Today’s Sound Off is about wedding bell blues:

Dear Heloise: My first cousin and I were very close growing up, but now that her wedding is coming up in mid-August, she has gotten very demanding, and I believe she’s forgotten her manners. She wants to charge people to go to her wedding.

We come from a large family, and the groom’s family is fairly large as well. Both of them want to have this huge blow-out wedding, but they really can’t afford it. She asked my opinion about charging people a fee, and I told her that I’m against it. I told her not to scale back the wedding to a much smaller and simpler affair instead.

The future bride was so angry at the idea that she said I wasn’t invited. They plan on asking for $100 for single people and $150 for couples. I think the whole idea is tacky! Is this a “thing” these days, or is this the “new wedding trend”? — Brenda T., Dexter, Missouri

Brenda, I hate to say it, but this is not the first time I’ve heard of a bride and groom charging for entrance to their wedding. From the letters I get, it never works out well.

People are invited to a wedding to help a couple celebrate the beginning of an important chapter of their lives. It’s a time to share the happiness and excitement of the moment with others. The bride and groom (or their families) pay for their wedding, so if they can’t afford the wedding that they want, perhaps they should wait and save until they can pay for the wedding they’re dreaming of. After all, there’s much more to a good marriage than just the wedding ceremony. — Heloise

SEND A GREAT HINT TO:

Heloise@Heloise.com

A STICKY SITUATION

Dear Heloise: My four kids wreak havoc on my refrigerator! There always seems to be something sticky clinging to each shelf. I have to clean the shelves nearly every other day. Can you recommend a hint for my situation? — May R., Ponca City, Oklahoma

May, here is a simple method that I use all the time: After cleaning all of the shelves, carefully wrap each shelf with clear cling wrap. When the cling wrap gets messy, just remove it and grab another sheet of cling wrap to protect your shelves. — Heloise

WASHING MACHINE ODOR

Dear Heloise: My washing machine smells terrible. It has sort of a nasty, stale smell that has now begun to transfer to the clothing I wash inside of it. The clothes are clean, but they still have a slightly rancid smell. How do I get rid of this odor? — Linda M., Arcadia, Florida

Linda, try out this method: Use 2 cups of baking soda, poured into the barrel of the washing machine. Then run a long cycle in hot water. After the cycle has ended, run 2 cups of white vinegar mixed with 8-12 drops of an essential oil. (A scent you like the best will work fine.) Run a normal cycle in either warm or cold water. — Heloise

READ THE FINE PRINT

Dear Heloise: We are 72 years old, and I thought we were a little intelligent. Apparently, this was not so, as we accepted a trip to San Diego through the Marriott Vacation Club and believed the presenter. But we did not read the fine print well enough. We signed up, and now there is little to no value in this program. I am writing this in hopes that other people (of any age) do not get flimflammed as we did.

Stay safe, Heloise, and win the lottery! — G.M., in San Antonio

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