There was a time when having a wedding planner was considered a luxury afforded only to couples with deep pockets. (Or couples who had parents with deep pockets.) I beg to differ. In my opinion, having a wedding planner was a necessity and one I would advise other brides to have, even if it means scaling back on other costs for your wedding reception. For me personally, having a wedding planner was the difference between me just being able to "pull off" my reception and me being able to enjoy it. To save some money, I hired KWE for month of/day of coordination rather than full event planning (though they were available from the get-go for contract help, referrals and all-around advice). The month before my event, Kate swooped in and took care of all the details: designing the layout of the venue, coordinating with the vendors, etc. The week before, day before and the day of she took care of everything! She picked up supplies, was on hand to greet and coordinate with other vendors, did setup and cleanup, delivered items to my house after the reception, helped keep the party on track and so much more! I am not sure if there were any snafus (though I am sure there were, how couldn't there have been?) because if there were, she took care of them on the spot. She even jumped into action when I spilled red wine on my gown early in the evening. I really, really, really cannot emphasize enough how wonderful it was to have Kate and her team on board. I strongly advise you to consider hiring her for your event. read more

I can't say enough good things about Kate Whelan Events. She has done many events for our family such as weddings, engagements parties, and baptisms. She is very professional and always has a can do attitude. She will strive to make your event special and if you have a certain vision, she will bend over backwards to make it happen. Our wedding was interfaith with two ceremonies and there were many cultural aspects throughout the day. With all this, it was very difficult to plan and keep track of all the moving parts but Kate was the glue that held it all together. She has been a pleasure to work with and was a calm, reassuring presence during the whole process. I want her and her team to get the recognition they deserve as a superb event planning business. Thank you Kate read more

After getting engaged we thought we'd be able to handle a 4 day traditional Indian wedding on our own . Luckily, my brutally honest friends said we were nuts and to get a wedding planner. We started hunting, found one we didn't like, and then Kate Whelan Events was recommended to us. Sarah (Kate's Associate) was bestowed upon us and we knew we wanted her from our first consultation. Putting together a 4 day "Bollywood movie" was no easy task but she handled everything, including my undulating sanity, with nothing but grace and patience. She was beyond organized and diligent , and ensured that every detail was taken care of so we would not have to worry about anything. Sarah made our wedding a spectacular success and we are eternally grateful to Kate Whelan Events for giving her to us. We could not have pulled any of it off without her. If you are looking for a wedding planner, look no further ... Kate Whelan Events should be your final stop. Thank you! read more

Kate Whelan Events - Our amazing planner, Sarah - Party & Event Planning Near Me - Sacramento, California

Kate was an incredible month-of wedding coordinator and so easy to work with. She was well-organized, thoughtful, and brought a positive, relaxed energy to the last-minute planning process. Her communication was clear and transparent. She always kept us in the loop without overburdening us with tiny details, which must be a hard balance for any coordinator to strike. We felt like the day of the wedding, we had nothing to worry about because she would navigate every issue with expertise and ease. Thank you for giving us the gift of a stress-free wedding day, Kate! You truly made it the best day of our lives. Your time, your empathetic approach to planning, and your attention to detail were worth every dime and then some! read more

We worked with Sarah Laird and had a really great experience. She was super communicative and we loved their Aisle Planner tool. It was just what we needed for month of services. She had great attention to detail, and was helpful through the whole process. We highly recommend her! read more

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I used Kate at KWE for day-of coordination for my wedding and the event could not have gone any better. We chose a private residence for our ceremony and reception with no idea how much more work and planning it would be compared to a typical reception space. But thanks to Kates expertise and experience in event planning- she knew exactly what we needed. Not only did she help us create a vision for the type of event we wanted, but she also executed every detail flawlessly. Her contacts in the wedding industry helped us obtain the best professionals the industry has to offer based on our vision (and budget!). During the planning/coordination process, Kate continued to check in and make sure things were progressing as WE wanted. There are so many decisions to make during planning and Kate helped everything feel less overwhelming. The importance of day-of coordination can be overlooked. There is a large amount of communication that needs to happen between vendors, detailed timelines are needed, and anything that might go awry on the day needs to be handled by someone like Kate. Having her reduced our stress and helped us truly enjoy our day. We will forever be grateful to her and the KWE team for their hard work and making our wedding a dream come true! read more

Kate Whelan Events - Party & Event Planning Near Me - Sacramento, California

I can't say enough wonderful things about Kate and her team. She executed my vision flawlessly and was a big part of why my day was so special and went off without a hitch. She brought ideas, thoughts and questions to the table that I did even think of or knew was a possibility. She helped take the millions of ideas swimming in my head (and my Pinterest boards!) to create a vision and execute something beautiful. Kate is a detail oriented and organized person and was great at communicating and responding quickly. She gave me the confidence that she heard what I wanted and which gave me full faith in her ability to execute. And it paid off. On the big day, she managed the vendors so well that I didn't have to interact with any of them. I could just spend the day getting ready with my friends and show up to each piece of my wedding (reception, cocktail hour, etc) with everything just perfect. Kate is why I could relax and just enjoy getting married to the man of my dreams and have a FUN day! Erika read more

