Blackwater Events

Best of Weddings (2x)

New Hampshire

About this vendor

Thoughtful Planning and Detailing

Blackwater Events is a wedding planning service based in New Hampshire. It is operated by Kristen Delano, an experienced and detailed event professional. With over a decade as an industry leader, she thoroughly understands the level of attention and emotion that goes into your event. Service packages include full-service wedding and event planning, or day of management. The Blackwater Events team also offers a-la-carte services, including event design, day-of vendor coordination, or just a quick phone call to get some last minute guidance on any event-related topic.

Details

Business Attributes

Woman-owned Business

Planning

A la Carte Wedding Planning
Budgeting
Day-Of Coordination
Full Service Wedding Planning
RSVP Tracking
Wedding Design

Wedding Activities

Getting Engaged
Rehearsals & Parties
After Party
Rehearsal Dinner
Wedding
After Party

Awards and Affiliations

Pricing

Curious to learn more?

5

out of 5.0

25 reviews

Review Summary

This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.

Multiple reviewers have overwhelmingly praised Kristen's exceptional wedding planning services, noting her strong organizational skills, creativity, and ability to handle challenges with professionalism and positivity. Kristen was described as a dream to work with, making the planning process enjoyable and stress-free. Reviewers highlighted her responsiveness, helpfulness, and attention to detail, as well as her ability to bring their visions to life and ensure a seamless wedding day. Kristen's dedication, communication, and vendor negotiation skills were highly commended, with multiple reviewers expressing gratitude for her contributions in creating beautiful and memorable weddings.

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12/01/2024 • Katie L

Let’s just say, in my Gmail Calendar I color-coded our meetings with Kristen in “yellow,” which I strictly reserve for “fun activities.” If that doesn’t say it all, here is a bit more… From day 1 of working with Kristen, I have been thinking about how I could write a review that adequately encapsulates the quality of her services. I am in awe of the mix of characteristics she brings to the table - she is organized, logistical, and detail-oriented (like a project manager), creative and big-picture oriented (like a party planner), patient, supportive, and comforting (like a friend), and able to navigate conflict and manage expectations (like a family therapist haha). People kept asking me, “How are you doing? Are you getting any sleep??” and I consistently responded with, “I’m actually doing fine, thanks to Kristen. If she tells me to stress about something, I will - but until then, I am trusting the process and I know it will all get done.” She left no stone unturned and was able to accommodate additions and changes whenever they came up. She even made some of my wild ideas comes to fruition without batting an eye (morning-of bouquet making, catered Chipotle, and a private last dance just to name a few)! Kristen navigated challenges with a few vendors, both advocating in our best interest while also maintaining professional and positive relationships. I could not have pictured this day without Kristen. I was able to enjoy it even more because it had been an enjoyable process throughout so there was no sense of resentment or stress associated with it. I have already recommended her to two co-workers and will continue to do so for anyone and everyone who will listen :)

11/04/2024 • Makenna C

Kristen was an absolute dream to work with. I had interviewed roughly 5 other wedding planners before hiring Kristen, and she stood out head and shoulders above the others. She was kind, understanding, and had no ego. Her pricing structure was also very reasonably priced – I didn't feel as though she was trying to take me to the cleaners the way I did with some other planners. Leading up to the wedding and throughout the planning process she communicate very clearly, and was extremely helpful and responsive – for something as complicated as helping us adjust the budget to as simple as me running a decor idea by her. Kristen always had a smile on her face and was incredibly patient with helping us navigate the process and with fielding any random, one off requests. I found wedding planning to be extremely stressful, and the month leading up to the wedding Kristen took so much weight off my shoulders by taking over essentially all of the vendor communication and logistics so I could focus on other things. She also provided us with access to this great wedding planning software that was extremely helpful with making sure my to-dos were clear, and was great for doing floor plans and seating charts. On the day of the wedding, Kristen was worth her weight in gold. She was extremely attentive and went to great lengths so make sure that I was enjoying the day, instead of feeling anxious about dealing with logistics. From dealing with an unwanted guest who crashed getting ready in the morning, to bridal party transportation that had been booked but no-showed, to helping mitigate family drama during photos – Kristen fielded every issue that came up so the day felt seamless for my husband and me. Our families and everyone in the wedding party loved Kristen (even some of our toughest personalities!) because she had a clear plan, felt in charge, but was lovely to interact with the whole time. She also went out of the way to accommodate some very specific asks we had for her, like collecting sand from the beach where our reception was and making sure my bouquet made it back to our hotel room unscathed so I could have it professionally preserved. We truly could not have had the wedding that we did were it not for Kristen. Our only regret is not hiring her sooner and that we didn't have her handle more of the planning from the beginning! Best wedding planner ever, you will not regret hiring her! :)

