By Invitation Only...Event Planning & Design

came to an end. We (my husband and I, my parents, sisters, and close friends) have recommended Melanie and By Invitation Only Event Planning & Design to others, and will continue to do so! The wedding planning process can be overwhelming, but they made it enjoyable and memorable. So enjoyable that we want to relive our wedding weekend every weekend! Looking back, we don't know what we would have done without them. They made all of our wedding day dreams come true. They are undoubtedly the best out there! We are eternally grateful for all their hard work and talent!

xecuted beautifully per her recommendation. She then pulled off a flawless wedding for the brides parents the next day at Lace House. Melanie was great guiding us to resources that could execute what I wanted. I was able to really enjoy my dinner and the entire weekend because I truly did not have to worry about anything. Extra bonus of the weekend was that the bride and groom were surprised by all the thoughtful touches and were completely happy with absolutely everything!

edding day. Melanie and her team took care of everything (communicating with the other vendors, decorating, keeping the families and bridal party under control, making sure everyone was in the right place at the right time). A wedding can be stressful no matter what. The month and more specifically week leading up to our wedding, my husband and I were have problems in our rental house (completely unrelated to wedding stuff). It would have been overwhelmingly stressful no matter what, but having the wedding added to everything I thought my head was going to explode. Melanie helped me so much there’s no way I could have gotten through everything without her. The week before the wedding Melanie helped me tie up all loose ends with the wedding and I was able to focus on getting the situation with my house fixed before our families arrived for the wedding. On our wedding day I had nothing at all to worry about. I’ll never forget arriving to the venue from the salon and seeing everything put together exactly how I had imagined it (like my Pinterest pages came to life). It literally took my breath away. My best friend referred Melanie to me. I have also been to several weddings that Melanie and her team have designed and planned. Each wedding was absolutely beautiful and different from the other. She’s able to match her design to each brides’ different personality and ideas. The best part about all of her weddings that I have attended is they have not only been breathtakingly beautiful but an absolute blast! She’s a necessity if you are getting married and need a planner. You won’t regret it!

ly going into wedding planning,, as a project manager myself, I thought I didn't need a wedding planner... but I was absolutely wrong. Even if you think you can handle it on your own, there are more than a few reasons to hire Melanie and her team. To name a few - Melanie is always prompt to respond to messages and thoroughly. She has a wedding or three (or more!) every week, yet throughout the planning I felt like ours was the only one she was planning because of her attention to details and how well she remembered every detail we discussed (even when I had forgotten...) Melanie's vendor referrals helped us find what fit our style and price range without feeling pressured to use a certain vendor. Every vendor she suggests is wonderful, but every vendor has a different style - so she helped us pick the vendors that best fit ours. Her taste is impeccable - I am not a designer or stylist and that's where I needed the most help. I came to her without even a clue what color I wanted my bridesmaids to wear! I gave her some opinions about what I liked on the tables, etc... but I honestly had no idea. I trusted her to make something beautiful, and she did, without me having to stress or wonder if what I picked would look good. If you don't have an eye for color combos or style, just leave it to her... she'll come up with something beautiful and "you". I could go on more about how she made the process easier - but where Melanie and her team shine the most in my eyes is the day of. I had zero stress on my wedding day and that was fully due to her and her team. She kept the whole event organized, setup and broke down the event, and made sure it all went smoothly. Her team of ladies were all so poised and helpful and looked genuinely happy to be there and a part of our big day. Our wedding was better than I ever imagined. My mother and I both felt relaxed the entire day, and for us (we're planners and worriers!) that is saying A LOT!

ng I could have imagined. She is well organized and meticulous, which was perfect for me and my busy work schedule. The weeks leading up to and day of our wedding couldn't have been easier because we had Melanie guiding and supporting us through everything. I would recommend Melanie and her wonderful team to everyone - I absolutely adore them.

ss off your plate, definitely contact by invitation only!!!

ing the day of, there were no issues or disasters, and my mom got to relax and have fun with me on my big day! Wedding planning is stressful but Melanie made it SO much easier.

