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Pippa Middleton’s big day will be the biggest society wedding of next year – and her royal niece and nephew may be the icing on the cake!

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With Prince George turning 4 in July 2017, he could well have a leading role as a page boy or ring bearer in Middleton’s upcoming wedding to hedge fund manager James Matthews. And royal fans have been excitedly pondering ifPrincess Charlotte, who will be 2 next May, will assume the task of flower girl.

he couple officially announced their July 17 engagement on Tuesday morning, after Princess Kate’s younger sister, 32, showed off her gigantic sparking ring to photographers as she left her home in Chelsea, London.

Kate and Prince William issued a statement saying they were “absolutely delighted with the news,” while proud dad Michael Middleton said, “they make a wonderful couple and we wish them every happiness together.”

It is too early to know who Pippa will choose for her bridal party, and the palace has no further details of how the family will be involved. But if George is in the wedding party he would be following in the footsteps of his dad, who was page boy at the nuptials of his uncle Prince Andrew to Sarah Ferguson. He was just 4 at the time.

5 Things to Know About Pippa’s Fiancé James Matthews!

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Here are some interesting facts about motor vehicle costs as reported on canstarblue.co.nz.

52% of drivers actively monitor fuel prices.

32% of drivers say they’re willing to drive further for cheaper fuel.

New Zealand ranks #11 for lowest fuel prices in OECD countries. More than half the pump price is tax.

35% of motorists spend less than $100 a month of fuel. About half (51%) spend between $100 and $249 a month.

Frugal AC from Whakatane writes, “If you want to spend less on printer ink, check your settings and select ‘draft’ as the default. It will save a lot of ink!”

Lorraine from Hamilton has some tips for DIY shoe repairs. “Puncture holes can be sealed with a strip of duct tape inside the shoe or boot… Larger holes or tears on the upper can be repaired with a product called Shoe Goo (which is used by skateboarders who tend to wear out one shoe faster than the other) but it was originally designed for tennis shoes… Also available are DIY shoe repair kits online for other types of shoe repairs – including ladies high heals… A bicycle repair kit with rubber cement will also mend a hole in soles as a temporary patch.”

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According to a recent article in the NZ Herald the high cost of housing is causing some newlyweds to be to reconsider the cost of their wedding. They are doing this by:

Reducing the number of guests. A venue manager said the average number of guests had declined from 120 to 80.

Holding the ceremony in a private home or public space (like a beach).

Having a DIY wedding.

The oily rag website at www.oilyrag.co.nz has lots of tips for those who want a DIY wedding.

GC from Christchurch says, “Look at local Council venues for the wedding – halls, gardens and council buildings. They are much more reasonably priced than particular wedding venues as they are there for the community to use and some of them are gorgeous. There is heaps of info on the Christchurch City Council website about booking council space for weddings with all costings, photos and info about the spaces and their facilities.”

Anonymous writes, “We had the best value wedding ever. We went down to the local registry office during lunchtime, paid the fee (which was about $60 at the time), read the statutory vows, and signed on the dotted line. We didn’t even have any witnesses so a couple of the court staff did that for us. That was about 20 years ago, and we are still happily married!”

Lori says, “Planning a summer wedding? I paid $100 for a second hand dress from an opportunity shop in Waikanae and customised it. No need for a $2,000 dress!”

SW has a number of excellent tips:

- The wedding reception is usually the expensive bit because you are feeding a huge number of people. Instead of a wedding breakfast, why not invite the guests to a light afternoon tea straight after the service. You can enlist the help of friends and relies a few weeks beforehand to do some baking. Then have a very small wedding breakfast for immediate family only, either at home or at a restaurant. There are lots of cheap and fun alternatives to hiring an expensive venue and band.

- If you are an oily ragger you can bake your own wedding cake! Hire cake tins from a bakery if you want different sized tiers.

- Use a computer to make your own invitations. There are so many flash fonts and clip art pictures these days that it is a huge waste of money to have invites done at the printers. Deliver local invites by hand to save postage.

- Our local Zephyr club lent us some cars and drivers, and the only payment they required was to be allowed to take photos to display at their next meeting! The same was true of the floral arrangers using free flowers from Mum’s and her friend’s gardens – and all they wanted was to be able to take photos. Speaking of photos, hire a student from a local polytech course or amateur photography club. If you’re worried about the results, hire two photography students!

