I've been married only three weeks and I'm already on Yelp giving Stella Harper Events (SHE) a…read morereview. Yes, our experience with them was THAT amazing that I really don't want to miss any of the details before it all becomes a huge blur. To give a bit of background, I was planning my wedding from out of state so I knew that having an event planner would be key. After not getting some call backs (terrible thing if you're a wedding planner, btw), I got in touch with Emily, the founder of SHE, and I fell in love right away. As they say, "You just know". ;) She was incredibly down to earth & funny, and her heart & passion for her work were evident even in the first moments of our conversation. We decided on the "Month of" package and imagine our delight when Emily was responding to emails and random questions, sending us vendor referrals (she is well connected!), etc. far before we even entered the last month. This spoke volumes about her character and showed just how willing she was to help clients even if it wasn't contractually necessary (unfortunately, this is pretty rare in the wedding world...). The last couple of weeks were hectic for me but knowing that Emily was so organized and on top of every single one of my emails (which had accumulated over several months by now!) relating to vendors, wedding day timelines, etc., made my anxiety vanish and I was able to focus on just a few things rather than everything at once. I can't stress these next words enough: Our wedding day was UNBELIEVABLY calm and stress free (even our pastor thought it was so weird to see such a calm bridal party just chilling before the ceremony started)! From the moment we arrived at the venue, I really felt like Emily's #1 priority, and I can't emphasize how important this was for a bride on a day where so many things can potentially go wrong. I had a couple of communication errors with our caterer and Emily was able to step in and rectify the situation right away. Deciding on SHE was hands down THE BEST money we spent. There's simply no price tag on "peace of mind" and I'm so grateful that I can look back on our wedding day and all I feel is a sense of calm - no tears, no freaking out, no Bridezilla moments. I could really go on, but here's what you can expect if you ever work with Emily/SHE: - A "Type A" event planner that is actually pleasant to be around. Top notch professionalism but with loads of humor (the girl is funny!), yet she never misses a beat - not a single one. - Punctuality at vendor meetings and the incredible ability to think of questions on the spot, various scenarios that could occur, and to consider all the moving parts of a wedding as a whole. - Incredible calmness. This is SO important as an event planner! - Bride is the priority: She will always ask how you're doing, if you feel uneasy about anything and if you have any concerns. The second you express any concerns, she's already on top of it. - An event planner that is as involved as you want her to be - she can adjust and adapt to any situation. Lastly...Emily is one of those people you meet and you instantly want to be her best friend, seriously. She's so much more than a "vendor" and this is certainly one relationship that's come out of the wedding planning process that I'll cherish. Emily - Our words are so paltry but if you're reading this, thank you for making our wedding day dreams come true. We adore you and wish Stella Harper Events the best!

When I got engaged at the end of April 2015 and decided I wanted to get married before football…read moreseason (southerner here), I knew that Step 1 was finding a full service coordinator. My mother helped me out by interviewing about 15 coordinators, narrowing it down to three. Within ten min of meeting Courtney Drake, I knew she was the one for me! After we had a good laugh about trying to pull this off in just 4 months, she was at work! Within 48 hours I had the initial 'critical items' I needed to get started. She was brilliantly organized and knew exactly how to fit everything into a compressed timeline for a Bride that travels and works long hours. We got married Aug 30th, just 4 short weeks ago, and everything was perfect. The venue (Ventanas) was beautiful, and all my vendors were on point. I rented just about everything, including huge 8 foot long farm tables for an indoor space up an elevator. When I say Courtney had a challenge on her hands, that's an understatement. All I know is this - even though that was the most vendors Ventanas has ever had at an event, it came together flawlessly, and I didn't have a single moment of stress. My wedding day was about my friends, family and the new chapter of my life with the love of my life. It wasn't about details or schedules. Courtney made the entire planning process fun. Everyone at SHE was professional and supportive. There is no way I could have pulled that off on my own- even if I'd had a year to plan it. I simply didn't have the time. My time and happiness is worth more to me than what I paid SHE. I highly recommend them to anyone who asks. Your wedding day should 'automagically' happen. Work with SHE, and it will!!