Double Dealing- A Demon Called Deception Can Be Destructive…

For months now my bride has been “fairly suspicious” of her fiancées consistent “unavailability.”

Last night she decided to follow him from work. The one thing that the people sneaking around never expect is that eventually the people they are sneaking around on will start digging deeper.

I was one of those people years ago myself. My ex left the room to take calls. He closed the computer when I walked into the room. He suddenly had “business trips” out of town. The flags were there. My gut told me there were problems. I confronted him and over and over again was told “stop acting crazy.” I wasn’t crazy. I was married for 6 years to someone who was a player. I finally left for good but things aren’t always what they seem when someone is acting suspiciously. Read on.

My bride found her fiancée doing something she didn’t expect, attending classes. Sometimes things aren’t what they seem. Her fiancée wasn’t being unfaithful he was furthering his education by obtaining his GED.

She decided not to say anything to him about following him. I don’t blame her.

It’s been a weekend of surprises for a few of my clients. One client was told that she wasn’t allowed to spend her money as she chooses to buy her mother a gift. Apparently, her loved one currently incarcerated in TDCJ Darrington Unit believes he can control her even from behind bars. Learning to set limits in a relationship is key to loving an inmate.

Yet another client is struggling with her fiancées children trying to become a stepmother. Merging families can be challenging.

This morning I had a phone call from my groom regarding finding out his fiancée is actually a man. This news flash was discovered after my groom sent a friend request to his fiancées mother and noticed that all of her photos had a son rather than a daughter in them. Transparency is key to any relationship. This wedding has been cancelled.

While pulling into Butterfly Gardens for my wedding today, my October bride called regarding her groom demanding she get breast implants to “look good at the wedding.” This is yet another dealbreaker. My bride doesn’t want surgery. She’s happy in her body. She thought these consistent references to enhancement were jokes. Apparently, her groom wants to change her.

Moving on to what was yet another surprise yesterday, while filing paperwork for a TDCJ McConnell Unit bride, I recognized the inmate name was the same as a Jordan Unit client. I pulled both files to find that the inmate number was also the same. Last night I sat down with a glass of wine to call both brides. This has happened before. An Ellis Unit inmate was playing Brandi in North Dakota and Valerie in San Antonio. Brandi discovered that Valerie was scheduled to marry and I would be officiating on FB. Brandi called me hysterical. She also messaged Valerie. I spent months trying to keep up with Brandi who was so distraught over this that she relapsed and has had quite an issue overcoming being used by an inmate. Valerie divorced Raul and is going well. Brandi is now pregnant and in treatment again. Can Brandi turn her life around and be the parent her child deserves? I’m praying she can and if she can’t, I’ve talked to her about giving the child up. Why? Because children deserve stability and Brandi has no family to lean on for support. She lost her father the only person she had to rely on within months of finding out about Raul. I worry about Brandi. I will always worry about Brandi.

Back to the Jordan/McConnell Unit “situation.” The inmate was originally at Jordan and “caught chain” to McConnell. Because my client had contacted me in 2019 to marry and the pandemic caused a yearlong setback to scheduling due to prisons halting wedding scheduling, it wasn’t until a new client contract came in for McConnell that I noticed the similarities of the same name at two different Units. This story gets more shocking so buckle up. I contacted my Jordan Unit client to advise her that the same inmate was going through the prison wedding planning process with ANOTHER CLIENT. To my shock, she was well aware of this “deception” and approved of it. I asked “why?” The answer really rattled me. “Miss Wendy loving an inmate is expensive. I created a profile online to find pen pals for my man. They send him money and this saves my money for me and my kids. I want him to have girlfriends.” I was speechless. This type of con game was something I have yet to encounter and I hope to never encounter again. I advised my other client of this sneaky scheme to protect her heart AND her pocketbook.

Meanwhile Bridget called me last night regarding a possible divorce AGAIN. For two years Bridget has had consistent problems with her Michael Unit husband. Quite sadly, Bridget confided in me that she “had left her husband who took care of her and loved her for 8 years to marry someone who has been mistreating her since I married them at Michael Unit.” I had no idea. When I met Bridget in Tennessee Colony, she told me that she had reconnected with her former junior high sweetheart through his mom on FB. I thought at the time it was an amazing love story. I don’t think this anymore. I mourn the loss of a solid marriage Bridget left behind to marry someone who has been using her for financial gain. I mourn everything Bridget gave up to marry at Michael Unit. She moved to Palestine to be closer to her Michael Unit husband. Three hours from her daughter and granddaughter and her parents. She hasn’t seen her family in a year. She gave up everything for someone who consistently accuses her of being unfaithful. Someone who threatens divorce constantly. Someone who tells her she’s getting fat. Bridget is alone, isolated and depressed in Palestine. It’s time for her to move home, divorce and start her life over. For two years Bridget has called me crying about her husband. For two years Bridget has been dealing with a meddling mother in law that continues to “accidentally” call Bridget her ex daughter in laws name. It’s time for Bridget to move on.

