Weddings by April Steele Reviews
Reviews
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4.8 out of 5 rating
4.8 out of 5 rating
10 Reviews
95% recommend it
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![Mataja]()
Mataja Sent on 12/10/2020Everything i wanted
April was everything I could have asked for in a day of coordinator ! She was easy to work with, very organized, and on top of everything. She made sure that I got everything I wanted on my special day. Everything was planned and timed out to the T. Me and my husband got to actually enjoy our wedding! I know it’s a crazy concept but we did and it was thanks to April. We had a few meetings starting a month out to plan out the day and met with other important vendors. She allowed me to still be in control and she a supporting factor offering her wisdom. The day of she made sure all my vendors and wedding party were there and following the schedule to ensure we got through the day with our any mishaps. At no point during the day did I feel pushed around or unable to make changes to the day. She was always available and ensuring we were on track but never on top of us. She also was quick on her feet and adapted to changes throughout the day. She was a BIG part of my day and I truly appreciate her for see me through a very emotional time being a covid bride -
![Lakisha]()
Lakisha D. Sent on 09/02/2020I had an excellent experience
April was an absolute life saver.. she made all my dreams come true for my Special Day.I didn't have one complaint..i would definitely recommend her fir any event.. -
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Latricia O. Sent on 08/25/2020
Amazing from start to finish!
From start to finish she was very down to earth and had so many ideas!
I booked the company for a wedding anniversary party but due to COVID this changed to a small back yard brunch.
Everything from start to finish was professional (the proposal, billing, ideas, promptness and she even through in a few extras!)
Don’t delay booking because her slots fill quickly. -
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![Genise]()
Genise J. Sent on 01/18/2020Magical 😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘
she's very professional nice beautiful person everything she says she can do, she does it. she can make the most unattractive place look magnificent. I'm very happy and pleased with everything shes done and will do for me in the future. thanks so much April steel. -
![Felecia]()
Felecia Sent on 09/26/2017I am so grateful to April Steele of weddingsbyaprilsteele.com . The hard work and professionalism displayed created an Amazing atmosphere for my wedding day! I could've done it without her! Thanks so much for everything! -
![Natalie]()
Natalie T. Sent on 02/04/2023Review of Weddings by April Steele
I should start by saying that I liked April as a person. Very pleasant and upbeat. Prices were reasonable. My concern was when it came to the support for partial planning. I'm sure that she can execute on the day of the wedding. Unfortunately, we never got that far.
April ultimately dissolved our contract, two months before my wedding via email, feeling that too many people (i.e., two-three family members) were “questioning” her abilities/competency and “overstepping.” She mentioned concerns during our last meeting about having my family being overly involved in the wedding but never requested that we have one-on-one meetings, moving forward.
During our final meeting, she voiced concerns of payments but failed to provide consistent invoices to receive payment (apparently, it my responsibility to request invoices). She was also unaware of how much compensation she had received. She stated that I tried to renegotiate her contract, which was not the case. Clarification was needed on the type of support that she was providing. Prompt responses were a concern during the spring, summer and fall months because of competing priorities.
My family (albeit strong personalities) asked about her actions taken in the wedding process because we were looking to receive more concrete direction and information as we got closer to the wedding date. We were seeing samples from other people's weddings instead of drafts, based on information that we provided at least a month prior. (Also - Who knew that the bride's family couldn't ask a wedding planner questions on her behalf? Like, I literally never knew that.)
Effectively, April was paid nearly $1,000 to conduct a handful of email conversations with vendors, share defunct referrals, respond to the bride's emails and attend four meetings over the span of eight months. She certainly brought a level of expertise to conversations and asked meaningful questions, but that was the extent of her assistance.
Information was sent only when prompted to do so by the bride vs. information being proactively shared. Referrals were shared but they were not all reliable or up-to-date. I also had to schedule all of the meetings with the planner, instead of any of that owness being on the coordinator.
Her timid approach to her own business finances and perhaps her passive (aggressive) nature lead to: the responsibility of invoicing being shucked onto the bride, subpar performance (whether intentionally and unintentionally), and ultimately withdrawal from her role (over email) less than sixty days before my wedding. I, at least, respect her for not waiting until a week or so before the wedding. I also wish her post-contractual gumption replaced the lethargy she presented when she was contracted as a wedding planner. Finally, when someone declines to provide further support for an event, with short notice, they typically provide a referral. This was also not the case. instead I had to scrounge for alternative support.
Ultimately, it was a disappointment. My advice to the planner for the partial planning package would be to - Proactively provide brides with list, timelines, recommendations etc (without them having to request those items).
Routinely check in with those referrals and verify contact information to ensure that they still offering servicesSchedule the meetings with the bride and groom (and indicate whether the planner prefers to work directly with them as clients one-on-one). Come prepared with a printed or tentative agenda for meetings. Generate automated invoices to the client (with built-in time frame, deadline and/or reminders). I believe that Paypal and similar vendors offer this service. Provide clients with disclaimer if responses will take more that 24-48 hours, possibly setting up an automatic reply on the email saying that their communication was received and responses will be delayed.
Perhaps she struggled with some unnamed personal challenges when enlisted as our wedding planner; it was just frustrating because I was excited to work with her, specifically because I am also a black woman. She only fulfilled half her duties as a wedding planner, so what would be more fitting than a 2.5-star rating.