ever had the pleasure of working with. We can't say enough good things: from her ideas, working with our own ideas too, use of her personal inventory, and best of all the day of coordination (which was so calm and organized). I can't imagine our big day having gone nearly as well without her and her staff. It really was the happiest day of our lives, so beautiful and meaningful, and we are so thankful that Melanie was a part of it! I would give her 10 stars if we could!

he set-up and breakdown of the event. We were able to spend more time with our family and friends, and we didn't have to ask anyone to take on extra duties that would have interrupted their enjoyment of our wedding week. Our rehearsal was during Hurricane Hermine, but Melanie made it through the storm from Columbia to conduct the rehearsal in Pawleys Island. Plus when we were worried about the condition of the grass at the reception, Melanie told me she had already coordinated with the rental company to set up the tent before the storm in order to try to keep the grass dry. We didn't think a full planning service would be in our budget, but BIO's packages include extras that we would have had to pay for anyway. The little things that Melanie always brings to an event would have added up to a large, but necessary, cost if we'd purchased them on our own. Plus the stock items that BIO provides as part of the planning package are an enormous cost savings. I tell people all the time that having BIO as our planners made our dollars go much further than they would if we had done everything on our own. Book By Invitation Only! You will not regret it.

l and a place to bury a bottle of bourbon. She is the glue for any event.

she brought everything together. Every little detail was perfect. She orchestrated everything from timing the bridesmaids walking down the aisle...to making sure nobody lit their sparklers until it was time for the send off. Having their team is a MUST! Our wedding was even featured on The Knot :)

to make it work! Peace of mind is priceless :) Lacey and Melanie really helped me create my dream wedding day! My entire day was perfect!

are probably so many things she did that I wasn't even aware of, but I appreciated her expertise every minute of my wedding day. My reception decorations and floor plan were fantastic. I'm not a very picky bride, and she gave me some great ideas since I didn't really have many ideas of my own. She organized all the vendors to make sure everything was on time. She was very easy to communicate with, and she made my day perfect. I loved her personality, and I trusted her with all of my details. There was not a moment where I was stressed, which is priceless in my opinion.

ne, it's truly one of the best decisions we made. I am a very organized, detail oriented person; however, I would NOT plan a wedding on my own. Many people said we didn't need a planner and if anyone could do this it was us. Well, Ashley and I are so glad that the very FIRST thing we did was hire Melanie. She and her team made Ashley's Charleston wedding so beautiful and so stress free. She made countless trips to Charleston with us to help us find everything from the venue, catering, florist, bakery, DJ, etc...For an entire year, she answered countless emails with all of our questions and was ALWAYS there for us. From the first day to the wedding day, she took care of everything! And we truly felt like she was apart of our family. I would highly recommend hiring a wedding coordinator and Melanie and her team are THE BEST! Stacy Evans and Ashley and Travis Porter

had NO issues, NO glitches, NO problems whatsoever. Entire wedding went off without a hitch - a remarkable achievement from what I hear. Would recommend her hands-down, every time to anyone looking for a high-class wedding.

this team was the best decision I ever made. They made the whole process come together stress free. On my wedding day I got to enjoy getting ready with my bridesmaids and soak it all in instead of worrying about things that needed to to be done because I knew they were already taken care of by my wedding planner. They are very known in the community and have great relationships with all the top vendors. They will help you stay within your budget and guide you the whole way along the process. They are beyond words amazing:)

great referrals in my price range and (most importantly) saved me money! After everything was said and done, I saved more money by using them then their fee! I recommend By Invitation Only to any and everyone planning an event!

y and was able to convey them in her design. She took my ideas and truly developed them into something far greater than I could have imagined! She was so meticulous on every detail from the up lighting on our naked wedding cake, to the sequined table cloth on our sweetheart table. She allowed me to be involved in anything I wanted, make every change I desired, and even leave tasks completely up to her (being that wedding planning is so over-whelming, with so many decisions!) Overall I could not have asked for a better friend to also me my wedding planner. The only thing that could make me happier than my wonderful wedding designed by Melanie Murphy from By Invitation Only, is being called Mrs. Halacka for the rest of my life.

