Barbara's Brides

My wife and I are so happy we had Barbara to help us make our wedding a success. We needed someone who could help curate ideas and tell us what was feasible and what would result in an enjoyable experience for our guests. Barbara was the perfect person for that. I know how much stress Barbara took off my wife's shoulders in particular. The wedding was amazing, which is a credit to all the extra little things that Barbara did to make things go off without any issues.

We cannot express how grateful we are to have had Barbara by our side throughout the entire wedding planning process. Barbara has many years of wedding planning experience and it shows! From our very first meeting, it was clear that Barbara is truly an expert. When we began the wedding planning process, We didn’t have a “vision” for what we wanted the day to look like. Barbara helped guide us through the process, shaping that vision. She gave us ideas and invaluable advice while also listening attentively to our preferences. Throughout the planning process, Barbara exhibited exceptional organizational skills. Barbara is easy to communicate with and most importantly she gets things done! She is always thinking one step ahead. Barbara is very reliable. On the day of our wedding, Barbara ensured that every aspect of our wedding day was flawlessly executed from start to finish. Barbara's reassuring presence really helped keep my stress to a minimum the day of. Because of Barbara, we were able to really enjoy our wedding day, soaking it all in and visiting with our guests knowing that every detail was taken care of. We would recommend Barbara to friends and family in a heartbeat! We feel incredibly fortunate to have had her as part of our wedding day. Thank you, Barbara, for giving us a day that we will cherish forever!

If you are looking for a planner that has contacts/relationships for virtually anything you'd like to incorporate, an experienced planner that has encountered every situation so she is able to plan around many scenarios, has a deep understanding of the flow of the day to ensure it's a perfect day, and is straight forward, honest and caring - Barbara is your planner!

Barbara was hands down the best choice for our wedding!! Upon meeting Barbara, we knew our wedding would be in the right hands, but she blew it out of the water! Her communication is unmatched, and we always felt she was understanding exactly what our vision was. From making sure we were on track every step of the way, to providing her experience anytime something came up we had a question about, to calming us down whenever we got stressed, Barbara made the months leading up to our wedding relaxing, and enjoyable as we planned the happiest day of our lives. She has unbelievable venders she works with, and every vender we got through her was the absolute right choice. Her attention to detail and way in which she kept the party flowing the day of was incredible, and the day of our wedding my wife and I didn’t feel stressed once, a feat which I credit all to how awesome Barbara was! The design of the wedding was absolutely beautiful, and worked perfect with the space! Whenever there was anything we wanted, or felt like it couldn’t happen, she made sure we made the best choice, and because of her hard work our wedding was a once in a lifetime event! We recommend her to anyone, because we know first hand how amazing any work she touches is!!

First rate - that is how we would describe Barbara. As an out of town couple, she walked us through the entire process of planning a wedding (her checklist is amazing and so detailed) and we felt guided every step of the way. When we got in touch with her about coming into town, she coordinated meetings with sites and vendors with ease and even on days when they are not accustomed to meeting with couples. After every trip to Austin to plan, we checked items off our to-do list which made us feel great. Also, we were one of those couples that asked a lot of questions when it came to vendors, contracts, and the specifics of their service. Barbara answered all our questions thoroughly and thoughtfully. We trusted Barbara every step of the way, to the point that we selected our caterer without even having tasted because of the market conditions and Barbara's confidence that they would deliver. She was right, and the food was a highlight of the wedding for our guests. Literally, our wedding was as close to perfect as it could be. We cannot recommend Barbara and her team enough.

My wedding was absolutely perfect thanks to Barbara and Gerad. My wedding was pretty fast and she had no issues getting everything done and making sure I had the very best vendors. We had to switch venues last minute which was no issue with Barbara as my planner. Every person who came to my wedding has told me it was the best wedding they have ever gone to. That would have been impossible without her. I’m horrible at planning events and it was perfect!!!!! She’s fantastic to work with. Communication is great. Love love love her!

Barbara and Gerad were spectacular wedding planners for my gorgeous fall and November wedding. They made my planning days easy, painless, exciting, and so much fun. They took the stress completely out of the equation when it came to prepping for the biggest and best day of my life. Barbara's communication and responsiveness cannot be matched, she catered to each one of questions/requests/concerns, and provided me with the WHY when she gave me an answer. Barbara's personality is so calming, positive, and straightforward, and I can say the same about Gerad. I am so thankful for you, Barbara, and I will always think of my wedding with you being a focal point in making it happen so seemlessly!

Barbara was amazing. She came highly recommended by our wedding venue and her intimate knowledge of the venue and what works/doesn't work for the space was invaluable as we planned our wedding. Her connections also got us the best DJ, the best photographer, the best officiant, and the best florist out there. She listened to all of our concerns and worked to make sure that our vision for the wedding came true. She was also a great steadying force amongst the chaos that is the day of your wedding. Everything was beautifully taken care of and went off perfectly. We honestly could not have asked for more from Barbara and wholeheartedly recommend her to any and everyone!

