The Rustic & Chic co . Reviews

Love the new venue. Definitely rustic & beautiful. Very excited for our wedding day 12-10-22

Loved how everything came out! we were feeling overwhelmed with the wedding planning and we were about to give up till we found The Rustic Chic. I was sold on the one stop shop and the beautiful venue. The planing prices went great and was easy! Sandra offered us an amazing opportunity to switch our venue over from the Bell Gardens location to the El Monte location. We were happy with our first venue but The new venue was larger and indoor/outdoor. It ended up raining on our wedding day so it truly saved us having both options available. We used the outdoor patio space for our ceremony which was then converted to a fun game/lounge area. We had our reception indoors which was very spacious and comfortable. It had an amazing bar area as well. On the day of everything went smoothly and I noticed so many extra details that I didn’t expect that just made everything feel so romantic. Our day was perfect and I have Sandra and the rustic team to thank!

There aren’t enough words to describe our experience with the rustic team other than AMAZING!! Sandra was simply so sweet, kind and patient with us especially with me the bride lol. But honestly I’m really thankful for Sandra and everyone who helped us in different ways. For Sandra who was always there to help me along the way and make sure i was stress free with planning, with Ashley who always communicated with me and made sure i was satisfied with the centerpieces and my boquete and with Dillon who made sure my husband and I had a blast on our wedding night and made sure we didn’t have to stress over small things and was super attentive. I’ll definitely miss seeing Sandra for our appts but I’ll definitely book her again and show my support by going to her pop ups and brag to all my friends and family of how amazing the rustic team is.

The Rustic and Chic made it very easy planning our wedding, the staff is amazing and very helpful. They have a lot of pop ups for you to explore your options. I would totally recommend them! :)

Right off the bat Sandra made us feel safe & taken care off with her but that’s just to tail you in. I was very hesitant to write this review just because I didn’t think people would read however I’ve had plenty ask about my experience and I want you all to know before booking with The Rustic Chic & CO. I want to share my experience with The Rustic Chic & CO, although the decor was lovely the over all experience and treatment we received was honestly horrid! We honestly had no issues with the company up until the last month before our wedding. By policy we’re allowed to make changes up to two weeks prior to your event. They’re not very specific on various details, everything changes after 100 guests however never really bothered to let us know until a week before our wedding and wanted to bill us almost $2K the week before. Our initial guest count was 150 then went up to 180 a month before so we made adjustments with the CEO of the company everything was dealt and planned with Sandra (the last two weeks Lindsey/Lesly) honestly forgot the names. None of our changes or details were communicated with the front office and there was so much confusion. On our “final appt” where we went in to finally pay them off (August 5) a month before our wedding, our guest count was still 180 and still wasn’t made aware that after 100 guests at the indoor venue with restrooms, that we had to provided portal potty’s (honestly gross I don’t even go in those anywhere, why would I want a venue that I’d have to provided that for my guests) the we’re concerned with plumping issues and wanted us to sign a $5K plumping waiver because we were opting out of the portal potty’s service. They bill you for ice to prevent you from having to go to the store $300 which isn’t too bad to be honest however within an hour to our reception they tell us we ran out of ice and if we wanted more we would have to send someone (wasn’t that the whole point to pay?) one of guests went out for about $100 worth of ice and magically lasted the whole night through the heat wave! Now, we got married Labor Day weekend honestly the hottest weekend this year! Our ceremony was only about 15 mins because we didn’t want our guests outdoors too long. We had opted for family/couple pictures at the Farmhouse location, our ceremony was suppose to end by 3:00pm which we had the farmhouse for an hour post ceremony for pictures 4:00. One of the employees came inside the house and disconnected the 1 portable AC unit and kicked us out 3:20 stating that he couldn’t stay anymore and we needed to exit the premises. We get to our indoor venue the AC was turned off and my coordinator was told that they couldn’t turn the AC on because the back door was opened? There’s was miscommunication there no way in hell were we wanting the big door opened in the middle of the heat wave, I had 3 guest pass out and had to leave to the ER because of the heat and having to come into the indoor venue without AC was definitely the last straw I hadn’t even spoken to any of the staff members that day up until then. I could literally go on about how horrible this company is & I highly suggest you all do your research and ask for very specific details in writing in a contract to be able to make them follow through.

