I am writing this review as a very dissatisfied paying customer who did not receive the level of service, professionalism, or quality that I was promised and paid in full for. My Dad found this business online and suggested we go with her after. talking to her and having a pleasant first contact. My experience, thereafter with Annod and the owner, Donna, was frustrating, disappointing, and completely unprofessional from beginning to end. After paying my invoice in full to host my graduation party at her Accokeek location, Donna went completely silent for long stretches of time throughout the planning process. She ignored numerous texts and calls from me asking questions for my vendors (DJ, caterer, bartender, etc.) who needed important information to prepare for my event. When I finally reached her, I was told not to call and to only text because she was dealing with personal issues. Despite me needing information, she didn't put me in contact with someone else who could assist, and she was constantly active on social media. That is unacceptable behavior for someone running a business. Trying to plan a party brings a lot of anxiety and Donna nor her team did anything to alleviate that. Having no contact with you until FOUR days until the event, when she ought to know planning takes weeks and months to execute shows her lack of care and concern for her customers once she has your money. To make matters worse, Donna waited until just two days before my event to update my invoice, which added unnecessary stress and confusion right before my celebration. For someone who claims to have 30 years of event planning experience, her lack of communication and organization was shocking. She demonstrated zero regard for my time, concerns, or the fact that I was paying for a professional service. The balloon garland I was charged for looked nothing like the reference photo I provided- Not worth the $275 paid. On the day of the party, Donna didn't even show up. Instead, she sent a family member (or someone on her team- not completely sure) who had no idea what was required or discussed. Good thing some of my family went early to make sure the setup looked how I envisioned (which it did not), and they were able to tell her the table requirements and things the vendors needed that were discussed with Donna just 4 days prior. My vendors were missing tables and accommodations. They wanted to set my DJ up on a highboy table instead of the 6-foot table, previously discussed. Insane. The colors were completely wrong and mismatched, and the centerpieces were nothing like what I ordered. I paid for a backdrop, and she couldn't even provide proof of the backdrop before I got there. It was $150, and when I got there, it was my first time seeing it. I would have liked to have viewed it before she printed it. Same with the template on the photo booth. She did not provide anything, and I asked MULTIPLE times. The request was ignored. It ended up being a lot of floral, and that was something I told her I did not want. And speaking of the photobooth, less than 24 hours before my event, Donna informed me that the 360-degree photo booth I had booked was no longer available. I was forced to accept a different booth at the last minute. Although she extended the hours to compensate, the last-minute change showed a total lack of planning and respect for her clients. The situation only got worse. The bathroom ran out of toilet paper, the lights went out, and my guests had to use the bathroom in the dark, with no way to contact anyone from Donna's team. It was embarrassing and unacceptable. I also paid for setup and cleanup services, but because Donna was not on site to manage her staff, my family and guests had to assist with setting up and cleaning up, even after paying for those services. At one point, a member of her team asked my mother to help clean, which was beyond unprofessional. The tablecloths were dirty, the floors were not mopped (or even swept, it seemed), the decorations were not as promised (I wanted nudes, pinks, and soft purples and got blue, purple, and pink), and overall, the execution of my event did not reflect the package or price I paid for. Donna frequently promotes lavish, well-coordinated events on social media, but that is not what I received. What I got was disorganization, lack of accountability, and poor communication from start to finish. I would not recommend this company to anyone who values professionalism, reliability, or quality service. My family and I spent our hard-earned money expecting a stress-free, well-executed celebration, and instead, I got disappointment and frustration. She may provide better services if it is not in her event space and she is only responsible for a small portion of the setup. Do your research and read the reviews before booking...I wish I had. read more

