July 2

Other Thoughts

(This has not been proofread due lack of time.)

On July 2, I have to go to the bank to have the money to pay for my balance for the restaurant and to pay for the musicians on the wedding day.

On July 3, we have to meet with my lawyer to go to the police station to see how many days are left on Jayne’s visa. We already know, but this is to start the process of her getting her resident visa.

Then on to the tailors as Jayne’s dress should be ready and my vest. The cost to have a tailor made dress is $70, and for the vest $20. From there, to look for a wedding cake.
Then to see the women who will be putting decorations on the table and also to ask her to pick up the wedding cake.

Forgot to say that on July 1 we visited my friend, Matt. I said that the manager said that a person can have a three course dinner from anything in the menu and the cost will be $35 person. Then we decided to allow the people to have only a couple of choices. However on the choices it only said fish, so I asked Matt if he could call up to see if we can have salmon. Why have a cheaper fish, and one that might not be as good?

Matt made the call and talked to the manager. He said it was ok. Also he asked what time the people can come to set up for the wedding and he said at 2.30pm. That is great! It’s also good that Matt did this for us.

I also dropped off the shirt that was tailor made for him and the cuff links. We’ll have the same shirt and cuff links. Jayne picked out quality material so the shirt doesn’t look like a school shirt. The shirts were also made so the buttons will be covered up.

Matt really like everything and said that to buy it in the store would cost $100. My cost was only $21 for the material and tailor work.

Thinking Back

If I had thought back about our second meeting with Giovanna, I should have got an indication of how she runs her business. And I should have cancelled doing business with her.

When she first told us that one musician cost $250 for one hour, I told her it was high. She said that is the going rate and that I could check around to see. I should have taken her advice to see and if I did, I would have found out that the price was a couple of times higher. Naturally, she didn’t want me to check around but by saying so, it would make her look honest.

I just recognized that the price was too high and then asked her how much it would be for a DJ. But the price of a musician, still photographer and video photographer should have made me do some investigation. If I did, it would have told me two things:

1 – That she was being quoted high prices but didn’t have the business sense to check around, and
2 – That she does know the real prices (which is probably the answer) and doubles or triples the price.

In either case, I would have known not to deal with her at an early stage in the wedding planning.

For example, on July 1st my lawyer told me about her wedding – which was just last year. She said that it cost her $130/hour for two violinists to play. That would compare to $65/hr per person from what she paid to $250/hr per person from what Giovanna said.

This is the psychology of dealing with a friend whom you also deal with on a business. First, there are friends who treat you right on a personal level and also on a business level. Then you have someone who is a friend but just know how to run a business – not that they are necessarily cheating you but they just don’t know what the current prices are, for example.
Finally, you have someone who will try to make more money from you.

When you do deal with a friend and also deal on a business level, you must not think that everything you are told is correct. You’ve got to separate the friend sitting in front of you from the business. Therefore, it’s best to look at that person as a stranger and ask questions, do some checking around and don’t take their word for it.

Sometimes when you do this, depending on the character of your friend, you might lose that person as a friend or that friend would understand if you go somewhere else for business.

Though I lost $200 dealing with Giovanna (and about 6 hours of time), it could have been more. I lost the $200 as the deposit was not refundable. I could have gone through and bought everything she said. I would have paid $250 for one musician for one hour, then $140 for a DJ for three hours. Then a photographer for $240 (that took bad pictures from the samples we saw). Then there would have been $400 for the video camera man (and who knows what kind of pictures that would have been). Then $200 for a limo or a horse and carriage ride. The unknown factor would have been what kind of waiter service we would have gotten? How would the food be? How much noise would there be from either the people in her restaurant (since she expected to have a lot of people)?

I could have spent. That would have been (if I bought the ‘whole package’) over $1,200 and not having the quality wedding Jayne and I should be getting.

But as it stood even if we continued to deal with her, I would have lost that much as I did get other musicians and photographers and not used the limo/carriage service, but we feel that the quality would not have been there either. Mainly because we would not have had our own waiters nor enough of them.

What Jayne and I got for my $200 lost?

We got a better location – the most beautiful square in Quito

A beautiful restaurant

First three hours of the restaurant to ourselves (as it’s not opened until 7pm to the public)

Better service (I’m sure)

Better foodFree non-alcoholic drinks

No bottling fees for the champagne that we are bringing

A wedding shop that makes beautiful table decorations at a reasonable cost (which Giovanna showed us)

A worker at the wedding shop who will deliver and set up the tables at no charge

Not outside noise to worry about

The restaurant being closer to our hotel

More beautiful pictures because of its location.

Tips

Always check prices even if you are dealing with a friendAsk other friends what their suggestion is and especially those who had a wedding there.