Eileen Smith Events

slim weddings. As fun as it is, it is a lot of work to have so many events! We tried planning things on our own, but we needed help to bring the details together, especially on the day of. Initially, we thought about hiring ESE just for the day of the event, but as we got to talking, we realized Eileen and Cassie would be a great help in the planning stages as well. The bride had her own event to plan, and the groom enlisted his siblings and parents to assist with this event, but we still needed the expertise that only comes with a seasoned wedding planner. While the venue was already booked and the overall vision decided, ESE helped us bring it all together and make it a little more special. Eileen and Cassie were readily available via email, communicative, listened to the needs, set up meetings as needed to stay organized, and most importantly were willing to learn about our culture and traditions so everything aligned. They were always willing to come up with new ideas if we felt that something didn’t fit and iterate on it as a team. I couldn’t have asked for a better team and partners to make things come together and the bride and groom were so happy with the result! They worked so well with the venue staff, organized everything to align with our requests, and executed the event flawlessly. We had some last-minute (I am talking AT the event last minute) adjustments that had to be done and they were game too which was SO appreciated. We have 2 more brothers in line to get married and would not hesitate to hire Eileen Smith Events again for sure!

h her. We understood that generally, vendors in this industry are taking on a multitude of projects due to the Covid backlog - but our experience was overall very frustrating due to frequent redundancies, inefficiencies, errors, and miscommunications. Our wedding was a small home/backyard/tented event. We paid for a full package (5k) The long lead planning, budget and majority of vendor communication ended up on us. We felt we weren’t really paid attention to until about 2 months prior to the wedding date at which point 90% of things were already done. On the day, ESE supplied and managed the wait and set up staff. For how much work there was to be done no staff were onsite until 12:30pm when the wedding was to begin at 4:00pm. We did the majority of the set up ourselves in the morning because we didn’t feel comfortable leaving it to the last minuet. Considering this was at our home, the timing felt rushed and not as considered as it should have been. During the reception the bar tenders were mismanaged and there was a TON of waste. The day after we found 4 full cases of uncorked wine and champagne (which we self supplied) - when we brought this to Eileen's attention there was little acknowledgement and no follow through. Then we were billed for $60 in ice. After such a happy time as your wedding - we can understand why it would be difficult for happy couples to leave an honest review if it's not a glowing one - this was not a good fit for us, but this became too clear when we were too far along to change tracks. That doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t explore ESE for yourself further. She seems to have had many success in her past.

most frenzied situations. She worked tirelessly to make our wedding the most special day - and we also credit her for giving us perfect weather! [It rained up until a few hours before the ceremony, when it turned into a gorgeous late summer day. Coincidence? We think not. It was the work of Eileen :-) .] We would not have been able to do any part of the wedding process without her expertise, support, creativity, resourcefulness, and organization. Thank you, Eileen, for everything!

ell connected in wedding resources in the area; from donuts to a bagpiper she knew exactly who to call and what to do. I highly recommend Eileen to help you with your wedding planning. She knows exactly how to put together your wedding, the beautiful wedding that you requested and dreamed of all while following covid 19 precautions. Thanks again Eileen!

t include hiring a wedding coordinator. As the date came closer and I worked feverishly through my list, suddenly I had a moment of clarity: ‘Who will cue me to walk down the aisle?’ I immediately began my search of coordinators on The Knot, (foolishly) thinking that I would only need someone present the day-of. That is where my journey with Eileen began. I could tell from our initial call that she was clearly very knowledgeable about the process. We met a few days later at the venue where she came fully prepared with a timeline and brought up pieces of the wedding puzzle that I had not even thought of. By our first meeting, she had put together a table/seating arrangement based on my attendees, contacted the venue manager for room dimensions, and reached out to my caterer for the required table sizes and set-up. I knew at that moment that Eileen was on top of her game. Next, she went through my rental order and refined it to ensure that I covered all bases without over-ordering and adding unnecessary expenditures. At that moment, things shifted: Instead of me being the one to coordinate with a dozen vendors, I now had one central person who took care of everything on my behalf. Eileen’s support and enthusiasm gave my husband and me the excitement and energy to pull through the final weeks. Wedding Day: On the day of my wedding, long before I arrived, Eileen was there managing all the vendors. By the time I showed up, everything was set up according to plan; tables set, bar area placed, flowers arranged, table cards displayed, etc. Things were moving, and there was Eileen in the middle of it all, orchestrating everything flawlessly while keeping an eye on the details. Throughout the wedding, she was helping guests and servers with anything they needed. Because of her, things ran smoothly. Then it was time for me to walk down the aisle. As the guests took their seats, Eileen turned to me with a smile and gave me the “cue”. It was in that moment that I clearly understood, with such gratitude, how incredibly invaluable Eileen had been…. for much more than just a “cue”. Eileen is a real find. I cannot thank her enough for creating such a day that far exceeded our expectations. She is someone you can trust and who will listen to you. She was a calming force throughout the whole process and both my husband and I would absolutely recommend her 100% to anyone looking for an outstanding coordinator for their wedding.