to enjoy the day without any stress. BIO handled all the things that I didn't want to fool with on my wedding day- errands, setting up, tearing down, cleaning up, questions from guests. I just showed up and had fun, and that's how your wedding should be! Using Melanie's in-stock items also helped me to save money, which basically let her services pay for themselves. Using BIO was the best decision I made- other than picking the right groom, of course!

important that we find someone with great responsivness, and Melanie was awesome at keeping us in the loop and replying to calls/texts/emails/you name it. I loved bouncing my ideas off of her and how she was able to expand on my vision for the wedding. From the beginning, she 'got' what I wanted to create and that was an amazing feeling - being able to trust the planner to plan the event that I was imagining. Everything about her and her team is awesome. This is truly the best decision I made regarding the wedding, besides picking the right guy. :) I would HIGHLY recommend Melanie's services. I know that my wedding was as beautiful and memorable as it was due to her attention to detail and her great talents in planning and design.

think things but Melanie was awesome about being impartial and showing us all the options. She listened and used her knowledge to get us in touch with the best vendors for us. As the new age of the "pinterest bride" emerges it can put so much stress on the bride. Melanie helped me create a beautiful setting with crafty touches, something I wouldn't have been able to do on my own. Melanie added value every step of the way, especially 20 minutes before we walked down the aisle and the sky opened up! She stepped into action and moved the ceremony and still made it absolutely gorgeous! I am so thankful we hired Melanie and By Invitation Only because they made our day stress-free and perfect!

regret it

She even keeps your mom calm :) I would recommend her to anyone and everyone.

was turned into a magical place and everyone had nothing but good things to say about the ceremony and reception! A special thanks to Melanie for being my "right arm!"

t closer to my wedding day.. I started to worry about who will set up my reception at the club and how will things flow at the Church because all their wedding director did was tell people where to stand and what to do. And how in the world will I set up my party favors. I am not a creative type! Biggest question was and maybe of smallest value, but to me I worried about it... how will my bags get down to the 1st floor from the 25th and into the limo? I don't want to be holding these things on my exit!! Well, EVERYTHING was in the limo I needed. And everything was packed and taken care of after I left. By Invitation Only did a great job. My wedding and reception would not have had the flow I wanted without them! Melanie is busy and hardworking, but will find time to help you with what you need!

deas, Melanie is an expert!! I am forever thankful that I chose to use Melanie and her staff to help make my wedding day everything that I dreamed about and much more!!

thing out of a magazine! She was always so gracious, pleasant and smiling. The value of having a fabulous wedding planner is sooo worth the expense!! She took so much off our plates so we could concentrate on getting married!

are GLAD we chose her because she went above and beyond in every aspect. The design was gorgeous. She brought soo many things from her inventory and while some of the design ideas were my own, she took them to a whole new level. Our main focus was personalization. I wanted people to pull up to our venue and say oh yeh! David and Brittany are getting married here! I briefly told her what our vision for the day was and she immediately countered with beautiful, amazing, unique ideas that really made our wedding a one of a kind event. Through and through, the day was uniquely ours. The design elements of our wedding looked like things we would decorate our own house with and those were EXACTLY the details we were going for. Her ability to stay organized and her unwavering time management skills are out of this world. The day of the wedding, she was totally calm and even though hair, makeup, and pictures ran late and a bridesmaid showed up 3 hours late, she was completely unaffected. She gave off a vibe that everything would be fine and encouraged everyone to just focus on being happy. Her calmness was contagious and her words of encouragement throughout the day were so uplifting, it was hard not to feel giddy! Hiring Melanie and her team was money very well spent. Even if you're on a shoestring budget, find a way to fit this in. A fantastic planner with design ideas that rival some of the best i've ever seen is going to make the difference between a wedding people attend and a wedding people REMEMBER. we love you Melanie!!! - the dodgens

nning process was to hire this wonderful team!!

hey do make dreams come true!

