Events By Merida

Two words about Events by Merida: HIRE THEM. Services we utilized EBM for: Full Planning, inclusive of day of services. Venues: St. John The Baptist, Manayunk; Lark My husband and I had attempted to plan our wedding on our own and within one week of struggling for transparency with venues to see if they'd even fit into our budget, he had suggested maybe we hire a planner. I crowdsourced for recommendations to friends on Facebook and one suggested Events by Merida. We had 1 call with Merida and - to quote Stepbrothers "Did we just become best friends? Yep!". My husband said, "Hire her." within minutes of hanging up the Zoom. The connection and comfortability with Merida was immediate and lasting. It's easy to talk to Merida and build trust. She truly wants the best for you and your partner. That she is selective in whom she works with and how many weddings EBM takes on each year added to our comfort level. We knew Merida would be focused on us. Planning: Prior to the wedding itself, Merida became my bridal Xanax. She kept me calm, on schedule, on budget, helped me find and vet venues and vendors, chased after folks for me, offered me suggestions, made sure the contracts were written in our favor, facetimed/zoomed into calls with me, came to my fittings with me, helped me with wording and design choices for our website, save the dates and invitations and was an invaluable resource. Bridal brain is real; I'm probably forgetting a lot of the other ways she helped us during the planning process. Our wedding had Filipino ceremonial traditions and Filipino food included that had to be considered in all of it. There were some wild events that happened during planning with the church and the venue that Merida helped us work through. To say she made me feel like we were her most VIP client is an understatement. The rehearsal & big day: Merida and her team made sure the rehearsal and day of our wedding was as seamless as possible doing everything from running our rehearsal, reminding Monsignor of important parts, vendor wrangling - all of them. ALL, time management, body taping, dress fixing, reminding everyone to eat and hydrate, guest management... you name it, we could count on Merida and her crew to handle it. There were probably 300 things EBM handled that never came to our attention; we gave them carte blanche to ensure the day was amazing. When I say we worried about nothing, I mean we worried about nothing. Zero worries. Merida and her team had everything under control. Guests are still complimenting us on how friendly and professional the Events by Merida team were at our wedding. I am a firm believer that the wedding wouldn't have been as awesome without Merida and her crew. THANK YOU a million times over. **we haven't gotten pro photos back yet!

We cannot recommend Merida enough! She was always there when we had questions, even if the question seemed silly to me or I felt like I was overthinking. She never made me feel like I was dumb for not knowing something. She gave great advice, and always had our best interests at heart. There were many challenges we threw her way, including difficult family circumstances, decor that didn't 100% go as planned, and a dinosaur ring bearer. She was a calm presence, while also keeping us on time, and was a beautifully kind human being throughout the whole process. Honestly, we cannot image that the day would have been as great without her and her team.

I am a makeup artist and worked on a wedding with Merida and her team. She is fabulous and her team is incredibly helpful and hard-working. Merida is very communicative and committed to giving a quality experience. I would recommend Events by Merida to anyone looking to have a unique, beautiful and stress-free wedding day!

Merida is awesome! As a vendor, we have had a great commraderie working with her. She's a wonderful event planner. She puts people at ease with her fun personality and humor. Both her clients and vendors enjoy working with her because they know she is on top of every detail. She is funny and keeps a wonderful easy energy going when things can start getting tense during crunch time. We would work with her for every event if we could and we recommend her to all clients!

My husband and I’s wedding party walked out to the Golden Girls’ theme song of Thank You For Being a Friend. We find that there is no other way to also express our thoughts around Merida; we truly want to thank her for being a trusted friend throughout this process. We immediately hit it off in the interview process and the one thing that truly differentiated her and sold us is that she would help us execute on our unique vision and not some Events By Merida cookie-cutter experience; and boy did she absolutely deliver! We got her for the entire package (full vendor recommendations all the way to day-of execution) and we could not be happier with her partnership throughout the process. Probably one of the best things about her is that she took the time to TRULY understand us as a couple, our idiosyncracies, what we wanted out of our wedding, and our goals and took the necessary time to vet vendors that she thought we’d fit with. Did it sometimes take longer than my impatience wanted - no doubt… but in the end, she was right about everything. She helped us evaluate between two venues, and picked out candidates for DJ and photographer (among other vendors we didn’t care as much about that we just went with our preferred partners for flowers and transportation). We connected with both the DJ and photographer IMMEDIATELY and they were the best partners throughout our experience. We only had to interview one other person in each catgory before picking them; Merida TRULY understood us as a couple and found the EXACT RIGHT people for us. There are a lot of other positives to note but to keep this review a manageable length, I’ll end to say that her day-of execution was flawless, she kept our vendors in line, stuck to our timeline, and ensured me and my husband, and our friends and family, were all properly taken care of. Not 100% of every touchpoint was always positive, as no one is perfect; sometimes we had to ask for things more than once. In the end of the day, however, we hired someone who became a friend, who understood how quirky we are, and how to find people who perfectly executed on our vision where we got a LOT of people saying it was the most fun, most personalized, etc. wedding they’ve ever been to; we owe a lot of that to Merida!

