About this vendor
With a background in fashion, organization management and six years of catering sales experience with an established Washington DC catering company, I can provide you with the professional guidance necessary to make your wedding preparations both enjoyable and free of stress.
Details
Business Attributes
- Woman-owned Business
Wedding Activities
- Wedding
Awards and Affiliations
2022 'Best of Weddings'
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
Reviews
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5
out of 5.023 reviews
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 5
There are not enough stars to reflect my thoughts about our wedding planner, Lisa Havard, Founder of Havard Events. From our very first meeting, we knew immediately that Lisa was t...
he right fit for us. Throughout the entire process, including the wedding day and beyond, Lisa far exceeded every expectation.
We had a bumpy start with a different planner and felt like Lisa answered our prayers. Her years of experience, unparalleled professionalism, ninja-like organization, incomparable creativity, and attention to detail made the entire planning process fun and stress-free. I must also mention that it was a pleasure to work with Maureen Ashby, Lisa’s very capable and talented assistant.
A wedding planner wears many hats—designer, problem-solver, coordinator, and sometimes even therapist (yes, my darling daughter and I had a few differences in vision, shocker!)—and Lisa excelled in every role. She helped us develop and adhere to a realistic budget; this was crucial and provided the foundation for our successful experience. Based on our budget and priorities (and Lisa’s solid industry relationships), she connected us with vendors we weren’t aware of, and never would’ve considered, and in every case, it was a perfect fit for us.
From the beginning, Lisa listened carefully to our vision and brought it to life far more beautifully and creatively than we ever imagined. You can spend thousands of hours on Pinterest and still end up with an unsatisfactory result. Or you can rely on an expert like Lisa to create and coordinate design elements that result in a cohesive and clever theme across all features of the wedding (from the menu and entertainment to florals, tablescape, escort cards, signage, and even signature drinks). Lisa’s creativity is nothing short of brilliant. The result was magical.
As one would expect, there were a few ‘hiccups’ along the way (e.g. the weather). Lisa anticipated needs before they arose, provided invaluable guidance, and presented a range of solutions. Lisa managed every detail seamlessly, allowing our family (especially our daughter and fiancé) to relax, be fully present, and enjoy every special moment. Every element flowed perfectly and authentically, and we received countless compliments from our guests on how magnificent and well-organized the wedding was.
As the mother of the bride, I knew this would be one of the most meaningful days of my life, and I wanted to be fully present for every moment. Thanks to Lisa, I was able to do exactly that. She understood the emotions that come with planning such an important milestone and her warmth, patience, reassurance, and calm presence made me feel supported every step of the way. When I look back on my daughter’s wedding day (two months ago), I don’t remember feeling stressed. I remember joy, love, laughter, tears of happiness and a celebration that exceeded every dream. Instead of worrying about timelines, vendors, décor, or the countless details that go into a wedding, thanks to Lisa, I was able to focus on what truly mattered—watching my daughter marry her best friend, celebrating with family and friends, and enjoying every precious moment.
If you are looking for a wedding planner who is immeasurably talented in every respect and who will be truly invested in making your wedding extraordinary, I recommend Lisa Havard without hesitation. Lisa’s wedding-planning superpowers are beyond exceptional; her warmth, kindness, and heart truly set her apart.
We loved working with Lisa and Paige for our wedding! Although I had some prior event planning experience, wedding planning was a whole new world for me. From my first conversation...
with Lisa, it was clear she had deep expertise and would be a great guide throughout this process. We opted for day-of coordination along with a few consultation calls to keep me on track during the planning process, which ended up being the perfect balance. Lisa provided valuable feedback, direction, and insight throughout, which helped me stay organized and on track during a year-long planning process.
Around 12 weeks before the wedding, the Havard Events team stepped in and took over effortlessly. They asked thoughtful questions, paid attention to every detail, and ensured that everything was in place for our big day. Paige, my day-of coordinator, was truly fantastic. As a type-A bride deeply involved in every detail, I felt completely reassured with Paige by my side. Her organization and attention to detail gave me full confidence that everything was under control - allowing me to relax, be fully present, and focus on making memories rather than managing logistics. Working with Lisa, Paige, and the Havard Events team was a wonderful experience, and I highly recommend them to anyone looking for an organized, supportive, and capable planning team!
