We hired Wander for full-service planning, design, & management of our 30 person wedding. The cost…read morewas $9,000. We also used their rentals which were complimentary due to issues during the planning process. In short, the negatives outweighed the positives & I would not hire them again. Rentals + Design: The best part of engaging Wander was the design. Wander was exceptional at brainstorming & came up with creative ideas that reflected our love story. For example, Kelsey had the idea to bring in Jeopardy champions to host trivia at our reception. Sarah, likewise, out did herself by incorporating fun gaming elements & paper cranes. On the day of our wedding, I couldn't believe how beautiful and uniquely "us" it was. The dinner table looked like something out of a magazine. At Sarah's suggestion we rented colorful pillows, rugs, an arbor, a card box, easels, a bar cart, candles, & side tables from Wander. Sarah was also able to use Wander's grid panel's in really unique ways to create an origami station & a market flowers stand. Full-Service Planning: Overall, full-service planning was a big disappointment. Very important details were left for the last minute. For example, we didn't receive a floral estimate or contract until 19 days before our wedding. Likewise, there were consistent issues with communication. We had several vendors reach out to us & say that Wander was not providing them timely information. We also experienced this firsthand over email when we had to ask Wander the same questions repeatedly...sometimes going weeks without an answer. About 45 days before our wedding we started to panic over missing contracts, budget overages, & the general lack of communication from Wander. We had a budget of $35k for a 30 person wedding. We thought this was a reasonable number but shortly before the wedding we realized Wander had not been keeping a close eye on the budget & we were going to go over significantly. For just the wedding (including attire, not including rings) we paid $43,424.53 - that's 24% over budget. It's important to note that Wander realized mistakes had been made & tried to make it right. Shortly before our wedding Alissa took over communication, Sarah sat in on meetings, & they gave us almost $2,000 in rentals free of charge. Wedding Day Management: Wedding day management was hands down the most negative part of our experience. On the day of our wedding Wander unilaterally re-arrange the ceremony seating charts. As a result, the bride's family was not seated correctly. My cousin in-laws were given seats of honor front & center on the aisle in the first two rows. My grandmother & other members of my family that were meant to be honored, on the other hand, were given seats on the edge of the ceremony where it was difficult for them to see. Wander also re-arranged the reception floor plan. For example, the video guest book was supposed to have a background in front of a large window with trees. Instead, Wander told the videographer to set up in a poorly lit corner that featured the parking lot & fire alarm. Likewise, our favors (a "market flowers stand" where our guests could take home bouquets) was supposed to be placed near the exit. Instead, Wander placed it in a completely different room & most of our guests did not realize it was there. Unfortunately there were also a lot of little errors that made a big difference to the Wedding Day experience. For example, we had games planned for our reception & each guest was supposed to get a card under their plate charger to tell them their team. Not all guests got a card that identified their team. Wander was supposed to work with the photographer to ensure disability seating. They did not do that, so our elderly & disabled guests had to walk down a hill & then stand outside in the August heat for almost an hour with no place to sit during family photos. Some of the décor was not properly secured. At one point the "Trivia Night" sign fell off the wall & landed on my head.

Wander Events is hands down my favorite rentals company in the PNW! There collection is second to…read morenone; the perfect mix of boho & vintage. Whether you want to create a swoon-worthy lounge area or the perfect dining space they have the pieces you need to make your event look bang on trend! Not only that but Cara & Sara are two of the loveliest and inspiring women, and an absolute pleasure to work with. Book them now, you won't regret it!

We hired Renea as our "day of" coordinator for our wedding, to handle making sure that people &…read morevendors were all in place at the right time & knew what to expect. She went above and beyond by helping us with any pre-planning questions we had as well as providing vendor suggestions & even helping us scout locations. She was always incredibly quick to respond to email or phone calls and was a fantastically fun person to work with. When we had a last-minute change of venue she was there to help us figure out last minute decorations and was even able to provide some of the necessary pieces from her own collection. She totally saved the day more than once during our wedding. We couldn't have done it without her and would recommend her without reservation to anyone looking for help with their wedding. Her fee was totally reasonable & actually seemed low for the amount of help she ended up providing us.

We live in San Diego and were planning a Bellingham wedding. I needed to hire someone who could be…read moremy eyes and ears near the location, and to help me find vendors that would work. I also needed someone who could filter through all my crazy ideas and help me make the right decisions. I'm so happy I found Renea. Her calm and easygoing personality is perfect for dealing with an excitable bride. I emailed her a million times a week and bombarded her with questions all year, and because of her I was able to figure out the right catering company, flowers, photo booth, espresso company, and more. Thanks to her, my poor husband didn't have to hear every single tiny detail, I had someone else to bounce it all off of! When things went wrong that were out of either of our control (like a venue change a month before the wedding - the horror!, as well as the wrong linen color = bride meltdown), she handled both with grace and calm and we got through it. She set up my millions of decorations on the day of, and through her experience and vendor relationships, made the day go off smoothly without a hitch!

