Really, can’t we just enjoy the voyeurism while it lasts? Without judging us, some anon bunch on a forum? Enjoy!
I’m just disappointed that my invitation got lost in the mail…
Hey, count your blessings, @gouf78. Just imagine how much you would have had to spend on your attire and the wedding present! 
That would have been a very expensive plate to cover.
I am really enjoying this discussion. IMO, the story could make a good contract law hypo… Think about the endless possibilities for testing some key concepts: contracts for services v contracts for sale of goods, parol evidence, reliance, unjust enrichment, oh my.
@Consolation at least @gouf78 's heel covers would be free.
You could always crash the party provided(IMO) the food, desserts, and drinks are worth the bother…
You all are expecting that I was actually gonna bring a gift!
Don’t even think I’d even try to cover the cost of the dinner!
My fabulous presence would have to be enough. Well, not enough really but it would have to be “good enough.”
Don’t they already have everything? Or just go buy it?
Oh yeah, a wedding video…but forget that.
They could probably make a better one out of iphone videos of the guests.
(I can see it now–“Everyone silence your phones in honor of this special occasion(s)…”
Guest: “Yeah, right! Aunt Sue won’t believe this until she sees it!”
Hmmm…what in the world did the gift table look like? (“Take that back–we already have 4 of those!”)
(I personally think the value of personal gifts is greater than a dollar number. Otherwise the lawsuit for a video wouldn’t exist. Memories are very important.)
“You all are expecting that I was actually gonna bring a gift!”
Who knows? Maybe you’d be sued for breach of implied contract.
Don’t forget that you will need to report to the irs the amount over $28k ($14k per person) given to the couple… 
Honest question…and of course we don’t know all the facts. and probably won’t. ever.
(I’m going with the “both sides are probably good people at heart looking for different outcomes…”
As a very affluent consumer with money to burn/enjoy/sprinkle on humanity…
Do you think Weiss holding the video “hostage” helps her case?
How about especially her business?
It gives her leverage in this situation but it makes her seem vindictive. Who wants a vindictive wedding planner?
He’ll eventually get the video.
But will her business take a hit?
Two sides to every story.
BUT as a customer looking to hire Weiss…would you?
The one memory thing that recorded the entire event you may not get?
Bunsen–that was never happening!
And the entanglements could be so much like a Gordian knot that the amount of alcoholic beverages required will bring the idea of the “bar exam” to a whole new level…
I’m sure both sides have PR teams that know how to manipulate this in each side’s favor. I’d bet Mindy gets a lot of looks at her photo gallery and new clients who believe it’s all Carl’s fault. In her case, I’d think she has plenty of positive references.
@gouf78, no, I wouldn’t hire Weiss after this. Definitely not if the wedding were located outside of her usual California stomping ground.
I don’t really get Carl’s complaints about Weiss using vendors from California. If you hire a wedding planner, one of the reasons why is to access their network, experience, and reputation. Someone with years of experience has built up an established working relationship with people where its mutually beneficial for all parties. Weiss has people she treats well and gives repeat business to. In exchange, vendors and employees work hard for her and provide reliable service and consistent quality. They are used to knowing each other’s patterns, which makes things more efficient and minimizes issues. A short hand, so to speak. If you are hiring a building contractor with a good reputation to build your house for you, you are doing it with the expectation that he/she will use subcontractors and tradespeople that they’ve used in the past and know and trust, not someone they hire as a one-off. Planning a big event should be thought of the same way, IMO. If you want to use local people and not pay for airfares for an event in the Hamptons, don’t hire someone from California, hire someone from NYC.
gouf: Mindy Weiss does just fine in our neck of the woods. But my question is: If one does work on a contingent fee why would someone fault him/her for wanting to be paid? This was a fluid situation and like most large parties there was a cost that wasn’t covered. As for the hostage film? I suspect Mindy Weiss paid a bunch of vendors with her money.
Would I hire her? If money were not a question, yes…absolutely. I don’t spend half a million on parties. So…mute point.
Are they not suing the videographer, whom they paid in full, for withholding the video?
Also - did not read all the comments from the WaPo article but of the ones I did, here are my favorites:
“We all have our cross to bear. I will keep the Carls in my thoughts and prayers.”
And
“It’s a miracle they’re able to go on.”
“Are they not suing the videographer, whom they paid in full, for withholding the video?”
From what I read (ans please correct me if I am wrong), MWPC hired the videographer to work at the wedding, so Mindy was the party entitled to get the finished product upon payment. Then she was supposed to give said product to the Carls. Then she decided to use it as a ransom because she was not paid for something else. So the videographer should not be liable here - they performed as promised.
First, my understanding is that the Carls are suing the videographer, who is claiming Weiss signed the contract with him, so the video belongs to her.http://nypost.com/2017/03/19/couple-sues-production-company-over-hostage-wedding-videos/
@doschicos
Second…googling I came across some older versions of Weiss’s website, instagram etc. It appears that at least some point in time…I don’t know exactly when, Weiss claimed she was based in LA and NYC. I mean her PR materials say that.Googling gave me an earlier version of her blog which apparently said "
If they said that when the Carls were selecting her, I think it’s understandable that the Carls would think she’d use local vendors. After all, they were introduced to her by a high end NY florist.
ETA: It still says that! (caps in original. I’m not shouting.)
I live in NY and I would assume from that that she uses vendors based in NY as well as LA.
This is what NYPost reported:
http://nypost.com/2017/03/19/couple-sues-production-company-over-hostage-wedding-videos/