Diamond Events

We had our initial meet & great with Stephanie, as her company was listed as a preferred vendor from our venue, and she came off pleasant and understood our vision; elegant, timeless and simple. We were eager to hire her, and paid the 50% deposit on 2/14, then did not have any responses to several emails and attempts through her communication portal, Basecamp for almost 3 months (next contact was on 5/5). This was a crucial time for us as many vendors were requesting to begin a first take at timelines. This meeting, and every meeting thereafter was beyond unprofessional. We even researched and contacted other wedding coordinators and contemplated cutting our losses and hiring a brand new wedding coordinator. We opted to keep with Stephanie / Diamond events as we would have paid more in the end (jokes on us because Stephanie snuck in additional fees that were never discussed, in our final invoice). When this was addressed in an email post wedding, she replied "If you felt that you did not want me as your planner in July, I would have greatly appreciated knowing that so we could have gone our separate ways (I am going to add this to our guide)." She was often late for virtual calls that were scheduled and confirmed. One incident, after I scheduled a meeting based on her availability per her request, she changed the time, without even as much to ask if I was available and then did not even dial into the new agreed upon time and blamed me when I had reached out asking for her to be considerate of everyone's time. She provided a line item invoice for linens, florals and other decor after advising that we only needed linens. After reiterating that we were only requesting linens, and for a new invoice, we received one that wasn't itemized and was significantly higher >1k than the previous invoice if only linens were provided. That is where my question of her trustworthiness peaked. Her preferred documentation was not user friendly, especially the excel doc, to the point where I created my own document and uploaded it to her portal. I had provided extremely detailed word and excel spreadsheets with each decor item we provided (including photos in Basecamp of each item) and detailed placement, as well as a pdf with the floorplan layout that included the centerpiece placement in detail at each table (the layout was simple, 2 different staggering centerpieces, color-coded - floral bouquet v wreath with 3 vases w candles, and kings table with bridesmaid bouquets). The tables were not set up correctly, nor do I think she even referenced the pdf guest table layout, or her own requested documents based on how the guest table decor turned out. When I saw this before the ceremony, I nicely mentioned that they were not in the correct order and only to be told "well she [her assistant] already put them there, so". I created a spreadsheet organized by each guest table with the guests escort card in order clockwise from a specific starting point at the table per her request from our phone call 3 days prior to the wedding. While every guest was placed at their correct table (I put each tables escort cards in an individual bag), each guest was scattered amongst the table. Dates were not seated together and rather randomly placed, our parents were to be facing us during dinner service but ended up having their backs to us. Aside from every guest table of 10-12 guests out of order, we had a 27 person retangular table to account for each wedding party member and their guest. Not a single person was sat with their guest and some were not local nor did they know many of the people sitting with them. This was beyond unacceptable and an unforgettable mistake, one that when addressed the concern post wedding via email was responded to without ownership or without even so much as an apology for inconveniencing every single guest and having me up until 1am the night of rehearsal providing this in order and sent via email. The request was to provide these in order via spreadsheet, and instead she refused to reference the spreadsheet and opted to just place the escort cards wherever. As previously mentioned, her final invoice 2 weeks prior the wedding was higher than expected, and without prior notice (in the invoice doesn't constitute for prior notice). As a professional you shouldn't discuss offering arch decor 5 months before an event, and not even a mention of an upcharge, when it's a product that you own. Only referencing that as every other coordinator that we interviewed when contemplating firing Stephanie in July, included any decor they had (and were significantly cheaper). We paid the invoice and didn't make mention, with the expectation that our decor, coordination and set up would be perfect and were severely disappointed. Our rehearsal left everyone feeling uneasy, so much that she forgot to include the flower girls and ring bearers in the rehearsal walk. Upon me asking (after my practice walk and seeding my neice, one of the flower girls, being held by her father waiting for his cue) she asked if they would be walking. Sadly, this was all provided in her requested documentation, so it was apparent that she had not even referenced her own documents. The day of the wedding, not a single guest was greeted by her as she was no where to be found and instead left the groom and groomsmen had to greet each guest (instead of relaxing before his own wedding). During the reception, myself, my entire wedding party and almost each guest saw and commented to us after the fact of Stephanie sitting on the floor, on her phone, twirling her hair along the coat rack corridor, where every guest walks past. This is beyond unprofessional, and unacceptable for hours during the reception. Take a break but not for several hours and where guests frequently walk. The second unforgettable mistake, which is by far the biggest, is her inability to execute a recommendation that was her own. When we spoke 3 days prior to the wedding, I mentioned how I wanted a group photo of every guest (to use for our thank you cards) and asked about during the reception. Her recommendation was rather at the conclusion of the ceremony, she would have one of the photographers on a ladder to take an ariel view photo of us with every guest. A recommendation that I absolutely loved and adored!! It was discussed during rehearsal so that the wedding party knew not to walk until after the photo, and concluding the ceremony both the DJ and officiants announced for the guest to turn around as the bride and groom walk past, for a group photo. That photo never took place, we have no photos with all of our guests, and were unable to provide a unique thank you card to our guests. This is a day that we will never get back, we will never had all of those people together, ever and a day that we can never redo. In this profession, one should really love their career and listen to their clients and strive to delivery. The entire time, from the moment that we paid our 50% deposit, until post wedding email correspondence, her stance was that she was doing us a favor. We provided every bit of our own decor, down to every welcome/guest/gift table decor, welcome sign and floral, seating chart, memorial table decor, ceremony arch decor, guest table decor, bar decor, wedding cake table and dessert table decor, we provided the floor layout with guest names and table decor, extremely detailed decor list with specific placement of each item and yet she still failed to deliver. Not sure what $3,500 should cost for a day of coordinator, but I wouldn't think it would entail not showing or being late to scheduled meetings, leaving final walk thrus early (missing over an hour of detail & decisions), messing up escort card placement, failing to coordinate (and finding alternative solutions if original doesn't work per her excuse via email that there was a language barrier or photographer refused) group photo or taking zero accountability when addressed in person and in email. Her lack of ownership, non-apologetic, unprofessional demeanor is unacceptable. Fortunately, our wedding day was still amazing as I married my best friend and was the best day of our lives, because of the loved ones that were there but please do yourself a favor, and save the headache of hiring someone who isn't willing to put in the work the day of the wedding. The wedding coordinator you hire should not add stress to your plate.