House of Joy

actually the one who found Samantha Joy Events. He knows how easily anxious and stressed I can get and he wanted to minimize this as much as he could knowing I am a medical student and already had a lot on my plate. My husband is one to do extensive research on just about anything he buys, so I never second guessed his recommendation to hire Samantha. Samantha and her team began working on my wedding before I even had a date set, or a venue picked out. Her hard work only continued to surprise me even more from there. Like I said, I am very busy being a medical student and I was initially worried about the small details and choices I would need to make. Samantha and her team made this as easy as possible for me! They carefully crafted ideas and suggestions for me based off of questions I answered for them, or photos I had sent them. I never worried about caterers, photographers, rentals, etc. She gave me a list of options every time and I picked from there. I also want to mention how flexible she is. I know that she works very hard throughout the year for many other couples on their big day and she never once made me feel like I was less of a priority to other couples. My husband and I live in a different city than the venue where we had our wedding and Samantha made meetings easy through phone calls, emails and video chats! Come wedding day I had so many people tell me they were so surprised with how relaxed I was the day of. That's simply because I had no doubt in my mind that we were in good hands. She took the time to make sure every single detail was special for my husband and I. She even set aside special time for my husband and I to savor the day alone from the crowd. If you are looking for a team to wow you in ways you didn't think were possible, I highly recommend Samantha Joy Events. Ps. my father has already started talking about hiring her for his 50th birthday soon, that's how much he loved working with them!

likes a bridezilla!), but what we didn’t know is that a planner does SO much more than that. We had a wedding that was perfectly us in every way possible, all thanks to Samantha and her team. From the beginning, Samantha took the time to truly get to know us. Not once did she ask us to share dream wedding inspiration or show her elements of other weddings we enjoyed. Instead, she asked about our interests, hobbies, and how we wanted our wedding to feel. She asked how we decorate our home, places we like to travel, and colors that bring us joy. By the end she knew our style better than we did. She took my love of sprinkles (I’m obsessed!) and turned it into an elevated theme woven throughout our day. The executed design was stunningly beautiful and uniquely us. Not only did she design the perfect day, but her industry knowledge is unmatched. At one point our venue told us they would not be able to setup 3 large farmhouse tables for our head table because of a logistical issue. Without the SJE team my husband and I wouldn’t have pushed back on the venue because in our minds, “it couldn’t be done.” Samantha offered 3 solutions on the spot, advocated for what we wanted, and ultimately found a way to make the tables a reality. The morning of the wedding Sam was there early to make sure hair and makeup were running smoothly. She checked in with my husband and I multiple times throughout the day – to check our nerves, to make sure we ate, to tell us where we needed to be next. She seamlessly managed our room flip and coordinated all vendor drops offs and setup. She bustled my dress and allowed us a moment alone to soak in the newlywed feeling. Honestly Samantha was everywhere you didn’t know you needed her. Her attention to detail, eye for design, and get it done mentality combine to make the perfect planner. Oh, and her planning platform is incredible! There is a task-by-task checklist, interactive seating chart, budget planner and SO much more included. It helped us stay on task each month to make sure all deadlines were met. The first person you should call as you start planning is Samantha Joy Events, no questions asked. I HIGHLY recommend her!

Planning a wedding is not an easy process. It’s time consuming. It’s stressful. There are common mistakes that are super easy to make. So if you’re going to invest your money, time, and effort into such a big day, do yourself a favor and book SJE. They’ve been through it all before and will take your abstract ideas and transform them into an incredible event. Samantha and her team also execute very well on the day of, alleviating as much stress as possible from an already stressful time. On the big day, instead of you or a family member coordinating between the venue, hotel, shuttles, caterers, DJs, photographers, etc – all of that is handled. You and your family get to relax and watch as the day you’ve worked towards unfolds with you along for the ride. They keep the schedule, make things happen, and work through any issues that arise. At one point on our wedding day, shortly before the guests were supposed to arrive, we heard from the transportation company that the buses would not be dropping people off at the venue’s entrance. Instead, they were going to unload them at the end of the very long gravel driveway leading up to the venue (the drivers were wary of navigating the gravel, though it hadn’t been a problem before). This would have been an inconvenience at best and a real issue at worst for some of our older guests with mobility issues. As soon as we learned this, we relayed it to Samantha, she replied with “I’ll take care of it”, and that was everything. Her team figured things out with the transportation company and the guests got dropped off where they were supposed to. Instead of worrying, we got to stay in the moment and focus on enjoying the day. Working with SJE was one of the best decisions we made in bringing our wedding to life – we owe that day’s success largely to them. If you’re on the fence, I suggest you give Samantha a call. Having them in your corner is like an insurance policy that everything you put into that day will be worth it. I couldn’t recommend them more!

