Honest feedback after hosting a bridal shower
I recently hosted my friend’s bridal shower at this venue. While the event itself turned out fine and our guests enjoyed the day, there were several issues that made the overall experience quite stressful and disappointing.
Communication and Booking
The communication via WhatsApp and email was very poor. It often took days to receive a response, and I had to follow up multiple times just to secure the booking and later to confirm arrangements. After paying the deposit, I couldn’t get hold of anyone. I called, WhatsApped, and emailed several times without success. Only after numerous missed calls did Heidi eventually call me back, and later that day I received an email saying the date was booked and unavailable, which added unnecessary confusion and stress. Overall, it felt like customer communication and tracking were not managed properly.
Service and Welcome
On the morning of the event, the reception was not very welcoming. Heidi did not greet me or offer assistance when I arrived and simply told me to put the cake inside. This set a rather uncomfortable tone at the start of what was meant to be a happy occasion.
Décor and Setup
Unfortunately, the décor did not meet my expectations, especially considering I booked the full package. The colours and details didn’t match as discussed. For example, the glasses didn’t coordinate with the balloon arch, and the small black wording on the arch didn’t suit the rest of the colour scheme (which was white/beige with shades of pink). The serviettes were simply placed on the table rather than being styled or folded neatly, which was disappointing as their social media shows beautifully presented setups. It left me feeling like my event was given less care and attention than others featured online.
Food and Facilities
The food portions were quite limited, and guests were hesitant to dish generously in case there wasn’t enough. Event was for 20 guests. It was only communicated on the day of the event that soft drinks and cappuccinos were not included and needed to be paid for separately. We also weren’t informed beforehand that normal coffee and tea weren’t included either. Thankfully, Heidi’s assistant was very kind and managed to make a plan for us, which we really appreciated.
Noise and Music
Another disappointment was that there was another event in the venue next door, and we could mostly hear their music instead of ours. The speaker for our event wasn’t even inside the room but placed in the shared reception area, meaning our music constantly paused whenever the connected phone received calls or messages.
Overall
While the guests still enjoyed the celebration, the experience didn’t live up to the venue’s highly rated reputation. I expected much better organisation, communication, and attention to detail, especially for the price paid.
Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend this venue or choose to use it again in the future.
