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.

My wife and I truly enjoyed working with Barbara for our wedding. We wanted something simple and…read moresmall, but we still wanted something elegant. Barbara understood perfectly what we were looking for. She is flexible and helped us build exactly the elopement package we were looking for. Everything was taken care of, all we had to do was walk to the site from our hotel and try to look nice. The photographer Barbara arranged (Nick Milak in Charleston SC) was professional, enjoyable, and extremely talented. My wife and I did exhaustive research both within Charleston and other locations for small weddings and elopements - you really won't find a better deal than Barbara's services, and yet we found that she did an excellent job. She's even able to accept credit cards on site so you aren't bogged down with the financial arrangements etc on your big day. We wouldn't change a thing about the wedding Barbara helped arrange, and we would recommend Elope to Charleston for anyone getting married in the area (she does weddings as well, not purely just elopements). In short, Charleston is one of the most picturesque and perfect cities to be married in. Elopement is not for everyone, but we definitely think we made the right decision (and countless friends have told us they wish they'd eloped or had a smaller wedding in retrospect). If you're looking for a small wedding in Charleston, you've found your gal.

Betsey is amazing! I was in charge of planning a bachelorette party for 8 girls in a city I have…read morenever been to. Thank god I found Pop the Bubbly! I purchased a bunch of decoration and bachelorette stuff (shirts, straws, etc) and I mailed everything to Betsey about two weeks before the trip. Betsey decorated our AirBnB before we arrived with all of the decorations I sent her, she found an amazing balloon artist who did the coolest champagne balloon arch, fully stocked the fridge and planned a great boat day for us. Betsey was available to answer questions before and during the trip. I couldn't be more grateful to Betsey and Pop the Bubbly. She made the trip amazing and memorable for the bride and the whole tribe!

Betsey at Pop the Bubbly helped me plan a fun and safe way to celebrate my 11 year wedding…read moreanniversary. We chartered a sail boat for three hours and had a private chef come to the house to cook a Thai dinner for us. Everything was amazing and went off without a hitch! The planning and payment process were all seem less. Betsey was great at communicating with us and sent us detailed emails and confirmations. She also keep us in the loop on rules and procedures due to the pandemic. I will most definitely be using Pop The Bubbly's services in the future!

We would not have had the most perfect wedding if it was not for Pinnacle! Kayla helped us the…read morewhole way through, guiding us during the overwhelming planning period. She was so kind, helpful, fair, honest and such a pleasure to work with! Since we were planning the wedding from out of state, we really valued her help, not only because she's amazing, but also because she is a local. We also felt that Pinnacle's prices were incredibly fair. There were never any hidden fees or extra charges. They were extremely professional and seriously made our dream wedding come true! Austin was our DJ and he took the time to talk to us on the phone and make sure he got to know us and that we would be happy. He was so great to work with and was extremely prepared and so very talented! We also love that professional mics and an amazing sound system and lights were included in the package. They far surpassed the other companies we had researched. They are professionals and truly know and care about their equipment and putting on the best possible party. They are prepared and did an incredible job! We love Pinnacle and HIGHLY recommend them to anyone looking for a planner and or a DJ! We highly suggest you get the wedding planner and DJ both from Pinnacle! They are outstanding!!

If you want "non referred" vendors and wedding party talked down to and a lack of attention to…read moredetail (including being 1/2 hour late to the rehearsal dinner) use Linda at Pinnacle. Having just had a wedding one year earlier with a different planner in Charlotte, this was night and day different and the price was ridiculous- oh- and she will ask you to tip her and let her bar folks put a tip jar out (so tacky). I could write for days. Just Don't do it. Incompetent and Rude, makes snarky comments and faces.

Janet was absolutely wonderful, perfect, responsive, positive and 150% there for us throughout our…read morewedding planning process and week of. We hired Janet for both her wedding planning and floral services. We could not have asked for a more perfect rehearsal dinner and reception. During the planning process, Janet made us feel comfortable and was always there to answer texts, emails, phone calls and in-person meetings. She was always in a great mood, giving us all of her attention. She listened and also gave us the feedback and guidance we needed. All of the little things you don't know or think of, she helped every step of the way. Even when I felt like I was bothering her, she made me feel calm and let us know everything was under control. When I walked in our rehearsal dinner at Goldbug Island, my mind went straight into "STOP WORRYING AND YOU CAN NOW ENJOY THIS" mode. Everything from the flowers to the setup of the tables...every detail was more perfect than I could have ever imagined. And I was able to get ready on site at our reception and saw how she had transformed Alhambra Hall before everyone arrived. I was speechless. She really made every dream and vision I had for our wedding weekend come true. Every flower, picture, wreath, plant, chair, linen was breathtaking. I know she worked so hard that week, and it certainly made every bit of worry and stress go away for us so we could enjoy the actual celebration the weekend was made for. We are so grateful for Janet. We recommend her and would be more than happy to serve as a reference if needed. Thank you, Janet for making our wedding so memorable and perfect :).

Janet coordinated our son's wedding reception on May 3, 2014 at Creek Club at I'On, and we can't…read morebrag enough about her! This was a destination wedding for both sides of the family. Our son and daughter-in-law had done most of the planning, and so Janet took their vision and made it a beautiful reality. From the beginning, Janet's enthusiasm, warmth, and local connections made all the difference! She is highly organized, extremely responsive, and incredibly easy to work with. Janet is an absolute delight!

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

I loved Kala! We had an amazing experience with her as a wedding planner and florist.read more

I am in absolute awe of MOD Events and all they did to ensure that my daughter's destination…read morewedding In Charleston was absolutely flawless! I consider myself to be a perfectionist and it's usually hard for me to relax and trust others to take care of things. Kala and Kara took all those worries away with their attention to detail and organization skills. During the planning of our week-long itinerary of events, they were extremely knowledgable, responsive, and helpful. We made several trips to Charleston and they scheduled hair/makeup trials, tastings, and meetings with vendors. They even attended several of them with us. We had multiple in person and Zoom meetings with Kala. She is SO much fun and you can tell she has a passion for making sure your wedding is exactly like you imagine it. We exchanged lots of emails with both Kala and Kara and they were quick to respond. On the day of the wedding, I did not have to worry about anything. I was able to enjoy the entire day knowing that they had everything under control. Hiring MOD Events was hands down the best decision we made when planning this wedding. After seeing what a great job they did and hearing me go on and on about how invaluable they were, my cousin hired MOD Events for her daughter's wedding too. Thanks MOD Events Charleston! I am so grateful for you and the service that you provided for our family. You're the best!

I look back at my wedding photos and wedding experience often and realize that my carefree day (the…read moreday of the wedding) would not have been the same without the amazing help and coordination from Direct My Day. I had planned my venues and selected vendors (for wedding ceremony, reception, florist, etc) but I needed the hands on help for day of the wedding (someone to set up the wedding favor table, to keep me on track timeline wise, someone to take flowers from church to reception, someone to ensure that musical talent was in place AND more) and Direct My Day coordinator/planner did that. Amazing experience. Worth every penny.