Unfortunately, Kate had an event the weekend before our wedding and simply wasn't at the top of her game. I'd recommend paying extra and reserving her the weekend before so she's not so worn out. I was appreciative of her taking care of the beverage pickup before the wedding. read more

I can't say enough on how Kate helped in each aspect of our wedding. She took the time to listen to me and created mood boards that translated my vision. Her detailed electronic checklist helped keep everything organized and moving. On the day of our wedding she was present to ensure all elements were in place and perfect. She kept us on schedule with a gentle hand. I was unaware If there were any hiccups. She handled it quietly and swiftly. Thank you Kate for making our wedding perfect. read more

Working with Kate for our wedding planning was one of the best decisions we could have made. My now-husband and I felt instantly at ease during the introductory call -- Kate asked fun, genuine questions and took time to explain how she approaches the process. It was obvious that she had a ton of experience and her can-do attitude was really professional and affirming. Early wedding planning was also super fun - Kate has had so much experience in the industry that she can confidently share what parts to stress over and what parts to take our time with - this really helped us navigate the process. And she makes a seriously beautiful design guide to help you see your vision start to come to life :) We ended up working with Kate during a particularly stressful time -- like many couples, our wedding plans changed significantly because of COVID-19. Throughout this process, I was struck by how honest, clear, and supportive Kate was. Even though the event we ended up doing was much much smaller than anticipated, Kate really focused on making sure we were getting what we wanted and needed, was super transparent and communicative, and overall was also a great emotional support. We really do and did appreciate her work!!! I totally and wholeheartedly recommend KWE events, and wish all couples all the best in their wedding planning adventure! read more

Kate/KWE helped us plan and facilitate our wedding, which took place in our backyard. I cannot speak highly enough regarding Kate's competence, professionalism, adaptability, creativity, empathy, timeliness, solid resources (& professional relationships), and ability to manage one of the most special days of our lives. Kate will be managing any special event that we need help with in the future. I whole heartedly recommend KWE as an event planner and facilitator to anyone who wants to exchange their planning worries and stress--for relief and a day you'll cherish forever. read more

I truly do not believe I have the proper words to articulate how truly wonderful Kate was to work with. Through the uncertainty of planning a wedding multiple times while navigating Covid, Kate was front and center reassuring us that it was going to be the most wonderful day, and it was exactly that. Her attention to detail and her professionalism are only a couple of her amazing qualities, she makes you feel like you are a friend and family's friend. Kate always puts 150% into everything she does and it shows. You can tell she genuinely cares about every detail, concern or question you throw at her. If I could, I would give far more than 5 stars. read more

I hope that I can save at least one bride from what I experienced when working with KWE. KWE was the only vendor I worked with who added to my stress. My initial email for a proposal went unanswered to so I had to end up calling - probably should have been a red flag, but I decided to give it another chance. I picked KWE because they were a preferred vendor at my venue and I thought they'd be knowledgeable about the space and details. Kate recommended I rent back bars for my reception and I agreed, but after speaking to my venue I found out that back bars were actually included in my venue fee (which she never told me). When I asked her to cancel the rental, she told me it was non-refundable - even though I read in the contract that they were fully refundable. I had to tell her this and they eventually got refunded. The photo booth background I hired her to design misspelled my fiance's name - thankfully, I caught it. But I had to spend a lot of time in the details to correct mistakes and make sure I was not paying for rentals that I did not need. Throughout wedding planning, emails often went unanswered for days, which she routinely blamed on the venue for not responding (I never had any issues with the venue's response time) or glitches with her planning portal - she did tell me that it was the first time she'd ever had email issues like this and had reached out to her planning portal company to try to address. After a serious conversation a month before the wedding, she did become more responsive to emails - and things got a little better. She started working on my wedding timeline a week earlier than planned, and made suggestions as we prepared for a backup rain location, and new adds (like hand sanitizer), as the pandemic was becoming of more concern at the time. I asked her if there were additional fees for this, and she told me no. My March 2020 wedding ended up getting cancelled due to Coronavirus, but this was when KWE became even more challenging. While every other vendor I worked with was understanding, sympathetic, and helpful, KWE was the opposite. When asked if she would compromise on a refund amount since I had paid for nearly 30 hours of labor that were never performed (for the wedding rehearsal, 3 staff members on the day of the wedding and reception, and a pre-wedding floral meeting that never happened), she said no, and sent a dollar figure for "additional" work she did to identify hand sanitizer and start my wedding timeline one week early -- things that she had previously said were already included. The last straw was when she blocked access to the planning portal I was using, preventing me from accessing my vendor contracts and invoices. I had already paid her in advance, in full, for a wedding that never happened. When I asked why she blocked my access, she said she would only grant me access to my own documents again if I agreed to hire her for a rescheduled wedding - and said there would be additional fees for rescheduling. It's sad that I wasted so much money for services I never received, but there is no way I was going to sign myself up (and pay more!) for another round of the terrible experience I had. As the saying goes, "tough times forge character", and watching how KWE responded during this difficult time was reason for me to never work with this business again. read more

