bridalweekly_deals_sized_520_425_80 Have you seen an awesome wedding deal lately? With Groupon, Living Social, Facebook, and whatnot it seems like we’re constantly inundated with phenomenal deals for less than nothing. It seems easy, convenient and budget friendly, but is it too good to be true? Here is our word of caution: Do Your Homework. Research the companies on display. Are they just starting out or do they have a good, long-standing reputation? 1. Look at the Reviews (Have other people had a good experience with this company?) 2. Read the Fine Print (Check the activation dates and expiration dates to be sure you will receive your product or service by your wedding date.) 3. Decide if it’s Worth the Risk (If the product ends up being not quite what you expected, or if the service doesn’t wow you, will it ruin your big day?) Don’t get me wrong, these deal websites are great for exploring your city and giving a new business a try, but for your once-in-a-lifetime wedding you want the best of the best. Even though it might save you a few bucks, it’s not worth the heartache when “So&So Company” doesn’t show up on your wedding day. We recently heard a devastating story of a bride who booked a photo-booth through one of these deal websites; on the day of her wedding the company sent her a text saying, “sorry we won’t be able to make it for your wedding today.” How terrible is that! We can’t imagine the stress and dismay that this poor bride experienced. Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. In a panic,  the bride reached out to a well known photo-booth company to see if they could come to her wedding. They were booked, but as great businessmen do, they found the bride another photo-booth company to be at her wedding that night. The moral of the story: saving a few bucks isn’t worth any degree of worry on your wedding day. Choose to work with a top-rated, well-known company from the start. Does this mean you should never purchase anything from these deal websites? No. These websites are fabulous and fun. Use them to purchase bridesmaids  & groomsmen gifts, accessories and detail items. Or in other words, things that won’t make or break your big day. It’s your wedding. It should be worry-free!