23
Jul

“Don’t COME around to REAP the HARVEST, if YOU weren’t THERE, to PLANT the CROP!”

While going through all of my emails today after another day of travel, I came across an email from someone wanting me to TEACH them how to do “my job.” Lol.

I’d love to say that something like this correspondence is rare but truth be told from journalists to production companies to news agencies- it’s a REGULAR occurrence.

As usual my sense of humor wasn’t lost on why and how people “assume” that MY many years of education pertaining to policy and procedure as well as marriage laws within every state I conduct ceremonies in would be “free” to anyone simply because they asked. Come on.

I’ve spent many years learning policy, procedure and laws pertaining to marriage. YEARS.

This knowledge, education and insight wasn’t free to me and it isn’t FREE to anyone else asking or expecting me to drop everything and train them.

I’m not a teacher or tutor. If I were a tutor or consultant, I can assure you that I would demand and expect to be compensated for my effort, education, time and insight.

I’m a consultant for Gershman Leighman and numerous other corporations and I have been for many years. I’m a PAID consultant. My fee is between $125-$175 AN HOUR.

My time, my knowledge and my experience are valuable. I know my worth. I also don’t have ANY desire OR the time to TRAIN competition that I don’t HAVE.

Here’s the latest email from someone wanting me to share my insight, knowledge and experience SIMPLY because they asked ME to do SO…

“Hello Wendy, 

First thing’s first, I hope I’ve found the correct Wendy Wortham!
I’m a writer for the American Weddings blog at American Marriage Ministries (AMM), and I’m currently working on an article to educate officiants on how to perform weddings in prisons.

LET’S REVIEW THAT LAST SENTENCE SHALL WE???

“I am currently working on an article to EDUCATE OFFICIANTS ON HOW TO PERFORM PRISON WEDDINGS.”

Really? After reviewing this writer and finding nothing and I mean literally nothing she’s ever written regarding prison weddings, it became OBVIOUS to me that she wanted ME to “educate other officiants about how to perform prison weddings.”

How HILARIOUS! ENTITLED. NARCISSISTIC and ARROGANT of her to assume that I would drop everything on my slammed ass plate of responsibilities TO provide her with information and education she didn’t have and certainly hadn’t researched at my expense.

I cannot make this shit up! Stop it. Stop contacting me to promote yourself or expect me to enlighten and educate you. How about doing some research ON YOUR OWN?!

But I digress. Let’s move on. The NY Times article was HOW she FOUND me and THEN decided to research me further…