My now husband and I got married 1/23/16 at the Citizen Hotel and had our reception at the Vizcaya Pavillon in Sacramento. Sharing our journey with Kate was one of the best decision my husband and I made during our wedding adventures. It takes a special type of person to make other people's dreams & visions come to life like they did. They did so while also keeping our budget and personalities in mind. Kate Whelan and her team helped greatly in making our day as beautiful as we dreamed it would be. She made it a pleasure to plan & made it possible to let go and enjoy the day of. We had a very strong vision of what we wanted our day to look before the bulk of the planning with Kate started. She helped us greatly in finding the vendors we needed to make our day the way we wanted it to be. She also laid out the framework for our ceremony & reception and was a great resource for all our questions wedding related. We did the all inclusive package. Along with a very detailed breakdown of wedding tasks, what I appreciated most about this option was the unlimited e mails and contact we had with her during the wedding planning process. Her and her team were extremely responsive the last few months before our wedding date, and pulled off some very last minute projects that made our day very special. We really don't know how we could have enjoyed our wedding week without her and her team handling our venues and vendors. Her vendor lists are all reputable vendors who she's worked with time and time again, as well as some new up and coming vendors. Her reputation precedes her, we noticed some vendors bent over backwards for her so they could have a chance to work with her. For example, we were able to find such a beautiful furniture rental vendor through her connections when the vendor we had originally wanted got all booked for our wedding day. She works very hard to keep abreast of all the latest & greatest in her industry. Her passion for bettering her craft made me so excited as a bride to work with her. With her unparalleled organizational skills coupled with being extremely passionate, patient, and professional, she sets herself apart from the rest in her industry. read more

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After interviewing several wedding planners prior to Kate, we made the immediate and easy choice to hire her as soon as we met her. Her professionalism stands out from her peers in the Sacramento area that we interviewed. Kate was likely the easiest and best choice we made in the whole wedding planning process. From the initial meeting Kate was organized, creative, innovative, responsive, and helpful. She has created a fantastic system for event planning where the bride's task list is broken down into specific timelines, with email reminders as the need to complete each task approaches. Having heard many horror stories about the difficulties of planning a wedding, I experienced 'little to no' issues and I know that is due to Kate and team. For the day of our wedding, Kate generated a complete timeline for every vendor, family member, and wedding participant so that I was not bothered for ANYTHING. She even took phone calls from the entire wedding party, fielded all issues, and handled every interaction with our venue and the staff. The hours leading up to my wedding were as relaxing as a weekend at the spa with my friends, which is unbelievable and priceless. More than all of the above, Kate is a creative genius and has a knack for making a vision come to life. From the first day, Kate understood what I was after and came up with MANY creative and unique ideas that made our wedding one of a kind and completely ours. It is this piece of the process that makes Kate and her team truly worth the money. She is fabulous, if there were 10 stars I would give her all 10. read more

Kate Whelan Events - Lantern Centerpieces-one of Kate's many design idea contributions! Photo: Milou and Olin Photography; Floral: Flourish Designs - Party & Event Planning Near Me - Sacramento, California

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I have worked with Kate Whelan and her team for years planning various community fundraisers and events and I can honestly say five stars isn't enough. She plans every detail so you don't have to. And she has a keen eye to details, the likes of which I've never seen. She anticipated issues before they arose, guided me and our committee throughout the process at every step. I look forward to working with Kate and her team in the future. read more

I have been working with Kate Whelan events for many years, so this review is long overdue! As a venue owner, I always breathe a sigh of relief when I find out that Kate is in charge of one of our client's events. She is always professional, on top of the details, and our mutual clients have always been so happy with her work. We hope to be able to work with her many more times in the future! read more

Planning a wedding is something most men rarely do. Most husbands-to-be allow their brides-to-be do all the planning. Girlfriends are called up, mother and mother-in-law pick out china patterns, and a gaggle of ladies plan to their hearts content. The men, in my experience, simply must provide the occasional yes or no. So when two men decide to get married and neither one has the wedding planning gene... well, they need to get a little help. Enter Kate Miller, who quickly took the hands of two somewhat misanthropic grooms and helped them put on what had to be one of the most amazing weddings ever conceived. While I can stress up a storm at the drop of a hat and my partner is a tad forgetful, she was able to actively engage us and get to know us both as a couple and as individuals. We knew right away she was the right choice when at our very first meeting she helped us figure out our budget. We were on a tight one. She was able to explain what parts of the kind of wedding we wanted to do were necessary and what wasn't, and she kept us realistic about what we could do. That might sound rather blah, but because she made thing so financially clear she was able to provide multiple options that still got us what we wanted, or helped us find even better options we hadn't thought of before. In addition, Kate also used plenty of technology to keep things organized. Her team uses a dashboard on their server that allowed us to send messages, assign tasks, share documents, review vendor orders, and keep us on task with timely checklists that kept us on task for what needed doing and when. Kate was always on time with what she needed to do, and kept us on time for the things we needed to do (get suits tailored, send out cards, etc.). Come the day of there was no stress at all. We knew that Kate was on site and that everything would be handled beautifully. And it was. I cannot recommend Kate and her team enough. She will ensure that your wedding is perfect, organized, and stress free. read more

