Elegant Events By Maria

We don't know how we could have gotten through this day so smoothly without Maria and Ebony. If you are considering a day of coordinator for your wedding look no further. These are the ladies you have been looking for!!!! I can not even begin to explain all the hard work and though they put into helping me plan and execute the perfect wedding day. If you are going to hire anyone for planning your wedding you can stop here and call Maria now! :<3 <3

Compassionate and knowledgeable about EVERYTHING wedding is Maria. She is trusted and respected in this wedding industry and every vendor she suggested went above and beyond for our wedding. Maria was our very own fairy godmother and we couldn't have planned this wedding without her. She does so much behind the scenes and really helped us to bring our vision to life and on our wedding day - every detail was taken care and we couldn't have asked for anything else because it was so perfect . Our guests constantly are still talking about the wedding day and we owe this all to Maria, Ebony and Chrissy. They truly are an amazing group of ladies that made our wedding day beyond what could ever had hoped it to be.

Maria and her team were literally angels and did so much behind the scenes for the day of our wedding weekend. During the planning Maria was very receptive to answers calls and texts. I work 24 hour shifts and sometimes found myself texting her at 11:30 PM or 5:30 AM and at times...she would reply . She fixed things that we never were even made aware that there was a problem with other vendors until the reception was over and we shared a few details that we loved. Maria suggested a few details that honestly my husband and I weren't really big on doing but those "details" ended up being some of the most impactful things that happened on our wedding day and the photos documenting these moments are priceless and for this we are so grateful to have had her push us to do things that she knew in the end would be so amazing. We had a vendor team of 14 different vendors and they all suggested Maria's company when we were looking for a planner. Trust us when we say YOU WANT MARIA AND HER TEAM on YOUR WEDDING TEAM.

Maria and her team helped coordinate a seamless day! We reserved Red Space and she helped transform it into a beautiful space alongside the vendors. I felt like a guest at my own wedding in the best way possible and my expectations were far exceeded!

Maria Kovacevich is the Rolls-Royce of wedding planners. She helped plan our 3-day Indian and American 250-guest wedding across 2 massive venues in Cleveland. She joined the team in the Fall for a February wedding. Our timeline was short, but in a span of a few short months (which included the Holidays), she brought together an amazing group of people thanks to her 20+ years in the industry and created an UNFORGETTABLE experience for all of us. The logistics of our venue were a nightmare but she navigated it all with ease and experience. She was in constant contact with me throughout the process from vendor meetings to timeline planning to even helping my family with their outfits the day of the wedding. We had a never-ending list of requests and demands but she went above and beyond to meet all of them. She is a lovely person and we are lucky to have crossed paths with her!

Couldn't ask for a better wedding planner! Maria was by my side and helped out with EVERYTHING! She was not just 2, but 10 steps ahead of everything. So glad I chose Maria to help out with my wedding. Wouldn't have been the same without her ❤️

Maria was the best thing that happened to us in our wedding process. She's just so good at what she does, and the entire process she made us feel very confident, excited and relieved. The level of professionalism is unmatched. Maria and her team will transform your experience planning your wedding (especially day of coordination).

Not normally the person to leave reviews but when my wife sent me the link to leave one, I knew I had to do it for Maria. As a groom, I was hands off. I didn't care about the decor or the flowers and left it all up to my fiance. Whenever she went to an appointment with Maria, it was like she just came back from lunch with a girlfriend. She made my fiances life easier therefore she was a saint to me. Thanks again Maria!

THE BEST EVER! Loved having Maria on my team and she executed my wedding perfectly. I was a very type A bride with an overbearing personality but she handled everything and let me just sit back and relax. The first thing I say to all my friends that are engaged or just got engaged is "hire Maria". You won't regret it !!!

Maria is absolutely amazing!!! We hired her for a month of planner and we are so glad we did. She was so easy to get along with and would listen to what we wanted & needed. She was super knowledgeable and such a great resource. She helped the day go so smoothly and helped us with every bump in the road that occurred. She also has different plans so if you want a whole wedding planner to even just a day of coordinator. Even our wedding party mentioned how great she was. I would recommend(and already have!!) to any bride!!