My (then) fiancé and I found out we were being transferred to TX, so we began our wedding planning journey while still in another state. We actually booked our venue first and were given planner contacts through them. I called through the list to make introductions but I knew immediately Barbara was my go to. As with any major project, communication is key. It should be clear, frequent, and respectful. Barbara checked all those boxes and more. We literally signed the contract an hour after we got off the phone. She makes it very clear what her role is in your wedding planning, and even allows you to select the level you want her to be involved. Being remote for the first few crucial months, she helped us get our major vendors identified, reviewed, and secured. She let us know some vendors we needed to vet on our own because of the personal relationship you need to foster with them (officiant, DJ). I loved that she gave us that perspective as some might view it as being left to hang. Barbara always made time for my last minute questions and was available via email or text as often as I needed her. When I didn’t understand a process or limitation she patiently walked me through or provided that “here’s how that will look from the outside perspective”. She kept our wedding simple and sweet, just how we wanted it. We had one wild idea to find a popsicle vendor (we got married in Austin in June). Not only did she explore options for us, but she evaluated which vendors would need the venues requirements. We actually started off with one option, but because Barbara continued to keep us in mind, she found a better, tastier, and more cost effective option a couple months later at an expo. When a crazy heat wave brought 100+ degree temps, she developed a contingency plan AND helped us maintain our vision without risking the health or safety of our guests or wedding party. When my sister caught my hair while trying to place my veil, she swooped in with extra Bobby pins and literally saved the day. My hair stayed the rest of the night. She checked in, made sure we were a priority, and that we were taking time to enjoy the moment with each other. She also captured some great behind the scenes photos that have become some of our favorite wedding moments. I wrap this all up by saying that Barbara is a dream. If you are a type A person who wants professionalism, creativity, honesty, and organization then book a call with Barbara. Even if you aren’t, I dare you to not be impressed and book her right on the spot.

Hiring Barbara's Brides was, without a doubt, the BEST decision we made when planning our wedding!! Barbara was so professional, kind, and knowledgeable from the start. She is so experienced and knows how to get the job done! She was amazing throughout the planning process and on the wedding day. She also surrounds herself with a great team. Gerad was there on our walk through, rehearsal, and wedding day and is such a calming presence (not to mention hilarious!). Gerad made sure that EVERYTHING that we did (and didn't!) think of that could possibly happen was planned and went smoothly. I'm so thankful we had Barbara's Brides to make our big day everything we wanted!

We hired Barbara at the end of 2019 as a full time planner for what should have been an early 2021 wedding. Barbara immediately jumped right in, organizing site visits, arranging tastings and helping us meet with DJs, rental companies, and other key vendors. We sadly had to postpone our wedding for one full year, and Barbara was instrumental in making it happen seamlessly while retaining all of our original vendors. She made herself available for calls, texts, and emails throughout the process and worked closely with us to make sure our vision came to light. We ran into a couple of difficult road blocks both before on on the wedding day, and Barbara handled them so perfectly that no one even knew something was amiss! The best part about having Barbara as a planner is that we felt no stress leading up to the wedding day, she kept everything ultra-organized and running smoothly so that we could just soak it all in and enjoy!

Barbara is the best in the business! We met her 18 months before our wedding. We were a COVID couple that had to postponed our wedding in 2020 to 2021. Barbara was available anytime we had a question or needed advise. She is open and honest. She will tell it like it is and with COVID we really needed to hear that. Her insights and vendor relationships are extremely helpful. The day of was seamless. Barbara took care of everything and worked with all the vendors. We had so many complements from our family and guests about the wedding officiant, florist, DJ, dinner and service. Her vendor list is a bride’s dream. It will save you so much time! All of the vendors have great experience and know the wedding industry. Our day was the best ever and Barbara made it all happen!! We highly recommend Barbara’s Brides!!

Barbara is AMAZING. Not only is she a fantastic wedding planner she is a wonderful person as well. She was so supportive and help my wife and I deal with a tricky situation regarding relatives that were not supportive of our wedding. She is wonderful about using diverse and inclusive wedding vendors. She is 100% LGBTQ supportive and a wonderful ally.

Barbara was extremely knowledgeable and professional. She was a true all star and exactly what we needed in planning our wedding. She has extensive resources and contacts along with offering great advice when asked. I would highly recommend her services as she does just the right amount of hand holding. During the ceremony and reception she addressed many things without me, the bride ever having an idea there was any issue. I know there are a lot of choices for planners but I promise you will not be disappointed with Barbara and her team. We truly had a magical December wedding at the Driskill and Barbara was very key in pulling it all off! I can’t thank her enough!

1) Attention to detail: None. 2) Presentation: Couldn't even fake a smile. 3) And Inputs HER OPINION into everything.... Well, She allowed us to ship some of our decorations and my wedding dress to her house. We are from out of town so really needed a wedding planner to help us as we had never been to that part of Texas. Unfortunately, she treated this like a part-time job. We wanted her "Tier 2" package which included helping with Vendors, but it turns out that only meant sending us her vendor list and constantly checking in to see if we had chosen anyone. I was trying to stay on a budget and when I asked if she had any photographers under $4k, she said she would look into it and I received no further communications regarding photographers. It felt like I suddenly had a second job and I had to report what I had done back to her. She realized I had done all the vendor work and agreed to just be a "day of" planner. Which is NOT what I wanted, but I had already done all the work. I will say, her vendor recommendations were on point... the DJ was AWESOME, the Photographers were AMAZING, the cake was DELICIOUS, and my hair/makeup could not have been better! It seemed like she didn't really want to be there though. She showed up on the wedding day only two hours prior to the wedding starting, unenthusiastic, and our guests pointed it out as well. Our DJ was pumped and so excited for us, the hair/make up woman was excited to be there... but Barbara could have cared less. I know she's probably done a couple hundred weddings, but ... hey... fake it... its your job. Two months before our wedding (and of course after the venue and everything were already paid for in full), I called up Barbara to talk about communication issues I was having with the Venue. She then took it upon herself to say that she didn't think we should have chosen that venue due to that venue often having poor communication and pointed out that "the food there is horrible" (now, I didn't ask her opinion on the food-- that was just thrown into the conversation). She covers up these remarks with "I'm just being honest". That is not something you say to a bride two months before her wedding! Also, how "good" or "bad" food is, is subjective... so, again... FAKE IT. Fast forward to our wedding... the food was actually incredible! Some of the best food I've had, let alone at a wedding-- our guests are still raving about it. AND I heard Barbara pass by the waitress and compliment her on how "great" the salad was. Maybe they recently upgraded their menu or got a new cook. Either way her comments were not appreciated. Did our wedding turn out to be the happiest day of our lives? YES... it was fantastic! I did a lot of the leg work and my on-site venue coordinator really came through in the end. Would I hire Barbara again? Nope, I can't say that I would. I'd be better off doing everything myself and saving a couple thousand bucks

