I was very reluctant to hire Ashley considering she was fairly new to the business, but she was pleasant to talk to and she assured me that she had plenty of experience in organizing corporate events and had a wedding already booked prior to mine. After meeting with her in person, I felt more comfortable about hiring her. She seemed well prepared, organized and had a nice attitude, so, I decided to give her a shot. I hired her as my day of coordinator.
I hired Ashley from morning (before the ceremony) until mid-reception. Aside of her normal duties as a 'day of coordinator,' her main role was to ensure the church and venue were decorated and more importantly, all transitions were smooth and on schedule. I provided her with all my notes, sketches, schedules, contracts, vendor contacts, and venue details. I even gave her my maid of honor and the best man's phone numbers just in case. Considering that everything was already planned and all vendors, except the limo, was booked - all she had to do was execute.
Prior to the wedding, Ashley kept in constant communication, she assisted me with researching a vendor, she was always on time for our meetings and she even helped with providing one of my props - all things that I appreciated very much. I felt that I was in good hands and she would deliver on my wedding day.
On the day of, unfortunately, there were a few incidents that occurred; a few were brought to my attention by my guests. First, she failed to manage the schedule and ensure all my vendors were running on time. This resulted in a delay in the ceremony. Next, my procession during the ceremony was too early. (I walked out to a song performed live, and the song didn't even begin when she called me out) Some of the other things not executed properly were my cake, the centerpieces, the seating chart and the number of wine bottles we were charged for. Lastly, her attire was unprofessional and she drank on the job! A few of my guests and my husband actually saw her taking shots at the bar which was inappropriate and highly unprofessional.
After the event, we met in person and I tried sharing this with her, but she was unable to discuss it in detail because of plans she had (even though we planned to meet weeks in advance), so I sent her an email. The response I got was "thanks, I will be sure to apply it in areas where it's needed." I was incredibly surprised and disappointed with her response, considering the sensitivity and nature of it all. She wasn't apologetic, she showed no concern, sympathy or acknowledgement. It was upsetting. How could I have trusted her with one of the biggest days of my life? Why didn't I do more research? Why didn't I hire someone more seasoned? How is this not a big deal to her? Why didn't she care? I mean, these were all valid things that could have seriously impacted the day.
Instead of immediately writing a mad review, I wrote her another email, letting her know how I felt. She responded by pointing blame at my mother in law, the reception venue employees, my cake vendor and the church. I couldn't believe it. I tried reaching out to her again just to get a better understanding and some closure. Sadly, she did not return my call. It was insult on top of injury. Her lack of response relayed that the day is over, she got paid and she no longer cared.
It took me a long time to finally write a review, and I really did not want to write a bad one. I was hoping that we can settle everything before I wrote this. How she handled this was beyond unprofessional. All I wanted in return was her acknowledgement and a simple yet sincere apology. Not a refund, just her acknowledgement. Things happen, I didn't expect perfection, but at least take responsibility. Instead, she pointed blame elsewhere and belittled my concerns. I would expect someone relatively new to the industry to go above and beyond, try to build relationships and promote themselves in the most positive way. This was not the case.
Thankfully, my day was not a disaster, it was truly one of the happiest moments of my life. I refused to let anything ruin it, but based on my overall experience, I would not recommend her services or continue to refer her. My review is not intended to sway anyone from hiring her. So if she is a good fit for you then by all means. Everyone deserves a second chance. This was just my experience, something I hope another bride will not have to endure, but definitely something that should be shared. So, brides do your research! Your wedding is not something you can redo, so leave it in the hands of someone seasoned, someone who will execute. On the other hand, this is just the beginning for her, and there's always one bad apple in a batch. I'm sure there's more room for growth and I only wish her the best. read more