“I came across a website for Texas Twins Events, and a linked Facebook page called Prison Weddings with Wendy… are these your services? If so, I’d love the opportunity to ask you some questions about your “personal experiences” performing prison weddings, and especially what the state approval process was like for you when you first began.”
Hmm, WHAT THE STATE APPROVAL PROCESS WAS LIKE? What she REALLY meant was “how did you obtain your credentials?
Tell me EVERYTHING that you have spent years learning and earning that so I can pick your brain for free AND create COMPETITION that YOU don’t have by SHARING it with MY readers.”
I, I, ME, ME, ME. Entitlement is the ONE thing I encounter damn NEAR everyday from people asking ME to teach them to do what I CAN do because I’m educated and well versed on but only marriage laws BUT also policy and procedure.
But again, I’ve digressed. Let’s keep going here because this email is AND was JUST AS ridiculous as WE contacting me to find talent for THEIR show, Love After Lock Up. Not ONCE but twice. Get off your asses. You are getting PAID to locate your OWN talent. I am NOT.
I’m NOT a casting producer. I don’t work FOR an entertainment company AS a casting producer either.
It’s not my job to cast YOUR shows. People are getting so damn lazy in this world it’s outrageous.
But let’s keep going. I love a good laugh as much as the next person when it comes to narcissistic idiots.
“Is this something you’d be interested in? AMM really values this type of real-world information from our ministers, to make sure our articles are accurate and written in a way that will help the most people!”
WRITTEN IN A WAY THAT WILL HELP THE MOST PEOPLE . Interesting. Helping by educating idiots that don’t even know marriage law much less policy and procedure who JUST went ONLINE to BECOME ordained? There are so many dumb asses screwing up marriage licenses on the OUTSIDE of PRISONS it’s ridiculous. New flash- if you don’t know what you are doing don’t! This isn’t a job or role for an idiot. This job REQUIRES knowing POLICY, PROCEDURE, PROTOCOL and MARRIAGE LAW.
YOU want ALL of my knowledge, insight AND experience to HELP other people get into a business they know NOTHING about? WOW. This was one of the stupidest emails I’ve ever read and I’ve read PLENTY. How old was she? I’m guessing mid twenties.
Lazy people have a sense of entitlement. I don’t OWE anyone who ISN’T a CLIENT Jack shit. I don’t OWE you my TIME, my education, my experience or my knowledge. This “lady wasn’t ready for my candid and transparent response to her correspondence but who gives a shit? I don’t.
“Thank you for your time, and looking forward to hearing from you.”
For those of you unaware, AMM ordains people online. You know ANYONE. I mean ANYONE.
No background pertaining to marriage law. No education pertaining to religious services or ceremonies and most CERTAINLY no idea of State, Federal, or ICE policies and certainly no way to walk a client through the prison wedding planning process either.
Officiants SHOULD NOT be going online WITHOUT educating themselves BUT they do it all the time.
WARNING- if YOU make mistakes in prisons OR outside of them either, you are held responsible for THOSE mistakes.
Prisons are by far more structured. You do everything by the policy AND the procedure OR you could quite easily end up in prison yourself. I’m damn and dead ass serious about this.
ANYONE dumb enough to think OR believe that conducting a wedding is “so simple that anyone can do it” WITHOUT screwing up a marriage OR the license because “you didn’t know what you were doing” CAN and will get arrested for Marriage Fraud, sued by the couple for ruining their wedding and prosecuted for tampering with a government document as well as other criminal penalties.
Don’t be a dumb ass and assume “because you went online” that you are QUALIFIED to perform a job or ROLE that you have NO idea of the huge amount of responsibilities AND if you screw it up, RAMIFICATIONS involved.
There are plenty of dumb asses sitting in prison because they assumed that going online to get ordained was the ONLY step they needed to take.
Convicted of marriage fraud AND tampering with a government document? Yes, bet your ass on it.
You are signing a government document WHEN you sign a marriage license you idiots. EDUCATE YOURSELVES!
Educate yourselves as to your role, the laws of performing a marriage AND when it comes to prisons- the policies, procedures and requirements involved AND required.

I called Cindy to discuss this idiotic email prior to responding. I always call Cindy when rampantly idiotic correspondence comes my way. She was as shocked as I was.

My response to the email “wanting me to educate people who JUST went online to become ordained “interested in performing prison weddings.”

Cindy laughed and laughed and said “another one?”

BECAUSE my tolerance for stupidity AND especially ENTITLEMENT post pandemic is (I’m not kidding about this either) AT an all time LOW…I took a few minutes to answer THIS PARTICULAR email.

“This is Wendy Wortham. Yes, I own Texas Twins Events, TDCJ Officiant’s, The Pawning Planners and Texas Twins Treasures.

