I could not have imagined planning our wedding without Sarah Anna! We met with a list of…read moreexperienced wedding planners but Sarah was by far the one for us. When we spoke with her about our vision for the wedding, she understood exactly what we were looking for. She also was excited about our farm-to-table theme and had lots of great ideas from the beginning! We were married at the Ribault Club in February 2016. We hired Sarah in June of 2015 & chose to have her handle the entire wedding planning process. Sarah involved us as much as we wanted to be involved. There were many things that we (my mom, husband, dad & I) wanted a lot of involvement with (especially our design, food & music) and other things we did not care too much about. Sarah was wonderful at updating us weekly in the planning process. We met as frequently as we wanted to meet and she was available any time for questions as we had them. She was truly a valuable resource for any questions I had and was quick to respond. She coordinated appointments for dress fittings and even helped with things most wedding planners don't care to do. Sarah has a host of connections in Jacksonville with wedding vendors. She was able to recommend vendors she had previously worked with which was super helpful to us. She took care of the behind the scenes work with the vendors and let us handle the fun stuff (cake tastings, color choices, etc). The vendors she recommended were not only incredibly talented but they were experienced. They knew how to pull off every detail without failure. Our band, photographer, videographer, florist, catering, rentals & lighting were all vendors Sarah recommended & loved. Sarah ended up paying for herself time and time again. She saved us over $4,000 with our food by negotiating with the catering company to lower our per plate price. This is just one example of many where she was not afraid to negotiate a better price on our behalf. She worked alongside my mom & I to find cheaper solutions to make our dream wedding come true. I HIGHLY recommend that if price and sticking to a budget is concerning to you, Sarah is your girl. Our wedding would have been a whole lot more expensive if it was not for her! Finally, my wedding week/day was completely stress-free for myself, my husband and our family. Sarah ensured that going into wedding week, we had every detail completed. She was adamant about us enjoying every minute leading up to our wedding. We were able to be with family & friends in town and not think about the big event that weekend. Wedding day was just amazing. Sarah ensured all vendors arrived on time & completed set up. I did not even think about details that day because I trusted (and trust) her with each and every detail. I arrived at the venue right before the ceremony and was amazed at how beautiful everything was! Sarah had used the florists leftovers to decorate food and cake tables. She also built us a Farmer's Market using fresh, local produce as wedding favors (the display was GORGEOUS!). The wedding started without any problems. She guided my wedding party out and everyone was on the same page (from rehearsal the night before). I enjoyed every single minute of my wedding. Sarah ensured the pacing was on schedule and updated me throughout the night, warning me before the cake cutting, bouquet toss, etc. I could NOT have had such a seamless wedding without her. She even ensured Alex and I time to sit and eat away from our guests and packed us food to go and take to our hotel. She made sure our car was packed for our big send off and coordinated sending gifts to our home (so we came home to them after the honeymoon). I could go on and on about Sarah & her heart. She is truly gifted when it comes to weddings. She is a forever friend & I can honestly say I would not have changed one thing about my wedding. :)

Sarah was amazing throughout the entire wedding planning process, rehearsal, and day-of. She kept…read moreme calm through all of the planning and made everything so easy! She is so kind and my whole wedding party and family absolutely loved her! She made the wedding day so seamless and was constantly checking in on me and the groom to make sure we were ok! She had the best vendor recommendations as well. I couldn't recommend a better planner for the big day. You'll be in good hands :) Thanks Sarah!!!