I can’t say enough good things about Merida and her team. A+++ from start to finish! Merida and her assistant Laura made me feel so taken care of on the big day. They knew what I needed before I knew I needed it and kept me sane and calm throughout the whole process. I sent Merida about 100 texts on the day of the wedding. She answered Every. Single. One. I get overwhelmed by the big picture and hyper-focused on small details. She really helped keep me on track and sort out what was important and less important. I didn’t think I needed a wedding planner. We got engaged in February 2022 and bought a house in October 2022. By the time we were moved in (January 2023) I was starting to feel overwhelmed about putting a house together, working full-time and planning a May 2023 wedding all at once. The money we spent on Merida is the smartest $$ we spent on the entire thing! She’s has a sweet nature about her—a calming energy but can be firm when necessary. Merida was recommended to us by friends of ours who got married and used her services. Everything they told us about her was true! She is excellent! I feel like Merida is our very good friend now that we’ve spent countless hours on Zoom calls with her helping us navigate our way to a damn near perfect wedding. She kept us on budget and on schedule and laughing and having fun with her over the months she worked with us. Love Merida! Highly recommend!!

Having Merida as a planner was a disaster. Merida recommended unqualified vendors; for example, the hairstylist she recommended to do straight-backs and romance curls asked me what straight-backs were during the hair trial. Merida also recommended Nikki Cohen, owner of Mayfaire Moon, to make my dress. Nikki was extremely late for every milestone towards completing the dress and often changed things without consulting me. About two months before the wedding, I discovered that Nikki was making me a skirt and a top instead of a dress. I told Merida that I needed my money back. Merida convinced me that she would make sure that Nikki stuck to the plan going forward. The next fitting went well and I thought the problem was resolved. I was supposed to pick my dress up a week before the wedding, but it wasn’t ready. I went anyway to see the progress. It was MacGyvered together with VELCRO. Merida again convinced me she would get it fixed. When I picked it up three days before the wedding, the places where there had been velcro were sewn instead, if poorly (corners sticking up). Because it was now too late to replace it, I insisted Nikki fix the worst of it and took the dress. When we arrived at the venue I took my dress out of the garment bag, and a piece of the dress fell off, because it was STILL stuck on with velcro, and the velcro itself wasn’t properly attached. Merida neglected crucial aspects of our ceremony, including the placement of fire-based heaters and religious ornaments, despite promises that these things were being handled. Misplacing the ornaments made it hard to tell which flowers needed to go to which tables for the reception. The heaters were not only religiously significant, but sitting in the cold was a danger to elderly guests. Merida attempted to pull curls out of my hair without consent. I had explained how hard it was to keep curls in my hair several times, but she wanted them to be looser. Merida ignored instructions to ask inappropriately dressed guests to change or leave despite earlier promises to do so. Merida had the venue set up for the cocktail hour outside - in the cold with no heaters - in the area where we needed to be taking pictures. Then, she insisted we take the pictures while people stood around shivering and staring. We had discussed that we only wanted to take a few posed photos, but Merida repeatedly pushed us to take “individual photos with everyone” and didn’t stop until my partner told her ‘no’ multiple times. Merida resisted when asked to correct the issue with the flowers and ornaments by getting the flowers to the correct tables, but when we insisted that this was religiously very important she told us she would handle it. We found out later the ornaments were never put on the tables. I can’t imagine any reason for refusing to put these on the tables except a complete disdain for our religion. During the first dance the DJ kept putting on the wrong song and Merida couldn’t be found. Finally my mother-in-law got the DJ to put on the correct song. During the toasts, the wine for the first toast, which was a separate charge in addition to being culturally important, was never poured. When it came time to cut the cake, there were people standing up, blocking the view of others sitting in their seats. I asked Merida if she could walk over to the people standing and ask them to be seated. Merida just refused without giving a reason. There were so many more problems but I can't fit them all here.

From start to finish, we couldn't have planned our wedding without Merida. When we couldn't get an appointment to tour our dream venue, Merida made it happen, and we were able to book it shortly thereafter. When we were stumped finding a florist or musicians, Merida recommended great vendors for us and helped us review all the pricing and contracts. Whenever we had etiquette questions (frequently), Merida helped us navigate tricky situations with the guest list and other sensitive matters. The whole time, she helped us stay positive and joyful about the planning experience - even while we were planning from two different continents and neither of us lived in the city where we were getting married. Where Merida and her team really shined was in the final few weeks of high-stress planning leading up to the big day. Merida helped us make sure no detail was missed. And day-of, Merida and Laura were absolutely invaluable. The whole day went so smoothly because of their expertise. We couldn't imagine having planned a wedding without all of Merida's help. We recommend her enthusiastically!

Merida was my champion. She made sure my wedding was the best day of my life (so far!) When the hotel double booked and tried to kick us out of the room we were getting ready in, Merida took care of the problem professionally and discreetly. When I came to her with a very specific aesthetic in mind, she had a stellar team of vendors that made it come true. When I was stressed and anxious, she was there to calm my anxiety. Hiring her was hands down the best decision we made for our wedding. Merida listens to your ideas, respects your budget, was very easy to get ahold of for any question, and does it all with a great sense of humor. If I could get married again I would, and hire Merida because we had so much fun creating the big day.