We would love to hear from you with tips or questions to share with readers, so please contact us via the website at oilyrag.co.nz or by writing to Living off the Smell of an Oily Rag, PO Box 984, Whangarei.

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When you hit a certain age, summer seems to turn into wedding season. And when you go to a lot of nuptials, and you’ll probably end up participating in at least a couple — which is good news, really! Being part of a wedding party allows you to attend events regular wedding guests don’t, and enjoy bonding time with your closest friends and family.

Unfortunately, being a part of someone else’s wedding is also expensive.

A survey by Weddington Way found that bridesmaids spend an average of $1,324 on wedding-related costs. And that number can be much higher, depending on where the wedding is and what’s involved. And it isn’t much cheaper to stand on the groom’s side. BuzzFeed ran its own survey and found that groomsmen paid anywhere from $160 to $2,960.

But what exactly are you paying for? We break down the six biggest costs of being in a wedding, and offer tips on how you can save on each — without making anyone mad.

Images: www.sheindressau.com

Attire

Groomsmen are the luckier ones when it comes to wedding day attire. Many can rent a tuxedo (which is cheaper than buying), but you should still expect to shell out some bucks. The average tuxedo rental costs $196, according to WeddingStats.org.

Bridesmaids can expect to drop even more. According to Weddington Way, the average cost of a dress comes in at $165, while shoes add another $71 and accessories tack on $56. If you need your dress altered (and you probably will if it’s full-length or chiffon), expect to pay another $50 to $100.

The average cost of a bridesmaid dress comes in at $165, while shoes add another $71 and accessories tack on $56.

On the big day, bridesmaids often opt for a professional hair and makeup job, which adds another $89 on average, according to Weddington Way. That brings the total up to $431 or higher.

Where to Save: For groomsmen, if the groom didn’t preselect a tuxedo shop, you can lower your costs by shopping around for a cheaper rental. For bridesmaids, most dresses are hand-selected by the bride, but you can still get a bit of a discount on the shoes. Skip the shoes offered in the pricey wedding boutique and hit discount spots like DSW.

The Bridal Shower

For the bridal party, the events leading up to the big day take the biggest bite out of your wallet, starting with the bridal shower. The bridesmaids typically pay for this party. On average, you can expect to pay $193, but your costs could be higher or lower depending on the event.

At a basic level, expect to foot the bill for decorations, finger food, party favors, and a gift for the bride. If you host the event at a restaurant or venue, lunch runs $15 to $40 per person, or up to $1,000 for 25 guests, according to CostHelper.

Where to Save: To really slash costs, skip the venue and host a backyard brunch or luncheon. A pop-up tent, some tulle, and a few Italian sopranos over the speakers are really all you need to turn a backyard shower into a glamorous event. Enlist all of the bridesmaids to help with food, and buy in bulk at a warehouse club like Sam’s Club or Costco.

The Bachelor Party

The bachelor party is the priciest event for groomsmen. Countless movies have detailed the cost — and the experience — of a bachelor party, and when you look at the real numbers, Hollywood isn’t that far off.

Nearly one-third of bachelor- or bachelorette-party goers spent more than $850 on the event, according to a Priceline survey. Typically, food and drink make up the biggest part of the cost at 28%, but airfare, hotel stays, and entertainment aren’t far behind.

Where to Save: If you’re traveling for a bachelor party, book your tickets as early as possible through sites like Priceline and Kayak. Most travel sites offer better deals for advance booking. If you can, arrange to share a room with another groomsman to cut down on the cost of hotel stays.

The Bachelorette Party

Bridesmaids may do a little better on this rite of passage than groomsmen. On average, a bridesmaid spends $308 for the bachelorette party, according to Weddington Way.

Plan the bachelorette party in advance, and ask around for group discounts.

Don’t forget, though, that most bridesmaids have already forked over the cash for a bridal shower. That brings their total pre-wedding event costs up to $501, before gifts.

Where to Save: If you’re planning the bachelorette party, you don’t have to go low-key and boring to save a few bucks. Instead, plan in advance and ask around for group discounts. Venues like spas and concert halls may offer group rates.

Travel

If you’re traveling for the big day, don’t forget to add the cost of transportation and lodging to your total. On average, people pay $317 in travel costs alone, according to Weddington Way.

Where to Save: During the bachelor or bachelorette party, you may have felt pressured to stay in that five-star hotel with the bride, but the newly married couple doesn’t expect (or even want) you sleeping next door during the wedding. Look for cheaper hotels in advance.