We hired Barbaras Brides as our wedding planner through her option of Customized Wedding Adviser. Barbara and her team are absolutely amazing, I do not have one thing I am unhappy about from working with them. She is so professional and responsible in her own logistics and contracts as well as being detailed oriented as she looked at the vendors contracts and documents. From the moment we hired her she had tons of resources for us to access that have been fully vetted and well thought through. This made picking vendors a lot less overwhelming. She worked with me on price point and personality for the vendors. The vendors on her list that we used were all very good quality. Throughout our wedding planning process she took time to talk with us about our vision without the details becoming overwhelming. She was willing to work with us via email and phone around our work schedules and us living in a different time zone. We were a couple who postponed our wedding due to COVID and she helped us navigate these changes via the logistics of a postponement and coordinating with the vendors for us. The weeks leading up to the wedding she helped us keep everything running smoothly. I could not have imagined the day of our wedding without her. She made a master list with all the details and sent it out to the vendors, she coordinated set up and take down for the event. She made sure we had access to the personal items we needed during the reception while keeping our personal items we didn’t need safe in our room. No detail went unattended to. All events and interactions were handled with kindness and a calm attitude at all times. However this did not lead to neglect of precision or directness when needed. I could not have dreamed up a better wedding planner for the most wonderful day of our lives. Please do yourself a favor and hire Barbaras Brides. I cannot assure you more, you will thank her and yourself 1000% for doing this. Barbara, thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything.

Barbara was extremely helpful during the process of planning our wedding and on the day of. Our wedding was everything we wanted because of her and we could not be more grateful. My wife and I are a lesbian couple and Barbara was determined to make sure we received the same treatment as any other couple! Thank you so much Barbara for everything you do! We love you!!! - Mikayla and Ali Hunter- Krause

Thank you, Barbara!!! We are so grateful to have worked with Barbara and team for our wedding at The Driskill in May 2021. Barbara’s planning and execution were flawless – she helped us map out our timeline, checked in with us regularly, and ensured that our vision became a reality. Through the entire process, Barbara was resourceful and ultra-responsive, even to our late-night emails! As out of towners, we so appreciated Barbara’s local insights and depth of experience planning weddings at the Driskill. For example, she provided us with a list of preferred vendors, who are among the best in the industry and also were experts at working at the Driskill. She also attended our tasting and rehearsal which helped us develop a great relationship with her even before the wedding. Barbara’s Wedding Advisor planning package truly surpassed our expectations, as she went above and beyond to help us select our décor, flowers, and cake, arrange tables and displays, and handle all day-of coordination with our vendors. Oh, and she also expertly bustled my wedding dress! Overall, we can’t thank Barbara enough and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a wedding planner! –C&P

We hired Barbara's Brides as a day-of-coordinator for our August 2020 wedding, which was ultimately moved to May 2021 because of the pandemic, after our venue coordinator recommended her. Barbara is well-established in the Austin wedding community. I had no doubt that she and her team could pull off anything with their experience and connections. Because of this, I was relieved that I didn’t have to worry about missing details or checking things off my list because I knew Barbara would make sure things were addressed. Barbara provided a preferred list of vendors early in the process, which was super helpful in reviewing and deciding on our many options, though many of our vendors were not on her list. She preemptively checked on us during the pandemic, moved our date with no issues, shared a wedding checklist, shared a wedding timeline with me and the vendors in advance of the big day, and after the wedding, she ensured I received a reimbursement for services not rendered by one of the vendors. She was especially kind when she gave us a lovely Driskill cookbook, which we decided to use as our wedding guestbook. Barbara's associate Gerad ran the day-of coordination and did a fabulous job. There were a few small details that I would have changed, but in the grand scheme they didn't matter, and certainly without Barbara and Gerad, our wedding wouldn’t have turned out so great. I am very grateful to have found such a professional and established team that pulled together all the major details while allowing me to enjoy and soak in the day.

Barbara and Gerad are just the BEST! I can't imagine our daughter's wedding without this team- they paid attention to every detail from the very beginning planning stages to the day of. We were impressed by Barbara's relationships with the vendors. More importantly, the day of I knew every detail was taken care of and all I had to do was enjoy the day! Gerad paid extraordinary attention to our guests and making sure everything was perfect!

Barbara and her team did an outstanding job helping us through the pandemic. We were supposed to get married in 2020, but ended up postponing. Barbara made sure everything was still just the way we had it planned originally. She made everything so much less stressful during a stressful time. A month later and people are still talking about how much fun they had. We used Austin as a destination wedding and didn’t know the area. Barbara has worked with so many vendors over the years that she knows exactly who to go to for whatever type of wedding you want to have. Her attention to detail is unmatched as well. If you are looking to get married in Austin, I would 100% recommend Barbara’s Brides.

Barbara helped us execute a wonderful Rehearsal Dinner for our son and his bride at the Austin Country Club. She had an answer for every question and eliminated a lot of stress so we could enjoy the moment. She helped me pick out rentals such as table covers and chargers to elevate the venue's items without blowing our budget. She was also available to answer random questions when I called her such as what shoes the groomsmen should wear. We loved working with Barbara. Highly recommend.

Donna.E

If you are considering hiring Barbara DO IT! She is the best at what she does and made planning a wedding during a pandemic not only stress free but fun. She has close relationships with several amazing vendors and has a great eye for wedding design. Our wedding day was beautiful and went flawlessly with her in charge. She is super thoughtful and even made sure that my new husband and I had a couple of quiet moments to enjoy just the two of us during cocktail hour. This is one of my most cherished moments from our wedding day. I could go on and on with great things to say about Barbara and recommend her without reservation.

