Style On a Shoestring Event Planning

If you want to have a stress free wedding, do NOT hire Michelle! I originally went to Michelle to do a ton of rentals for my carnival themed wedding. After meeting a few times, I also decided to hire Michelle and two assistants to set up and tear down everything, as well as work and serve popcorn and cotton candy. My bridesmaids and I ended up having to set up the entire reception area! My bridesmaids cut all of my flowers and arranged them in the table vases, as well as the mason jars I had lining the aisle for the ceremony. That was something I had hired Michelle and her assistants to do. My bridesmaids also set up each one of my tables with runners, flowers, candles, and the gold sprayed animals I had for each table. The groomsmen of my wedding had to set up the mason jars at the ceremony site by tying them with ribbons and hanging them on shepherds hooks. When I tried to talk to Michelle about how they weren’t doing everything and nothing was going to be done before the ceremony, she laughed at me and said how she has done several weddings and I haven’t. Thirty minutes before I had to walk down the aisle, the outside area with the games (which was the ONLY thing she did) still wasn’t completely set up! As I was walking out with my dad I had to yell at someone to grab all of the props that were sitting on our cake table and put them by the photo booth. Many of my guests also told me that while the guests were enjoying games and popcorn, and we were taking pictures, she was eating the cotton candy as she was making it. At the end of the night, when she showed up to pick up all of her props, I asked if we could pay her to keep a sign she had made for our wedding. It said Coronado Carnival on it and had lights all around, it was great. My husband and I really wanted it as a keepsake, as it had our name as well, and this was something I had discussed with Michelle even prior to the wedding. She said no, we couldn’t buy it because she liked it. How could she even use it again? It had our name on it, it was a custom sign!!! After the honeymoon, I emailed and called Michelle several times to discuss a partial refund since she did not set up my wedding as I had paid her to, but she never once answered me. Michelle is a horrible horrible person, and she caused me a great deal of stress. Please think twice about having anything to do with her or her business!

Sucks! Been trying to get her to help
Me for days!!! She doesn’t give one crap about people! Unbelievable?! She needs to up her meds!

Very odd. Seems from these reviews that she is either hit or miss. For me she was a miss. Had a great initial phone call and just never returned calls or texts after that. Well she did return ONE text to say she would contact me the next day. never did.
I don’t know if she has some personal problem or if she is ignoring smaller orders but she has a history of completely ignoring potential customers AFTER giving them the idea that they may be using her services.
Annoying because while waiting for her to get back to me it became too late to find something else.
DO NOT DEPEND ON HER.

I have been working with Michelle for the past two weeks for my alice in wonderland unbirthday 30^th. She has very reasonable and affordable prices. Its been a pretty easy process so far. I have met up with her once already to take a look at the rentals and just emailed her a list of things that I wanted to rent. She has been great and patient with me as I keep changing my mind about things. She has also offered some great ideas for my party. I will definitely use her again for future party needs.
Update: Unfortunately I was unable to use most of the decorations since my party was outside and decided to have it the weekend the santa ana’s were blowing through. Michelle was and is great. Great communication and I was able to drop off the rentals before we had arranged. Simply awesome and easy.

Michelle King. is great !! I had an Alice in wonderland baby shower and her props along with the added extras she provided made my shower… I couldn’t be happier with the transaction and services :) will always have her for future party’s… amazing !

I rented little mermaid props and a bubble machine for my daughters 4^th birthday that were perfect touch to her party. I had my mother in law contact Michelle as I was busy with work she said Michelle was very nice and friendly. Michelle was at an event but did say to send her my email and she would send me the quotes to the props sure enough she sent me the prices in such a timely manner. The props were outta my price range so I didn’t get back to her and she actually followed up with me a few days before the party and she told me she would work with my budget. So she did she gave me a great price I will defiantly be going back to her for future rentals. Thanks Michelle for making my daughters party that much more special I defiantly recommend her.

Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to even use Michelle’s services. Things started out great with first contact, but quickly declined. I had found her ads on Craigslist while looking for concessions for my daughters party. I checked her website, and it all sounded great. Day one she got right back to me several times very quickly. I finally told her I wanted to secure rental for that date so I didn’t miss out and I would review other items to add in the next few weeks. I got an iffy email back stating I could paypal $ 10 or $ 20 and she would hold them. It seemed «off» for a business so I emailed asking for a contract. TWICE with no answer. She dropped off the earth. I had asked to go see her items to see what would work and got an answer stating items were in storage but we could meet but no specifics. It was all very unprofessional after the first days emails and I was to afraid to trust her with my daughters birthday despite her great prices. I wish it would have been different.

This is a hard review to write as Michelle is really nice. I think her business skills can be a bit better and also she needs to update her props. Everything seemed to be a bit old, stained and pretty much in need of a good cleaning. Getting in contact with her is pretty hard via the phone, I know she is busy, but this is a business and customer service goes a long way. The only way to reach her is through texts and even then it’s kind of wonky on when she will respond. I won’t even get into her not showing up on time to drop off the rentals and also her forgetting a few on the drop off and the pick-​up.
I’m still waiting for her to come pick up a table and some props that were left behind. I’m pretty sure that I now own this table and the props if I was to go by the old adage «Possession is ⁹⁄₁₀ of the Law». Seriously this is ridiculous.
Again, she is a sweet person but If you are a stickler for details and time, than Style on a Shoestring Event Planning is not for you.

Michelle is so great! I rented Alice in Wonderland props for my daughter’s first birthday, and they really completed the décor/​styling of the party. The rentals were perfect and extremely affordable. Of course you can go the route of trying to make the props yourself, or you can rent them for less than the cost of the supplies to make them. Super affordable! Michelle was so kind in dropping off the rentals for us. She even threw in several extra pieces free of charge because no one rented them that day! We were extremely lucky to be so fortunate! Would highly recommend her for any themed party you may be planning!

Brides, Moms, Everyone… do NOT try to use this event planner/​décor vendor. She is completely unprofessional, unreliable, and does not give a damn about her clients.
I’ll try to keep this short, because I’ve already wasted too much time and money with her: We e-​mailed back and forth around 3 weeks ago, confirming that she had a wedding arch I desperately needed. She seems friendly and willing to help, and invites me to meet her in Fullerton to finalize some details.
I happily agree, even though I’m over in Glendale and it’s at least a one hour drive without traffic. (And you know there’s always traffic.) Since she seems so friendly, I had plans to discuss renting more décor from her, and possibly booking her as a Day Of Coordinator.
She sets the time and date of the meeting for her office a week in advance. The morning of, I e-​mail her and let her know I’m on the way. (No response. You see where this is going, don’t you?)
More than an hour later, I arrive on time and there’s no one at the office. Completely closed, lights off. I figure she’s just running a bit late, and so I wait a bit. After 15 minutes, I try calling the phone number that is listed on her office banner (and website. And Craiglist ads.) No response. Three rings and it goes to voicemail. I leave a super polite voicemail asking if we’re still meeting. (Yup, still no response.)
Another 15 minutes later, and I send an e-​mail reiterating the question. For kicks, I call again a few times. Nothing.
After 45 minutes of foolishly, naively waiting, sitting on the stairs outside of her office, I leave one more voicemail, and send a numeric page. (Nothing.)
Finally after an hour, I decide to finally give up and drive back home, only to get stuck in traffic. Keep in mind this was at least 4 hours of my day wasted, which included rescheduling my work schedule and practically pouring gas down the drain. And let’s not forget the three weeks I lost thinking I had a wedding arch vendor finally secure. Now I’m scrambling to find a new one.
And the best part?
It’s over 24hours later, still no phone call, e-​mail, txt, nothing. Zip. Zinch. Nada.
But you know what there is plenty of? New ads of hers on Craigslist adverting wedding arches.
Classy.
Think I’m over-​exaggerating and being too harsh? I dare you to take the challenge: Try calling her business number right now and see if you can get a live person.
Good luck.