Merida was available whenever we needed her throughout the planning process, providing ideas when we asked, researching options and communicating with vendors. She also let us run with our ideas and the things we wanted to do ourselves. She was so supportive of all our unique ideas while steering us in the best direction to plan a flawless wedding weekend for us and our guests. She came to meetings, helped handle difficult vendors, and kept us on budget. She and her team took care of everything to make sure our wedding was everything we ever wanted- even handling our dogs during the ceremony and photos. So glad to have Merida in my life! Plus her rate was very low for all she did for us.

Merida and her team went above and beyond making our day PERFECT. Kept us warm, on time, and worry-free! I would highly recommend!

Merida and her team were absolutely INCREDIBLE. Being in the industry, I recommend her to all of my clients. Having her there on my wedding day was perfect she knew exactly how to be available when we needed her. She helped troubleshoot every detail that came her way and made sure that we were covered even after our wedding. We had a problem with our venue during our honeymoon and she made sure to jump in and take care of it all. John and I loved having Merida and Laura as our team for the day. I knew I made a friend for life :) Thank you Thank you Thank you!!

Merida and I have been working together for almost 2 years on my wedding and it was truly so incredible to work with her. First off, we heavily relied on Merida for her vendor recommendations that fit with the design and vision of our weddings. When we hired her, we already had our venue and photographer but she helped us with the rest of our team and we could not be more pleased. She is incredibly professional but also was really there for me when I was dealing with some personal family issues with my wedding which I greatly appreciated. She also constantly reassured and checked in with me throughout the process and answered my many questions and emails in a timely manner. In the days leading up to our wedding she went over timelines with me multiple times and made sure everyone knew what they were doing at the rehearsal. The day of, she made sure we were running on time and we were often ahead of schedule because of all the built in time that we had for our itinerary (that she helped us put together!). She also kept our very large wedding party on time and was in constant communication with our other vendors. She also steamed my veil and dress and all of my bridal party's outfits in record time. There was not one thing I had to worry about on my wedding day from set up to break down and I am so so appreciative of her and her hard work. She truly helped us have the wedding of our dreams and she really helped bring our vision to life. We are eternally grateful!

Merida is everything you could ever ask for in a wedding planner! She spent so much time getting to know us and the vision for our big day and made sure everything came together perfectly for our out-of-state wedding. She was always there for calls with vendors to let us know what we should be thinking about and asking, and that it was the right match for us. On our wedding weekend she met us out of state with her assistant to make sure the rehearsal and wedding day went smoothly. Many people said that ours was the best wedding they’d been to in years, and it’s all thanks to Merida and her expertise and hard work. Thank you Merida!!

Oh Merida, where to start! Choosing Merida was truly the best decision we made, and was an integral part of how smoothly our wedding day went. Merida truly cared about our wedding just as much as we did, from the start. We first spoke in 2020 for our 2022 wedding. Immediately, she put me at ease, and knew we had to have her. We almost chose a different venue, but decided not to as we couldn’t have her there. Over the years, we were back and forth many times, and loved how well we got along. She checked up on me leading up to the wedding, to make sure I was doing okay; Which was so appreciated! From the very start of the wedding day to the end, she had it together!! And I mean super together. She had a kit of anything you could imagine, and we used so much of it. She also answered all of my questions easily, as I had a lot of them, as well as everyone else’s questions. She steamed all the girls dresses, helped with my shoes and bustle, and did more than I could begin to list. She checked on us a perfect amount during the whole day, and always made sure we were fed, hydrated, happy and rested. I also love how she can be firm with others when needed, to stay on schedule. It was exactly what we needed so we were on time! Not to mention she and I clicked, and I felt so comfortable being around her! So was my whole bridal party and family, they all loved her and thought she was incredible too. Her assistant David was also amazing, and we are appreciative of him as well! He saved the day when we left the rings and letters in our airbnb, (which is now funny looking back). Overall, having Merida was such a fantastic decision, and I will miss planning with her so greatly! My running phrase is, everyone needs a Merida. We are so lucky we had ours and are forever grateful.

Let me start off by saying, the best decision I made was hiring a wedding planner. More importantly, hiring Merida for full wedding planning. Words cannot describe her kindness, humor, and overall ability to communicate effectively with vendors and securing what we needed for the big day. From keeping me organized, accountable, and on top of everything for the big day, to coming all my appointments and being the best advisor while being mindful of our vision. I can say without a doubt that without her help the wedding wouldn’t have gone so smooth. She stepped in when I wasn’t able to given the field I work in. She took tasks off my plate and executed crisis management off and on throughout the experience. Most of all, she made this one year of planning exciting and helped us enjoy our engagement. Bonus- Best Vendors-because of her network, and top notch expertise and professionalism in the field. Grateful for everything she did for us and our family! Thank you Merida for everything. I cannot thank you enough.

I can honestly say that the best decision I made during the wedding planning process (aside from saying “yes” during the proposal) was selecting Merida to be our wedding planner. My husband and I knew that we did not want a basic, cookie cutter wedding, but a big, fun party with a little wedding thrown in there and Merida was the perfect partner to make that dream a reality. During our two years of planning, Merida was always available for all questions, happy to discuss any ideas, function as a sounding board when needed and just be a guide through the craziness that can be planning a wedding. When our original caterer and DJ fell through, Merida was right there to provide recommendations for new vendors who would be on board with our vision. She was instrumental in helping us to orchestra the party aka wedding of our dreams! Though Merida was a superstar leading up the big day, she really shined on the wedding day! She was there to ensure everyone was on time, had shirts/dresses camera ready, things ran smoothly and just be a calming presence on a hectic day. From our perspective the day went perfectly…if anything did go wrong, Merida made sure we did not know about it and that the day still went on as planned. She far exceeded our expectations…she even let me wipe my sweaty face on her shirt! Working with Merida was incredibly fun and enjoyable! We would get married every week/month/year, if it meant we got to have Merida along for the ride! Words can not fully convey how thankful we are for Merida and all that she did to make our wedding day the best day ever!