and or myself had planned such a huge event, and we wanted it to go well. After quickly realizing we needed help, we contacted Samantha and had our first consult. My husband and I both loved her. She took our ideas and made them realities. First, she had us do a pin board of ideas, vibes, colors, etc. that we liked. Mine was unusual. It had pictures of forests, cottages, herbs drying up in farmhouse kitchens, twinkle lights lighting mossy stone walkways….you get the idea. Samantha turned that into an actual theme of enchanted forest and went with it. We ended up with greenery on almost every surface and candles lighting things like fireflies. We wanted pie rather than cake, and she suggested hand pies for guests (and when our baker ended up not being able to make the pies at the last minute, she jumped in and fixed it so we didn’t have to worry about it). We wanted our dogs involved somehow too. So, Samantha suggested an amazing local artist who made lifelike replicas of them that became part of our entry way decor. Samantha handled details, kept us sane, and made sure we were aware of all our options during the entire process. She kept our goals at the center, and made sure that we were always taken care of. Whether it was dealing with a slow-responding vendor or an unclear quote, Samantha handled it with grace, poise, and determination. Even when we had to postpone the wedding due to covid, she handled the changes with an impressive amount of skill. Samantha guided us through it while minimizing stress. On the day of the wedding, Samantha and her team rallied and somehow went even further above and beyond. She directed us through everything, giving directions and making sure that I was taken care of. She handled the last minute emergencies deftly and quickly, and always took the time to check in. It seems like a small thing, but she even make sure I was fed throughout the day. That was incredible, because I know a lot of brides that end up basically not eating on the day of the wedding. The first time I saw the inside of the tent, I actually cried a bit. It was beautiful. Samantha set up a sneak preview for us before the ceremony. We did first look pictures, and she led us (eyes covered) to the tent. My husband and I got to explore the tent before the guests, and even had a practice first dance (with snacks!!) on our own. During the ceremony, Samantha and her team kept everything going smoothly. It was honestly seamless. I have a medicine that I have to take at a specific time each night, and warned Samantha ahead of time. At that time, she showed up with my pill case and a glass of water standing by my side, handed them to me, waited for me to take the medicine and the water, and then melted into the crowd. At the end of the night, she packed us up and sent us home feeling like we were on top of the world. Honestly, the night was the best night I’ve ever had. I felt like an actual princess, and that was thanks to Samantha and her team. I cannot count the number of people that have said that they loved it and thought it was one of the best weddings they’ve ever been to. And I heard the same thing from the people actually involved in the wedding party/immediate family as well. I would 100% recommend hiring her. Seriously, she’s worth it.

plan, and I got thorough the first few months of planning this way-- picked out a beautiful venue (the Peterloon), photographer, videographer, tent, etc. Choosing these vendors took hours and hours, and was tough to incorporate into my already busy schedule as a physician. I quickly realized we needed help, and reached out to Samantha. This was easily the best decision of our entire wedding process. If you think you can do it without a planner, I would strongly reconsider sooner in the planning process rather than later. During our first meeting with her, she brought up so many vital details we had not even *considered*-- we knew we needed her by our side right away! Samantha made the rest of the vendor selection process a breeze, recommending excellent florists, fantastic musicians/bands, beautiful hair/makeup, specific rental vendors, rehearsal dinner venue spaces, etc., all specifically tailored to our style. One reason I wished I had reached out to her sooner was that I *really* wanted a sailcloth tent, however it was $17K. She already knew of one that was about a third of that price, but unfortunately I had already booked a tent. This is just one example of how a wedding planner actually SAVES you not only time and sanity, but also money! Even if you have the ability to find all your own vendors, it's actually the coordination between/among the vendors, and all the logistics in the months leading up to the wedding, on the day of the wedding, and in the days AFTER the wedding (did you realize the sheer amount of things *after* the wedding that must be coordinated?! I certainly did not) that are vital to have a planner like Samantha manage. Honestly, I cannot even begin to describe everything Samantha took care of on the day of the wedding. And that's because it all happened being the scenes while WE ENJOYED OUR WEDDING DAY!!! Just a few examples of the details she took care of include: 1) setting up photo books from every year of our relationship, welcome book, and polaroid cameras (which migrated around the venue depending on where people were congregated), 2) realizing we had forgotten our cashier's check for our band (it was required, they would not accept a regular check), and then sending one of her assistants to go pick up the check FROM OUR HOUSE which literally saved the day, 3) having a special space for us to go after the ceremony, complete with samplings of each appetizer just for us. Overall, we cannot recommend Samantha more highly. The one thing I would change is booking her full planning package rather than partial planning-- it would be worth every penny.

n over the management of the big day to Samantha and her staff, and they did a MAGNIFICENT job! Samantha coordinated and communicated with vendors, provided a detailed timeline for the day, and spent the entire day with us to see that everything ran smoothly. When my daughter ripped her dress shortly before the ceremony, Samantha swooped in with her tool box and saved the day by repairing the dress. Having Samantha and her team with us enabled all of us to thoroughly enjoy the day and let go of any stress. I highly recommend Samantha Joy Events.