9/04/2024 • Kristin N

Where to start- Kristen was absolutely amazing from start to finish. I could not have had my day go so well without her. From our first phonecall I knew I was in more than capable hands. She was so friendly, warm, responsive, and genuinely as excited for my wedding as I was. She calmed all of my anxieties and took care of everything. She came to the meeting with the venue provided coordinator and made sure everyone was on the same page. She made a beautiful design plan that truly brought my vision to life. She took care of all the final details with my vendors and did all of the decorating for the venue space. I am not a DIY girl at all so she was exactly what I needed. I was completely stress free on my wedding day and everything went so seamlessly. She even got myself and my husband on our boat for photos which I had wanted but didn’t think there would be time for. She stayed until the end of my event and handled every minor hiccup flawlessly. She even helped me pin the strap for my dress and got me a flosser before my grand entrance. I honestly cannot thank or recommend Kristen enough. She is the exact right kind of person to be doing this job. Thank you for everything Kristen, you are absolutely amazing!

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8/07/2024 • Joanna T

Hiring Kristen with Blackwater Events was the best wedding planning choice I made! Kristen was my day-of coordinator, and made every part of the wedding day run smoothly and according to our vision so we could just enjoy our special day. Before the wedding, Kristen was so thorough and attentive, asking amazing questions (about things we hadn’t even thought about) and making sure she was crystal clear on our goals for the day. She was an amazing communicator and always respected what my husband and I wanted for our wedding day. On the day of the wedding, she was amazing! At the start of the wedding planning process, I had been uncertain if I “needed” an event coordinator, but I am so glad we hired Kristen. There was so much set-up/coordination/facilitation that Kristen did on the day of and, therefore, that the couple/our families/our friends did not need to worry about. I strongly, strongly recommend working with Kristen!

5/08/2024 • Molly S

Most people say that wedding planning is stressful and overwhelming. If you’re looking for the exact opposite experience, go with Kristen!!!! It was the best decision we made during our wedding planning process. From day 1 she was there to help with every detail and answer every question. And for procrastinators like my husband and I, she kept us right on track!!! Kristen never made us doubt a single decision we made and supported us through the whole process. She truly became a friend to us and we couldn’t be more thankful. We wish we could give more than 5 stars!!!

3/11/2024 • Edie F

I could not have planned our wedding without Kristen! When I first met with Kristen, I was looking for partial planning or day of event management but after sharing some roadblocks early in our wedding planning process she mentioned her full-service planning and I was sold. Having Kristen allowed me to enjoy the wedding planning process and I looked forward to every meeting with her! She came prepared with a list of questions, vendor decisions, and kept us on track with our budget. Her online planning portal kept things incredibly organized, and it was an easy way for me to track what was happening, how things were progressing and track the budget. Kristen found all our vendors and negotiated the vendor rates to meet our budget and save us money. She communicated with them regularly and made sure they were all set for the big day! Our venue was a challenging one and she kept things professional but endured roadblocks to stay true to our vision and make our day perfect! Our wedding day was stress-free and seamless. The day before, there was ceremony location switch and I barely even noticed. The day of our wedding, there was an issue with the flowers, but I never knew until after she solved the problem. I was able to enjoy the whole day with family and friends. In addition to her wedding planning services, she offered her inventory of décor items to help us save on costs. This included easels for signs, pictures frames, card boxes, candle holders, and table numbers. These little costs add up but Kristen came to the rescue again saving us more money! I cannot praise Kristen and her work enough. If you need a wedding planner, Kristen is the one you want!

