Try to be nice and I just keep getting taken advantage of..

You know I've tried one free service after another, freebie centers, free housing, and now free weddings...thought I was being nice and helping people so they don't have to pay alot just to get married and what happens....

People come and sign up to get married then cancel....this has happened so many times now... each time I put forth my time and energy (and money) to prepare for their event.

I'm thinking of starting to charge a deposit.

Isn't it more the ephemeral nature of relationships that are to blame perhaps? I know lots of people who partnered or nearly partner and then broke up soon after or just before.
However that said, yes I would charge something upfront for your time - that is never unreasonable. Then at least if the marriage gets cancelled your time was not completely wasted. If you want to give them the wedding for free then give them the money back afterwards.

For your weddings you should offer a few "packages" on a take it or pony up some cash for what you really want basis.

If they don't like your swans and roses, let them pay for their own. That way if they bail on you, you are not out anything other than your start up costs.

It's funny that people keep cancelling. Maybe if you charged, you wouldn't get as many cancellations. You know, people might figure "well, we paid for it, might as well do it" (even though that's a horrible way to think of marriage, LOL.)

Pie !

I think some people change their SL relationships more often than they do their RL underwear. That's probably why.

That's been my experience. I offer weddings for free also and at least 1 out of 4 cancels. I make some minor purchases of things I can re-use, but largely keep things very simple. I'll do decorations (again, within limits) but will not function as a wedding planner.

Anything you ever do out of niceness will be taken advantage of by a few people. You learn to ignore them and focus on the ones who actually say "thank you."

i think the last 7 weddings i have been invited to were either delayed or canceled the day before the wedding

Studies have shown that in general, people don't value free things as much as they value things they have to pay for. I give stuff away for free anyway to get people to come in, but it's not at any great cost and effort to me. I am sure that some people really do appreciate your generosity - but charging a refundable deposit or a nominal fee would be a good way to ensure that people actually show up on their wedding day.

Maybe try taking a deposit that will be refunded to them AFTER they complete the ceremony...or maybe one week after the ceremony....if not, they lose their money...too bad, so sad.

There have been studies that show that people follow through more when they pay for something. Even a small amount works. Nielsen ratings used to include a single dollar bill with their forms and it increased the number of completed diaries dramatically.

They still do include the dollar, or they did a couple of months ago.

I'd charge the deposit, and make it refundable if they don't cancel.


Cunundrum, you've got good karma... keep smiling!

i agree, charge a small deposit....refundable if they go through with it.


I have a wedding chapel that I charge next to nothing for....pennies..ask Trout, he's a priest there but anyway...we have had no cancellations, but we've only done 3 weddings in 6 months.

We just cannot afford to do the advertising the BIG places do.

*shrug*

I been meaning to come check out your place...just to look around. If I close my chapel, maybe I'll send my business (ha ha...well, future business) to you?

The next time someone bails on you, let me know. We can have the wedding for ourselves

wait, maybe I'm confused here, but isn't that example the opposite of what you are talking about? You are saying people follow through when they pay, but then give an example where they are being paid.

I used to have a free newbie center with nice tiki huts etc. but it just got littered up and people complained about it so I sold it.

I think the reason why some people cancel would be that they just changed thier minds about getting married. This life we called second life allows you to act upon things like running away from a wedding and getting away with it, sorta like the run away bride, but in a 3d gaming version.

ok, here's how i would run a free wedding service k.

The bride and groom, or bride and bride, or groom and groom, hmmmm.

The two significant avatars tp in, get picked up by a sensor, get a certificate, get added to the ban list and tp'd home.

Ya gets what ya pays for

Add in the fact that SL itself is the biggest Wedding Crasher of all.

So maybe 500 deposit refundable upon the saying of "I do"?

I suppose there is no other way to do this other than me holding the money. I don't think there is some 3rd party money holder, any volunteers?

…and that they remain together for more than a week, imagine the money you would make!!!

Hahahaha... well I'd hate to have to follow them around for a week

you just check the partner details in their profiles (if it works)

Nah, you can be pretty sure they're at least still talking if they show up to collect.