We worked with Kate for our wedding on 10/14/17 at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament and The Firehouse restaurant. We initially, weren't going to hire a wedding planner, but it was the best decision we ever made! We chose the "Essential Collection" with an added "Budget Services" meeting. What we appreciated most about working with KWE: -Very professional, knowledgeable, efficient, patient, and ORGANIZED. Kate paid close attention to all the little details between both of our venues, coordinated with our vendors, and created a thorough timeline of events (which together we listed what we wanted, and she kept us on schedule so that every box was checked by the end of the night!) -KWE, along with the magical team at the Firehouse & our florist, did an amazing job setting up our venue! I was able to drop off some personal items with Kate and a few boxes full of decor at the venue. I didn't really provide instructions on what I wanted, but I trusted them with their ideas. Ummm...best decision ever. It was perfect!! -She was patient and warm with all of our guests. She and her assistant had smiles on their faces the entire time! - We are sure there were plenty of fires Kate had to put out on the day of the wedding, but we (and our families) didn't have to worry about a thing. My favorite part was when we realized I had forgotten about my garter! Kate and her assistant were quick to fix that and had a garter for me just in time for the toss!!! Because of KWE, we were able to have the wedding of our dreams. This truly was the best day ever, and we feel that it was in large part due to KWE being behind it. I would recommend her to any of my friends in a heartbeat. Kate, thank you so much!!!! read more

I hardly know where to start with singing my/our praises for Kate and her whole team. Kate came highly recommended from the start, for working with our tricky, incredibly remote venue, which already says a lot. But she lived up to those expectations and surpassed them, in many ways. Even though we booked her for month-of services, she was such a helpful resource from the moment we booked her, whether in our original, thoughtful conversation that already got us thinking about what we wanted, or through her incredibly thorough online portal with to-do lists. Come 1 month out, it was great to have her wrangling our contracts and making sure we either didn't forget anything crucial, or helping keep me sane with the far-less-crucial pieces too - all of it was clearly important to her. If I emailed Kate, I knew I'd not only get a response straight away, but one with way more helpful information than I could have come across even with all my crazy research. Her timeline for the weekend came with a title page, which our dear friend/cake maker says she's never seen in all her work in the industry, and was so thoughtful that relatives who couldn't make it to the wedding said it made them feel like they were there even just to read. The weekend of, there was no one I could trust more to help, to keep my mind at ease, and to get things done effectively, professionally, and also joyfully. We ended up asking her to help out a couple extra hours on the wedding day, realizing I was over my head in the number of things I could take on for what became more of a 3-day wedding than a 1-day one. We just expected that extra time would help with decor we couldn't get to and such, and that would be plenty... but I also mentioned to Kate that we'd thrown the idea of a chalkboard program out the window, and didn't even write content for it anyway... Well I just about cried when getting to the aisle, even before seeing my now-husband, as I spied one she made for us. Wow. That's Kate. She was one of the very best "things" we spent our money on for the wedding, and we simply can't thank her enough. read more

Kate is the best! My now husband and I hired Kate for her Month of Services and it was the best choice that we could have made. She is professional, hardworking, honest, and unbelievably organized. I consider my husband and I pretty low maintenance as we really were interested in having someone pull everything together the day of so that we could just enjoy our day. Kate brought her incredible knowledge and attention to detail to the table and was such a pleasure to work with. Although we did not use her to plan all of the details of our wedding I would suggest that if this is an area that you find challenging that you let her handle it because her work is amazing! I will be recommending her to anyone that is getting married. read more

Kate is an all-around talented event planner! I know she is known for her fabulous weddings, but I was lucky enough to work with her for the opening brewfest for Sacramento Beer Week and the inaugural Capitol Brewers Dinner. She is as hard-working as it gets and has expertise in so many areas. Her design aesthetic is top notch and I was pleasantly surprised to find out she has a tech background, which is such a bonus. She has connections to everyone in the business and was able to secure five of the top chefs of the area for the Capitol Brewers Dinner. We were so lucky to have found Kate and work with her for 2 whole years! read more

