Complimentary consultation

My experience with Rena began with a complimentary bridal consultation scheduled for 23 August at 10:00 am. Unfortunately, the call did not take place, and I received no advance notice. I followed up at approximately 11:00 am, after which Rena apologised, explained that a personal emergency had occurred and offered to reschedule. For the rescheduled consultation, Rena directed me to Glowa, explaining that the booking required a minimum $1 payment, which would be refunded. However, Glowa charged $35 plus a $1.59 transaction fee ($36.59 total). I immediately raised the discrepancy, and Rena confirmed in writing that the consultation was complimentary and she would refund the payment. Following my wedding, she declined to refund it, stating that I had chosen the $35 option rather than the $1 option. My wedding-day hairstyling was arranged separately, directly with Rena, for $415 on 5 October 2026. We agreed on a 10:00 am start, but she arrived at approximately 11:48 am without letting me know. We had to contact her ourselves to find out what was happening. During the service, I experienced burns from hot styling tools. The delay disrupted my scheduled makeup appointment and left insufficient time for adjustments before the ceremony. Afterwards, I raised my concerns and requested a 50% refund of the hairstyling fee. Rena offered $80 as her final offer, which I did not consider adequate given the circumstances. I also requested removal of identifiable footage of me from her business Instagram. Although I had initially agreed to some filming, after this experience I no longer felt comfortable having my image used to promote a service I would not recommend. Rena declined my request. I recognise Rena’s hairstyling abilities, but punctuality, communication and client safety matter greatly for bridal services. Based on my experience, I would not recommend her for bridal hairstyling.