We thought that hiring a wedding planner would alleviate some of the stresses of planning a…read moredestination wedding. Unfortunately, that was not the case in this situation. We're getting married in December on Kiawah Island. I grew up going there, sometimes spending entire summers there, so I know the area like the back of my hand. However, considering that neither one of us had any wedding planning experience, I thought that we would greatly benefit from the help of a professional. We hired Katherine Miller events because I liked her portfolio, the proposal sounded great, and she seemed very detail-oriented. Boy, was I wrong. She presented us with a wedding checklist, which was something similar to what you would find on The Knot, but it was never really discussed. I let her know that I'm used to deadlines, yet I rarely knew what she was working on, if anything at all. As the client, I didn't feel that I should micromanage the process, but I can't just blindly trust that things are getting done. This led to me doing most everything on my own and occasionally providing her with updates. When you're spending 20% of your budget on a full service wedding planner, it makes sense to be disappointed about this. Communication was sparse and haphazard-- an example of this was when she let me know that she would check on a tasting date with the caterer the next day (6/29), and I didn't hear back from her until 7/13. When we addressed these issues, she acted defensive and inflexible. She never even picked up the phone to call us. I really do believe that she thought she was working hard, and maybe our definitions of working hard are just different. At the end of the day, I never felt that she took the time to get to know us. I'm not sure if it was the fact that we were "out of sight, out of mind," or if our budget was too small for her to concern herself with. (She said that she discounted the cost of her services to fit in our budget. That's not something that I would tell a client.) To recap: When the wedding planner is the most stressful part of wedding planning, it's time to cut ties. Even if that means only getting a refund of $500 and being out the remaining retainer of $1,500.

If there was the option to give more than five stars to Katherine Miller events, I absolutely…read morewould. My husband and I were planning a destination wedding and were having trouble keeping our hands around everything. We had a hard time conceptualizing everything we wanted to do and really needed help -- LOTS of help. When we found Katherine, everything changed. Our loose ideas about what we wanted on our wedding day were transformed into cohesive, beautiful concepts. She helped us with everything, from proofreading our invitations to keeping us on track with to-do lists. Whether it was flowers, linens or which table to remove from our floor plan, Katherine had a recommendation. She was flexible to be a part of our planning meetings anytime we came to Charleston and was more than happy to talk by phone at any hour of the day when we needed her. One of the most valuable things to me was that our wedding coordinator get to know both me and my husband so that our day was a reflection of us, specifically, and our relationship. Katherine made sure that everything (right down to our wine-cork-handle cheese knife favor!) perfectly reflected us as a couple. I found Katherine to be really helpful with making sure things kept moving. She kept us on task about when we needed to make final decisions on things, when our next payments were due to vendors, when we needed to confirm headcounts -- anything. If ever I felt stressed out, I called her and we'd talk about whatever was concerning me. When my husband wasn't sure what he needed to do and when, she made sure he picked out his tuxes, vests and ties before they needed to be rushed. She was there no matter the emergency (like when our rehearsal dinner venue told us they'd double booked our date) or the need (like navigating through the floral requests of my mom and aunt). She's quick to respond on email or by phone. I never had any issues communicating with her about anything, even minor stuff like "Where can I get maps of the area for my guests?" (In fact, when I asked that, she shipped us 100 guide books on Charleston to include in our welcome bags!) During our wedding weekend, Katherine was at her best. No matter the challenge (like when rain caused a reception tent gutter to collapse during our cocktail hour or set-up being delayed a day because of high winds), she handled it flawlessly. When a bridesmaid called the morning of the wedding because her dress was the wrong shade of green, Katherine calmed her down and helped her find one in her size in the right shad. I was clueless about any hiccups during our wedding day -- I didn't even know rain was predicted! -- because Katherine made sure that I enjoyed and soaked up every second of the day. Looking back on our wedding, there is absolutely nothing we would change. We had a flawless wedding day that reflected us perfectly (and an enjoyable, fun time planning!) because of Katherine. I would recommend her without hesitation to anyone planning a wedding in the Charleston area.

Curtis and his employees at Royal Grand Events catered my daughter's wedding on October 5. Just…read morelike Sophia, if I could give Curtis 10 stars, I would! He is an excellent communicator and is very responsive. He really understands what it takes to run a professional catering business and goes over and above the call of duty to make sure everything is perfect. Not only did he provide excellent suggestions for the menu, he also sent over sample floor plans so the bride could decide on the layout/placement for everything at the reception. He is willing to work with you to provide the best menu possible within your budget. Because of his attention to every detail, he made sure that everything came together seamlessly so that you can just enjoy your event. And that we did! Everything was delicious - starting with the Local Oysters on the half-shell, Chicken sliders, Smoked Salmon Canapés, and Tomato & Pesto Crostini during cocktail hour. For our meal, we had a wonderful mix of Steamed Veggies, Grilled Honey Mango BBQ Glazed Chicken (YUM!), Charleston Shrimp And Grits (with turkey bacon instead of pork in the gravy, yay!), and Garlic And Herb Mashed Potatoes with gravy. Not only was the food delicious, Curtis also provided a beautiful ice sculpture and carved melon that was the perfect decoration for the oyster bar! We were also impressed with his staff. They did an excellent job making sure everything ran smoothly throughout the event. If you are planning a wedding reception or any other special event in the Charleston area, I highly recommend Royal Grand Events!

