We hired Wedding Scenes Inc., a planner who promotes 20+ years of experience in Hawaii, Japan, and Paris. In December 2024, we signed a $4,500 full-service wedding planning contract for a Hawaii oceanfront wedding and paid a $2,000 deposit.

From the beginning, we clearly stated our total budget of $30,000–$35,000, and the planner said it is doable.Based on that, we signed the contract and trusted her professional judgment.

But what we actually received was deeply disappointing:

Only one official quote, which was close to $50,000

No breakdown, no vendor names — just a lump-sum estimate

Only two Zoom meetings across the entire process, both arranged after multiple follow-ups

Then, weeks of no response, even though she remained active on Instagram

Venue suggestions that did not reflect our preferences or requests

Eventually, she told us that due to inflation, a Hawaii wedding may be too expensive and suggested we consider Japan instead.
Even though we were heartbroken to let go of our dream Hawaii wedding, we still tried to stay positive and followed her suggestion. We agreed to change our wedding destination to Osaka, Japan.

We had clear and simple requests:

A venue near Tokyo or Osaka airport (as many guests were flying in from the U.S.)

With a city or ocean view, easily accessible for guests

But instead, she recommended:

An indoor restaurant affiliated with her

And venues 2–3 hours away in the countryside, completely disconnected from our original vision

When we expressed our concerns, she ignored us for weeks — no emails, no messages answered.

Later, we independently found a wedding venue in Japan that already came with its own full-service planning package.
Since Wedding Scenes Inc. also advertises a Half Service plan, we respectfully asked her to scale down her involvement and adjust the contract accordingly.

She refused.
She insisted that despite the venue already offering full planning services, she still had “a lot of work to do” and would charge the full $4,500 as originally planned.

At that point, our trust had completely broken down.
We requested to cancel the contract and asked for a refund of our deposit.

She only offered a $500 refund, stating she had already spent time on “research.”

We have filed a formal complaint with the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), including all documentation: contracts, messages, meeting records, and screenshots.

This was not only frustrating it was disheartening. We entered this agreement in good faith and were met with silence, inflexibility, and disregard.

If you're planning a destination wedding and want a planner who is professional, responsive, and truly listens to your needs,
we cannot recommend Wedding Scenes Inc. based on our experience.