Barbara was a fantastic wedding planner! She truly gave us our dream wedding in Austin at my parents' home last year. My husband and I had no idea what we were doing, so it was wonderful to have someone so experienced, knowledgeable, and connected, and yet always attentive to our needs, on our side. My husband and I don't live in Texas ourselves, so we worked with Barbara remotely for much of the preparation--we can confirm that she is excellent at that! One thing we especially appreciated that made us entirely comfortable with Barbara was that she was upfront about everything, so we felt empowered to trust her and to speak up about our needs. We would absolutely recommend Barbara's Brides for anyone looking for an expert wedding planner to give you the best special day you could possibly have.

Barbara and Gerad did an incredible job of helping us plan our wedding. We live out of state and she was able to help schedule appointments at several of our vendors during the days we were in town and was always mindful of our budget. She was also always easy to get ahold of and communicated very well with us from start to finish. Ultimately our big wedding wasn't able to happen due to COVID, but I have no doubts that she would have had the day running smoothly.

I loved working with Barbara and Gerad for my wedding. I chose them because of the services they offered, professionalism in our initial conversations, and because they offered reception only Day Of services. We had someone to cover the wedding at the church and it was unbelievably comforting to know Gerad and their team had everything covered for the reception. Barbara did a great job coordinating with our vendors and taking that burden off me in the weeks leading up to the wedding. Gerad was attentive, present, hard-working, and kind as he coordinated the evening. It was such a relief to have all the burden off my shoulders. Highly recommend!

I could not possibly love Barbara more. We met at the Driskill wedding expo as a newly engaged couple. We connected immediately - my husband and her both native Californians, and her spirit and energy just jived with me. I think we called and booked the venue and Barbara within 48 hours... it was a dream. The wedding planning process was amazing. I became sick during our engagement, and Barbara was the MOST accommodating. She ensured that throughout the planning and the day of, that I had ample time to put my feet up and have a few moments to rest. To say she went above and beyond is not even enough. She even had essential oils for the day to reduce stress... she is amazing. Her wealth of experience, eye for design are unmatched. My wedding idea was a gatsby-esq fairytale, and she brought it all together to our delight. She was attentive at the wedding, ensuring we were having the time of our lives.... and we did!! We love you Barbara!!

We got married at the Driskill in November, and Barbara was instrumental in making our wedding day run smoothly! She was the mastermind behind our unique ceremony layout on the mezzanine, and she helped to orchestrate a flawless room flip during cocktail hour. Her knowledge of local vendors and the Driskill was so helpful. The preferred vendor list and wedding checklist that she provided to us really helped our planning process. We felt completely at ease on our wedding day!

Barbara and Gerad, just...WOW. ABSOLUTE DREAM TEAM. As overwhelming as wedding planning can be (and I'm VERY organized and LOVE to plan) I can honestly say I've never felt more at ease and it's only because these two were with me every step of the way. Barbara gave me the most honest and thoughtful advice throughout the vendor choosing/planning process. I respected and valued her opinion SO much and she never tried to steer me in any direction other than my dream wedding. And Gerad...omg Gerad! He was an angel on our wedding day. He is 100% perfect for this job--he was such a calming presence throughout the day and kept Aaron and I on time for everything--we truly would not have made it through the day/night without him! I LOVE THIS TEAM SO MUCH!

Though planning a long distance wedding can be difficult -- we live in New York -- Barbara did an incredible job with vendor suggestions, details and execution weekend of. She helped set realistic expectations of what we needed to think about and when, as well as temper a general feeling of anxiousness I had about planning such a big weekend with so many events. Needless to say, all that worrying was unnecessary. When we got to Austin, our wedding, our rehearsal dinner (my in-laws booked Barbara separately for that) and brunch went off better than I could imagine. It was gorgeous and the best weekend of our lives. She is a gem and so is Gerard.

We hired Barbara for the rehearsal dinner for our son and his fiancé's wedding in September. We are from our of town and felt we needed the expertise of a wedding planner for the event which was large, about 120 guests. Barbara and her staff were terrific and greatly exceeded our expectations. The vendors she recommended and we selected were excellent! The venue was transformed into the vision the bridal couple and we wanted! She always returned our telephone calls promptly and there were many. Barbara helped us stay organized and free from worry when we arrived in Austin. Both Barbara and Gerad are truly professional and made us feel very confident our dinner would be a success. We had a great time and received so many compliments from our guests.

Book Barbara and Gerad now! I work in the wedding industry and I know the value of a planner but you really don’t know what they do until you experience it first hand. Barbara comes with years of experience and knows this industry like the back of her hand. She guides you on vendors and will give you a realistic view of expectations. She was an advocate for me during our floral meeting. She got to know me ahead of time and what me and my fiancé like and don’t like and our budget. During the floral meeting, she knew exactly what to ask for and how to articulate what we liked and didn’t like. She saved us money just in that meeting alone! They made everything happen on wedding day and I had no clue when things were getting fixed (I messed up the seating chart and they used their resources and figured it out without bugging me during my hair and makeup). My family felt so much love from them and knew they could ask her questions or count on her to make things happen. Her company offers everything from limited service to full service and packages in between. I know there are so many wedding planners out there so you need to find the right one for you based on personality and experience. For me personally, I loved Barbara’s years of experience and her ability to say no if it would not work and protect me. She was a mother figure for me and someone to really count on. I had a small wedding with no wedding party and my mom passed away, so her expertise and guidance and protection was perfect! Gerad on her team is amazing and a rockstar and so wonderful to work with. You would be lucky to have either of them as your planner for your wedding.

