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.

Beautiful merchandise. Unique! Friendly, a little pricey but I love going in the store. Flowers are…read moregorgeous.

It's always a pleasure to work with this beautiful boutique. Their space is not only inviting and…read morethoughtfully designed, but they also carry an incredible selection of brands that reflect both elegance and individuality. What truly sets them apart is their team. Professional, passionate, and genuinely lovely to collaborate with -- they embody the spirit of the brands they represent and always create an inspiring experience for their clients. We're proud to partner with such a dedicated and stylish boutique. -- The FashionLAB Team

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!

A Caldwell Events is an excellent event planning and design firm when you need that extra help…read moreplanning the perfect event. The owner, Ali, is incredibly talented and has a great eye for adding just the right amount of detail to pull everything together. These ladies are professional, creative, and were able to provide above and beyond what I expected from an event planning service. Not being all that artsy or original myself, I was relieved that I was able to entrust Ali to take my mish moshed description of what I thought I wanted and turn it into something amazing. Seriously, without Ali my version of the husbands birthday party would have likely involved me singing an off key happy birthday and then throwing glitter in the air. No one wants to attend that party. No one. Having employed their help on two different occasions, I can't sing their praise enough!

Ali is a first class event planner and I am going to miss her..wedding withdrawals!!! We couldn't…read morehave done it with out her. She is amazing!!!. I never had to worry about a thing...once it was in her hands it was done!!! She is very professional and knows all the vendors and who YOU will get along with best...from florist, hair and make up, venues, bands, wedding dress steamers,...You name she has it. She and our Photographer Rachel Red work together so well...they are both excellent at their jobs but they are incredibly easy to get along with...feel like I'm leaving part of my family in Charleston!!! Thank you for everything Ali

Cori was the best! She was so professional and very sweet! She made our intimate ceremony so…read morespecial and included some complimentary photos! We reached out to her with very short notice and she made sure to accommodate us with a convenient time. 5 STARS!! I would highly recommend her! Cori, thank you so much for making our day even more special!

Very professional and the process was very easy. Cori did an amazing job for us! She walks you…read morethrough everything you need to know and performs the ceremony how you want.