Port A Weddings

October 12, 2013

RE:

Port A Weddings

[redacted]3

To whom it may concern,

I contacted [redacted] of Port A Weddings in the beginning of April, 2013. I decided that we would purchase their “Intimate Beach Ceremony” and the “Bon Fire” to follow the ceremony. The only change that I made to the wedding package was to not use the bamboo arch provided by Port A Weddings, but to instead use the six lanterns that were to be provided by me. I sent [redacted] some sketches and diagrams of how I would like the chairs to be set up and how I would like the aisle to look. It was agreed that the colors would be navy blue and yellow. I added a sand ceremony to the package to represent the coming together of our new family.

- See invoice dated April 19,2013, “Intimate Beach Ceremony Page 1”

We selected the BBQ brisket dinner with two sides. This was to include BBQ brisket, fire roasted vegetables and potato salad and included a lemonade stand with three home made flavors of lemon aide. It was also agreed that we would have a two person cake. The Bon Fire was to include Adirondack chairs, Tiki Torches decorated with blue and yellow ribbon, Chicken Kabobs, and Mason jar cakes.

-See Invoice dated April 19, 2013, Page 2 (BBQ Brisket and two sides)

-See Invoice dated April 22, 2013, Page 2 (Cake for two)

We were to be provided with an officiant to perform simple vows and a guitar player to play before and during the ceremony. We were to be provided with the contact information of the guitar player prior to the ceremony as well as a song list.

We were told that we would be provided with a Destination Wedding Website for family and friends.

When we were unable to make a reservation at the [redacted] was kind enough to contact them and make the reservation for us. The reservation was to be after our rehearsal, 6:00 on August 1st. We were told that the [redacted] does not accept reservations and that if we were not at the restaurant at exactly 6:00 the reservation would be cancelled.

I drove to Corpus Christie with my daughter two days early to meet with [redacted] regarding the specifics of our wedding. We met with her and her mother on the afternoon of July 29th. At that time we went over the details once again. Including: colors, navy blue and yellow, the use of our lanterns and that they were to be raised and not on the ground, the menu, lemonade flavors, and flowers. During our conversation I specifically told [redacted] that I did not want any sunflowers or daisies used in the arrangements. While [redacted] mother was attentive and seemed to take some notes as I spoke, [redacted] seemed more concerned with her new IPhone and played with it throughout our conversation. At that time [redacted] told me that she would be out of town the next day, August 1st, but that her mother would handle what needed to be done at the rehearsal that evening.

On August 1st, we were told that [redacted] mother would be late for the rehearsal that was supposed to take place at 5:00. We understand that things happen beyond ones control and understood when we were told that she may not make it until 5:30 or 5:45. However, we were worried about our dinner reservations as we had family and friends attending and did not know what we would do if our reservation was cancelled. I called the [redacted] and when they looked for my reservation they were unable to find it. They looked again and found that the reservation had been made for the following night, August 2nd, our wedding night. The hostess realized how upset I was and made sure that we would be accommodated that evening.

-Made reservation for rehearsal dinner at same time as wedding

At about 8:00 PM on August 1st, we were texted information regarding the guitar player. We were told that it was a guitar player and a singer. At no time did we ever ask for a singer. We were never provided with a list of the songs that he could play, but were assured that he could play the three songs that we had been interested in.

On our wedding day I was getting my hair and makeup done with my daughters and my daughter’s mother- in- law. I was provided a photograph of the flowers that were being used and to my surprise saw that they were sunflowers and daisies. I was so upset at this point that my oldest daughter and her mother-in-law left without getting their hair and makeup done and went to a florist in hopes of getting different flowers. They were able to find flowers and spent an additional $180.00 on flowers.

My family was aware of what was expected as far as the de´cor and grew concerned when they saw how things had been set up and decorated at the wedding site. It was they who eventually put the lanterns up on stands and provided the flowers for the ceremony and dinner tables. [redacted] was apparently aware that I was upset because at one point she told my sister-in-law that she did not think that I was going to show up for the wedding anyway.