It's been a month since we've said our vows, and friends and family still ask: "how was your wedding?" I always say: "positively perfect in every way." Barbara and her crew were integral to pulling off one of the best days of our lives. Even in our smallish wedding (100ppl), Barbara brought her full attention, experience, and resourcefulness. She respectfully and patiently navigated quite a few strong personalities (including my own ;) ) and helped us coordinate seamless transitions from the wee hours of hair and makeup all the way through the final farewell. Barbara will take you and herself seriously, and will be a great partner to help you pull off your vision for your special day.

I cannot say enough about Barbara to convey how amazing she is. Everyone needs a Barbara. I met her at a wedding showcase January 2018 and we instantly hit it off. In the midst of hundreds of people, she made me a priority and we had a very genuine conversation. I hired her as my full service planner later that week, and we planned my wedding over the following 20 months. I pretty much stuck to Barbara’s vendor recommendations and they all turned out AMAZING. I had a million questions and lots of wild ideas, but my favorite thing about Barbara is that she was team bride-and-groom throughout everything. On my wedding day, the zipper on one of my bridesmaids’ dresses broke as she was putting it on, disaster right? Wrong. It was no problem because Barbara had blush thread with her, and her team took the time to sew my bridesmaid into her dress (s/o to Gerad, Barbara’s Associate Planner who is also amazing!). There was a little hiccup at the reception (not related to Barbara at all) but Barbara had it under control and practically solved the problem before I even knew about it. She is amazing, her team is amazing, and I highly recommend her! She is such a joy to be around!

One of our other vendors told me that Barbara was known as the queen of Austin wedding planning and I can't agree more! I worked with Barbara for about 6 months leading up to my Driskill wedding and the incomparable Gerad was there to execute everything on the actual wedding weekend. Working with Barbara was seamless - she's responsive, she knows exactly what she's doing, and she answered every question I could throw at her. Gerad was our Day-Of Coordinator and I cannot sing his praises enough! Gerad seemed to be in ten places at once at any given moment and I didn't worry about a THING on the day of my wedding. We had a cake situation where our three-tier white cake came completely un-decorated (my fault!) and Gerad managed to find enough extra florals to decorate the cake himself hours before the wedding. He also directed traffic for the perfect downtown Austin wedding photo, kept the crazy wedding party on time and in the right locations, and managed to be SO MUCH FUN and such a delight to work with. He felt like a friend I've known forever even though we just met that weekend. I can't imagine a coordinator out there more efficient, professional, or perfect to work with.

Barbara will exceed your expectations!! She is prepared to solve any problem, is ordained to marry, focused on making your day the most special, and such a joy to be around. Barbara averted a huge problem on our wedding day - our exit carriage ride came early and left before the wedding was over! So, in no time, Barbara had arranged another carriage and had it waiting for us at the exit! Talk about a life saver and master problem-solver!!! She also is so knowledgeable about the industry and willing to help. I reached out to Barbara with questions about when to send invitations, what wedding favors to use if we aren't doing a late night snack, how to maximize our flowers and decor, etc. And, I quickly learned there is conflicting information online, so you need a Barbara to help you sort through all the online wedding articles! And, finally, she is the most organized! Our wedding timeline was down to the minute, and she executed it perfectly the day of! We also got to share a very special moment with Barbara - she served as our officiant!! Our family friend wanted to preside over the ceremony, but he is not ordained. So, after the ceremony, we had a private ceremony with our photographer and Barbara, where she legally married us! It was such a special part of our day - and an added bonus for you if your officiant doesn't show, is not ordained, etc.!! Barbara also made Kyle and me feel loved and special on our wedding day! She went out of her way to ensure we were cared for - from giving us bottled water (of course with a straw because lipstick), encouraging us to sit down and take in the moment during our private dinner, setting up our memory table and cigar bar as we had envisioned, etc. She also picked up our doughnut wedding favors on the day of so that we did not have to worry about it! And, if you want a genuine, joyful, kind and honest planner who will laugh with you, care for you and work really hard for you - YOU HAVE TO HIRE BARBARA!

Let me start off by saying, I was that girl who did not want to hire a wedding planner, I wanted to do it allll by myself and save money. I now laugh at that girl, hard. Because I had no idea how much I needed Barbara, and am SO THANKFUL we had her!! Barbara has great relationships with the top vendors in Austin and was so wonderful throughout every single process. She always knew who to call, and if there was a problem, I did not find out until after she had already solved it. I cannot stress this enough - even if you think you don't really need a planner - you NEED a Barbara. I had a lot of hiccups along the way, including a nightmare hair/makeup trial and having to find a new company only a couple months out, Barbara called every (trusted) company in Austin and got me quotes and availability by the next morning. The Republic of Texas Biker Rally ended up being in town the weekend of my wedding, upon discovering this only days before leaving town, by the time I called Barbara she already had maps and closure listings for me and additional routes for our incoming guests. She is very quick and responsive, and very reliable & an all around joy to work with. Barbara's team worked tirelessly on our wedding day and we truly could not have pulled it off without them.

I couldn’t speak highly enough about Barbara! She was an absolute dream to work with and I’m so happy I found her. I was a bride in Hong Kong and planning a wedding in Austin, Texas. Halfway through my wedding planning I ran into a series of unfortunate events with another wedding planner. Barbara was recommend to me by another vendor and I am so grateful for that. Switching to Barbara was so simple and was a huge weight off my shoulders. She was so generous with her time, given our 13 hour time difference, she answered text, emails and calls promptly. I showed Barbara a vision of my venue (Barr Mansion) that I had seen on Pinterest and it just so happened to be one of her wedding she planned. What a dream it was! Barbara seemed to be able to read my mind on things, she quickly took notice in areas I was particular about and areas I was nervous to make the decision she took control and was absolutely nothing short of perfection. Our wedding day was the best day of my life and I’m sure I can thank Barbara for everything falling into place so effortlessly! Everything was more than I could have ever hoped for. She was on top of everything, extremely happy and brought the most calming feeling to the room. Barbara is hands down the BEST wedding planner and we are so, so happy with everything she did for our day!

