About this vendor
Planner | Coordinator | Destination & Travel
Authentically You is a wedding planning business based in Kansas City, MO. Welcome to Authentically You, where we craft authentic luxury boutique weddings in Kansas and beyond. We specialize in creating unique weddings that tell your story, whether it's an intimate elopement or a bohemian celebration. Our services include expert wedding coordination, seamless cultural planning to infuse diverse traditions, destination planning for your dream location, and even authentic honeymoon travel advice. We aim to make wedding planning stress-free, ensuring every detail reflects your style. Let us help you create an authentic wedding experience filled with love and laughter wherever your heart desires.
Details
Business Attributes
- Black-owned Business
- Woman-owned Business
Destination Weddings
- Destination Wedding Planning
Planning
- A la Carte Wedding Planning
- Budgeting
- Day-Of Coordination
- Destination Wedding Planning
- Full Service Wedding Planning
- Wedding Design
Wedding Activities
- Getting Engaged
- Honeymoon
- Rehearsals & Parties
- Rehearsal Dinner
- Wedding
- Ceremony
Awards and Affiliations
Pricing
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Reviews
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5
out of 5.075 reviews
Review Summary
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Authentically You, led by Aquina and her team, receives glowing reviews from couples who praise their professionalism, attention to detail, and ability to bring wedding visions to life seamlessly. Aquina's expertise, organization, and support throughout the planning process, including helpful vendor recommendations and smooth execution on the wedding day, are highly commended. Clients appreciate the stress-free planning experience, efficient coordination, and personalized touch that made their weddings truly memorable and enjoyable. Review photos
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Aquina made our wedding dream come true: an Ireland destination wedding! It would have never happened without her. I am easily distracted & overwhelmed, but Aquina was very patient, calming, and reassuring throughout the process, found us some lovely vendors, and managed to create the most beautiful reception for us in the back of an Irish pub in the cutest Irish village. It was magical. Thank you, Aquina!
Response from the Vendor on 12/20/2023
Thank you so much for your kind words! It was a pleasure being part of your special day. Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness!🫶🏾
Aquina is both a wonderful wedding planner and a wonderful person, who ensured that our wedding was a huge success even though we were remotely planning it. From our initial meeting and on through all of the planning meetings and questions & indecisiveness from us, Aquina was there to answer all of our questions, provide her expertise to keep us going down the right path, and ask the right questions of her own to make sure everything was accounted for. On the day itself, Aquina and her team were there to coordinate with all of our vendors, the venue team, and most difficult of all, our families, allowing us to take a step back and bask in the day itself knowing everything was in good hands. We are incredibly grateful that Aquina and the AY team were our wedding planners and would recommend them in a heartbeat!
Aquina & her team were so incredible to work with! She absolutely brought our vision to life for our Montana wedding. Aquina was incredibly professional and organized, and she truly made planning our wedding a completely stress-free process. I could not recommend her enough, whether in KC or a destination wedding!
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Aquina was wonderful to work with!! She was so kind and her ability to be honest and decisive was beyond helpful when it came to planning our wedding. On the day of, Aquina and Mickaela’s hard work and planning allowed us to be present and just enjoy all the happenings. We are so grateful and definitely recommend the AY team!!
Response from the Vendor on 07/09/2024
Wow Mackenzie! Thank you so much for taking the time to give us a review. We had the best time coordinating your wedding day and wish you all the happiness in the world. ✨
This review is long overdue, but I want to take the moment to say what an excellent, kind, thoughtful, and incisive wedding planner and day-of coordinator Aquina is. Aquina went above and beyond for us at every step – helping us think through our big-picture vision, giving us a detailed overview of the planning process, gently nudging us with reminders throughout the process, and streamlining absolutely all communications with vendors. Aquina was available to answer our questions and offer guidance whenever. Unlike other wedding planners and vendors, Aquina was so generous with her expert opinion, helping guide us to the right choices and offering perspectives we hadn’t considered. More importantly, she empowered us to center our vision, cultures, and values for our day. For the services she provided and the ease of mind that she gave us and our families on our wedding day, her work is priceless. We have nothing but happy memories from our wedding day thanks to Aquina, who did so much behind the scenes to make it happen. We cannot recommend Authentically You highly enough.
Response from the Vendor on 05/23/2024
Hello Katie. Thank you so much for your kind words and amazing review! It was an absolute pleasure working with you to create your special day. Seeing your vision come to life and knowing that we contributed to your happiness on the day means t...
he world to us. We wish you all the best in your journey together.
We had the best experience with Aquina and her team! She came highly recommended from a friend after their own wedding. We knew we wanted help with coordinating the wedding day and even help leading up to the month of with last minute details we might forget. She asked questions and thought of things we didn’t even think to expect or plan out for our wedding day. We are so lucky we had her, she made everything flow smoothly from vendor communication to day of details. She helped with decor setup/layout when my vision was all over the place. If anything went wrong on our wedding day, we had no idea because she took care of everything so seamlessly! I don’t know what we would’ve done without her! We highly recommend Authentically You for anyone who is looking for wedding planning services, you will not regret it!!!!!
