For almost two years, Karen Brown firmly stuck with me throughout the whole long process of making…read moremy wedding a reality. My husband and I got married on a perfect weekend last April in Brooklyn. The wedding went on without a hitch, and it was better than anything I imagined. Our guests keep saying that it was one of coolest weddings they've ever been to, but judging from that you wouldn't think that there was a long backstory involved to make it happen. Karen is a master in keeping the plan on track, and she coordinated all possibilities no matter what happened the entire time. Something new always seemed to pop up, from an unexpected wedding date and location change, to me suddenly having to move to a completely different city 300 miles away, to ceremony changes, and to us considering starting from scratch to do a city hall wedding midway (which we didn't). AND she seriously saved the day when our photographer couldn't show up at our wedding. Karen Brown's crisis management skills are the sh*t. We would've had to make do with someone's iPhone pics if it weren't for her finding another photographer at the last minute! We couldn't have been more grateful for having her as our planner that day. I thought she took care of that amazingly well: the original photographer called her the night before explaining he couldn't come, and Karen then immediately contacted another photographer, who was thankfully available, and booked her that same night. Karen handled the crisis on her own before she told me on the morning of the wedding so that I didn't have one more thing to worry about. I was completely stressed out in the days leading up to the wedding. If she called me the night before about this I would've lost my mind. So I was engaged for a long time but kept putting off wedding planning since I was always too busy. Karen got me started, making it easier for me by preparing a neat folder of all the info I needed and discussing the big picture. All my husband and I really wanted was a small casual party with good food, and Karen helped us develop a creative concept that fit our budget, which was also small. Being a former interior designer, she knows how to design good-looking events well. In working with her, I felt that she really took the time to really understand us and our needs to give us ideas that spoke to us, using her extensive knowledge of wedding places and people in the NYC area. Karen also had a great way of helping me see answers more clearly when I'm indecisive about things in the process, and that was great since being the decision maker on most everything was pretty stressful. Most importantly for me, since I had so much going on in my life, was that Karen created a personalized month-by-month checklist of what I need to do prior to my wedding date and followed up with me regularly for more than a year to make sure I created a guest list, bought my dress, sent out the save-the-dates, etc. When we were looking around for a venue and vendors, she took time out of her day to come along with us and asked them important questions that I didn't even think of. She also formulated a timeline for the wedding weekend scheduling each happening by the minute and sent it to all the vendors and the wedding party to keep them in the loop. Having everyone on the same page just made everything run much smoother. One of the best things I remember about Karen was that one day she mailed me a letter that was stuffed with exclusive sales at local wedding and accessory shops. She collected these from a recent wedding planner's gathering and thought of me. I was pleasantly surprised and so touched! Not only is Karen the most organized person I know who can be trusted to cover all the bases, she's also very conscientious in everything she does, and she's so pleasant to work with on top of all that. I had quite an exciting adventure with Karen Brown and can't believe we finally pulled it off so nicely! Needless to say, I've recommended her to everyone and will definitely get her on board for my next big party!

I found Karen online and was incredibly impressed with her reviews...and so now too, I am a…read morebeliever. We hired Karen to help us with a company cocktail party for about 100 guests. This was party on a terrace on the 16th floor, in midtown, and had lots of moving parts to be coordinated. She found us a great caterer;worked closely with our DJ; took care of every detail we could think of (and she thought of many things we never even considered) ..and when the going got tough two days before the event, and rain showed up in the forecast, she managed to get us a tent for the event, which worked out perfectly. All in all Karen was great to work with and our party was a huge success!! Thanks Karen, for taking the responsibilities away from me and allowing me to totally enjoy our party.

