Scott McClurg/DN
VIDEOGRAPHER DAN EHLY tapes the wedding of Jennifer and Rod Chesnutt Saturday. Ehlyf who owns MM--America
Video Images with his wife, Colleen, finished the videotape in time for viewing at the Chesnutft reception.
Couples can’t be too
cautious in planning
By IevaAugstums
Assignment Reporter
When UNL students Heather and
Derek Bothern stood hand in hand at
the altar, they vowed to spend their
lives together.
But they couldn’t say the words
“With this ring, I thee wed,” because
they didn’t have their wedding bands.
“Wedding rings are supposed to
be a symbol of our love for each
other,” Heather feothern said.
“Without them, our marriage didn’t
seem complete.”
Although their rings were
ordered well in advance, Nebraska
Diamond didn’t deliver them by the
couple’s wedding date.
iney finally received the rings
they had ordered six weeks after their
wedding date.
So think before catching the bou
quet or garter belt: Getting a flawless
wedding together could be more
trouble than expected.
The Bothems said they checked the
credentials of many companies before
their wedding, but they still felt cheated.
“Everything went great - flow
ers, catering, banquet hall - except
for our wedding rings,” Derek
Bothern said. “We should have used
someone more hometownish
The Botherns had signed a con
tract with Nebraska Diamond that
outlined the price and the type of
rings they were getting, they said.
But a specific delivery date was
not stated in the contract, Derek
Bothern said.
“We knew that when we signed
the contract,” he added, but when die
rings arrived later, they were not
what the coupled had ordered.Chuck
Kuba, executive vice president of
Nebraska Diamond, said the problem
the Bothems faced was an isolated
incident.
“Problems always do arise,”
Kuba said. “And the problems that do
arise can occur at any store, to any
customer, anywhere in the country.”
, Kuba faid Nebraska Diamond
purchases their rings through a man
ufacturer, and the Bothems’ rings
were considered a special order.
When a couple wishes to have
something out of the ordinary done
to their rings, it can take up to eight
weeks to complete the Order, he said.
“There wasn’t anything we could
have done - the ring came back
wrojag,'” Kuba said. “But the manu
facturer did stand by their product,
took it back and corrected their mis
take.”
Teresa Furnas, owner of A Bridal
Trousseau ijn the Historic Haymarket
District, said couples can easily feel
cheated if they don’t double-check
their wedding service providers.
Furnas said it is best to get sam
ples and estimates from several simi
lar wedding service providers before
making any final decisions on wed
ding-day plans.
“What you need to do is compare
apples to apples,” Furnas said. “If
one company says they can offer
their services for $400, and another
company tells you $500, get a list of
what you will be paying for and
determine what you really need.”
Furnas also said couples must
make sure they get every service
contract in writing.
“A contract that is signed is bind
ing by both parties,” Furnas said. “If
you receive a verbal quote from
someone, it doesn’t mean anything.”
Heather Bothern said couples
should never sign contracts they feel
uncomfortable with. Instead, they
should look into different service
providers.
“And if you don’t understand
something, always (ask) questions,”
she said.
Gerard J. Monaghan, president of
the Association of Bridal
Consultant^* said gpod ppntji'acts
should include exact prices, the ser
vices to be provided and the penalties
for not following through with the
contract.
For further protection, couples
have many options for checking the
credentials of their wedding services,
said Boris Nixon* director of educa
tional services for National Bridal
Services.
. ..First, couples should ask to see
each company’s license and insur
ance, Nixon said. Many couples may
want to seek help from a certified
wedding specialist.
Monaghan agreed.
“The best ways for a couple to
plan tfieir wedding is to hire a wed
ding consultant,” Monaghan said. “A
bride only plans her wedding once,
and might not have the experience.
“Wedding consultants plan wed
dings as their job.”
Scott Mecham, president of the
Comhusker Better Business Bureau,
said couples who cannot afford to
hire a consultant can use many
options to check a company’s creden
tials:
■ Contact die Comhusker Better
Business Bureau at 436-2345 to see
if the company or service is reputable
and is registered with the bureau.
■ Ask friends and relatives to
recommend wedding service
providers.
■ Contact the service provider
and ask for two to three references.
A good business built on cus
tomer service should provide these •
credentials, Mecham said.
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