Response from the Vendor on 05/23/2024
Hello Chelby! We are delighted to receive such a wonderful review from you. It was a pleasure to be apart of your wedding day. We wish you all the happiness in the world in this next chapter of your life. 🤍
I don't even know where to begin. Aquina is AMAZING. From top to bottom, she was easily the best decision we made for our wedding day. Even from the beginning, she helped me with vendor suggestions and was so great with all my random questions I had leading up to the wedding day. Building a team of vendors that Aquina had worked with and utilizing her suggestions made our day go so smooth. She came with us for our walk through at our venue and pointed out things I never would have thought of. She offers suggestions based on her experience that I found very helpful, but she isn't pushy and will customize your day to make it exactly what you want. Day of, everything went off without a hitch and it was 100% because of Aquina. If there were problems, I didn't hear about them because she handled it. She is extremely professional, knows her stuff, but is also so fun to have around and makes sure your day is perfect. I love love love her. best money we spent BY FAR.
Response from the Vendor on 12/20/2023
Thank you so much for the lovely review. You were a dream to work with 🫶🏾
Authentically You was one of the best investments for the wedding we made. Aquina worked with us on every request and vision we had for the day while also guiding us when we weren't sure what we wanted or where to start. Sometimes it felt like she knew what we wanted before we even realized it just by listening to us and getting to know us as a couple. She handled everything with the vendors inside 30 days and relieved so much stress from us as the couple leading up to the wedding. Mickaela was our day of coordinator and there was such a seamless transition between Aquina helping with design to Mickaela being on site day of the wedding. Everything ran so smoothly and if there were any hiccups we didn't even notice as the couple because they were completely handled by Authentically You. Everyone there was so professional and on top of things leading up to the wedding that it made it so easy to actually sit back and enjoy the wedding knowing they had everything handled. Cannot say enough good things about the Authentically You team!
Response from the Vendor on 12/20/2023
Thank you so much for your kind words! It was a pleasure being part of your special day. Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness!🫶🏾
I first met Aquina at a wedding where I was the photographer and she was the coordinator. I wasn’t even engaged yet, but we had a few brief moments to chat while dinner was being served and I told her right then and there that she HAD to be my wedding planner when the time came. As a wedding photographer, I’ve met and worked with tons of wedding vendors and planners, many of whom were difficult to work with, overstepped, or micromanaged. I knew when I started wedding planning that I would be so picky with who I chose - I wanted *the* vendor dream team made up of people who I could trust and I did not want a stressful wedding planning experience. So the second I got engaged, my first call was Aquina! Working with her was a dream come true. She made great suggestions, talked us through confusing contracts from other vendors, went out of her way to make sure things went smoothly, and calmed me down when I had minor bride panic attacks. My favorite thing about her though is that despite her incredible attention to detail and desire for things to be perfect, she is so chill and had a calming presence throughout our entire day. As someone who has photographed over 100 weddings, I promise your biggest regret will be not hiring someone to take the stress off your shoulders and Aquina is THE best of the best. And your vendors will thank you…she is vendor AND bride approved!!!
Response from the Vendor on 05/23/2024
Hello Kimberly! It was a pleasure to be apart of your beautiful wedding day! We wish you all the happiness in the world. 🤍
Aquina does a great job a managing the many moving parts of a wedding. When the big day finally came, everything was in place and went exactly as planned thanks to her! We could not be happier and would recommend her services to anyone!
Response from the Vendor on 12/20/2023
Thank you so much for your kind words! It was a pleasure being part of your special day. Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness!🫶🏾
Aquina and her team were exactly what we needed leading up to our wedding and the day of. She was easy to work with, gave helpful advice, and took so much stress out of our wedding, especially because we were planning a KC wedding from Chicago. We felt confident knowing she was coordinating all the vendors and decor. She was able to execute exactly what we wanted for the decor without us being on site before the ceremony. This allowed us and our families to enjoy the wedding weekend. I highly recommend her for all your wedding planning and coordinating needs!
Response from the Vendor on 12/20/2023
Thank you so much for your kind words! It was a pleasure being part of your special day. Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness!🫶🏾
We met Aquina through a referral from our daughter’s wedding venue. My mother-of-the-bride stress melted away from our very first meeting. We were instantly drawn to her organization and warm personality. I knew we needed someone special in our corner – and Aquina was it.
Our vendor team had to pivot the week of the wedding due to a rainy forecast. Aquina put us completely at ease that she’d be ready for anything. She went above and beyond on rehearsal night making sure our vendors were giving us their very best. She was a dream the day of the wedding — so kind, even-tempered, incredibly organized and amazingly accommodating from beginning to end. We highly recommend Aquina!
Aquina is absolutely fantastic to work with! We started working with her at the very beginning of our planning process, and all of our other vendors came at her recommendation. She helped us put together an ideal team of wonderful professionals! Throughout planning, Aquina answered all of our questions and kept us on track for every task. She thinks of every detail which was invaluable to us! Aquina made the day of our wedding so perfect. She ensured every vendor, bridal party member, and family member knew exactly what to do. I was so relaxed throughout the entire day because of the trust I had in Aquina. The day was exactly what we envisioned and hoped for! I loved that everyone got to just enjoy it because Aquina had everything covered! Her kindness, attention to detail, and effective communication style set her apart!
Response from the Vendor on 12/20/2023
Thank you so much for your kind words! It was a pleasure being part of your special day. Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness!🫶🏾
I ended up moving forward with day of coordination through my venue but spoke with Aquina in the early days of venue searching and she was so helpful. I wasn't even officially a client of hers and she was immediately helpful in connecting me with vendors, venues, and giving valuable advice.
