TLDR: I paid $1,000 for wedding-day services, substantial portions of those services were not…read moredelivered by the person I hired, my family had to step in, and my request for a 50% refund was ultimately not resolved.
I strongly recommend that brides carefully consider my experience before booking this vendor. I paid $1,000 for wedding-day draping and garment preparation, and significant portions of the services I hired her to perform were ultimately not performed by her.
I did everything I reasonably could beforehand to set us up for success. We had multiple planning conversations, including a lengthy call reviewing my specific outfits, draping style, and their order, and I provided a detailed written timeline. She was specifically told in writing to arrive at 9:00 a.m. and begin steaming the outfits.
On my wedding day, she arrived late, and shared that the steamer was not working, which it ended up working for my bridemaids who then steamed their own clothes in fully professional hair and makeup.
My bridal lehenga was still in its garment bag even though I had been told it had already been steamed and was ready. When she showed me what she said was my prepared bridal outfit, it was actually my reception lehenga--despite the time we had spent beforehand reviewing which outfit was which.
Most importantly: The professional I paid to drape me did not ultimately drape me for my wedding ceremony. My aunt had to step in and drape my bridal lehenga instead.
At 2:32 p.m.--minutes before I was supposed to walk down the aisle--I received a text from the vendor saying, "All done. Can I leave now Neeti?" She also wrote that she had "pre pleated mom's saree and steamed the rest." I had not even completed the services I had hired her for at that point, including the later assistance with my reception outfit. This also doesn't capture how inappropriate that communication was, despite us having coordinators and other staff.
The resulting delays had consequences that cannot be fixed with another appointment. Because I wasn't dressed and ready according to our planned timeline, we permanently lost a substantial portion of our professional wedding photography, including planned bridal details, getting-ready photographs, bridesmaids helping me dress, and candid moments from that morning. Those photographs cannot be recreated.
After the wedding, I tried repeatedly to resolve this privately. I requested only a $500 partial refund--not even the full $1,000 I paid.
Her response stated that the "core draping services were delivered" and attributed the problems primarily to illness and a broken/uncooperative steamer. I absolutely understand that people can become unexpectedly ill, and I never disputed that she may have been unwell. What I could not reconcile was the assertion that the core services were delivered when my aunt was the person who ultimately had to drape the bride.
I was also surprised by the explanation regarding the equipment. Before the wedding, our venue coordinator had emailed the group--including the vendor--confirming that the venue had a Rowenta steamer approximately four feet tall and even provided a photograph of it. Regardless of any equipment issue she may have experienced that day, it does not explain why my bridal outfit was still bagged after I had been told it was ready, why my aunt had to drape me, or why she was asking to leave before all of the services I hired her for had been completed.
I gave her multiple opportunities to resolve this privately. After she refused the partial refund, I responded in detail and again attempted to resolve the matter. I ultimately sent a final written demand giving her a specific deadline before I pursued formal recovery options. I received no further response or refund.
I subsequently discovered that I could no longer access her business Instagram profile from my account, despite Instagram having been the platform through which I originally booked her.
I don't leave this review lightly. I intentionally waited, documented what happened, and repeatedly tried to handle it privately before saying anything publicly. I also deliberately have not speculated about her motives or disputed whether she was genuinely ill.
For a normal event, perhaps some of these issues could have been fixed later. On a wedding day, they cannot. There is no second opportunity to photograph the bride getting ready or to recover the moments that were missed.
I am sharing my experience so other brides can make an informed decision when choosing someone for such a time-sensitive and important part of their wedding day.