out her. Her accuracy with all the details comes from experience you can tell and would highly recommend for any wedding or extravagant event. Thanks ESE!!!

t all in her stride. Having her and her team there made everything seem to us, flawless. It was the best decision we made.

erything for me was such a relief and pleasure! Eileen handled last minute changes and stressors, and worked with my vision so that on the day of the event, things went as smoothly as they could have. Thank you!

r our family. Her expert guidance and positive attitude allowed us all to celebrate the event and take in the joy and love. Without her, we would not have enjoyed the day (and even the lead up) like she allowed us to. Eileen welcomed "big asks," including storing and transporting and placing 100+ blanket/shawls (to have and to hold, in case you get cold -- at an outdoor wedding in April on a mountain top), decorating mirrors with welcoming messages and corralling wandering family members for photos. Never ruffled, attentive to every detail, Eileen Smith will make your day as special and happy as it should be. She certainly did for us! Absolutely a 5 star professional and lovely person!

on every component that is needed, or wanted, to pull together our dream wedding. While we enjoyed this process, much of the communication that comes within the last few weeks of planning your wedding can become overwhelming and that is where Eileen stepped in seamlessly. She took the time to understand what we wanted in our wedding and visualize it better than we did. She was patient when working through ALL the last-minute details and one step ahead for making sure nothing was out of place or missing on the day of. She heard our concerns and did all she could to make sure the day went off without a hitch. You could tell she knew what we is doing and answered questions we didn’t even know we had to ask. We got married in New Milford and used a lot of local vendors, one of the greatest parts of working with Eileen is that she knew almost everyone that we worked with, making communication even easier. While planning your wedding is fun it is also a time when you can lean on experts to fill in the gaps. Even though it wasn’t her wedding, the passion she brings makes you feel like she cares about its success just as much as you.

he new venue was incredible and the day was absolutely perfect ❤️. I highly recommend her service!

en's ability to make me and his daughter not have a care in the world. Eileen did not miss one detail in the timeline design and how to organize the day of so that everyone could just have a blast. Jen, her Assistant came to the rescue for the last minute design of the programs and they were just what my daughter wanted. Eileen is an Event Planner with years of experience so do the right thing and let her be your partner on a day that goes by so quickly. Her professionalism and her ability to listen and then create your vision is what every bride can only hope for. Thank you Eileen and your staff for making the wedding glow last for a lifetime.

d guests say that it was the best wedding they ever attended! Living out in North Dakota with my husband made it hard for me to come back to CT often to plan. Eileen made sure that everything was stress free and taken care of. She has an unbelievable attention to detail and was able to make my dream a reality. The day of the wedding came and we were in complete awe of the setup. Our venue was not very big but Eileen was able to use the grounds to our advantage. She setup a beautiful cocktail hour in a field under huge gorgeous trees. The indoor dining area flowed beautiful into the outdoor dance floor where we all danced the night away. If I could give Eileen more than 5 stars I would. :)

ents, which was about an hour away. From there, she gave us a sense of what she could help with and how she could work with us to make our vision possible. From the get go, she told us she would prioritize advocating for us, specifically with regard to managing costs. She has a lot of experience in the wedding/rental industry so knows great vendors & resources. We communicated via email, phone, and in person. She was crucial in getting us quotes for different rentals and modifying the quotes based on price, our personal taste, guest #, etc. For our reception, we rented a space and needed to bring in food, alcohol, music, flowers, etc. We would not have been able to do all of this without Eileen. She has an eye for detail, listens to what you want, thinks on her feet, is friendly, patient, and knowledgeable. We almost had a last minute snafu for our outdoor reception when the weather turned colder and rainy. Eileen swooped in and saved the day by somehow finding someone to provide heaters for the tent. My husband and I would have felt so overwhelmed and stressed out if it weren't for Eileen. Instead, we were able to look forward to our special day and know that everything would be taken care of with vendor arrivals, timelines, vendor payments, last minute details, decorating, etc. Eileen also provided us with servers who were professional and hard working. Her assistant, Jen, is amazing. Top notch. Very friendly, attentive, and incredibly hard working. We received several compliments about Eileen and Jen from guests at the wedding. We 100% recommend investing money in your budget for wedding coordination through Eileen Smith Events.

ute, panicky calls/texts. I can't recommended Eileen Smith Events enough for your wedding or event--the best!

st amount of vendor contacts! Eileen helped us tremendously with our dream wedding, which was no easy feat. Our venue had all the natural beauty and an amazing tent, but the logistics required to make our dream into a reality, quickly proved to be far beyond what we could handle ourselves. We first met with Eileen almost a year out from the big day, but were in constant contact with her....and she was in constant contact with our vendors. Her warm personality and demeanor made the planning process even more enjoyable. The day of was picture perfect. Eileen got to the venue bright an early to make sure everything was exactly as we had envisioned, while Jen handled everything at the church (and even helped popped in my veil, just before I walked down the aisle!). Eileen takes such pride in the beautiful work that she does - with such attention to detail, not even a single napkin will be out of place. Thank you Eileen and Jen! 08.20.16 was truly the best day ever!