Quick Review: (5 fantastic - 1 horrible)
• Pre-event planning: 5
• Pre-event communication: 5
• Venue Contract: 1 (not detailed so they use that to their advantage)
• Post-event communication: 1 (you don’t matter after you’re all paid up)
• Day of Service: 1 (staff was rude, unavailable/hiding, not helpful enough, uncoordinated, not prepared)
• Restroom accommodations: 2 (only 1 permanent on-site restroom for guests)

​This review is coming out 105 days after the wedding we had at The Rustic & Chic Co. because wedding was not ideal and we needed some time to decompress so we could write this review objectively and be as clear and transparent as possible. If you do not want to read this lengthy review, then just understand that this venue kept trying to serve alcohol to the pregnant bride, service was horrible, and in general, we recommend that you stay away from this venue.

Prior to the wedding, we met with Sandra (Owner) on a monthly basis and the venue promptly responded to all of our messages, but once we were all paid up and once the event was done, the customer service became horrible. We had follow-up questions, but our meeting requests were all denied. We were treated much better when we were actively giving money to the venue.

During our monthly planning meetings with Sandra she talked us into paying $1,500 for “Day of service” coordination because she said that SHE would be the person performing this service. We wanted her to run things on the day of the wedding because it would allow us to be less stressed and enjoy our event more also, Sandra is the ONLY person at that wedding that knew the bride was pregnant (other than the groom). Sandra was going to make sure that the bride would NOT be served alcohol so it would not be obvious to the guests.

Unfortunately, Sandra was not the “Day of service” coordinator. We had Dillion and he had no idea what was going on and it went horrible. The wedding day was an organizational disaster. There was no organization or support so the bride, groom, wedding guests and camera crew were running the event. Despite the pregnant bride blatantly telling Dillion that she wanted a specific drink (that doesn’t contain alcohol) Dillon served her multiple alcoholic drinks and it made her feel very uncomfortable. The Rustic & Chic Co. was made aware that the bride was pregnant and that it was a secret from guests, yet Dillion, served the pregnant bride alcohol. So that $1,500 “Day of service” had the opposite effect, it actually caused us more stress.

We paid $800 for “Servers” and they were sitting in the locked office during the entire event, all they did was clean up after. The servers also locked the leftover food in the office and when guests asked them for it, the servers said there was no food. The staff was trying to hide the leftover food in an attempt to keep it for themselves. The groom had to go find Dillion and direct him to bring the leftover food out. The staff not only did nothing during the duration of the event, but they were rude to guests.

This venue said yes to everything, prices were amazing, it all sounded too good to be true and unfortunately, it was. We were scammed out of about $1,655 and more importantly, we were not able to enjoy our special day to the fullest. This venue has proven to us to be a company that promises the world and gives you peanuts.

We were recently contacted by a bride-to-be who was in meetings with The Rustic & Chic Co. This individual made us aware of the following Instagram page (@therusticchic_coscam) which is a page made to bring awareness to potential Rustic & Chic Co. customers of the dishonesty of this company. This individual asked us about our experience with this venue and we told her about everything mentioned above. She thanked us for our honest opinion and she told us that she decided to take her business elsewhere.

Sandra made my event such a stressful day. What was suppose to be a memorable event turned sour the day of. She played me and rob me 2 hrs of service and shut down early with no prove of me breeching my contract. Served beer that I bought hot . Hoovered over my guest all night with a number counter in hand. She claims i went over my guest, but if that claim is true why did we pay YOUR security if they could not do the job correctly. For me this was all part of the plan to end my event early. Place is nice but definitely not worth the hassle and embarrassment of a host.