Chef Curtis is the BEST!!! If I could give him 10 stars, I would!! Just like the other reviewer,…read moreI had to do all my wedding planning long distance (I live in SanFrancisco), but I was in great hands with Chef Curtis. He never failed to respond to emails within a couple hours, despite the fact that he was in a time zone 3 hours ahead of mine. I sent emails at 11 pm and still received a response that night! He once said that he has an Android operating system implanted in his brain, and I don't even think he was joking! He is a perfectionist with a true passion for his job, which is reflected in every aspect of his product. He makes it very clear that his number 1 priority is to make your reception the very best that it can be, and he is committed to making that happen. He has my vote for Best Caterer in Charleston, which I am confident will be his official title someday. He is a genius of his craft, and I know that it will only be time before others recognize it too. Thanks, Chef Curtis, for everything! You are completely AMAZING!!!!

DJ Natty Heavy did our Corks for Kids charity event. He was amazing and so easy work with. I highly…read morerecommend him for all of your DJ needs!

We loved having Palmetto Wedding Films be a part of our micro wedding at The River House at Lowndes…read moreGrove in May 2019. Jessie was a true pleasure to work before, during, and after our big day. We selected Palmetto Wedding Films because of the drone footage & two cameras throughout; videos that include vows, speeches, toasts, and music; that you receive both a short-film (~3 minutes) and a full-length film (~1 hour) - both in high and standard resolution formats; and last but not least, the reasonable price point. Jessie also went above and beyond by returning all of our videos within our short eight-week window. We loved Palmetto Wedding Films and would highly recommend!

Sha Sha and Leesa worked with me for my wedding a couple weeks ago and things could not have been…read moremore perfect. They worked within my budget to make my dream wedding happen! Highly recommend Loluma. Very professional and they do great work.

My husband and I worked with Tiffany and Lillie for full service wedding planning over the last 10…read moremonths in preparation for our late October wedding. Sha Sha helped with the design and floral for our big day. The entire team was absolutely wonderful and I would recommend them to anyone and everyone! They are experienced, knowledgable, personable, and extremely professional. Every vendor they recommended to us were perfect as well! When it comes to putting on a killer event, they know their stuff! I was an out of town bride so I interviewed many coordinators and chose Loluma because of their reputation and experience and also Tiffany took the time to work up a preliminary budget with me to help us get started. It made such an impact that she was willing to take a half hour out of her day to contribute to my husband and I before we made a commitment to hire them. I am so happy our decision to work with with Loluma because our wedding was 100% flawless! Everything from the decor to the flowers and the lighting were absolutely stunning. The wedding itself ran smoothly without any hiccups. I cannot tell you how many gust complimented the entire event and said it was like nothing they've ever seen before and it was the best wedding they've been to. They did an amazing job carrying out all of my ideas. They also took so much off my plate that I had nothing to worry about but saying "I do" on the actual day. It was everything we were hoping for but BETTER! I can honestly say I would hire them again in a heartbeat because they helped us have the most amazing wedding ever!

Not super pleased with our Dj experience with Bunn. We spoke many times on the phone about…read moreexpectations and it seemed like everyone was on the same page. By the time the wedding came around our Dj just chose not to follow the plan (ex. skipped over the bridal party entrance) and didn't play very many songs off our must play list but rather just chose what he wanted. i had to repeatedly send bridesmaids up to ask to play the songs on our MUST play list, we also chose not to accept requests and this was also ignored by the Dj. Also we spoke about having family friendly music on the front half of dancing and about 3 songs in an EXTREMELY inappropriate song that we did NOT request played and I had many offended guests. Overall the music choices were not bad at all, but if i knew they were going to go against our wishes I probably would have hired elsewhere.

David from Bunn DJ Company was INCREDIBLE, capturing our taste and delivering the vibe of the night…read moreperfectly. He was fantastic during every phase of the wedding - from initial planning discussions all the way through the night of the reception. Amazing energy, great song choices and transitions, and all our guests loved him. Highly recommend to anyone looking for weddings or other events!

Over the past three years, Charleston Affair has produced countless events including bachelorette…read moreparties, bachelor parties, beach parties, formals and semi-formals, graduation parties and more. Each event gives us the opportunity to develop professional relationships with contacts throughout the city. Nurturing these relationships allows us to offer you cost-effective options and access to some of the most exclusive services in Charleston. A specific itinerary is created based on your specific needs and budget.

My girlfriend used Charleston affairs for a bachelorette party and it was beyond sketchy and…read moredisorganized. We pre paid a hefty fee prior to the trip and expected a stress and worry free time. That is not what happened... They planned a trip to Irvin vineyard for us to wine taste, we showed up and had no idea what to do. We waited for TWO hours for the tasting. We pre paid for dinner as well. We went to the restaurant and they had NO IDEA what we were talking about, not even the manager of the restaurant. My friend had to call this "party planner" and she showed up at dinner! sat at the end of the table and ordered a glass of wine and takeout food. It was the most uncomfortable experience ever. She then proceeded to pay for our bill with a wad of cash her "boss" dropped off in his PAJAMAS. Disorganized and unprofessional.

Chug-a-lug has great staff, great booking experience.. eventhough, we had to postpone -- they…read moreworked with us seamlessly. The beer tap bicycle Hawk was so iconic and set up behind the traditional bar looked so great in our back garden. We had them at a holiday party between Christmas and NYE for 150+ guests and everything was awesome. All our guests loved the bar choices recommended by Gaby the event coordinator. The bartenders were so conscientious and friendly to our guests. They went above and beyond to respect our property and set up and take down was flawless. I cannot wait to have an occasion to utilize the larger Chugster wagon with 6 taps for local beer choices. Great bar service and comparable to other companies in Charleston area.

Chugalug Wagon: The Wandering Bar Collective is a preferred vendor for my events based in…read moreCharleston, SC. I enjoy working with their team in advance planning and onsite during the event. Their staff are very conscientious of the crowd to ensure they are maintaining a high-quality of service with no lines and a clean working space. Their staff are sensitive to following the details of the timeline and they all seem happy to customize the beverage catering experience to the individual consumer. I look forward to working with this vendor on many events in the future.