Before starting I would like to make it clear that in no way am I trying to bash Lil Epic Design…read moreStudio team. Instead, I hope for this to come out as constructive criticism.
I would give four stars to the studio. The value of this is like no other, especially with the amenities that are included, like the flower wall, greenery/hedge wall, string lights dangling beautifully from the ceiling, couches, and Apple TV to name a few. My guests (and myself!) thoroughly enjoyed the flower wall as photobooth backdrop. Our photographer was amazed at the lighting in the studio. The greenery/hedge wall was perfect for my son's sweets table backdrop. I had used the Apple TV to stream a slideshow of my son on loop. The kitchen island is perfect for a buffet style hospitality. Although, our guest attendance was lower than expected, the studio can easily fit about 80 guests. Lil Epic Design Studio is gorgeous, welcoming, and clean.
Like I said, we had used their planning and styling services. This I would give a 2-2.5 stars. Prior to meeting with them, I had a theme picked out, and other little details I wanted to incorporate. I had it all drawn and listed out in a notebook. The first meeting I had with the team, I explained to them exactly what I wanted, and hear out what they think. We agreed that everything we discussed were possibly. The team assured me that everything was doable and by the time we get to the studio on the day of the party, everything would be ready. The next few meetings, I felt like I had to remind them what exactly we discussed previously. It was almost as if we were meeting for the first time over and over again. Then the week of the party, we were able to drop off plates, cups, drinks, and other items which was really convenient.
The day of the party, we got to the studio about an hour before the party starts. When arriving to the studio, there were key details that were missing. We agreed to customize the flower wall with a few blue flowers, but that was not done. It was kept white. Our centerpieces were supposed to be mason jars and handmade tissue paper carnations, but instead, the centerpieces were red roses in a flimsy painted container. I had brought in a children's book at our second to the last meeting that was meant to be the guest book in which our guests were to write little notes throughout it, but the book was nowhere to be found. I let the in-studio assistant know, so maybe she could find it before guests could arrive, but she couldn't find it. This was the one thing I was most upset about. I wanted my son to have this book full of messages from his guests to look back on, but because it was misplaced, he was not able to have this memorabilia. I also have yet to get the book back. Along with the guestbook, I had recommended a sign made so guests knew what and where to write in the book. This was not made. As I said earlier, they assured me that everything would be ready and that all I had to do was place the food that I brought in in the warmer. This was nowhere near the case, especially when it came to the cake/sweets table. My family and I had to arrange all the food, and arrange the plasticware. I had my photographer get there 30 minutes before the party, so we could take pictures before the guests arrived, but we were not able to do that because I was still setting everything up. By the time of the party and when guests started to arrive, I was just getting finished setting up. Lastly, the back where the bathroom is located was not cleaned. There were boxes stacked on the bench and on the floor.
After all this, I do have a few suggestions. When having a new client, schedule all the meetings needed, so it's already planned out. I had to reach out to them to schedule a meeting. At times, I was stressing out because I wanted to schedule a meeting, but wouldn't receive a reply for days. Also, I wanted to meet, so we could be on the same page and start spreading out my expenses instead of buying everything all in one week. Another suggestion is to have a worksheet of things you should discuss each meeting, so each meeting is productive and organized. Like I said earlier, I felt like each meeting we had was like the first meeting all over again because we were having to discuss things that were finalized meetings ago. I understand that they're a growing team, but seems that time management is a weakness. Emails would go unresponded for days. I've had to double, triple, almost quadruple email them to get their attention. Each time there would be a different excuse given. Lastly, I felt like my event was not prioritized compared to others. I follow them on Instagram, and Facebook, and I have seen them take quality time on other projects, especially when it involved well known brands like LinkedIn and SocialWorks, or high end weddings. All in all, I would use their space again for any occasion, but using their planning and styling services, I don't want empty promises.
