Lauren cancelled on me less than 24 hours before my wedding via email, with no phone call, no confirmation that I’d seen the message, and no contact details for the replacement artist. I tried calling, texting and emailing her multiple times that evening, but she had turned off her phone and did not respond.
She had a personal emergency, which I completely understand — and I want to be clear that I am not upset about the fact she couldn’t attend. What I found unacceptable was the way she handled the situation: no direct communication, no chance for me to approve the replacement, and no follow-up to ensure I was supported on the day.
The schedule she created for the morning made me — the bride — the last priority. All of my bridesmaids looked stunning and were given generous time slots. I, however, was rushed through hair and makeup in just 90 minutes, which was simply not enough. The replacement artist was told to arrive at 11:30am (and arrived at 11:35), but I had been told 11:00am. As a result, I wasn’t ready on time and missed out on pre-ceremony photos — something I’d told Lauren early on was very important to me.
While I was happy with my makeup, the hair service was completely inadequate. The agreed style couldn’t be done properly, the extensions I had bought specifically for the day (professionally sourced by my hairdresser) couldn’t be used due to the stylist's limitations, and the braid had to be redone several times. In the end, my hair looked flat, rushed, and nothing like what we had agreed. Another stylist even offered to redo it due to it being so bad, but by then I had no time left. Lauren had also previously dismissed my concerns after the trial and didn’t offer a second consultation despite me raising that I wasn’t happy.
She has since claimed all notes and details were passed on — but the experience I had on the day tells a very different story.
Although I’ve received a partial refund, it doesn’t come close to compensating for the distress this caused me. I only plan to get married once. I was clear that I wanted a relaxed, stress-free morning, and instead I felt overlooked and unsupported. I cried when I saw my wedding photos because I completely detest how my hair looks in them. It’s a painful reminder that the person I trusted with this part of my day simply didn’t treat me with the care or professionalism that I deserved.
Lauren may have many happy clients, but she treated me like just another booking in the diary. I would strongly urge other brides to consider whether this is a risk worth taking.
