OK, Seriously...I can't handle this

[ForKeeps]

I still don't have my BEO!!!! It's driving me nuts. I know that they're really busy, and I'm trying to be patient but there's like only 11 business days before the wedding.


I mean, this can't be normal can it? I have heard from my WC (like 2 weeks ago) not to worry about the fact that 30 days has come and gone and she'll get me the invoice when it's ready...but how long can it take to draft up the standard intimate wedding + 4 corsages + 1 extra bottle of cuvee? That's all there is to the whole thing.

I guess I'm just a bit too stressed right now.

 

[Funniebunny]

Take a nice deep breath and relax.

I'm sure everything will be fine. If you are concerned drop your wc an email or give her a call.

I hope it is all sorted soon for you

 

[StephSFL]

I would call to tell her that you aren't comfortable with how long this is taking and how you are feeling. If you can't get ahold of her or the assistant, I would talk to someone else.
You don't need to be worried about this less than a month before the wedding. This just doesn't seem right.
I hope everything works out.

 

[Eeyore3838]

I had this same dilemma. Our wedding is 1/11/07, and around the beginning of December, I started getting really worried that I didn't yet have my BEO. I emailed my WC and she said I should be getting it this week. Well, that week came and went and I didn't have it. Then I thought of something to add last week, and she said I could do that since she was in the process of doing my BEO right then. I figured it would be really hard to get the BEO in a month in advance with how long it was taking. But I finally got my emailed copy of the BEO last friday 12/8. And she gave me til 12/18 to have it in. I sent it in a few days back since I had been heavily anticipating the arrival. But it kept me on edge too just to think that the wedding was coming up so soon and I still haven't paid for it. But all is fine now, and I am anxiously awaiting this wedding! You may just want to get in touch with your WC just to be sure that they are indeed working on it. Good luck to you!

 

[TinkBride]

I would ABSOLUTELY be calling ASAP!

How many days before the wedding are you leaving? They should be giving you a BEO very soon. I would demand it. I know that seems pushy and maybe even nasty, but with the money you are paying them, no matter how big or small, you need that BEO out of the way so you can get your final payment in.

I would not let this go any longer, i would be calling today and demanding it be sent.

My wedding is in about 2.5 months, and I am already concerned about the same thing. i was told mine was to be mailed out a month ago and I have received nothing.

I know they are busy and have a lot going on with the holidays and all the weddings, but they should still take care of their upcoming weddings with the same care and urgency.

 

[Maggimus]

I did all of my business through e-mail, then printed everything and fixed what was needed, then faxed the paper info to her and snail mailed the money with a copy of what I faxed. Maybe this will help things move along. At this point you might be better off hand delivering your money once you get to Florida. GL

 

[ForKeeps]

Thanks to everyone who's responded so far...

I sent my WC an e-mail yesterday at 2PM (pretty much all of the communication I received from her has been this way. I find she rarely answers her phone and returns my messages that I leave to her voicemail via e-mail).


We leave Jan 1, and my big concern is that we're running into the holidays...


I asked her to at least run my credit card for the base price of the wedding even though I hadn't received the BEO and then I'll supplement the rest as soon as I have the invoice. The biggest problem is just dealing with the credit card. If for some reason the transaction doesn't go through and I have to deal with it there's not a whole lot of business days left. Plus I'll need to pay off the card in time to be able to use it again when we leave and that takes time too.

I've decided that if I don't have an e-mail by 3 I'm going to call until I speak to someone.

 

[Maggimus]

I think that is a good idea. I had a problem using my debit card so I had to continuously call my bank and give Disney permission to take out that much. My coordinator didnt take out the money on the date we discussed so each time she waited on the process, was another day I was on the phone with the banks.

GL... i would continue to call and if worst came to worst, demand speaking with someone. If they dont get the money, that is their loss... but you at least need to see your event order and make sure they havent messed up on things.

 

[ForKeeps]

I just wanted to thank everyone again for their support. It's been so hard not having a lot of contact with DFTWs, but I guess that's what you sign up for...

I did finally speak with someone and was assured that the BEO is coming.