***SCAM ALERT/FRAUD ALERT/THIEF***

Negative stars can't even begin to describe how awful this business truly is. I booked The Rustic & Chic Co. for my wedding 13 MONTHS IN ADVANCED, and all I got was my money stolen on what should have been the most special day of my life. Do not trust this business with any of your special events. The owner, Sandra Mendez, is nothing but a con artist and money swindler. At first, she is approachable and loves to say that she is "the worst sales man" because she's giving you so many "deals and saving you money." THIS IS ALL PART OF HER SCAM.

I booked her November 2021, and we paid $9,000 to have our wedding at the Farm House venue. On October 30, 2022, she told us that the Farm House was "no longer available because the City of Bell Gardens raised the rent." According to public records and the City Clerk, this is a lie. The City does not own the property. To add insult to injury, she tried to convince me to use one of her "indoor venues" in either the City of Commerce or South El Monte. Those indoor venues are located in industrial parts of the city. She basically converted warehouses into cheap-looking halls. This is not what I signed up for. I signed up for the aesthetics and charms of the Farm House.

What makes this worse is the fact that Sandra told us the Farm House was no longer available 41 DAYS BEFORE OUR WEDDING. How do you do that to somebody and sleep at night? In fact, this is not the first time she pulls a stunt like this. As per court documents, she was just sued in August 2022 for the same reason and the judge ruled against her.

I have asked for a refund of my $9,000 several times both verbally and in writing. She has been ghosting me since the beginning of November. This company thinks they can just steal your money and ghost you. My wedding was supposed to be on December 11, 2022. She ruined my experience and stole my hard earned money.

Save yourself.
Warn others.
DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THEM.

*Search on Yelp for recent and accurate reviews. They are a fraudulent and unethical company!!!*

This company and the owner, Sandra Mendez, should not be allowed to run a business. They engage in fraudulent services and steal people's money. Two of my friends hired them for separate events. At first, Sandra is super friendly and calls herself the "worst sales man ever," because she is supposedly going out of her way to make your event happen on "your budget." This is how she lures everyone in. Soon, she starts sending you invoices for things you never even ordered. When you try to get a hold of her to discuss the charges, she is never available. Her staff is rude and gives you the run-around. Sandra suddenly becomes available when she needs to collect a payment.

The worst part is that my friends hired her to have their wedding at the Farm House venue a YEAR IN ADVANCE. A month before their wedding, Sandra tells them that she no longer has the farm house. She tried blaming the City of Bell Gardens by saying that they are "raising her rent" so she can't afford to keep the property. This was a total lie. My friends had Sandra and her business investigated and this is not the first time she does this to people. She used to have a property in Temecula, CA and did the exact same thing to another couple. The investigation also showed that the City does not own the property so she lied to them about that too. My friends repeatedly asked for a refund and Sandra is refusing to give it to them. She ruined their wedding, caused so much stress, and stole their money. She refuses to return their phone calls, answer emails/texts. What type of business owner ghosts customers especially ones that have been wronged by the business?!

There is an IG account called @therusticchic_coscam that somebody created to warn other customers.

This business needs to be stopped. My friends lost thousands of dollars and now their families have been pitching in to collect money to pay for a whole new wedding since Sandra kept all of their money and did not provide services.

Save yourself the headache, heartache, and money. Find a different venue that is run by true business professionals.

Sandra is a complete scam. Paid her over $19k to get a nightmare wedding, please save yourself from a disappointment and take your hard earned money somewhere else. Sandra has no shame lying to your face selling you lies and fake promises, and cancel services a week prior to the event like no big deal.

As soon as she has all your money she won't answer text, calls, nor emails. And in fact will go off on you accusing you of harassment when you demand answers.

Never delivered the chairs for the reception lie to us and our guest had to carry their chairs from the ceremony to the tables. Never got a refund for the rental chairs she didn't delivered- at that moment the money wasn't the issue it was the unprofessionalism of not coming through for what we paid for. The receipt shows we planned and made a deposit over a year prior to the event, a week before the even she texted my husband saying "she forgot to add the dance floor" unbelievable! We went crazy looking for a dance floor to rent nothing was was available.

All Sandra wants it's your hard earn money with no hesitation will lie to your face. The location in bell gardens is on sale or rent, she's running away people demanding answers and their money back.

