Ilume Artistry Co. Reviews
Reviews
4.4 out of 5 rating
4.4 out of 5 rating
7 Reviews
87% recommend it
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![Shreya]()
Shreya P. Sent on 10/14/2021Cancelled 5 hours before get ready time for Wedding
I had booked Dhanvi in Sep 2019 for my October 2020 wedding. Due to pandemic we postponed to October 2021. Dhanvi was all set for the new date, but 3 months before the wedding she notified me that she cannot do HMU for my bridal party. This was a huge shock as I was on her books for 2+ years for this service. She left me scrambling and I had to find a new team for my bridal party. This was very stressful as most artists want to book the bride as well, not just the bridal party and it everyone was booked or they were charging an exorbitant amount. Unfortunately things get worse from here...
A month before the wedding, I booked an Airbnb for Dhanvi close to our wedding venue in Downtown Dallas and shared it with her. She responded saying it was perfect and so I thought we were good to go. The Airbnb is located across from a Whole Foods and has 4.7 stars.
Even though she was fine with the listing prior to the wedding, she was upset when she arrived because the apartment was not on the first floor and there was some glass in the street. The host offered to give her enclosed parking but she refused to work with him and ended up booking another hotel (without my knowledge) which later she expected me to cover. She began making demands the day before the wedding for me to cover her hotel and book her in my hotel (which was fully booked). At this point I had lost all my money for the Airbnb booking $500. My planner offered to share her room at the hotel with Dhanvi, but she refused, packed up her bags and left the night before my wedding. She never bothered to text, call or email me saying she was not going to be showing up. Instead she sent me some money via Venmo for the wedding hair & makeup. We were left hanging 5 hours before my wedding to find a new makeup artist!!! For her to walk out like this on my wedding day was completely unprofessional and caused me so much stress and anxiety. I truly regret booking her.
In response to Dhanvi’s comments I’d like to add that I was only requesting bridal party HMU for Saturday so her girls would not have a dead day of any sort. Dhanvi would have been compensated for her dead day however she could not keep her bookings straight and sent me a contract that did not include any mention of additional fees. Later she told me about compensation for the “dead day” that she wasn’t working and I had no recollection as it wasn’t included in the contract I had signed.
The hotel that she booked provided free parking however she choose to pay for parking as she knew it was going to be at my expense. As a client I felt that she took advantage of the situation. I have no idea where her statement comes from that she was the only vendor not booked in the hotel. Our planner was the only one as we needed her to run back and forth and store things in her room to help with the wedding. I would not recommend booking her at all. Don’t settle for you big day!Ilume Artistry Co.'s reply:
Hey Shreya,
Let's go ahead and start from the very beginning.
I agreed to have my team and myself service you and your bridal party until you notified me that you would need two days of service over the course of THREE days. This would mean that my team and I would have a dead day in between your events which they would not be paid for since you are an out of town bride. I am fine taking a day off with no pay to suit your bridal needs but unfortunately, my team has jobs and children that they would need to leave for a whole dead day of no pay. I also let you know at-least 3 months in advance that I can no longer cover your bridal-party.
I was late arriving into Dallas due to traffic which was communicated to you and I even finished services 45 minutes before you needed to be ready.
As for the air bnb, the pictures showed a different view than reality did and I have the pictures to prove that. These were also sent to you in order to help you recoup your money from air bnb. There absolutely was no Whole Foods ANYWHERE but there were plenty of run down buildings and marijuana smells. Again, see pictures below. I could not get a parking permit to park inside of the apartment complex because as the woman hostess said (it was a woman not a man contrary to Shreya's message above) I would need a permit and the office is closed on weekends. This would mean I would have to park on the street OUTSIDE of the gated complex door in an unsafe area. There was glass all over the street right next to where I needed to park in order to get into the building. Clearly a car had been broken into right where I needed to park. I could not risk leaving my $2500+ makeup equipment, my hair equipment, my $450 lighting equipment and my $160 high chair in my car. This apartment building had three flights of stairs which also meant I would have to make several trips up and down to take all the above PLUS my personal items. I spoke to the air bnb hostess via call and FaceTime as to not bother you on your wedding event.
