I recently hired a hostess for my birthday celebration and wanted to share my honest experience.
Pros:
She maintained great communication leading up to the event, which made planning feel smooth and organized. She was also very creative--especially with the cake setup and the gable boxes for guests. Those details added a nice touch to the overall presentation.
Cons:
Unfortunately, once the event began, the level of communication and coordination changed significantly. I was instructed to call at 7:30 PM for my grand entrance, but when I arrived and called, there was no answer. There was also an issue with the caterer, and instead of helping maintain the flow of the event, she shifted focus to handing out gable boxes and cupcakes early, which led to guests beginning to leave sooner than expected.
At one point, I was unable to locate her at all, which made it difficult to address concerns in real time. Additionally, she was supposed to package the remaining cupcakes, but that task was not completed.
There was also a raffle tied to the Harlem Nights theme where six gift cards were meant to be distributed, but only two were given out during the event. The remaining cards were taken with her, and I only became aware of the issue after a guest mentioned not receiving theirs. Similarly, a "50" cake topper was also taken, though it was returned after I followed up.
A few guests also mentioned that a card box was not present during social hour, and ideally there should have been two available. While I understand this may not have been entirely her responsibility, it still impacted the guest experience.
Overall:
While the pre-event communication and creativity were appreciated, the execution during the event did not meet expectations. After the issue with the caterer, the flow of the party was not maintained, which impacted the overall experience for both myself and my guests. read more