This was the first time Rice Insurance has utilized the beautiful space hopefully will not be the…read morelast. My whole crew was so impressed with the location and are still currently raving about it! Here are some direct quotes from some of my colleagues reflecting on their time at the Lairmont Manor... "Beautiful and accommodating to everyone." "Beautiful venue - loved the location" "I liked the inside outside vibe." "Spacious & Beautiful - Great spot" "Beautiful, spacious, comfortable" "I LOVE THIS PLACE" "Lots of space to circulate" "Great set up" "Lots of room! Loved the indoor/outdoor location. Super pretty!" "The venue was great and had a lot of variety." "Good amount of space, nice location inside & out" Thank you so much for making this event special for all of us. I know I'm not alone when I say that this was the best company party thrown thus far. I look forward to working with you in the future!

Seeking a private, elegant & formal event venue? Look no further, because Lairmont Manor will not…read moredisappoint. Located a few minutes from historic Fairhaven in a private & quiet residential neighborhood several miles from Western Washington University & downtown Bellingham, WA, this exclusive venue is ideal for small to medium size weddings; outdoor & indoor options; excellent staff; private parking; picturesque photo ops; beautiful grounds. Book your wedding or special event today.

In terms of wedding day investment, Courtney Bowlden was the best money spent the entire day. She…read morewas more than a photographer. She was a huge resource for vendors, she was a calming presence to our family and friends, she even helped me restyle my hair for my reception in under 5 minutes. (I actually liked it more than before!) Courtney was warm, professional, enthusiastic and made us feel extremely special on what could've been a hectic day. Her photos were positively magical and so romantic. A perfect blend of candid moments (that we seriously cherish) and effortlessly directed photos...where she made absolutely everyone look good. We feel incredibly lucky to have our day documented by this artist. She was phenomenal and unforgettable.

Courtney was amazing to work with! We found her on Instagram and her website, we loved her style…read moreand the editing of her photography was flawless. We chatted on the phone first and knew she was perfect. Courtney rolled with the punches alongside us when we had to postpone our wedding from June to August, and went from 250 guests to 30 of mostly family members due to COVID. She kept us laughing and comfortable the day of, and I could not be more grateful. Courtney has a ton of industry knowledge and local wedding vendor intel. She offered to help with other vendors, planning advice, and would even just check in with us to see how we were coping with all the changes due to COVID. When it comes to the photography, wow. We were blown away at the beautiful natural light, how many candids, and beautiful shots, nothing was missed. I would definitely recommend Courtney, she's amazing!

Linda was an AMAZING DJ for our October wedding form the beginning! We had sent out several…read moreinquiry emails to other companies, but GMB was the only one to respond to our request quickly and throughly. All of our communication with them was this way from beginning to end. We were planning our wedding long distance, and so we didn't have a chance to have a lengthy meeting about what we wanted from GMB until the week of the wedding. Linda met us at our convenience the week of the wedding and listened to everything that we wanted from our DJ. The night of the wedding at the reception she was spectacular. We had given her a sense of what we wanted her to play (top 40's dance/club music) and she delivered. We also asked that she not include typical wedding songs (chicken dance) and that she not mix in different genre's of music, and not accept requests that were outside of top 40s until the end of the night. She did an amazing job mixing songs, and keeping our entire group on the dance floor the entire time! She also had great energy, and clearly loved what she does. After we gave her the tip for the end of the night, she even offered to stay an extra 40 minutes free of charge as the party was still going strong. GMB Entertainment is professional, fun, and great at what they do! I wouldn't have gone with anyone else for our DJ services.

Gary was the DJ at our wedding last weekend and he was absolutely amazing. He had everything set up…read moreand ready to go well before the ceremony. He had a mic for our pastor and played our ceremony music exactly how I asked him to. When I spoke with him a few days prior, he had great ideas and suggestions for pre-ceremony music and from what I have been told it was perfect "seating" music. Gary kept us on schedule and communicated with the staff at the reception to make sure everything went smoothly. We had the usual maid of honor/ best man and parent toasts but didn't want an open mic for others. When the mic got passed to someone else, Gary made eye contact with me and all I had to do was shake my head and he jumped up to get the mic (very politely) once that person was done talking. He did a great job transitioning the reception from one part of our schedule to the next and was clearly at ease doing it. We requested 90's, country, current and spanish music for the reception and Gary did a FANTASTIC job delivering all of that! Both my and my new husband's families and friends like to dance and there wasn't a moment from the time the dancing started until the last song that there weren't people enjoying themselves and getting a little crazy (a lot for some!) on the dance floor. I would 100% recommend Gary and GMB entertainment to any bride to be for their wedding!

