And in this corner...

Recently, a past client came to me for help because she was unable to get in touch with one of the professionals who worked on her wedding and still had outstanding deliverables. She said her calls were not being returned and she was getting no reply to her emails. She finally sent a message to the professional's personal Facebook inbox. Guess what... he responded!

Happy ending? Not so much.

When the professional responded on Facebook, he said he would deliver the final product within a vague, but short time frame. When that time came and went, the newlywed client became more frustrated. She felt like she had been bamboozled and that her business wasn't important to him.

This is where I come in. Our new bride asked me to get in touch with this professional on her behalf because she didn't think she was getting anywhere with him on her own. Before contacting him, I reviewed their contract to determine the agreed upon timeline for delivering the final product. According to the contract, the product was to be delivered within 6 1/2 months or the professional would contact the client to discuss any delays. OK... not a huge problem. We were just a few days over 7 months since the wedding, so I asked the professional to contact the client to give her update.

I got a response within a couple of hours. Unfortunately, it wasn't what I expected. I was basically told to mind my business. Once I was removed from the line of communication, everything seemed to go downhill. Tempers boiled and the emails between the client and the professional became more and more heated. Ultimately, the client gave the professional 2 weeks to deliver. Equally aggravated, the professional blasted the client for being unappreciative of his craft and having unreasonable expectations. Ultimately, he told her he would send her video within a few days just so he would never have to speak to her again.

Having an impartial mediator such as a wedding planner, to deal with sticky situations like these, is like an insurance policy for your sanity. Just as you don't want to have to address craziness on your wedding day, you shouldn't have to stress about your wedding months after it is over. Wedding professionals should also appreciate this service because they don't have to worry about emotions getting in the way. Wedding professionals who work well with wedding planners also run a lower risk of getting a negative review from brides. Lastly, wedding professionals who work well with wedding planners also have a higher chance of being recommended in the future.

Please note that this scenario would have gone in a different direction if my client had hired this wedding professional based on my recommendation.