Wedding picture dilemma

[red-rose-in-winter]

My next door neighbor had quite a dilemma the other day. Tell me who's in the right here in this situation.....

Ok, my neighbor works in a local newspaper office. Brides-to-be bring in their engagement and wedding photos to be published in the paper. Well, the bride's mother brings in the bride's picture and a "write up" of what she wants the wedding announcement to say in the paper.

Ok, the deadlines for publication (the paper only comes out once a week on Thursdays) are no later than Monday by noon for that Thursday's paper. The bride's mother says that she wants the picture to appear in THAT Thursday's paper. The wedding isn't until that Saturday.

My neighbor doesn't realize that the picture of the bride will come out BEFORE the wedding even happens!!! Apparently the mother of the bride didn't realize it either ---because she specifically wanted the picture to come out in that week's paper.

So my neighbor sends the picture and the "write up" to her boss who is the Editor of the paper -- and even the Editor doesn't catch the mistake. Then that week's edition of the paper comes out, and my neighbor gets a phone call from the bride-to-be saying that she has a complaint. She wasn't really upset, she was just worried she'd have to pay the $75.00 again for putting her picture in the paper next week.

Then about an hour later, the father of the bride calls and cusses my neighbor out for making the mistake. He was actually MORE upset than the bride was. He threatened to have my neighbor fired, basically called her incompetent, and said that she had ruined his daughter's wedding day.

My neighbor came over to my house that day and she was really upset. The Editor of the paper called her and said that kind of thing happens a lot, and to not let the father of the bride bother her. In a way I can understand why they were upset, but the mother of the bride DID specifically say she wanted the picture in that week's paper. But on the other hand, my neighbor and especially the Editor should have caught the mistake BEFORE it was published.

What do you think?

[gaia]

In the great scheme of things it's not really that important. It's just an announcement in the local paper. Much worse cock-ups happened on my wedding day, but I didn't really mind because I was happy to be getting married.

I think everyone (esp brides' parents) can get a bit over-emotional about things in the run up to the wedding.

 

The bride's mother insisted it went in this week's paper. I think she carries the responsibility, but if your editor wanted to be nice he could run it again this week for free.

 

Look at it this way - in 5 years time, how important will it seem?

[befuddled11]

The mother of the bride clearly instructed the picture and write-up be published in that particular week's paper. So that is what was done. I don't think it's up to the Editor to question it. Sure, had he realized the wedding 'date' mentioned in the write-up, and realized the wedding hadn't yet happened, out of courtesy he could have called and brought it to the family's attention and just made a confirmation.....but really, I don't think he's obligated to at all. What the mother asked and paid for, was done. Simple as that. The father of the bride was way out of line, and if such a small error (small in the grand scheme of things) could really ruin his daughter's wedding day, well then someone's got some problems. It's about the marriage, not the wedding. Dad needs to get a grip. I'm glad the Editor wasn't hard on your neighbor....she did nothing wrong.

[moimeme]

The customer is always right, even when the customer is wrong as wrong can be. I'm sure your friend and the Editor knew better than to argue with a mother of the bride who had her mind made up! The father didn't want to blame his wife for her goof so he goes off on the Editor instead. I'm sure the Editor must have thought this was a deliberate decision since anybody should be able to figure out that this Thursday has to be before the Saturday!!!

[quankanne]

ultimately, it's up to the editor when said piece will run. And I'm sure in this instance, editors have had beaucoups run-ins with well-meaning brides, mothers of brides and fathers of brides, so he let the dang piece run as requested. As moimeme points out, the customer is always right, even when (s)he is wrong!

 

tell your friend not to worry about the incident, and to just pass phone calls on to the next level, i.e., her managing editor. That's what they're paid for -- to deal with the jerks when something doesn't turn out "right."