If how she treated me as a potential client is any indication of how she is once hired - you are in AMAZING hands!
My husband and I had the pleasure of Aquina from Authentically You KC as our day of coordinator for our wedding and that was the best decision we made!
Aquina is a true expert in the KC wedding industry and we were incredibly lucky to have had her help. Aquina helped smooth out all the stress of wedding planning. She always made use feel as though she had everything 100% under control. She’s knowledgeable, organized and she kept communication high between us, our vendors, and our venue to keep everyone on target.
Aquina was a dream to work with and always went above and beyond to explain and advise us whenever we had questions or needed extra help. While she was hired as a day of coordinator, Aquina began helping with planning from the day she was hired (7 months in advanced). And on the day of the wedding, she was so flexible with some of the unexpected changes to our timeline and guest count.
Working with Aquina, you don’t feel like just another client. You feel like you’re talking with a friend. It’s much more personal and we enjoyed this connection. Also, unlike other planners we interviewed, we loved how accessible she made herself via phone and emails.
We honestly don’t know how we would have pulled it off without Aquina’s help. Our wedding was beautiful and PERFECTLY us - we cannot thank Aquina enough. We’re typically DIY-type people, but when it came to wedding planning, it really helped to have an expert guide us. We shared our ideas with Aquina and she worked her magic and brought it to life. If you think you don't need a wedding planner/day of coordinator, think again and if you think you can go with just any one THINK AGAIN!
Response from the Vendor on 12/20/2023
Thank you so much for your kind words! It was a pleasure being part of your special day. Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness!🫶🏾
Aquina (Authentically You KC) was amazing to work with. She is a gem of a human being and really on top of her stuff. Aquina makes sure the plans are clear and helps take the stress and coordination off of your long wedding planning list. Day of went very smoothly. From the consultation to the time of the wedding, Aquina was so quick to answer questions quickly and was such a rockstar for problem solving. Aquina is a trusting collaborator – especially in regards to you big day! <3
So thankful Aquina and Mickaela fit us in to their busy October schedule to help with the backyard wedding. Aquina quickly helped get vendor quotes pulled together for easy selection and developed timeline.
Mickaela kept the wedding day on schedule and on task and she worked so tirelessly getting everything setup. She handled all of my concerns quickly and in such a professional calm manner.
Thank you Aquina and Mickaela for allowing me to enjoy the day because of all of their hard work .
HIRE HER HIRE HER HIRE HER!!!!!
Aquina was a freaking angel who took care of alllllll of the tiny details on the day of so my husband and I could focus on having fun and getting married. I cannot say enough good things about her. From the beginning she gave us a list of vendors she loved (and gave fair feedback about vendors she had less than ideal interactions with) and always communicated in a professional and honest way. She kept us on task during the months leading up to the wedding , answering all of my questions and asking me questions I hadn't even thought of. She has an incredible timeline-making system and everything was so organized and thought out that I was not worried at all the week of the wedding. When our big day came she organized everything and everyone at the venue. She took care of EVERYTHING which allowed myself and my family time to just enjoy the day. She is honestly worth every penny and then some, she went above and beyond to help us have an incredible day and I am so thankful we hired her.
Aquina is amazing! It rained on my wedding day which was very disappointing. She helped guide everyone through the logistic changes that needed to happen due to that. She eased my worries throughout the whole process. She packed things up for us, ran our rehearsal, and helped us through some other unfortunate situations with some vendors. She fought for us and made sure we were satisfied, even when things beyond our control went wrong. I would HIGHLY recommend Authentically You KC, especially if you are getting married at La Villa!
Working with Aquina was a wonderful experience! I initially thought I’d plan my own wedding. I quickly realized that was more than I wanted to take on and began searching for a planner. Speaking with Aquina immediately put me at ease. In that first meeting it was obvious she loves what she does, she’s very transparent and that I wouldn’t be just another bride amongst the shuffle. She fully believes in not taking on more clients than she can devote her full attention to and it shows. From our first meeting and all through out planning she zeroed in on the things that were most important to me. Her clear communication, organization and patience were a Godsend for a perfectionist/over thinker like me. She was available to answer my questions (I had a ton), provide guidance as I chose vendors and make sure that my vision for my wedding didn’t get lost in the process. When I started feeling anxious leading up to my wedding day, she helped keep me calm. Attention to detail is huge for me and she ensured that even the smallest details weren’t overlooked. On my wedding day Aquina was so thorough. She moved seamlessly between vendors, the bridal party and family members to keep everyone on the same page. She checked in with me, made sure I had everything I needed and that I stayed stress free. Every aspect of the day came together beautifully. My wedding was EVERYTHING! I’m so grateful I had Aquina to guide me through the planning process and coordinate my wedding day.
From the first meeting, Aquina was so genuine and helpful! When we first met, before even hiring her, she gave us suggestions for hair and makeup and rehearsal dinner suggestions (which we took both and LOVED!). She was always available to answer any questions I had and made both me and my mom feel at ease going into the wedding day. Due to the time of our ceremony, neither I nor my family were available to help set up our reception. Aquina and her team set everything up exactly as I envisioned. Our day went so wonderfully smooth, and I credit it all to the work Aquina put in behind the scenes that day!! 10000x recommend!
