I hired Wandering Spirits as the bar service for my wedding in September. While I booked them months in advance and paid a deposit, communication with the owner, Rachel, was extremely difficult throughout the process. She was often hard to reach, making coordination stressful.
On the wedding day, the bartending team arrived with minimal supplies, including no coolers for the drinks we provided ourselves. Rachel repeatedly mentioned that her company was catering six other weddings that day, which made me feel like our event wasn't a priority. As the bride, I was focused on my wedding, and hearing about other events was frustrating and unprofessional.
The setup was disappointing and didn't match the elevated and classy look shown in their online photos. Worse, the bartenders requested help from our groomsmen to set up their own equipment.
During the wedding, there was a conflict between the bartenders and the best man. When he asked for a tray of drinks to bring to the wedding party during photos, the bartenders refused and argued with him. The situation escalated when one of the bartenders followed the best man and began yelling at him in the middle of our photo session, which was incredibly unprofessional and uncomfortable.
The issues didn't stop there. The bartenders attempted to close the bar over two hours early, despite us paying an additional $300 for extended service in advance. They also cut off the entire wedding party, claiming they had been over-served, even though several members hadn't had a single drink. Instead of addressing individual concerns, they made a sweeping judgment, which felt unfair and inappropriate.
Just before our grand entrance, one of the bartenders approached my husband and me directly to threaten an extra $1,000 charge due to rain. I had a wedding planner to handle issues like this, but instead, they disrupted what should have been a special moment with unnecessary stress.
To top it off, the bartenders were drinking the alcohol we provided, and their behavior became increasingly sloppy. They spilled drinks and made errors, further diminishing the quality of service.
Overall, my experience with Wandering Spirits was highly disappointing. Based on my experience and feedback from my guests and other vendors, I would not recommend this company. While they seemed promising online, they were easily the most difficult and unprofessional part of what should have been a perfect day. read more