ding. After having to postpone our wedding due to the pandemic we were very thankful to have her. She made this unfortunate scenario go as smoothly as possible and was very supportive. Samantha takes time to get to know you as a couple. She does an impeccable job at making your day feel like YOUR day. She designed an event at The Transept that reflected our styles with the exact ambiance we were looking for. Samantha also does an exceptional job of recommending quality vendors. She professionally collaborates closely with each of them. This made our wedding day go so smoothly. Many of our guests were impressed with how seamlessly everything flowed and how cohesive the design was. My husband and I along with our families were able to enjoy the day without worrying about a thing. I highly recommend hiring Samantha and her team for your event. You will be in good hands!

more expensive than it actually was! She has such an eye for design - I gave her a few design elements and let her run, and she exceeded my expectations and MORE! I truly got to enjoy my engagement because I knew Samantha would take care of anything wedding related. A few examples: - I really respect Samantha's ability to work with vendors and offer up her ideas an opinions. I truly believe Samantha pushed our vendors to be the best they can be and step out of their comfort zone to create an incredible event! - We actually lost power on our wedding day, and SJE kept me calm and grounded! - Our day was truly the hottest in existence. She made many adjustments to protect the florals, cake, us, and the guests! - There were so many things that I never even thought of that she covered: event run throughs many weeks before, tents for fans, posing tips, cute bar signs, an incredible checklist, and so much more. I was star struck by my own wedding and her design. - I work a few jobs and didn't want to be doing wedding things my whole engagement. She kept us on track without bugging us! I will book SJE for any birthdays, anniversaries, showers, corporate events, etc in Chicago or Cincinnati. I trust her with all of my being! Samantha, thank you for your patience and kindness. My guests are truly still raving about our wedding and it is all because of you! Thank you SO much!

detail would be untouched and kept us on track with our guest list and other tasks! She coordinated with all of our vendors to ensure a seamless production; her event timeline was extensive, and she took the time to learn about and include the cultural aspects of our South Indian wedding which we very much appreciated! On the wedding day, we were able to relax and enjoy the day because of the work that Samantha had put in before and during the wedding! She had backup plans A through Z for weather changes (which we appreciated with an unexpected thunderstorm during our wedding) and was ready to help fix broken jewelry, re-pin my outfit, and even remove rice from my hair before formal photos! We would highly recommend Samantha! We can't thank her and her team enough for making our wedding so much more than we could have ever imagined!

leading up to the day of our wedding. Even when we had an unrelated family crisis, Samantha was top notch and 100% on her game. She made sure we were on schedule with absolutely everything. The day of Samantha and her team were literal miracle workers from start to finish. My maid of honor's dress had a dress malfunction. Samantha fixed it. The guestbook accidentally got left in my car at the hotel. Her team was able to get it in time. Part of our ceremony set up fell right before the ceremony started. We had no idea, because Samantha and her team had sprung into action. During the reception, my dress was ripped due to my own clumsiness, Samantha fixed it. I would recommend Samantha and her team to ANYONE planning a wedding. The peace of mind you'll have with her team is priceless. Samantha and her team truly made our wedding day the absolute best it could be, and we will be always grateful.

ivity and excitement towards adding unique and personal elements to her events. She asked us about our backgrounds and favorite things and immediately had ideas on how to incorporate them into our day. She also had great vendor recommendations that matched our vision. We had our reception in a tent that needed to be built from the ground up. I had a vision of what I wanted the tent to look like and it exceeded my expectations. I cried when I saw it! Not only did Samantha work with our vendors on everything (electricity, lighting, draping, florals, etc.) but she was onsite at our venue the week of the wedding to ensure setup was going smoothly. It was so nice to not have to worry about this the week of our wedding knowing she had everything under control. She was also super flexible. We added an extra musical element a month before the wedding and she was quick to develop a plan to incorporate them. Samantha also helped us through postponing our wedding as a result of COVID. She was so supportive through the decision making process and once we decided to postpone, had potential dates and vendor availability to us in less than 48 hours. She made the postponement process seamless and quick. She also kept us up to date on all Ohio regulations and pivoted as needed. She had ideas and a plan A, B, C and D for everything! We would highly recommend Samantha and her team and can’t wait to use them again for future events! She was with us every step of the way for almost 2 years of planning and was one of the best investments we made. I feel like I could go on and on about how great she was, and the support and friendship she provided throughout the process.