Save yourself a disappointment! All I had the day of my wedding was tears and anger due to Sandra and bad business.

When you request a refund, she will try to make you sign a "non disclosure " that way you cannot talk or post your reviews. Sandra will make "appointments" to her own convenience and request payments on every appointment. As soon as you are done paying she won't even bother answering text nor calls.

She feels entitled to cancel "services" anytime and leave you hanging with the event with no remorse on the stress, pain, and tears she cause.

When we first hired her services she quote us $7,000 me and my husband were all in, a few months in after a few thousands of dollars in payments she raised the price to $13,000 due to inflation and some BS, since we had given her almost $7,000 we stupidly agreed in the new amount. Long story short, right before the event (invitations sent, honeymoon booked, out of state family booked trip) she raised the price over $19,000 we had to get the remaining of our savings and give it to her just to have the wedding of our dreams instead a total nightmare.

I believe in karma, besides our hard earned money she took without mercy, the strained moments this cause between me and my husband. The disappointment I gave him for making my husband believe it was a good idea to hired this con artist as the even planner for our wedding.
I have paper trail and proof to back up the scam Sandra is. Text trails of never replying and acknowledging the text. As soon as you done making payments you will receive nothing but excuses she can’t answer cause she’s way too “busy” for you.

Beware the owner Sandra. She is extremely unprofessional, unorganized, and refuses to acknowledge any wrongdoings on her part. She constantly makes promises she does not fulfill. She ruined my wedding. Her team tries, but with her as their boss I can only imagine how difficult it is to provide clients services for their events.

Lack of communication! Don’t waste your money on this place!

Sandra is a pro scammer. She hides behind her religion. Claiming shes a good Christian but is only interested in peoples MONEY. In the beginning she will respond and makw you feel heard but towards the last months she will ghost you. She picked out my table settings without checking in w me. Bullshit fees. I paid for servers and they were locked up in the office. Her son dillon was disrespectful to my family. She shouldn’t have her kids running her buisness for her. Also paid for all my leftover drinks to be delivered the next day to my house and dillon made my family pack everything that was left over at the end of the night. NO COMMUNICATION WHATSOEVER. They ruined the most important / meaningful days of my life.

I recently got married this current September. I used her Rental Services and it was not a pleasant experience. I would never recommend her services. At first she sells you this picture perfect almost too good to be true services but instead it’s a nightmare. My first meeting went well; she gave me the invoice and promised I would be getting the farm tables and wooden chairs. After I gave my first deposit she gave me a copy of my invoice and it had the wrong name, it had the name Giselle and my name is Genesis also the wrong email, I brought it to her attention right away and she took my copy crossed out the wrong name and wrote the right one and she said later she would fix it on her computer. When I would contact her she would always confuse me with Giselle. I felt she had double booked for the same day. But after that conversation I decided use her Rental services and not her venue. After, I decided not to use her venue, Sandra practically ghosted me. I would call constantly, almost every day to her office leaving messages to her daughters, emailing her and even sent her multiple messages on Instagram and I still wouldn’t hear anything back from her. There was only 3 months left for my wedding date, and she still hadn’t sent me any samples or colors to see what I can use for my wedding date. I had to send her another email saying I was going to take legal actions she called me right away only to talk to me in a condescending way, she told me her services were cheap so I was going to be getting “Wal-Mart customer service”, she was not going to give me a Neiman Marcus experience. She told me I was coming off rude because I wasn’t the only customer she was dealing with. After that conversation I sent her my color scheme and she only gave me 1 option of plate mats to choose from and 3 colors of goblets and napkins. I needed 200 and she told me that was a large amount and that she did not have enough, so basically I would have to figure it out. As for the farm tables and chairs she told me I she would not be able to provide me the amount I needed because they were already booked for her venue, so I would be getting plastic tables and chairs. I was so frustrated that I had gone to Costco to get plastic utensils just in case she let me down. The day before the wedding when they dropped everything off the plate mats, goblets and napkins were all a different shade of pink. The plat mats were dirty I didn’t even use most of them because it was embarrassing. I would never recommend this place to anyone. Do not waste your time or money!