My twin sister and I created Texas Twins Events years ago when she gave up her job to raise her twin granddaughters.
Our desire was to give others the weddings we didn’t have while making event services affordable WHILE having time to spend together with each other and her twin granddaughters on location.
Neither of us are teachers or interested in teaching others how to perform our job functions by creating competition THAT we don’t have.
Going online takes ten minutes. Learning marriage law takes far longer and learning policy and procedure pertaining to inmates takes YEARS.
Cindy and I quite literally created a people over profit based business and even provided the use of our free inventory as well as free photography as a courtesy.
We aren’t like “other people.” We are unique. We are different. We are sought after and we are gritty, intelligent, articulate, educated, passionate and perseverant.
We didn’t contact someone successful to BECOME successful.
We became successful through sheer determination and dedication.
Good luck to you because what you don’t know about prison weddings is this is a very tight knit community. ANYONE who loves an inmate aren’t “accepting” AND much less TRUSTING of strangers. They are leery of media AND they expect and deserve answers to their months of questions leading up to wedding day.
Your “online ministers” would be lost. Our clients get answers, insight and our attention before the wedding as well as after the wedding. They become a fabric of our lives.
They aren’t numbers or dollar signs to us. They are heroes doing it all alone. We are the mothers to them we have never had. Have a nice day.”
I’m so sick and tired of idiots contacting me to tell them how to be successful in this industry!
What you really want is to learn how to make money at it. Spare me. I’m busy.
Please stop contacting me to “teach you how to do what I do” OR send YOU clients “who came to me.”

#cindyism #quote “COMMON SENSE is the ONE commodity IN short SUPPLY, with FOOLS refusing a HAND out.”

I think it’s outrageous that “once people realized and recognized” that we are successful after so many years of people laughing at our efforts, tenacity, creativity, drive, determination and loyalty that they are now asking us to TRAIN THEM or IF WE ARE HIRING?

While “other vendors” were laughing that we bartered event services and catered to people that “other vendors” TURNED away these very same vendors HAVE now decided to contact me to train THEM or send them OUR clients.

No one has any idea how many years I stayed up all night to learn every aspect of marriage law as well as prison policies and procedures. Try YEARS.

All that time reading thousands of pages of marriage laws, policy and procedure? You can bet your ass on it.

I’m the only one in my family who has all the answers. Cindy’s still learning.

“I don’t know isn’t in MY vocabulary.” Do you KNOW why? Because while you were sleeping I was studying for YEARS that’s why. I DO KNOW.

I know the answer to any question a client asks me.

“OPPORTUNITIES are like RAINBOWS, they can BOTH disappear BEFORE ever BEING appreciated.”

Nobody handed us opportunities. We EARNED our reputation, our dedication, grit, our knowledge and our passion the hard way. By EXPERIENCE and TENACITY.

Listen folks we’ve been in this industry for YEARS. Years of experience. Years of knowledge. Years of dealing with idiots on location at traditional events. Years of commitment. Thousands of dollars invested in our inventory.

You “other vendors” OR media people aren’t committed.

Instead you are trying to make a buck or get ratings. I have very little “free time.” I work 7 days a week. I certainly don’t have time to deal with rampant idiots who think “anyone can do what we do.”

Go try it. See if you can find ANY success at it. You “other vendors” don’t care about YOUR clients you only care about what you can make off them.

Further you have zero knowledge pertaining to prison policies much less marriage laws.

WE retain our clients. We EARN their referrals. We exceed their expectations. We make their event affordable, memorable AND special. You aren’t us.

The LAST thing I’m going to commit myself to is “educating” and “enlightening” someone trying to make a buck off OR ratings off of anyone marrying an inmate. THEY are single income households you idiots.

Moving on, no one has been as committed to THEIR clients as we have. NO ONE.

While other vendors AND media sat back and laughed at us “LBGT Friendly? Prison Weddings? Bartering? FREE photography? LOANED inventory? Free wedding rings to anyone marrying an inmate? The Texas Twins are hilarious. What are THEY thinking?”

Guess what smart a$$es, we have filmed a television pilot and numerous other film projects BECAUSE WE WERE DIFFERENT. Yes we both hated it but that’s on the production company not us AND what we learned from that experience was priceless moving forward. PRICELESS.

We learned exactly what not to do or agree to do. Thanks Jason. You taught Cindy and I to demand travel and expenses paid by the network rather than us. You taught us what to take out of a contract. You taught us how greedy, manipulative and cheap the wrong production company can be and you taught us that media needs us far more than we need them.

