Anyone have experience with ADS Lighting?

dinaprez

Hi! I am looking into uplighting for my venue. Has anyone used ADS Lighting? Would you recommend their services?

Thanks!

jessica.andrew2011

Hi there!  I was interested in using ADS lighting but I have been having a very difficult time getting in touch with Andy and when I have been able to get in touch either through email or phone he hasn't been willing to meet with us..... he says yes then says he will call back later in the day to schedule and does not call back.  I did a search on wedding channel ( http://forums.theknot.com/default.aspx?path=http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_pennsylvania-pittsburgh ) and the only review on there is horrible.

I posted a week or two ago about lighting recommendations and there is a response with a few other options.

Hope that helps

mbriancesco

I've had the same problems getting in touch with him for months. I know I was contacting him early (about 6 months before the wedding) but I just wanted an idea of price so I could fit it into my budget. He actually got in fight with my fiance over the phone and told him that we shouldn't call back for 3 months!!! Our wedding coordinator swears by his work, though. We're gong to try to contact him again, but I'm still on the fence.

dinaprez

Thanks for the info!

Weirdly enough, he called me back about an hour after I left a message for him and was nothing but helpful and nice. He also said that he commits to you, but you technically don't have to commit to him, as he doesn't require a deposit.

That makes me nervous that he got into an argument with someone on the phone though! 

Hmm.. I guess I'm going to have to think about this one a little more.

gmc22

Hi - I contacted Andy a while back about my May '11 wedding and got much of the same thing - he was VERY hard to get in touch with, and when I did he said he has me down in his book but didn't need a deposit or didn't provide a contract etc. This made me VERY nervous... but I hope he will come through and be there for my wedding! I was going to contact him soon to confirm that he still has me down for my wedding date... GL and sorry I don't have more info!

dinaprez

He told me the same, he didnt need a deposit, but he has me "in his book". I didnt really know what to think of that. He actually phrased it saying, " I'm unique, in that, this commits me to you, but not you to me".  My wedding is Oct '11 and he said that I was the last Saturday he had left in that month, so that's odd that he got upset at someone calling "too early".

I will keep digging for info on this guy!

Thanks everyone...

CLW102409

This guy said the same to me too.  You're in the "book".  He emailed me the information on a gobo design, DH and I decided in less than 10 minutes after receipt of his email and sent a responding email back with our decision.  I asked him in the email to confirm receipt.  I heard nothing.  DH and I both called  and emailed several times about one month before our wedding and never heard back and, of course, he didn't show up!  No deposit or contract, which was odd to both of us.  But since we didn't loose out on any money at the end of the day we didn't really care. 

LisaS1010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_pennsylvania-pittsburgh_anyone-experience-ads-lighting?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:116Discussion:03b6819b-88de-4d53-8ad1-78c71c6a8a43Post:eb7dbb4a-760c-4e9f-90c3-16167d9c8a8a">Re: Anyone have experience with ADS Lighting?</a>:
[QUOTE]This guy said the same to me too.  You're in the "book".  He emailed me the information on a gobo design, DH and I decided in less than 10 minutes after receipt of his email and sent a responding email back with our decision.  I asked him in the email to confirm receipt.  I heard nothing.  DH and I both called  and emailed several times about one month before our wedding and never heard back and, of course, he didn't show up!  No deposit or contract, which was odd to both of us.  But since we didn't loose out on any money at the end of the day we didn't really care. 
Posted by CLW102409[/QUOTE]

Ditto this.  I contacted him a few months before my wedding and he said yes, no problem.  Spoke with him in person and again said no problem.  Tried contacting him a few months before the wedding and received zero response from him and didn't show up.  Personally, I would be a bit leary of him, as having no contract doesn't hold him liable for anything or showing up.  He does a lot of work for businesses.

There are other lighting people out there that give you contracts and respond in a more timley manner.

dinaprez

Thanks for all the responses. 

I haven't seen many other companies out there for lighting. Does anyone have any other recommendations?

cgyvhu

Nunu made some recs a few weeks ago... if you use the search function at the bottom of the page, you could find some other past reccomendations (although, I know this function doesn't work for everyone).

She said there is also:

Vincent Lighting (Pricier)

BSP (Benack Sound Productions)-  She loves them, uses them for work events, doesn't know if they do weddings.

HTH

mbriancesco

I'm glad you started this post since we all seem to have the same problems. I'm going to give him a call this week (and keep calling and calling and calling!)

teryan2321

Hello, just found this while looking for reviews for lighting. My fiance used to work events at the History Center, and said that Benack Sound Productions was very good to work with. The guy's name is Flip. We are looking at them to do the lighting at our own wedding.

yoc2295

I know these posts are older, but I hired him for my recent wedding and he was HORRIBLE!!!! BEWARE!!! HE brought the wrong colored lighting, was 3 hours late, looked a mess, got into an argument with my MOH when she kindly asked him if he would be able to bring back the correct color, and then he made my family drive over an HOUR to pick up the right color! On top of that, after the wedding he tried charging me $200 more than what he promised!! NEVER HIRE THIS MAN!!!!