at The Netherland Plaza in downtown Cincinnati. Samantha and her team made my family and I feel so cared for and relaxed. I genuinely was not worried for a second on wedding day and was able to be completely present, taking in each joyful moment. Not one person came to me or my family with a question or concern because I had Samantha and her team working hard behind the scenes to ensure everything was in order.  Here are a few specific examples of how Samantha and her team blew us away: * Created a gorgeous timeline handout and presented it at our rehearsal and provided each member of the bridal party with a copy  * Designed & printed our wedding programs   * Attended vendor meetings with us and advocated on our behalf when we felt uncomfortable  * Dug a walkway in the snow 10 minutes before I was due to walk down the isle so that I could enter the church through the front and not have to walk past guests  * Located my 7 year old daughter in less than 3 minutes when it was time for bridal party entrances and she was no where to be found * Samantha communicated with every single one of our vendors about details we desired and she coordinated day of logistics with them so I did not have to do a thing. Our wedding day ran flawlessly and I know it was because of them. She is 100% worth making room in your wedding budget for and I would recommend her to anyone.

tionships and venue knowledge at the Hilton Netherland was so helpful.

just enough to do to feel involved, but not so much to cause me stress. Especially in the weeks leading up to big day! Her knowledge of the ever changing COVID situation was a huge help. If there were any problems on the day of the wedding I sure didn’t know about them, I got to enjoy the important things and not worry about the details. Her staff was very professional, things were just taken care of like magic.

o planning a wedding. You helped make sure I stayed on task, in control, and in vision every step of the way. I hope you are as happy and proud as I am with the outcome. I think the wedding turned out artsy, classy and fabulous, while being comfortable, safe and fun. I honestly still can't believe we pulled it off with as many hurdles as we encountered in those last few weeks, but we did! It was definitely 100% due to your leadership and networking skills that we were able to secure the best venue at an extremely reasonable price only two weeks before the wedding. Your vision board really captured my aesthetic and love for color while providing a reference point for vendor design decisions along the planning process. My mom, bridesmaids and I were able to bond over the experience of planning a wedding ( or three ) together with your help. Covid sucks. However, there's no way around it. I think we did a great job at keeping everyone safe and having a fun time celebrating our marriage. I just got the photos back from Jenna and I'm speechless. They are absolutely stunning. All of the vendors and all of the details just came out absolutely perfect. I was amazed by the "details" shots. The florals and rings and vow books look absolutely amazing and it truly captured the ombre effect that I wanted to represent the merging of two families. Even with the hiccups we experienced due to Covid and vendor changes, everything came out perfectly. I loved the acrylic arch and jaw dropping ombre tablescape. I think the end product actually captured the merging of two colors (or families) more than the original plan at the DAI ever could have. I wish more people could have been there of course, but that just wasn't in the cards due to the pandemic. I'm glad I didn't wait another year to marry Ian. We took lemons and made sweet lemonade. However, we couldn't have done it without you every step of the way! Thank you again for your hard work. It really showed. I would 100% recommend you to any bride. I wish you all the best and will continue to cheer on your business! If I have any events to plan, I will let you know.

everything she and her team did to make the wedding of our dreams come true!

dding of our dreams, she was there every step of the way. My husband and I went to her for anything and everything and she had an answer for us. Her suggestions on vendors were great. After we had everything planned, COVID hit and we were devastated to move our wedding date. Samantha was so calm and got all of our vendors to switch dates on the same day the announcement was made that things were shutting down. When our wedding finally happened, we of course had to change things and Samantha and her team adapted and worked hard to make it all so seamless. We are so appreciative of the organization, thoughtfulness, and hard work that Samantha and her team put in to our special day. She made me feel beautiful the day of and I trusted her with everything. Right before I walked down the aisle, I thought I saw the plates I did not want and she said she would take care of everything. SJE is worth the money and I would do it all over again! There is no way I could have done it all myself. THANK YOU, SAMANTHA!

e venue which we absolutely loved. We wanted something outdoors and the Equestrian was perfect. The owner Meghan was so accommodating and very friendly. I didn't really have a vision for the wedding, I just knew I wanted it to be fun, unique, and God honoring. She created something so beautiful and had everything planned to the very last detail. We received so many compliments from the flowers by FloralVDesigns (including one of our favorites the floral chandeliers), food by Bernsteins Catering, ice cream truck by the Rolling Oasis, to the simple table accessories by Swoon and Something Old Dayton, and the coverless, frame-only tent with bistro lights and chandeliers by Kosins. Samantha was very patient throughout the planning process as I didn't have a lot of strong details for the wedding, I redesigned my moms wedding dress with Van Lear Custom Couture, and when my husband wanted to make some last minute adjustments like adding a sparkler send off, she made it happen. And she expertly coordinated vendors, setup, and activities on both the rehearsal and the wedding days including making sure that during the wedding day my husband and I had alone time together - we even got to try the appetizers and signature cocktails! She worked great with our videographer Cole Carpenter, photographers Eastlyn and Josh Tolle, and our DJs with Liftoff Entertainment ensuring they had plenty of time in the schedule to capture the perfect day. She helped guide me through the whole wedding process even following up after the honeymoon. I would highly recommend Samantha Joy Events for wedding planning, she helped keep us on task with our timeline, reminded us of the budget, and made the day absolutely perfect!