Dear Kate, With all the energy and emotion of Amanda and Mike's wedding day, I didn't get a chance to thank you personally for all that you did to make it a success. My family and I would like to express our gratitude to you for your part in making Amanda and Mike's wedding such a wonderful memory. Your coordination of vendors and attention to the details of the wedding was amazing. The wedding site and all the decorations that Amanda wanted were very beautifully arranged. Your staff was very efficient, thoughtful and helpful through the entire celebration. I know the inclement weather was a challenge, but your experience and calm demeanor allowed our guests to enjoy the food and music without interruption. One of the memories that will remain of the wedding is how many times your staff patiently tossed plastic tarps over the vintage furniture and removed them when a ray of sun broke through the clouds and my glimpse of you in your "garbage bag" attire to protect against the rain. My sincere thanks for your efforts and genuine concern for Amanda and Mike and our family and guests at the HideOut wedding last Saturday. I will certainly recommend you to anyone I know who is planning a destination wedding. Yours truly, Fran Rozoff read more

I have worked closely with Kate and her staff to produce wedding flowers over 20 weddings. Those weddings have been some of the most beautiful and well planned events I have ever helped make happen. Every detail, whether it is the fun details of the decor to the less fun budgeting and timeline, are attended to perfectly. I love working with Kate because she helps the client create the perfect vendor team for their event. For the bride and groom, it feels like they have hired their best friends to make their wedding go off without a hitch and for the wedding professionals, it makes doing an amazing job easy because you know Kate has everything under control. Working with Kate Miller Events is a joy and a privilege! read more

We hired Kate to help plan our wedding. It's hard to know where to start. Kate, and her associates, Lauren and Shannon, are just incredible. Everything leading up the wedding was fantastic. Kate and her team communicated with our vendors and friends that provided music, the cake, etc., handling every behind the scene detail with professionalism. She kept us motivated with helpful checklists and check-ins. On the day of, we faced the possibility of rain and Kate made on-the-go adjustments with grace. By the time we arrived on site, everything looked beautiful, even better, than we had planned. It didn't rain, the weather was incredible, and the wedding (and its component parts) moved along effortlessly. Afterwards, my husband and I reflected on how stress free and positive the day was with Kate at our side. We focused on celebrating with our family and friends and once the day arrived, we didn't once worry about the details. It was the perfect day and Kate played an important role in it. So, don't think twice. Kate's services are worth every dime and then some. read more

If you want a flawless wedding, hire Kate Miller. One thing that Kate said in our first conversation that I originally overlooked was that she not only wanted our big day to run perfectly but she wanted our memory of it to be perfect. Now that our wedding has passed, I realize how absolutely perfect my memory is of it. There was no stress, no running around or yelling trying to get things in order. There was just joy and enjoyment. And I know that was all thanks to Kate and her staff. We hosted a tiki wedding and Kate instantly understood what we were going for. I immediately felt confident that I could trust her with any day of decisions and knew that she could make the same decisions that I would without burdening me with the unnecessary details. She also gave us wise, experienced advice on things that we wouldn't have thought of and yet she was never pushy on anything. However, Kate's suggestions made huge differences in our wedding and it's scary to think that we wouldn't have even considered them without her. Kate is also extremely tech savy and her online aids made organization and transactions effortless. Even though Kate's company is based two hours away from us, it seemed like she was right next door as a result. Kate was also greatly appreciated by my parents and my wedding party who all got detailed itineraries and were welcomed to contact her for anything. She was also extremely detailed in the planning process and worked well with all of our vendors. At the wedding, Kate and her staff were on top of EVERYTHING and yet never stood out as "the coordinators" to our guests. When our timeline got screwed up due to our speeches running long, Kate somehow got us back on schedule in what seemed like seconds and she did it so well that no one even notice that anything was wrong. At the end of the night, Kate and her staff even went above and beyond our expectations when they surprised us by beautifully decorating our bridal suite with all of the left over flowers from the wedding. Kate is so pleasant and easy to work with and so reliable and valuable to have that I would recommend Kate Miller Events to anyone and everyone. read more

Kate was by far the most amazing wedding planner I could have asked for. We live in Houston and hired her to do our wedding in Napa and there was not a single thing left undone. From welcome baskets, to party favors, to finding vendors for linens, rentals, heaters, cake, food tasting, etc she has the best of the best. She helped my find the most amazing lady to do my hair and makeup as well and both me and my husband knew our wedding was in the best hands especially bc we were in another state and trusted her to handle everything. read more

Choosing to work with Kate was the best decision we made in our wedding planning process! Starting with recommending amazing vendors, she helped us every step of the way. We used her design and decor services, which I highly recommend; I was blown away by how beautiful our space was on our wedding day, including lots of small decor details that fit our event beautifully and Kate styled herself. Kate is incredibly patient with family, friends, and all the challenging circumstances that come up as part of the wedding planning process. I'm so glad I had her on my team! To all future brides: hire Kate! It will be the start of an enjoyable, fun-filled wedding. read more