If I could leave Maria a million stars I would! There is truly no one like her!!!!! She handled me and all my family’s (crazy) dynamics like a champ and handled problems and situations before I even found out. I would trust Maria with my life, she is the real deal and knows what she is doing! I was not one to dream about my wedding since I was 5 so I was very indecisive but she guided me through every choice and vendor. Can't thank her and her team enough!

I swear Maria must have had a twin on our wedding day or she logged in at least 60,000 steps! She was EVERYWHERE and took care of everything, I can't imagine my wedding without her. She was truly a saint on our wedding day and she made the planning process so much easier. I can't tell you how many of my friends asked for her information after the wedding because they want to use her as well. Can't recommend Maria enough!!!!

Had to completely cancel and book another planner. I booked her June of 2021 for a August 2022 wedding and then NEVER heard any communication from her again. I was told she was going to set up multiple appointments with florists (which I didn’t even want flowers) and fell through. She criticized her every vendor I suggested because it wasn’t on her suggested list. My wedding truly felt like an after thought because my budget wasn’t over $50k, even though I told her my budget in our initial meeting and she assured me it wasn’t too low for her services. I’m upset I wasted $300 on a “deposit” for no work to ever get done. It even took her 3 weeks to respond the email that I was cancelling services. No rebuttal, no trying to save my business, just said “ok” and move forward. Don’t believe a word she says. She only cares about your wedding if it will look great on her instagram for her daughter’s Instagram resume.

Trust Maria is all I can say!!! I was very type A during my planning and loved collaborating with Maria to make my wedding dreams come true! There were times where I stepped back and let Maria take the reigns and it was the best decision ever. Love you Maria!

Maria and her team went above and beyond to make everything perfect!! She felt like my best friend throughout the whole process and I trusted every decision she made- thanks again Maria and team!

Beyond disappointed. Go elsewhere.

Maria is a superhero!! She and her team handled the planning and execution of our wedding with poise and professionalism, from postponing our 2020 wedding and finding a whole new venue, to grabbing ice for my rear after an unfortunate bee sting up the dress during our outdoor ceremony! She was a planner, but also a therapist, cake decorator, bartender, tissue grabber and whatever else we needed. Not a moment went by during the day where I had to hold my gorgeous (but heavy!) bouquet or not have a drink in my hand. A wedding planner is the best money you can spend, and if you are lucky enough you will be able to snag Elegant Events by Maria for your special day!

Amazing planner with lots of fun and unique ideas. Could not have had the wedding of my dreams without Maria or her team! She must have taken 50,000 steps the day of my wedding and everywhere I turned, she was there! Truly a godsend.

Hiring Maria was the best decision I made with planning our wedding. She went above and beyond and made planning a wedding during a pandemic possible and enjoyable. We lost our dream venue but Maria worked tirelessly to help us find a new one that would exceed our expectations -and it did! I live in Hawaii and she made communication easy and was always available. She captured my vision perfectly and made the day run as smooth as possible. Words cannot describe how grateful my family and I are for all of her hard work. THANK YOU.

If you want a stress free day- HIRE HER!! Hiring her was the best decision we made for the wedding! Some would consider me a “bridezilla” because of how OCD I am, but Maria was the best and handled everything!!

We hired Maria Oct 31,2020. We signed the contract for a full service wedding $4500.00. Paid the $500.00 deposit. We ended up walking away because I did not feel she was a good fit. I always always reaching out to her and trying to move the ball forward. Every time we had a meeting there would be an excuse on why she had to reschedule. The first time I actually got to see her was in December when she emailed me advising the flight agent was being introduced. This is almost over a month of having my signed contract. I felt she didn’t want to dedicate time to my wedding and I was left as a side note. The work she claims she put into the info she had given to me was supplied by the travel agent. She would advise Aruba is on island time and that is why it took so long for communication to come through- funny thing is they emailed me back within 24 hours (What took Maria a month todo. ) We walked away loosing $500 which is a lot for me but the right decision. I finally threw the towel in this past January. Maybe she spread herself too thin I don’t know- all I know is that she is not responsive in a timely manner- I took chance even though the other reviews said the same thing. If you hire Maria- know that timeliness in a response is not given. I unfortunately don’t work well with someone that won’t respond. I hired a full service wedding planner and was not given that. I walked away before it was too late.