I feel better just actually hearing that they haven't forgotten about me.

 

[tesseract]

Mine is 3 months out but I'm already feeling the same, our WC has not responded to us in over a month and we've yet to finalize any of our details. Thanks for posting about your experience, makes me realize I'm not the only bride

I do wonder why we're paying so much for bad customer service. I mean if you think about the amount of money we're spending and compare it to the type of service you would receive should you spend that money elsewhere then none of us are being treated appropriately.

Does anyone know if they're going to fix this situation soon??

 

[ForKeeps]

Mine is 3 months out but I'm already feeling the same, our WC has not responded to us in over a month and we've yet to finalize any of our details. Thanks for posting about your experience, makes me realize I'm not the only bride

I do wonder why we're paying so much for bad customer service. I mean if you think about the amount of money we're spending and compare it to the type of service you would receive should you spend that money elsewhere then none of us are being treated appropriately.

Does anyone know if they're going to fix this situation soon??

I'm glad you posted because it reminded me to post a follow up. I FINALLY received my BEO this Tuesday -- 16 days before the wedding. I had my planning pages in the last week of August and did not change the bouquet or cake or anything. I was SO stressed out because I didn't have it, and I voiced my concern to my WP several times.

Frankly she just didn't seem to care. I'm disappointed with my experience with DFTW so far, and I don't think the quality of service is on par with what Disney usually commands.

I understand that they are extremely busy, and I understand that in comparison to a custom wedding I'm not spending that much. But I am still a Disney Bride and I think I should at least get to talk to my WP to go over everything (which never happened), and have my e-mails, voicemails returned within 48 hours (never happened). And by all means I should have had my BEO AT LEAST 4 weeks out, not 2 weeks and during a very hectic time of year.

I have learned something from the experience that may help others. Simply tell them what you want. Don't ask. I was always really passive and couched questions in a deferential way. Like:

I would really appreciate it if you could do X. I know you're busy, but it's really important that....

Nothing ever got done when I approached things that way. It's sad because I was trying to be nice in an effort to not be a bridezilla. It seems though that you only get things done when you become the squeeky wheel.

I hope posting this will help someone else. Personally I plan on writing it all down in a letter to the Director.

 

[Maggimus]

ForKeeps I am really glad you got it.

 

[ForKeeps]

ForKeeps I am really glad you got it.

Thanks Maggimus...and thanks again for all your support. It is a relief that everything is set to go.

Now I'm getting excited. I have a few more things to do (programs and personalized itineraries so people know where they need to be and when...and other than that I'm set.

I'm even getting really excited about writing a TR when I get back.

We leave in 10 days!

 

[TinkBride]

ForKeeps:

Are you just paying them when you get there or are you sending your payment in? This situation has me concerned. We are 2.5 months out and no word from my planner or anything in quite a while, so I can't even imagine where our budget stands........way to stress out the bride huh!?

 

[friendofgusgus]

I have learned something from the experience that may help others. Simply tell them what you want. Don't ask. I was always really passive and couched questions in a deferential way. Like:

I would really appreciate it if you could do X. I know you're busy, but it's really important that....

Nothing ever got done when I approached things that way. It's sad because I was trying to be nice in an effort to not be a bridezilla. It seems though that you only get things done when you become the squeeky wheel.

ForKeeps is absolutely right, and this is the one piece of advice I would give to any DFTW bride.

I am now 11 days past my Disney wedding and it was not until less than 24 hours before, when I finally started yelling, that anyone at DFTW paid any notice to my concerns. Concerns that I had been voicing by phone and email for months went to the Sunday afternoon before a Monday morning wedding - and I can't help but feel that if I'd started yelling louder a lot sooner I might have saved myself a ton of stress and upset.

If you are dissatisfied with your planner, go over her head. Don't know where to go? Call the 800 number for information and ask to speak with a supervisor. Don't stop until you speak with someone. The email that my planner promised both my husband (then my DF) and I we would receive from her supervisor never came.

I can't help but wonder if so many of us have the same planner - and she continues to cause problems because so many of us haven't let anyone really know what's going on...