We haven’t changed our businesses. We HAVE expanded them. We are NOW sought after INTERNATIONALLY.

#cindyism #quote “IF you’ve SURVIVED having EMPTY pockets, AND a BROKEN heart, THEN you’ve LEARNED more, THAN any SCHOOL can TEACH you.”

We created our businesses specifically to fill the donut hole of people you greedy bastard “other vendors” left in your wake AFTER trying to squeeze every nickel you could get out of them.

Now these same “other vendors” and journalists as well as production companies WANT to ask us IF WE ARE HIRING or can educate, enlighten or TRAIN THEM?!!!! The hilarity of this rampant STUPIDITY is beyond me. Eff off.

Stop trying to be or do something you have no experience or education and much less passion to commit yourself to.

I recall ONE event and I’m certain my niece does too since she was taking FREE photography at that event as a courtesy, AND was not being paid for her efforts THAT another “paid photographer” got bitchy because she was there.

HIS expensive photos took months to produce. Leigh Ann’s COMPLIMENTARY photos were uploaded within days AND edited for FREE.

Yet another event that ONLY wanted to PAY Leigh Ann for an HOUR of photography had her on location locked down when she could’ve been at another event WAITING to be told what photos to take. She edited and created a shareable slideshow within days THAT she wasn’t paid for AND while on location WAS stuck waiting around TRYING to find anyone to pay her for the ONE hour out of THREE hours that she was AT the EVENT! Entitled idiots.

There’s a reason we require payment in advance and the reason is the dumb ass deadbeats we’ve encountered hundreds of times out of thousands of events!

At the VERY same event where no one had the money to pay ME and I had discounted my fee to $75 where Leigh Ann was on site with me taking complimentary photo’s as a courtesy to me for my clients, another photographer who was charging an arm and a leg for shitty photos, he followed her around to take since he obviously had no idea what he was doing by trying to replicate every photo Leigh Ann was taking and took months to provide those grainy photos.

No one AT that event HAD the money to pay me $75? Then no one had the damn license so the NEXT day I had to go to the mothers hotel and obtain the license in order to sign and file it ON my OWN time AFTER not getting paid no less. Again, I can’t make this $hit up.

I’m sick and tired of people thinking or assuming that I have nothing better to do than volunteer my time, my talent, my education or my experience FOR FREE.

I’m a PAID professional. I AM educated. I know policy and procedure AND marriage law.

I get paid to show up OR I don’t show up OR I decline the booking altogether and HAVE done so for years now.

“You went online and got ordained.” So what? Do you have ANY knowledge of policy, procedure AND marriage law? No. You lack the education, experience and insight to address any clients questions.

Clients marrying an inmate WANT and NEED answers and knowledge. Most of these online idiots think they just show up and then to make it even worse, screw up the marriage license at a wedding on the OUTSIDE.

Guess what? You face civil and criminal charges for screwing up a license. If it were that easy wouldn’t everyone be doing it?!

If YOU can pay for a venue and you can’t pay me a fee I’ve discounted the $hit out of in order to accommodate your budget… get the Hell outta here. WTF?!

There WERE other vendors ON SITE at that event who HAD been paid? I can’t make this $hit up. Run me ragged, don’t pay me, have me run to a hotel the following day STILL UNPAID to get the marriage license WHILE my niece is editing free photos? Come on.

Google entitlement. Educate yourself.

Then to add INSULT to INJURY, ONE of the “other vendors” at the SAME event that I and Leigh Ann were NOT paid for, I asked “another vendor” if he had a business card for our clients in order to promote and refer his business and was told by this “another vendor” that “YOUR clients CANNOT afford me.”

Jesus. We were at the SAME damn event you dumb a$$. YOUR clients PAID YOU. They didn’t pay ME and my niece uploaded free photos as a courtesy. Shut your stupid mouth buddy.