I’ll be honest- when I first got engaged I was the girl who thought a wedding planner was unnecessary, but I soon realized just how amazing wedding planners are- especially Maria! I feel like there aren’t enough words to express how grateful we are for Maria and her team. All the little details that went wrong or that I felt unprepared for, Maria took care of them and fast. I swear she must have taken 40,000 steps that day because she was always on the move getting things done. I am a very organized person, but nothing prepared me for how much went into planning a wedding. When I say that Maria took care of everything and made my day perfect, I mean it. She’s truly one of a kind and I will never stop saying good things about her and her team!

Besides marrying my husband, having Maria by our side was the best decision I’ve ever made. I truly believe she’s the reason that our day was as perfect as it was. I truly had no idea where to begin with planning my wedding or how much time and effort went into one wedding!

Best planner ever. Don’t know what else to say besides she’s the best. Helped transition us from a venue to a backyard wedding! Seriously awesome, don’t hesitate to book!

Maria is literally 'THE' best thing that happened to us in preparation for our wedding. I was living in NYC and planning a wedding back home in Cleveland for a year. I also am not a cooky cutter bride, but a pure creative. She understood my vision and went above and beyond, making the process easy. She met me two times in the city, because she is just pure magic. Maria is an OG, and knows to handle unique situations -- THIS is everything in wedding planning. She has a roladex of amazing partners and vendors at her finger tips. I ended up being a COVID Bride, and the worse yet, it happened to us at the last minute. She graciously navigated us through that and has been so flexible and warm. She will be a planner that will last a lifetime, because she truly loves what she does. She is one of a kind and a super planner! I could not recommend her enough as a wedding angel super woman and a friend!

Hiring Maria was the best decision we could have made when planning our wedding day. She absolutely goes above and beyond - you feel like you’re her only client. Not to mention, she made our wedding feel perfect during this pandemic time. The whole day was an absolute dream and I will be recommending her services to everyone and anyone. Having Maria as your planner also gives you access to her amazing team of professional lighting, florists, photographers, linens, etc. 20/10 best planner ever and miss her already! Lol

Honestly cannot give a high enough review for Maria. My partner and I had a lot of tricky expectations to meet for our wedding---we wanted to adhere to a lot of traditions for our families, but we also wanted some quirkier, unconventional things for ourselves. Maria was able to help us blend all of these expectations into an amazing, cohesive event. She's able to recognize a couple's style and vision and really help them to channel it into their event in ways you couldn't even imagine. She knows the Ohio vendors like the back of her hand, and recommended the perfect ones for us. She made everything unique, easy, and so much fun. Thanks a million.

If you need it done... Maria's got it! From the beginning stages of planning to the last minute of the reception we relied on Maria. Where Maria really showed us her stuff was the few days before the wedding and even 5 minutes before the start!.... We had a few "major" issues and she handled it like a pro and eliminated our stress in ways where we didn't even know there was a problem to worry about! Thank you for your dedication to our big day... it is truly appreciated! Definitely wouldn't have been as amazing without your help!

My wife and I got married on 10-5-19 and Maria was our planner. Less than 3 months before our wedding we lost everything in an apartment fire caused by our neighbors. Many of our wedding items were lost, and our spirits were crushed. Maria not only stepped in as a planner, but also like a family member. She jumped into action immediately. Within a few days she had tons of her friends and colleagues rallying around us to help us recoup our losses. As a planner, she reached out to vendors and got us some reduced and even donated services. I truly don’t know how we would’ve gotten things together without her. She helped us navigate everything and helped put us at ease during the planning process. She was an absolute blessing the day of the wedding as well. She came by to say hello in the morning and stayed the entire evening. She made sure everything was as perfect as possible. Even the little things that weren’t perfect (nothing that was her fault) she helped us realize they are small things and that no one would ever notice. Maria is amazing not only as a planner, but as a friend. Thank you Maria for giving me and my wife our dream wedding!

