STEM - even better, Warren’s buddy Bill convinced him to donate at least some of the money. 
Read the article… The father is a lawyer?! What grade did he get in his contracts class?! Oh my. BTW, a well drafted contract is a CYA for both parties.
^^^ That was my thought as well Bunsen. No contracts? Really?
If they wanted a private, tasteful event and are disturbed by publicity, why arrange for the wedding to be covered by Brides magazine? As someone in the WaPo comments pointed out, the numbers of pictures of linens and fabrics and the number of references to Porthault would seem to indicate that this was at least partly a PR exercise. I wonder if they can write some of it off?
Loved the MOB’s dress. Sweet that she made the flower girl dress herself. Too bad that so many people see fit to make cruel remarks about her appearance in ONE photo.
CD, this cracked me up: “HELP…I can’t see the brownies!!!”
I am sure many CCers are “rich” by someone else’s standard and have so much money 
Is this a case of 1%er bitching about 0.1%er?
Can the planner still win in the court when they don’t have a contract?
Even better, start a business that hires a lot of people.
Sounds like another rich person I know who stiffs the help.
Re: Warren Buffett. He gives billions to philanthropy and has promised to give away 99% of all his money through donations to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. What a selfish person.
Apperently others had the same thought about the mom’s facelift:
Really, @Iglooo - you got that I’m “bitching” from what I’ve posted? So sorry. No bitching intended, I assure you.
What I find interesting about the story is not that someone might spend $1 million or $50 bajillion on a wedding, but that they could then be disappointed enough in the event to pursue a lawsuit afterwards. Thanks to @CountingDown for linking the Brides magazine article. The main event seems to have been beautifully done, with lots of individualized touches from the MOB, an obviously talented woman. The bride seems to have been delighted about the whole thing. At least that’s how the magazine article reads. Doesn’t exactly strengthen the case against the wedding planner.
A lawyer who doesn’t get a contract for his daughter’s 7-figure wedding? How is that not his own fault?
The credit for the link goes to @CountingDown
I belatedly realized that - sorry! (I can’t tell which of the emoticons is for blushing, but consider it inserted here )
Regrading the mother of the bride – I think her green and white dress is stunning!
It’s the other way around…the wedding planner is suing them for non-payment.
The wedding planner is listed only as having handled the US wedding, not the France wedding (in the article CountingDown posted). The WaPo article makes both sides sound like jerks. They will probably mediate this, and as they say, the sign of a good mediation is when neither side is happy. Sounds like the florist tried to run interference for them, but only partially succeeded.
The MOB’s dress is a very attractive fabric pattern. I am personally not a fan of the “shorter in the front” dress. Again, JMO, and I make no apologies for sharing my opinion :-w
Love the greenery on the fabric. It was an amazing wedding…
Dang… satisfying one’s curiosity is going to cost $99. Not going to spend that. 
https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/20617803/Mindy_Weiss_Party_Consultants,_Inc_v_Carl_et_al
Gosh. I think the MOB looks fine, and very beautiful in the wedding shots. 1 million dollars and 250 people is not that extravagant if you’re super rich and in the Hamptons. They had the ceremonies at their homes. If you owned a fabric company, why wouldn’t you design a custom fabric and monogrammed napkins for your child? I certainly would. I mean, if I were a poet, I’m write them a poem. If I were a carpenter, I’d build them an arch. She’s in the fabric business–she made them napkins and tablecloths.
This wedding planner gives me the heebie jeebies. Flying in a staff from another coast without mentioning it? That alone seems crooked.
Sorry - I thought they were counter-suing. (I better learn which of those emoticons is for blushing.) Thanks, @jonri - wish I could go back to fix the OP to avoid confusion.
That still seems to be a pretty sticky wicket. The planner doesn’t have a contract to pull out to demonstrate what she was promised. But as a businesswoman, shouldn’t she have? But then, shouldn’t she also have had a plan for rain?
Here are some of the family’s beefs:
I guess this just sounded like someone who was suing to me! (blushing emoticon AGAIN.)
MWPC is a very sophisticated company… They even recommend having a contract in the book co-authored by one of the owners…
Agree with the thought that it is stunning that there was no budget and detailed contract - the father of the bride was a lawyer. But if I had to point fingers I think Weiss showed the least intelligence here. She advanced funds on behalf of a client with no budget or contract. Did she never give her clients an update on what costs were to date? No intermittent billing during that whole period? Seems like she was very negligent and perhaps just didn’t want them to pull in the reigns so didn’t keep them apprised.
Then to make matters worse the situation escalated to the point of litigation and she is now decimated in the press. Her business is going to take a hit and she is going to incur legal costs. Bad deal all around for her.
Agree, @HarvestMoon1! If all of that is true, MWPC dropped the ball big time!
Here’s another, more recent article about Joan Carl, the mom. Yes, it’s a puff piece, but to me she comes across as a more interesting, hard working person than I would have expected.
They’ve only owned the linen company since 2005. She had been a loyal customer for a lot of years and it sounds as if it was in financial trouble and the Carls stepped in to save the company…and the jobs involved.
Oh, and another of their children has married since Alex, the older daughter, did.
http://www.theglampad.com/2017/02/style-profile-joan-carl-owner-of-d.html