I can not say enough amazing things about Kate and her staff. She blew me away with her care, communication, kindness, professionalism and attention to detail while we planned our wedding this past July. Kate worked with us for 7 months on our wedding and each step of the way she kept us on track and made things fun. When planning became stressful she was on it to fix any hiccups. I loved that she was on my Facebook page and a couple of times I slightly vented out about the wedding and seeing these posts, she did not ignore them but immediately reached out to me to calm my nerves and fix what ever irked me. Not only were her online tools easy to use and help us stay on track, everything was elegantly designed as well. Now we all know that weddings can bring drama. I will be transparent here because I feel that brides and grooms NEED SOMEONE ON THEIR SIDE DURING DRAMA! Kate was so professional about guests that were behaving badly while wedding planning and even at the wedding. I felt so protected by her and her staff. She really made sure that my husband and I kept having a cool head and having fun. She is worth every cent and more. If your looking for a wedding planner look no further. Kate Whelan Events is your women for the job!!!!!!!!!! read more

I got into contact with them looking for a particular service for my wedding. A short time into our call Sarah realized that what I was looking for wasn't really what they offered but went out of her way to stay on the phone with me to point me in the right direction with referrals and all. Extremely awesome service from Sarah! read more

Five stars (and I would give six if possible)! Kate did an amazing job managing all aspects of our wedding as our month-of planner. My wife and I are so grateful to have been able to partner w/ Kate as she made the process of planning and executing a wedding seamless. Kate and her team significantly exceeded our expectations from the day we met her through the big day itself. She is the consummate professional and we knew following our first meeting that we had chosen wisely and that our wedding was in great hands. There are many things that stand out from our experience working w/ Kate and I'd like to highlight a few here: professionalism, accessibility, and execution. Professionalism: On the first day we met Kate in person at our venue food tasting event, she made an impression. She had experience working w/ our venue coordinator which made the food tasting a fun and stress-free event. Kate took diligent notes, asked the right questions, and promptly posted pictures and her notes to the wedding planning website that came w/ the package from Kate Whelan Events. Over the subsequent weeks, Kate was extremely helpful w/ organizing our wedding including vendor management, timelines, and suggestions for everything from furniture arrangements to linen color. We never felt pressured into decisions as Kate would make suggestions and share pros/cons from her experience. She also fully supported our decisions w/o second guessing them which helped grow our confidence as we moved through the planning process. Kate promptly responded to emails, partnered w/ the venue coordinator and our vendors effectively, and delivered in a manner that made us proud of our choice. Accessibility: Kate made herself available to us as a trusted partner even before our wedding month began. She promptly responded to emails, showed up to meetings on time, and never left us wondering where she was or what she was doing. Kate quickly earned our trust and was a true partner throughout the process, making the whole experience more fun than stressful. On the wedding date itself, Kate and her team greeted my wife and I and our families when we arrived and stayed close throughout the day. She answered all of our questions, regardless of how trite. As we prepared to walk down the aisle, my wife and I both felt very relaxed because we knew Kate was there and that if something went wrong Kate would handle it and handle it promptly and professionally. She was there when it mattered! Execution: As previously mentioned, Kate and her team did a great job from start to finish. However, it was the wedding day itself where they really shined. Kate was everywhere but she executed on the plan in a way that made it seem as if she wasn't there at all! She operates in a way that instills confidence because at no point did she seem flustered, like she didn't have a plan, or didn't know exactly what would happen next. This was very comforting to see a few hours/minutes before the start of your wedding! Kate and her team kindly took questions from me, my wife, and our family as we waited for the ceremony to begin. She partnered flawlessly w/ our venue coordinator and together they delivered a wedding that exceeded even our highest expectations. The event itself flowed smoothly w/ Kate and her team prompting guests to move from location to location in a kind and professional manner. At several points throughout the day, she approached my wife and I w/ gentle reminders re: what was about to happen and any actions we needed to take. Several family members and guests commented on how well-executed the wedding was and my wife and I agree! As we reflect back on the experience, my wife and I can't think of a single hiccup worth mentioning which is a testament to the planning, preparation, and execution of Kate and her team. My wife and I would highly recommend Kate as a wedding planner. She has the right experience, is fun and easy to work with, and delivered when it counted. We could not be happier w/ our choice of Kate Whelan Events for our wedding. Thank you again Kate for the work you put into making our wedding day so memorable. You and your team did a great job! read more

We really wanted to give more stars, but KWE was the only vendor we worked with who added to our wedding stress rather than reduced it. Kate is friendly and knowledgeable, but the level of responsiveness and organization of her company are lacking. For our wedding, numerous communications went unanswered and tasks fell through the cracks. Our own wedding coordinator didn't know our names or the names of key people in our wedding. When we raised our concerns, there was an immediate defensiveness that we found baffling. In sum, there are probably other coordinators who can do a better job for less money. read more