By the way, I’ve had plenty of clients who have paid $1500 and up for a wedding cake. Not all of our clients are poor you ignorant and assumptive idiot.

Hell, we’ve done $300k weddings that didn’t even have a budget. Some “other vendors” out there LITERALLY cut their own damn throats because they are stupid to ASSUME that ALL of our clients are poor. Idiots.

#cindyism #quote “GRATITUDE is the DIFFERENCE between, APPRECIATION and a SENSE of ENTITLEMENT!”

In over ten years I’ve NEVER EVER had the problems with ANYONE marrying an inmate that I’ve had WITH “traditional clients.” EVER.

#cindyism #quote “Just BECAUSE you PURCHASED the APPETIZER, doesn’t MEAN your ENTITLED to the BUFFET.”

If I could GO on to every damn one of MY websites and PUBLICLY say we ONLY service inmate weddings, I most likely would! Do you know why? Because I’m sick and tired of entitled narcissists that don’t pay their effin bills wanting my entire staff to volunteer or hiring me to officiate and wanting me AND my staff on location 4-6 OR 8 hours.

You didn’t hire a planner AND a team, you hired an officiant NOT a planner AND her team! Hire your own caterers and set up/tear down staff AND photographers AND while you ARE at it- educate yourself to the financial variation of a planner verses an officiant AND her team.

It takes me an hour at most ON LOCATION to conduct a ceremony stupid not 8 hours.

TIME and TRAVEL are my largest expenses. MY team are professionals NOT volunteers and CERTAINLY not a “package deal” when you hire me or anyone else on my staff either.

We are PROFESSIONALS. Seasoned. Experienced. Adept at problem solving. Educated.

Years ago, HALF of OUR “clients” didn’t even pay me OR my staff AND 5-10% of THEM wrote me hot checks.

One lady wrote not one TWO hot checks. One for the deposit the other for the balance. She then had the audacity to call me and ask “IF I had filed her license BECAUSE she had written me TWO hot checks.” Yes, I filed it in person to wash my hands of what a miserable experience I had at that event knowing I hadn’t been paid my deposit and assuming the balance would bounce too and I was right. What I should’ve reported her to the DA. Now I do!

Still others contacted me to loan them MY inventory when they hadn’t even hired US! What the? These folks wanted it all and never want to pay for it.

Still others contacted us for FREE photographers.

UNLESS you are a client, FREE photography, loaned inventory AND wedding rings are RESERVED for OUR booked clients.

About 6 years ago, I was HIRED to conduct a wedding. Within days of this event, the mother of the bride called me with Cindy in my suv and said “I’m going to need you and your team on site for 8 hours and help setting up, serving food and two photographers.” WTF? That stupid bitch WAS paying for a PREACHER and EXPECTING a CONGREGATION?!

Yes…. I said JUST said stupid bitch. I meant it too. If this statement offends you, do us BOTH a favor AND unfollow me because she WAS a stupid AND entitled bitch. I’m SERIOUS. Ignorant. Assumptive. Demanding and stupid. Paying for a preacher AND expecting a choir. Idiot.

#cindyism #quote “YOU could GIVE some PEOPLE a GOLD ass HOLE, and THEY would still COMPLAIN, their FARTS stink” God bless the REST of us!!!

Traditional bookings are (for the most part) the biggest a$$ kick of “entitled idiots” that I have EVER encountered in my ENTIRE CAREER. I advised that “8 hours on location and paying for one hour” assumptive idiot WANTING MY ENTIRE STAFF ON SITE 8 HOURS FOR FREE that “simply because you hired me doesn’t mean my entire staff are VOLUNTEERS!”

Don’t PAY for a SINGER and EXPECT a CHOIR. Cindy’s iconic quotes are based almost entirely on media and Dipshit clients and media people that we’ve had over the years.

The moocher quotes are all about THESE outrageous production companies contacting me AS WELL as everyone else expecting us to work for free.