12/10/2023 • Tess T

Hiring Kristen was hands down the best decision we made surrounding the wedding in general. From day 1, she was on our team about everything. She made a sincere effort to get to know us, find out what was important to us, and help us create a day that reflected on who we are as people and as a couple. She always made us feel so validated, remembered all of the details that we mentioned (months later would call back to things we had mentioned in our early meetings), and identified vendors that we had never heard of despite our hours of what we thought was very diligent research. Once we saw how well-connected she is with the vendors in the area, we knew that we could trust her implicitly to identify vendors and rentals that would align with our vision. Kristen handled communications with all of our vendors, negotiated for us, and kept an eye on the budget. She met with us as frequently as we wanted and made it clear to us that she was always available by any method of communication. Kristen truly went above and beyond the call of duty (she had multiple phone calls with various members of our family). At the wedding itself, we had so many people comment on how kind, thorough, communicative, and effective she was. Kristen and her team set up the space for our reception and it looked UNBELIEVABLE and way exceeded our expectations. Don’t miss out on having Kristen involved with your wedding, she will make your life a million times easier.

11/07/2023 • Sarah B

Hiring Kristen of Blackwater Events was the best decision we made during wedding planning. She became a lifeline for us as we navigated the process and helped make the experience worry-free. She went above and beyond to make sure we felt our vision was being realized and that we did not have to be "on" during our wedding weekend. Our photographer made a comment about her that couldn't be more true - not only was Kristen stellar at her job and on top of everything day-of, she was such a joy to work with and kind to everyone involved. I would recommend her in a heartbeat and wish I could do the whole thing again just to have her on my team again!

10/29/2023 • Matthew S

Kristen did an incredible job coordinating for our wedding. She had not been to our particular venue before, and visited months in advanced with us to understand the layout and study the details. Kristen was organized and we had several calls leading up to the event to work out all the details and make the day of our wedding stress free. Everything except the rain went to plan, but Kristen handled it professionally and navigated us through it perfectly. Kristen was worth every penny and I would highly recommend her services!

9/23/2023 • Abigail H

The best decision we made for our wedding was to hire Kristen as a partial planner/ day of coordinator. She was an incredible asset to our wedding and made the day magical. We were looking for someone to help with handling things the day of and a bit more with the planning. Kristen was knowledgeable and helpful with any question we had. She set up an online planning system which made everything feel simple and all in one place. It gave us the ability to see every aspect of the planning process, including the layout of the event, guest list, to do’s, timeline, budget, and everything else. We met frequently over zoom to discuss every detail and Kristen always had room for our questions and concerns. I knew from our first meeting that her help was just what we needed. She also made the day of our wedding feel so relaxed and worry free. One of the special things about Kristen, is how she not only held space for my fiancé and I, but welcomed both our families into the planning process. This helped everyone be on the same page. Through the whole planning process ,she was always holding our vision as a couple as the most important thing. I would highly recommend her to anyone I know if you are looking to take the stress out of planning and actually enjoy it.

9/21/2023 • Mari T

Blackwater Events (Kristen) is AMAZING!! We are beyond grateful for the exceptional work done by Kristen for our campground wedding weekend in New Hampshire. She really went above and beyond in creating our dream wedding! She worked with us tirelessly to transform our rustic camp wedding (on a 50 degree weekend in June!) into a beautiful wedding venue that all of our friends and family are still hailing as the best wedding they’ve ever been to!! Despite weather disruptions on our wedding day, and other uncontrollable variables, we didn't need to stress one moment as Kristen had a plan B for everything! Even on the wedding day we had to pivot from the plan A and the plan B and, still, Kristen made it all happen and our back-up plan to our back-up plan was perfect. We weren’t the easiest or most organized in months leading up to the wedding, with multiple work trips and competing priorities, and Kristen definitely kept us on track for our big day. Kristen’s organization, attention to detail, creative ideas, and powerful execution skills truly made our special day magical. We genuinely enjoyed working with Kristen and now miss our regular contact :) Thank you Kristen for turning our vision into reality and creating memories that will truly last a lifetime. We can’t recommend her enough to anyone considering her exceptional services.

9/20/2023 • Andee B

Where to begin? Working with Kristen was a beyond wonderful experience. Her kindness and professionalism throughout the entire planning process blew us away. I am a hyper organized person, but did not have the time to dedicate to our wedding that was needed to execute our vision. Kristen not only matched my detail-oriented brain, but she elevated every aspect of our original vision. I looked forward to every single meeting with her and was giddy with excitement at the end of each one. She brought so much life and joy to every aspect of the planning process and carried that energy through our wedding day. On the day of our wedding the weather was increasingly looking like the rain would hold off, roughly 45 minutes before our ceremony was set to start the weather turned. Kristen and Jay seamlessly transitioned our ceremony to be indoors. It was perfect and beautiful, complete with a full-on thunder and lightning storm! We were able to relax and soak in every minute of the day, knowing Kristen had absolutely every detail under control. Kristen is wildly talented, fun, warm, and unflappable. She handled the entire day with such grace and we are forever grateful to her for everything she did to make our wedding day beautiful.