Sam blew us away from the very start welcoming our ideas with complimentary ideas of her own ensuring us that she could get the job done and wanted to be the one to bring our vision to life. We knew right away that Sam's confidence and professionalism was exactly what we had been looking for in our wedding designer and planner! Sam got to work right away curating a list of destination wedding locations that aligned with our vision. We narrowed down the list and after an impromptu weekend road trip to Massachusetts we entered contract in late May for an October 12th wedding date at a dream venue, The Mount, Edith Wharton's Historical Home in Lenox, Massachusetts. If you do the math, that means Sam provided full planning services for our intimate wedding in less than four months! Throughout the planning process, Sam connected Andrew and I with such incredible vendors including Design House of Moira who with Sam's design assistance created our stunning heirloom style invitation suite; Daisy Stone Studio who made art with flowers and brought to life our vision for an overhead floral installation for our dinner table; The Marketplace Catering who Sam convinced to prepare and serve us our dream fondue dinner having never done anything like that before; Jonathan Suters who provided beautiful music on the strings to enjoy for the evening; Peak Event Services who's rental selection was top notch; and we cannot forget the incredibly talented Megan Noll Photography who flew all the way from Cincinnati to capture our day only to drive through the night back to Cincinnati to capture another wedding the VERY NEXT DAY (Megan kept telling us how badly she wanted to photography our wedding but we didn't realize just how bad!). Without Sam and her industry expertise, Andrew and I would not have been able to work with such talented vendors to bring our dream wedding to life. Our wedding day was everything we dreamed of and more. Thanks to Sam's hard work and attention to detail, the day went off without a hitch. We can never say enough thank-you's to Sam and her team for the hard work and dedication in bringing to life our vision for our wedding day.

e first few months of attempting to pull a cohesive vision/theme together for our December 28th 2019 wedding was incredibly overwhelming and challenging. Our main point of contact for our venue had changed multiple times, each time causing us headache and undue stress. My husband and I have some unique family situations that made planning our wedding a challenge. A few months in and I knew I needed some professional help planning! During my first conversation with Samantha, one of the main things I remember her saying was that it was one of her goals to make me, my husband and our families feel as if we were guests at our own wedding. It was also during this first conversation with Samantha that she was able to put my nerves at ease and reassure me that everything would come together beautifully. I knew then I was in the right hands. SJE was able to guide us through the entire wedding planning process, starting by having us create a Pinterest Board for our wedding. From there, Samantha put together a vision and aesthetic for our wedding day, something I had been unable to pinpoint on my own. We ended up settling on a modern, elegant, black and white scheme which tied in with our venue perfectly! After our initial conversations, Samantha connected us with tried and true vendors that suited our vision, removing the stress and hassle of having to interview multiples. I truly enjoyed our planning meetings with SJE, I felt more like I was meeting with a friend to chat about wedding planning. After each meeting with Samantha, she would give us a list of “bite-sized homework assignments” to check off our list by our next meeting. By doing this, we were able to accomplish the tasks at hand while never feeling overwhelmed and daunted. Another one of our goals for our December 28th wedding was for us all to be able to relax and enjoy the Christmas Holiday- which we were all able to do thanks to Samantha! As far as our wedding day was concerned, I can’t thank Samantha and her team enough! SJE provided both a production and event timeline for all of the vendors and the Wedding Party! No detail went unlooked. Trust in her process, trust in her experience and trust in the vision! After seeing the venue set up, we were floored! Everything was beyond expectation and far surpassed even my own vision! Throughout the planning process Samantha became a friend, a part of our family and my Fairy Godmother! Never once during the course of our wedding day did I have to worry about a single thing, from set up to event tear down, everything was executed flawlessly. SJE truly gave us the greatest gift- the ability to relax, celebrate and enjoy our wedding as if we were guests. My only regret is not hiring SJE sooner!

an the menu!). SJE made my dream wedding the most magical day a girl could ever dream of. Not only did Samantha listen to what I wanted but she had so many new and fresh ideas of her own to bring my vision to life. SJE was crucial when thinking about all of the logistics for the day and scheduling vendors, etc. Without Samantha, I would have spent my wedding week making sure that everything was ready to go according to plan but SJE took care of all of that leaving me to not have to worry about a thing. HIGHLY recommend Samantha and her team!!

