OY, this is a post I hoped I would NEVER have to write…

We try to keep our blog honest and share information on wedding planning, great wedding professionals, products, things going on in the industry and some of our weddings and achievements.

Things brides want to read, as opposed to blogging for other wedding planners or other wedding professionals.

However after this week I felt like I needed to share this –

This week alone, we have found six other wedding planners who have stolen text directly from our site – not just a little, I’m talking descriptive text, cutting and pasting our service, in some cases whole pages and just changing the business name.

They’ve come from DC, Philadelphia, Ireland, Texas, Virginia and Oregon – one even went as far as to steal quotes/testimonials from our site, once claimed membership in a local Philadelphia organization (and they don’t live or work near Philly)…

So, what does this mean for you as a bride or groom planning your wedding?

Nearly anyone can toss up a website, add some images (from other people’s websites?), cut and paste information and have a business…

• Do some research – plug the companies name into a search engine and see if what their website says matches what you find on the internet search.
• Ask around, ask some of the venues or wedding professionals you are looking at what they know about the planner.
• Look for a body of work – look for a bunch of images from one wedding, actually from several weddings…it’s harder to fake
• If people claim to have won industry awards, you should be able to find this online – same with membership in national organizations

Take some time and talk to the planner – ask them some questions about their business. Most planners won’t tell you a list of places best suited for you but can get a feel their experience and whether or not they have experience with the size and style wedding you are looking to plan.

Bottom line – do a little research; make sure the wedding planner you are looking at is legit.