The Vow

[Ceremony Summary] Repulse Bay - The Vow Review
To be fair, there were some good things.

1) Their decor and table setting were beautiful. There were three basic options, all quite good. Adding add-ons was also a good choice.

2) While the food wasn't fancy, the taste was comparable to a hotel buffet.

3) The location wasn't convenient, but the view was great. Even with a round-trip 60-seat shuttle to Admiralty, it was only $2400, which was reasonable.

4) Some of the planner staff were helpful. Because I was pressed for time, the planner mentioned the schedule and poured me water when they saw I was hot.

5) The sound system was okay; those concerned about this aspect can rest assured.

However, since this is a once-in-a-lifetime event entrusted to them, I hope the responsible person is more mature.

1) Honestly, there were only three venues in the same location. One had poorly received food reviews, so we didn't consider it. Another had a nice ambiance, but initially, we thought it was too expensive, so we chose The Vow. However, if I had known earlier that dealing with so many extra things would incur so many additional costs, I believe it wouldn't have been that different from "Garden."

2) Disposable cutlery: The venue provides disposable cutlery by default, which we both felt was too environmentally unfriendly and undignified. It's an upgrade option, $75/set. So, I need to find an eco-friendly cutlery company, Green Miles, to rent from them.

3) Diet option: I chose the basic lunch buffet, but since I and some of my relatives are vegetarian, they can't find vegan options. So, I need to find Yau Veggie to add extra toppings. In this respect, if we had chosen a regular hotel restaurant, I believe this wouldn't have been a problem.

4) Pricing is venue rental of $60k+, plus F&B charged per person, which comes to almost $1k/pax. The F&B package has a minimum of 50pax. In the second final confirmation of the number of people, it is said that after 50 people, they will be charged in groups of 6. That is, if there are more than 50 people, and then one more person suddenly appears, they will still be charged as 6 people. They said it was written on the quotation, but neither the quoted price nor the initial confirmed number of guests was mentioned. The quotation only stated "MINIMUM EXTRA 6 PAX".

5) The wedding time was 9:30 am - 3 pm. The number of guests was adjusted up and down until the last day, but I neglected to update it on the last day. However, it did not exceed the number of guests finalized two weeks before the wedding (i.e., the per-person fee had been paid). One table suddenly appeared without a marquee for shade, and the guests on that table were exposed to the scorching sun. When I told the staff, they just said that the setup staff had finished work and couldn't move things properly for safety reasons. They asked the groom and the planner who helped to move some coffee tables to a shaded area. When my guests asked the crew for cutlery, the staff told my guests that the newlyweds were responsible for the cutlery. I was officiating the wedding, but then they served my guests like this.

6) There were over 170 guests present, and not a single hairdryer was provided, even though they were clearly present when we checked out the venue! Even with shade, it was so hot that some guests quickly finished their food and left! One friend even suffered heatstroke and fainted on the spot. The groom and his friends had to immediately help him into the bridal room to cool him down before he woke up. Nobody wants such an accident to happen on their big day! When we asked The Vow Team afterward, they said that hairdryers had to be applied for from the venue two weeks in advance. It was unexpectedly hot that day, and they tried to borrow one from the mall but couldn't! We asked The Pulse about this incident, and The Pulse said they had no record of anyone applying beforehand or on the spot, and that there was no rule requiring applications two weeks in advance. The Vow then kept saying the contract didn't include it! Since they wanted to apply and pay extra, why didn't they ask us first? The next day, our friend was hospitalized, and as the hosts, we felt incredibly guilty! This is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and it was our first time organizing a wedding. The team claimed to be professional, saying they'd organized over 200 weddings, but when there was a problem, they kept making excuses.

Different people may have different perspectives on this. Everyone wants their wedding to go smoothly, but The Vow team's attitude seemed to prioritize the couple's compromises over the caterer's needs. Therefore, I think the couple should entrust the wedding to a truly professional team. Actually, it wasn't a problem with the venue, nor with any individual employee; it was a problem with the company that organized the venue.

Actually, if you just want a nice view, you can go to the beach or any other restaurant in Repulse Bay. You don't need to go to a hotel-level venue that's worse than a street food stall :) But if you insist on going to this venue, here are some things to note:

1. You think the tableware is too basic? Carefully read the contract and you'll see that the tableware provided is disposable plastic. Think it's inappropriate to use disposable items in such a nice venue? Add HKD75/guest for normal tableware.

2. It's a buffet style. If you want to add extra people, sorry, adding people requires a multiply by 6. That means if you want to add 2 people, you'll still be charged for at least 6 people. Why? "It's written in the contract," but the contract only states "at least 6 persons."

3. Make sure there's enough marquee. On the day, the dining area should have a marquee set up so guests can dine in a shaded environment, but one table is protruding. We told them that it was so hot outside and the guests were getting hot, but they replied that the installer of the marquee had left, and for safety reasons, the staff wouldn't move the screens. They hadn't even considered a solution for the guests. Later, we saw that there was actually enough space in front of the host and guests, so we asked them to move a closer and easier-to-move sign-in table so the guests wouldn't have to eat in the sun. They refused, saying that a dirty table would be hard to clean. In the end, they moved a few coffee tables over. How inconsiderate of them!

4. Despite being a supposedly pet-friendly venue, they didn't even have a water bag for their dog.

5. When we asked them to bring hot water to make formula for their baby, they said they didn't have hot water, only hot tea.

6. The worst part was that on the wedding day, the sun was blazing, and the temperature was nearly 30 degrees Celsius in mid-March, yet there wasn't a single fan in the venue. One guest even fainted from heatstroke. When asked why there were no fans, the staff said that the heat on the day was unpredictable, and that you had to apply to the mall two weeks in advance for fans (of course, they never asked/thought about preparing any). That's it.

So, all that so-called thoughtful and considerate one-stop service is a scam. They're only looking for ways to charge you more money (even though it's already at hotel prices), while finding a million excuses not to respond to your basic requests.

VERY BAD SERVICE!!! Seldom replies to whatsapp or pick up calls and no show on date of site visit... Have requested staff to pencil down wedding date but was informed after 2 weeks that the date has been given to another client who got in touch later and paid their deposit. Lots of the communication was delayed due to lousy services and irresponsiveness. VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE VOW AND DEFINITELY WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THEM TO THOSE WHO ARE LOOKING TO HOLD THEIR WEDDING OR EVENTS HERE!

Bad service, Disrespect client. When I have appointments，the staff no show. Don't trust them can do the wedding day.

The service was terrible; there was no one in charge; no one answered the phone; and WhatsApp messages were read but not replied to after more than ten days.