I can't put into words how grateful I am that Katie Wilgus was our wedding planner for our wedding last month. After our first coffee meeting, I knew she is IT. She is super dialed into the wedding industry and was able to easily rattle off recommendations for vendors that matched our style, wants and needs. I also found her to be very thoughtful, strategic, smart, and extremely calm, not to mention super experienced. And the proof is in the pudding -- if you look at photos of her events, they are so incredibly beautiful, put-together and stylish. We were originally supposed to be married in May 2020, and having to put off our marriage several times due to the pandemic was a huge disappointment. But Katie stuck by us through two rounds of rescheduling and helped us through it ALL. She understands events and the industry so well that even though the pandemic was uncharted territory for all of us, her knowledge and gut instincts saved us many times. She was always quick to answer emails and phone calls, and there was never a loose end on her watch -- she is so organized and focused. And we could always count on her to be super honest and transparent with her advice; if spending money on something added a lot of value or made a lot of sense, she would tell us, but she would also let us know where we could easily save money. I was happy with every one of her recommendations -- vendors, decor, paper goods, everything! I will also never forget the many examples of kindness and empathy that Katie showed us, including literally HOLDING a plate of cheese and fruit for me to eat from between photos on my wedding day! Her compassion and positive energy are honestly humbling. When we were planning our event with all these masking and safety restrictions, I was worried that after all this work and all these postponements, the resulting event was going to feel like a compromise. But our day was honestly perfect and stunningly beautiful, and a lot of the credit for that goes to Katie. I am forever grateful and would heartily recommend her to anyone planning an event. read more

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I knew I wanted a day-of-coordinator from the beginning and Katie at Gather Event Planning was recommended to us by our photographer and thank god for that! The moment we met with Katie we knew she would be perfect for us. At the time of our meeting with Gather Event my anxiety was high. I felt like I had nothing under control and wasn't sure how I was going to handle everything, but by the end of the meeting I felt much calmer and confident that Katie would make our day run perfectly. Through the entire process she was cool, calm, and collected. Her team made sure every detail was covered, thought about, and managed. They helped create our wedding timeline and made sure all vendors were aware of timing and facilitated those relationships from start to finish. I didn't have to think about much during the last couple of weeks before the wedding and what a gift that was; to be relaxed and confident before the big day! I am so thankful we decided to have Gather Event Planning be a part of our day. I received so many compliments on how smooth everything ran, and how perfectly calm the wedding atmosphere seemed. That was all thanks to Katie and her team. I couldn't have asked for a better day. Do yourself a favor, and hire a day-of-coordinator and make sure it's Gather Event Planning! read more

Katie and her rockstar team were so essential in us having the wedding of our dreams. When we first started planning our "destination" wedding in July of 2016 (we lived in SF but were getting married at Bridal Veil Lakes near Portland), we knew that we had to have someone on the ground helping us with the coordination, logistics, and pulling all the pieces together so we sought a day-of coordinator, but Katie was so much more. She was the first coordinator that I met with and I immediately knew we'd be working with her. Throughout the entire planning process, she was so incredibly responsive and warm, addressing right away every small concern I had, and no question was too silly. Her recommendations for vendors were so spot on and fit right in our budget. Bridal Veil Lakes is a pretty large venue and add to the wedding 20+ relatives coming from overseas (many who did not speak English), and a bridal party comprised of 8 bridesmaids and 9 groomsmen - a best friend isn't a person, it's a tier ;) , her and her team did an amazing job of making sure everyone was where they needed to be. To this day, I still don't know how they were able to corral all us crazy kids...!!!! As much effort we put into the planning details in between the excel spreadsheets and google docs, having Katie run everything the day of lifted an incredible amount of weight from our shoulders. We didn't think twice entrusting her with the whole flow and details of the day, because she was so collected. It also really helped that she's familiar with the venue (had insights into the place like the need for bug spray at night!) and worked with / recommended to us many of our vendors (caterer, bakery, DJ, etc.), so her experience and great relationships with wedding industry professionals was the icing on the cake. At the rehearsal walk through the day before, Katie validated all the reasons why we chose her. She covered the details, and put my mom and extended family (many who have never attended a "western" style wedding before) at ease by going step-by-step through each part of the ceremony. The day of the wedding was a blur, but I can still remember all the moments she stepped in to make sure we were doing OK. I'll also add a note to her amazing team of assistants - at one point, we needed canoes from another side of the lake and they rowed them over, and put them away! So so awesome. Katie is thorough, personable, and overall, the most calm, level-headed person I can think of. Throughout all the craziness of the event, including running slightly behind (which she was magically able to rearrange schedule so we fit everything in and our guests were none the wiser), she remained so steadfast and exuded a sense of "everything is under control". Our deepest and most heartfelt gratitude to Katie & Team for pulling off a wedding that our friends & family are still raving about to this day. read more

Gather Event Planning - Thank you Katie & Team for helping us pull off the most magical day of our lives! Photo Credit: Hazelwood Photography - Party & Event Planning Near Me