Having Merida on our team was absolutely the best decision we could have made for our wedding day! After re-scheduling to a new venue, I just did not feel up to putting the same amount of energy into planning a new wedding. Merida answered all of my emails in a timely manner - helping me make decisions regarding floral & decor, event design, day of timeline, as well as communicating with vendors about these decisions. On the day of, Merida flawlessly executed every single plan we had discussed together and it felt like I had a friend taking care of my best interests on my wedding day. Not only did she make sure all of my DIY decor was exactly where it should be, she also steamed all of the bridesmaids, MOB, MOG dresses as well as made sure my dress and veil were ready to go! She also kept on checking in with me to make sure I was ok/had everything I needed and magically appeared whenever a question or concern popped into my mind. I'm sad that I won't get to see her smiling face anymore and highly recommend her to anyone looking for an incredible planner! Thank you Merida!!!

Planning a wedding is stressful, especially during the covid era. We hired Merida as our day-of coordinator with an à la carte services where we had help with the planning process. We got engaged on July 2020 and I had no idea where to start but wanted to book our venues and vendors right away since so many weddings were going to be rescheduled for 2021. Merida made it really easy for us to pick our venue and vendors because she knew most of the wedding vendors around Philadelphia. We can’t thank her enough for her recommendations with our vendors because they were all wonderful. She gave us her honest opinions and insight on the vendors we asked about and that really helped with our planning process. Now for the big day we all nervously waited for. Merida and her assistant came first thing in the morning with her wedding kit that had everything we needed for any emergencies possible. She came fully prepared, even a sewing kit for the wedding dress if it ever ripped. Our ceremony was scheduled to start at 5pm but it was raining intermittently all day. I really wanted the ceremony outside because our venue had a beautiful garden. Merida coordinated with the venue director and our caterer to make adjustments to the ceremony schedule and the seating layout. She was running around everywhere working with everyone to make this ceremony happen outside. I was really worried we had to move it indoors but Merida made it happen. Merida even had the clear umbrellas on standby but thankfully the rain stopped. She was really prepared! Throughout the whole day, we really relied on Merida. She absorbed all our stress and worries so we could enjoy our day. We had a little hiccup with the rain but it all worked out in the end. Thanks to Merida and her assistant Alyssa, our wedding day went so smooth and perfect. We wouldn’t have changed anything on our special day, all thanks to Merida. 10.10.21 Dana and Michael

Merida did an amazing job! My husband and I decided to do a DIY wedding at a family-friend's farm and it was A TON of work. Also, due to Covid, we had a next to impossible time finding staff to help us during the wedding to do basic tasks. Merida and her team stepped up and did everything from keep us on schedule, deal with some anxious family members in their *not so best moments*, set up out donut table, and much more. We couldn't be more grateful for her and if you're unsure if you need a wedding coordinator - YOU DO, Trust me, just do it and don't look back. Merida's got you!

Getting married is stressful. Getting married at a non-traditional venue new to the wedding scene during COVID? Even more so. Merida – and her team – were the only constant was plans changed, changed, and changed again. She helped us prepare for our original wedding pre-COVID (which was supposed to be in May 2020), and then navigate with our vendor to secure a rescheduled date (August 15, 2020). When that didn’t pan out, she then helped us navigate our “third time’s the charm” date – June 18, 2021. She helped us manage vendors, a tough but magical venue, and perhaps most importantly, our sanity. Our final wedding day was better than we could have ever imagined, and while I never thought I’d say this – it was worth the trouble that it took to get us there. While Merida wasn’t able to be there for our wedding day, our day-of coordinator was amazing and seamlessly carried out the vision we had been discussing for years (literally). Thank you and thank you again!

We hired Merida as our day-of coordinator and I really don't know how we would have gotten through our planning process without her. We had to postpone twice due to the pandemic and she was always there to answer any questions I had in the time leading up to the wedding (there were many!). We had to deal with a few last minute hurdles on the day of the wedding and Merida handled it all with calm and grace. She was SO helpful -- her emergency kit is clutch AND she spent the time to help pin up the hem of my dress when my bustle left it far too long and we needed to do a choreographed dance. She took the time to make sure I was doing okay throughout the day and that I didn't need anything. I never felt so looked after as I did on my wedding day, and my husband says the same thing. Hire Merida for your event, you will not be sorry! - Lindsay and Mike

Merida did an amazing job! We hired her midstream and she jumped in feet first and got us on track, even with COVID hanging over our heads. She was prompt with communicating with us and left no stone unturned. The whole day went off without a hitch and the best part was that we relied heavily on Merida to make that happen and she exceeded our expectations! It was a beautiful wedding and we can't thank her enough for helping make that happen!

