As a professional event planner and decorator who has worked with numerous venues and clients over the years, I was extremely disappointed with my experience regarding the communication and professionalism of the venue representative, Davonya.
First, I want to make it clear that the venue itself is beautiful. It is a wonderful space with endless possibilities and can truly be transformed into a beautiful atmosphere for a client's special occasion. Unfortunately, the experience I had dealing with the venue representative overshadowed the beauty of the space.
Throughout the planning process, there was very inconsistent communication. My client sent several text messages during the planning process and after the contract was created. On multiple occasions, the messages showed as "read," yet there was no response. This created unnecessary confusion and made it difficult for us to properly plan and execute the event.
I personally contacted Davonya regarding an appointment to view the venue. That appointment was missed. When I spoke with her, she stated that she had never been contacted about viewing the venue on the Tuesday and Wednesday that had been discussed. I then continued the conversation by asking when the earliest time would be for my team and me to enter the venue and begin setting up.
I was initially told 12:00 PM on Saturday. I was informed that there was already an event scheduled for Friday and that the cleaning crew would need to come in before we could begin setting up. Davonya later said the Friday event was cancelled. But she said the venue was not cleaned or event ready as she stated. We discussed and agreed that my team and I would arrive at 12:00 PM Saturday. My client also spoke with Davonya afterward and was given the same 12:00 PM setup time.
The following day, we contacted her to confirm the setup time, only to be told that the time was actually 3:00 PM.This was extremely problematic.We were setting up for approximately 150 guests, which required tables, chairs, decorations, linens, table settings, centerpieces, and numerous other details. Changing the agreed-upon setup time from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM left my team with only approximately 2 1/2-3 hours to complete an entire event setup. That amount of time was simply not sufficient to properly execute everything that had been planned.As a result, the event started late.
What was even more concerning was the conversation between Davonya and my client, during which it was stated that I had called her "several times" that day, giving the impression that I was repeatedly contacting her or causing an issue. That was not accurate.
Throughout this entire process, I called Davonya only twice.The first call was specifically regarding the missed venue-viewing appointment. My client asked me to make that call because there had already been several unanswered text messages showing as read.
The second call was made the day before the event for one reason: to confirm the 12:00 PM setup time that had previously been discussed and agreed upon.
I believe that when a contract has been established between a client and a venue, communication should be clear, consistent, and organized. There should be a designated point of contact, and everyone involved should receive the same information regarding appointments, access, setup times, and expectations. This would eliminate unnecessary confusion and prevent situations like the one we experienced.
There were also issues during the event. There is a closet containing brooms, mops, cleaning supplies, and other useful items. While we were setting up, someone spilled a beverage, and when my team attempted to access the closet for cleaning supplies, the door was locked. We had no one readily available to contact for assistance, so we had to use napkins and paper towels to address the spill.There was additional décor stored in that closet that we were unable to access after the event. This became another inconvenience, particularly when we were attempting to complete cleanup and retrieve items.
Oddly enough Davonya showed up to the formal event dressed in regular clothing . Several guest saw her open the closet door and close it. She briefly spoke with my client. My client told her that she needed to speak with her, we wanted to address the closet door being locked and other things. In my opinion it wasnt the best time for her come during an event , my client was enjoying herself and guests. shortly afterward, Davonya disappeared and was nowhere to be found. The closet was still locked
Overall, I found the lack of communication, missed appointment, conflicting setup information, limited accessibility, and lack of professional follow-through extremely concerning.I have been decorating and setting up special occasions for years, and I have worked with many different venues. I have never experienced business being conducted in this manner. Let this not be a reflection of the Venue it's Beautiful read more