Wedding planning mistakes: always read the fine print.

ALWAYS read the fine print. Great general advice, but wedding-wise, it’s extra important. So what’s the story on fine print anyway? And how does a couple make sure they don’t miss something that comes back to bite them in the budget? Read on.

Fine print refers to the tiny writing at the ends of contracts. Parts of an arrangement that might not be so favorable to a consumer hide out there, or perhaps on an extra page of  “terms and conditions.” Either way, the not in 12 point helvetica. slip in   You agree to those by signing the main agreement, so it’s your RodJeffWed_150responsibility to make sure you’ve read through the whole contract.  And, our advice is to have someone outside the happy pair read it too.  Gauzy visions of a perfect wedding can make that tiny print VERY blurry, and the terms include your filling the venue’s koi pond.

Another thing to check is that you’re booking the professional you are meeting, not one of their representatives. Paying for a professional’s services at your wedding? Make sure you sign a document that says so, not one that says he can send his assistant and go to Lake Tahoe on your dime.

You may find other surprises in your contracts, read them with eagle eyes. If you’re careful, you can avoid nasty surprises from the fine print.

Be well, and love well.

Dinah

 

Wedding to do list: florist, baker, officiant…loan officer?

It’s perfectly natural to want a more lavish wedding than you can afford.  The internet wedding and television world has raised the bar. Add the desire to have amazing photos for friends to admire on Instagram, Facebook, etc. and you have couples planning beyond their means. The finance world, ever predatory, has come up with a “solution:” wedding loans. They are a terrible idea both financially and emotionally.  Let’s explore why. wedding-loans-marry-in-style-with-collateral-free-loans-1-728

  • Financially, there’s no worse way to start your life together than by adding debt.  What a terrible wedding gift to each other! The easy solution that brings immediate happiness will be a terrible choice down the road when buying a home or car and you are still paying off loans from a party you had long, long ago.  Are you going to be glad then that you made that sacrifice to have beef instead of chicken?
  • Emotionally, the potential for fighting over money in a marriage is high. If either one of you is the slightest bit unsure about taking out a loan for the wedding, down the line that’s going to come out and be a point of contention.  And it will be a point of contention that will follow you in your relationship until you are completely out of debt! I wouldn’t want resentment over a loan floating over my marriage, that’s for sure.

So there are my reasons I am against wedding loans.  I am sure there are people who use them responsibly and find them very helpful. If you’re interested, make sure you read the terms very carefully.  For the rest of you, go make a good budget!

Be well and love well.

Dinah

Can they get married? Vote yes or no.

Several states came to the Supreme Court this week asking for one last chance to fight against marriage equality.  The justices sent them home, unheard. The end result is that a lot of states where people had voted against marriage equality will no longer have a say in the matter, and that’s ruffling some feathers. They huff and puff “but we voted! It’s the will of the people!” They end up the victims in their narrative somehow, and that’s irritating.

The Constitutional rights of others can’t be decided by a vote. That’s the long and the short of it. The conservative states that are flipping their wigs need to get a grip IMG_1730

The victims here are the gay couples who had to address their grievance through the courts in the first place. Some couples fought these laws for ten years, making their way to the altar slowly but surely. People say wedding planning is challenging. I’d say compared to these couples we don’t know what that even means.

Congratulations and best wishes to everyone who is getting married in the next few days. Idaho, stay strong. No equality in your state yet? Hang on. We’re spreading the love, America…and as the saying goes, love conquers all.

Be well and love well.

Dinah