Gifts

Wedding gifts are a tradition, and if you’re a bridesmaid, expect to buy at least two over the course of a couple’s engagement. On average, bridesmaids paid $125 for the wedding gift, according to Weddington Way. But your costs will depend on a couple of things: where the couple registered, and how many other guests you beat to the registry list. If you’re a last-minute shopper, you may be left with a very expensive gift, a very cheap gift, or scrambling to find something on your own.

Where to Save: Find out where the couple is registered as soon as possible, but don’t buy right away. Keep an eye on the store’s weekly ad. Unlike other aspects of a wedding, you can usually find a registered gift on sale.

Also see: bridesmaid dresses

Janice Steuart didn’t think Wayne Elkins was her type.

They both grew up in Texarkana — Wayne on the Arkansas side and Janice across the border in Texas. They didn’t meet until they started classes at Texarkana Junior College in 1964.

Wayne was the student director of the school choir, which gave him the air of someone in charge.

He noticed Janice early in the fall semester, but was biding his time in hopes of getting to know her.

He had a paper due on the Brandenburg Concertos for his music history class, and he decided to turn that obligation into an opportunity. He asked Janice to type it.

“I was not a typist at all,” he says. “I could hunt and peck. And I never had a whole lot of self-confidence. I thought maybe if she would help me with this paper we could get to know each other and that would open the door for me and make it easier for me to ask her out.”

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He asked, and she turned him down flat.

Janice thought he was nice-looking — tall and thin with dark hair that had a tiny streak of silver in the front.

“He looked like he was confident and had it together but I thought he might even be a little bit stuck up and all that,” she says. “But later I thought about it, and I realized that probably wasn’t very nice. I had an electric typewriter and he didn’t, so I relented and decided to help him.”

He came to her house after school so she could type.

“It was fairly late when we got started so it was like 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning by the time we were finished,” says Janice, who decided then that Wayne wasn’t stuck up at all.

He asked her out for the next weekend, but she told him she was going to a homecoming football game. He offered to take her.

“He came with a big corsage and took me to the game. I think our side lost,” she says.

Their first date was on Friday, Nov. 13. They have celebrated it on every Friday the 13th since.

“It was bad luck for our team, and I guess a lot of people see it as bad luck, but it was good luck for us,” she says.

The following fall, Wayne realized she was the one he wanted to spend his life with — and that’s when he popped the question.

“I was sitting and talking with her and it was so easy and comfortable,” he says. “She made me feel good, and we laughed together and it just felt right. I didn’t go over there with the intention of asking her that particular day. It was such a good evening and visit that it just kind of came out of my mouth.”

They looked at rings and chose one that the jeweler promised to hold while Wayne saved up the money to buy it. But when they returned, it was gone.

“We were a little bit unhappy with [the jeweler] but he was a really nice old guy and he said, ‘Let me do a little something for you.’ We had the same setting but he pulled out a little bit larger and nicer stone to put in it,” Wayne remembers.

He got Janice a box of chocolates for Christmas and slipped the ring into one of the little paper cups inside.

“I thought it would be a nice surprise, but her employer had given her the same box and her disappointment showed when she opened it,” he says.

That all changed, of course, when she spotted the real present inside.

They were married on July 16, 1966, in County Avenue Baptist Church of Texarkana, although the wedding almost didn’t happen as scheduled.

They had their blood tests done in plenty of time and Wayne’s mother gave written permission for him to marry before the age of 21. But Wayne forgot to pick up the license at the Miller County clerk’s office, remembering only when the preacher asked for it the Friday night before the wedding.

After some pleading from Wayne, the county clerk agreed to open the courthouse so he could get it.

Soon after they married, Wayne accepted a job in music and youth ministry at Antioch Baptist Church in Little Rock. During his almost 20 years there, he completed a master’s degree and became a social worker, first part time and then full time, eventually leaving the ministry to be a psychiatric social worker.

Janice was a teacher in the Pulaski County Special School District for 15 years.

They have one daughter, Shannon Webber, who lives with her husband, David, and their three children in Murphysboro, Ill.

“I still love her,” Wayne says of his bride. “It’s hard to remember a time when we weren’t married. We’ve been together so long. And the other side of that is that time has flown. I look back and it doesn’t seem like there’s any way possible that it’s been 50 years, but it has.”