Maria was an earth angel. I decided to book her after our first conversation because I knew I would need her in my life. After our fire in July left us having no clue how we were going to pick up the pieces Maria stepped in like a family member. She contacted me almost daily and rallied behind me and Kenn. So many of her friends donated TONS and TONS of stuff to us including many wedding services. It was an outpouring of love. In times that I would get stressed and maybe seem like I was ready to lose it she always stayed calm. I trusted that the end goal was always going to be as close to perfect as possible. She is a busy woman and had her own set of stresses during the time we were planning but she made it happen. She’s a professional and has a huge heart. She showed up to our rehearsal dinner, the hotel in the morning to say hello and make sure all is well, and was at our wedding late into the evening. She was there for everything and I saved a lot of money by hiring her. My only regret is that I didn’t get to take a photo with her so I could show you how beautiful she is inside and out. It was like having another family member at the wedding! We love you Maria!

Maria was incredible!!!! I was the MOH for my best friend's wedding where Maria was the planner. She did an excellent job at making sure my best friend's dream wedding became a reality. She also was a great resource for the mother of the bride with questions that none of us knew the answer to such as day-of timeline, bridesmaid dress questions, and much more. I will most certainly use Maria when it comes time for my wedding. I highly recommend her for a wedding of any size!

Maria is a true wedding professional. She is a joy to work with and also always seems to have your answers even to questions you have not thought of yet. Even with all of the cultural aspects of a Greek wedding, she handled them all with ease. Maria really lets you enjoy your day without having to stress about even the smallest of things and if something does come up she addresses them quickly. As a wedding professional myself and having worked with many other planners, I can't think of one that is as great as Maria was. Thank you so much for making our wedding enjoyable, stress free, and with no problems!

Hiring Maria was definitely well worth it. She was very professional and easy to get along with! She offered great ideas, recommendations and solutions to problems we encountered along the way. She went along with us on multiple appointments with the vendors and helped us make decisions. She was always a step ahead with both the planning stages and day of the wedding. We can honestly say that the day of the wedding, we were all at ease and not feeling stressed out knowing she was on top of things. With her careful planning and timelines, everything went smoothly and was on time. We were able to enjoy ourselves at the wedding. Our guests told us how they were also impressed with all the details of our wedding. She is definitely worth every penny. You will not be disappointed with her!

Seriosuly cannot say enough good things about Maria and her team. We had a few hiccups on our wedding with vendors not doing their part but she took care of it! Truly the BEST! Thanks again Maria

Maria was SO helpful! I don't know how my wedding would have happened without her. What I loved the most was her recommendations of other vendors she worked with closely. This helped us to find vendors that were trustworthy. I have a job that doesn't allow me to make many phone calls and she still made planning so easy. She would help set up appointments for me and I would know exactly what to expect and ask. On the day of my wedding she was very reassuring that I had nothing to worry about. From my ceremony to my reception it was absolutely beautiful. Every detail was perfect and exactly what I had imagined.

Hiring Maria for my daughter’s wedding was the best decision!!!! Maria helped my daughter have the wedding of her dreams! She enabled all of us to have the most enjoyable and perfect wedding day without having to worry about anything the day of. During the planning process, my daughter and I encountered a few obstacles and decided to look into a wedding planner knowing that due to the size of the wedding (final count attending was 300!), we would most definitely need a day-of-coordinator. With Maria on our team everything was stress free. She attended vendor meetings and made phone calls when needed. The day of the wedding she started early in the morning and stayed until the very end. She went to the venue first thing in the morning to make sure it was getting set up as we wanted. After this she came to the house where the bride was getting ready and handled the photographer and videographer so that we could continue to get ready without having to deal with details. Next, she went to the church before us to make sure everything was in place for the ceremony. She was always one step ahead of us making sure it was a perfect day. Without her I do not believe that everything would have ran as smoothly and on-time. Maria made me so comfortable that I was confident the venue would look exactly as the bride had envisioned. Thanks to her, I was not worried at all that morning because I knew she had everything under control. It turned out even better than we had envisioned!!!! The look on my daughter’s and new son’s face as they walked into the ballroom for their first look was priceless. Many of our guests have said it was the best wedding they had ever attended. Words cannot express how amazing Maria is. If you want a magical day for your child and a wedding that you will be able to sit back and enjoy, take her on your team!