Words cannot really express the gratitude my wife and I have for Merida. From start to end, Merida was very professional, prompt in communication, and very creative. We're so happy and grateful having chosen Merida to be our wedding planner. The services Merida provides cannot be matched, hands down.

I can't say enough good things. We decided to ditch the traditional route after looking at our budget. Having Merida help plan our elopement (on extremely short notice) was the best money we could have spent. She's personable, gets it done, and made great recommendations for vendors. I don't know how we would have done it without her!

Merida was always so helpful. Our wedding was incredible and thanks to her we made it happened. She is easy to work with and organized. We recommend 100%

If a global pandemic isn't the ultimate test for a wedding planner, I don't know what is, but Merida was so wonderful and helpful throughout. We couldn't have gotten through it without her. Our plans were thrown out of the window (original date was May 2020), and she helped us brainstorm through our backup plan. She thought through everything we didn't think of in terms of the new COVID normal and was a true partner in our wedding. She was our partial wedding planner, but she filled in all the gaps that really brought our wedding together. She always made herself available when we had questions, or she promptly followed up when she was busy. We never felt neglected by her and on the day of, she went above and beyond. For example, on the wedding day the Google document we wanted to use for a group game was corrupted and we could only salvage with screenshots, and Merida stepped in and wrote the questions all out by hand! We ended up having a microwedding (50 guests) but there was so much to coordinate and stress over that we can say we definitely needed her. Our families praised how organized our wedding was and it was definitely thanks to her. If you don't think your microwedding needs a planner, you are wrong! Merida is great and she won't blink at how traditional or how bizarre you want your wedding. She'll help you make it work.

Merida was absolutely amazing and accommodated any of our unexpected needs throughout the entire process. We tried to do most of the heavy lifting ourselves but once she stepped in it made everything else much more stress free. She even helped us deal with one of our vendors who wasn't so great in an amazing way. If it wasn't for her time management skills, the bride and her party would have probably been late but she built a ton of time into the itinerary to compensate for that. She also was well prepared with all the little things you don't think about like toiletries and heel stoppers. She was just overall such a lifesaver and we were able to fully embrace the day. The venue coordinator and photographer also commented on how great it was to work her. Thanks Merida and Laura!

Top Marks for a Professional Planner: Planning a wedding is challenging under the best of circumstances. During a pandemic, it was among the most challenging logistical and emotional hurdles my wife and I have ever encountered. This is why we are endlessly thankful to Merida and her team for all that they did for us. Merida was professional, thorough, responsive, creative, and personable. She helped guide us through some very awkward moments and handled the intricacies of working during a public health crisis with grace. She oversaw everything from our switch of venue, the reduction of our guest list, the procurement of vendors, and the overall flow and details of the day itself. Merida ensured that what we needed was done, full stop. We are located in northern NJ and Merida’s location did not once impact her ability to meet with vendors or chat with us. She was exactly what we needed and my wife and I believe that she is one of the main reasons our event occurred as planned. We fully recommend her for your event. -Matt and Christina, married 8-28-2020

I love Merida! My fiance and I were determined to pull off a wedding during the time of COVID-19 and Merida made it happen. Everything had to be adjusted from table sizes (ranging from 4 to 10), certain people needing very distanced seating, food allergies, a possible hurricane to the timing of everything day of. She helped get things from my house, my mothers house and was the main point of contact with the owner of the restaurant. I couldn't have made this happen without her. The rain even through us a curve ball the night before and Merida had a seating backup plan done at 11pm the night before. I would recommend her to any brides who needs someone that shows up, manages allll crises ( she glued my mother in law's fake eyelash on!! Now that's service! Sincerely, An extremely satisfied bride

You can't go wrong hiring Merida and her team. I was a BM in my friend's wedding and Merida and her assistent were spectacular. Beautiful job.

We could not have done our wedding without her. Coronavirus made everything such a mess, and we didn't think we were going to be able to have our wedding at all. She helped us make a lot of adaptations, and we'd highly recommend her if you're changing your plans due to the plague. Family & friends had a great time!

We hired Merida two years out from our wedding, and we couldn't imagine having done it without her. She helped us navigate vendors and lots of other tricky stuff. we needed someone open-minded for some of the things that we wanted to do, and a lot of cultural things that she'd already done for other weddings. The day of the wedding was perfect. everything was in place, everything went smoothly. She's not afraid to sstand up to people to make sure things go right. I can't say enough about how much we love her. Hire her. You can't go wrong. Ty Merida!!!!

Merida is fantastic! We hired her a couple of months out from our wedding, when we started reading some awful reviews about our venue. We LOVE our venue, but they were newer and going through some major growing pains. Merida was familiar with the space, and after reading all of her reviews, we knew we needed to call her! After speaking with her, I knew she would be perfect to help us pull everything off, and we were right - our day was PERFECT from start to finish. Merida juggled all the coordinating with vendors arriving and dropping off, all the setup and timeline execution, and ran interference with tougher family members. She is sweet and funny, but not afraid to step up and let everyone know who's in charge, and we really needed that! She ran out and picked up a ton of beverages, cups, and ice for our wedding party when we realized that the venue didn't supply any of those things. She ran around all day making sure every detail was executed how we wanted it, and while she kept me posted on any last minute decisions that needed to be made, she never let on in the slightest if anything bad or stressful was happening! If anything went wrong on our day, we never heard about it. We had the absolute best day of our lives, and we know we owe that to Merida for taking care of all the details and absorbing all of the stress for us. Thank you, Merida!!!