Barbara is an AMAZING planner who will make your wedding exactly how you envisioned! I hired her specifically for wedding decor/design and day-of coordination based off of her decades of experience and previous wedding photos (and the fact that I hate decorating). I also wanted to work with someone who had vetted and established relationships with the best Austin vendors, and let me tell you, Barbara hooks you up with the BEST florist, photographer, DJ, etc. She had also done numerous weddings at my venue already (Barr Mansion), so I could trust her judgement with it. I met with Barbara and her go-to florist to go over the overall feel of my wedding and my goals for the look. They worked so well together that I only had to give a few adjectives, and they knew EXACTLY how and what to do. Because my wedding was in expert hands, I was completely stress free in the months leading up to my wedding and on the day of (not exaggerating, just the way I felt). I showed up and was directed on where to be when by Barbara and my photographer, who also work seamlessly together. Because I didn’t have to worry about the details, I could enjoy every moment getting ready and catching up with my closest friends. People could not stop commenting on how beautiful the flowers and decor were, and how smoothly the whole night flowed. Everything was like clockwork and I was able to enjoy (and remember) every, single, moment. Barbara even had extra sparklers for ~100 guests in her car (?? only a wedding planner would) after we forgot to bring them. Barbara does not promise anything she can’t deliver, and she is very open and honest about everything so you have realistic expectations and are not left in the dark. She is very prompt with replies during her busy, booked up schedule, which clearly takes great time management skills and attention to detail. I can say that not all highly rated planners are guaranteed to deliver on your wedding day (as my friend experienced during her summer 2018 Austin wedding with a different highly rated planner). You can absolutely trust Barbara with the most important day of your life, and I’m so SO glad I chose her!!!

The whole team at Barbara’s brides were nothing short of amazing. My wedding was in November and it had been raining the whole week of and both Barbara and Gerad gave me not only positive vibes but ensured that if a rain plan needed to be done that it would still run smoothly and be beautiful and I believed them. Reliable, dependable, honest and responsive are just a few words I would use to describe this team. Barbara is a lady who knows what she is talking about and hiring her was by far the best decision. Wish I could do it all over again with her and her team!

I can't say enough good things about Barbara. I hired Barbara as my day of coordinator for my wedding and that was the best decision I made! Before planning my own wedding, I never had the chance to help a family member or friend with their wedding prep, so I was completely lost on what I needed and where to start. As soon as I hired Barbara, though, she immediately pointed me in the right direction and gave me all the guidance I needed throughout the whole process to make smart decisions. She also provided me a list of her preferred vendors, which are all amazing! In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Barbara coordinated with all the vendors to make sure everything would go smoothly on the day of. She didn't miss one detail and thought of everything. She even caught things that I had missed and didn't realize until the day before (like the microphone for a reading during the ceremony - kind of a big deal) and immediately contacted the appropriate vendors to get what I needed. On the day of the wedding, my husband and I didn't have to worry about about one thing. Barbara was at the venue when the vendors started to arrive and she pulled everything together beautifully. When we arrived at the venue we couldn't believe what we saw! Everything was perfect and even more beautiful that what we had imagined. Additionally, during the reception, Barbara made sure that we stayed on schedule and that everything went as planned, which allowed my husband and I to actually enjoy the wedding. Our wedding was the best day of our lives thanks to Barbara and I would absolutely recommend her to anyone looking for a wedding planner. Thank you, Barbara!!!

Barbara helped us achieve the wedding of our dreams! Without her services, we would not have been able to have such a carefree experience day of, enjoying every moment. Her veteran status in the wedding industry shows, and she advised us on which vendors to choose- which is so helpful in the wedding industry! It can be overwhelming at times, we wouldn't have been able to do it without her. In addition, our day of, Gerad, was perfect. He kept everything running smoothly and made sure we were well taken care of. He executed our vision with so much care and attention to detail. Highly recommend!!

Just hire her! She made my wedding planning a total breeze! One of the only things I wanted throughout the whole experience was to not be stressed, and she definitely made that happen. When it came down to all the little decisions she would present me with the best of the best options, and all I had to do was select. I never had to do any hunting or searching for vendors, and all of her people are amazing. My friends and family are still raving about the food at my wedding, and we completely went with Barbara’s choice with catering. On the actual day of my wedding there were some hiccups that I didn’t even know about until after I returned from my honeymoon! Talk about a stress free day. She really took care of it all.

Barbara and her team were an absolute lifesaver during my wedding and entire planning process. Barbara gave us great insight into all of my many logistical questions, was always very candid and upfront about her opinions and despite a few planning hiccups with other vendors, we felt confident in Barbara's hands and she did not disappoint! Our wedding day went so smoothly and was everything we hoped for thanks to Barbara's Brides. Highly recommend working with them for your wedding day!!

