Ivory Events

usting us with your special day

it was gorgeous

her family may have been unhappy with aspects of their experience with Ivory Events, there are several statements in this review that are factually incorrect or do not provide the full context of our involvement. Because we have extensive written documentation supporting our work, communication, and planning activities, we believe it is important to provide that context. Communication Throughout the Planning Process We want to address the suggestion that communication was lacking, as this is particularly inconsistent with our records. Throughout our engagement, we had weekly Friday Zoom calls with the couple, along with daily WhatsApp communication, emails, phone calls, and ongoing vendor communications. These were not occasional communications; there was consistent and ongoing interaction throughout the planning process. We have records of these communications, including Zoom meetings, WhatsApp messages, emails, and other correspondence. The documentation clearly demonstrates the frequency and extent of our communication with Tara and her family. For that reason, we strongly disagree with any statement suggesting that Ivory Events was difficult to reach, failed to communicate, or was not actively involved in the planning process. The written record provides substantial evidence to the contrary and can substantiate the level of communication that took place throughout our engagement. Vendor Referrals and Planning Work One of the clearest pieces of documentation comes directly from Tara’s mother during our engagement. She wrote: “We truly value the vendor referrals you have provided to us and all the work put in so far and hope that they are able to make the wedding special. We wish you the best with the other weddings you are planning this summer.” This is a direct acknowledgment from Tara’s mother that Ivory Events had provided vendor referrals and that work had been put into the wedding. The scope of work completed was substantial. By the time Ivory Events’ services were terminated, the major components of this multi-day wedding had been addressed and key vendors and services had been booked or secured, including: Wedding venues DJ services for the various wedding events Décor Florist Indian caterer Transportation Photographer Other vendors and services required for the wedding In addition to the vendors who were booked, Ivory Events also introduced Tara to additional vendors and resources, including the caterer, the Hangout Place, and the henna artist. These introductions were part of our effort to help the couple build a vendor team that suited their wedding and cultural needs. This was not simply a matter of providing the couple with a list of vendor names. We were actively involved in the planning and coordination surrounding these vendors and services. We provided vendor information and referrals, maintained vendor information and tracking, communicated with vendors, assisted with venue discussions, worked on timelines, and helped coordinate the many logistical details involved in a large multi-day celebration. Tara and Her Mother Wanted to Do the Legwork Themselves We also want to clarify an important point regarding the couple’s involvement in their own planning. Tara and her mother communicated to us that they were very “Type A” and wanted to do a significant amount of the legwork themselves. We respected that preference. They wanted to remain actively involved in researching vendors, communicating with vendors, and making certain planning decisions themselves, even when Ivory had already provided information, recommendations, and guidance. We have written documentation of these conversations. Therefore, the fact that Tara and her mother personally handled certain planning tasks does not mean that Ivory Events failed to provide planning support. Their own stated preference was to remain heavily involved in the planning process. There is an important distinction between a couple choosing to take on certain tasks themselves and a planner failing to provide assistance. Ivory continued to provide information, referrals, organization, communication, and planning support throughout our engagement. The Grand Hyatt and The Hythe The statement regarding Ivory Events and the Grand Hyatt is also not accurate. The couple initially wanted to move forward with The Hythe. When the process with The Hythe was taking longer than expected, we advised them not to allow the delay to hold up their planning and began exploring another option. On July 10, 2025, we specifically contacted Tara about the Grand Hyatt and provided her with information about its availability and pricing. Our written email stated: “I got in touch with Becca at the Grand Hyatt and they still have availability for your wedding. I recommend setting up a call and then moving to this venue. They can offer you $309 with a waived resort fee. I'm attaching the brochure for you - did you look at it the last time? Take a look and let us know your thoughts. In the meantime I am getting in touch with the Hythe I called The Hythe and am waiting for their Sales Person to call me back so that you can switch venues.” Tara responded: “Thank you! Yes, whilst I did look at it last time! We liked the Grand Hyatt we just liked the overall vibe of the Hythe better and the location and so went with their venue.” This written exchange is important because it directly documents that Ivory Events presented the Grand Hyatt to the couple, communicated with the venue, provided the brochure and pricing, and recommended that they consider moving forward with it. Tara herself acknowledged that she had reviewed the Grand Hyatt previously and that they liked the venue, but ultimately preferred the overall vibe and location of The Hythe. We are not claiming that Ivory made the couple’s ultimate venue decision for them. They ultimately chose the venue they preferred. What we are clarifying is that Ivory Events did introduce the Grand Hyatt