Don't let them take your wedding for granted - it's better to complain befprehand and get what you want than to write a letter later explaining what should have been!

Jennifer
Intimate Wedding 12/11/06

 

[friendofgusgus]

I have learned something from the experience that may help others. Simply tell them what you want. Don't ask. I was always really passive and couched questions in a deferential way. Like:

I would really appreciate it if you could do X. I know you're busy, but it's really important that....

Nothing ever got done when I approached things that way. It's sad because I was trying to be nice in an effort to not be a bridezilla. It seems though that you only get things done when you become the squeeky wheel.

ForKeeps is absolutely right, and this is the one piece of advice I would give to any DFTW bride.

I am now 11 days past my Disney wedding and it was not until less than 24 hours before, when I finally started yelling, that anyone at DFTW paid any notice to my concerns. Concerns that I had been voicing by phone and email for months went to the Sunday afternoon before a Monday morning wedding - and I can't help but feel that if I'd started yelling louder a lot sooner I might have saved myself a ton of stress and upset.

If you are dissatisfied with your planner, go over her head. Don't know where to go? Call the 800 number for information and ask to speak with a supervisor. Don't stop until you speak with someone. The email that my planner promised both my husband (then my DF) and I we would receive from her supervisor never came.

I can't help but wonder if so many of us have the same planner - and she continues to cause problems because so many of us haven't let anyone really know what's going on...

Don't let them take your wedding for granted - it's better to complain beforehand and get what you want than to write a letter later explaining what should have been!

Jennifer
Intimate Wedding 12/11/06

 

[ForKeeps]

ForKeeps:

Are you just paying them when you get there or are you sending your payment in? This situation has me concerned. We are 2.5 months out and no word from my planner or anything in quite a while, so I can't even imagine where our budget stands........way to stress out the bride huh!?

I paid using my credit card as soon as I received the BEO. That part did work out ok, I didn't have the problems with running such a large payment as I had anticipated. One thing that I was told in September was that they can run partial payments before the amount comes due if that is a concern. Initially I only had a credit card with a limit of $2500, so I was going to run a couple of $1000 payments beforehand. Because I knew the base price was $3600, I figured I could pre-pay that much and then pay whatever the excess was in the last month.

Then in September when I went to my annual student line of credit meeting with my bank, they offered me a VISA with a limit of $5000. When the Canadian dollar took a hit in October I reconsidered and was just planning on paying everything in December hoping the dollar would rebound. It did work out ok in the end.

It was helpful to know you can "pre-pay". Something to keep in mind if you're concerned.

 

[ForKeeps]

Concerns that I had been voicing by phone and email for months went to the Sunday afternoon before a Monday morning wedding - and I can't help but feel that if I'd started yelling louder a lot sooner I might have saved myself a ton of stress and upset.

I has the exact same thought. It's a shame really....I really dislike getting upset with people. But if nothing happens until you do....what choice do you have?

I can't help but wonder if so many of us have the same planner - and she continues to cause problems because so many of us haven't let anyone really know what's going on...

I wonder the EXACT same thing!

Hopefully this will help brides that are now getting to be about a couple months out.

 

[JonetteA]

I don't know if this helps, but I never did get a completed final BEO. I paid the 30 day out mark what I thought we owed. The wedding went under what we paid in advance. We ended up gettting a refund when the accounting paperwork goes through. I used the "installment" plan as well and had to call the credit card company every time b/c they kept denying the transaction because it was too much. If you have a debit card there are certain daily limits you can not go over. Check with your bank to see what these are!

In the custom arena we got a few versions of this b/c of cost. I am not sure how they do it for the intimate. All I did was make sure that the timing for the wedding was correct on the BEO and it had the items we had talked about.

Conentrate on getting down there and having a good time is my advice. Know that Disney will get the money from you, have no doubt! =)

 

[Disney Nay Nay]

Hello, ForKeeps Who is your wedding planner. I had my BEO in Sept & my wedding is next weekend (1/6/07). Of course I've revised it a couple times since then.