Hiring Maria was the best decision I made after saying Yes to my fiancé in this whole wedding process. She made sure that I enjoyed my whole wedding day. I was not bothered by anyone and everything ran smoothly. Even on our wedding day, she personally delivered Mitcheslls Icrecream (one of our vendors) to me as I walked off the dance floor. Before the wedding we hit quite a few road blocks and with just one phone call, she takes over and swoops in and saves the day every single time! My only regret is not bringing her on the day after I got engaged (had I known about it, I would have). She quickly becomes family and anticipates your needs the day of and during planning before you even realize you don’t like something or something is off. I constantly hear horror stories of people not enjoying their wedding days… My whole family and I can’t say we experienced that. The whole day was a blast because Maria made sure everything went off with a hitch. Don’t even think twice about it, just hire Maria now.

The best planner ever!!!! She kept me and my mom calm on the big day and for that we can’t thank her enough!

Sounds cliche but hiring Maria was the best decision and investment. We feel extremely grateful for everything she and her team did for us! They organized all the small details and made the day go by as smooth as possible. Wish I could get married every weekend with Maria’s help!

Worst nightmare anyone could have while planning a wedding. Maria was hired by me and my husband of June 2018 for our wedding in September of 2019. Maria appeared to be very convincing that she would be able to pull our vision off after first meeting with her and had us to believe that there would be no worries. Later that week we purchased her package which was around $1895 with a $350 deposit. I mailed my deposit to the address instructed by her and never recieved a call after a month had passed by. To summarize things up, I contacted her she act as though she never recieved anything. Made another deposit and met with her in person, did not hear from her until I contacted her, which continued on for over 9+ months! She would never contact me unless I contact her. We did majority of our booking and still had many other things that needed to be reserved with deposits. She then stopped answering calls,text and emails. When I finally would get in contact with her she would have an excuse that either she was sick or her entire house was sick with the flu on multiple occasions, then it led to she couldn't respond because she has no service... excuse after excuse... which led be to believe that our wedding was the least of her priorities. 6 to 5 months into our wedding she still had not helped with booking everything she was supposed to and was not in contact with the majority of our vendors." She would not take the initiative to communicate about our wedding until I was able to get in touch with her. We were never returned our deposit in which she kept for services that weren't provided. Maria was Fired about 4 months away from our wedding. Luckily we were able to find a terrific wedding planner who made our dreams come true

Hiring Maria was the best decision we made, easily! She was so helpful and really did everything she could to make our dream wedding happen.

BOOK HER NOW! My fiance and I were on the fence about booking a planner because we thought we had everything under control and could do it ourselves. We were so wrong! Maria helped and took care of everything and then some! Her mind works in crazy ways and knew exactly what I wanted and executed it perfectly!!! Thanks again Maria!

THE BEST EVER! Seriously couldn’t imagine my daughter’s wedding without her. I thought the wedding would be a little rough and I would be running around, but I was so wrong! Maria and her team handled everything and made life so much easier. I was able to talk to all my guests and not worry about what was happening behind the scenes! Would hire her and her team 1000 more times- easily best decision I made!

Amazing planner, executed our vision perfectly!

Maria suggested the best vendors and finishing touches I did not think of, table linens, seating board, agenda card, sparklers, to name a few. One of our guests at the wedding said "Maria had to walk 30,000 steps the night of the wedding." She ensured that everything ran smoothly and on schedule the day and night of the wedding. She made sure our special requests were completed as we imagined them, which included 99 red balloons being released as the bride and groom walked down the aisle after the outside ceremony at Mapleside Farms. And, worked with Lori from Reilly's Originals and many vendors to ensure that the spectacular hanging floral centerpiece which was 16 feet long was the ultimate show stopper at the Barn. She was my go to person for advise, and would always text me back, meet me for planning with vendors, or answer my phone calls. If you want a fabulous wedding, hire Maria!!

