Another married couple has come forward to expose a wedding caterer who ruined a newlywed pair’s big day.
When the Standfontein couple saw the article in the Daily Voice last week, they were shocked to learn they weren’t the only victims of the alleged fraudsters.
Last week we brought you the story of a Goodwood couple who had their wedding day wrecked by I Do Weddings, a catering company based in Malmesbury.
They had spent R21 000 on their reception and dresses.
When the newlyweds arrived at their wedding reception, the hall was empty and the caterer along with her husband arrived nearly an hour after the reception was meant to start.
There was no food – they claimed it had gone off – and the husband was drunk.
Angry guests called the police and Natasha Lombard and her husband, Shane, were arrested for fraud.
This encouraged the Standfontein couple to speak out after they, too, had a disastrous experience with I Do Weddings in December last year.
The 23-year-old bride and her 24-year-old groom approached the Daily Voice for help as they have spent nearly three months trying to track the owners of I Do Weddings.
The upset wife explains: “We got married on 26 December 2016.”
“I found Natasha’s catering company on Gumtree in April.”
“She was responsive as soon as I emailed her to inquire.”
“I found a package fit for us, it included 60 guests for R16 000″.
“She seemed convincing and gave no reason to doubt her.”
The bride says she also had a dress made by Natasha for her wedding day at an extra cost of R3 500.
“I was supposed to get married at 1pm, but she arrived at 1.30pm; this way I didn’t have time to check out the dress, so I quickly slipped into it,” she explains.
“The dress kept slipping off and the needles in the dress kept pricking my baby who I had on my arm.”
Little did she know, the real disaster was waiting for her down the aisle.
“We had an outdoor wedding so we asked for an arch, but there were just three poles knocked together,” she says.
They had spent R21 000 on their reception and dresses.
When the newlyweds arrived at their wedding reception, the hall was empty and the caterer along with her husband arrived nearly an hour after the reception was meant to start.
There was no food – they claimed it had gone off – and the husband was drunk.
Angry guests called the police and Natasha Lombard and her husband, Shane, were arrested for fraud.
This encouraged the Standfontein couple to speak out after they, too, had a disastrous experience with I Do Weddings in December last year.
The 23-year-old bride and her 24-year-old groom approached the Daily Voice for help as they have spent nearly three months trying to track the owners of I Do Weddings.
The upset wife explains: “We got married on 26 December 2016.”
“I found Natasha’s catering company on Gumtree in April.”
“She was responsive as soon as I emailed her to inquire.”
“I found a package fit for us, it included 60 guests for R16 000″.
“She seemed convincing and gave no reason to doubt her.”
The bride says she also had a dress made by Natasha for her wedding day at an extra cost of R3 500.
“I was supposed to get married at 1pm, but she arrived at 1.30pm; this way I didn’t have time to check out the dress, so I quickly slipped into it,” she explains.
“The dress kept slipping off and the needles in the dress kept pricking my baby who I had on my arm.”
Little did she know, the real disaster was waiting for her down the aisle.
“We had an outdoor wedding so we asked for an arch, but there were just three poles knocked together,” she says.
“The red carpet we asked for was stained.”
“The chair covers had holes in them and some chairs weren’t covered.”
“When I look at weddings now I get angry all over again.”
“I will never forget this awful day.”
“We feel embarrassed because up to now we are still apologising for the day [to guests],” she says.
The woman says the reception was the most embarrassing part.
“My guests were served three hours late and by the time the food was dished, people had left already,” she says.
The couple also ordered a cake, to be decorated with pictures of themselves on it, but instead received a cake stuffed with lollipops that melted away.
“My wedding cake melted because she did not have a fridge,” she says.
“The cake was standing on glasses, not even on a cake stand.”
The woman says they want to warn other couples about I Do Weddings.
“We just didn’t feel we have the energy do it, but after what she did to this Goodwood couple, I want to take it further,” she adds.
The Lombards have not responded to Daily Voice queries, but last week apologised to the Goodwood couple and refunded R17 000 of their money.
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