I rented a wooden arbor for my wedding in September. It was beautiful and so well-​priced that I couldn’t pass it up. I only wish that I had booked her earlier, so that I could have used more of her gorgeous items to furnish my wedding. I now have her bookmarked and will be using her services and items for future events. Here’s the low-​down:
PROS:
1. She has a variety of unique, chic, and hard-​to-​find items!
2. SUPER AFFORDABLE!
3. Michelle is nice, kind, and very reasonable/​flexible.
TIPS:
1. BOOK HER SERVICES AND ITEMS EARLY. They go fast!
2. Email her, rather than leave a voicemail.
3. She’s a working mom who runs this business by herself, so email reply time can vary from mere seconds to days. But be patient, because she DOES get back to you!
I don’t like writing a super long review in the form of a novel, but I must quickly mention that there were a couple of very classy moves she pulled which left me quite impressed. In the end, all I can say is that she’s not a greedy person who’s trying to rip you off, and that your patience WILL pay off in the end with her thoughtfulness and her commitment to satisfying her customers. So, for me, waiting for her to reply to my emails wasn’t a big deal.
Thanks, Michelle, for all your help, and I look forward to working with you again in the future (my brother is yet to be married~!).

I booked Michelle for my daughter’s first birthday party last Saturday. I was able to book her for 3 months ahead. I understand that she is busy most of the time but she guarantees that she finds time to reply to my emails in a timely manner. And, she is on time on the day of the event.
She set-​up a mini booth which is in place for my Minnie Mouse party theme. She is ready with all the materials and came in very prepared, with a cheerful smile every time. We got the cotton candy and snow cone machines for the party. She is very friendly and accommodating to both the kids and adults! All my guests are happy with her service and with the products. I am definitely recommending you to my friends and I hope to see you on another birthday party!

I am SOOOOOOO Happy to have found Style on a Shoestring!
FROM day one, I emailed and received a response to EVER SINGLE question.
Michelle is professional, KIND and imaginative! As a full time working woman and mom of 4 on a BUDGET but still want a beautiful party, Michelle made it possible!
Trust me, I looked and also priced if I & hubby could of made items.
The props and sign I rented are colorful and big. I know we would not have been able to find the material or time to accomplish how GORGEOUS they are! I truly believe her when she says, «I can save your time to do other things» and «Spend More Money»
***Thank you Michelle***
I will now use Style on a Shoestring for every party! Only wish I would have found sooner! I can’t wait for more parties!

booked with Michelle for my daughters upcoming birthday party, so far so good, the quality of her decoration and characters look a-​m-​a-​z-​i-​n-​g, and stand out from the rest, she herself is sweet and willing to work with any of your specific needs. I am using her for all my party’s defiantly book her! =)

As a wedding professional, I have had the absolute PLEASURE of working with Michelle and her company, Style on a Shoestring, on multiple occasions. She bends over backwards for her clients and pulls the entire event together. I recommend her services for party planning and wedding coordinator all the time. Her services are affordable, if she doesn’t have the item needed she finds it. Michelle keeps the event running on a perfect timeline, and she’s always nice and in control.
This is the event planner who will keep your event organized and stress free.

