my own possesions to fund Dream Events- I’m announcing today how you can help these families by supporting their Dream Events and purchasing Pawning Planners Apparel coming soon at my eBay store Texas Twins Treasures. One day it is my hope to open a storefront but, currently while “dancing as fast as I can” it’s a dream that I cannot yet “grasp.”
My commitment along with my team of interesting and often amusing characters of my twin sister, Cindy Daniel, our Little Pawners, Maryssa and Makenna Mahaney, Robert and Stephanie Hafele, Ann Rowe Alexander, Virginia Malone continues from Fort Worth, Texas to address the needs of others who have a story to tell and desire a Dream Event. Don’t ask me why- ask yourself why not and find a way to be the person you’ve never met, I did.
Coming soon Travels of the Texas Twins , my journey to give others a Dream Event along with my twin and our Little Pawners, Maryssa and Makenna Mahaney and the “team” will be available on Amazon Kindle. Meet the families, hear their stories, follow our often hilarious hillbilly solutions to unexpected drama’s and disasters while changing the wedding and events industry one family at a time from Fort Worth, Texas!
Wendy M Wortham
Comments by Wendy Wortham