Aquina was absolutely wonderful to work with. Everything ran so smooth. She was so informative and made sure everything ran on time. We were so lucky to have her as part of our event.
Aquina was amazing to work with! I had a call with her right after I got engaged (and a year and a half before the wedding) and knew she was the right one to help with my wedding day! I hired her as my day of coordinator - but she did so much more to help. From providing additional vendor recommendations early on and helping to ease my stress, to making sure I had all the final details thought of and checked off leading up to the big day. (There were tons of details that I hadn’t even thought of!) She worked with us on a detailed timeline and was in touch with all of our vendors the week of the wedding to ensure everyone was on the same page. It was very reassuring to know she and her team were there to handle anything unexpected on our special day!
Our day would not have been as successful as it was without Aquina. Thank you! ✨❤️🥂
Aquina was so easy to work with. She is organized and is proactive rather than reactive. I knew nothing about planning a wedding and really relied on her and was not disappointed! She also had an assistant at the wedding that I had not met until that day and she was wonderful as well. Highly recommend!!
We feel SO lucky to have found Authentically You KC on our wedding planning journey. Aquina and I instantly clicked and she made our wedding planning process stress free! I am so impressed by, not only, her event planning talents but also by how she treats people! She is such a kind and genuine person and goes above and beyond for her clients.
Her communication kept us up to date at all times and kept us on track, even someone like me who procrastinates like crazy! She is very well connected with vendors throughout Kansas City and was very transparent and honest about each of them, helping us make the best choices on vendors for our wedding and the vibe we were going for!
She is extremely organized through the planning process and the day of. We received a full timeline for the day and every detail that was needed. Her level of organization and communication with myself and the vendors made me feel so comfortable and stress free on the day of the wedding. I knew she had everything handled and would make sure it was all perfect…and it was! To top it all off, she also helped us plan a Mother’s Day Brunch/Baby Shower combo event the morning after our wedding!
If you are looking to feel like more than just another client, stay organized, be stress free and watch your wedding dreams come to life then I highly recommend Aquina at Authentically You KC.
Aquina and her assistant for the day, Paige, were the best investment we made on our wedding day! We hired her in October for our February wedding as our day of coordinator! We chatted constantly the months leading up to the wedding. I loved that we weren’t limited to one medium of communication (i.e. scheduled phone calls) and could reach out whenever something came up. Since we hired her when all of our vendors were already booked, she took over the communication with them. We collaborated on our day of timeline, then she collaborated with the vendors to make sure everyone was on the same page for the flow of the day. By the time we got to our wedding day, she had taken all of our stress off my husband and I. She is definitely the unsung hero of our wedding day! Even both our parents thought she was an amazing resource and well worth the extra expense! We can’t thank her enough for all the work she did to make our day absolutely perfect!
I know this late is a little late, as I got married 9/11/21, however I absolutely could not forget or let it go any longer with out letting Aquina Holt and any future brides, how amazing she was. I hired her for my day of planner, but she helped me out along the way, and boy, when it came down to the day of, Ladies and Gents.. she should get an award.. she was so awesome, set up decor on my tables and outside by the ceremony, kept us on que, she even was there for our youngest son, when he was getting hungry and fussy and us the couple (AKA mom and dad) were busy having to get pics and get ready for the ceremony and than the reception entrance.. I didn't have to ask.. she just stepped up and knew what needed to be done at each moment.. my husband and I were so thankful, and really wish we could have expressed that so much more to her that night as well as gotten a photo with her, but another time.. hands down Aquina has your back on your most important day, she keeps you from getting stressed. Best advice, that I had to remind myself , well actually she reminded me, is to "Trust", this is what she does, this is what she is good at, this is why I had hired her. I had planned it all out, made my DIY decor, hired the vendors, and when she told me it was okay... she is now taking over, to let her do her thing. That is just what I needed, I am so happy I did not have any of that stress the day of the wedding, I am so happy she was there, that she is someone you can trust, she truly cares about each wedding and each couple, it is her passion, and she will always be a friend to us. Thank you so much Aquina!!!
(Side note, I was looking for a wedding planner, and I asked on my nextdoor app, and someone recommended her, that she was amazing, and now I am in a sense "paying it forward" to the next one!!)
I would recommend Aquina 100 x over! She worked with one of my good friends as her wedding coordinator as well and I could just tell she would be a great fit for us too! She was so helpful throughout the entire year leading up to our wedding - always willing to setup a Zoom, answer quick questions over text message and meet at vendor locations. She truly went above and beyond especially with how hectic this year has been for everyone in the wedding industry. Aquina's demeanor is a perfect mixture of calm / fun while also so professional which is so reassuring when working with someone who will be involved in your big day. She made "game time" decisions for us and truly helped make our wedding day as stress free as possible for not only us but our family and friends which is exactly what we wanted. Thank you Aquina, we love you! Hire her (if you're luck enough to find a weekend she's still available)!!! Xoxo!
Loved our experience with Aquina and her team coordinating a wedding held at our venue.
We were impressed and thankful for her punctuality, professionalism and the dedication to her clients.
Authentically You...... We welcome you anytime !!