as an option, communicated with the venue on their behalf, provided the venue information and pricing, and attempted to assist with the venue process. We have documentation supporting this timeline and communication. The Amount of Planning Completed We also respectfully disagree with the characterization that Ivory Events provided little or no substantial planning before the couple terminated our services. This was a large and complex multi-day South Asian wedding with more than 200 guests, multiple venues, numerous vendors, transportation, cultural ceremonies, food and entertainment components, and significant logistical requirements. By the time our services ended, the major wedding components had been addressed and key vendors and services had been booked, including the venues, DJs for the various events, décor, florist, Indian caterer, transportation, and photographer. In addition to helping secure these vendors and services, Ivory Events had planning documents, vendor information and tracking, vendor communications, venue discussions, timelines, and logistical planning in place. The wedding involved multiple events and cultural components, making the coordination significantly more involved than a typical single-day wedding. Again, the fact that Tara and her mother chose to handle some of the “legwork” themselves — something they specifically communicated that they wanted to do — should not be interpreted as Ivory failing to perform its responsibilities. The $6,000 Planning Fee The $6,000 fee also needs context. This was not a typical single-day wedding. It was a large, multi-day South Asian wedding with more than 200 guests, multiple events and venues, numerous vendors, transportation, cultural ceremonies, Indian catering, décor, entertainment, and significant logistical requirements. Our pricing for multi-day South Asian and fusion weddings of this size and complexity is significantly higher than $6,000. The couple selected the $6,000 package and entered into a written agreement with Ivory Events based on the services and terms outlined in that agreement. The Remaining Payment and Contract The review also states that the couple paid the full amount despite terminating our services more than two and a half months before the wedding. We want to clarify that the couple entered into a signed contract with Ivory Events. The payment schedule and termination provisions were clearly outlined in that agreement before services began. The remaining balance became due pursuant to the terms of the signed contract. This was not an unexpected charge, a penalty created after termination, or an additional fee imposed after the fact. It was the remaining payment required under the agreement that both parties had signed. Ivory Events followed the contractual terms agreed upon by both parties. The Timeline and Planning Systems The suggestion that there was no timeline or that Ivory had not been organizing the wedding is also inconsistent with our records. A timeline had been created and was being developed as planning progressed. We also maintained vendor information, planning documents, and other organizational materials. There was subsequently a technical issue involving the timeline software that affected certain information and required corrections. We acknowledged the issue and worked to address the affected information. A software issue requiring correction does not mean that a timeline did not exist or that planning work was not being performed. The Vendor/Personnel Issue Regarding the personnel issue referenced in the review, we want to clarify that Jamie Rosa is not an employee of Ivory Events. Jamie is an independent contractor who provides social-media and marketing services to Ivory Events remotely from Chicago. Here is the response from the photographer "David Gass Tue, Sep 8 at 2:04 PM Hey there! No worries at all. I figured it was a task that was scheduled previously, when you all were working with them. Thanks, David J. Gass" Ivory Events addressed the matter when incorrect information was communicated to a vendor. We took the concern seriously and handled it appropriately. Because Jamie is an independent contractor, we do not believe it is appropriate to publicly discuss the details of our business relationship or internal actions. What we can say is that the issue was addressed directly and appropriate corrective steps were taken. The Photography and Marketing Issue We also want to provide context regarding the photographer and the request for wedding photographs. Jamie is an independent marketing and social-media contractor who handles these functions remotely from Chicago. Honey Ahijevych and Earlie Chhabra do not personally handle the day-to-day social-media posting and image-gathering process. As part of her marketing responsibilities, Jamie was gathering photographs from weddings Ivory Events had previously worked on for potential marketing and social-media purposes. She contacted the photographer regarding the completed gallery without understanding the circumstances surrounding the termination of Ivory’s services. Once we became aware of the request, we addressed it directly with Jamie and apologized to the photographer. We made it clear that the request should not have been made given the circumstances. It was an honest oversight. Jamie was not attempting to obtain photographs without permission, misappropriate the photographer’s work, or claim credit for a wedding Ivory Events did not execute. We also respectfully disagree with the characterization of this as “borderline fraudulent.” That description does not accurately reflect what occurred. There was no fraudulent intent, deceptive purpose, or effort to misrepresent ownership of the photographs. Once a planning agreement is terminated, it is terminated. Ivory Events has no intention of obtaining or using the completed wedding gallery, submitting it to publications, or representing the completed wedding as an Ivory Events production. Ivory Events’ Representation of