Stellar Photography and Event Planning LLC

y October 3 wedding and paid a $725 retainer on July 15. My remaining $725 was due August 8, with a $100 late fee after 48 hours. I had just started a new nursing job and several expenses hit at once. On August 15, overwhelmed by the additional expense, I told Stellar I would have to cancel. Three days later, on August 18, I had fixed the problem. Another vendor graciously agreed to move a payment, allowing me to pay Stellar the entire $725 balance PLUS the $100 late fee the following day. I wasn't asking for a discount, waived fee, or different date. I was prepared to pay everything I owed and continue with my October 3 wedding. They refused to reinstate me. I was initially told the staff assigned to my wedding had already been “reallocated.” Stellar later clarified in writing that the staff had actually been released from my date to pursue other opportunities and expressly confirmed, “We have not replaced your wedding with another booking.” So, within THREE DAYS, despite my wedding still being approximately seven weeks away and my date not being booked by another wedding, my cancellation was apparently completely irreversible. I then requested my $725 retainer back. That was also refused because the contract identifies it as non-refundable. I understand that I initiated the cancellation. I understand the purpose of retainers and that businesses need cancellation policies. What I cannot understand is the complete lack of flexibility shown to a client who experienced a temporary financial problem and corrected it three days later. I was essentially left with two answers: Can I pay everything I owe, including the late fee, and continue my contract? No. Then can I have my $725 back? Also no. Wedding vendors are trusted with an incredibly expensive, stressful and important event. Life happens. Financial difficulties happen. Mistakes happen. I believe good customer service includes some degree of humanity and reasonable flexibility when circumstances allow it. Instead, three days was apparently enough time for my coordination services to become impossible to restore, but not enough time for any portion of my $725 to come back to me. I personally feel taken advantage of by how this situation was handled, and I cannot recommend Stellar Photography & Event Planning. I strongly encourage prospective clients to read the cancellation and retainer provisions extremely carefully and understand exactly what will happen to your money if your circumstances unexpectedly change.

ristel and Cassandra were absolute rockstars! We had them not only as our photographers/videographers, but also as our wedding planners. They were extremely fun to work with and honestly had us laughing so much of the time! You can tell they genuinely love what they do. They were more than accommodating on our big day—everything from running all over the venue to grab things for us, helping us change or adjust our outfits, and constantly checking in to make sure we had everything we needed, all while making sure our day went flawlessly. We honestly couldn't have asked for a better team and are so grateful for everything they did to make our wedding day so amazing!

with our venue/caterer, photo/video team, and DJ all day and as a result my now husband and I had a stress free, amazing day. The month-of planning work took a huge weight off our shoulders and helped us better understand what to expect on the day. From helping with last minute decor setup, to getting into and bustling my dress, to getting the exact timing for our ceremony music, she was a pro, through and through. I cannot recommend their services enough. Also highly recommend using their extra hours for setup or takedown if you are able to - the takedown service allowed us to end the night with all of our guests instead of worrying about getting everything packed up. Thank you so much Kayla and Gabbie!