We love, love, loved Sarah and the whole Pollyanna Events team. We were exactly the couple you'd…read morethink wouldn't need a planner -- our wedding was intimate and relaxed, we had incredible family support, and we were lucky enough to share a really clear vision for the day that we were willing to work for. Never mind that we're both detail-oriented with tons of event exposure. But all of that is exactly why we ended up needing someone with us in the home stretch -- so we and everyone we love could just enjoy the experience and focus on having an incredible time together. From the moment we met Sarah, it was clear how great she was. Her energy is both calming and competent, she got us and our style right away, she had useful input for us before we even officially contracted her, and she had methods in place (timelines, collaborative spreadsheets, day-of checklists, and a lot more) that she quickly customized to us, which instantly made everything feel more manageable. And though she had a long list of fantastic vendors for every taste, budget, and imaginable location, she also went out of her way to work with the folks we'd already chosen, especially our non-traditional venues, which were wonderful but not necessarily set up for weddings. It was a huge advantage to have Sarah in our corner in the weeks leading up to our wedding, from nudging vendors on final details to helping us handle what could've been real problems at the last-minute. When our hair stylist had to cancel, for instance, she connected with someone at the salon where she gets her own hair cut and ended up finding us a replacement so good that I still see her to get my hair done. But where Sarah and her team made an unforgettable difference was in the days leading up to the wedding and on the day itself. It's so easy after you've put so much effort into this one weekend to get obsessed with making sure it all goes to plan. The reality, though, is that little things are always going to go wrong. And maybe even more important than that, if you spend your time worrying about -- or trying to fix -- them, you're going to miss out on the big, awesome thing that is your wedding day. Thanks to Sarah, we didn't even hear about the little hiccups -- a key guest stuck in traffic, a backup in the kitchen, etc. -- till our wedding was long over. And Sarah was such a centering presence from the second the day started that we didn't once check or think about the time, yet ended up having enough wiggle room in our schedule to stop in for a drink (wedding dress and all) at our favorite local spot. From then on, I just remember having fun. Here's the truth: For a wedding to feel effortless -- which is what we all hope for -- takes a *ton* of work. Most of us are willing to put the work in, I think, but it's only worth it if you actually get to enjoy the experience of getting married. That's what Sarah and her team make possible. It isn't something that can happen just bringing a planner in day-of -- that person would barely have a chance to build a relationship with you, let alone all your vendors. And it definitely doesn't happen with all planners; having had occasion to hire planners for other big events outside of New York City, I can't overstate how valuable Sarah's empathy, her unique and personal touch, and her strong sense of initiative and accountability are. Honestly, I worried that I'd be one of those unbearable brides with insane standards -- because I'm constantly involved with professional events in my regular life -- but Sarah met and exceeded every expectation. And beyond all that, she just added an air of ease and joy to the planning process that made such an impression on us. Sarah and her team made us feel like they were as invested in our wedding as we were, and that means the world when you're getting married.

We hired Pollyanna Events for month of coordination. We mainly worked with Karolina and she did a…read morefantastic job. She checked in with us about 2 months out just to help ensure that we were getting everything in line and had the right items on our checklist. From there on we started checking in more regularly and she was super helpful with any questions we had. In the month leading up to the wedding, she took over vendor communication which took a bit off our plate. During our walkthrough of the venue, she showed up prepared and ready to go with so many helpful questions that we never would have thought to ask when planning a wedding for the first time. In the weeks leading up, she put together a really helpful timeline for us to ensure we got to do all the things we wanted to do on our wedding day (getting ready, photos with our families, pictures of the two of us at sunset, dancing etc.). It really helped us plan out the day and ensure we could allot as much time to dancing as possible! Finally, the day of, we couldn't have asked for a better team. Karolina stayed with the bride all day to keep the timeline on track (and make sure she didn't forget to eat!) while her teammate, Kristina, was helping put everything together at the venue. Karolina gently kept us on track all day by reminding us when it was time for photos, dance, cake-cutting, but also gave us the flexibility to move things around a bit if we needed a few more minutes talking to our parents. It was truly fantastic and I cannot imagine how much of a mess we would have made of the wedding if Karolina wasn't there to help keep the whole show on track. Our guests commented on how smoothly everything went and how well the timing was all laid out from arrival to ceremony to food to dancing. No one was left hungry or felt like they were waiting for something. For us, this was the most important aspect: our friends and family were able to enjoy themselves without having to worry about the process of the wedding. Thank you so much Karolina, Kristina, and the whole Pollyanna Events team!!!