ign package). As an out of town bride living in New York City and working unpredictable hours, Samantha kept me on track, focused me on priority items when the time came and made all of our meetings efficient. In the days leading up to the wedding, my parents and I found ourselves looking at one another and saying: "Can you imagine if we didn't have Samantha to help?" She coordinated all the vendors seamlessly, she designed, made and delivered all the hotel boxes and the seating chart, and she styled amazing flatlays for our photographer to capture all the details of the day. At the beginning of the ceremony, my exhausted flower girl started crying. Samantha swooped in and held her off to the side. The flower girl almost immediately fell asleep in Samantha's hug and the show went on. She made everything look effortless. As a result, I was able to enjoy my day and be 100% present with my family and friends for the entire weekend. I was never worried about whether a guest needed anything or whether I forgot to bring some item to the venue. Samantha had it under control. But that's not all. After months of me being precise/picky about my vision and style and bombarding Samantha with a lot of strong opinions, Samantha took us in for a room reveal before the reception. We were floored. My mom let out an audible gasp. Samantha created a gorgeous atmosphere that was full of details and completely and truly an authentic representation of us. Samantha brought my vision to life and she was practical, thoughtful and creative along the way. She always gave her honest advice, knew where to invest for the most impact and told me where I could cut back when a detail wouldn't be noticed. The day simply would not have been the same without her.

and I can see where planning any size of a wedding can be a full time job in itself. I was so glad I hired Samantha and her staff to help me. She was a monumental help! Samantha was already working at another wedding on my date so she assigned Heather and Ashley to handle our wedding. At first I was worried that Samantha would not be there. But it was like she was! She was involved in the entire lead-up to the wedding and kept her staff very well informed. So the day of the wedding, everything ran very smoothly and it was just perfect... and I had more time to enjoy the day and visit with my guests. I would highly recommend Samantha Joy Events. I did a lot of research and talked to a lot of vendors before I made my decision to go with SJE. All of the vendors told me that she was the best Planner in the area. I would agree!

so special. I can’t imagine what my wedding day would have been like if I had not used SJE. Knowing the correct vendors for our style was very important.With her help everything fell right into place.

The Steam Plant. To add to all of this, we live in Des Moines, IA. In comes Samantha Joy Events to save the day! We hired SJE a year before our event for the partial planning and design package so that we could get the inside scoop on all the best vendors in the Greater Dayton Area. Before we started working with SJE, we spent so much time trying to figure out which vendors amongst hundreds would best fit our needs. Luckily, getting the design package allowed SJE to get a better idea of what style we wanted and then they would provide us with 2-3 vendors for that part of the event. We cannot tell you how many headaches this saved us. Not to mention that neither of us are really good at putting the whole picture together, and SJE's design board helped us get a visual for what we wanted our wedding day to look like. In addition, working with SJE took so much stress of our shoulders in the months and days leading up to our wedding. SJE's production and event timeline document was super extensive and allowed us to not worry about when this vendor or that vendor is arriving on our wedding day. This was something that we could share with our wedding party to quickly let everyone know where they should be and when. The day of the event was just another reminder of how wonderful SJE is with event planning. The way we felt and how little stress we felt more than met our expectations. We were totally engrossed in every moment of our day and didn't have a worry in the world besides enjoying each other's company on our special day. We loved working with the SJE team. Throughout the entire process, Samantha was the absolute perfect balance of friendly and professional. She guided us with every aspect of the wedding and we felt a great connection and friendship growing alongside. All of the services provided were priceless and we'd do the partial planning and design again (or more) in a heartbeat! -Zack and Vanessa Valigosky

started the planning process, we realized early on that given our schedules it would be beneficial to have a wedding planner. We spoke with a few and quickly realized Samantha was the one for us and purchased the full package. At that point we had already decided on a few vendors (photographer, DJ, venue, videographer), however still had many other vendors to find. During one of our earlier meetings she asked us very specific questions to help narrow down our vision, style, theme and from there we communicated almost weekly throughout the next 6 months getting all the vendors and details in place. Our venue was the Monastery which she had never worked at, but was super excited about. She suggested a circular seating arrangement in the center of the venue which was never done before, and it turned out amazing! Shortly after meeting us, she took our ideas and developed a design board. She was there for many of the vendor meetings (and called in, if she wasn't able to make it in person), had all the contracts organized, reminded us of payment deadlines, there really wasn't anything she wasn't involved in. Her organizational skills were phenomenal! Prior to the wedding she had an extremely detailed timeline for the wedding day that she then printed out and handed out to the entire wedding party on the rehearsal day. She also gave us a list of things we should have ready prior to the day of (tips, designated person/vehicle to load items at the end of the night), things that we may not have thought to do ourselves. She was very honest throughout the planning process, she has impeccable taste and definitely trusted her judgement. It was always a collaborative process, we never felt uncomfortable or that she was trying to push us in any direction. During the planning process it may not seem like you're using your planner a great deal but trust me when I say that there is so much being done in the background that you're not aware of, and you will absolutely know what you are paying for the day of. During the wedding day, if there was an issue, I was not aware of it. I saw Samantha a few key moments on the wedding day, in the morning as I was getting ready (she was picking some items up for the detail pictures, and to make sure I was doing okay), then saw her immediately prior to the ceremony when she made sure my veil and dress were perfect before walking down the aisle, and then a few more times to make sure everything was going as planned (first dance, cake cutting etc.). Samantha and her assistants were running around the entire day, making sure everything went smoothly, I did not hear a peep or was bothered about any problems during the day. I truly had a stress free day and was able to enjoy my wedding day from start to finish. She made sure that everything was packed at the end of the night and put into a designated vehicle so we didn't have to worry about leaving anything behind. We are so grateful that the hard work that she and her team put in allowed us to have our wedding of our dreams. For anyone even considering hiring her (for ANY event), should do so ASAP!!! She's an amazing person who helped us create an unforgettable day!

