An Exceptional Event

Shawn Carnall was an INCREDIBLE coordinator! I (the bride) originally wasn't going to have one. I figured I could handle it by myself. But wow! The day of I barely did anything except enjoy myself and entertain guests! It went flawlessly (as far as I could tell)! I shouldn't have been surprised. At the meeting a few weeks before to go over last details, Shawn and the whole team were all so prepared and eager to have this wedding go off without a hitch. My favorite aspect of Shawn's service was the checklist for the rehearsal! It really made organizing so simple and efficient! I cannot recommend her enough. Thank you, Shawn!

We worked with Shawn Carnall from An Exceptional Event and she was an absolute pleasure to work with from day one in our process. Shawn worked as our coordinator for the day of but went above and beyond, making herself available about a month in advance of the big day for questions, active management of vendors, and helping us make sure we weren't missing anything. Where Shawn really shined was her ability to actively problem solve. We worked with a venue which was quite poor at communicating and all around not up to par with the quality you would expect from a full-time venue, but Shawn actively managed the difficult conversations with the venue staff on the day of and from our walkthrough forward, making sure that nothing impeded our big day! Shawn's attention to detail was stunning, she helped us through our wedding day with poise, making sure we checked all of our boxes, kept us on time and on track for our schedule, and ultimately helped us have an all around fantastic experience. Shawn is highly experienced in her field and from the first time we spoke with her, we knew she was trustworthy enough to allow us to fully enjoy our day without having to think about any of the logistics. My spouse and I would recommend Shawn to anybody having a wedding in the DMV because she provides excellent service. True to the name of her company Shawn was nothing if not exceptional in her management of people, fine details, day-of setup, decor, and welcoming demeanor. Shawn's quality service continued past the day of; she checked in with us frequently after our wedding to wish us well and to see if we had any questions or needed assistance with any final wedding closure. If you are looking for the experience of a highly competent wedding planner or coordinator look no further than An Exceptional Event.

I had a few calls with a other potential coordinators before hiring An Exceptional Event, but as soon as I spoke to Shawn, knew she was the one for the job! She made us feel at ease immedately and just felt like I could ask her anything and she would give her honest opinion. She was extremely organized and kept us on track during the months leading up to our wedding and putting together the final timeline for the weekend. It was such a relief to have Shawn to deal with any issues that arose on the day of the wedding and I did not have to worry for one second. She also dealt with some more difficult family members with ease and charm, making everything less stressful for us! I would highly recommend An Exceptional Event to anyone planning a wedding!

Shawn at an exceptional event was by far my most valuable vendor at my wedding! I knew NOTHING when I entered into wedding planning and Shawn offered vendor recommendations, reviewed all my vendor contracts, answered questions about insurance and provided guidance on where to splurge and save when budgets got difficult over the course of the pandemic! She managed to gently push me along my planning journey while I was working full time and took over all vendor communications leading up to the wedding to preserve my sanity!! She helped with every single thing the day of and I had not one worry on the wedding day. Even had both silver and gold cuff links in her day of kit when last minute my husband realized he bought a shirt with no buttons! Shawn was a blessing to my husband and I and we truly loved creating our event with her guidance.