Upon getting engaged, I was immediately overwhelmed. I knew I wanted some wedding planning help, but I also knew that our budget was tight and it felt like an expense that would be hard to justify. My fiance (now husband) Chris was even more skeptical. Well having now been through the process, we're both believers, and we couldn't be more happy that we not only chose to have a wedding planner, but also that we chose Kate from Kate Miller Events. KME's baseline services are for "day of" planning/coordination, but even her "day of" package starts almost 2 months out to make sure your vendors, venues, bridal party, and families are all ready for your big day. Additionally, as soon as you book KME, Kate's fantastic online tools are available and at your disposal to help track budget, to-do list, contracts, milestones and more. We would have been lost without these, and because Chris and I are so online oriented, it was so much easier for us to collaborate using her tools. I could probably write a short novella of all the ways that Kate helped us and went above and beyond for us as clients, but for the sake of brevity, I won't. What I will say, is that hiring Kate was probably the single decision that went the furthest in making our wedding day as wonderful as it was. Not only is she just very good at her job, but the knowledge that she is on top of everything gave us so much less to be worried or nervous about in the weeks leading up to our wedding. As a matter of fact, our venue's veteran wedding coordinator (you know, the one the venues tout as the reason you don't need an outside planner... "We handle all of your coordination needs!"), was actually laid off just 3 months before our wedding and replaced just 6 weeks prior to our big day with a part time coordinator. If we hadn't had Kate to rely on, this would have definitely freaked us out, but instead, we simply knew it would all be fine. The best part about working with Kate, is that although we know she has clients buying the whole kit and caboodle from her, and we were only able to afford her base package, she never made us feel like she was anything but committed to us as clients. She answered questions when she didn't have to, she had our back when vendors tried to pull fast ones on us, and she was a fantastic point of reference throughout the entire planning process. And above all, we really liked her. She's just awesome at what she does. Chris and I couldn't recommend her more. read more

I seriously can't sing enough praises for Kate and her awesome team. My husband and I tied the knot last weekend at the Hideout in Kirkwood CA and our day (and week!) could not have been more spectacular. From the VERY beginning Kate understood our vision and was with us every step of the way to make it happen. And we had BIG dreams. I'm talking four days of events with 20+ vendors and all in the middle of the woods with no cell phone reception in site. Kate was on it. I'm pretty sure our final timeline was 32 pages long and that was a simplified version! We live in San Francisco and she would drive out for all of our meetings and meet us at our house with our barking dog and kitten and chaos around every corner but every single time she left I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of my chest. She not only had the BEST recommendations for vendors but would go above and beyond in making sure that we were all taken care of. Us, our guests and especially the vendors. The week of my wedding I didn't have one stress or care in the world (which is very unlike me!) I seriously attribute ALL of that to Kate. I'm sure things went wrong as they always do but I have never heard about it and never will! She fulfills everything you hope for in a wedding planner and more. Literally the day before the wedding I spent the entire time hanging out with my friends on an inflatable flamingo with a glass of wine in my hand and didn't have to lift a finger or even think about logistics. From what I have experienced from every friend's wedding EVER that is absolutely incredible. Now that the wedding is over I wouldn't change one thing about it. I truly believe hiring Kate was THE best decision we made. I told my husband I want to plan a wedding with her every year! I feel so incredibly lucky to have had her and if you are reading this you need to reach out to her NOW. I will be sending every single person I know her way so you will need to book way ahead of time!! On top of the amazing wedding planner she is she ALSO happens to just be an amazing person and as much as I would love to plan weddings with her all the time I'm pumped to be able to hang out with her as a friend. So if you are looking for the most epic, amazing, awesome, sweet, cool, easy going but still just the right amount of type A personality wedding planner in the world, look no further. Kate if you are reading this we love you and we are SO grateful for you!! read more

This review is long overdue but nevertheless I had to give 5 stars to Sarah with Kate Whelan Events. I am convinced the shower wouldn't have happened without Sarah! From the moment I contacted her she was responsive and helped me every step of the way. As the date got closer I was contacting her frequently and she was always accessible! At first it was hard for me to let go of the planning but Sarah handled everything with ease. She was organized and kept me up to date through email, phone calls and in person meetings. She made sure all the vendor contracts were in order and kept an up to date timeline for me. I was all over the place with ideas for what I wanted and Sarah helped me narrow down what would be best while always keeping my vision in mind. The day of the shower she made sure everything went smoothly and efficiently. She arrived early to make sure the venue was ready; she helped with set up and even helped the flower vendor! There was one small hiccup with the food, but Sarah rectified the situation before I even knew there was a potential problem. The shower was a huge success and more importantly it was stress free for me! read more

I have worked with Kate on many events and I can tell you that she is one of the best in the area. She is truly a gift to any wedding. So organized and clear about how the day will run, she juggles all of the many wedding details with ease and stays calm and cool the entire event. I have also seen her handle difficult situations with ease and grace. You are in good hands with Kate Whelan ! read more

