I used Sugar Magnolias for my wedding flowers. Right off the bat, walking into my venue space (after almost two years of planning) I couldn’t believe my eyes. After numerous emails back and forth, an in person meeting, multiple PowerPoint slide...s with photos representing exactly what I wanted… I was shocked to see the end result.
Many flowers were dead/ wilted, my bridal bouquets were not even close to what was described & in general - the arrangements were filled with mostly greenery, I believe to overcompensate for the lack of actual flowers used. This right here is what upsets me the most, I wanted my flowers to be exactly that, actual flowers with a lot of color and that’s not what I got.
Specifics include Heidi using a completely different vase than what was originally described/ picked out. My entry table arrangement was supposed to be a moment when everyone first walked in (ie. tall in height, branching out, dramatic) but it was identical to the reception table arrangements, literally I don’t believe the arrangements were even different? They were supposed have similarities, not be the exact same. Also, I mentioned from Day 1 I didn’t want ‘Eucalyptus’ used anywhere - and for some reason it was used in every single arrangement. Also Carnations we’re used, which weren’t stated anywhere on my write-up, isn’t that a funeral flower?
The bridesmaid bouquets I was hoping for were supposed to be small, colorful and playful for the bridesmaids and for me the bride - structured Pinkish White Calla Lilies with some greenery. I was expecting the bouquet to be exactly like the inspiration photo I sent to her with an addition of a couple green leaves to help match mine to all of the more relaxed bridesmaid bouquets but instead, they were massive, bush-like, weedy & again mostly filled up with greenery. My lilies were also white and deep purple/blue - which was the wrong color.
A week before the event she sends me a final invoice, increasing the prices of some items, without even pointing it out to me. Almost as if she was hoping I wouldn’t notice? Her response to me asking about the price change was extremely argumentative.
I honestly hate that I have to spend time writing this and in full detail - but there were just so many things wrong. She emailed my sister day-of, blaming it on ‘Supply Issues’ - when none of this was directly communicated to me beforehand, aside from her sending me a generic PDF she sent to all of her brides basically stating ‘she had issues getting hard goods and flowers were more expensive.’
If she communicated this to me before my wedding (let’s say about the entry urn specifically) I would’ve took it upon myself to buy / source one separately - she basically had 2 years to find 1 Urn!?
I tried to not let this whole shebang bother me at my wedding. It took her 4 days to respond to my email. In her email, she had the nerve to say she wanted to blow me off?! Her explanation was extremely defensive, basically blaming everything on Covid-19 & only addressed 1 of my concerns (the greenery to my bridal bouquet) - nothing else!
$8k later and zero accountability. I hope this is helpful for other brides, as you only get married once and deserve what you want, ask for and are promised. Covid-19 took so much from all of us (especially those who have been planning a wedding) don't let it ruin yours!