I worked with Katie for my outdoor wedding this summer. Although we only hired her as a day-of planner, she went above and beyond to ensure that we had what we needed before the event, was able to provide some great recommendations, and was such a help in creating a timeline for the wedding. On the day of the wedding, Katie and her assistants helped set up and eventually take down decorations, made sure all of the bridal party and family members were in place in time, and ensured that of the other vendors kept to what I had planned. However, she was so unobtrusive and level-headed that I never realized that there were any issues behind the scenes. I was originally hesitant about having a wedding planner, but having Katie and her team here there let my family and I enjoy the wedding and not worry about logistics. I absolutely plan on recommending her to all of my friends and family getting married in the Portland area. read more

I'm a wedding DJ and recently worked with Katie and her team at a 300 person wedding in Portland. She was communicative, organized and thoughtful throughout the entire planning process. Her attention to detail and calm demeanor on the big day helped the entire event run smoothly. Having a professional coordinator is a must for all large weddings and Katie is the best of the best, I can't recommend her enough! read more

if i ever have to throw another event like my wedding it will be too soon, but i know who i would call if the occasion ever arises. i can't imagine getting married without a planner, and i am SO glad that the wonderful katie was that person. she went above and beyond AND she didn't stress me out when i was lagging on stuff. her recommendations were perfect and she really seemed to "get us" as a couple. stop looking. you have found your party planner. read more

Katie was our wedding day of coordinator and she was the best! She was so responsive, helpful, and nice throughout the entire planning process. She gave us great tips and ideas for timeline, wedding details, and overall logistics. She was also very helpful with bringing up and figuring out details we hadn't thought of with the venue. She has lots of experience with weddings and gave us great insight during the planning process. She also was the one who recommend our officiant and DJ who were both amazing! Katie had us feeling great going into the wedding day and did an awesome job the day of! She and her team coordinated with all of our vendors and set up with ceremony and reception flawlessly. She was there the whole time making sure our everything was sticking to our timeline and going smoothly. She even had the wait staff pack us food, wine, and a big piece of cake for us to take at the end of the night (such a lifesaver) I'm not sure what we would have done without her. Katie is such a boss, a person we would highly recommend to coordinate a wedding or any event! Thanks Katie! read more

Katie and the Gather team made planning a wedding easy! We had day of coordination but Katie was with us each step of the way and helped to guide us when making decisions. She knows everything and everyone in the Portland Metro area so when it came to choosing vendors she gave us recommendations within our budget and ever single thing she recommended was absolutely perfect. If you are planning a wedding make Gather Event Planning your first decision and then the rest of the process will be a breeze! read more

Gather helped organize our wedding reception for 175 guests. Katie and the team always were amazing -- we could not have had such a fun and carefree event without her their help. Gather gave excellent recommendations for vendors (band, caterer, flowers, A/V, etc) and managed those vendor relationships up to and during the event to achieve a flawless performance. Katie was always responsive and available for questions. Her attentiveness, calmness and professionalism put us at ease and allowed us to have a wonderful time and for our guests to enjoy a positively memorable event. We would absolutely recommend Gather for any event management. read more

Hiring Events by Gather to do our day-of wedding coordination was probably the best wedding-related decision we made. They were amazing! Katie and Monica were incredibly organized and thought of questions to ask me beforehand that I'd never even considered. There were a couple of times during the event that I thought of something and went up to ask one of them about it, and they'd already thought of it and had it handled already. We wanted a laid-back, DIY feel to our wedding, and Katie and Monica were on board, making sure they had a sense of our vision. For example, we bought a ton of flowers at the farmer's market and had them in buckets. I'd planned to put them out myself after getting ready (really??), but luckily Katie and Monica were on it without me even asking. They asked my mom for direction ("Well, she wants them in mason jars-- no other instructions"), and by the time I was buttoned up in my dress, they'd trimmed the stems and arranged 20 jars full of flowers. Do yourself a favor and hire these ladies as your day-of coordinators... you won't believe all the work they do quietly and behind the scenes to make sure everything runs smoothly! read more

As the owner of a wedding facility I see lots of wedding planners--both full service and the day of the wedding. Because of my experience with weddings, we chose a day of wedding planner/coordinator for my daughter's 200+ outdoor wedding. While I know some families can pull it together without the help of an event coordinator/planner, I am so thankful that Katie Wilgus and her partner Amber Roth helped us on such a busy day with little problems can often turn into big problems. They took the extra steps to make sure our family's day full of fun and we could focus on the big picture. It was also great having someone before the event to bounce ideas off of and guide us on some of our choices. Katie also made sure all the bases were covered. I love her calm and cheerful disposition. read more

We hired Gather Event Planning for a Bat Mitzvah celebration for our daughter. Since this was the first big event I had ever planned I was nervous and needed a great deal of guidance. Monica and Katie from Gather provided a calendar, suggestions, helpful advice and were attentive to absolutely every question or worry we had. The event turned out brilliantly. From the scheduling, to the decorations, to the location we chose each decision that Gather had helped me with made for a wonderful, smooth and lovely event where I could relax and enjoy myself and know that all the planning we had done previously made all the difference! I highly recommend this wonderful company! read more