Merida is amazing! My husband Ben and I got married this past September and everything was just as we hoped it would be. Merida has excellent vendor recommendations and is very organized and responsive. She's also great at managing other humans so that you don't have to worry about it. Merida has an amazing personality and was joy to work with.

Merida was amazing. As a multiple-time bridesmaid, you’re always slightly unsure as to where you’re supposed to be and what you’re supposed to be doing during the day(s) leading up to the wedding. Not the case with Merida - she ran the show for the groom, the bride, their families, and bridal party. Everyone knew where they were supposed to be at all times, and more importantly, knew that she was the point of contact if anything went wrong. I’ve never been in a wedding where we were not only on time - but early. This gave everyone time to relax and just enjoy the day. Merida also brought a kit of wonders that was super helpful in multiple small “uh oh” scenarios that no one (except her!) anticipated. Hire her - you won’t be disappointed.

We hired Merida about two months out from our Philly wedding. Honestly best money spent for the whole wedding. I wish we had her from the get go. She was incredibly organized and helped to facilitate a timeline that allowed us to have a flawlessly executed day. She was the point of contact for all our guest, vendors, buses, etc. It really let our closest family and friends be stress free. We ran early the entire time which is unheard of in my experience as a bridesmaid. She came with a kit including a hangover cure, steamer and all the things you didn't know you needed!!!! Her assistant was an absolute doll and my entire family/bridal party was so grateful to have these ladies with us for our special day. HIRE MERIDA.

Wow! I just had my wedding last weekend with Merida as my planner! It was absolutely beautiful. I am a little controlling and don't like other people doing things for me, but Merida laid down the law, and made me relax and enjoy my day, and it was beautiful and gorgeous. Planning a wedding in the backyard is a lot of work, and I truly feel like I barely did any most of the time which was amazing! All of the decor and vendors Merida helped arrange were amazing, and she certainly kept my very large party of 13 groomsman and bridesmaids in line so I did not have to. I highly recommend Merida for a rather stress free, beautiful, and unique wedding!

Working with Merida was amazing! I used to be an event planner and designer and thought I could do it all -- but I quickly realized I needed help. Especially for the day of! Luckily Merida and her team of skilled experts understood and carried out our vision (and then some!) with little direction. Anyone who is a planner, meticulous, Virgo, etc. will appreciate it when I say Events by Merida knows how to listen to, coordinate, execute, and transform your ideas and plans into the day of your dreams. The best part about it? The wedding was three days ago and we are still getting calls from our 80 guests to rave about "the best wedding they've ever been to." Another plus: besides her having amazing recommendations for vendors within our budget (and an endless emergency kit that would put Hermione's charmed bag to shame), we had a multicultural, interfaith wedding so needed someone who not only had experience working with diverse clientele, but also is a true advocate for diversity and inclusion in real life. That was very important to us and our loved ones, and Merida fit the bill.

Merida was amazing! She helped us have the best beach/Star Wars wedding ever! She was so knowledgeable and helpful with every aspect of the wedding, I made my decorations and she was happy to help make sure we got it all done and didn’t forget anything! I am so happy that she helped us, it was amazing to walk into the wedding and see everything looking exactly how I had dreamed it would! I absolutely recommend her for everyone, especially anyone with a wedding that’s a little out of the box! She will help you have your fun dream wedding! I can’t thank her enough!

Working with Merida was one of the best experiences in my life! She is very passionate about her work, and pays attention to fine detail, in EVERYTHING she does. She is extremely professional and can balance everything from vendors, to making sure everything is executed perfectly for your special day. There is no such thing that can go wrong to her! She has such an open mind and loves to see your vision through. Merida outs her heart and soul into her work, and I believe having her there the day of helped tremulously. If you are looking for a person that can listen, create, and beautifully execute your quirky or alternative ideas, Merida is your woman! 5 Stars!

One word....Wow. Hire her team. They are organized and there every step of the way. It was a pleasure working with Merida and her team.

We hired Merida to plan our D&D themed wedding. We wanted it to have a more natural feel as opposed to, you know, elf ears, and Merida delivered. She brought together an impressive crew of vendors that we loved. She became part of our family along the way. It really was like planning with a friend. She took the stress of everything off of our shoulders, and reminded us what this was really all about- love, and having fun.

I can't say enough good things about Merida. She was so accessible through the process, and communicated well with everyone, from my stickler of an older relative to the rambunctious crew of kids we had running around. She created the perfect wedding for us. We wanted something wildly different and "us" without scaring off relatives. Merida struck a great balance and made sure that we got the things we wanted. It was stunning. We were able to get in our geeky sides without it being kitschy. The whole day was flawless! You need Merida as a part of your team!

My wife and I made the best decision when we hired Merida. She's sensitive to LGBT issues, LOVED our quirky ideas, and she was so positive through the process. Everything was perfect, and our friends and family thought Merida was great throughout the day getting people from place to place while managing vendors. Also, I had to stop my wife from creating a version of Merida's kit. There's everything in there!

Words can’t convey how grateful I am to have found Merida. My anxiety level dropped by 1000% just after our first meeting. Our wedding day was fun and flawless, and our guests just can’t stop raving about everything! She found a great caterer I would’ve never found on my own, and the other vendors she brought together were stellar. Unbelievable service. We <3 our Merida!