I can not say enough positive things about Aquina Holt!! We realized that we would need to enlist the help of a wedding planner, as my husband and I lived in a different state than our daughter and now son-in-law. Aquina offers several options of service, so it was nice to be able to choose an option that would best suit our needs. Throughout the planning process, Aquina was wonderful at implementing a timeline that kept everything on track. She also has a wealth of relationships with vendors that proved to be quite beneficial when it came time to make decisions for different facets of the wedding and reception. Aquina was very professional in this regard, as she did not put pressure on choosing one vendor over another. She simply shared information with us and stepped back while decisions were made. Aquina is very solution focused with a great deal of insight and a desire to help couples fulfill their wedding vision in a patient and respectful way. Our daughter and son-in-law's wedding was a most joyful occasion, that was expertly carried out by Aquina Holt!
Aquina was recommended to us by our venue and I'm so thankful she was because this day would not have been what it was without her. My husband and I wanted to work with good people who understood us and our vibe and Aquina clicked with us right away. We hired her as our wedding coordinator and she kept me calm and organized throughout the process and the final month of wedding planning. She was always there to answer any questions or concerns and made our day absolutely perfect. Her team was also amazing and they all went above and beyond to help us in any way we needed. Seriously, don't look any further. She is your girl and the one person you need on your wedding day!
Aquina was essential to our wedding preparation and success of our wedding weekend. She provided excellent recommendations, kept us on track, and gave guidance when needed. We had a very specific vision for our wedding and Aquina helped us achieve it, even with a few covid curveballs! We had absolutely no worries on our wedding day as we knew we were in great hands! Hiring Aquina as a wedding planner and coordinator was one of the best decisions we made and I would recommend her to anyone looking for the same!
Aquina is AMAZING!!! She went above and beyond for my partner and me. She coached us through the pandemic and was amazing at working with all our vendors and organizing them for our rescheduled date. She was so well put together and professional I didn't have to worry about anything for our wedding. She gave us the best gift of all and let us enjoy our wedding while she took care of everything else. Aquina should be the first vendor you hire when you start planning your wedding. I cannot recommend her enough!
We hired Aquina for our wedding last weekend and we are still talking about all the little details she managed and took care of leading up to the wedding, the night of, and after the wedding. We didn’t know if we wanted a coordinator, but our venue required one and now I highly recommend her to everyone! She made our day go so smooth and our families/friends didn’t have to worry about any details. She asked us questions about things we never would have thought of ahead of time so there were no questions or issues the day of. She easily coordinated with all of our vendors so there was no confusion. She went above and beyond and we truly can’t imagine our day without her. If you’re on the fence, you will not regret hiring Aquina!!
Aquina is hands down amazing! From the minute I met her, I knew she genuinely cared about our wedding. She was there for us through covid rescheduling and went above and beyond her contracted duties for us. We had a few last minute things we forgot for the day of and she and her assistant got everything done and were so kind and professional. She even helped bring my pinterest board to life. We cannot thank or recommend her enough!!!
Aquina & Emily were amazing from start to finish!
Aquina – She might not have been there for my wedding day due to another wedding, but she made sure my wedding was going to go exactly as planned even if she wasn’t there. Her communication skills. Knowledge, professionalism, attention to detail, and overall attitude is the reason I chose to work with her. She was there for every question from day one.
Emily – Emily is the perfect addition to Authentically You. She made sure my day went smooth, as planned, and that I was relaxed throughout the day and knew that she had it under control. She is kind, professional, knowledgeable, and is very organized!
I am so thankful I chose Authentically You to coordinate my wedding day!
Hiring Aquina was one of the best decisions I made when planning my wedding! I thought at the beginning I could handle it all myself, boy was I wrong! Aquina handled everything for me, helped me stay within my budget, and SO much more! One of my favorite things about Aquina was her transparency and honesty to me as we planned my big day. Her advice made my wedding seamless and completely stress free! At the end of the day, I heard from so many people that they had never seen a wedding run so smoothly with no flaws. I will forever cherish the time I got to spend with Aquina and am SO glad I went with her as my wedding planner!
As an out of town, first time MOB - we could not have been in better hands than with Aquina. She went above and beyond with her duties as far as communication, willingness to Zoom when needed, making extra trips to the venue and giving us a worry free evening to enjoy. I struggle giving away control but felt 100% confident in Aquina’s care!
We honestly wouldn't have been able to navigate through the pandemic and re-scheduling our wedding without Aquina's guidance through it all. She is such a genuine and caring person who truly wants what is best for the couple on their big day! We are sad that she is already booked for our new date but totally understand as she's a total rockstar :). If you are planning a wedding and truly are on the fence about hiring a coordinator- JUST DO IT! Especially with this pandemic we are never sure what the future holds. Aquina was able to keep us up to date on the most recent developments and restrictions as they became available and was able to professionally discuss and help us through with a decision about what is best for us and our families. She is the best of the best!
Aquina is a miracle worker, and anyone who is on the fence about hiring a wedding planner just do it!
Let me start by saying that I'm not your typical bride, but who is these days? At the time I hired her I was working 60+ hours a week, and the idea of planning minute details of a wedding seemed daunting to say the least. I ended up leaving my job and starting a new career just a few months before the wedding, which caused my husband and I to postpone to 2020 instead. LOLOLOLOL, what a choice! Due to Covid we ended up having a tiny little wedding in CO instead of the one (the second one) that Aquina had put all of her time and effort into planning, but instead of throwing in the towel and telling me what a jerk I am, she offered to come to CO with me if I needed her and tried to help me in any way she could. She was so supportive, and laid out all of our options objectively without sugar coating or trying to sway things one way or another. Ultimately it was the right decision for us, and our day ended up being absolutely perfect.