9/18/2023 • MK J

RUN DON'T WALK TO HIRE KRISTEN FOR YOUR WEDDING!!!!! We were confident that we could plan our own wedding without the help of a coordinator. Nonetheless, we became increasingly nervous that despite our best efforts, we would still spend our wedding day setting up decor, answering questions, interfacing with vendors, and sorting out problems instead of enjoying the day. Although the simple answer was to hire a day- of wedding coordinator, the cost of many was prohibitive and the question of how helpful they would be remained. Kristen remedied both of these concerns far beyond our expectations! Her pricing is what originally caught our eye, as it was extraordinarily low, and after our first conversation we were put at ease by her friendly, professional, and bubbly attitude. Our only reservation with hiring her was that she didn’t have many reviews…But that turned out to be because she had recently transitioned from being the director of event planning at one company to starting her own (Blackwater Events) - so she did have plenty of experience! Kristen’s hard work started far before our actual wedding day- she met with us and vendors multiple times, offered help with the rehearsal dinner, picked up supplies & cake from our house, coordinated with our other vendors, and more. It was incredible! We truly felt that Kristen was invested in us in an almost personal manner and that she really wanted our wedding day to run smoothly for our sake. Undoubtedly due to all of Kristen’s prep work, meticulous organization, and note taking, our wedding day honestly did not have a single major issue. She seemed to be almost everywhere on our wedding day and she took care of everything, becoming our single point of contact. If you’re looking to hire a day- of wedding coordinator and you’re not sure if it will be worth it, hire Kristen. She went above and beyond in all aspects. Hiring her allowed us to be able to just focus on enjoying our special day, and that is something that you can’t put a price on. Thank you so much Kristen!!!

8/29/2023 • Rich U

We had the absolute pleasure of working with Kristen Delano for our wedding, and I must say, she truly made our special day an unforgettable experience. From the very beginning, Kristen's dedication to ensuring our wedding went off without a hitch was evident. Her coordination skills were nothing short of remarkable, as she flawlessly managed every detail of the event. What really stood out to me about Kristen was her unwavering presence throughout the entire process. It seemed as if she had an uncanny ability to be everywhere at once, making sure every aspect of the day was running smoothly. Whether it was managing vendors, coordinating the timeline, or simply being there to calm our nerves, Kristen was always right by our side. Her years of experience in the industry were truly evident in the way she handled even the most unexpected challenges with grace and efficiency. No problem was too big for her to tackle, and her solutions were always thoughtful and creative. But beyond her professional prowess, it was Kristen's positivity and high emotional intelligence that truly set her apart. In the midst of the inevitable wedding planning stress, her upbeat demeanor was a breath of fresh air that kept us grounded and excited. Kristen's ability to understand not only the logistics but also the emotions tied to such a significant day was truly remarkable. She seemed to anticipate our needs before we even realized them ourselves. This level of attention and care made us feel not just like clients, but like friends. In a nutshell, Kristen Delano is an exceptional wedding coordinator who goes above and beyond to make dreams come true. Her flawless execution, combined with her genuine positivity and profound emotional intelligence, make her an invaluable asset to any couple embarking on the journey of planning their wedding. We are endlessly grateful for Kristen's dedication, and we wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone seeking a seamless, joy-filled wedding day.

8/26/2023 • Becca C

I cannot put into words how amazing Kristen is! She made every single one of my visions come true. She is so professional and does an amazing job at making sure everyone knows what to do and where to be. She had an answer and fix to every problem that came her way. I had a hard time letting go of the reigns but quickly realized I was in great hands. Not only did she clean up after the wedding so that we wouldn’t have to wake up to mess but she also ran to her car to get materials to fix my bustle mid wedding. As you can tell I cannot say enough about her but I cannot recommend her enough. I would say the top vendor I had by far!

7/06/2023 • Christina B

When we pivoted fairly last minute to a micro-wedding due to an illness in the family, I thought I’d be able to handle everything myself. I’m so grateful I didn’t. Kristen was incredible, going above and beyond for us, making everything perfect for our wedding day. She thinks of everything and was a delight to work with!!!

