Sabrina and the J29 team were THE special sauce in delivering our multi-day, "Old…read moreHollywood/Bollywood meets PNW cozy" Indian-Western fusion wedding that dazzled every guest. We are STILL getting cards and notes from guests that it was the highlight of their year.
Originally I was looking for a planner that was organized, reliable, and could help bring my vision to life, who would ensure things went off without a hitch. Did I get those things? Absolutely. Sabrina had every detail covered, helped me delegate each task, and created the most comprehensive planning doc for every vendor. Thanks to her, we were 10000% present on our wedding day. All things that the How-To-Pick-a-Planner articles say you should look for - we got them in spades.
But man, it's the things you don't realize you need that had me floored about working with Sabrina / J29.
One was network. Sabrina, Shauna & J29 are clearly well-known in the community for doing what they do with zest, gusto, and style. Every vendor we interviewed had amazing things to say about J29 or was expressly eager to work with them. When we couldn't get responses to outreach emails, Sabrina had the connection that helped get things booked. She knows the industry expertly and saved us HOURS of research, giving us the perfect vendor recommendations. (I finally stopped asking for 5-6 recos because we always ended up narrowing to her original top two!). The team that we assembled was sheer perfection. We got a room block at a hotel that generally doesn't do them. The list goes on. All this to say, Sabrina and J29 are well-known, well-respected, and can get you the team you need and want while saving you time, stress, and headache AND making the process fun.
What blew us away though - Sabrina herself. She is Superwoman. Kind. Funny. Endlessly energetic. Did I mention funny? She will get sh** done on your behalf. All my little neurotic worries -- Sabrina had already foreseen the details & had solutions up her sleeve. Whenever we worried we were being too fussy, she would lovingly remind us that WE were "the pie," and we deserved this day. Her energy is infectious. She was the perfect salve to my procrastination - I couldn't not pick up the phone because every conversation was so fun. Sabrina was also committed to making sure that both my personality and my partner's were well represented in the details, from napkin color to DJ choice. She talked us through our opinions, getting to the heart of what mattered to both of us and offering creative, beautiful compromises that felt greater than the sum of their parts. We felt like our wedding was truly ours and nobody else's.
A final thing: cost, only because I found similar comments helpful in my own search. Hiring Sabrina and the J29 team was THE best investment in our wedding. We'd do it again in a heartbeat. We had no idea the incredible creativity, knowledge, and execution that we were signing up for, and it was worth every penny we paid and then some. If you have the budget and are waffling at all on hiring a planner, I am telling you that the ROI on J29 is huge -- you will not regret this choice.
I could go on about Sabrina & J29 for hours (and my bridesmaids are probably sick of hearing me gush), so I'll simply end: I could never imagine our spectacular, multicultural celebration without Sabrina, her heart, and know-how. She really is the ride-or-die planner/friend that people ache for. She is our dear friend, she has our hearts forever.