We knew from our first conversation that Lisa was different. After consultations with quite literally dozens of wedding planners, Lisa was a breath of fresh air. She was intentiona...
l about listening to our priorities and helping us tackle every step of the wedding planning process with those priorities in mind. She was a creative partner, helping us think about rentals, tablescapes, florals, and other design touches we could add to make our wedding feel unique and special without going overboard. She was hands on and supportive with vendors we needed more help with like catering and flowers, and made sure that we felt confident with every decision we made. When we had challenges with other vendors, Lisa was our first call. She was on top of every single detail, from timeline to room layouts and photography lists. She sent a detailed timeline of the entire day not just to us and to our vendors, but to the entire wedding party so everyone knew exactly where they needed to be throughout the day. The day of the wedding, Lisa and her team managed everything perfectly. If there were any major hiccups or challenges, we didn't hear about them. If we were ever running behind schedule, we weren't stressed because we knew she and her team would handle everything. Our wedding design came together perfectly, and not only did Lisa have an incredible role to play in helping us with that design, but she also made sure we had such a special reveal moment at the wedding where we got to walk into the reception space and see our vision come to life. As a wedding planner, Lisa is among the best. Even more important than her organization, attention to detail, and creativity, though, Lisa took her role in the most important day of our lives seriously. For Lisa, we may have just been one of dozens of weddings she was planning over the course of the two years we worked with her, but we never felt like we weren't a priority. She always made time for us if we needed it, and she knows that the role of a wedding planner goes beyond just logistics. She invests in her couples and their love stories, and she helped us tell exactly the story we wanted to tell on our wedding day.
Working with Lisa at Havard Events is an absolute delight ALWAYS! As a wedding photographer, it makes all the difference in the world to work with a high-quality planner, and Lisa ...
is one of the best. Her communication is seamless and efficient, making the entire process smooth and stress-free for both the couple and the vendor team. She has fantastic taste and can bring her clients’ visions to life in magnificent ways. She places great trust in us as photographers, which allows us to do our best work. We always enjoy our collaborations with her and highly recommend Havard Events for anyone looking for a top-notch wedding planner!
We worked with Havard Events for our May 2024 wedding, and it was a wonderful experience! I found Lisa after visiting many venues and still not being able to pick, but after descri...
bing my vision she was able to recommend one that ended up being perfect. We did not do full planning & design, but instead a custom plan where Lisa helped us research/contract three vendors (we did hotel, shuttle, and officiant) + day-of coordination (and all the work that goes into getting the timeline ready with all parties). We also went with her recommendations for DJ and photographer, who were both amazing too! Our main coordinator was Paige, who was incredibly organized and responsive, and she was helped day-of by Charlene and Amanda who were also great -- everyone is professional AND fun to be around, which made the wedding day even less stressful. I didn't have to think about a thing! Even when I needed an emergency extra bustle or got a stain on my dress, they were on it with every supply under the sun. Definitely recommend!
I’m so lucky I had Paige from Lisa’s team be my person for my wedding! The wedding and logistics were absolutely flawless and they really went above and beyond to make the flow sea...
mless.
From the first email to our amazing wedding day, Lisa and her team are who you want on your team. I was lucky enough to snag her last spot for 2022, and I count my blessings for th...
at! Lisa only takes on a limited number of weddings each year, and I felt that difference as a bride! Lisa and her team were always quick to respond with email, happy to find a time to meet over the phone (regardless of how many months out the big day was), and were always adding inspiration to our Pinterest board! Mid-engagement I found out that my fiance and I would be moving across the country, and my loved ones were concerned about how I would possibly be okay giving up that much control! I can say that because I had Lisa and her team by my side, I knew things were going to be okay! Between Zoom calls at weird hours because of the time difference, and linen selections via FaceTime, it all worked out perfectly!
On the wedding day itself, we were again SO lucky to have Lisa and her team by our side because they had already been so involved in the planning. Though I was one of the first Greek Orthodox brides she worked with, you wouldn’t have known! One of the biggest things I value in Lisa was her willingness to understand and accept components of my Greek culture. Though it may seem a little deal to some, it was SO impactful as a bride even to hear Lisa use the same language I did to describe certain items and part of the ceremony.
From the hotel, to the church, and then to the venue, even a rainy day didn’t slow her team down! In the hustle of leaving for the church, I realized I had left a special heirloom in the hotel room but brushed it off saying it would all be okay. As I got ready to walk down the aisle, one of Lisa’s assistants handed me the heirloom. (!) After dropping us off, she went and retrieved it! In moments like that, I was reminded that I wasn’t just a client of Havard Events. Lisa and her team truly care for each one of their brides.
The event coordination went off without a hitch! Lisa had the great idea of giving us some alone time during cocktail hour and ensured we were eating whenever we could! We were able to get a preview of the reception space, and had an intimate setting for the cake cutting which I LOVED and highly recommend!