My first time using this event space was excellent. The owner was very helpful, accommodating, and compassionate since my grandfather had passed away. However, my second experience was unforgettable for all the wrong reasons, and I will not be returning due to the lack of ethics and the overall horrible experience. Originally, our agreement was for the bigger event space for my children's birthday party. We booked it one week prior to our event date due to a cancellation. The owner stated she had another event that evening, but since our party was earlier, she would be able to accommodate us. She created the invoice, and we paid most of it the same day and the remainder that Monday. During our initial conversation and on the day of payment, we informed her of all the stations and vendors we had coming, which included a moon bounce, soft play area, and several other vendors and focal points. On Wednesday, she sent me a text asking how many guests we were expecting because she might be putting our event in her smaller venue. I immediately called her, and she stated this was due to her floor being redone in the larger space. She also said she would check with the contractor to see what he said about the floors. I expressed concern, and she assured me she was unable to access the bigger space due to wet floors. She said she would call around to see if someone else could accommodate us. Due to the last-minute change and the fact that we already had external vendors booked, we were left with very few options and ultimately had to use the smaller space. She insisted there was no way possible for us to use the bigger space because of the floors. She also told us the smaller space was half the size -- which it was not. She allowed us to enter the venue early, which appeared accommodating at first. However, once we entered, it was freezing cold. Some of the lights were broken, and we were informed we couldn't close the door because it was broken and hanging off, which allowed cold air to continuously blow in. We turned the heat up to 88 degrees with no success. The owner entered the facility three times throughout the entire event and still did not resolve the heating issue. She stated the room would warm up, but it never did. On February 7th, 2026, the weather was bitterly cold, with temperatures only reaching around 15°F and wind chill values dropping even lower as part of an extreme cold event, which made the indoor conditions even more unacceptable. When our balloon artist arrived, she accidentally entered the bigger building -- the one we originally booked -- and saw that the owner had already set it up for the evening event. That confirmed she had not been truthful about the floors. As guests arrived, neither the children nor the adults could remove their coats because of how cold it was. I called the owner to address the temperature issue. The second time we called, she did not answer the phone. After waiting over 20 minutes, I called again, and she finally said she was on her way. The personal heaters arrived at the end of the party and were completely inadequate for a commercial space. One of them couldn't even be properly placed due to safety concerns with the children. At the conclusion of the party, we cleaned up and discussed compensation due to the mishaps and unacceptable conditions. She said she would consider it. After 48 hours, I had to follow up to request the return of my 24-hour deposit and ask if she had considered our conversation. She asked for proof of payment, which I provided, and it still took another day to receive my deposit back. She sent an additional $100, which was nowhere near comparable to the inconvenience and hardships she caused. Overall, the experience was horrible for the adults and uncomfortable for the children. The space was cramped, we couldn't set up all the stations, and I wasn't able to use my backdrop or balloon arches that I had already paid vendors for. What made it worse was knowing that she had lied about the availability of the bigger space. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this venue after this experience read more

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My experience with Donna Thompson, the owner of Annod Events, was extremely disappointing and unprofessional. While her initial decor offerings appeared reasonable, and she did not require choosing from rigid packages, this turned out to be misleading. What seemed like a flexible setup was actually a tactic to lure clients in--what followed felt more like a scam than a professional service. Despite repeatedly requesting a contract for months, Donna failed to provide one until the week of my event. Only then did she inform me of an additional $215 refundable deposit, supposedly for security--something that had never been mentioned before. As we finalized the decor for my reception, which I had requested to follow a Wonderland theme, Donna informed me--again, at the last minute--that clear chairs would cost extra. After some back and forth, she eventually agreed to include them. After the event, when I inquired about my refundable deposit, she responded by saying, "I have a plumber coming out due to vomit that clogged up the toilet and I will keep you posted." Days later, she informed me the deposit would be withheld due to alleged cleanup costs, trash removal, and the clogged toilet--yet provided no evidence. The only thing she shared was a photo of trash in a trash can. There was no documentation from a plumber, no photos of damage, and no indication that my guests were responsible. Notably, the $300 clean-up fee had already been included in the original payment. To be fair, Donna is a talented decorator--but she lacks professionalism and integrity when it comes to conducting business. If you choose to work with her, I strongly advise you to get everything in writing up front, have a contract reviewed by an attorney, document every conversation, and proceed with caution--or better yet, find someone else. read more