Merida and her team are fantastic. She is organized, professional, positive, and fun. Although we only hired her as a day-of-coordinator, her involvement in the preparation of our wedding day was invaluable. If there actually was a problem on our wedding day, we had no idea because Merida made sure everything ran smoothly that we could just relax and enjoy the day. Not only is she a competent and talented professional whom you will not regret hiring, she’s a terrific person that you and your family will love, and will look back on, knowing your wedding day would have not been the same without her. Thanks so much Merida!

I’m still in shock/cloud 9 after our wedding. We came to Merida two and a half months ago with absolutely nothing done. We knew when we wanted to get married, and Merida made it happen. She answered our 2 am emails and worked around the clock to make sure our wedding was everything we wanted it to be. She was up front about the things that couldn’t happen- for instance, a dress that took 8 months to come in- and found solutions for them. She suggested beautiful ways to include our community in the wedding, suggesting small details we never would have thought of. Her kit was a lifesaver, too. Seriously, the thing’s a trunk. We can’t believe how gorgeous everything turned out. Between budget freak outs and family drama, Merida held her hand on the rudder and kept us going. We’ll definitely be hiring her again for future events!!!!!!!!!!

We reached out to Merida when we were considering having our wedding on the East Coast (we live on the West Coast) and explained we needed a lot of support having this sort of destination wedding on our family's property back home. Merida responded VERY quick and provided some information on her packages and pricing. We discussed more of what I was looking for and she tailored her package and provided a very reasonable price for the amount of work that was needed. We set up a time to meet via phone and Merida was very easy going but straight to the point. She responds to emails quickly and gets started as soon as you decide you fit well together. Merida helped us realize how our budget would be allocated realistically and made sure we got what we wanted but was upfront if our expectations were over budget. Merida always had a few alternatives to help us get our ideas going but not break the bank. Unfortunately we ended up having to do our wedding on the West Coast, due to family preferences, and we will miss Merida's support during this time. Even if you think you can plan a wedding on your own, reach out to Merida and hear her ideas, you will realize she can support in things you never even knew you needed!

I still remember my first phone call with Merida. Honestly, I was panicking so hard because I had no idea how to pick vendors, keep within my budget, and make the wedding OURS. She broke things down step by step and guided us through the entire process. Her vendors were exactly what we needed and she helped make our wedding as gloriously nerdy as we wanted. The day of, THAT KIT. OMG I need one in my life! It saved the day, no joke, at least five times. I highly recommend Merida to anyone, whether you’re a more classic bride or wild and crazy. You can tell that she really loves what she does. THANK YOU MERIDA!!!!!!!

I have worked with Merida on a couple different weddings at this point and I can't believe how much she can do! Everything that could "go wrong" on the day of the wedding, she had thought of weeks ago and already had a plan in place! She made it easier not only on the wedding couple, but on anyone else who was attending the event. When people say that someone goes above and beyond, Merida and her team are the prime examples of this. Need a quick suit tear sewn? She has the supplies for that! Photographer a no show or ends up canceling a week before? She knows someone who can do it! Alterations disaster? She has a seamstress who can help! She helps you cover all aspects of the wedding!

Merida made wedding planning so easy! She takes things seriously and was honest with us. Hiring her was literally the best decision we made through the entire wedding process!

We had Merida do full planning for our wedding. We both have full time jobs and two little kids, so wedding planning wasn’t really a priority for us. She made my wife feel like a queen the whole way through. We also hired her because she made it clear that she only works with LGBTQIA+ vendors, which obviously was really important to us. From the beginning, Merida was efficient and fun. She has a great personality and makes things effortless. As my wife puts it, “I just got to do the fun stuff!” The day of her team of vendors she brought together for us was perfect. They really knocked it out of the park. The photos are absolutely stunning, and you can see that we’re relaxed and enjoying ourselves. Outstanding work!! Hire her now!

For someone as experienced as Merida is, she's remarkably down-to-earth. She's honest, kept us within our budget, and let us enjoy the process. We're huge Trekkies, and she helped us find someone that would make the captain's chair! We're dorks. They currently live in our study. That was something else that Merida helped us with- we wanted as little waste from the wedding as possible. Most of the signs we did were reusable and we hung up in the new house. For busy people, Merida is a great solution. She kept us going when family stuff got hard and brought all of the pieces together. Highly recommend.

Merida provides excellent service and personal attention. She managed the many pieces of the wedding well. She dealt with several difficult family and bridal party members discreetly and carefully. She was especially kind to my niece, who has terrible anxiety. Her easy-going personality and it-will-get-done attitude was both reassuring and relaxing. Her kit was useful the day of and saved the day a couple of times. I cannot recommend Merida and her team highly enough!

I planned a block party wedding in seven months. There were so many moving parts to something that would seem so simple. Hiring Merida was such a vital component to pulling this event off. It absolutely made the stress less intense and everyone had such a good time. I highly recommend using Merida and her team!

Planning from beginning to end was easy. We absolutely loved working with Merida! She did such a great job listening to us and she really cared about us and our wedding. People are still raving about how much fun it was. Oh, and that kit of hers! It’s so useful! We were able to be present and have fun, which was so important to us.