Save your sanity. Hire TKEP. No tiny detail will go unnoticed that isn't quadruple checked. Calm,…read morecool and even these planners. Sarah and Johnathan know all the vendors and connections to make a beautiful, memorable celebration perfect!

I can't overemphasize how amazing Alison and Jonathan were. As someone who worries about…read moreeverything, I truly never imagined my wedding day could be as calm and carefree as it was. From the beginning, they asked thoughtful questions to understand our needs and wants better, took thorough notes, and many months later recalled and referenced even the smallest details that we had mentioned at our first meeting. They laid out timelines, kept track of contracts and budgets, the gave us a heads up on what we would be tackling next and when. I felt confident everything would come together at all times. There was never a frantic moment in the planning process. They knocked every vendor recommendation out of the park and never pushed us in any one direction and brought an element of calming reassurance to the whole process. They made everything so stress-free, and I felt like we were in such good hands the whole way through but especially on the day itself where they were both so present, calm, and helpful. I know people always say that something will go wrong on your wedding day and to just let go, but thanks to TKE I can honestly say nothing went wrong!

We had a few loose ideas and a hectic schedule. From that Lindsay took the ball and ran. She poured…read moreherself into every detail and made it a magical and enchanted evening. The guests left feeling deeply grateful for an extraordinary evening. Lindsay is affordable, hard working and imaginative.Highly recommended.

Let me preface this review by saying if you are thinking about getting a wedding planner in the…read moreNJ/NY area, definitely reach out to Lindsay! She is absolutely amazing and will help craft an event that is better than you could have imagined. She has been such a pleasure to work with, and would highly recommend her. Let me back up and give you some context. My husband and I knew we wanted to get married in NJ on my uncle's farm. The only problems with that were that we lived across the country in Portland and we didn't have a building to have the ceremony in. My husband and I also both worked full time jobs. We began to realize that we'd have some time constraints on our hands and hiring a wedding planner might not be a bad idea. After reading some reviews online, I reached out to a few planners and set up a couple of introductory calls to hear about their services and experiences. When I started talking to different wedding planner, every one of them started off by telling me about all of their packages and what was included in their service. Lindsay was different. Unlike the other planners who immediately went into their sales pitch, Lindsay wanted to hear our story and what we wanted in our wedding. It seemed like she genuinely wanted to help us create our special day, not just give us a cookie cutter list of services. This was such a refreshing and personal way of approaching wedding planning. I knew from that minute that I wanted her to plan my wedding. Lindsay of Simply Sunshine Events is an amazing events planner, coordinator, and event designer. She covers a wide array of events, from wedding and baby showers to corporate events and fundraisers. And every single review that I read about the company was simply glowing. Not only is she professional, candid, creative, and helpful, but she just seemed like someone who I would work well with. Ironically we both grew up super close to one another, so we instantly clicked on that part of our past. Even without that connection, I knew that we would get along well. We decided to get help on both the design portion as well as the planning portion of our wedding. I'm really not the most creative person in the world and I felt like we needed help putting together the overall vision. We were presented with a personalize design brief with a couple of different options. Once we decided on a vision, Lindsay was able to pick out vendor options that she thought would work well with the venue and overall theme. It was so much less overwhelming being able to choose out of a couple of highly recommended vendors than to have to choose from everyone in the area. Which leads me to another important thing that Lindsay brought to the table: experience. Not only has she worked with all of these people before, but she has seen all the ins and outs of doing a wedding at a "home" venue. Initially, we thought it would be more cost efficient and easier to have an at home wedding. However, it turns out that this makes the whole planning process much more difficult since we had to not only style a wedding but actually create a venue. Lindsay instantly knew all the things we needed to look into - a tent, flooring, a generator, bathrooms, the list goes on and on. She provided us super detail specific timelines of when we should do each task, as well as supplemental tools to assist us along the way. With Lindsay's help, my husband and I made a lot of the big decisions pretty early on in the planning process. I completely trusted Lindsay's opinion on vendors and that really worked out well for us. We had amazing food and cake tastings, had a florist meeting on site that was spot on, and have a Chaplain who gave me chills when going through ceremony options. The best part about the whole deal is that Lindsay can sometimes get her clients special discounts with vendors that she works with regularly, and passes those deals directly to her clients. Some planners will take those discounts as profits, but Lindsay has an awesome system where she charged us one flat fee for everything listed in her contract and helped us save money elsewhere. She was a huge help in constructing our budget and sticking to it. Overall, I'm so glad we worked with Simply Sunshine for both the planning and design part of our wedding. The wedding went off beautifully and I was so glad I could just relax and be fully present on the wedding day. Even though there was threat of rain all the way up to the actual day, we were able to execute a plan B (extra tents for the ceremony and cocktail hour) that most people had no idea was actually not what we originally intended. I was so thankful to have such an amazing team of vendors backing me up through the preparation and actual day, even when we threw curve balls at them. Simply Sunshine Events has made this whole planning process less stressful than I was initially expecting, and made our wedding day more amazing than I ever could have hoped for.