6/22/2023 • Marissa H

Kristen and team surpassed our expectations. Smoothly transitioned from plan A to plan B, due to the downpours on our wedding day. Kristen helped us through managing our expectations and resulting emotions. She communicated swimmingly with our vendors whom some of them only spoke broken English. I am happy with my choice of wedding planner and suggest you make the same choice as I did! I highly recommend Blackwater Events.

5/31/2023 • Krystie G

We knew from the first phone call, she would be a calm and steady presence to lead our wedding day. We hired her for Day Of only but she was so helpful with closing the final details and being the go to contact for guests and vendors leading up to the big day. We did a more DIY wedding at a non traditional venue which required creatively flipping the ceremony space into a reception space. Ultimately, she brought our vision to life better than we imagined. She managed my fretful needs, made sure we were all on time, and we got to enjoy our party because of her care over the whole event. I will forever be grateful and give her all the credit when someone tells me it was the best wedding they attended.

3/12/2023 • Christina C

We absolutely LOVED working with Kristen!! She took care of everything and truly made it so that we were able to relax and enjoy every second of our wedding day. She did such an amazing job we cannot recommend her enough.

10/10/2022 • Audrey P

We planned our September 2022 wedding with Blackwater Events and Kristen was a dream to work with! I couldn't have found a more helpful coordinator who made it their top priority to bring my details to life. She took over all our important details to ensure that we got to enjoy our day. My husband and I have been dreaming about this day for many years and it all came together because of her help. She assisted with every detail leading up to it and I never felt any pressure or stress to get everything finished in time. She made the nerve-racking planning process seamless and organized which helped us tremendously. Kristen is a must if your in the process of planning your special day!

10/10/2022 • Peri S

It has been three months since my husband and I got married and we still have family and friends saying that it was one of the most fun, beautiful, and organized weddings they've been to. Kristen provided exception service and professionalism from the minute we started working with her to the very end of our wedding night. She seriously captured our vision and was on top of everything making us feel so special the entire night. She made the endless options for wedding details easy as she is experienced, knowledgable, and offers so many great services. I am sooo happy with my decision to hire her and I cannot recommend her enough!

10/10/2022 • Jessica F

Kristen is the epitome of wedding planners! Her professionalism, positive attitude, and encouraging mindset allowed us to seamlessly plan our special day. Her attention to detail in all planning aspects eliminated stress and worries through the entire planning process. She was extremely responsive with any questions I had and I felt well taken care of. May 15th, 2021 is date that I will remember forever and I have Kristen and Blackwater events to thank for it being such a success!

10/05/2022 • Olivia O

Working with Kristen at Blackwater Events was the BEST decision I ever made while planning my wedding. I had a backyard wedding at an air b n b, not a venue, and it was through her guidance, floorplans, and day of execution that my wedding happened at all! We had a hurricane warning, and while I saw my day crumbling apart- it was Kristen who put the day back together. She is thoughtful, professional, and always has your vision at heart. She works well with vendors and without her coordination my day wouldn’t have happened at all! I HIGHLY recommend Blackwater events - especially if you are on the fence about event planners/coordination and whether or not it’s a service you need. ESPECIALLY for a backyard wedding -Blackwater events thinks of EVERYTHING! I am so impressed, especially as someone with industry experience myself - THANK YOU!

10/05/2022 • Morganne B

Kristen was the day-of coordinator on our 2020 wedding day at our venue. She was highly organized and detail-oriented - exactly what we were looking for! We had a particular vision for our decor and ambiance, and she ensured every area was just how we'd imagined it. She's so efficient and low-stress when it came to the chaos of the actual day-of - no matter what was thrown her way, she handled it with ease. We could not have been happier to have her with us on our big day! 10/10, highly recommend and we'd work with her again in a heartbeat.

9/26/2022 • Hanna G

Kristen was the absolute best to work with! She went above and beyond helping us execute the most perfect day ... and on budget! We also had so much fun along the way. When working with Kristen, you can rest assured that she will deliver on exactly what your vision is. Can't recommend enough!

Contact

New Hampshire

(603) 369-2705

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Meet the team

Kristen Delano

Owner

Blackwater Events is operated by Kristen Delano, an experienced and detailed event professional. With over a decade as an industry leader, she thoroughly understands the level of attention and emotion that goes into your event.

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Starting Cost: $$$ – Moderate

Kristen Delano

OWNER

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