UPDATE: After posting the review below. I received a harassing FB message from Fiona. See attached image. I am shocked by her incredibly rude and unprofessional behavior!
Buyer beware! This is a difficult review to write as I was raised by parents who owned and operated their own business for nearly 30 years, so I understand the impact of negative reviews on a business. However, I feel it is my responsibility to share the experience my fiancé and I had with Fiona, so other consumers are aware prior to deciding whether or not to hire her as their wedding planner.
On her own website, Fiona claims that her service "begins and ends with our undivided attention," she is "here to make sure both of you enjoy not only the event, but the process of planning it," and she has "earned an outstanding reputation for courteous, professional weddings." Unfortunately, our experience with her was quite the opposite.
In regards to the first claim, we had to repeatedly resend and reconfirm details and information that were previously communicated and agreed upon. In addition, there were multiple occasions where Fiona referred to both my fiancé and me by different names, which she hastily explained were names of another couple that hired her. Moreover, there were several times where I had to follow up and request information that I had previously asked for. All of these interactions are just a few of the instances where we did not have her "undivided attention."
To address the second claim on her website, there were a number of times where Fiona attempted to increase the prices we agreed upon after the contract was signed. Furthermore, there was a lack of and delay in communication and I was often the one reaching out to her, asking for updates and information. When I did receive communications from her, they were often very short, and at times, even flippant and careless. Suffice it to say, we did not "enjoy" the planning process at all. Instead, we found it to be incredibly frustrating and painstakingly difficult.
As for the third claim, we can say without a doubt that we did not encounter the "courteous, professional reputation" touted on Fiona's website. The hairdresser/makeup artist that she recommended suddenly increased her rate at the last minute and Fiona's response was "I don't have any control over the hairdresser and I don't have another hairdresser and makeup artist I trust." As a wedding planner, it is her job to either rectify the situation or find someone else. Instead, Fiona placed the burden entirely on us by essentially washing her hands of the situation. This is just one of the many instances in which her lack of professionalism was on clear display.
The final nail in the coffin was the manner in which Fiona handled our request to return half of our deposit because our wedding plans had been cancelled multiple times due to Coronavirus and the worldwide pandemic. While her contract states that the deposit is non-refundable and we understand her desire to retain funds to keep her business going, we thought our request for only half of our deposit was reasonable and fair. In addition, we thought Fiona might look past the verbiage of the contract and approach the situation with kindness and understanding since the pandemic was an unforeseen and highly unusual occurrence. Sadly, the response we received back was harsh, cruel and devoid of empathy. Fiona stated that "the deposit is non refundable, it is clearly stated in the contract" and followed that up with "my work is 80% done before you arrive, so that's why I am not refunding your deposit, I worked and deserve to be paid for it." Needless to say, we were shocked and disappointed by this response, which once again highlights her lack of professionalism.
I sincerely hope this review helps others who are considering using Fiona's services. I cringe at the thought of any other bridal couple enduring the type of treatment my fiancé and I received.
