Theresa Bryan Events

Reply from Theresa Bryan Events

Response: At the start of our working relationship, I clarified that I wouldn't cover the clients' or vendors invoices. I manage the contracts and invoices, forwarding them to the client for direct vendor payment. Funds are kept separate. Regarding the mentioned vendor, I had them on the line for the final payment day. Despite my direction to pay the vendor directly, you sent the payment to me via Venmo, but the vendor doesn't accept Venmo. Faced with losing the contract or transferring funds to my personal bank account for payment, I opted for the latter, incurring a $25.00 loss. Payment instructions were in my email with the invoice, which wasn't followed correctly. At the beginning of the venue search, multiple start times were discussed; I acknowledge an error in noting a 4:00 start time. However, a brief call rectified this mistake in just 2 minutes.I take ownership in this. On the day before the hurricane we were going over the final details. Everything was in place but as the morning progressed I kept getting calls and concerns from a vendor, my friends and family and I was listening to the urgent medias pleas to shelter indoors, do not drive due to heavy rain, flash flooding, high hurricane speed winds, power outages and power lines and trees falling. I was getting nervous for me, my vendor and your guests. You already had 10 guests cancel on you. I called and strongly “urged a postponement” to the following weekend or the one after that. Many back and forth calls were made and you agreed to postpone it and decided on two different dates. I called all of your vendors back to reschedule and arrange minimal financial losses as possible as it was a postponement not a cancellation. There is a difference in the event world. At this time you had every opportunity to say you were not going to postpone and you were going through with the event. I would have lived up to my contract and coordinated the party picking up the catering and baked goods along the way. There was no deception by any means. You never said that you would do the party without me because that was never discussed. I never said you'll have to do the party without me. That is not true! You decided to do the party without me the following week after I had rescheduled everything for the postponed party. I did not cancel. You did not cancel. It was postponed due to an unpredictable hurricane. You did not in the following week discuss a new date because I scheduled all of the vendors that day for either the 26th or September 2nd. Most rental companies would have charge the full rental fee but I have a good working relationship with most of them the only cost was delivery fees. You incurred no cost with catering and no cost with bakery. I have a good working relationship with the bakery. You incurred only the cost of flowers and hoop rental with decorator and with me it would have been the cost of any food spoilage and flowers. I said I would take on the cost of the fruit. Everything else was good to go. Even if I had discussed this on Friday, two days before the hurricane the cost incurred would have been exactly the same. So you are calling me dishonest when I expressed sincere concerns about the hurricane, allowed you to have the option to postpone or continue as planned. Now you are severing ties with me and that is a cancellation. I would only be out the money I agreed to pay to lessen the expense and deliver to you everything else if you had only asked when the storm was over. You waited a week. Now there is more spoilage. I even went out and purchased more cheese after you asked me to deliver everything 1 week later. (Today) I also never billed you for cancellation fees. I do not have cancellation fees. I have a non-refundable fee if the event is outright cancelled. In a postponement, everything transfers to the new date of the parties.  However I did not cancel!

Reply from Theresa Bryan Events

Thank you Abhi.... I love having autonomy and total trust from my clients so that I can present a fabulous event by trusting my experience, choosing the right vendors and allowing me creative freedoms! Best to you and your wife on your baby to come. It was a pleasure working with you. Best....Theresa

Reply from Theresa Bryan Events

Thank you so much Monica.... Coordinating a wedding takes a few months of planning to get it right and yes... One week was challenging especially going back and forth with you and your mom simultaneously. I thought I was getting all the information the previous coordinator had but I guess she didn't have anything done so it was starting from scratch in a week. WEW! It was a lot of back and forth on email exchanges because I needed to make sure I had it all correct. You two kept your cool and didn't stress at least none that I saw. The vendor coordination is key and the pre-set up prep is key. I love working in an environment where my job isn't dependant on the professionalism of the other vendors on how well they to their jobs. Sometimes it doesn't work out that way. If the DJ is bad I can't fix that. If your bartender is late... I can set up a bar and make cocktails but only for a while. I can even fix really bad floral arrangements if needed. If the pizza truck pulls in the wrong way and gets stuck... yea I helped with that! What I love to do is make sure all of the vendors know their part so I can do my part. Your mom was great too. She had everything ready for me as I asked and answered all my questions needed to make the day go great. She was thorough and timely in responding to all of my emails. It's nice to get appreciation when hard work is recognized! So much goes unseen so thank you again!

Reply from Theresa Bryan Events

Holly, You were not made aware of the venue scheduling a huge party in the same area as your reception with very little turnover time in between events. I couldn't set the tables up until the venue finished setting the tables up for dinner. I asked them to at least set the napkins out so I could begin with the inserts and key favors but they refused stating "policy on how they do things". Your two friends can attest to this as they were told they weren't even allowed to bring in the boxes that had the table decor in them. They had to set them aside out of site until the party had been completely broken down.I had exactly 45 minutes to set up the reception area because the 200 person luncheon ran overtime by 30 minutes and I was not allowed into the reception area until almost 2:30. I had 12 tables to set up in 45 minutes. (I will have the catering manager email you with that fact). We were still setting up as guests were arriving for cocktail hour when I specifically told the venue how much time I needed to setup the reception. They were not ready and they were not sticking to the schedule. I would not have been able to do that myself so yes, it was a good thing your friends were there. In order to get all the items from the ceremony to the reception area I had to wait for the photographer to get done taking post wedding photos. My setup is always hindered by what other people are doing. The florist had to wait for his set-up and the cake arrived without the cake table even being setup so it had to go into the restaurant lounge area where the general public was seated. The venue was not set up in time for me and the ceremony site was not available to breakdown in time. The vendor meals you are talking about was when the photo booth people asked for meals, which if they had come to me instead of the catering manager, I would have told them they didn't get a meal. I told the catering manager where I was the entire reception. During most of the reception my services are not needed except to make sure the DJ, the catering manager and I are following the timeline and all events happen as they should and when they should. That too was done and seamlessly. I am asking that you rescind your review as I was there to do my job and do it well as I always do- See all 5 star reviews. Please... This is by no way my fault. I calmly worked as diligently and quickly as possible to have everything ready so a two star rating is misdirected at me not the venue. Respectfully Theresa