I could write for days about the value of having Lisa and her team as part of your vendor team. I thought right after I was engaged that I could do it all on my own, but WOW was I wrong, and I’m so glad I made this investment! Having the vision, organization, systems, and life experience of Lisa and her team was a game changer, and I only wish I lived back in DC so I could help her make other brides’ special days amazing!
Lisa was absolutely amazing to work with. She made my vision for my wedding come to life. She was able to understand and incorporate everything I wanted for my wedding. There is no...
way I would have been able to achieve everything I wanted without her. She was also very resourceful and knowledgeable. And overall very professional and kind.
Lisa and her team were incredible. We paid for the planning and design package and are thrilled we went that route. In a planner, we needed someone who kept us super organized, hel...
ped with vendor communications and stuck to the timeline. Havard Events did all that and more. We also wanted some design assistance: to make sure that there was cohesion throughout the wedding and someone to help us inject our personality and values into our big day, and Lisa exceeded our expectations on that front.
On our wedding day, Lisa's team handled all vendor communications and, when there was a minor issue (even the best laid plans oft go awry!), her and her team addressed it, and, my fav part, we didn't even know about it until after the fact! One of her assistants also saved the day when my bridesmaids couldn't figure out how to bustle my dress. Couldn't recommend her team more. Hire Havard!
Lisa and her team are absolutely AMAZING. It was an experience and a day we will never forget. The thoughtfulness and thoroughness provided by Lisa and her team exceeded our expect...
ations beyond belief. We had a very large wedding and wedding party and simply could not pull off the wedding of our dream and the vision we had for this day without them!
Lisa Havard is by far the best of the best!! She is professional, punctual, enthusiastic, caring, respectful, extremely dependable, great communicator and overall LIFESAVER. My hus...
band and I are both resident physicians and had no time to plan the details of the wedding and make sure all lines of communication were in order. In addition, both of our families are not local so planning a wedding seemed extremely daunting in the midst of our residency training. Lisa made sure to take that entire burden off of us and keep us on a timeline to ensure a spectacular day. Lisa truly goes above and beyond for her clients and is more than just a wedding planner. She is an amazing and beautiful person inside and out who will do everything she can and more to make sure her couples are happy. She truly cared about our well-being and how we were feeling during the process. She always gave her honest opinions on different components of the wedding as well which we found very helpful as we really wanted the guidance. Lisa learns from every wedding and knows what has worked and what hasn't worked; her experience and advice is truly priceless!
In addition, we had one instance where our original wedding invitations fell through -- she quickly came up with a few backup options as to not delay our designing process so invitations could go out in a timely manner. Now our wedding is sadly over, but our friends and family are STILL reminiscing about how perfect it was. It was honestly the best day of our lives and Lisa was the glue that kept every detail in order. THANK YOU LISA <3
Lisa was amazing! She made planning a wedding so easy. She had so many great ideas and was able to put my vision to life. She also had great connections to vendors. She is very re...
sponsive and one step ahead. Her team was also amazing and were a huge help on the day of the wedding.
To put it shortly, we simply could not have had the AMAZING wedding that we did without Lisa and her team. Everyone tells you that "something will go wrong on your wedding day," bu...
t I can honestly say that our day was absolutely perfect, and it is all thanks to Lisa. She was easily the best choice we made when it came to selecting wedding vendors and we are so grateful that we found her.
Lisa was incredibly attentive, supportive and thoughtful. It is very clear that she has a passion for what she does, and it shows in her work. From the smallest details and personalized touches to recommending several of our other vendors, we always felt that she had our best interest at heart and trusted her completely. She was very organized (and that is something that this type-A bride appreciated). She answered hundreds of emails and phone calls over our 16 months of planning together. Several of our guests also commented on how amazing she was!
We cannot recommend Lisa and her team highly enough for all of your wedding planning needs! Book her now!
My husband and I were truly blessed to have L.Havard Events plan our wedding and make our wedding vision a dream come true! We are so glad that we booked a wedding planner because ...
there is no way that we could have thought of all the little things to plan a timely, beautiful, and fun wedding.
From the very first introductory phone call to all of our subsequent email communications and in-person meetings with vendors, Lisa and her associate (Maureen) were so friendly, attentive and detail-oriented while we all tried to plan through COVID restrictions. They did a wonderful job keeping us on schedule (and sometimes even ahead of schedule!), and making sure that our personality and character would shine through in all the elements of the wedding.
All of L.Havard Events' recommended vendors that we used were absolutely wonderful - from the rental furniture, to the florals and the 3-tiered cake. In fact, we were so blown away by the way that everything came together beyond imagination, that I actually cried at the big reveal of our reception space!
