The Federal Trade Commission recently issued a warning about wedding-related scams.  Apparently, the agency has received a large number of reports about scams that are centered around weddings.  It is a shame, really, that people would take advantage of what is supposed to be one of the happiest times of a person’s life.  But, that is exactly what scammers do – try to catch you when you are most off your guard.  Considering how stressful wedding planning can be and the fact that it isn’t something that we do every day, it is quite easy to take advantage of unsuspecting couples.

The FTC has provided a few guidelines to follow in order to prevent getting scammed. These include:

· Avoiding “fly by night” businesses that do not have an established history
· Meeting face-to-face before making any deposits
· Never give a deposit shortly after making contact, particularly if you are feeling pressured to put in your deposit right away

Sadly, these con artists work by making you feel a sense of urgency to make deposits.  As a result, they may run off with your money without ever providing you with the services or goods you purchased or they may charge you three times what the product or service is actually worth.

After coming across this warning, I thought I would check into some of the more common wedding scams out there.  According to my research, one of the more common scams is perpetrated by dress bridal shops that cut the labels off of their wedding gowns.  The bridal shops cut off these tags so you cannot truly comparison shop between one shop and the next.  This practice is actually illegal and you should avoid giving your business to these shops – regardless of the prices they may offer.

Some bridal shops also sell used or damaged wedding gowns as new while others lie about being an authorized reseller of wedding gowns. 

Another scam has to do with florists that short change brides on the number of flowers they put in their centerpieces.  After all, what bride has the time to go around and count the flowers in her centerpieces on her wedding day?

To avoid becoming a victim, be certain to check references and to stick only with businesses that have a clean record with the Better Business Bureau.  Your wedding day is too important to have it ruined by a heartless scammer.