My husband arrived at the ceremony site and was greeted by the guitar player who was not pleased that his partner would not be singing. His partner was there, but sat idly by during the ceremony. The guitar player was good, but only played one of the three songs that we had asked for over and over.

-Invoice dated April 19,2013, page 1 states that information will be exchanged after deposit is made and a song list will be made available

I did appreciate the officiant who did a wonderful job with our vows and conducting the ceremony. I would recommend him to anyone. We did include a sand ceremony that would represent the combining of my three children and me with my new husband, their father. We found there was only enough sand to fill the jar a little over half way. We were never provided a lid for the jar and it now stands proudly displayed with the lid off of a “ Pringles” can on top of it. One of our daughters had requested that her sand be her favorite color, red. However, she got pink sand.

-Invoice dated April 22, 2013, Page 2

After the ceremony and some photographs we went to the reception site and met the caterer who began to show us the food that we would be eating. We were shown brisket, sausage, baked beans, and a store bought container of potato salad. When I expressed concern over the fact that we had never ordered sausage or baked beans, [redacted] turned to your caterer and told him, “Just pack it up and we’ll give them a refund.” That seems like an answer that one would give having dealt with upset brides in the past. Why would she assume that it would be okay to just pack it all up and let everyone at the reception go hungry? Maybe [redacted] thought that we could eat the Chicken Kabobs that were supposed to be provided with the Bon Fire. That would have been a good idea, but we were never provided with the Chicken Kabobs that we had paid for.

I was trying to enjoy myself and look past all that had gone wrong when I walked over to look at the wedding cake. At that table I found the serving utensils out and ready to go, but no cake. Have you ever been to a wedding with no cake? How as a wedding planner can she forget about the wedding cake? [redacted] mother did go out of her way that evening in hopes of finding a cake, but it was our daughter who came back with a store bought cake for us to serve.

-Invoice dated April 19, 2013, ordered cake

- Invoice dated April 22, 2013, ordered cake flavor

I did have an opportunity to speak with the caterer after the wedding. He told me that he was not sure why [redacted] had called him as he was not the caterer that she used for BBQ, and that it was not his area of expertise. He told me that [redacted] called him two days prior to the wedding and placed the order and at that time even though he questioned her about us wanting baked beans that she told him that we did.

When I later spoke with [redacted] she put the blame for everything that had gone wrong on me. She told me that I was difficult to work with and didn’t know what I wanted. She was upset that I had had conversations with her vendors. [redacted] refused to take any responsibility for anything that went wrong. I am a reasonable person and understand that things go wrong, but this was a comedy of errors. I have read other reviews about [redacted] and Port A Weddings on line that were not glowing, but what really convinced me that [redacted] may have some problems with her business was the response, “Just pack it up and we’ll give them a refund”. Is that a rehearsed response that she gives every time there is a complaint? What business person in their right mind would give that as a response to a problem?

There never should have been any misunderstanding or mistakes made during this ceremony. All items were agreed to in April of 2013, and all items were listed in the attached invoices. I was never given the wedding that I had planned!

[redacted] did offer to refund about $116.00 for ribbon and some other items that were not used. She told me that she would be contacting me, but I have not been contacted since.

I have waited two months to hear from [redacted] and have had no response. I am making my request here:

I Paid a Total of $2,677.00 and feel that the venders including guitarist, photographer, and officiant should be paid for their services.

I ask that I be refunded for the following:

-Aisle de´cor, theme, colors, and atmosphere were not what I had requested and agreed upon in invoice. Refund of $850.00

-Dinner not provided as agreed to in the invoice. Not provided with heavy acrylic plates (Red foam plates were provided) Refund $180.00

-Lemonade stand not provided as stated in the invoice. Refund $39.00

-Flowers not provided as agreed to in the invoice. Refund $175.00

-Small cake for two not provided. Refund $30.00

-Bon Fire not decorated per the invoice. No Chicken Kabobs provided. Refund $287.50 -No lid provided for sand ceremony jar and wrong color provided. Refund $75.00 -Total refund of $1636.50

Sincerely,