Not only was the overall look of our wedding (from the ceremony to cocktail hour and reception) just perfect, but the greatest feeling was knowing that Lisa and her team were working behind the scenes the entire wedding day to make sure there was nothing stressing us out as the bride and groom, because they truly wanted us to enjoy ourselves.
We would do it all over if it meant working with Lisa again. She is truly a spectacular planner and person!!
Lisa was our wedding planner beginning very early in our wedding planning process and lasting far longer than any of us anticipated due to 3 wedding date postponements because of C...
ovid. As difficult and disappointing as the never-ending postponements were, the one silver lining was that we really got to know and work closely with her for so long. She was incredible throughout the entire process, both with the planning of our event itself, as well as with helping us to manage the many logistical challenges that go into rescheduling a wedding. Lisa's eye for design and overall vision guided us throughout and we could not have been more thrilled with the final product. In addition, Lisa was organized, timely, and enthusiastic both in the months and weeks leading up to our wedding, as well as on the day of the event, taking so much stress off of us in the process . Whenever we hit a bump in the road in our planning, we always took comfort in knowing that Lisa was just an email or phone call away and she always had a great suggestion or solution for the issue at hand. Our guests were blown away by our wedding and I was constantly giving credit to Lisa, as I truly believe she was the mastermind behind the beauty, organization, and smoothness of the day. We cannot recommend Lisa and her team strongly enough as a part of your wedding planning and day!!
We can’t say enough great things about Lisa. Working with her was a dream! I was someone who was unsure about using a planner, but looking back, I wouldn’t have it any other way! S...
he was great in getting us organized from the start, and keeping us on schedule of when things needed to be completed, and even answered our wedding etiquette questions and proof read our save the dates and invitations.
The closer we got to our wedding, she took over in communicating with the venders and providing them the information and timelines they needed.
She also had one of her assistants at our rehearsal dinner, which helped us stay on schedule, and provided the restaurant a POC instead of needing to come to us.
Lisa was very communicative and fast to respond. Her years of experience definitely show, and she is prepared for and has thought of everything!
I cannot recommend Lisa and her team enough for any and all events! Very professional and experienced in event planning, she and her team made our wedding day stress free!
Lisa's attention to details and care for her couples comes through in every part of the planning process. Lisa's strength is that she listens. She won't just tell people what they ...
need but will thoughtfully guide them towards making the right decisions that will result in their dream wedding day. Because she's so intentional with her relationships, and has been in this business for years, she has connections and strong bonds with other vendors so is able to connect her couples with the perfect fit for their day. She also thinks ahead, and is there with a plan b and c so that nothing can take the couple off guard. Loved working with Lisa at the Ritz Georgetown last fall.
I cannot say enough good things about Lisa! She was so amazing to work with as my month-of wedding planner. I was completely relaxed on my wedding day and was able to enjoy every a...
spect of they day – and that really is thanks to Lisa. She was so organized and on top of everything and was able to handle anything thrown her way. My husband and I are pretty laid back so Lisa was great for us in helping us to stay on track and also helping us to brainstorm and make decisions about every aspect of our wedding. Even though we hired her as a month-of planner, she really went above and beyond throughout our whole wedding planning process. We live in Chicago so it was important to us to have a planner that was very familiar with the wedding industry in DC since we wouldn’t be able to visit and meet with every vendor. Lisa had great recommendations for every vendor that we were looking for which made our lives so much easier. She took the time to meet with us a do a venue walk-through 6 months before the wedding when we happened to be in DC for a few days in December. She also attended our final walk-through and tasting two months before the wedding and by this time already had a detailed timeline for the wedding. She thought of every little detail and had contingency plans for everything. Working with Lisa was wonderful – we weren’t sure if we needed to hire a month-of planner but this was honestly the best money we spent. She was so thoughtful and helpful throughout the whole process and made planning so much easier. We highly recommend hiring Lisa as your planner!
My Husband and I have known Lisa of L.Havard events for a few years (she is both a friend and colleague of mine), so it was a no-brainer when we got engaged that we would ask her t...
o help with with the month-of coordination for our big day.
Being in the events industry myself, I have come to know that hiring an experienced planner is the BEST money a couple can spend on their wedding.
Having worked with Lisa in the past on events for other couples, I knew from our first conversation that she was going to make sure our wedding was perfect from start to finish.
Lisa went above and beyond to deliver every detail of our dream day, and looking back, I am still in awe of the ease with which she executed a full weekend of events for our friends, family and guests!
From her organization and timelines, to checking in with each vendor, member of our families and bridal party, the day ran like clockwork.
