The headline: Hiring Aligned Events/Shannon to be our event manager was the single best decision we made in the entire process of planning our wedding.
The details: When we decid...ed to have a backyard wedding for ~110 people, we knew that it would require a little extra planning, communication and coordination with our vendors. After locating the key vendors (rentals, photographer, caterer, music) and trying for a few weeks to manage it all ourselves, we realized that we would need help. We asked our vendors which planners in the area they had worked with and would recommend, and multiple referred us to Aligned Events. When we spoke with Shannon on the phone for our initial consultation, we knew they had steered us right—her friendly energy, her attention to both emotional and practical details, and her excitement as we talked through our vision for the day all convinced us that she'd be a great manager and day-of coordinator.
Over the next six months, Shannon was a true partner and go-to resource for all of our questions, worries and ideas about the wedding. One of the first things she did was log us into a shared planning portal (Aisle Planner) where we could keep track of tasks, payments, schedules, the guest list, RSVPs, event layout/seating and more, which significantly reduced our planning stress. She handled and shared all vendor communications promptly, and made multiple planning visits to our site to make sure everything would work where and how we imagined. Her experience with many of our other vendors also reassured us that we had a strong team that would work well together and carry out our vision as smoothly as possible.
In the final week, Shannon was on-site to receive all vendor deliveries and oversee installations, conduct the ceremony run-through for both the default and rain locations, and beautifully decorate the tables and spaces with the florals and other pieces we had prepared.
And on the day-of, Shannon was the hands-down wedding MVP. At every moment during our day, we saw Shannon working joyfully and tirelessly alongside the rest of our vendor team to give us and our guest the best possible experience. We truly did not have to worry about a single logistical detail, service issue, or unforeseen snag for the entire day. We were free to just enjoy the entire experience. That would not have been possible without Shannon. We cannot express enough our appreciation for her professionalism, thoughtfulness, leadership and her true joy for us and our family.
We loved working with Shannon, and you will too!