• User rating:

"Very Sweet, but inexperienced"
Isabelle
Louisville, KY
October 6, 2010

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Catherine's pre-planning is great. Execution is needs work. I did have some climate issues on the day of my wedding, however, I believe the weather flustered her and she lost focus of her responsibilities as a coordinator. Boutonnieres were not distributed, programs were not handed out, toss bouquet was MIA. Equipment was not allowed to be tested before starting wedding even though specific mention was made to do so. I know not every wedding goes perfectly, but when you pay someone you expect results. I did request a refund of $62.50 (to cover wasted items she should have ensured were in place before starting the ceremony). I was given a lengthy explanation as to why she was not responsible. I hope this not so glamorous recommendation was worth those pennies.

Vendor response: Gaba Celebrations strives to create the perfect wedding day for all clients. Yes, the weather dropped to the 50s with rain, which thankfully lifted 15 minutes prior to the bride's outdoor ceremony. This caused everyone to scramble to dry off all 125 ceremony chairs, set linens/centerpieces/plates/etc on all reception tables (outside as well), set up the DJ booth, and mop the water off the dancefloor. Flustered? Slightly. In control? Absolutely! The boutonnières, as I spoke to the bride earlier about, were of the responsibility of the florist to deliver and set-up. I relied on her services (as the bride did, too) to get her portion of the job done. The programs were taken by the ushers prior to the ceremony to hand out to the guests while being seated (as opposed to being set in a basket) because we were running late due to the rain. From my understanding, everyone received a program. The bride had decided against the toss bouquet and even verified it (at our meetings and on paper) in our finalized detailed timeline the week of her wedding. We had no knowledge about it among various other items and changes. As for the DJ equipment and mircophones, the DJ service the bride hired told me right before she walked down the aisle that the wireless mics will only work within a certain distance of the receiver. By the time I found out about this, the ceremony musicians were well into playing their music selections. The other microphone the DJ provided had short circuited, so I am unsure I see how this is my fault. As for the wasted items, we were not told of the many, many changes the bride made (changes to the rental items including numbers and colors, the limes on the tables, having a toss bouquet, using a chocolate fountain, change of people making toasts, plus so many more). In order to coordinate a wedding, I have to know about everything so that nothing is missed. Even in the correspondence the week of the bride's wedding, she asked me to hold off handing out her finalized timeline to the vendors until all changes she made to it were complete. Obviously, she changed her mind on a lot of things without letting me or my assistant know after her finalized version was sent to me and her vendors. I don't see why I would have to pay for the extra unused items the bride brought, especially when she tells me about them several days after the wedding. I am very good at what I do, and I enjoy it very much. My crew and I worked tirelessly to set-up and deliver this particular wedding, but unfortunately, the bride only saw her wedding day as a glass half-empty. Despite the weather, her guests stayed the entire time, the wedding was beautiful, and she looked gorgeous! But there is only so much I can accomplish when the bride doesn't tell us about the changes she's made.

This is the subjective opinion of an independent reviewer and not of Decidio, Inc.