I found Styles on Shoe String on Craiglist so I was thrilled when I found such affordable prices on items I needed to rent for my reception. When I first spoke with the owner Michelle it was via email and she responded right away so heck I thought wow she is really on top. I was super excited to get a quote from her right away. A few days later I was still waiting for my quote. No big deal I’m sure she was busy with other brides/​events. So I contacted her once again to see if she could get me the pricing in order for me to start planning my event. I was on a little bit of a crunch (1 month to be exact). So finally I received my quote. I had a list of things I wanted to rent. One main thing I wanted was ceiling tent draping. My tent was 30×50 so when I spoke with Michelle I mentioned to her if she would be able to do that since I seen on her website she provided draping. She said she had done it before and that it shouldn’t be a problem so I of course thinking well heck shes the planner I’m confident she can do it. And not to mention she was the cheapest I had found– $ 200 for the draping and labor!!! I booked it.
OK so there I was the week of my event. I had my final balance in hand and ready to pick up my items. I picked up my items the Wednesday prior to my event which was that Saturday from Michelle’s home. She had all the items (well most) out side packed and ready to go. I was excited!!! My balance after I paid $ 50 deposit was $ 420 which I had in cash. So once everything was packed in my car I sat down with Michelle to go over the items and invoice and of course payment. She mentioned to me that she would bring a few items over on Saturday when she would do the draping because she didn’t have those items yet. I was totally fine with that, since so far she had been so helpful, even gave me items for no charge. One thing that was a little odd was when I paid her in cash $ 420 she didn’t give me a receipt but said she would email it to me. At this point I was totally fine with that since everything so far was going so well and she was the nicest person ever.
Until Saturday of the event! She came over about 10:30am, I called her in advance since the tent was about 17ft high and wanted to make sure she was going to either have a ladder or still be able to hang the draping. She said she would bring her ladder and that she would try! So again I figured what the heck am I getting so nervous for, shes the event planner and knows what she is doing. So when she finally arrived, she tells me I didn’t think the tent was so high and I also didn’t bring enough fabric (which she blamed me for not giving her the right measurement’s I told her my tent was 30×50 from the beginning and that I wanted it draped from side to side’s as far as not giving her the right info you would think she as the professional should of made sure she knew the correct measurements! OK so at this point I’m getting annoyed now since she is telling me that she cant do what I paid for and also for blaming me. I’m not no bridezilla but at this point I was ready to skin a cat! So she started hanging these crystals I had rented and draped the entrance since that’s all she was able to do. Thank God I married a real man who saw my unhappiness and behold… he draped the entire ceiling with help of our friends and it turned out amazing. Yes… that’s right my HUSBAND did her job!!! OK so at this point I just wanted to get the party started. Thank God it was a success.
OK here we are the following day. I sent her a message stating I wanted to be reimbursed for the draping that my husband did and some items (already paid for… ex pomanders $ 54) that were not even brought to me. I was more than happy to pay for the rental of fabric but I wanted a majority of the $ 200 draping charge refunded asap. Let me just tell you what a horrible experience that was. It was like pulling teeth out. It took over 3 weeks to finally get my refund of $ 125 back. I tried calling her, emailing her, and texting. She would take days to return a text or email. And then when i was finally so pissed off and demanded her to meet with me she sends me an email to which I have kept all records of stating she tried texting me and I responded with” You have the wrong number” and she didn’t understand what was going on… WTF lady if someone response back to you with you have the wrong number well duh… maybe you have the wrong number why argue with me about it!!! Just meet up with me and give me my damn money back so we can end this asap. I don’t want to deal with you just as much as you don’t want to deal with me anymore. So after 3 weeks of going back and forth I finally get my money.
Great prices shitty service. I would not recommend this event planning to anyone unless you have enough patience to deal with BS. I was hoping to really use her for 3 up coming birthday parties for my family but after this there is no way I would. I would rather pay 10x more elsewhere.

Found this companies ad swamped all over craigslist boasting of all the things they offer, affordable for the service they offer. well i receive ZERO service so i guess its worth every penny i didn’t get a chance to pay. Call the phone number a few times and it goes straight to voicemail. So i figure sending them an email is a good way to reference a customer, sent my email requesting their service for my son and husbands birthday party. i even noted in my email please respond promptly because i am heavily searching for vendors. THe following day (FRIDAY) i even called and left a message that i sent them an email. later that day Michelle responded in an email and said she was busy with parties and will get back to me late sunday. When i typed in Yo GABBA GABBA on craigslist all the hundreds of ads that pops up are hers! i was limited with my resource for picking this theme. I thought her cut outs will be great for the party.
Any ways Sunday comes around with no phone calls. By Monday I emailed her and simply said «you have very poor customer service, good luck»
not only did she Not call and apologize or explain why she was not able to get back to me in a timely manner she email me back with a smirk.
WOW you have excellent customer service now Michelle. I own a small business too and if you want to keep a customer you ALWAYS make sure they feel welcomed and that THEY matter. Happy customers are loyal customers. Obviously a mom that is calling party service for a One year old’s birthday is a mom that is ready to spend money on her kid. PS you don’t need to post 3 variety ads every single day on craigslist. I don’t need to look through pages of ads to realize they are all yours. if your service is great, people will know.

I love renting and working with Michelle. She is totally accommodating, professional, & creative. She has so many rentals, props, & décor to choose from at such great prices. Every time I host a party, Michelle is my go to person for rentals.

I used this company for a surprise party for my wife. The owner of the company personally helped us and delivered all that we needed for the party. The supplies were very elegant and some were actually hand made by the owner of the company. The art work was amazing. Style on a Shoestring staff was professional. I am going to use their company again for my parents 50^th anniversary. They are amazing. Sometimes the owner was hard to get a hold of but she always called me back and was nice.
Rex from Riverside