First off let me say that I am Haitian and I am also a busy college student with a very low budget. My family and I don't know anything about weddings (parents got married in court). Dawn has been amazing through the whole process. Since the time I called her she has been sacrificial. Compassionate. Kind. Loving. Her service prices are so competitive that we bought her full service package where she handles everything. This has been amazing! She goes to every appointment with me and literally saved my fiance and I thousands when we almost got ripped off by a caterer who tried to take advantage of us when we went without her one day (that was our fault Jon and I didn't call her and thought ehhh it can't be that bad right?! The man kept asking questions and adding service on top of service we had no idea what we were getting into until I sat down with Dawn the next day to look at the contract). She is so awesome that she encouraged me to go to Wedding Expos which saved me SOOO much money. We even go to them together so she can go to the different booths and ask great questions. She's really good at finding the best deal for the lowest price not skimping out on quality. I love her imagination. I do not have a decorating bone in my body. Hence the reason why my career field nursing! But her decorating skills are the bomb. She even taught me about Pinterest and has been pinning up different ideas for me that I absolutely love. She has great resources in the community and is able to recommend some beautiful wedding and reception Venues. North Port FL has very few reception halls too. We were able to go to those appointments and talk with ease. This is a woman who really shows the love of Christ in her work. She takes her job seriously and you know what she gives you is her best. Everything she does is for his glory. She always has a smile she's always a phone call or a text away. She is my go to person for this whole thing. She really sets my parents at ease. So far this experience has been amazing and I am blessed to find her. She loves all people and she is worth talking to. So far I am wayyy under my $10000 budget. I am very excited for my upcoming wedding! By the way did I mention she even gave me free wedding invitations?! Yeah. Ask her! If you are nervous or are considering her don't hesitate to call her. That literally has been the best decision I've made and I recommend her to everyone. I can't wait to post pictures from the wedding! So what are you waiting for? Why haven't you called? read more

I'm writing this review, not to trash an individual but to share my frustrating and saddening experience as an unsatisfied customer who hired "Aurora Handiworks" as their wedding planner/coordinator, for the most unforgettable day of my life. After 4-5 months prior to my wedding, I interviewed with several wedding coordinators/planners, and chose to go with "Aurora Handiworks" after Dawn (the owner) practically begged for my business. Dawn sold me the sun, the moon and the starts promising an unforgettable wedding day, from beginning to end. As previously mentioned, there were several months of planning for my special day. I purchased two packages which she expressed were a MUST for my wedding day. One package was the planning/decorating package and the other was a coordinating package for the day of my wedding, to assist my bridal party, groom and myself, in getting to everywhere we needed to go. Both packages totaled $1900.00 which she requested be paid immediately so she could "begin working". I paid for both packages with no hesitation, foolishly trusting her "wedding planning expertise". For MONTHS, between meeting at random locations to discuss wedding details (because she does NOT have an office space) and through the telephone, Dawn wasted my time "planning" details that were NEVER included in any part of my ceremony or reception. I had to find ALL of my vendors on my own. From the photographer, to the caterer, bartenders, entertainment, even the servers who SHE HIRED, I had to end up coordinating because she was impractical in being able to find anything or anyone useful, beyond the Dollar Store knick-knack's she found for my reception. The details of my wedding weren't ridiculously elaborate - but I requested several elements to my ceremony and reception which meant a lot to me. I assume because she didn't think it was an "over the top" event, Dawn decided that showing up the night prior to decorate at 10:00PM with ONE ASSISTANT, was the most efficient and productive route to take. She also ASSUMED I would have "people" available to help her set-up the tables, décor, centerpieces, etc.at that time of the night. That's right, everything I paid HER TO DO AND HAVE READY, she EXPECTED to receive help - even though I didn't expect (or receive) a discount for those services. My family, who flew in from out of the country earlier in the day and were exhausted from traveling, had to stay up and assist Dawn with HER job in table/chair set up, CREATING and arranging centerpieces as well as cleaning up. Dawn left the wedding venue at 2:00AM where on her own, she had only managed to hang up some cheap white curtains for backdrop. The next morning, DAY OF MY WEDDING, Dawn arrived at the reception venue at 11:00AM!!!!! 2 HOURS PRIOR MY CEREMONY!!! She ENTIRELY disregarded the fact that I paid her for a coordinating package the day-of, and left my entire bridal party, photographer, videographer, groom and myself - like deer caught in headlights trying to figure out where to go. Dawn's excuse for showing up late was not important because it was LIE. While she tried to tell me that she was running behind because of "traffic", she was actually running behind because the DAY OF, she decided was the BEST TIME to pick up plates, silverware, glasses, etc. all of the last minute details she was missing, INSTEAD OF what she was actually paid to do the day of. She also decided the DAY OF, was the best date to CALL AND HIRE SERVERS AND BARTENDERS FOR MY WEDDING THAT SHE GUARANTEED WERE BOOKED MONTHS PRIOR!!!! My oldest daughter and Maid of Honor, along with several of my family members had to oversee and manage the servers and bartenders, because they expressed to her they had JUST BEEN CALLED THAT MORNING (9AM) to travel from ARCADIA, FLORIDA to LEHIGH ACRES for a wedding at 1:00PM and had no details of what they were doing. Unprofessionalism at it's peak! Dawn's tardiness was the first domino that began the effect of chaos throughout the entire day! Because she was UNABLE TO COORDINATE my bridal party, groom and myself - we had to arrange all the details of the religious ceremony, on our own. Again, even though I had already PAID for coordination services from her. Thanks to Dawn's tardiness and inability to complete the job, no part of the Church was decorated at ALL. The flower bouquet's that arrived were brought from the Walmart across the street because Dawn didn't "have time" to get the correct, expensive bouquet's I had pre-paid for. Not to mention, the priest had to wait to begin the ceremony because we were missing an important cart for the ring-bearer. Dawn couldn't "waste time" resolving any of those matters and asked if someone else in my family could do it. My intent is not to trash an individual, or receive a refund, but to share the most horrific experience I hope NO BRIDE ever goes through, working with such a ghetto, low-class, low-budget, THIEF OF A COMPANY, like Aurora Handiworks is. read more