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On learning that the groom had not made arrangements for videographing the event, family members of the bride called off the wedding at the last minute and walked out of the marriage hall near Thuraiyur in Trichy on Sunday.

The drama did not end there as the groom approached the Thuriayur police along with family claiming that they had been cheated as all the money spent on the marriage had gone waste. Ironically, the families are close relatives. The bride and the groom decided to part ways mutually.

All was not well for members of both families ever since talks began for the marriage. Senthil, 32 a lorry driver from Perambalur district, decided to marry Revathi, 30, daughter of his aunt hailing from Thuraiyur.

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The bride’s father Thangaraj, an employee of the state express transport corporation (SETC), wanted the wedding to be a grand affair. He insisted that the ceremony to be held in a big wedding hall.

However, Senthil was keen on cutting costs and convinced the bride’s family to conduct the marriage in a small hall in Thuraiyur. Though he reportedly agreed to make arrangements for a wedding photographer and videographer, he did not do so.

On Monday, by the time the photographer arrived many of the marriage rituals were over and a quarrel broke out between Thangaraj and the groom’s family members.

At one stage, the bride’s brother Baskar and another man pulled took her out of the wedding hall and called off the marriage. Meanwhile, Revathi fell unconscious and was rushed to the Thuraiyur government hospital.

Senthil approached the Thuraiyur police, who took him to the hospital to have discussions with the bride. Thangaraj maintained that he was irked over not having a wedding videographer.

“Though Senthil was ready to marry her, the bride was not willing as he had insulted her father by not making proper arrangements,” said sub inspector Thangavelu from the Thuraiyur police station.

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Victoria Park based couturier Angelina Arcaro says every woman deserves a one off Couture gown to complement their own uniqueness.

Arcaro Couture creates exclusive gowns to match any woman’s taste, shape and age. The newly released Arcaro Bridal Collection 2016 was designed with this in mind. Every gown is an original.

“The Arcaro mission is to show the ladies of Australia that every woman is beautiful,” said Ms Arcaro, the founder of Arcaro Couture.

“Whether a woman is size 6 or size 26 or has any figure type they can look stunning with the right gown design, incorporating good cut, shape and fit”.

Ms Arcaro will work with individual brides-to-be, and other clients, to create their dream gown.

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Arcaro Couture brides are encouraged to be as creative as their imagination allows. Ms Arcaro is able to guide them to a flattering design outcome.

“I give my full and personal consideration to every bride I work with,” she said. “I design a gown for them and them only.”

“I enjoy taking a bride on a journey from conception of the gown, to creation, through to completion. This is the ‘Couture Experience’.

“Most of the brides I work with admit to wanting to look as slim as possible in their gowns. There is nothing more rewarding than a bride walking down the aisle knowing that she looks amazing in an Arcaro gown that she had a hand in designing”.

With a Diploma in Fashion Design and more than 40 years of experience in the fashion industry, Ms Arcaro has a special ability to help create her clients’ dream gowns.

“My off the rack designs are influenced by season trends, but I am not governed by that. Arcaro gowns are different from the norm, and designed with the objective of creating lengthening and slimming appearances to suit any height, shape or size and every gown is a one off.” said Ms Arcaro.

“There is a gown to suit every woman in the diverse 2016 Arcaro Couture collection. I answer the call that many women have been making for years, that there is ‘little choice for fuller or unconventionally figured women’”.

“This just simply isn’t true anymore!”

Images: The Arcaro Bridal Collection 2016. Sizes are 8 to 14 and prices range from $1200 – $5000.

Photographer: Tristan Jud Photography.

Location: National Trust home, 1896 – one of oldest in Victoria Park. Thanks to proprietor Jessica Syme.

Make-up artist: Rachael Campbell.

Stylist: Kirsty Noakes.

Models: Ella Jones and Ashley Radalj.

Jewellery: Izabela Katafoni and Ellenor_jones.

About Arcaro Couture

Angelina has had a long and successful career as a fashion designer, stylist, upmarket fashion house manager, teacher and mentor. She has honed her talents as an innovative designer and intuitive patternmaker. Her annual collections consist of 18 designs. As one gown sells a new, unique gown is created. Arcaro Couture gowns are available off-the-rack at arcarocouture, or in store. Bridal and evening gowns can also be exclusively designed on request.

