I don't usually feel compelled to write reviews but my experience with Cortney was just too amazing not to share! We were on a very tight budget for our destination wedding on Oahu and throughout the planning process, I highly considered not using a wedding planner at all in an effort to save money (I work in PR/events in the beauty industry so was confident coordinating everything myself). About a month out from our wedding, we reached out to Cortney on a whim to see what it would cost for just her day-of coordination package and were completely blown away at her competitive offer and immediately booked her. While we technically only paid for her day-of coordination services, Cortney went above and beyond to help with so many last minute details more than three weeks leading up to our wedding date. For example, she helped us book additional vendors, come up with a beautiful concept for all our decor and rentals, drafted our very detailed and thorough day-of timeline, met us bright and early in the morning for a walk through of our venue, Moli'i Gardens at Kualoa Ranch, the day before our wedding and so much more.
And that's not even close to where Cortney's hard work and dedication ended...on the day of our wedding, Cortney was a total Super Woman! First, she surprised my bridesmaids and me with coffee, fruit and champagne while we got ready and was busy (literally) running around setting up our ceremony and reception sites all morning, yet somehow was always there when we had questions. Once the bridal party was all dressed and ready to go, it was time for our first look. During our walk through the day before, Cortney had pointed out the most beautiful hidden trail with serious jungle vibes for a super intimate first look, right on site at our venue - a location we would have never known about if it weren't for Cortney's expertise. This is just one example of how deeply she knows the island, venues, wedding industry, local vendors, etc. After our first look, we headed to take family photos right on the lower lawn of Moli'i Gardens, which is covered by huge breathtaking Monkeypod Trees and despite being in the middle of a million things to finish set up, she stopped to help the groomsmen put on their boutonnieres and gave me a sneak peek of my bridal haku that I wore for the reception. On the topic of flowers, I have to add how amazed we were at our florals for the wedding. Cortney also owns her own floral company, Wylder Florals, and was able to do so much more with our flower budget than an average florist would have. I HIGHLY recommend doing flowers through Cortney in addition to her wedding planning services. I was most particular about my vision for our florals and Cortney completely knocked it out of the park! My bridal bouquet was breathtaking and overall, our flowers brought our vision to life so beautifully. As for decor, I was adamant about sticking to our rental budget but also asked for a lot. Cortney got us an incredible deal on all our rentals, one that we wouldn't have gotten anywhere else, and again, did so much with very little budget! As if that wasn't enough, Cortney has her own collection of rentals and comped all our chargers, flatware, bar accessories and more, which I appreciated so greatly. While she certainly has the planning down to a science, she's also full of little surprises, which made our big day even more special and memorable. A couple of my favorite touches that she added were POG mimosas for our guests as they arrived and our last dance of the night accompanied by a smoke bomb and sparklers. Unbeknownst to me, Cortney had given my girlfriends sparklers and all of a sudden my groom and I were slow dancing to one of our favorite songs in the most magical billow of smoke - making for one of our favorite moments of the night!
Finally, I have to mention how organized, thorough, experienced, kind and charming Cortney is. She made sure my groom and I weren't bothered with anything on our day, including everything from directing our processional during the ceremony, handling all of the payment for our vendors, keeping us on schedule, acting as DJ on her portable sound system all night (which was her idea so we could save on a DJ for our intimate party of 30 guests!) and even keeping our glasses full of champs at all times! Cortney is truly a class act and doesn't miss a beat! I could go on and on about how amazing Cort is but hopefully this review is helpful for both brides on a tight budget and those with more flexibility (I've thoroughly researched/stalked Cortney's work and know she's wonderfully executed many different styles of weddings and at all different budgets!).
Not only is Cortney a rockstar and is a big reason we'll remember our wedding day so fondly, but she is such a kind and genuine soul, we also gained a friend. :) Hands down, Cortney is the best in the business! read more