On the rise

Complaints against wedding planners are increasing, a check with the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) revealed.

Mr Seah Seng Choon, executive director of Case, told TNP that in 2011, from January to November, Case received 20 bridal complaints. It received 28 of such complaints over the same period last year.

Out of these, seven were for wedding planners who failed to honour their contracts in 2012. In 2011, it was two.

There were two complaints filed last year against Enchanted Wedding Services. Mrs Fatimah Mohsin, 37, director of Fatimah Mohsin The Wedding Gallery, said couples get what they pay for.

She said: "Price should not be the sole focus in deciding which wedding planner to use. You have to always check the reputation and reliability of the company before signing up with them."

Mrs Fatimah told The New Paper that a client had approached her three weeks before the big day because their wedding planner had become uncontactable.

"Some wedding planners tend to overbook on the date and cannot provide the services," she said.

Celebrity Vernetta Lopez, 39, who is also the director of Eternally Yours, told TNP that such "shocking behaviour" by wedding planners spoils the reputation of the whole industry.

Her company also has a Malay wedding arm. She said that couples should insist on looking at the portfolio, read up on the reputation of the company and get a food tasting done before the big day.

But most importantly, the client should ask how many weddings the planners have for that day, she said.

Strange explanation

Enchanted Wedding is managed by a husband and wife team, Mr Ejay Reyzal and Madam Hafyza Azmi, and has been operating since 2009.

Calls made to the company over three days went unanswered. E-mails sent to the wedding planners were also unanswered.

But in a Berita Harian report yesterday, Mr Ejay offered a strange explanation for his absence - that he had been possessed.

He said he has plans to return the money for the items which were promised but were not delivered, and that the company had no plans to close.

"We will rise up with renewed vigour," he said.

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