e did we know how much help we needed. In our planning meeting, Samantha asked us questions we didn't even know needed to be answered. Example: "Where do you want to put menus?" Our response: blank stare. Another: "What order do you want the reception to follow?" Us: "What are the choices?" She helped us work through all of this in order to set up the exact event we wanted. The day before, we dropped off all of the things (paper products, guest book, etc.), and she and her team took care of the setup. We didn't have to think about anything at that point. She provided a detailed schedule of the day to the entire wedding party the night before the wedding, so everyone knew where to be and when. On the day, it seemed like she was everywhere at once, taking care of every little item and making sure all we had to worry about was enjoying the day. Would highly recommend her services!

hours from where I live, and I was extremely stressed about planning a wedding so far away. From my first phone conversation with Samantha, I was convinced the wedding would be wonderful. Samantha brought up excellent ideas I hadn't thought of (such as a lunch tray delivery for the bridal party), but never pushed anything on us. Sam and Heather executed everything flawlessly, but were never overbearing or "bossy." We used the "Partial Planning" package, which was perfect for us. Samantha handled many details with the vendors (Hoggy's Catering, Floral V, Frosted, Liftoff Entertainment, Chelsea Hall Photography) to make the day go smoothly. My mom owned a floral shop for 30 years and commented, "I can't imagine there is a better wedding planner out there." My new son-in-law said, "I don't know if I'll ever go to another wedding better than ours." We all were able to relax and have a perfect day together, thanks to the team from Samantha Joy Events! We couldn't have done it without them.

er imagined! All of the small details that she helped us with made everything so beautiful, special, and unique to us! She was flexible even when I wanted to change things last minute, and worked to make sure everything went smoothly on the day of the wedding! I loved everything about my wedding day and I am so thankful we had her as our planner!

schedules (you name it, we had it) -- especially as our engagement was 16 months prior to our wedding date. When it became clear to us 3 months before the anticipated wedding date that we couldn’t handle everything, we started looking into wedding planners. This is when Samantha Joy Events became an obvious choice. We came across her webpage and fell in love with the beautiful aesthetic across all of her weddings. We decided to hire Samantha to work with us during the tail-end of our wedding planning, in the months leading up to the big day. From our first interactions with her, Samantha was a joy (no pun intended) to work with. She instilled confidence through her command and experience in the wedding planning process, which became evident immediately. She was flexible with our schedules, provided consistent vendor guidance, and offered pointers all while addressing our overarching theme and design goals. Although I can be a bit (okay, maybe very) OCD about these things, I quickly began to trust Samantha to handle all aspects of the coordination. Our wedding was particularly challenging, as we chose a venue that does not typically host weddings. And our vendor list was, wait for it, about 25 deep. Oh and did I mention that this was an out-of-town event in a new city for Samantha?! Throughout those last few weeks, Samantha was dedicated to having us enjoy all aspects of our wedding. Even more impressive, our big day followed major holidays and a hectic travel schedule. This time was also filled with a few last minute vendor adds (what's a wedding budget again?), handling a few unexpected changes, and meeting many of our day-of vendors prior to the event. Samantha remained a breath of air through it all. She handled all of our changes with grace and poise -- and prepared us well with our day-of timeline, packing lists, and those many small details (that make such a difference) that only a planner would know to tackle. It was at our rehearsal that we fully relaxed. Pure adrenaline got us through the following days. Samantha took lead in such a way that allowed us to step back and enjoy our pre-wedding celebratory days. She was available for every final last minute freak-out, and was already on all of those minor details that I had forgotten. She's prepared for everything and anything! Our wedding day was perfect - pure magical bliss. Samantha tied together all of the moving pieces in such an effortless way that was unimaginable. We are incredibly grateful and indebted to Samantha Joy Events for everything they did for making this a party of a lifetime. It was a beautiful and unforgettable wedding -- obviously for us -- but one that most of our guests will remember as a highlight. And we have no one but Samantha to thank. Work with Samantha Joy Events and you will thank yourself later!!

