A Picture of Justice
Aug 19, 2009 Wedding Planning InstituteLast fall, we wrote about the dangers of aligning your business with unscrupulous wedding vendors. In New Jersey, thousands of bridal couples spent years in limbo awaiting their wedding photos while a legal battle against their photography company, Celebration Studios, moved through the courts.
AÂ state superior court judge has ordered the defunct company to pay over $3 million in fines and restitution and directed the state to return wedding photographs and videos seized as evidence in the case to the long suffering brides and grooms.
The company’s owner, currently bankrupt, was said to have committed over 1,800 violations of the Consumer Fraud Act. While some of his former customers will finally receive their wedding photos, it seems that none of them may ever see a penny of the judgment.
Cases like this reinforce for every Certified Wedding Planner the importance of verifying a preferred vendor’s credentials and business history. Although it can be impossible to foresee the events that led to Celebration Studios failure, due diligence can minimize the risk to your clients and your business reputation.
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August 19th, 2009 at 3:35 am
I agree that reference/background checks are essential before partnering with any vendor. Glad to see some kind of justice was served.
August 19th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
I also agree with the previous comments. The wedding planner/consultant should also do an extensive reference check on preferred vendors they are recommeding to thie client. Your business will only thrive and be successful unless you do business with vendors who exhibit the same intregrity and values that you have
September 18th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
This is one of the reasons that I try to always work with companies that have been in business for many years. I even try to keep my relationships with vendors on a slightly more personal level than just calling, giving a “hi, how are you”, and booking a date. It helps me to decide if the people I’m relying on are stable or not. Networking has been really crucial for me also. I get to see these people repeatedly, get to know them better, and get to hear other people’s experiences with them.
September 28th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
By thorough review, it is always the best policy to ask for and expect creditable references!
October 26th, 2009 at 11:13 am
There are many unscrupulous vendors in these difficult times so it’s always imperative to familiarize yourself thoroughly with all vendors that come with your recommendation!
October 29th, 2009 at 10:25 am
This is so common, especially now since high-tech camera’s and sound systems are more accessible. I always advise my brides that you get what you pay for. If the company has been in business 2 years or less, they run the risk of having the owner decide they don’t want to be a business anymore at the expense of their client. I want to be accommodating and I can work with any type of vendor, but having credentials and a good track record are priceless.
January 24th, 2010 at 8:12 am
It is important to do background check, however, it is also important to constantly keep in contact with your vendor. This way we can ensure our customers that the vendor has a solid business and their credentials are good. This will be time consuming,however, is worth the effort since vendors are our partners in various events.