We met with a lot of planners before choosing Jessica, and we're so glad we trusted her with our…read moreday. From the start, she brought a refined sense of luxury to the entire planning experience and was always just a call or text away. Jessica helped us find the perfect vendor team, negotiated contracts, and managed every detail with calm, capable precision -- both leading up to the big day and on the day itself. She understood the nuances of our Russian-style wedding and guided us through every decision with a clear vision and steady hand. Even now, a week after the wedding, she's helping us tie up loose ends. Her support, creativity, and care made all the difference, and we couldn't have done it without her.

Jessica Jordan is a miracle worker. When we started planning our wedding, we didn't expect to use a…read moreplanner. In retrospect, we would have been completely lost without Jessica's super-human help. Over the course of planning our 400-person wedding (during an eight-month period), Jessica became our confidante and friend. We could throw any problem her way (last-minute cancellations, strange requests from guests, vendor contract issues) and trust her to handle it with grace, timeliness, and proper etiquette. Our wedding was not logistically easy (e.g., separate ceremony and reception venues, guests staying at a myriad of hotels throughout NYC, disparate rehearsal dinner and post-wedding brunch locations), but Jessica never once complained or described any request as out of the scope of her contract, though many requests were. Moreover, Jessica included every wedding event in her contract (including the wedding rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, and brunch), whereas other planners whom we interviewed would not. Consequently, we felt that we received incredible value for our money. We simply would not have gotten the same level of energy and responsiveness from other planners. Jessica is highly motivated, and as a result, she operates with unparalleled enthusiasm, poise, and energy. Specifically, these are a few examples of ways in which our wedding presented challenges, which Jessica confronted with total grace (never flustered or overwhelmed): 1) It was the first wedding of such a large size to take place at our wedding venue. Jessica's creativity had us using every inch of space. 2) We had the ceremony at a nearby historic synagogue, which was strict regarding permissible ceremony alterations and decorations. 3) We wanted the whole event to be kosher, including at the reception venue, which does not have many kosher wedding. Jessica was incredibly helpful in partnering with our kosher caterer who had to build out a separate temporary kitchen. 4) The "Head of Events" at our reception venue changed three times after we signed our contract. Jessica made friends with everyone, which ensured us that we would have a successful wedding celebration even though there was little continuity with the venue's personnel. 5) We wanted assigned seats for each guest, so each seat had a personalized menu. 6) There were three different spaces we wanted to use at the venue, and each had to be decorated and prepared in a different style. 7) We had a big bridal party with 12 bridesmaids and 12 groomsmen, who all had to be entertained and ready for pictures at different times. Jessica handled all of these obstacles and more with aplomb. Every interaction with Jessica was positive, solutions-oriented, and proactive. We could throw any issue her way and know that it would be handled efficiently and efficaciously. We were thrilled with our wedding. It was a magical night that we will never forget, and we owe Jessica BIG TIME for making it so special and for making the planning process more than tolerable--it was actually fun. Jessica will remain a friend, and we will absolutely hire her for future happy occasions. We would be glad to speak with anyone considering Jessica Jordan Events!

