After the wedding, there is a marriage to consider....

This blog has to do with the reality of marriage, which comes after the wedding party....it's not about design, colors, photos or happy and upbeat. This is real -- hopefully my heartfelt sincerity and relationship that we have with our clients comes through in this. I really care about our clients.

I had a client today that sadly called off her engagement and wedding for next September 2010. Turns out her fiance was keeping something from her, and when they argued last night, the argument proceeded to get physical. Police were called, she now has a restraining order against him, and he changed the locks to their apartment on her. This couple had dated for 8 years. She is obviously a bit shaken up. However, I told her that it is better that this happened now, before the wedding, than after she was married. Divorce lawyers, child and spousal support, and division of the assets is more of a headache than wedding planning details. Last year, I had a client find out that her fiance was stealing prescription drugs from her grandparents and she too called off the wedding. Now, she's happier than she's ever been and has a spectacular outlook on life. I had another girl last year who called off the wedding because she met another guy while she was engaged and planning the wedding. She ended up marrying him this year. I had a fourth bride whose fiance had a stroke.

Calling off the wedding doesn't make you a bad person. Trusting your gut and instincts when planning your wedding is so important, whether it's selecting your vendors or, in these cases, calling it off. Just remember that if you have signed any contracts you are responsible for the terms associated with them. Next year's bride is going to keep her credit with us on file for a future wedding and keep her contract open -- this way she locks in the 2010 rate should she ever get married again. The second bride decided to terminate her contract, largely because she is 19 and may not get married for another 10 years. However, any money she has already paid us will be credited toward any future contract and we still text and get together for coffee when we can! The third bride kept her contract opened and called us the minute she was engaged again to retain our services! The fourth bride had the wedding 12 months after his stroke and they now have an adorable little boy. Check with your vendors about their cancellation policies and understand what your rights are should something unexpected happen.

Sorry about the downer....just trying to keep it real today....tomorrow will be much happier and cheery, promise!! =) I hope we start a discussion about this on the blog! Please post your thoughts and comments about this topic.