Aquina knows exactly what she's doing and has great recommendations for vendors that she has worked with before, and she has a way of deciphering what exactly you're talking about even when you don't. 10/10 would hire again!
Aquina was heaven sent for us. We are an out of town couple that had our hearts set on an uniquely themed wedding in KC because that’s where my husband is from. From our first meeting to our wedding day Aquina remained confident and professional. Even in the wake of Covid-19 she always remained optimistic and realistic. There is no amount of money I can put in this type of service. We took all of her Covid-19 recommendations and were still able to pull off the wedding of our dreams. All of her vendor recommendations except 1 was incredibly. The stress she took off our plates during our 18 month planning process we can never thank her enough for. But the fires she put out in actual wedding day that I had no idea about make me forever grateful to her. Her staff are complete professionals as well. So once again thank you Aquina from the Blake’s!!
Aquina was such a great help as my "day-of coordinator". This title is so misleading because Aquina worked with me for months and was always available to bounce ideas off of or get more detailed advice or assistance. I probably could have used her more than I did, but she was also great in letting my Type A, controlling self take the reigns and she and her assistant Emily took over the day-of and pulled everything together so I could enjoy my wedding day.
Aquina was very helpful and flexible in separating the hours and services I paid for when I decided to split my wedding into a minimony and reception. In such a stressful and crazy time, this was so helpful and truly shows the kind and thoughtful heart she has. It has been a pleasure to work with her and I look forward to working with her again in a year for my large reception. I trust it will go smoothly once again with her support.
We opted to have Aquina as our Coordinator via a recommendation from a friend who were utilizing her services and had only positive things to say! We are so glad that we took their recommendation because Aquina recommended several vendors to us that were PERFECT. In the midst of COVID, we had to change our wedding plans to a smaller scale and Aquina stepped in tremendously to help make our day perfect. She also saved us with last minute day of details (like bags of ice for our beverage trough) and that last minute tablecloth that we didn't rent (Can you tell we are a DIY couple?) . Aquina also did our music for walking down the aisle since we decided to opt out of having a DJ. There are probably various other details that I don't even know about because Aquina helped make everything run so smoothly. Aquina is a friend to us and I will recommend her services to anyone who wants a Coordinator or Planner for their wedding!!
Aquina’s fun personality is an awesome addition to anyone’s wedding day. As a photographer, I love it when I connect well with the other vendors. It is so key to creating the best team, to give our clients the best experience! Aquina is totally on the ball, organized, and a #boss at what she does. She serves her clients so well, and that’s what is important. I hope we do many more weddings together in the future!
I am so happy with our decision to have Aquina as our day-of coordinator. She made the whole process so easy and stress-free! I feel like I was actually able to enjoy getting ready on the day of my wedding instead of worrying if everything was going to get done. I knew Aquina would be perfect for the job from the first day I met her. My mom was a little hesitant because she did not think we would need a coordinator, but all of those hesitations went away as soon as she met Aquina too. Aquina is kind, professional, organized, and was extremely helpful with every single task. I could never say thank you enough. She gave me countless recommendations for vendors, helped me navigate the unknown waters of covid, and made my day absolutely perfect. If you are thinking about hiring a coordinator, DO IT! But meet with Aquina before your decision! Aquina, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of your help.
Love,
Nina and Ryan
The amount of gratitude I feel for Aquina Holt is indescribable, but I’m going to do my best with this review.
If you’re thinking of retaining a planner, DO. IT. Don’t walk. Run. I had to plan TWO weddings (thank you, Covid), and having a planner is 100% the reason that my stress was manageable throughout the entire process. Literally, my wedding wouldn’t have happened as flawlessly and as stress-free if it weren’t for Aquina and her team. Retaining a wedding planner was the first thing I did—I work long hours and usually exhaust all my planning/organizing momentum during the work hours, so I knew I needed someone to keep me focused and on track. I’m also a bit of a perfectionist, which often translates to being indecisive, so I needed someone to narrow options down for me and help me talk through ideas in an unbiased manner. Aquina was just that and SO much more.
Aquina and I started working together in January 2019 for my April 2020 wedding—which is already a long partnership! Then Covid hit. Aquina was quick to talk through the options with us and we all agreed, rather quickly, to postpone only 4 weeks before our wedding. There are SO many layers to postponing, worst of all is coordinating with your vendors AGAIN to try to line up the same day. Enter Aquina--she contacted all my vendors and a new venue to make it happen for 8/8. I had very little stress when I should have been stressed out of my mind. Aquina had a lot of vendors that she already works with in the industry, so that made my search much easier—but she was also open to other vendors that I may have found through other avenues (although I didn’t end up using any b/c she already had the best picked out!). She was incredibly well organized with email correspondence (including all coordination with vendors & CC’ing me on them) and outlines, she was quick to reply to texts/emails/calls (even when I wasn’t!!) and she was willing to give me honest feedback to help me narrow down my vision.