I also communicated with your wedding planner as a courtesy not to bother you with any stress. The wedding planner, someone I have never met before, was kind enough to share her one king size bed with me (a stranger). I obliged again, as I wanted to make it convenient for YOU. I did not ask you to book me another room for the other days as I was flexible on sharing a room and a BED with a person I didn't even know. I have pictures of conversations to prove this as well.
PS - Any idea why the bathroom tub and toilet were not posted on the air bnb website? I think I may have an idea. This was just another thing I was willing to deal with, I told myself I just wouldn't shower... over three days. Dry shampoo would be my best friend.
I spoke to your wedding planner about the unsafe conditions and she said she would speak to you about it. She advised me to go ahead and book the other room. I booked one of the cheapest but safe places I could find to be conscious of your budget. The room was $120 a night in Downtown Dallas, just 5 minutes from you. I also want to make note that ALL YOUR OTHER WEDDING VENDORS were provided a room at the Hotel Renaissance Dallas which is the same hotel Shreya was staying at. I was the only vendor left to stay at an air bnb in an unsafe part of Downtown Dallas even though most of my start times were very early in the morning (3 am, same day service 4 pm).
By the way, I'm curious to know why you left out the fact that I ran into you at the valet after communicating with your planner about this entire situation. At that point you had knowledge that I moved all my things into her room and I accepted sharing a room and a bed with her for the remainder of my stay. I did this so you wouldn't have to double pay for my lodging. All of this was simply because you did not want to cover a $120 hotel room expense for the first night. This wasn't about the money, this was about the disrespect that you would not respond to my text messages even after I showed you the proof of the unsafe environment, which YOU REQUESTED. This is just further proof that we did communicate about the situation.
As per my contract, I require FULL PAYMENT to be made before the wedding day. You failed to provide that due to this $120 ($166 with taxes and parking) charge. This is all represented in my contract which you signed.
Also, I did not "ghost" you. I was in full communication with your planner the whole night. She made it clear that you were frustrated and you did not want to cover the one night stay at the hotel. That was the moment I made the decision to respect both myself and my craft and withdraw my services.
I refunded your money even though in our contract stipulates that I retain all the funds. I did not even deduct your room charge... I did this out of morality bc I do not wish to be paid for services I did not render.
As for you guys "scrambling" to find someone else: the planner asked me if I would continue services if you agreed to pay the one night room cost (which is what this entire disagreement hinged on) I confirmed that I would continue services. However, 15 minutes after I agreed I was notified you found another artist. 15 minutes doesn't seem like a long time to scramble. Again, I have pictures to prove this.
This has never happened in my 10 year career as a makeup artist and I as a recent bride myself, would NEVER allow one of my vendors to feel unsafe. Even if it required additional funds to be paid out of pocket, i would still gladly pay them to ensure my vendors safety. My character reflects safety over business and I am sorry if I put that expectation on you. I know the outcome was not ideal and I as a person who fell in love with this industry because of the interaction with brides really regret that this happened. This was never the outcome we planned for but at some point I felt I had to take a stand. Communication goes both ways and I felt a lack of communication from you regarding my safety concerns.
In response to Shreya:
1. My assistants would have to leave a day early therefore having a dead day.
2. My pricing was given to Shreya since before the pandemic. I informed her that even though I now require a per diem rate I honored the same 2019-2020 pricing (without per diem): I have proof of this interaction as well.
3. The Dallas Downtown Tru Hilton Hotel requires you to park pay to park overnight. If you are adamant I'm lying, please call.
4. Shreya, you clearly seem to know me and my character. Calling me names says a lot about you. You certainly were happy with your Mendhi Hair and Makeup look... as was your mother. But you're right. Please stop harassing myself and my business. Congratulations on being a newly wed and I sincerely hope you enjoy this new chapter. Cheers!
Update:
Shreya has removed her name calling comments towards me ( exact words were: spoiled, selfish and a brat) as she was flagged by wedding wire for slander. Thanks Shreya! Have a fantastic day!
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