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Ellie Goulding and Prince Harry are a match made in tabloid heaven. He has a penchant for blonde Brits who look like they’d be more at home wearing a crop top and scrunchie at Coachella than in a fascinator in the royal gardens. Enter pop star Ellie Goulding. The pair are rumored to be canoodling, which basically means they’re in a very serious, Facebook official relationship. Canoodling is usually what happens when two celebrities simply happen to be in the same vicinity, but Prince Harry and Goulding were actually spotted embracing at a recent polo match, leading royal watchers to start dreaming about the next royal wedding, as its been five years since the last regal shindig.

An unnamed source has confirmed that Prince Harry is “quite taken” with the British songstress who performed at his brother’s wedding, and in photos, he certainly looks intrigued. Prince Harry is famous for his bevy of blondes, so it’s unclear if they’ll begin a real relationship–but Goulding has an obvious affection for ginger men, even dating Ed Sheeran, and he’s as redheaded as it gets.

Source: SheinDressAU

It makes sense that Prince Harry would be her next conquest–Australian actress Margot Robbie confused the redheaded two men at a party. Unfortunately, Goulding will never be as glorious of a potential wife as Pippa Middleton, who is the ultimate fairy tale choice…and everyone already knows she looks good in white. If Goulding and Prince Harry did tie the knot, here’s what might happen at the second most fascinating royal wedding of the last decade.

Taylor Swift is notoriously obsessed with weddings. Not only does she regularlycrash them, she forced Vogue to accompany her to her best friend’s wedding, taking all focus away from the bride. Swift and Goulding are long time friends and Goulding introduced Swift to ex-boyfriend Calvin Harris and made an appearance in the “Bad Blood” video, so she’s close enough to join the wedding party. Other bridesmaid options would include Karlie Kloss and Cara Delevingne, making it a runway-worthy aisle.

Prince George would be the best dressed man in attendance.

No offense to Princess Charlotte, who has proved quite adept at being photographed and is a social media star in her own right, but Prince George is still the most precious royal around–sincere apologies to Sweden and their latest babies. Can you even imagine Prince George in a tiny tuxedo? He would be the true star of the show and everyone would want to know who he was wearing.

Ed Sheeran would object.

The ginger songbird notoriously wrote “Don’t” about his relationship and break up with Goulding. The lyrics detailed her cheating on him with Niall Horan while they were staying in the same hotel on tour. Sheeran seems unable to move on from the short-lived relationship. His objection song would almost certainly be an incredible hit. He would end the night by trying to go home with Swift, now that she’s single and tired of always being a bridesmaid. Once she refused his advances, he would mourn with yet another enormous animal tattoo.

There would be an appearance from the world’s greatest meme, the grumpy flower girl.

Grace Van Cutsem was memorable as a flower girl. She was as close as humanly possible to the ultimate Disney wedding, but instead of enjoying herself, she was incredibly angry the entire time. Van Cutsem is older now, which means she’s basically a cool teen, and there’s no one more jaded, or angrier, than them. She would torment Swift and all her gal pals and wear an even more Coachella worthy flower crown.

Kate Middleton would wear white again.

As the Matron of Honor, Kate could don her wedding gown again. She started a trend when she put her bridesmaids in white–it signals, “I know I’m prettier than you, so we can all wear the same color,” but Pippa did upstage her a bit. The Duchess is well-known for repeating outfits, so why not break out her most famous gown for Prince Harry’s special day? It would be the ultimate revenge for him not marrying Pippa.

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The couple: Ashley from Dalziel Park, but now living in Bellshill, works as an assistant manager in Costa. Groom Steven, originally from Carfin, is a joiner with Timetra.

Where they met: The couple met through a mutual friend in May 2010 and are now delighted to be welcoming their first baby on May 27.

The wedding: The ceremony was held at Carfin grotto on May 23, 2015. Their reception, at the Hilton, was attended by 100 family and friends.

Attire: The bride wore a stunning white dress by Sophia Tolli from Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo Bridal Boutique and the groom wore a grey spirit kilt from Moss Bro.

Bridal party: Bridesmaid was Ashley’s twin sister Ainsley Russell, flower girl was Paige Russell and pageboys were Max Russell, Shaye Hassan and Jason Marshal with best man Sean Hassan.

Images: Grey Bridesmaid Dresses

Honeymoon: The newlyweds went on a Mediterranean cruise for their honeymoon.

Photography: Julie Lamont.

Flowers: By Ashley’s twin Ainsley Russell.

