Being ethical

Wedding vendors are a rare breed. It takes a lot of patience to deal with stressed out couples and their families. We must always maintain our composure, drop our prices to accommodate shrinking wedding budgets, and do far more than we are ever hired to do. If we are good at our craft, we will go above and beyond what we have been asked and usually do so with a smile on our face. Occasionally we get a respectful and courteous bride that renews our faith in our industry and we are good to go for another year or so.

Then you run across, what I like to call, the unethical vendor/business/service. You know exactly what I mean; we have all had our fair share of them from one time or another. They nickel and dime you, don't deliver what they promised, and have one excuse after another why or why not they didn't come through. It is always someone else's fault.

I had the unfortunate task of facing one such vendor/business this week. I caught them dead to rights on something that they had no business doing, called them out and told them that they were wrong and to own up to it. I presented them with the facts and here is what I heard, "It is the venue's fault; It is all a misunderstanding; We didn't think we were doing anything wrong," yada yada yada. Of course, the entire time they are telling you this they have that simple, sugary sweet smile pasted on their innocent faces. It is always some else's fault. No takes the blame. They think that it is okay and on to the next victim.

As a whole, we are a very forgiving society, but that only lasts for so long. When the buck stops, then we get smarter and start to demand justice and what is right. Many times a sincere apology, "I am very sorry, that I did what I did!" will heal even the most angry incident and life moves on. But when they refuse to take the blame, no one wins and trust erodes.

So how do you guard against this type of vendor behavior? Very carefully! Get everything in writing. Investigate their ethics--ask friends and co-workers about their experiences with the vendor in question. And when in doubt, follow your instincts. The hairs on the back of your head are there for a reason and not just to hold your hat in place!

If it sounds like a skunk, looks like a skunk and smells like a skunk---it is probably a skunk!