The bottom line is that Barbara is a GAMER! She executed flawlessly on an absolutely wild wedding day where every external curveball that could happen, happened. Let me set the stage for our wedding day a bit… The pouring rain forced us to switch the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and dancing locations last minute. Oh and did I mention my wife was suffering from debilitating food poisoning from the night before! She was supposed to show up at the venue at 10:30am with the bridesmaids, but instead made it crawling in at 4:30pm. Additionally, Barbara had to deal with TWELVE hard-drinking groomsmen beforehand, since I had six Marine Corps buddies show up early to practice the sword arch. Although inside the bridal cottage it was a chaotic blur of Pedialyte sips and constant tears, Barbara was outside, calmly bringing order to the chaos, expertly directing the vendors and her crew to adjust timelines, setup locations, and overall strategy to adapt to mother nature and my wife’s severe illness. Barbara stayed calm and collected throughout, and through a small miracle (read Barbara’s experience and judgment), we began the wedding on time in a beautiful secondary location at the venue. I am sure that any wedding planner in Central Texas would be just fine on a sunny day with no contingencies, but we all know that is not how reality works. If you want someone who will facilitate the BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE no matter how crazy the circumstances, we can assure you that Barbara is the obvious choice. I could go on and on about the wedding planning assistance and guidance she provided for us, but I will let you read the other five star reviews to learn about that. I will end this review where I started; Barbara comes to play on Gameday! She will accept nothing less than excellence from every vendor, caterer, and her own employees, which provides an amazing guest experience. We were told by just about every guest it was the best wedding they had ever been to, and we could not have done it without Barbara!

Innovative....attentive....generous....creative.... professional...I could go on and on about Barbara. She doesn't "sell"---she listens. Because we are a Buddhist/Baptist couple, we wanted a simple, non-traditional ceremony. Beyond being a wedding planner, we knew that Barbara is also licensed to officiate weddings. So we asked her to do the honors for us and she graciously agreed. Barbara did a great job, from helping us develop our vows to walking us through the logistics to pronouncing us husband and wife. Barbara is the best!

The bottom line is that Barbara is a GAMER! As expected, our wedding day at Pecan Springs Ranch was shaping up to be anything but expected. The pouring rain caused us to switch the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception location, oh and did I mention I was suffering from debilitating food poisoning from the night before

I wanted to write to thank you for all your help with the wedding planning. Despite a lot of worst case scenarios with weather, flight cancellations etc the wedding turned out amazing and everyone had a great time. I cannot stress enough how amazing Jared and Norma are, they were professional, easygoing, resourceful, flexible and made everything stress free for us. My husband and I appreciated their help so very much Thanks again for everything!

A little over a year ago my husband and I were touring the venue that our daughter and her fiancé had selected for their reception and we ended up talking with Barbara as she was setting up for a wedding later that day. We weren't even looking for a planner at the time but after my brief conversation with her that day, and looking at all of the fabulous reviews for Barbara's work, I knew that I wanted her to work with my daughter and I to guide us and help keep things as stress-free as possible over the coming year. Throughout the planning process Barbara was very giving of her time, provided excellent recommendations and responded quickly even to the smallest questions. The big day finally came on 9/22 and it was the most magical, memorable day I could have imagined! As the mother of the bride, being able to relax and enjoy the entire weekend knowing that all of the details were covered by Barbara and her team was such a blessing. Thank you Barbara for helping to make Olivia and Ian's day perfect!

Wow, where to begin! Before booking with Barbara, my husband and I did several hours of online research and interviewed quite a few planners. I was set on Barbara, and then learned that a friend of a friend had hired Barbara for her wedding, so that sealed the deal. Let me be your friend and tell you that she is an absolute PRO. Barbara knows the wedding industry better than anyone (she's been doing this for 30 years!), she has solid relationships with the BEST vendors (this is really important) and gives honest feedback on what will work and what won't (also important!). On my wedding day, honestly, I got a little emotional about how much Barbara did for me! She was magic! She made our day come together so seamlessly and perfectly, and right when I thought I needed something, Barbara appeared. Weddings are ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS, and Barbara knows this. She is the conductor that keeps the concert in perfect harmony. She handled vendors, my family, stubborn venue problems, calmed my nerves several times, and made my semi-dreary/kind of rainy outdoor ceremony into a really special experience. When it started sprinkling on guests, umbrellas magically appeared (she had hidden them under their seats!). She's organized, timely, professional, committed, experienced, delightful, and will 100% be there for every step of the way. Is it weird to say we miss her?! She's the best.

Barbara is amazing! She kept us all on track during the planning process, answered all of our questions and kept us focused. Day of she was a God send! I highly recommend Barbara and her team.

My daughter's wedding was perfect because of Barbara and her assistant. They took care of everything. I didn't worry about a thing on the day of the wedding because I knew she would take care of the little things. :) She recommended the very best DJ and photographer. Thanks again!

YOU MUST HAVE BARBARA PLAN YOUR WEDDING. I simply cannot rave about Barbara enough. She is so level headed and amazing to work with and takes care of all the details that I didn't even think about. My fiancee's family added 30 people that I didn't find out about until 3 weeks before the wedding... and we didn't fit in the ballroom I had booked anymore. Barbara didn't bat an eye and seamlessly re-worked the event to have the dinner outside (which ended up being even prettier), including getting a tent and amazing lighting. Seriously cannot rave about her enough. She has THE best recommendations and is so great at getting all the vendors together. Plus, she has been doing this for so long that she knows everyone in town and I swear was able to just pull magical amazing wedding things out of thin air for me. I love her so so much and my wedding is only a success because of her. Thank you Barbara!! I also have to mention her colleague Gerad! He handled all of our day of coordination and was an absolute dream! He is such a sweetheart and true professional. For example, he flawlessly bustled my complicated dress, hid comfy shoes at the reception and helped me into them, kept us on schedule, made sure I always had champagne and even when my husband's family placed a bunch of ugly things on my cake table to "help decorate" he saw the look on my face and graciously found another inconspicuous spot for their items, ha! :) I LOVE HIM!! I'm like ummm do you want to be my friend and have coffee with me later... **I found her because she planned my best friend's wedding, which was also amazing. She and Gerad are seriously the best.

