Sadat. oJ : » 32 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, May 5, 1987 Weddings need careful, thorough planning | 'Without careful planning, couples intending to tie the matrimonial knot could face major snags. Procrastination over wedding plans frequently causes panic, disappointment and expense when last minute arrangements have to be made. Brides have-had fo wear ill-fitting dresses to the altar, inap- 'propriate bands have been booked, licences and permits have been unobtainable and, in general, poor 49 - 599 Delicately Designed 10KT gold Rings "accented with one to three Diamonds. planning has spoiled the wedding day for some couples. "We get a lot of calls from fran- tic fiancees wanting help when the wrong wedding clothes are delivered," says Roberta Allan of the Ontario Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations (MCCR). "Even if they've got legitimate complaints, how can we' help if the wedding's tomorrow? By thé month before the wedding you 14KT Pearl Gold Chains 30% Off A Great Gift Idea for Mom! PENTLAND JEWELLERS 174 Queen Street, 'Port Perry 985-7641 IVER BOAT." * WATERS © PORT PERAY ONTARIO AMATEUR ARM WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY at CRANDELL' MAY 16th d RIVERBOAT COMPETITION TO START 1:30 WEIGHT DIVISIONS: should be double-checking your ar- rangements, not just starting to shop for a band." Start planning for the event by . making lists of all the necessary ar- rangements and setting priorities. Ask married friends or companies involved in the wedding industry how much time to allow for each task and jot deadlines down in a datebook. 'Ask friends for the names and numbers of anyone they knew who got married locally within the last few years," Allan suggests. ""A list of references for good bakers, photographers, dress shops, caterers and other firms is the most valuable aid you can have when planning a wedding." Most wedding dates are partly dependent on the availability of the desired banquet room, in which case 'this booking should be one of the first orders of business. Before signing a contract for the hall, be sure it clearly identifies all the services to be provided. The number of people -to be accom- modated should be set out along with the date of the event, the ap- propriate time, rooms and facilities to be available and staffing arrangements. ; Contracts for. all types of pur- Farm leaders forward (25% Off ideas The province's interest rate reduction program for 'farmers . should not only be retained, it should be strengthened. Ontario producers in the grains and oilseeds sector, hit by low commodity prices, should be given relief through an extraor- dinary provincial stabilization pay- ment. The feasibility of resource set-aside measures, for example reforestation, should be explored to help farmers cope with the effects of international supply and demand imbalance. These and other recommenda- tions were submitted to Ontario Treasurer Robert Nixon today by leaders of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. The OFA is the largest, direct membership farm organiza- - tion in the province. It has 24,000 farm family and members, plus 26 affiliated organizations including marketing and commodity boards, co- operatives, educational and other rural service groups. OFA president Brigid Pyke stated: "*Agriculture Canada data "shows that agriculture, food pro- cessing and beverage industries generated almost $7 billion in value added in 1983. The economic impor- tance of our sector to Ontario can- not be over-emphasized. We believe the sector is a good long term invest- ment. Ontario, with its strong growth economy and high provin- cial government revenues, has the ability to make that investment. We're looking today for Mr. Nixon's commitment. "This is particularly opportune - when you consider that after our Brief to Cabinet last Fall and after in-depth discussions with the opposi- tion political party caucuses, the associate , chases should list the total price, method of payment, any applicable financing charges, and special fees. For complex deals, ask that itemiz- ed costs be included in the written agreement. Try to keep deposits to 10 percent 'at most and remember, you -are unlikely to get that initial payment back even if the wedding is called off. "The general rules about deposits and contracts apply to bank book- _ ings, clothing rentals, flower pur- chases and most services bridal parties buy," Allan says. '"The more specific the written arrangements, the less likely misunderstandings "will arise. When a wedding's involv- ed, misunderstandings often lead to anxiety -- although panic may be a better word." Dresses are a major source of wedding-related complaints to the ministry. While a trouble-free pur- chase can't be guaranteed, there are ways to decrease the risks, Allan says. Insist on receiving the dress at least a month before the wedding. Try to have a clause included on your order stating, "deposit to be refunded if goods not delivered by Before buying, ask about altera- tion costs. Many shops advertise "normal alterations" are free What's normal? Is trim glued on or stitched? Can the dress be dry cleaned safely? Once the final choice is made, get a sample of the fabric and take a picture of the model gown to avoid future confusion over which one you actually bought. The ministry also gets complaints about high pressure wedding photography sales. Many reputable photographers sell their services as package deals, providing a fixed number of prints for a preset price. _ Unfortunately, unethical companies often push newlyweds into buying stacks of extra prints during the ex- citement of choosing the pictures. Contracts for $450 have been in- creased in price to $2,000 in a mat- ter of minutes. These contracts cannot be cancelled once signed and customers with second thoughts about buying the extra prints may not get any pictures at all if they - refuse to pay in full. "'Steel yourself not to get carried away over the photos," Allan says. "If you must buy more, draw upa separate contract." Consumers who feel they have been unfairly treated can ask a con: sumer services bureau of MCCR to mediate. With Love to Mom SPECIAL DRESSES BLOUSES CO-ORDINATES SLACKS May 6, 7, 8,9 Dor-Jean Fashions | 187 Queen St., Port Perry X Phone 985-8274 (Across from the Post Office) New! Modern method eg LANN FOOD Like the -- No sprayer needed * Covers 320 m' 3 400 sq. fr) * Professionol qubMy fortiizer. with 25% 84 its nitrogen in slow release fem. for more continuous feeding. PROFESSIONALS 135 Ibs. & under 136 Ibs. to 150 Ibs. 151 Ibs. to 175 Ibs. 176 Ibs. to 200 Ibs. 201 Ibs. & over Bantam Weight Fly Weight Light Weight Middle Weight Heavy Weight DOOR PRIZES FOR SPECTATORS WEIGH IN from 11:00 to 1:30 $10.00 Entrant's Fee Mike Kuchenk 579-9008 LADIES OPEN provincial legislature unanimously passed a resolution callifig on the government of Ontario to increase its overall financial assistance to agriculture producers. The political support is obviously there. But it's +--*time to translate the good iritehtions into action." PORT PERRY FEEDS 40 Veanedward Dr., Port Perry 9885-73683 (behind Philp Pontiac-Buick Ltd. Dealership)