Having Merida as part of our wedding team was our top move. She was always honest with us. If she didn’t have the answers she would find them out quickly. Her recommendations for vendors were perfect for us both in style and personality. The day of the wedding she was there with us at 5 AM making sure I was calm and dealing with some family issues. Her emergency kit is SO SO GREAT AND I NEED ONE. We used everything in it I think. She fixed a hem a shoe and a bouquet with it. Also she helped out a little with some of the bridesmaids. They were doing their own makeup and she did the eyeliner and her setting spray is FAB. She and her team were great getting people on the buses and making sure things went right. She was super sweet with the kids but she kept everyone moving. When we did the itinerary she designed it so we could be done with formalities as early as possible. We got to really party and have a good time with our friends because Merida listened and gave to us what we asked for. I give her my highest recommendation. THANK YOU MERIDA!!!!!!!!!

We booked Merida about a year before our wedding. She was accessible around the clock. She was knowledgeable about different cultures and blending them together. The day of went well. She kept us moving and fixed issues before we noticed. Don't wait - book her now!

From the beginning to the day of, we couldn't have asked for more. And if we had, Merida probably would have given it to us. She fixed a vendor mess-up that we didn't think would be possible to correct.

Merida did a great job. My wife stressed a lot less than she would have, and she helped us put our collective feet down when it came to traditions we really didn't want to do. She also saved us a ton of money with the right vendors. I was really impressed that she doesn't take kickbacks from companies. She passed the savings right on to us. I also liked that she threw a lot of different ideas to us to make our day special. She really listened to us. She built off the things we liked and helped us do it within our budget. She was also professional, friendly, and chased a lot of the bridal party around to keep them on time. Hiring Merida was the best idea we had. Book her!

Merida's always available, which was really important to me. She included me in the planning process from start to finish (I'm not good at being hands off). I always felt like I was in control, and she encouraged me to have fun with my wedding planning. She even came over and finished my favors the night before the wedding. Her team was great the day of, making sure things were exactly how I wanted them. Our day was beautiful, on time, and everyone keeps talking about how much fun it was!

Merida was a delight to work with during my wedding planning phase and especially on my wedding day. Her hilarious personality and calm outlook on curveballs made her such a refreshing presence amidst the chaos. The many moving parts to my destination wedding kept growing arms and yet Merida somehow kept me and my wedding committee sane, organized and prepared all the way through to the finish line. She has a knack for sensing when to step in and take charge and when to lead lead by example, a delicate skill I particularly appreciated while working with vendors and family alike. I recommend Merida 100% if you’re looking for a wedding planner who will take the time to truly understand your needs and has the expertise to see your vision through. Thanks for everything Merida! I had a blast on my special day and can’t thank you ENOUGH ♥️

I have been to many a wedding in my lifetime but this was by far the most unique and none cookie cutter wedding, I have ever been to. When I heard about the venue I was a bit apprehensive but after I saw it in person, my reservations were completely erased. I know my friends were crafty but I didn’t know they were that artistic. Which leads me to why I am writing this review, I have a feeling the amazing wedding planner is the reason everything looked so phenomenal. Merida took all of my friends out of the box ideas and turned them into beautiful wedding decorations. They really got lucky with their wedding planner, she was friendly, helpful, and talented. Merida was the reason my friend’s wedding was as wonderful as it was, I’d recommend her to everyone.

Merida helped my new wife and I put on a Circus Show Wedding! She was was detail oriented, had great communication, and was able to pull together a great team to make sure the wedding went off without a hitch. Our day really turned into The Greatest Wedding Show on Earth because of Merida.

Merida seemed great up until wedding weekend. I honestly didn't need a wedding planner because I planned everything myself for a year and did it well. I mainly needed someone to tell my bridesmaids when to walk the beach and also have ques via hand signals for my Musicians, two of which were bridesmaids. As the one who planned the entire weekend, I had everything organized to where everyone knew where they should be at what time. The schedule was made by me, the photographer, and then Merida had it as well. Rehearsal day, within an hour before rehearsal was to start, I get a call that Merida is late. Given the traffic on labor day weekend, everyone was warned to start early. I had her speak to my MOH since I didn't need this problem. We pushed back the rehearsal by an hour and a half. Rehearsal was fine, we got it done, and then Merida tells me she's not staying in the hotel room we booked and paid for (as per her contract). My dad took control over that situation, as I was already stressed with how late she was and having to push everything back. She didn't come to the hotel until 3am after she had gone to a block party wedding, and apparently had her wallet stolen. We aren't too sure of the validity, but based on her story changing twice, we think she double booked, and I got the short end of the stick. We paid for a room that was useless and that was the end of the line for me. Wedding day, Merida met with us in the morning as planned. We had all the ladies that were getting hair and makeup so it took hours. She steamed the dresses as asked. We provided lunch for *everyone* including Merida and her associate, but they insisted on going out for a 3 hour lunch, during which we needed her. The flowers were late, she was the contact person, and my Photographer ended up taking the job of a wedding planner to get ahold of the florist and get the flowers there. Merida had the schedule on hand, but told my husband and the guys that the photographer was coming down at a different time, which was incorrect, and the guys and my father were in their uniforms two hours before they should have been. The photographer then had to stage all the getting ready photos since they were not supposed to be ready til he came down to begin with. My hu