I had zero worries the day of my wedding. Aquina was very clear to me and my family that she didn’t want us to worry about anything the day of the wedding and if we had questions or concerns to take them directly to her to figure out. When we arrived at the venue, the vision that we had discussed FOR MONTHS was executed exactly how I had imagined. She was able to turn the wedding I described into a tangible experience. Aquina and her team made sure we all got down the aisle in order, she made sure the “room flip” was handled efficiently and kept the reception on track. I’m still on a high from that day and relive so many of the memories!
My family and then-fiancé thought I was ridiculous for hiring and seeking out a wedding planner. They have since changed their minds and recognize that Aquina was essential to the planning process and making our wedding day unforgettable. It is clear that Aquina takes great pride in her work and prioritized my needs through the process. She was instrumental in the best day of our lives.
Aquina made our day amazing and completely stress free! We could not have rescheduled an entire wedding so easily without her help. We couldn’t recommend her enough!
Aquina was absolutely amazing through the whole wedding planning process! She and her team helped us pull off our dream wedding. They executed our vision perfectly, were amazingly kind the entire day, and were very clear with communication! We wish we could give them more than 5 stars! Would absolutely recommend!
I cannot say this enough - Aquina is a WEDDING ROCK STAR. I hired Aquina before COVID hit, and if I didn’t have her to help me through COVID planning I don’t know what I would have done. Aquina did anything and everything so I wouldn’t have any more added stress - and all of that was even before the actual wedding day. On the day of, I didn’t have a care in the world because Aquina and her team handled everything. And the day turned out so fabulously. Without a doubt, Aquina was the best decision I made as it relates to my wedding. She is just so fabulous I can’t even quite put it into words.
Aquina was an absolute dream to work with. During the 10 months we were planning my wedding, I went from going all in and booking vendors and doing tons of research unsupervised to going completely AWOL for months once school started. She took it all in stride and was always ready to tell it like it is to point me in the right direction. Even more than the help with planning and booking (which I 100% desperately needed), what I’m most happy with is how little I needed to worry. I knew I wasn’t going to miss any detail or have any hiccups ruin my day because Aquina had it covered. I woke up the day of my wedding calm and confident and I know that wouldn’t have been possible without her.
As the groom, it was really unknown to me what really goes into planning a wedding. The minute we sat down and met Aquina for the first time, we knew that she would be able to bring our wedding into fruition. She took the time to pay attention to everything that my now wife and I had to say and found a way to execute all of our ideas (and made sure that we kept within budget).
On the wedding day, everything flowed very seamlessly. My wife and I had a blast and we were able to focus on our family and friends, while I am sure there was a ton of work being done behind the scenes. We really appreciate everything Aquina helped us get through with not only the wedding, but everything it took to get us up to that day.
Our experience with AH planning
was great she helped us on every aspect of the wedding keeping to a budget.
Since there are only 5 stars to choose from I gave Aquina and AH Planning a 5 star rating, however I can honestly say that if there were more stars I'd give her many more. As the mother of the bride and my third daughters wedding, I kind of felt that between me and the future mother in law, we could knock this out together. Boy was I wrong!!! Aquina made it a point to emphasize the fact that her mission was for my daughter and I to not have to worry about anything and just to "let go." (which I have a hard time doing at times.) There were many last minute changes and it was one of the hottest days in June. Aquina and her staff improvised with a barrel filled with ice cold water to photo displays at the entry that we hadn't planned. I let go so much that I gave her my credit card and said..."go for it, keep the receipts and don't lose it." She is super trustworthy and truly has a knack and passion for making any event stress free so you can focus on what truly matters...why you're there. From set up to clean up she made everything move like clockwork. Truly a day that won't be forgotten because I was worried about clean up...which is exactly what happened with my first daughter's wedding without Aquina. I highly, HIGHLY recommend AH Planning KC to anyone that just wants to enjoy the moment at any event.
Aquina was absolutely amazing. Hiring her for your coordinator will be the BEST decision you can make for your wedding and money well spent!!
A few months after hiring Aquina our venue cancelled on us. Without even asking, Aquina was immediately calling all the venues in Kansas City trying to find me a new venue. She even went on tours with us during the awful Kc snow storms. Throughout the planning process I was able to text and call her as often as I needed. She went to our venue with us multiple times for help with idea planning even though it was 45 minutes outside of Kc.
The week of she called all our vendors and confirmed and made it totally stress free. She helped make all my crazy design ideas come to life even better than I could have done myself. We even borrowed a few items from her at no cost! She went over and behind in every category possible. We had a no show for a vendor and she called them immediately and handled it and helped alleviate that stress post wedding. I am going to miss working with her because she was that amazing! So do yourself a favor and hire this amazing woman!!! She even came with extra personnel to hire for cleanup at the end of the evening.
Oh my gosh there shouldn’t even be anyone else in this business but Aquina or people that are just like her. She made my wedding beyond beautiful. There are simply no words that can describe that feeling of when you see everything set up and come together on your wedding day. It was truly a dream come true and it was all because of Aquina. Thank you so much for being amazing and so much more!!! I lost a planner but gained a friend. <3
Oh man, where do I begin?! My now husband (yay!) and I had met with several wedding planners that were struggling to see our vision, but after sitting down with Aquina for the first time, she instantly knew what we were trying to achieve with our non-traditional wedding. Over the next year, she helped us put together the most amazing day that I am still reeling from - everything was absolutely perfect! The vendors she suggested were all incredible and over delivered any expectations that we had. In addition to this, she was so much fun throughout all the madness that is planning a wedding that she managed to take all of the stress out of it. I know, that seems impossible, but with Aquina by your side, it totally is! The time she took to get to know us and what we wanted our day to be meant so much to the both of us. We had dreams of a rooftop ceremony and reception, but days leading up the weather looked bleak, so Aquina helped put together the most beautiful Plan B that I would have honestly been just as happy with (we did manage the rooftop in the end!). I really cannot say enough good things. If you are considering booking a wedding planner, please do yourself a favor and book Aquina. Ya welcome.
