Bella Amore Celebrations

arsal dinner, which was a clear breach of our contract. It is easy to feel overwhelmed when looking for a planner, but do not rush. You do not want the experience my husband and I had. Cost & Pricing Misrepresentations: Hidden Payment Terms: During our consultation, we were promised a standard deposit and installment options. Instead, half the total cost was demanded immediately, and the remaining balance was forced through within weeks. It is NOT typical to pay a wedding planner upfront. Poor Communication & Lack of Care: Staffing Confusion: We were placed in a group chat with a "catering lead" who vanished. When asked about it, Bonnie contradicted herself, claiming that person was never in charge of catering with no follow up as to the team member in charge of catering. Ignored Details & Vision: Every meeting felt like starting from scratch. Despite extensive communication about my severe gluten allergy, she repeatedly failed to check if bakeries could accommodate gluten-free cakes. Emotional Distress: The lack of progress and repetitive meetings that felt like starting from scratch, caused so much anxiety that I was frequently left in tears. Lack of Initiative & Timeline Execution: Zero Proactivity: Despite agreeing to beginning certain aspects of the planning early for our remote, family-property wedding, there was no follow-through. Forced DIY: To save my own wedding, I had to take over entirely. I built the spreadsheets, researched, and independently booked the food trucks, florist, bakery, linens, and centerpieces. Contractual Failure (The Rehearsal): No-Show: Bonnie booked a flight that made it physically impossible to attend our Friday 5:00 PM rehearsal (despite there being other flights). She falsely claimed we said it was "okay" to miss it. Incorrect Processional Line-Up: Her printed processional order was a mess, listing my grandmother multiple times. We had to run our own rehearsal, which was saved only because my sister-in-law stepped in with a Plan B. Day-of Execution & Continued Distress: Late Arrival & Inefficiency: For a backyard wedding requiring extensive setup, she did not arrive until 12:00 PM. When asked to put ribbons on the chairs, she took over two hours on that single task, and still was not done at 2 PM. Unprepared for Guests: By 2:00 PM, she was still working on ribbons with a massive amount of setup left to do, right before the first guest shuttle arrived at 2:30 PM. Saved by Family: If it weren't for my family waking up extra early and doing the heavy lifting, nothing would have been ready. As the bride, I spent my wedding day overwhelmed with stress and worry because of this coordinator's severe lack of competence. Not only was the entire process a true nightmare, but I was in tears the day of the wedding due to severe incompetence. First time brides give everyone the benefit of the doubt. You expect at the very least, honesty, integrity, accountability, and reliability. To my future brides, you deserve more.