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

Yep. Variously termed "cognitive dissonance" or "attribution theory" in social psych. (The difference is subtle and probably not worth the trees killed for the numerous PhD dissertations on the subject.)

So, really, you'd be doing the partners a service by charging them a fee: get them invested in the process; maybe they'd carry it over to the actual relationship.

So charge them because I'm concerned for the longevity of their relationship....I like that

Need someone to perform the service? I work for snacks and beer.

As others have already pointed out: whether conciously or not, people are accepting the value you have placed on the service and if you say it's free then that means (at some level, to them) that it is worthless. They take it to mean your time and energy are without value, and therefore they don't need to worry about being serious when they sign up for it, i.e. frivilous bookings will abound because there is no cost, no risk, and no worth or value.

I'll echo the sentiments already voiced: charge a booking fee, let them know the fee is refundable at the completion of the event but forfeit if they cancel.

-Atashi

I had another cancellation today, probably not their fault but it pushed me into the decision to charge a deposit. 500 will hopefully not prevent some from getting married but will keep some couples together

Of course if they want to get married right there on the spot I won't charge the deposit fee

In other news, I'm finding it difficult to get a better deal on land. I hoped to move into 1/4 sim but I've just learned that the profit margin is so low on land etc. etc. etc. that for me to expect someone to rent me 1/4 sim for 6500/week with no buy cost is practically impossible.

At least the booking fee will get you people who are serious about getting married in SL and aren't just out on a lark. People can be pretty inconsiderate and they sign up for whatever is free without considering the work that other people put out to accomodate them. I think it's really nice of you to perform services for free. A deposit is more than reasonable.

Cunundrum's Wedding Price List:

Wedding ceremony
(Includes officiant, chapel, animations for bridal party) FREE

Wedding Music FREE

Reception
(Includes hall, dance floor, DJ, cake, confetti poofers) FREE

Limo, Carriage, or Biplane transportation for B&G FREE

Calling Off the Wedding L$5,000

Security Deposit L$5,000

I'll have to get Bran to do the flying

Don't forget I do bachlor parties as well as bridal showers.

I agree. When something's free, people consider it dispensable, and people don't think they have to bother with niceties. Hell, consider yourself lucky they even bothered to contact you. Some people just don't think (or care) about how their decisions affect others.

But money makes people think AND care.

HEY!! That's my gig!

Stand aside! You are Goose to my Iceman, damn it.

Mind you, Brann is an ace rookie pilot. Treated her to the P-40, she was up, away, and about 70 sims distant in no time while I was busy finding every full parcel across the mainland in vain pursuit.

You people and your ultra-modern WWII Airplanes. I was flying the little red biplane of doom when you were still playing Kings Quest on your 286. Full parcels? We didn't even have parcels! We had caves to live in. And the prims weren't this fancy plywood you have now, they were lumps of granite! We had to chisel our creations out of them with sticks and bits of dinosaur bone!

I've had more fun giving biplane rides than just about anything else I've done in SL. I think Lindal holds the record for the most times killed in flight, but Lexxi has to be awfully close and Oryx gets honorable mention.

Ok, here we go again, I tell people that the one thing I lack is choice. At my venue what you see is what you get, I don't customize the whole ship for each wedding. If I did then I'd be charging people for all that work, but it's FREE!!! lol

So today I get this notecard:

We are writing to inform you that we will not be having our wedding at your riverboat this afternoon.

During our recent meeting with you, it became apparent that we would not be having our ideal wedding, but yours. Your inflexibility over even the smallest of details showed us that we would not be getting the wedding that WE want.

We repeatedly requested to know what you would be saying during the ceremony and you would not even tell us this basic information.

Even worse was the fact that we felt any request we made was answered with attitude and rudeness from yourself. At one stage Teresa had to leave to prevent herself from saying something which she might later regret.

When we arrived home after the meeting we decided to hold the wedding ceremony and reception on the beach in front of our home, and have taken steps to make this happen.

Bria Tuqiri & Teresa Donardson


*sighs* I really have to see a therapist about my persistence in trying to help people.

Hey Con,
You can do my wedding.
I am a super pain in the ass to work with though, I will warn you.

Jez

OH OH OH! Can I have a bachelor party? I am not getting married but I am a bachelor.





I'd call Trout and have him strafe their beach during the wedding. Then put a horse head in their bedroom. You are doing this for free and they have the nerve to tell you that.

CX everyday is a party for you now, what else do you want?

Cunundrum does weddings for free, I strafe weddings on the beach for free. We each find our own avenue of service in life. I'm just proud to be part of their special day, whether they like it or not. DEATH FROM ABOVE!!!


Cunundrum - don't let them get you down. they have no right at all to complain about a free service. Screw 'em. If they want something special, that's their right, but you have no obligation at all to provide them with that for free. Shame on them for taking advantage of your hospitality.

When a friend invites me over for dinner, the last thing I do is complain because we're BBQ'ing pork chops on the grill instead having steak and lobster.

Boy thats the truth! And even if I didn't like how it tasted I'd still thank them for the meal