MY RESPONSE TO THE PERSON TRYING TO CENSOR ME IN REGARDS TO MY LATEST BLOG POST ABOUT A SHADY THING SOME WEDDING PLANNERS DO
This week I wrote an article called: WHEN WEDDING PLANNERS DO THIS: SMART OR SHADY? … it was a post about wedding and event planners who charge less ‘on paper’ to their client to avoid being “too expensive” and then handle all the bills from vendors for their client and skim money off the top of each bill … essentially making thousands more than the client is aware of … you can read that post HERE …
The response on my Instagram post regarding this article has been MASSIVE … the comments are shocking and prove that this is a serious issue in the wedding and event industry … head to my Instagram page to read them … I did, however, receive a direct message from someone trying to censor me … here is what they wrote:
“HEATHER, I'M not sure who you wrote this last post for and who you are trying to attract....but I can tell you it's a real turnoff to me. I've been in the event business for almost 40 years. I charge my clients a fee and don't double dip. I resent that you would even put that thought in their minds.”
to which I responded: did you even read the article?? And they wrote back:
“I did read it and I feel like if clients were to read that post they would be non trusting of us thinking we are double dipping....and I can tell you that I spent many years trying to prove to caterers and other vendors that there is room for planners and they shouldn't feel we are trying to tell them how to run their business.”
Now, immediately I want to go: wow, self-centered much??? But I’ll refrain … lol … my real response was blocking this account on Instagram because I don’t have time to explain (to a person this defensive) why an article like the one I wrote actually HELPS the wedding and event industry … and, again, the comments on the Instagram post prove that … but I’ll take it a step further:
To own a small business in the wedding and event industry, you don’t have to have ANY TRAINING … I’ll repeat:
THERE IS NO TRAINING OF ANY KIND REQUIRED TO DESIGN, PLAN, EXECUTE A WEDDING OR EVENT - WHERE LOADS OF MONEY TRANSACTIONS ARE HAPPENING ALL OVER THE PLACE
I can get up from my desk this very minute, go out in the world, and BE a wedding planner … in fact, I have done that lol … I was a wedding planner for 5 years before I started my wedding blog in 2008 … but the point is this: ANYONE can decide to try to do this … not everyone is good at it … but ANYONE can call themselves a wedding planner and go out there and find someone to pay them to do it.
AND THE EDUCATION OUT THERE ABOUT THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE EVENT AND WEDDING INDUSTRY SUCKS … AND I KNOW THAT BECAUSE MY BLOG SEEMS TO BE ONE OF THE FEW THAT ACTUALLY TELLS IT HOW IT IS … I WILL ACTUALLY CALL THINGS OUT HERE …
and for the most part, I am respected for it … except for when someone attempts to censor me … oh, so silly …
Brides planning their wedding don’t know the half of what happens in this industry … and that’s a GOOD THING! Drama happens in all industries … but the thing about the wedding industry? It’s supposed to be sweet, romantic, fluffy, non-drama … it has to pretend that discussing 5 different shades of white is the most interesting and important thing in the world … and that’s ok … but it’s also important to make sure we don’t let shady people get away with shady ass sh*t … for instance: STEALING …
HERE IS WHY THIS ARTICLE IS IMPORTANT >>>
If a couple planning their wedding reads my article and is like: holy crap, wait what???? And has a wedding planner who insists on handling ALL the invoices for them … and it makes them go: wait, ours does this … and then that couple turns around and insists on paying all the invoices to the vendors themselves … then that stops a planner from being able to get away with this crap … which in turn makes this industry that much more honest. This is what the person who messaged me didn’t understand … my article (which is being passed around like crazy) is HELPING secure future jobs for the honest wedding and event planners who are upfront about their pricing and stick to it.
And that’s what my article called out … and I stand behind it … below are a few of the comments on the Instagram post … I’ve blacked out who commented, but you can read these and more on IG:
There are currently over one hundred comments on that post similar to those above … this is a problem … and we need to start educating and not being afraid to put this out there in fear it will cause couples to stop hiring and trusting planners … it NEEDS to be out there so that engaged couples start asking the right questions when hiring so that the SHADY planners stop being hired … because the shady planners are taking jobs away from the ones who are honest.
XO~ Heather