To paraphrase ahead of time a review that I can pretty much guarantee is going to be a long one,…read moreThe Wedding Authority was the single best thing that happened to us during the planning stages of our wedding. We had already decided to get married in St. Augustine, a location that held some significance for us and as a bonus, just happens to have a historic downtown that is exquisitely beautiful. The Wedding Authority came up in our various searches for St. Augustine Weddings, and on our next trip out there we decided to stop by and see what they had to offer. The initial consultation was extremely helpful and laid out a large number of options to mull over, including several suggested ceremony locations and reception locations based on our wedding budget. We were also given a folder filled with information and wedding "packages" that gave us an approximation of cost based on day, time of year, and number of guests. We initially met with Carla, who struck us as a friendly, fun and high-energy woman. She walked us all over the downtown area showing us ceremony and reception venues, and apparently knew just about everyone in St. Augustine based on how many happy faces we encountered that she knew on a first-name basis. As a quick aside, while on this little romp through the town we ran across a married couple in the street that saw Carla and said hello, apparently she was their coordinator for their wedding ten years ago. They told us that we were, without caveat, making the right decision going through the Wedding Authority. After looking at the venues and deciding on our favorites based on cost, size, atmosphere, etc. we went back to the office where we also met Carla's husband Bill, who she runs the company with. Bill is a minister that officiates many of the weddings, and his services are included in the prices that they quote. We immediately loved Bill as well, with his warm and affable demeanor and southern charm. One of the hardest parts of planning our wedding was making the decision to use another officiate because Bill, as a minister, could not do a secular ceremony for us. Luckily they knew exactly who to get for us, a man named Tim who met and exceeded all of our expectations. It was a great relief since after meeting Bill, we didn't think we'd ever be able to get someone as perfect as him, but we got the same great feeling from meeting Tim as we got from meeting Bill. We chose to use the Lightner Museum courtyard [see photos] as our ceremony location. It's absolutely beautiful, and it's closed for the ceremony so that it's completely private -- just you and your guests. It's breathtaking on a normal day, but dressed up for the ceremony it's just unbelievable. For the reception we opted for the Bayview Room, which was large enough to handle our number of guests without costing an absolute fortune. After our initial consultation, we worked entirely with Dawn, yet another wonderful personality at the Wedding Authority. Dawn was the woman that made everything happen for us. We got help setting up appointments with the florist, the DJ, and the bakery for our cake. She took care of the catering, we just circled which menu options we wanted. Her business recommendations were so good that we went with her first choice for all of them. She had the entire day mapped out for us in great detail, and she handled absolutely everything so that we wouldn't have to. She gave us her cell phone number to call her with any questions or problems that might pop up. Who knows how many weddings they are planning at any given time, it must be a LOT. But we always felt as if we were the only ones. Dawn didn't miss a beat. She made sure everything was ready to go. Her leadership skills got the rehearsal rolling easily, and everybody knew what to do by the end of it. On the day of the wedding, we had nothing to worry about because she was handling it all. All we had to do before the wedding, literally was get dressed and pose for photos. Dawn had chartered a sightseeing trolley for our guests for after the ceremony, giving them a short tour of the city while we got pictures with the photographer. The trolley dropped the guests off at the reception. When we arrived at the reception, she had my "regular" drink waiting for me (how did she know?!). She oversaw the timing of the entrance for us, and then sat on the sidelines throughout the reception, getting us anything we needed and making sure everything went off smoothly. It did. At the big exit, she got everyone in position and the horse-drawn carriage (that she set up for us) was waiting at the end. I'm hitting the size limit for this review, so I'll say this: Everyone at home told us not to worry, that SOMETHING was bound to go wrong (it always does) and to just roll with it and have fun. With the Wedding Authority at the helm, absolutely nothing went wrong. In fact, it couldn't possibly have been better. An incredible experience working with them!

A great place to hold a wedding in the heart of St Augustine…read more The Lightner Museum is located in the heart of historic St Augustine, the oldest city in the United States founded in 1565 by Don Pedro Menendez De Aviles of Spain. We recently attended a wedding that was held at this location and were very impressed by the venue and the staff. The chapel is intimate, with about 6 benches on one side and 9 benches on the other. A beautiful stained glass window on the front of the church provides a beautiful backdrop for your special occasion. Parking is accomplished by street parking or nearby parking lots. The bride was provided with a changing room for use upstairs. It was air-conditioned with a couch, chairs, and 3 large makeup mirrors for the bride and her ladies. It overlooked the courtyard with access controlled by the staff. They have a pretty busy schedule, often handling several weddings in a day. Our party had the chapel for several hours and private access to the courtyard for over an hour for wedding pictures. Overall, it was a great place to hold a beautiful wedding with wonderful, supportive staff and a beautiful backdrop.

Easy, stress-free, smooth, FUN! These are all words that immediately come to my mind when I think…read moreof Tanya and her team. Tanya was our "day of coordinator" but she was truly there for us from the moment we signed the contract (over 1 year!) From the planning checklist, to the budget tracker, to all the other planning resources they provide, Southern Charm Events is WORTH EVERY PENNY! Not to mention everything they do on your actual wedding day. From set up, to keeping you on track with your timeline, to wedding crisis control, they are the total package. If you asked me, I would say that our day went smooth, perfect, without a hitch and not one thing went wrong. However, on our wedding day there was a small hiccup with one of our table cloths and an ant pile. Tanya and her team handled it so quickly, with such professionalism that I didn't even know about it until 3 weeks after the wedding! Talk about wedding superheroes! I truly couldn't have asked for a better team than Tanya and Haley, and we feel so lucky that we got to spend the best day of our lives with them.

