A Dallas-based wedding videography company is under fire for refusing to refund a couple after the bride-to-be passed away before their wedding day.
Justin Montney and Alexis-Athena Wyatt were set to tie the knot in May. Tragically, Wyatt died in a car crash in early February, leaving Montney heartbroken.
Montney soon began contacting all their vendors to cancel arrangements, the majority of whom gave him refunds. One of their vendors, Copper Stallion Media, refused to refund the $1,800 (R31 241) fee the couple had already paid as it was against their policy and the couple had signed a legally-binding contract.
“We replied and expressed our sympathy and explained to him that all of our wedding contracts are non-refundable,” said the company online. “He kept emailing us trying to get a refund and we kept reiterating that the contract is non-refundable. We eventually stopped responding since the issue was moot.”
Montney continued to reach out to the company and after not hearing from them for months, said he would post about their refusal to refund him on social media. Copper Stallion Media then threatened to sue Montney, as well as Wyatt’s family for a negative review Wyatt’s mother had posted on The Knot.
Montney then reached out to a local television station to share his side of the story, along with screenshots of the conversation between him and the company. According to the screenshots, Copper Stallion Media had a few harsh comments, writing “we hope you sob and cry all day for what would have been your wedding day. Sorry, not sorry.” The story quickly sparked outrage.
there’s really people like this in the world. I hope no one hires them and they lose their business pic.twitter.com/OosZZcYaX6
— Tyler. (@Tyler_Macin17) May 24, 2020
According to Buzzfeed, Copper Stallion Media allegedly retaliated by creating a website called JustinMontney.com, on which they state they are building a case against Montney and accuse him of fueling a smear campaign against them, as they have received many negative reviews online since the story broke.
“We will NEVER refund Justin Montney even with the online threats and harassment… If we knew he was going to shake us down, we would have charged a higher deposit,” they allegedly wrote on the site. “Life is a b**ch, Justin.”
The content on the site has since been removed and replaced with a Youtube embed of the song ‘Disillusioned’ by A Perfect Circle.
Buzzfeed also reports that The Knot Worldwide recently discovered that the accounts for Copper Stallion on The Knot and Wedding Wire sites were created under a false identity by a man named Jesse J. Clarke.
There are suspicions that Jesse J. Clarke, the creator of those pages, may also be Jesse J. Clark, a videographer who in 2013 was accused of scamming about 90 couples by not delivering wedding videos as promised, while pocketing their payments.
“As soon as we became aware, we took immediate action and removed Copper Stallion Media from our marketplaces on The Knot and WeddingWire,” the company said.
“We are conducting a thorough investigation across our sites to determine if there are any other businesses that have been created under false identities by individuals associated with Copper Stallion Media and will take quick action to remove any listings that are found,” the Knot said.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family pay for funeral expenses, and over US$15,000 (R260 349) has already been raised.
Feature image: Unsplash
Dancehall musician Sean Paul and his wife Jodi “Jinx” Stewart Henriques celebrated their 8th wedding anniversary yesterday, May 27. The pair, like many others, couldn’t do much to…
Weddings are believed to set the tone for your marriage in some cultures. There are also superstitions that are either a good or bad omen for your marriage. Rain on your wedding day is a good sign. The groom accidentally seeing the bride in her dress, a bad one.
Some may believe in these correlations, but this doesn’t make them fact. Getting hitched in Las Vegas, for instance, may be symbolic of an inevitable failed marriage.
Despite the many, many annulments and divorces that happen after a Sin City wedding – there are a few exceptions to the rule. Here are some of the marriages that have gone the distance in spite of the wedding’s location.
Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas
Yes it’s only been a year, but this couple have already outlasted hundreds, if not thousands, of other Vegas marriages.
Katherine Kelly and Ryan Clark
In 2013 this couple wed in secret in a little ol’ Vegas elopement. The couple is still together 7 years on. The pair have two adorable girls together.
This must be one of the longest standing celeb marriages to have had their wedding in Vegas. The couple wed in 1996 and are still going strong 24 years later.
Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley
The couple, who met in high school and fell in love, wed in Vegas in 1989 and are still together today.
Bette Middler and Martin von Haselberg
The couple got hitched in Vegas in 1984 and are still together 36 years later.
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Fellini Hulaweeni 2014 was a howling success! Here is a glimpse of the fun.
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward
One of Hollywood’s golden couples wed in a Vegas chapel in 1958 and stayed together for over 50 years until Newman’s death.
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Some notably short marriages that give Vegas it’s non-happily-ever-after reputation:
Britney Spears and Jason Alexander lasted 55 hours.
Nicolas Cage and Erika Koike lasted 4 days.
Pamela Anderson and Rick Salomon lasted two months.
Nicky Hilton and Todd Andrew Meister lasted three months.
Image: Instagram/ Paulnewmandaily
Weddings don’t necessarily have to be in fancy hotels or expensive halls. They can be beach-side, river-side, or anywhere you’d like. Similarly, the reception doesn’t have to be…
Most couples meet each other by chance. A lucky encounter that leads to a forever relationship, like sitting next to each other in a university lecture theatre, through a friend, or at work. Some, however, have meet-cutes that are worthy of fairytale status.
Falling in love with a total stranger as you lock eyes across the room is a thing of dreams for many. US YouTuber Malibu Darby and her now husband Aramis Phillips had just that.