Keep your standard reality contract and attempt to tie me down with ROPE you expect ME to pay for. No mention of money? A holding period? I get paid to work. Even clowns get paid to perform in a circus.

Don’t expect to tie me down so I can MISS other lucrative opportunities with your “standard contract” shit. No thanks!

I’ve been in the entertainment industry since I was 15 years old and filmed 5 commercials with Mel Tillis for Whataburger. This AIN’T my first rodeo with media and the entertainment industry. I’ve had 41 years of EXPERIENCE in media.

#cindyism #quote “IT would BE a lot EASIER to SPOT a GOLD digger, IF they CARRIED their own SHOVEL!” God bless us the rest of us.

Believe me we’ve met plenty of moochers, deadbeats and drama queens at “traditional events.” Keep your drama. We work FOR people WE LIKE!

Mansions, Moochers & Morons was a blog post that described WHY we merged Texas Twins Events and Texas Twins Treasures to CREATE The Pawning Planners. Do you know WHY? Because we were sick and tired of getting “stiffed” that’s why.

If you tell us you don’t have any money, you are REQUIRED to let Cindy and I go into your house and TAKE whatever we can find of value.

Laugh on “other vendors.” We don’t give a $hit. We laugh all the way to the bank. Texas Twins Treasures SELLS items WORLDWIDE. We laugh now thank you very much.

We laugh with free travel, networks begging us to film projects and a waiting list of over 3k clients in the United States. That’s right wise guys, we ARE in the catbird seat. We don’t deal with dumb a$$es anymore. We did for FAR too many years. We DON’T anymore and haven’t in at least 5 or 6 years now.

Our inmate clients are special. They are loyal. They are honest and they are thankful.

My family and I HAVE spent years on location getting working for free for HOURS, getting written hot checks, not paid, expected to do things we weren’t paid for and everything else you can think of INCLUDING getting insulted OR LAUGHED at by other vendors who WERE GETTING PAID.

At one event, a client LIED to obtain a police discount because I offer discounts to teachers, healthcare workers and first responders. After asking for verification on location, this idiot who was over an hour late to her own wedding effectively screwing up my schedule since I had other clients that day was sued BY me for Theft Of Services.

By the way, I won. The only affiliation that idiot had with the police was getting arrested for shoplifting at Walmart. The dumb ass.

One production company told me “Wendy your blogs are too honest, raw and real. We don’t want the network knowing you have any problems or issues.” I laughed. If the network is stupid enough to think or believe that anyone working with the general public doesn’t encounter idiots, God Bless their naivety.

We turn down TRADITIONAL BOOKINGS every damn day. I decline them every single day. You can’t pay me enough to deal with an entitled idiot who pays everyone except my damn staff.

We PREFER PRISON WEDDINGS!!!!! Do you know why? Because these clients are honest and APPRECIATE our contribution to THEIR LIFE EVENT.

#cindyism #quote “LOYALTY is FOUND in PEOPLE that STAY with YOU, even WHEN they KNOW, you HAVE nothing LEFT to GIVE.”

You jackasses wanting me to teach you how to do what I do can’t DO what I DO or LEARN to do IT because you aren’t EDUCATED, APPROVED or CLEARED to enter a prison. Do you have years to learn and comprehend policy? No. Did you even bother to learn marriage laws before you ran off with your online credentials to perform ceremonies? No.

You also aren’t committed to exceeding YOUR clients EXPECTATIONS. You ALSO lack the knowledge, experience and commitment.

WE created a huge inventory to loan clients. WE created a barter option for people who didn’t have any money while you laughed about it. WE changed the wedding AND events industry one family AT a time.

WE created a business that gives OUR clients the Dream Events WE never had ourselves so bug off AND create your own niche. We found ours.

We ONLY work for people who we respect AND our prison clients are heroes who do it all and they are independent, loving, honest AND loyal. They ARE an extension of OUR family!