I worked with Shafon from Jumping the Broom Weddings recently on an event in New York and I was…read morevery impressed with how her and her team managed and planned it. Events can so easily become overwhelming and for anyone looking to get support for their big day, I would highly recommend Shafon's event planning services!

There are no words to explain the experience provided to me by Jumping the Broom Weddings!…read more I am a graduate student working on my thesis so needless to say, I did not have time to plan a wedding. I was literally a month away from my wedding day (May 28th, 2016) with nothing done when I got in contact with Shafon of Jumping the Broom Weddings. She swooped in and saved my life! The morning after my first contact with her she had already compiled an email with vendors, detailed information and decisions that needed to be made immediately. After that she was constantly working on planning my wedding. She understood that my big day was a month away but school was my priority. She did just about everything leaving only the "this or that" decisions for me to make. I feel like I got to focus on my thesis while still getting the opportunity to enjoy being a bride. She was so great about making sure every single little detail was thought of and covered. Furthermore, she understood that I was on a tight budget so she did everything she could to get me the lowest prices for services and products needed. Her sweet demeanor was exactly what every bride needs during such a stressful time while her diligence is absolutely necessary to get the job done. Her work ethic and dedication to making sure my big day was special was priceless. My wedding day exceeded all of my expectations and it would definitely not have happened without her. She truly went above and beyond and her part in this vital time in our lives will never be forgotten! I can whole heartedly assure you that you are in great hands and will not regret your decision to hire Jumping the Broom Weddings to plan your wedding or whatever event your planning.

Hiring Shirley as our day coordinator was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. We had…read morea big wedding with 250 guests and I was anxious all the way up to the day of the wedding, but I was surprised by how much fun we ended up having at our wedding. I would say one big reason is because of Shirley who was there with us every step of the day. I knew I wanted a day of coordinators who are not only bilingual, but also know the Chinese wedding customs. We had many Chinese guests and family members who did not speak English, and this was the first wedding of parents from both sides. I wanted to make sure we have a good time, and our parents are also well taken care of since we will be too busy to tend to them. We had all our vendors booked before hiring Shirley so we booked the classic package. For this package, Shirley started working with us about 6 weeks before the wedding. She introduced herself to our vendors and made sure they had the itinerary before the wedding, attended zoom meeting with us when requested, and she was quick to respond to our requests and questions. Our wedding included elements from both Chinese and Western weddings, it was a 14-hour day including getting ready, gatecrashing, two tea ceremonies, photoshoots, a first look, ceremony, a quick first dance practice, receptions, and three dress changes (7a-11 pm)! With so much to do, we had a tight itinerary, and Shirley made sure the right people was at the right place at the right time so we are on schedule. She communicated with our wedding party on what's next on the itinerary, and guided our parents through the itinerary. Shirley did a mini rehearsal with our parents for the ceremony and reception introduction on the day, and made sure they were there to see our first look through the window without interrupting our own moments. We highly recommend Shirley to anyone who is looking for a wedding planner or day-of coordinator.

Shirley is an amazing wedding planner! She had so many connections and knew what would work with…read moreour's and our families' vision. We did not know exactly what a Chinese and Vietnamese wedding fusion would look like and Shirley had some valuable experience to guide us. She was very honest and told us right off the bat if something wasn't going to work and how we could work around it. She did not pressure us to use her floral and decorating company, Jelo, but we did because it was so beautiful and flexible. She is very accommodating and knowledgeable about the wedding industry. Without her, we could not have planned our wedding so beautifully and although it was mentally draining to plan the wedding, Shirley definitely took a load off! Definitely consider hiring her if you are planning an Asian wedding!

The smoothest event . Don't know what I'd do without them as my planner !!!!! If you're looking for…read moresomeone that can keep up with all your needs as a bride but still make you feel calm while everything is chaotic it's them . Also they just know how to make everything look BEAUTIFUL. Totally would recommend