Many people have contacted me regarding announcements that I’m not taking on new bookings until July this year at the end of wedding season so I will elaborate on my reasons. First, I had 39 people planning to marry in prisons cancelled in 2020. Second, I had 19 people scheduled to marry outside of prisons cancelled at venues. During the past year I’ve been contacted by another 69 people wanting to marry an inmate. Another 14 people have contacted me to marry at a venue. I’m on staff at Belltower Chapel and volunteer as a hospice clergy at several hospitals. I operate Texas Twins Treasures, The Pawning Planners, Texas Twins Events and TDCJ Officiant. There’s only one of me. I cannot be everywhere and must have a degree of scheduling flexibility in order to focus on my booked clients.

My twin sister, Cindy as well as my son and daughter in law can address county jail weddings as well as traditional bookings but I’m fully booked out this season.

TDCJ has announced that they will allow 2 people in beginning May 1st. This will reopen scheduling within TDCJ. My background check and credentials are on file with BOP.

If you have been mailed a contract and have not returned it, you will need to return it. Why? Because you do not have a client status until 1. You return your contract and 2. Your contract requires a booking deposit. If you have returned your contract without a deposit, please be aware that my contracts require consideration in order to create and establish a client relationship. I cannot commit to you until you commit to me.

Pawning Planners clients, the requirement of an appraisal appointment is a requirement. I will not give an appraisal based on photos sent through the site. The Pawning Planners contract is clear cut regarding the fact that uploading a photo does not create a client relationship. Flipping items takes time. Transporting and storing items takes an investment on my part. Refurbishing items is yet another expense on our end. I am currently dramatically limiting barter bookings due to reschedules from 2020 that are now scheduled in 2021.

“Why do you limit barters for within one hour of Fort Worth?” Transportation and time. It takes time to travel to your destination and walk a trade. Further, if we need to rent a box truck the additional cost of transportation is factored into “the deal.”

Yesterday while walking a gun safe proposition, the prospective client didn’t understand why the expense of having to hire moving men factored in. You have the option of paying for transport out of pocket but I don’t have volunteers with box trucks on standby to move items too large to fit into our SUVs and too heavy for Cindy and I to move on our own. Please understand that bartering is an option we created to specifically address clients with no money or means to book services as a courtesy. Bartering amounts to less than 5% of our bookings and storage expenses are a factor until we can find a buyer.

Texas Twins Treasures sales and delivery… if it fits in a priority envelope or box, we ship priority. If it’s a large item, packaging and freight are at the buyers expense. Freight isn’t free to me and it isn’t free to you either. I’m happy to make arrangements for someone on my staff to meet your freight company or assist with getting freight rates but I will not “cover freight expenses and or packing materials.”

Moving forward- this season is going to be the busiest year we’ve ever had after a year of marrying people at my home or elopement locations. Prior to 2020, it was rare to have clients choose my home as their wedding location but in 2020 it became quite common. If your wedding is scheduled at 1PM, please don’t have your friends and family members arrive at noon. Bookings at my home are spaced out to provide a certain degree of privacy for other clients. Thank you.

Loaned inventory- I have created a massive inventory over the years that I add to year round in order to provide everything you might need from veils to bouquets to bouteniers to fascinators, fancy hats, signs and more as a courtesy to booked clients. I didn’t go to this expense for strangers. I do not loan or send my inventory to someone simply because they ask. My reasons should be self explanatory but the continued requests to “borrow my inventory” or “my staff” from strangers is somewhat confusing to me. Our inventory is specifically designed for loan to our clients.

Please do not “toss” my bouquets. Tossing bouquets creates a twofold problem. First, the bouquet can be damaged. Second, the person catching the bouquet wants to keep it. If you want to toss a bouquet, bring one with you or you can pay me to create one for you.

Custom brooch designs- I am no longer taking custom orders due to time constraints. I simply don’t have the time it takes to create custom designs.

Floral designs in YOUR COLORS- I have a wide variety of floral colors but do not alter one of my designs (or several) to accommodate your colors. If you want specific colors please buy and bring your floral items to your event.

Hoping everyone has a wonderful weekend and for those clients that love didn’t find a way for, I’m praying that one day Mr Right or Mrs Right walks into your life. Marriage is a merger. Make sure you are making the right choice…