You “other vendors” LACK the skill, knowledge, experience, creative thinking and planning, commitment, passion and perseverance that we POSSESS so we hope you’ve enjoyed your years of laughs at OUR expense because we are now enjoying plenty of laughs at YOUR expense.

We were NEVER trying to compete with you idiots. We created businesses SPECIFICALLY to address the needs, desires AND budgets of OUR loyal and dedicated clients. We set out SPECIFICALLY to be DIFFERENT.

The Media and Entertainment industry started contacting us before we had even booked an event the moment our site went live 12 years ago. Do you know why? Because we created a business based on PEOPLE over PROFIT that’s why.

Media is the choir. My back is to them. Our clients are OUR CONGREGATION and our focus.

NO one else offers free bouquets, tiaras, photos, weddings and EVEN wedding rings to THEIR clients EXCEPT US. We give them EVERYTHING no one else will.

We make Dream Events AFFORDABLE but we aren’t going to teach you how to be US. You lack the commitment and the compassion we do. You can’t find the passion we have. You never will.

You certainly don’t have the knowledge OR the clients to make your idea to piggyback our success work EITHER.

No one in the events industry ever had done what we did. Everyone else was ALL about the money. We weren’t. We wanted to help people. We are PIONEERS in the events industry.

Take your generic business model on down the road and stop trying to ride our coattails… you are NOT our LUGGAGE and you AIN’T a priority either.

#cindyism #quote “PEOPLE that EXPECT a FREE ride, HAVE got a LOT more PROBLEMS, than TRANSPORTATION” God bless the rest of us!

Cindy and I as well as our clients who were cancelled in March 2020 and rescheduled this year are filming a movie in October with Elena Lindemans who impressed the heck out of me by flying from Norway to Houston simply to meet Cindy and I on our birthday and discuss this movie.

The funding (Green Light) was in place last May. So nothing and I mean nothing is going to interfere to our commitment to someone who flew halfway around the world to meet us because she knew we would be at TDCJ Ramsey Unit that day.

In a few weeks Cindy and I as well as a handful of our cancelled clients will be filming with Inside Edition in Texas.

I’m contacted frequently by people who ASSUME what we do and more importantly what we have accomplished in our OWN success “came easy OR overnight.” It didn’t. I’m well educated as to every aspect of ANY type of religious ceremonies INCLUDING inmate weddings.

