After almost 700 couples joined as the highest rated wedding officiant in Cincinnati, I have dealt with a lot of real couples, a lot of strange inquiries, and more than a few attempted scams. So far, I have fallen for exactly 0 of them. That isn’t because I am magical. It is because scamming is a numbers game and scammers usually disappear when the process gets even slightly inconvenient.
Wedding professionals are easy targets because our work often begins online. Couples contact us through email, text, website forms, wedding websites, social media, and vendor directories. Most of the time, those inquiries are real. Sometimes they are not. Scammers know wedding vendors are used to talking with strangers, answering questions quickly, and trying to be helpful. That is exactly what they try to exploit.
Here are the steps wedding vendors can use to avoid scams.
Start by having one way that couples book your services and make every couple use that one method. Having one process makes me look professional and reduces the things I have to keep track of. It also weeds out the problem people. If someone isn’t willing to spend five minutes filling out my contact form, why should I spend 45 minutes talking to them?
I use Honeybook for this and if you click on this link you can try it out
For simple services like elopements, my Honeybook form allows the couple to check my calendar and make payment. That cuts down on the repetitive “When are you available?” questions. Collecting payment in advance also makes sure I get paid, even if the couple cancel so I didn’t change my Friday night plans and for no reason.
For more in depth services like a custom wedding, it allows them to fill out a more in depth questionnaire that gives me all the info I need to write their ceremony.
Either way, the scammers and time wasters are filtered out so I only have to deal with real couples who have real interest in hiring me.
Every serious wedding inquiry should include a phone number. Before you spend much time replying, run that number through a service like Phone Validator at https://www.phonevalidator.com/.
Scammers often use fake phone number apps like Google Voice or Bandwidth.com because they do not want to be traced, verified, or called. A valid cell phone number will be linked to a valid cell phone company. A real phone number does not prove someone is legitimate, but it is one of the fastest ways to spot a suspicious inquiry.
Many wedding scams start with messages that feel generic. The scammer may avoid giving real details. They may use odd phrasing. They may sound overly formal. They may give you a wedding date but no venue. The address they give is a house or parking lot. They may ask about your services without seeming to know what service they actually need.
That does not mean every awkward message is a scam. Real couples get nervous, anxious, distracted, and can just be bad at email. The warning sign is when the details do not line up and the person keeps avoiding direct communication
Common red flags include:
If they do any of these things, be on guard until you have their retainer charged to their credit card.
If you are suspicious, ask for a phone call or video call. Scammers will almost always make excuses not to talk. Many of them rely on AI or translation tools to write emails, and a live conversation makes that much harder.
The call does not need to be long. Ask normal wedding questions:
Even if a couple is still figuring out the details, real couples will have some answers and not avoid the questions. Scammers tend to stay vague because vague gives them room to keep the scam going.
This is important for every wedding vendor. If you are setting up a video call, you create the meeting and send the link to the couple. Never click on a meeting link sent by someone you do not know.
A scammer may send a fake Zoom, Google Meet, or calendar link that looks harmless. Clicking it can install malware, steal passwords, or compromise your computer. That one click can turn a fake wedding inquiry into a very real business problem.
Use your own Zoom, Google Meet, or scheduling system and send your own link. Don’t accept excuses or make exceptions
If you are one of those artificial officiants that only accept cash so that you can commit tax fraud, this part isn’t for you.
Wedding vendors should only accept payments through a trusted credit card processor.
Do not accept checks.
Do not accept wire transfers.
Do not accept unusual payment arrangements.
If you are one of those businesses that only
One common wedding vendor scam involves the scammer sending a fake check or overpayment. Then they ask you to refund part of the money or send money to another vendor. The original payment eventually fails, and you are left responsible for the money you sent.
A real client should be able to pay through your normal system. If someone insists on a check, wire transfer, overpayment, third-party payment, or refund arrangement, stop communicating until they agree to your normal payment process.
I am repeating this because switching to HoneyBook and using contact forms was the one single biggest improvement in my business for a dozen different reasons.
Make potential clients fill out an online contact form before you spend much time with them. Scammers prefer email because they can use AI, templates, and copy-and-paste messages. Fewer scammers will take the time to complete a real contact form on your website.
Your form does not need to be complicated. Ask for:
That gives you the information you need for your first phone call.
I realize some wedding officiants are desperate and have to use the third party services because it is hard to build a business on our own. That makes the people who use those services an easy target.
Scammers love these services because they can contact multiple victims with the click of one button. They also know if someone is gullible enough to fall for the marketing hype of a those third party wedding websites, they are more likely to fall for other scams.
Many services pretend not to know an inquiry is a scammer because they get paid even if you get scammed. They make excuses like “Scams are an worldwide problem and there is nothing we can do about it.” If you don’t believe that WeddingPro or Thumbtack are in on the scamming, read this article or search reddit for all the evidence and make your own decision. Also do a quick internet search and you will understand why 7 out of 10 wedding professionals believe these services are a waste of time and money.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/04/07/does-the-knot-have-a-fake-brides-problem
If you can avoid those sites, your business will benefit in the long run. If you are currently stuck with them, start planning your exit.
Years ago I realized the scammers and the couples that were trying to play games did the same things. They use excuses and weird situations to try to trick wedding professionals into doing something they normally wouldn’t.
Disrespectful couples don’t want to pay you a retainer because they are hoping to find someone that will charge less. Scammers often try to create urgency and pressure. They want you to move fast, skip your normal steps, click a link, accept a strange payment, or trust a long explanation that does not quite make sense.
Good wedding clients will understand professional boundaries. They may be in a hurry, but they will still respect a real business process. Scammers get frustrated when you slow things down because their scam depends on speed and confusion.
Having your process protects you. If they don’t respect the process, they don’t respect you.
One red flag may have an innocent explanation. Several red flags together are a pattern.
A couple with a busy schedule is normal. A couple who cannot talk, has a fake phone number, sends suspicious links, avoids your form, and wants to pay by check is not normal.
The biggest difference between us and the artificial officiants is that we have a process that is professional at every step from the contact form to signing the contract. The same goes for avoiding wedding scams.
After almost 700 couples joined and 0 scams fallen for, I can tell you that scammers do not want to work very hard. They want the easy target. So don’t be an easy target.
