Wedding planning can be a thrilling and joyous experience, as you envision your big day come to life. However, like any important occasion, it can also be riddled with stress and unexpected curveballs. The last thing you need is a dishonest wedding contractor adding to that chaos. But fear not, dear reader, for we have the inside scoop on how to spot one and steer clear.

Buckle up, grab a cup of coffee, and let's dive into the world of wedding contractor scams.

1. Doesn't want to sign a contract

"Own people - let's get along"

"Who needs these papers"

“Currently high load, we will issue a little later”

What excuses will not come up with those who do not want to bind themselves with legally confirmed obligations, because without an agreement there is no demand from them. So it is possible not to fulfill some of the promises given, because it will be impossible to prove them. If you see that the contractor is constantly postponing the signing of documents, look for another - there are high chances that this one will not fulfill the promise or simply will not come.

2.

Changes terms or doesn't explain them

You must understand how much and for what you pay, what services are included in the indicated cost. If the final price changes all the time, and the contractor cannot clearly say what he provides for this money, nothing good can be expected from such cooperation.

3. Reduces the price compared to the market

If the chosen photographer or organizer costs much less than professionals of a similar level, this should confuse you. Cases where people simply rated their services low are rare, because everyone can find out the price for the work of competitors in their city.Much more often, dumping is a sign of an unscrupulous wedding contractor, whose experience is not enough to provide quality services.

Often this behavior becomes a sign of scammers who take an advance payment and then disappear with your money.

4. Doesn't show full portfolio

The professional has a portfolio of completed projects showing their work. For example, for a photographer, these will be pictures from real weddings, and not just from creative shootings and workshops. In addition, the portfolio will include both staged photos from a wedding photo shoot, and reportage photos from the holiday itself. If the photographer is ready to show quite a bit, this suggests that he may not have worthy pictures.

Then why do you need him?

By the way, sometimes novice photographers give out staged photos with models from creative workshops as pictures from real weddings. If caught cheating, say goodbye and look for another.

Scarlet Roots

5. Underrepresented online

Wedding contractors that have been on the market for a long time are not only on the main social networks. Almost everyone has made at least a simple business card site, and also regularly appear on major wedding blogs. If the selected contractor has only an account on a social network, it is worth considering.

Yes, many do not reach their hands or they do not understand the need for their site, when there are orders without it. However, this behavior is often a sign of lack of experience or fraud, so be careful.

6. Doesn't get good reviews from couples

You should be alert to two situations:

• Complete lack of reviews
• A large number of negative reviews

If there are no reviews about the work of the selected professional on the network at all, this may indicate that the experience that he spoke about did not actually exist. Sometimes this can be a sign of a scammer who quickly changes names or company names.

A wake-up call is also a large number of unflattering reviews about the chosen photographer or organizer, this may be a sign of an unscrupulous wedding contractor. Most likely, about every couple who left such a review, the “pros” will have a bike prepared: someone was a brawler, someone misunderstood each other, and someone did not want to pay. It happens, but such explanations can justify only 2-3 negative reviews with a large number of positive ones.

Ryan Ray

7. Rushing to make an advance payment

“Rather, make an advance payment, otherwise another couple will take this day”

"I'm going on vacation if you don't pay now"

Of course, it also happens that another couple was found for your date and the selected professional will be received by those who make an advance payment earlier. Keep in mind that a decent contractor will say this once, but will not press constantly. If you regularly receive messages and calls asking you to hurry up and pay quickly, think about why a person behaves this way.

8. Often disappears

Not responding for a few hours, a night or a weekend is normal - contractors are people too.

But if a professional regularly disappears for several days, is late for meetings, or does not call back for hours, although he promised to do it in 10 minutes, it is worth talking to him and explaining that such behavior confuses you. If nothing changes after the conversation, change the contractor, because with this there is a danger of getting a bad result.

Michaela Janetzko

9. Behaving rudely and looking untidy

You can be arbitrarily talented, but this is not a reason to be rude to other people and not take care of yourself. Often this behavior is taken as a sign of a creative nature, but no. This is a sign of a boor and unprofessional.

10.

Makes you feel bad

It also happens that after communicating with a person, a residue remains. It seems to be a great experience, he behaves correctly and professionally, everything is in order with the contract, but personally it is unpleasant for you. While this does not speak of someone as an unscrupulous wedding contractor, it is a sign that you need to find someone else with whom you are compatible on a personal level. This is your wedding and positive emotions should remain from cooperation with everyone.

Those who have been in weddings for a long time will react calmly to changing to another contractor, and someone will offer to do it himself, feeling tension.

A wedding is a wonderful event in the life of every couple, but remember that for wedding contractors, this is, first of all, a way to earn money, sometimes not in a completely honest way. Be careful, do not take a word and do not let spoil your holiday.

The title photo is by Kim Branagan. The photographers and contractors mentioned in the photos are not unscrupulous.