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I could explain hiring another planner, but since we were 3 states away, help was a must. But from nearly the beginning she put my mind at ease. Yes, I was nervous that I was getting a sales pitch and would end up with less than what was offered up. But to my delight, I got MORE than I could have hoped for. She took our vision of a tea party wedding, struck the kitch, upped the elegance and delivered a PERFECT WEDDING DAY. Not only that, she helped my mother-in-law put together a sweet and chic reception dinner. I could not thank Melanie enough for how wonderful a job she did and I know my family and I will recommend her to all our friends and we will use her for any of our event planning needs in South Carolina.

ention that we were planning our Columbia wedding from our current home of Washington, DC, which posed extra challenges. Melanie is a consummate professional who was always open and encouraging of our ideas and responsive to my frequent emails:) She came up with creative solutions to design challenges and saved us so much money on rentals due to her extensive collection of decor items she maintains in-house. Melanie and her team coordinated with all of our vendors on the day of the wedding, and I felt that our vision was executed perfectly. My mom and I didn't have to worry about anything on the wedding day, and Melanie was a calming influence for me as a bride. Her team worked efficiently and seamlessly behind the scenes to orchestrate every little detail. I would recommend her without reservations to any bride!

eative ideas and merged them into a sophisticated "Urban Chic Design" that reflected the bride and groom's personalites to perfection. They went above and beyond with her direction and efforts of her team. Melanie insisted on taking the whole load off of my daughter and I. We loved the outcome and would not change anything. Thank you to the whole team at "By Invitation Only"

Women in Politics is an active organization that is joining political parties together to support women who are currently in politics and encourage women to run in the future. We want to avoid the appearance of being too frilly, while still embracing our feminine touch - which Melanie understood. Our event, the Leading Women Awards Dinner, was held at the modern 701 Whaley. Melanie has been decorating this venue for some time now and understands how to dress it up without going overboard or clashing with its unique look. On top of her style and creativity, she's very nice and pleasant to work with. She knows when to step in and when to step out of the decoration process. By Invitation Only has a vast array of decorative items already in their possession, so it really reduces the amount (if not eliminates it) of items that need to be rented - so we ended up saving money and the stress of doing it ourselves by using their services and decorations. We look forward to working with her in the future!

f course I am biased since I am the bride!) Melanie always kept in contact with us and was there to set up the entire week of our wedding. NOt only was she our planner, but you could tell she actually cared about her couples- we became very close over the year process of planning! If you use BIO you will not be dissapointed. Great to work with to help plan your big day and it leaves you stress free!

d. All of our vendors had different personalities and from time of booking to the day of the wedding Melanie made everything run smoothly. On the day of the wedding I had no worries, other than to get myself ready, because Melanie and her team was at the helm. I’ve had many guests, in the days after, tell us our wedding was one of the best they’ve ever attended. I recommend By Invitation Only to everyone.

- she made everything happen on time yet seemed to do so from behind the scenes. Also, she brought some of her own furniture and decorations free of charge, which saved us a lot of money on some rentals.

ciously drove from Columbia to Charleston several times during the planning process to meet with us and not only offered her support, but her professional opinion, which we appreciated. My mom and I wanted to most of the decorating from scratch but had never done a wedding before so we needed to know what was practical. Melanie was a perfect fit! Not only were her suggestions dead on, but she told us when we got carried away and what wouldn't work. And her decorating inventory is incredible! If she didn't have it, she knew who did or could get it. We saved several hundred dollars on decorating. It was a tremendous stress relief planning for an outdoor wedding knowing Melanie had a back-up plan in the event of adverse weather and would be there all day. The day of the wedding she kept our drama queen caterer in check and had the contacts for the rental companies in case they arrived late. Everything was flawless. In the end, we were happy to have Melanie and her crew at our wedding, she was a new friend. I can't say enough wonderful things about By Invitation Only. My expectations were very high and this group exceeded them. My wedding was stress-free thanks to B.I.O!