Cake: Premier Cakes.

Cars: Horse and carriage by Prestige Carriages and limo from All States.

Thanks: A massive thank you to our parents Craig Russell and Lorraine Russell for the wedding dress and honeymoon, Maureen Hassan and Steven Hassan for our kilts and video photographer and Ainsley Russell for the amazing flowers. Also to all of our guests, we had an amazing day.

To submit your wedding for Wedding of the Week, please email Advertiser reporter Leona Greenan at leona.greenan@trinitymirror.com with your request and she’ll get back to you with full details of the information required – and remember it’s all free of charge!

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Wedding bells will be ringing very soon for The Captain! A new report claims that Derek Jeter and Hannah Davis have planned the perfect July wedding, and now we have ALL of the details.

Derek Jeter, 41, could finally be off the market by the end of summer 2016. New details about his wedding plans to sexy supermodel Hannah Davis, 26, have been revealed and it’s sure to be a huge romantic event!

Images: SheinDressAU

A summer wedding for Derek and Hannah? It sure sounds like it! The couple have a July wedding in Napa Valley planned, reports the Daily News’ Confidential. The report joked that the former Yankees star player is wrapping up his “glorious career” in “playing the field” by finally tying the knot to Hannah. Too funny!

While the nuptials could take place as early as July 4th weekend, the party will start long before that. A source revealed that the event will include a game of croquet the Friday night before the wedding, and that Hannah is planning a bachelorette party in Miami, Florida for June.

So far there is no word on whether or not Derek will have a massive bachelor blowout, but chances are his Yankee teammates won’t let him get married without one. The report reminds us that Derek was the best man for Jorge Posada‘s wedding in 2000, so there’s no way his buddy isn’t going to be around for the big event.

Derek and Hannah were reportedly dating for three years before they finally became engaged in 2015. In October 2014 it was rumored that Derek had planned a secret wedding to Hannah at Oheka Castle in Long Island, New York, but unfortunately that turned out to be a bust. Fingers crossed that this time it’s really going down as reported!

Tell us, HollywoodLifers — Are YOU excited that Derek and Hannah will be tying the knot? Do YOU think they make a good couple? Comment below with your thoughts!

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Excited couples looking to rent a wedding outfit for their big day should shop around with care, according to the city’s consumer rights watchdog.

The Consumer Council saw the number of complaints it received regarding wedding outfit rental services double to 38 cases last year from 19 cases in 2014.

Michael Hui King-man, chairman of the council’s publicity and community relations committee, said couples should take their time to study rental contract terms before reaching any decisions.

“There are many things to work out in planning a wedding,” Hui said. “People often get very excited.”

Hui also advised consumers to examine the condition of the apparel they wish to rent before entering into a contract with a service provider so that they avoid future disputes.

Consumer Council chief executive Gilly Wong Fung-han reminded consumers to rent outfits only from reputable businesses.

She cited a case of a rental service provider asking for HK$500 in compensation from a complainant for losing a cloth string from strapless wedding dresses despite the piece being easily replaceable.

Wong advised consumers to check whether a rental contract contained terms to cap compensations for stains or damage found on the apparel.

Separately, as the summer approaches, the Consumer Council tested 14 models of air conditioners. It found that inverter type air conditioners used 40 per cent less energy annually than conventional fixed capacity type air conditioners even though price difference between the two types might not be significant.

Invertor technology allows the control of speed of the compressor motor inside an air conditioner.

While the two types of air conditioners might not be easily distinguished, the council said consumers should check with retailers.

Meanwhile, the council regularly received complainants from consumers regarding charges and service quality of windows works since the government introduced a mandatory inspection scheme in 2012.

In one case, a complainant paid HK$12,000 for windows maintenance works, on the premise that British stainless steel rivets would be used.

The complainant was then persuaded to pay another HK$9,000 to replace waterproof membranes and repair glass gaskets to prevent water seepage.

However, when the work was completed, the complainant discovered the rivets were not made in the UK.

The complainant also found out from the Buildings Department that waterproof membranes and glass gaskets were not mandatory inspection items.

Lastly, the provision of internet services remained to be an area of concern to the council despite seeing a drop in the number of complaints from 1,218 cases in 2014 to 885 cases last year.

The council found the monthly fees for the same broadband service plan offered by an operator through different subscription channels could vary by over 40 per cent.

It was also tedious for consumers to terminate their services, the council said.

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