Hire Barbara. Honestly, she is the greatest. She made this potentially complicated, stressful process so easy with her incredible recommendations for caterers, music, cake, lighting -- everything. Not only did we not need to worry about a single problem or complication, even when we did worry unnecessarily, Barbara was there with her calm, reasonable demeanor to help us know that she’d taken care of everything. An important point about how wonderful Barbara made this process was her interaction with my now-wife -- a strong-willed person who runs her own business, and who would most of the time rather handle everything herself rather than trust someone else. Barbara not only helped her feel calm and relaxed, so we could enjoy the day together, but she also made her feel truly cared for. That was the most special thing about Barbara to me. Barbara played a big role in our wedding day becoming as wonderful as we hoped it would be.

Barbara was absolutely amazing! My husband and I both were medical residents when we decided to get married last year. Barbara was not only understanding of our time constraints, she was very efficient at creating a time line and helping us get the appropriate vendors ASAP. She was also able to turn my vague ideas into a beautiful masterpiece, that was honestly better than I imagined. Lastly, because she is so on top of things, I was worry free on wedding day. My wedding was flawless and I would recommend her to anyone and everyone!

The first time I met Barbara, I knew I that we were in great hands and I could relax! She is highly competent, organized, pleasant to work with, and has excellent taste. We are not from Texas, so without Barbara I would never have known where to begin in terms of vendors for our son and daughter-in-law's rehearsal dinner. She led us to great sources within our price range and guided us through all the smallest details and decisions every step of the way to insure a beautiful and successful dinner. I cannot recommend her more highly. Thank you again, Barbara!

If you want a wedding day where you don’t have to worry about any last minute details, choose Barbara. From the (somewhat) elaborate site decorations for our Honky Tonk Wedding at Mercury Hall, to the management of caters, vendors and people (lots of people), everything flowed smoothly and I was able to enjoy the wedding my husband and I dreamed of. Thank you, Barbara, for your attention to detail and for pointing me in the right direction with quality vendors.

Barbara is the best! She's very helpful, experienced, and professional! I highly recommend her!

Barbara was my wedding angel! Being an older bride with just a few months to put together a wedding, I knew I needed a wedding planner. After my initial chat with Barbara, I knew she was the one for me. I enjoyed working with her immensely, she was fun to be around and calming when I needed it. She was always accessible, super organized, and had the best vendor suggestions. She orchestrated our ceremony and reception at the Stephen F Austin with ease and professionalism. I highly recommend her!

Barbara is an amazing wedding planner! My sister and sister-in-law both used her in their weddings so when I was started planning a destination wedding in Austin that was only two months away, I knew I needed her help. I hired her for full services and it was by far the smartest decision I made. She guided me through every step and her vendor suggestions were immensely helpful. Her experience in the business is evident and her guidance through the entire process put my nervous mind at ease. She is able to handle any situation that might arise quickly and professionally and most importantly she ensures that your wedding day goes the way that you want it to go. I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect day and it was all thanks to Barbara.

Barbara was a godsend. She's prompt to respond, she's organized, and she is a true professional. I had 22 people in my wedding party and 170 guests. Barbara handled everyone and everything like a dream. I did not have to stress about one thing on my wedding day. She handled everything from start to finish. She is a must have and I would highly recommend her to any bride who is planning a wedding.

As an out of town Mother of the Groom I knew I needed help in planning a rehearsal dinner in the Austin area that included some specific requests from the wedding couple. So I went to the Knot website in search of a highly rated event planner and,thankfully, found Barbara Hearne of Barbara's Brides. Barbara was quick in her communication responses and full of great ideas and suggestions. She immediately began to work with me to bring the wedding couple's vision to a reality. Barbara's knowledge and experience was invaluable in finding the perfect venue and vendors to create a special evening that included some unique requests. It became something, in a good way, of a three ring circus with both a decorated indoor event space with musicians and an outdoor dinner served under trees strung with party lights. Barbara was the perfect Ring Master! From florist to furniture movers to caterers she and her team smoothly orchestrated all the pieces into place. It was magical and beautiful and everything I had hoped for and even more. Because of Barbara's skill and hard work, I was able, on the night of the dinner, to sit back, relax and enjoy this "once in a lifetime" night. Best of all though, my son and new daughter-in- law loved it. I highly recommend Barbara's Brides!

I hired Barbara for more than just day-of wedding coordinating, but not quite full service. She helped me choose my top vendors and organize some of the pertinent wedding details. Planning a wedding is incredibly stressful so having someone like Barbara to guide you through it is incredibly helpful. She was quick to answer any of my questions and wasn’t afraid to let me know her honest option in a respectful manner. Her recommended list of vendors is comprehensive and includes people she knows and has worked with several times so I always felt comfortable using vendors she recommended. She also knows exactly what vendors to suggest based on a couple’s budget and preferences which was a HUGE help to us as our budget range for some of our vendors was a little tight. Barbara saved the day after the officiant my husband and I chose on our own had a scheduling conflict 2 weeks before our wedding; thankfully, Barbara was able to recommend someone at the last minute to take his place who did a fabulous job! On the day of the wedding, Barbara make sure everything ran on-time and as smoothly as possible without making us feel rushed. I had family members comment on how wonderful of a job she did staying on top of everything which really says a lot! Barbara offers a range of different package options so even if you don’t have the funds for full service wedding planning, you definitely need to hire her for at least day-of wedding coordinating!

She was my wedding savior! Not to mention, her team of helper bees are so awesome and adorable! The guy (didn't catch his name in all the wedding chaos) was so spunky and fun! They asked me about EVERYTHING and she was SO responsive to my needs.

She is terrific!

Barbara was Amazing. My husband and I do a lot of research and meet with some other wedding planners. WE are very glad we have chosen Barbara! Since she has already in this business for more than ten years, Barbara is very very helpful and experienced. She is more than expected!!! Highly recommend ! Thank You, Barbara!