AMAZING! Maria was our "Mary Poppins" and was simply the nothing short of AMAZING! She met with us regularly and was always flexible to meet or talk on the phone if we had questions. Her ideas inspired by my vision simply created my wedding day that still brings me to tears. Everything was just perfect. My bridesmaids to this day still talk about how Maria and her assts were just "there" when something needed to be done . During the planning she met with us while we met with several vendors until the right ones were found. I was extremely picky about finding the perfect venue and she had the perfect suggestions based off of what my husband and I both wanted. I couldn't have done this without Maria. Worth every penny and MORE.

Maria and team made my wedding day better than I ever could have imagined. We planned a 550 person Serbian wedding and Maria attended many appts with my family to assure us that everyone was on the same page. My family enjoyed the day because of Maria. Her communication and suggestion of vendors was constant through out the planning process. We could never have done this without Maria....EVERYONE needs Maria at their wedding.

Maria took my deposit for my daughter’s wedding out of town after doing my sons wedding the year before. After taking the deposit she went out of touch. Seldom answered my emails or calls. Month before the wedding I never heard from her. She didn’t even have the decency to respond. Still waiting on my deposit back. Stay away from her!

Maria was absolutely fabulous to work with for our wedding and wedding planning process. We had such a wonderful experience with her. It was such a perfect day for us and we were able to sit back and enjoy it while she made sure everything was perfect. I would highly recommend having Maria and her team, to help you plan your wedding and making sure your day goes smoothly! We can’t say enough wonderful things about her!!

Maria and her team were INCREDIBLE! She handled coordinating all of our vendors and organizing our ceremony for us! She wore so many different hats on the day of our wedding, and we wouldn't have had the wonderful day we did without her! She handled things that didnt go right with vendors and fixed every little detail before our dinner reception started! Our florist only delivered a third of the flowers we ordered & paid for, and Maria went out and bought flowers to help fix all of our arrangements before the dinner reception started. she made the reception look completed different within a matter of hours! If we didn't have her on the day of our wedding, everything would have been a mess! We are so thankful we got to work with her and her team, absolutely recommend her for anyone in the Cleveland area! Thank you so much Maria!!!!

We weren’t sure what to expect when it came to a planner, but we couldn’t have been more pleased with Maria and her crew! Not only did she execute our dream wedding, she handled any hiccup for us with ease. Our guests are still talking about how hard she worked. We will forever be grateful to Maria! You will not be disappointed!

Maria was so helpful and the perfect addition to our big day. We went with the partial planning package and she provided great vendor recommendations for us. She met with me about a month before the wedding to go over timeline and final details, gave me tips on things to make the day flow better, and handled all coordination with the venue and vendors. If anything went awry the day of, I didn't know about it. She coordinated the entire rehearsal and made sure everyone was where they needed to be the day of. My step-mother-in-law works at a church and commented that Maria was "everywhere" and knew what she was doing better than any wedding coordinator she has worked with at her church. Definitely worth the expense.

Maria and Cindy were phenomenal coordinators for my sisters wedding. We first started the wedding process with Cindy. We knew she was a perfect fit for our family because of her sweet and bubbly personality that was genuinely excited. Cindy was terrific in organizing and providing vendor options. She helped my sister every step of the way, even helping by making decorations for the reception. She made the planning process smooth. Maria was a blessing the night before the wedding and the day of when Cindy could not be available. She was hands on: setting up decorations, tearing down and packing up at the end of the night, and most importantly, arranging the cookie table. Maria makes you feel at ease because she radiates confidence in her abilities. The entire night went too smooth to believe. It was the most beautiful wedding I have ever seen. No wedding can compare and I'm not being biased. I would be honored to have Maria and Cindy be a part of our family celebrations in the future.

My mom and I thought we could plan my wedding by ourselves, once we started active planing, we realized we were very overwhelmed and in way over our heads! Maria was recommended by a friend and upon meeting with Maria, we immediately were put at ease! She attended several appointments with us and was amazing at communication! She offered many money saving tips. Maria's goal in wedding planning is to exceed the couple's wedding expectations! She exceeded every expectation of ours! Thank you Maria for making my dream wedding come true!

Maria and her team were absolutely fabulous!! She was such a huge help and it was the best decision we could've made! I did not live in the state but she made our dream wedding come true! She was very helpful with connecting us with vendors! She is amazing at her job!