Southern Charm was perfect for my wedding back in February! I worked with Tanya in the beginning…read morewith planning and then worked with Carla for the month leading up to the wedding and for our wedding day. Carla was so detail oriented when helping decorate the items around the reception. She was very communicative through the whole process before and during the wedding day! I highly recommend this company as they are so transparent and helpful with executing your vision for your special day!

What a wonderful experience! What a wonderful team to work with!…read more The thought of me living in central Florida, trying to plan a jubilee for my father in Jacksonville was giving me anxiety. But luckily I was recommended to contact Celebrity Event Decor. Very professional, they really listen to you, your needs, desires and provide the best service possible! I was at ease, communication was constant and pleasant, making sure everything is in order. We celebrated our event at their venue Celebrity Event Decor & Banquet Hall. The venue was beautiful! Decorations were stunning! I didn't worry about a thing. Everything was even better than I expected it to be! Definitely highly recommend! Thank you so very much for giving us this beautiful celebration and unforgettable memories!!!

Unbelievable decorations! Awesome stuff! They went above and beyond for my wedding!read more

INCREDIBLE!!! Our…read morelocal florist in San Clemente, Wildflower Florist, found Ruby Reds for me, when I wanted to send flowers to our dear friends after a death in their family. Bonnie asked me what I was thinking as far as an arrangement and I said something beautiful and substantial. She delivered a GORGEOUS arrangement to our friends and was so nice and easy to work with. Ruby Reds is top notch in artistry and customer service! Thank You again :)

Bonnie did a phenomenal job on the centerpieces for our wedding. We were definitely on a tight…read morebudget, but she made it work and the flowers were absolutely stunning. Everything I've ever seen from her has always been so nice.

The Eventful Gals do it all- and they do it well. If you're…read morein need of a wedding planner, or need some help proposing to your lady, or you're planning a party (birthday, anniversary, shower, child, adult)- these are the ladies to call. They are incredibly friendly, so easy to work with, and they take care of as much (or as little) as you desire in order to make your event just as you want it. My wife and I recently hired the ladies to help throw a surprise anniversary party for my in-laws. They took care of all the planning, made sure arrangements were made, had everything laid out, and took so much burden of my wife and I. The event looked absolutely amazing, and everyone at the party commented on how beautiful the decorations and atmosphere was. These ladies were so professional- always on time, always friendly, and really made this an enjoyable experience for everyone involved. They will work with you no matter what you're trying to accomplish to make sure you and your guests have an amazing time in an amazing environment. I cannot recommend them enough for any type of event- give them a call or find them on social media. You will be glad you did.

This company ripped me off $300; owners are the amateur hour at best…read more ~ I was taken on as a client by Francesca, who neglected to tell me that she was knowingly going to be gone for an entire 2 months leading up to the week of my wedding. That is when she pawned us off to another coordinator. ~ They did not have my best interest at heart when it came to vendor pricing. Francesca got "ONE" quote from LUXE rentals which were the highest prices compared to other vendors I reached out to. When I told Francesca that I thought the price was high her response was "That's the going rate". I ended up having to do the leg work and book a vendor myself. ~ I specifically hired Francesca because I am in CA and my wedding is in St. Aug. FL. I needed someone to design & coordinate decor as well as direct the set up and tear down at the venue. During our free consultation I told Francesca I didn't want flowers as centerpieces. The ONE and only idea Francesca sent me for a centerpiece was with flowers to which she attached an invoice from the florist. ~ She was unresponsive after we pointed out that the only decor idea she provided us was the one thing we stated we did not want. ~ I was the one that kept having to initiate the conversation with Francesca because I wasn't getting any input on decor. ~ I asked about decor for the food stations and in so many words she told me that's not her job and I should talk to the caterer. ~ I politely asked them to please return any unused portion of my deposit to which they were very unprofessional (immediately trying to play the lawyer card) and claimed what they had done so far would bill well over my deposit amount. - Once I rebutted their rude and condescending response to my cancellation request with actual verbiage from our contract and email exerts, they have completely disappeared. - My Fiance (Career Military) and I (Corporate HR) are convinced that they are completely out of touch with professional expectations.

I'm the owner of Jamz Entertainment LLC an event and production company in North Florida. Anytime I…read morewalk into a wedding to setup and things are absolutely perfect and in place it's usually because Genovese is involved. She will not disappoint you and she is worth every penny. Good luck ever catching her off guard or in a bad mood. She has a permanent smile on her at all times even during stressful situations. I don't know how she does it sometimes.

Genovese is outstanding!! Not only is her designing beautiful for any occasion but her personality…read moreis beautiful as well. Really appreciated the extra time she spent to make my daughters wedding wonderful!!! You won't go wrong using her for your special event. Thanks!!!!