All the other 5 star reviews are spot on. Don't pass up the chance to work with Gather - complete life savers!! Incredibly helpful, thorough, responsible, quick to respond to emails, great advice and expertise. They made my son's & daughter-in-law's wedding a triumph! Thank you, Gather!!! read more

Having Katie and her team helping plan for and coordinate my wedding was so helpful. Katie was responsive, organized, reliable and encouraging and helped our day run smoothly! She asked all the right questions to make sure she knew what we wanted, and then made it happen! It was such a relief knowing she was there to keep things on track and cover anything that might come up. read more

Katie and her team provided day of wedding coordination for our wedding in Portland. With the ceremony and reception in two different locations, there were a lot of logistics but they did an amazing job of keeping everything running smoothly. Katie made sure all the details were in place and that we were able to enjoy our day. I could not have asked for a better coordinating team. During planning, she answered all our questions, gave helpful tips and suggestions, and made sure our day lived up to our vision. The only thing I would have changed was hiring her for more since I am sure there were details I missed that she would have thought of! Many of our other vendors shared with us how much they enjoyed working with her team- they were professional and efficient. We are so pleased to have worked with Gather and highly recommend them to others. read more

Katie and the Gather team are truly the dream. From the start, her level headed, cool, calm and collected persona made our wedding planning so much more achievable and effective. She is incredibly resourceful, had the most amazing vendor recs and was also quick and happy to help with our questions throughout the months before the wedding. She's super responsive, honest, creative, and and her experience shows itself off in spades with every aspect of wedding planning. But Katie and the Gather team are more than just a wedding planning team. They brought our wedding to life. We kept planning more and more DIY touches for our event at Bridal Veil Lakes, an amazingly stunning location but with little existing infrastructure. Her team handled all our quirky requests and a van full of supplies with grace and aplomb, and when I came out for first look pictures, I was the one who got the first look at how she had made all our dreams come alive even more beautifully than we could have imagined. Katie somehow, basically like Mary Poppins, managed to be wherever help was needed throughout the whole event. She magically appeared when my bridal crew couldn't figure out the sash on my dress and in 2 secs, with a decisive hand, Katie had them ooing and aahing at the perfect bow. She was there to tell my now husband where one puts a boutonnière, and thoughtfully suggested that having his mother assist him with it would make for great pictures. Her team was there when we realized we had missing table assignments and had forgotten to put the cake together(!). When the temperatures dropped, she quietly went to the parking lot to grab kids jackets... those details (and everything that happened behind the scenes that I don't even know about) mean the world and add up to make the event the perfect day that exceeded every single one of my expectations. Do yourself a favor and hire Gather, and you won't ever look back at anything but the most incredible day. Hiring Gather was our best wedding planning decision. read more

Probably the best decision we made was hiring Katie to do our day of coordination. She was calm and so helpful during the planning process. She had great suggestions and recommendations for us (including an awesome cleaner to do last minute emergency alterations to my dress). Both our caterer and band had worked with her before (which I didn't know until after I had hired them) and were very excited to work with her again. "Katie's the best," they both said independently and I agree. She and her team set up and took down all of the tables and chairs for us exactly as specified (including moving two ginormous picnic tables) and set up our somewhat complicated succulent centerpieces beautifully, just as I imagined. She made sure we were fed and hydrated and stress free. Little issues came up throughout the day but were never heard a thing about them because Katie was on it. Even my some of my more critical relatives remarked how great she was. If you are getting married in the Portland area, do yourself a favor and hire Gather Event Planning. read more

Katie and her team were incredible!! I cannot say enough good things about her! I've known Katie a long time, but had never considered hiring a Day of Wedding Coordinator as I'm an event planner by trade, but honestly it was the best decision we made during our initial wedding planning! We ran into a few hiccups with our venue and a couple vendors, and she was able to help us through them and ensure everything was perfect! She is warm, easy going, thoughtful and knows everything about the Portland Metro Wedding industry, I would highly recommend her for any and all events your planning! read more

I will echo everyone else's comments. We planned our Portland wedding out of town and I was advised to get a coordinator. Hiring Katie and the Gather team was the best decision we made. We did the "day of" coordination but Katie was helpful, timely, responsive, and attentive in the entire year prior to the event. She immediately understood our vision and even provided us with alternative options when some of our original vendors had scheduling conflicts. Her suggestions turned out to be exactly what we were looking for. I was so impressed with Katie's professionalism and her patience. I never imagined I'd go into the day of the wedding not worrying about the details. Gather's flawless execution on the day of the wedding let us (including our parents) focus on the celebration and not the logistics. I cannot say enough great things about Katie and her team!!! read more

I hired Gather to do day-of coordinating of our wedding in Astoria. Calling Katie's services "day of coordination" is a vast understatement of her work -- she helped us immensely with planning in the months, weeks, and days prior to our wedding, and on the day of took charge and handled the entire event flawlessly and effortlessly, from getting set up in the morning, tactfully and professionally moving events along during the day (not always an easy task with our friends and family!), to take down of everything at the end of the night. All we had to do was show up the next morning and load a couple of boxes (neatly organized and packed by Katie) into our car for the trip back to Portland. I can't imagine doing the wedding without the help of Katie and her team of professionals. read more