Kate is absolutely amazing--that must be said first and foremost before I get into the details. We hired Kate to do month-of coordination for our wedding--most of the fantastic things the can be said about Kate have already been said by other reviewers, but why not add one more voice to the choir singing her praises? Kate came recommended to us by a close relative that works in the event planning industry, who confided that Kate was really the only one she could recommend, because she was THAT much better than all of the other planners/coordinators this person had worked with. We weren't even sure we even needed outside help at first, but after that initial meeting with Kate, we agreed: "There's no way we can pull this off without her." Kate made an unbelievable first impression, taking her time to ask a million questions to get the full picture of what we wanted for our day (including many details we hadn't even thought of yet...!), and making tons of helpful suggestions for thing we were unsure about (while also being cool about not pushing back on decisions we felt strongly about). All along the way, she continued to be invaluable--consistently helpful, informative, professional, communicative, detailed, decisive, organized, and very reassuring. We felt comfortable and trusted her every step of the way. Our situation was also probably a little more challenging because we took a very "a la carte" approach to our vendors; e.g., has separate ceremony and reception venues; our reception venue was essentially just providing the space with tables and chairs; we had our favorite restaurant do our catering, but hired an outside staffing service to man the buffet and bars; brought the alcohol in ourselves, etc....the point being that it wasn't as easy as, say, having a hotel wedding with a package deal where the venue provides most of the stuff, so Kate probably had a little more juggling to do BUT she handled every single vendor with absolute finesse and it all came together without the slightest snag. Anyone who has jumped into the wedding planning process knows it can be pretty scary--you're spending a ton of money for what is essentially a giant party, and there is all this pressure to make sure it's "the best day of your life"! When we finally DID get to "the big day" it was genuinely stress-free, and more beautiful and FUN than we could have ever imagined--it really WAS the best day of our life and we owe so much appreciation to Kate for that. If something went wrong, we never even knew about it. Not only did we not have to worry about *anything* other than being present and enjoying ourselves and focusing on what the day was really about (love!), but our families were also able to enjoy themselves because Kate and her assistant flawlessly handled everything (including random tasks that often I think often falls to family and friends when you don't have someone like Kate involved--I am sure they would have been nice about it but we didn't want our guests to do anything but have a great time). Our parents especially were raving for a week afterward at how impressed they were with her and her team. Bottom line, if you want to ensure that you have a planning process that is as painless as possible, with the end result being a truly magical, enjoyable wedding day--call Kate. You will not regret it. If we had to do it all over again, we would do it in a heartbeat. read more

By far the most organized wedding planner. We met with two others before hiring Kate and they didn't give us 1/16th of the information Kate did. You could tell she really knew what she was doing and the best way to do it.We hired her for her month of services as well as a few extra things for us like rental management and going to our venue to do a to scale graph of the room. The wedding day itself went so smoothly, and if anything went wrong I sure as heck was not told about it. She made our night so wonderful and we were actually able to enjoy the day! read more

Kate Miller and her team did an amazing job throughout the whole planning process and the execution of my wedding. Not only is she personable, experienced, and very detailed but she also has good taste, an eye for design, and a good list of excellent vendors to work with. She was always on my side when it comes to dealing with vendors and had my best interests in mind when working out prices and deals. And she has a good hand at logistics - exceeded the expectations of an obsessive compulsive project manager. :) Seriously, you will not regret getting Kate and her team for your wedding - it will be wonderful, beautiful, and perfectly implemented. read more

OUTSTANDING. My partner and I used KWE for our wedding and we could not be happier. We live in Chicago but wanted to have our wedding near friends and family in Napa. From the first consultation call with Kate we felt completely comfortable in her hands. Kate and her team at KWE are warm and friendly yet highly professional and amazingly organized. She was in contact with us from day one and walked us through the timeline and all steps involved in planning a wedding. Kate came with us to tour several venues in Napa and helped us select the best one. She has an extensive list of vendors that she trusts and has worked with in the past and was able to help us select vendors and contact them on our behalf, which saved us a lot of work and worry especially given we live 2k miles away. She was there for the food/cake tasting and helped us arrang our florist, DJ, caterer, and photographer. We had regular emails from the KWE team, an online portal where we could track the progress of our timeline and budget, and regular conference calls or skype calls with Kate for months leading up to the wedding. Any time we emailed Kate a question she responded in less than 1 day (sometimes in less than 1 hour) with a detailed answer. The wedding day itself went amazingly well. Kate and her team were there the day before our wedding to help us with rehearsal and the day of the wedding. We had no issues at all with any of the vendors, the location, staff, etc. It was a great relief knowing Kate and her team were there and were responding on our behalf to any questions our vendors had so we could focus on enjoying our day and not worrying about any of the wedding details. We enthusiastically recommend Kate Whelan Events to anyone who is looking for a top notch event/wedding planner. Thank you Kate!! read more