All of our guests were wowed by the hospitality of Lisa, her assistant Charlene, and the team of vendors she helped oversee.
Lisa's rapport with her clients goes above and beyond what I have experienced in working with other planners - she takes the time to get to know her couples, their families, the venue, and the event vendors, to ensure that everyone involved is able to relax and enjoy being a part of the wedding.
Her experience, confidence in her work, and industry knowledge truly shine through in the execution of her events, but she is also creative and fun to work with during the planning process, always being there for moral support, ideas and assistance.
Wether you are looking for full wedding planning or month/day-of coordination, we would highly recommend Lisa, and we cannot thank her enough for her literally making our big day feel like magic!
We LOVE Lisa!!!! (Quick disclaimer, I usually never write in all caps but I feel very strongly about this so here goes!) I've tried to write and re-write this review at least 10 ti...
mes but nothing I write can really express the gratitude my husband and I feel for all of the incredibly hard work, time, and effort Lisa put into our wedding. I can say for a fact that the wedding would not nearly have been as beautiful or successful without Lisa's help. Frankly, it would have been a big mess. But with Lisa's magic, it was THE best day of my life and it went off without a single hitch!!! I could go on and on with a huge list of why she and her team are so amazing, but let me just give you the top three things that I most appreciate from her: 1) I had this insane (and somewhat drunken) request that the flowers MUST go home, and believe me if you saw the flowers you'd know it was a Herculean task (we're talking HUGE tropical leaves, vines, and flowers everywhere). Lisa had it all packed and stuffed in multiple family members cars by the end of the night, like magic. AND all of the other trillion things that we brought from home, it was all neatly packed and stuffed in the car. MAGIC!! 2) I literally had to worry about NOTHING on the day of the wedding. Not. A. Single. Thing. She took care of it all, which speaks volumes about her dedication and preparation. She even hand-wrote this adorable sign for the rally towels we put out for our guests at the wedding with the cutest saying!! She's really goes above and beyond! 3) She's incredibly nice, easy to get along with, and very accessible!! Every little thing, every little indecision and decision, she was there for me. And as you know, having someone there to say "yes" or "no" or "I think this is a better idea" can be really helpful during this whole process. I think I must have emailed her like 10x a day at one point and she was always so patient! In sum, hiring Lisa was the best decision I made. Book her now!
Working with L. Havard Events was the single best decision we made throughout the wedding planning process. We cannot overstate the value of working with Lisa from the beginning, a...
s she helped us make the fundamental decisions that led to our vision for our big day. Every step of the way she was with us to make sure we were working with the best vendors, getting the best prices (saved us lots of money here), had a theme and decor to fit our ideal guest experience, and to take all the stresses of wedding planning away from us. Her passion for this work and her experience gave us a lot of comfort in making decisions, which is something we struggled with prior to working with Lisa. She knew how to take our ideas and make them reality.
Perhaps the most valuable part was that we actually got to enjoy the process with our families, and avoid the inevitable stress that comes with making decisions and planning. This really proved true in the month leading up to the wedding when we got to hand over all the logistics to Lisa and simply enjoy the special moments with our friends and family. Her timeline was exceptional, and kept everything extremely organized throughout the day (and our wedding had a lot of moving parts). We truly cannot recommend working with Lisa enough!
Hiring Lisa as a day-of coordinator was absolutely one of the best decisions we made when planning our wedding. It was a special blessing to be able to spend precious time with our...
families before our ceremony and know that Lisa and her wonderful team were setting up and making sure every detail was in place. Lisa's passion for weddings combined with her organization and attention to detail make her worth far more than the rate she charges. We would highly recommend her to any couple planning their wedding; with Lisa's help, our wedding was everything we dreamed of.
P.S. she also knows how to tie a bow tie ;)
My dream December wedding would not have been all I had dreamed without the help of Lisa. She supported me from start to finish and never shut down any of my "out of the box" drea...
ms- e.g. I want a Santa Claus to surprise the guests on the dance floor! I want him to throw green & red glow sticks, and hand out donuts!
From the beginning, she helped me narrow in on my what was most important to me and guided me through the process of bringing this to life. Lisa not only made great vendor recommendations but was fun, detail-oriented, kind and a pleasure to do vendor visits with. She always knew what questions to ask, how to analyze contract and make sure that our choices fulfilled my ultimate goals.
Being just a month out of the wedding, I know that a planner provides you not only with a person to bounce ideas off but someone to help ease your mind do stressful times (this is inevitable!) and share in the successes.
I highly recommend Lisa and guarantee that she will help you the way she helped me all while being creative, fun and kind!
Contact
Fairfax, VA | Planning weddings anywhere!
