So Staged Event Design + Rentals + Florals

So Staged has absolutely beautiful furniture rentals for weddings in Sarasota! We were very pleased with the items that Barbie helped us pick out for our wedding at the Ritz-Carlton Beach Club in Sarasota in March 2022- when I described my vision to her, she was able to pick the perfect items that fit my vision perfectly! We did have some challenges with timeliness and responsiveness from Barbie (we had probably 3 months of back and forth trying to get things finalized that ultimately only took about 30 minutes to do)-I think So Staged is extremely understaffed and Barbie is doing a job that should be divided among several people!! However, in the end, we were able to get our items finalized and confirmed, everything worked out perfectly on the day of our wedding which is what is most important :). I would recommend So Staged for beautiful furniture rentals to really personalize your wedding (and your guests will love!!)

TLDR: They failed to fully fulfill our contract and were the only thing wrong with my wedding. I had to file a claim with my credit card company to get a refund because they failed to follow through with their promise to refund me. When creating the list of items I wanted to rent, I requested several plants that they have listed on their website. I was told they needed to check if they were available and they would get back to me. No one ever got back to me on that. I also requested an area rug. I was told I would be sent pictures of rugs they have in the warehouse so that I could choose. That never happened either. I paid a 50% deposit and then the rest in full about a month before my event. I had to follow up with them to confirm that they received payment. The day before my wedding (Friday) I receive a phone from a nice woman asking what rug I want because they are loading the truck. I ask how I’m supposed to pick a rug when I have no idea what my options are? I agree to let one of their “designers” pick out something that will look good with the other furniture I’ve chosen. Not ideal, but it’s the day before my wedding, and they have left me with no other option. She tells me she has COVID but will be available the next day by phone should there be any issues. Ok, cool. The next day arrives, the day of my wedding, and my coordinator starts sending me pictures. One of the chairs I ordered came with no seat. Apparently, the seats are attached with Velcro. So the seat cushion for the chair was never put on the truck and all we have was the frame. I ordered a 36-inch copper sign holder. They sent a seven-foot copper arch instead. I ordered a round gold arch. Instead, they sent a massive rainbow-shaped arch. I immediately called the woman, no answer. Left a voicemail, no return call. I couldn’t use any of these items, and despite there being hours before my wedding and plenty of time for So Staged to fix the issue, they weren’t communicating to do so. Thankfully, my coordinator and the hotel were amazing and they fixed the issues. The following Monday, I called the number the delivery men provided. I politely explained what happened and how I was disappointed by their failure to adhere to our contract. The gentleman on the phone responds “so, what do you want me to do about it?” I was taken aback, this was incredibly rude and totally uncalled for. I explained how I expected a refund for the items I rented and did not receive. His response, “you got what you ordered, I loaded the truck myself” Now sir, this is just ridiculous. I have picture proof from your own contract that what I ordered and what I got are not the same. Then he admits that the arch I ordered was broken so they substituted it. I responded that if they could call me about the rug on Friday, they could have called about the arch. It was not his decision to make, to unilaterally change the arch without notice to me. The conversation resulted in both sides being angry and I ended the call to prevent him from yelling at me further. Later that day the woman who called on Friday called me. I again politely explained what happened, that I had tried to call her, and the conversation I had with the man. She apologized and we had a pleasant conversation where she agreed to call me the next day and arrange for a refund of the three items. No follow-up call ever came. No refund was issued. I ended up having to file a claim through my credit card to get a refund issued.

The So Staged team did an amazing job for our wedding. Would highly recommend them for any event. We will be using them in the future.

Please be aware!!!! With 15 vendors - i had not read the fine print- had ordered & paid for bench’s to be used on the beach for my daughters wedding- the day of the wedding- the owner showed up to deliver the bench’s & said the bench’s were not treated to be outside - so they could not be used- if it stopped raining - they could try to redeliver- but??? Well- rain cleared for a quick window to be married on the beach- but- not enough time to get bench’s back - Never thought that bench’s to be delivered for beach wedding would not have been treated for rain and a wipe off if needed- Did get several other items & they were under tent & fine! So lesson learned- out a lot of $$$!!!! Do not want this to happen to others