the Wedding We have also never intended to represent that Ivory Events planned, coordinated, or executed the wedding after our services ended. When Ivory references a wedding, we are referring to the work we actually performed during the period in which we were contracted. In this case, Ivory was involved in substantial planning before the couple made the decision to terminate our services more than two and a half months before the wedding. We can accurately speak to the planning work we performed during our engagement; we would not claim responsibility for work performed after the contract ended. The Overall Picture The review presents the impression that Ivory Events collected $6,000, provided little planning assistance, had poor communication, and left the couple to plan the wedding themselves. Our documentation does not support that characterization. We have written records of: Weekly Friday Zoom calls Daily WhatsApp communication Emails Phone calls Vendor communications Vendor referrals and introductions Planning documents Vendor sheets and tracking Timelines Venue discussions The introduction and communication with the Grand Hyatt Décor and florist coordination DJ services for the various events Indian catering Transportation Photography The Hangout Place Henna artist Other vendor and logistical planning We also have written documentation showing that Tara and her mother specifically wanted to remain highly involved in the planning, described themselves as very “Type A,” and wanted to handle a significant amount of the legwork themselves. Most importantly, the wedding was not sitting at the beginning stages when our services ended. Major components had been addressed and key vendors and services had been booked or secured. We also have extensive documentation of our communication with the couple. The suggestion that communication was an ongoing issue is not supported by the record. Weekly Zoom calls, daily WhatsApp messages, emails, phone calls, and vendor communications demonstrate consistent and ongoing involvement. We cannot speak to how Tara remembers every interaction, but we can speak to what our records show. And our records clearly document a very high level of communication and planning activity throughout the time Ivory Events was contracted. We are not suggesting that every aspect of the experience was perfect or that the couple was not entitled to have concerns. We understand that clients can have different expectations and experiences. However, there is a significant difference between acknowledging someone's dissatisfaction and agreeing with factual statements that are contradicted by the written record. We are glad to hear that the couple ultimately had a beautiful wedding and that their new planner was able to take over and successfully execute the remaining details. We genuinely wish Tara and her family the very best. At the same time, we believe it is important for anyone reading this review to understand that the picture presented does not fully reflect the work Ivory Events performed, the extensive communication that took place, the significant planning and vendor coordination that had already been completed, the couple’s own stated preferences regarding their involvement in planning, or the circumstances surrounding the termination of our services. We stand behind the services we provided, the work completed during our engagement, the vendor and venue assistance we provided, the extensive communication documented throughout the planning process, and the terms of the agreement that both parties signed. We simply ask that the full context and documented facts also be considered.

of the concerns you’ve raised: We have worked at that venue for over 14 years. When we had the initial consult you mentioned that you had a tight budget due to the fact that you were spending most of your budget on the venue, we discounted our services and provided you with extra consultations, vendor referrals and saved you a lot of money by using our contacts. All your vendors were recommended by us and everyone did a phenomenal job Hotel check-in & belongings: By law, we cannot check couples into hotels or use their IDs. The hotel required your confirmed arrival time in advance, which was never provided despite their outreach. This is a hotel responsibility, not a planner’s. Coordination team: Three coordinators—not two—were onsite, working over 12 hours (beyond contract) to manage rain delays, indoor/outdoor flips, and setup. Décor & candles: We set up all décor, assisted your florist, and arranged over 200 candles even though candle setup was not included in your contract. Unexpected guests: Several guests arrived who had previously RSVP’d “no.” Our team quickly added seating and place settings so they could be included seamlessly. Timeline & food: While appetizers and cake service are handled by catering staff, we worked with them to repair and serve your cake after damage during delivery, and ensured everything was presented safely. Welcome sign / napkins / easel: Your welcome sign was placed promptly despite weather-related delays and space constraints. Napkins were delivered to the bar and used throughout the evening. No easel was found in the décor room, so our team secured one from the hotel to properly display your seating chart. Church & rehearsal: Tragically, one of our coordinators passed away after a sudden accident en route to the church. Despite this unforeseeable event, the rest of the team worked to ensure the day stayed on track. Conduct of wedding party: Several members of your wedding party verbally abused both our staff and hotel staff, which made an already challenging day more difficult. Even so, we remained professional and focused on your event. Our team put in significant time, effort, and care to bring your vision to life, saving you money and ensuring a beautiful celebration despite rain, emergencies, and circumstances outside our control. We stand by the professionalism and dedication we provided.