In order to enter a State, Federal or ICE Facility you must know policy and procedure as well as marriage laws. You also must have a full background clearance.
I conduct inmate ceremonies in 47 states as well as 2 countries. My entire family performs prison weddings. I trained THEM I don’t train strangers.
I am happy to speak with you however I don’t TRAIN or CREATE competition that I don’t have. Anyone wanting to marry an inmate comes to me. Why? My reputation.
We have waiting lists of 3,147 couples outside of Texas as Texas was the only state that I had clients scheduled at the time they were cancelled in March 2020. My other service states had already been addressed.
My role involves far more than just showing up. My security clearance is the highest level as I also perform death row ceremonies and perform last rites.
While what I do and what I’ve trained my family to do may appear easy and lucrative to an outsider, it’s essential to understand that the prison wedding planning process takes months and you had better have all of the answers your clients have.
Education to policy and procedure as well as a security clearance ARE required of prison Officiant’s.
There are no MISTAKES when it comes to conducting ceremonies in or out of a prison. Ignorance is not an adequate defense of law.
Secondly, these “newly ordained” folks would have to have OR find the clients. We have never advertised ANY of our businesses. We are known solely by referrals.
Thirdly anyone considering “busting into this type of business” had better have a fleet of reliable vehicles and factor transportation expenses. I don’t care where it is you had better be there and be there on time. I’m always early.
There are no sick days in the events or prison wedding business. We have a fleet of suvs loaded with anything our clients might need including clothing. We think of everything so our clients don’t have to.
Our clients on the outside also receive wedding rings at no cost to them post pandemic because after surviving over a year of setbacks to their weddings Cindy and I quite literally stepped up our OWN commitment to our clients.
Booked clients also have the exclusive use of our $100k inventory of bouquets, tiaras, fascinators, furs, signs and other items for their complimentary bridal or groom photos.
We also mail free edited double prints and bring gift bags of designer perfume or cologne and fun stuff on wedding day.
Nobody does what we do and that’s why we are internally well known.”
Rev Wendy Wortham
The number of times “someone” has realized or recognized that I’m successful and decided to contact me would astound you.
Frankly, it astounds ME. It also pisses me off. Does Walmart go to Target to seek out better clients? No. Do you to into a successful business and expect them to train you to create competition? No.
My husband is and has been a builder and developer for 50 plus years. He would never contact another builder or developer and ask them for job leads. Do you know why? Because he knows better that’s why.
To be clear- when I decided to start Texas Twins Events there was a two-fold purpose and intent.
One, I wanted to give my twin an opportunity to travel with me and bring her twin toddlers. Since we owned our own business, if ANY of my clients had an issue with our grandkids on location, I decided that I wouldn’t book with them to begin with.
Secondly, I wanted to give others the weddings Cindy and I didn’t have ourselves. We provide a massive inventory to LOAN to our clients AS well as wedding rings AND complimentary photography.
For clients marrying an inmate, providing them wedding ring from our Texas Twins Inventory is at no cost to them because TDCJ does NOT allow an inmate (Section K Administrative Directive Offender Property) to have a ring.
Nobody does what we do for our clients. NOBODY. We ARE by far more committed and treat our clients like family. They are in fact considered an extension of our family.
Rather than waste money on advertising, I chose early on NOT to advertise. I invested the money into an inventory SPECIFICALLY to loan to our clients.
To my surprise, many years ago, our clients actually hired the little twins for ring bearers or flower girls and tipped them for being in their weddings.
The “little twins” were in over 200 weddings. They will be 17 in September and are now working part time and also dress up as princesses for birthday parties and events.
Now moving on to why we are so successful… passion!
Secondly, I’m well educated and have a photographic memory. There’s a reason for this. As a young child, I stopped speaking. Cindy spoke for me.
Trauma had caused a chronic stutter at 6 years old. I read instead. I read dictionaries, phone books, law books. I read whatever I could get my hands on. I can spell anything and I can remember anything I’ve ever read.
Not many people possess this talent of reading retention but I do. In the prison wedding business, this “talent” is critical.
Why? BECAUSE an inmate officiant is expected to know policy and procedure that’s why.
I’m not in the “training business.” I’m SUCCESSFUL because I’m not STUPID. I’m highly intelligent, articulate, OCD, dedicated and always available to MY clients 7 days a week.
If you aren’t one of my or my staff’s clients, you aren’t OUR priority.
I’m also not under contract and have no intentions of signing a contract that would limit Cindy and I to being unable or having to ask permission to appear on television, radio or media.
Most media contracts have plenty of rope to tie you down with but no reward. I’m smarter than that. If and when I’m presented with a contract that allows Cindy and I to appear in film and print without having to ask permission AND includes at least $10k each to film a pilot, we will consider the offer.
Cindy and I are free agents who work because we enjoy the work and love OUR clients.
I don’t HAVE to do anything I don’t want to do and regularly turn down traditional bookings. Why? Because I can. I prefer prison weddings.
I prefer structure. No one is drunk or disorderly at a prison wedding.
Previous prison clients often rebook Vow Renewals upon release as well as baptisms for their children and memorials for their family members.
Our loyal clients are WHY we are internationally known. THEY promote our services.
I hope this explains why anyone contacting me to educate or train them to do a job or role they have no idea how to do is going to get a friendly but blunt answer as to why I have no interest in spending my very limited free time volunteering to “train others” and if you are attempting to break into the “prison wedding business” solely for profit, strongly suggest you find another option. Why? Because people marrying an inmate are SINGLE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS that’s why.