SOON-TO-BE Married Couples BEWARE!

Dear VS&F Catering Services,

Remember what you promised to your clients in your website?

“We take great pride in designing our set-up and upgrading our food and services with the goal of providing the highest quality possible in the price range that you select. We strive to satisfy each client and perfect every event that we cater. In addition, we only use the highest quality type of ingredients and the latest technology necessary to ensure the reliability of our food and services. Our reputation rests on a steadfast pursuit of this policy in our catering business. At VS&F, we reinvest 100% of our earnings back into the company. This enables us to support the purchase of new equipment and adopt the latest standard and techniques necessary to improve the catering business. When you choose VS&F, we encourage you to compare us with competitors. We believe this process will enhance your appreciation of our company. Best wishes from all of us at VS&F!”

Sadly, we felt nothing like what you described there. In what was supposed to be an event full of bliss and happiness, our dream wedding turned out to be a night full of disappointments, mishaps and shortcomings all because of your unprofessional/unbecoming service! Below were the words my brother-in-law narrated in a report submitted to you which, as of press time, we still haven't gotten a reply from. Just to give you an overview, we got wed last December 13, 2014. Church rites started at 2pm, Parish of the Holy Sacrifice, UP Diliman. Reception's at Balai Kalinaw, also in UP Diliman.
Actual Ingress. (Reception, since the venue's just around 10m away from the church) :4:00pm – Guests from the church began to arrive at the venue at 3pm (Balay Kalinaw). Our uncle (one of the firsts to arrive sa venue) said, "kasabay lang namin yung mga table umakyat, magseset-up pa lang yata"
During one of the meetings prior to the wedding, VS&F, represented by Charmaine Bravo (Account Executive), REQUESTED for an early ingress. Ingress time was set at 11AM. We agreed to that, and paid the amount of 2k plus as an add on. Catering equipment were still being brought in even though all guests have already arrived.

TIFFANY Chairs were agreed to be provided, but since it was still not in the venue, and the program already commenced, MONOBLOC chairs were placed with a few tables. It was an eye sore, especially to the couple, 'coz those were fronting them. Note: some tiffany chairs placed were broken and were not in good condition as promised in the contract.

CENTER PIECE came in very late. It was delivered at the venue at around 5-530PM. Upon entry of the guests, the tables were so bare! There were only table numbers making it look like the guests were waiting for their orders from a fastfood restaurant. After a few minutes, VS&F began setting up the center pieces. It wasn't the same as the one we have agreed upon. Some of the vases even had plastic in them. From the words of my cousin, "parang may basura."

TABLE CLOTH Table linens weren't placed properly. Some were not tucked well that the guests were stepping on it and even exposed the cloth underneath the table linen.

TRELLIS/BACKDROP There was an agreed backdrop for the couple on-stage. Speed 7 c/o Elaine Estrada was even the one who measured the height of the ceiling from the couple's platform during the venue ocular. Upon arrival, the stage was so bare. There's no sign of any trellis anywhere. According to Christine (She was the one who took the place of Charmaine Bravo since the latter wasn't able to come on the day of the wedding), "hindi po kasya yung trellis sa platform."
This should’ve been foreseen beforehand because this is the main purpose of an ocular inspection, To oversee all the feasibility of supplier’s commitments and contract inclusions.

Discourteous/SLOW/Nonchalant/Few Staff Since catering was late, we expected them to work double time and have more people to get the job done faster. But the staff moved in a very slow pace, as if they had lots of time to spare. When I asked Christine what happened, she was blaming everything on Charmaine and speaking as if she had nothing to do with the event and even managed to grace us with her smile even if she saw that we were very very very upset already. At the wine toasting, one waiter was standing by the cake, texting, while most of the people from the VIP tables didn't have wine in their glasses yet. This is very unprofessional and should not be tolerated by the company as it would embody a bad image representing your catering company.
In the middle of it all, as we were getting more and more aggravated, VS&F's Christine even managed to insist a food tasting to the already-very-upset-couple prior to serving the food to our guests. Despite this being a company protocol, We believe there should’ve been more sensitivity towards the situation.

TABLE NAPKINS Table napkins weren't placed on every table, so my sister asked for one. She was patient enough to even ask a waiter THREE times and still got none back.

UTENSILS Utensils such as spoon and fork were the only utensils placed on every table. Kahit may knife man lang sana.

CAKE The agreed cake in the contract was supposed to be placed in a spiral stand, with roses on top. When we saw the cake, it was just placed on top of the table. Literal na pinatong lang sa lamesa.

Overall, the experience with VS&F was disastrous. I was expecting more effort because VS&F was highly recommended by Ms. Elaine Estrada, a good friend and who has been a wedding organizer for years, and I know that VS&F are acclaimed as a top-notch supplier, but I am sorry to say that VS&F do not deserve to be called top-notch.

What was supposed to be a moment of bliss for the couple (especially the bride) and to their respective families, turned out to be a night full of disappointment and emotional stress. Couples only get married once and VS&F ruined that momentous occasion for them. The couple and the parents even apologized to the guests for the inconvenience caused to them. Please also note that the groom's man and the best man had to go home early 'coz of the inconvenience.

From the couple's words: "Binaboy nila ang kasal namin." As of writing (10am 12-14-14), we're still very upset of what VS&F did to the wedding. We cannot accept VS&F’s claim of being extremely late due to the heavy rains & traffic that transpired last December 13, 2014. We also had guests coming from Commonwealth and they were able to arrive on time. Kindly also consider that the target time of Ingress was at 11am. We would’ve understood if late meant an hour to 1 ½ maximum. But to be 4 hours late and to arrive during actual start of reception is strongly UNPROFESSIONAL. We are paying clients and have paid the full amount of contract before date of event. Every client of any type of event, big or small should be treated of equal importance and do not merit any type of disrespect. There are no words that can justify how we felt and how the family is feeling until now. We have signed a contract and all that has been discussed were not met. Please also take note of the contract. Everything was in favor of VS&F and not to the paying client. The contract is self serving and does not mention any liability on their part should they be the ones to not honor the terms of the contract. Yes, we might have overlooked that part but thinking that VS&F is a reputable catering service and with what they are advertising, no one would think that they could do such a thing.

We will not complain and add additional inconvenience in our part if and only if we were treated fairly. We are fair people and this is clearly not fair. All the complaints settle downs on one key problem and that is the poor coordination of the company & Account executive in charge. All of these would have not happened if VS&F’s staff, crew & truck left early enough and have regarded all possibility of dilemmas especially that it is a weekend.

We are quiet people and usually go about minding our own business but for this, we won’t let it slide. All our hard earned money were invested in this once in a lifetime event and were hoping for a memorable experience with a “top-notch supplier in the business”, but unfortunately all came to naught. A measly compensation won’t turn back time to undo what you did, but hopefully it will serve as a reminder to you that all clients should be treated fairly and justly.

In return, we are asking for a 70% refund of the total amount that we paid, Charmaine's explanation letter, and we suggest the management to ask her to resign because we think that she is not fit for the job that she signed up for.

Friends, please take time to share this so that others can be extra careful in picking out suppliers for whatever event they might hold. Here are photos that serve as evidence to our claims. We never fabricate stories and this is an experience-based testimony.

Based on the pictures, would you think that VS&F catering was the one behind those arrangements?