Aquina is absolutely amazing! My fiance and I are very low-key, and while we had a general idea of what we wanted, we are very go with the flow so didn't really know details.
Aquina made sure our venue was beautifully decorated, and kept the decor and bouquets a surprise (which she knew I would love,) and then set up the photographer and videographer up to record our reactions to the venue.
It was absolutely perfect! I cried when I saw how beautiful it was! And even though we got a bit behind schedule on our itenerary, she made sure everything ran smoothly and was 100% flexible.
I also would suggest booking her brother, Sala, as DJ if you can! They work flawlessly as a team and they both made our day absolutely wonderful! If I went back and did it again I would book them 100x over! Thank you for making our day wonderful and stress free!!!
I wanted an out of state wedding in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee with our families. I contacted Aquina with AH Planning and I’m glad I did. She found a beautiful venue in the mountains near a running stream and organized everything! All of our accommodations were perfect! I couldn’t of asked for anything better. She went above and beyond my expectations. Thank you AH Planning!
Aquina was our day-of coordinator and she was incredible! She was so happy to help me with any questions I had leading up to the wedding then made sure everything was perfect on the actual day! I’d recommend her to everyone! She'll make sure your wedding goes perfectly and help every step of the way! She’s awesome!
Aquina is organized, accessible, she gives great attention to detail. She listens to what the vision is and suggests ways to make it happen. The day of the wedding, we didn't have to worry about a thing, she had it handled. She truly cared that the day was extra special for the bride. Highly recommend!
Aquina was absolutely wonderful to work with. She was so patient throughout the entire planning process and we seriously could not have gotten everything setup and coordinated the day of without her. She went above and beyond and even coordinated with a calligrapher to do a welcome sign for us using her sign she let us borrow for the day. She also brought some cute chairs that we used behind our sweetheart table. Aquina took the time to meet with us several times at the venue and met with me on several other occasions to coordinate everything. She is incredibly reasonable and will do everything in her power to make sure your day is perfect. Thanks Aquina!
This girl knows how to finish strong! I hired Aquina about 3 months before my wedding date. After planning almost everything on my own for the last year, I was feeling overwhelmed with the final details, not knowing if I was actually as prepared as I hoped to be. Aquina turned that around! After our first face-to-face meeting, I knew she was who I needed to get my sanity back before the wedding. As the big day approached, she stayed in close contact with me about all vendors; she confirmed with them the week before; and she handled all issues day of in conjunction with our designated decision maker (the Father of the Groom). I am so happy to say my Wedding Day was the most beautiful, exciting, fun, stress-free day I could've imagined. As far as I know, there was not a single issue, and I attribute that whole-heartedly to Aquina's ability to organize and complete tasks!
Newlywed here! My husband and I cannot thank Aquina enough for her services. She not only helped me to narrow down my vision for my big day, she also made it a reality. The weather was unpredictable and despite several “day of” changes Aquina managed to still make it perfect. She was able to simultaneously handle difficult guests and make sure everyone was happy, especially my husband and I. Her connections in the wedding world are immense and she never had hesitations when it came to working with our limited budget. Personally though, the way she relieved my anxiety through the planning process and took the wheel when I was overwhelmed is what I appreciated most. Having such a genuine person aid you in the biggest day of your life is an unparalleled blessing. Thank you Aquina!
Aquina executed my daughters vision perfectly! Hiring Aquina allowed myself and my wife to live in the moment and enjoy the day to the fullest! We highly recommend AH Planning, you won’t regret it!
My son’s and new daughter-in-law’s wedding was picturesque. Everything was executed beautifully; from set-up to the table decor. Thank you for making their day so special and beautiful!!!
Aquina is very organized and pleasant to work with. She helped with my wedding in Weston, MO 4 years ago, I couldn’t of done it without her!
I showed up to the outdoor venue in the late morning to set up, and it was unseasonably hot...even for June in Kansas. Several family members and vendors were frantically flying around try to quickly complete whatever task they were there to accomplish. Aquina handled them all calmly, efficiently and professionally. I think she was the only one there that wasn't sweating.
Awesome with day of coordination of my best friends wedding! Never stopped working hard and was there from beginning to end!!
Thanks for making my friends day awesome!
I had planned to have my family help to set up the day of the wedding, but as it got closer to the day we realized that there was an incredible amount of work to do that I did not want to stress my family with. Aquina saved us, she took over from the very beginning and went above and beyond what was expected. She set up the ceremony and the reception space, and tore everything down. I have already referred a few cousins and friends to her! Please use her!
Aquina was so creative when it came to planning my Spa open house event. She is so easy to work with and has an eye for current design trends. My event was a huge success because of her planning skills. I would HIGHLY recommend her!