Nicole and her team are absolutely fantastic!!!! Nicole was the lead planner and my goodness I…read moredon't know what I would have done without her help and guidance. Wedding planning is a full time job and it can be quite stressful but Nicole was always there to offer advice and calm my nerves. She is so personable, sweet and professional. She will always go above and beyond to make sure you are not overwhelmed. We chose to save money and not hire a decorator so Nicole and her team used the items we bought to decorate in the morning of the wedding day. The wedding day went smooth and they made sure to keep everything running on a timely matter. I could not recommend Nicole and her team enough and I would not hesitate for a second if you are looking for a planner to help you on your wedding. Thank you Nicole and team! We love you!

From the owner: Located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Above and Beyond Event Planning is a company that…read morespecializes in high-quality wedding and event planning services for couples looking for original and creative designs for their big day. Our team offers a hands-on approach to creating a wedding celebration that represents your vision and stays within your budget.

If you are getting married, or know someone who is, Morgan is the first person you should call. She…read moreis so incredibly organized, makes beautiful spaces, amazing chocolates, and is just an all around Wonder Woman. She will make your life a million times easier and take the stress of planning a major event off your shoulders. I wish I had known her when I got married so that there would have been someone I could trust unconditionally to make sure my special day went off without a hitch. Do yourself a favor and hire this woman to help plan and coordinate your wedding day logistics!

I worked with Morgan via my production company when she lived in Oakland, CA for 3 years and she is…read morean amazing and creative event organizer with great social skills and a keen eye for the details. She can coordinate all logistics, take the photos, give a great massage and make chocolates. A veritable Renaissance woman who also has a great sense of humor. I would recommend her to everyone as her calm and confident skill set put everyone who is stressed out at ease. Her loss to the Bay Area is Bellingham's gain.

We attended a birthday party tonight at this cute little waterfront venue and it was the perfect…read morespot for the occasion! The clubhouse is one long room with a full kitchen at one end and plenty of tables and chairs to seat a crowd. There are large windows overlooking the marina, and the entire place has a nautical feel. It's not a large space, but there were over 50 people at the party and it didn't feel crowded at all. The rental fee is quite reasonable, especially considering you can bring your own food and drinks. And yes, there is plenty of free parking. I'm already formulating a plan in my head to host a Yelp event here!

From the owner: Looking for the perfect place to host your next event?…read more The SYC clubhouse is located right on beautiful Bellingham's waterfront with amazing views of the marina. It is available to groups of 75 for: Weddings Receptions Banquets Meetings Parties Business Retreats The facility includes ample free parking, an outside deck, kitchen, refrigerator, microwave, range and oven. Your rental includes use of twelve tables and 70 chairs.

No creativity, pictures simply snapped. No backup location. Outdoor shots in the wind with no…read moreoption for indoor wedding pictures. Single shot of important group pictures. No attempt to pose subjects. Hair way out of place, clothes not properly lined up.

If you can book Katy to photograph for you- whether it be for a wedding, new baby, party, business,…read moreor anything else- consider yourself lucky. Katy is one of the most charming and laid back yet professional people I have ever had the pleasure to work with. She starts off by getting a really good idea of what you're looking for, and then helps you get just that. She did our engagement photos and wedding photos. After hearing our likes and dislikes, she suggested several places for the engagement photos to be taken and the place we chose from her was spot on. She was irreplaceable when it came to planning the wedding day. We needed a plan for the day, plus a backup plan for bad weather, plus a backup plan if COVID completely made us have to rearrange the day- and she helped us make all 3 plans so that we could still have a beautiful day and get beautiful photos. That was so helpful for me who was planning a wedding without assistance. Katy is funny and kind- she wants to get to know you and is easy to talk with. During our small reception she was in the background taking photos, but during our more "one on one" time with her she was direct and helpful. We were feeling really awkward about having engagement photos taken- but worry not! Katy will pose you in ways that look and feel natural, not stuffy or awkward. And seriously- our photos are AMAZING. We are still waiting on our full collection of wedding photos but she sent us a few as a sneak peek and we can not get enough of them. We feel so grateful to have had someone so carefully and lovingly document these important mile stones in our lives and we most certainly plan to use her more in the future. Thank you Katy!