The pair were strangers when they attended the same wedding ceremony in 2015, and had never crossed paths before. Neither of them expected that this would be the day they met the love of their life. Of course, they attended the wedding with the intention of enjoying the festivities, celebrating the newly-weds and nothing more.
As luck would have it, both Darby and Phillips were keen to participate in the activities of the day. When the garter toss and bouquet throwing time came around, they both stood up to try their hand at catching the items.
We all know that tradition says if you catch these items, you’re the next in line to get married. Little did these strangers know…
Both Darby caught the bouquet and Phillips caught the garter, and that was it. A few months later they started dating and after three years Phillips popped the question.
5 years ago today some stranger caught the garter and I caught the bouquet. Now he’s my husbanddddd. 5/23/2015 pic.twitter.com/GlL1h9EJX5
— Youtube: MalibuDarby (@MalibuDarby) May 23, 2020
Chatting to Briefly, Darby said that they had a low-key engagement. Her now husband surprised her at work and asked her for her hand in marriage. According to her, the fact that it was at work made it all the more surprising.
“If it happened in a public place like a restaurant or park then I would have known he wanted to ask me to marry him,” she said in an old YouTube video.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjLtP0pht81/
The loved-up couple married on September 21, 2019 and had a blissful honeymoon in Jamiaca thereafter.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2SmbVBAdla/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B17Fmn8gmdJ/
Talk about a fairytale!
Image: Twitter / Youtube: MalibuDarby
Costa Rica legalised same-sex marriage on Tuesday, May 16. At the stroke of midnight, couple Aritza Araya Arguedas and Alexandra Quirós Castillo became the first same-sex pair to…
Bridal fashion is much more than a white wedding dress for many. Cultures and religions across the world have quite varying ideas of what brides should be dressed in, and about what it means to look “bridal”.
Hindu bridal attire is one category of wedding fashion which is particularly interesting. Included in this, is the Solah Shringar – 16 ornaments which are mandatory for the bride to wear. Each item is significant for a different reason:
1. Bindi
A bride is adorned with a bindi which sits between her eyebrows. A round bindi is a symbol of married life. It also has religious implications.
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2. Sindoor
This is a red coloured powder which completes the look of a bride and is applied to the parting of the hair. The colour symbolises marriage and the well-being of the groom.
The groom uses his thumb to apply the powder to his wife’s hair parting towards the end of the ceremony.
According to tradition, the wife should reapply this every morning for the rest of her married life.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAos1V5lWwg/
3. Maang Tikka
The maang tikka is an ornament which is said to highlight the charm of a bride. Commonly made using gold and gems, it is worn on the head – on the central hair parting – and extends to the forehead. The item hangs over the “anja chakra”, which is the home of the body’s mind and intellect.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAjpolgnsDd/
4. Kajal
Also known as Kohl, thid is applied on the edges of eyelids and is similar to eyeliner.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CApWh8jA7Z0/
5. Nath
An accessory worn on the nose, the nath is another symbol of marriage. In some regions, this item is meant only for married women, who should wear it daily.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8_oPwSldNy/
6. Haar
This necklace symbolises prosperity. At times, women replace a heavy piece of jewellery with a gift from her husband to be. This is called a Mangalsutra.
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7. Karn Phool
These earrings are mandatory for the bride. They are often quite large and heavy and thus are supported using the brides hair.
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8. Mendhi
Women apply mendhi or henna to their hands. The designs are symbolic of celebrations, and the colour (maroon) is believed to be auspicious and to signify a variety of things from the love between the pair getting married to wealth and fertility.
Some say that the darker the mendhi the stronger the love is from the groom to the bride.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8ej2jGH13H/
9. Choodiyan
Bangles are also compulsory for the bride. They symbolise prosperity and a long life for the groom. Designs vary between communities, however they are most commonly red and made using gold, glass, or metal.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_8QDnkAFZT/
10. Baajuband
Worn on the upper arm, the armlet is made using gold or silver and may be decorated with pearls or gems. This item is believed to fight away evil spirits.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5XQjHtFAd1/
11. Aarsi and Haathphool
The aarsi is a thumb ring which has a mirror set on it. This allows the bride to get a glimpse of her soon-to-be husband, since tradition states that the bride should not see her groom before and for a large part of the ceremony.
Haathphool is a set of 8 rings which are worn on both hands.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAiPQRSJjia/
12. Keshapasharachana
A hair accessory, consisting of gold ornaments and flowers, which is commonly used to decorate a braid or bun.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_FoId1l5aQ/
13. Kamarband
This item is a gold waistband which is used to highlight the shape of the brides silhouette and to assist with keeping the dress or sari in place.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B01TtX3AcEt/
14. Payal
Said to signify the Goddess Lakshmi, these anklets look beautiful and create a melodious sound. It is commonly a chain tied around the ankle which has little bells attached to it.
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15. Itar
While not a physical item, the perfume complements the Solah Shringar.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3XRWS1J7Q6/
16. Shaadi ka Joda
The bridal dress is commonly a bright colour such as red, maroon, green, or gold and is embroidered from head to toe. The dress itself can be a sari, a lehnga, or salwaar kameez, depending on the region of India where the bride’s family is from.
Lehnga:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdxkeZEApT7/
Sari:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw9XmBsAoRS/
Salwaar Kameez:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9LK53clLzL/
Image: Pexels