Hindsight is 20/20, but we regret having hired ShivPriya Events and specifically Hameant Raghubir. We were disappointed on many fronts. In the initial meeting, Hameant struck me as all talk & no action, but we thought maybe the swagger was just... part of his personality. He did not have a proper assistant, and at each turn when he was asked to do something, he looked as though we were putting him out. As the groom and I were both living in a different state, we hoped that the wedding planner would be a help, and would be taking care of all the details, but every step of the way my mother and I were ten steps ahead of Hameant. He couldn’t even put together a proper itinerary for the weekend’s events, and he did not make an effort to come meet with us in person the weekends we were in town, despite the contract stating that we would receive face to face meetings. Throughout the wedding weekend, it was on us, the wedding party, to put out fires.
Just some examples where ShivPriya fell short:
• On Friday, when all the items for the weekend’s events were sent over, no inventory was taken. On Sunday evening, as I (the bride) was getting ready for photos before the reception, Hameant calls me to tell me he can’t find the seating chart poster.
• On Sunday morning, my wedding day, at 5:30 AM, I called the hotel concierge about the bridal suite breakfast order only to be told there was no order, despite Hameant having said he would order breakfast for the bridal party. The hotel sent up a plate of bagels at the last minute which most of the ladies were unable to find time to eat before heading to photos.
• At the Gauri Pooja before the wedding ceremony, we found that the boxes of items that were clearly marked as “Gauri Pooja,” with the date, time, and location of the event were misplaced. In the middle of the event, my mom’s friends were running around looking for items.
• On Sunday, despite clear instructions, Hameant placed all the favors bags on the seats in the ceremony hall. Only the programs were to be placed on the seats. My mom’s friends had to go through and collect back all 350 bags before guests arrived.
• After the seating chart saga on Sunday afternoon, I walk into the reception hall to find the floor plan incorrect, tables dance floor, and all the table name signs on the wrong tables. Hameant looked at me and with serious attitude said, what am I supposed to do? I’m only one person. He should have had a staff to assist him, since he was incapable of reading the clearly labeled floor plan diagram that was IN HIS HAND as he told me he couldn’t fix it. The venue manager, bartenders, and the groom’s family ended up helping me rearrange the room before guests arrived.
• On Monday morning’s brunch, Hameant rolled in halfway through the event in shorts and a t-shirt, looking to pick up his check. My mother did not want to cause a scene in front of the guests, but had it been up to me, I would not have paid him a single cent.
Overall, we felt that there was a gap between the testimonials and the delivery. I do not find this company to be worth my money.
Meanwhile, all the tasks assigned to close friends and family were accomplished without any issue. I shudder to think how everything would have fallen apart if we had left it all to Hameant.