A Harare bride is in pain after her lobola celebration became a fiasco when the event planner failed to deliver the agreed decor.
The anticipated joy of the day was marred by disappointment as the bride found herself in tears due to the botched arrangements.
Source reported that Hellen Chipidza engaged Kristle Smasher of Sapphire Events Zim in November for her 23 December lobola. Hellen paid a deposit and settled the remaining fee in early December.
However, just three days before the event, Kristle dropped a bombshell, requesting an additional US$135 for a waterproof tent. Struggling with a tight budget, Hellen proposed paying later or at least a deposit, but Kristle declined.
To salvage the situation, Hellen managed to secure a stretch tent from someone else, as Kristle threatened not to provide any decor. Despite her efforts, the day took a turn for the worse as Kristle made last-minute changes, omitting hanging flowers and altering other aspects of the package, citing previous negotiations on the price.
Hellen attempted to reassure Kristle about the weather forecast, but her efforts were in vain. The breaking point came when Kristle arrived with the wrong shades of chairs and serviettes, and completely disrupted the intended rustic look. A broken backdrop, green and red balloons instead of brown and beige, and a missing cutlery set further added to the chaos.
To make matters worse, Kristle began setting up at 11 am, precisely when the event was scheduled to start. When confronted about the deviation from the agreed-upon plan, Kristle callously responded that as long as she was paid, the details didn’t matter.
“When I asked her why she was doing the opposite of what we agreed on, she roughly told me that as long as I have paid her, it doesn’t matter. Why didn’t you tell me your main colour was green? I even started crying in the middle of getting my makeup done. No apologies were offered whatsoever.”
“We were going to reduce on flowers, and she agreed and paid her deposit. She changed her theme on the ground the day of the event. Fortunately, I had brought the colours to blend with the ones she wanted. Due to the current unpredictable weather conditions lately, I didn’t want to ruin my equipment and asked her to top up for a waterproof tent.
“I never forced her or threatened not to pitch for the event. She insisted that we bring our cabana tent, which is not waterproof and was not concerned about what would happen to my stuff if it rains.
Source iHarare.com