siastic. Her prices were also very reasonable, and we decided to go with the end-to-end package! We are SO grateful that we did this. Samantha was there by our side every step of the way - from flower trials, to final walk-throughs at the venue, to week-of meetings in our dining room to make sure we were ready to go. She handled all of the little details, which - trust me - really add up. Who really wants to think about vendor delivery timing? Not me! Not only that, but on the day of, she handled anything and everything without hesitation. Bustle falling down every time I took a step? Samantha was there to sew it back up! Too excited and distracted to eat? Samantha made sure our meals were delivered to our room. Thank you, Samantha, for all of your help! We truly loved our wedding and you were a big part of pulling it all together.

gain I would have had her with us from the start; it would have made the planning much easier and taken a lot of stress off my plate. Worth.Every.Penny. I initially chose Samantha because she took the time to get to know my husband and I - not from a wedding standpoint -but as actual people and a couple, something you lose with your vendors who see you as just another bride and groom. Throughout the process Samantha was always available via email for any questions we had and trust me I took her up on that offer. Our first meeting she came with a bag full of binders and walked us through every single step of our wedding day. She let us know what we were missing, what she would suggest, what we needed to give her and when. She made it so simple. From that first meeting she took all of my stress away and took over our wedding communications with our vendors so we could focus enjoying the wedding planning process. I am a pretty indecisive person ( I learned from this process) and changed my mind multiple times on different wedding aspects leading up to the wedding and Samantha had ZERO complaints. She simply made the changes and helped me finalize everything from linens, lighting, music suggestions for first dance, number of desserts and the list goes on. The evening before the wedding she led the rehearsal and made sure everyone knew their role - she even printed out the timeline for everyone involved in wedding so they knew where to be and when - such a great addition. For the day of the wedding, her timeline she meticulously created was perfect and we stayed right on time (which I think is unheard of for a wedding). I was able to spend the wedding day having fun with my bridesmaids and actually enjoying the process - Samantha took care of everything else. I truly don't know how everything came together but I do know I had nothing to do with it - Samantha put everything together and really was solely responsible for the entire evening. The first thing my dad said to me at the end of the night was "Samantha was pretty good. I am really glad you hired her." Please note I rarely get "pretty good" on anything so this is a HUGE compliment. Thank you Samantha for being so talented and amazing; our wedding was the best day of our lives and it is credited to you! Do yourself a favor and book Samantha for your wedding right now - you will thank yourself later :)

initially hired Samantha to perform a design session for 1 of the days of the wedding. Soon, I realized I needed her full planning package. Samantha easily and quickly switched the packages and services. She sends a wedding task list which is catered to white Christian weddings (it has items like tanning services) but I just ignored those, and focused on the relevant items. We had a clause to add on any additional hours needed. Which I took full advantage of! I added services for Samantha to track and handle the wedding budget, which fell to the wayside. When it became clear we would need additional hours for the weekend due to the magnitude of the events, Samantha was mindful of our costs without sacrificing value. She is well versed on the wedding etiquette and despite never having planned an Indian wedding before, she pulled it off with minimal hitches. I am sure has she gains more experience in various weddings and cultures, she grow and be even better than she is. When my cousin offered to help coordinate the events, she gladly accepted the needed help. Samantha went out of her way to help me at the end of her reception night, when I fell sick. She is vast in her connections with local vendors and on how to get a bang for your budget. Her creativity on how to reuse decorations and flowers saved so much stress and costs. My biggest concern on the wedding weekend was the DJ. I wish I had explicitly expressed to Samantha to feel empowered to take control on handling him, and had been on a conference call with her and him to ensure things ran smoothly. But throughout the wedding, Samantha was cool and calm and took charge on the situation. Her business is growing and is well deserved. There are times when she was not able to answer emails right away because she was out of town for another wedding, workshop or vacation. As the wedding approached, vendors would ask for a timeline and conference call to go over the details. We were able to coordinate those requests with Samantha - she does get back to her clients and vendors, even if it means a conference call at 8:30 PM or on her way to the airport. I wish I booked her full services at the get-go. Samantha wants her couples to be happy. And is focused on that, despite the noise from family input. I regret on not utilizing her skill and creatively fully. In my need to not want to bother her, or stress her out on chaos of an Indian wedding, I didn't involve her in designing the cake or cake-topper, and wish I had. I wish I had let go of the details and let her handle everything completely. She is kind and gracious, book her for your wedding. You can’t go wrong.

actly what we wanted, and as a result, created lots of extra work and planning. I look back and thank my lucky stars we decided to hire Samantha. Our day would not have gone 1/10th as smoothly without her there in the background coordinating with vendors and making sure everything that I envisioned came true. The job is not easy, but she made it look like it is. She is a true professional and made all my wedding dreams come true. You won't regret hiring her!

y the month-of/day-of coordination without their own Samantha! Choosing the partial-planning package option allowed for me to take the reigns and still be present during the planning process, while Samantha helped to get all of the logistics squared away and stepped in when my indecisiveness got the best of me to ensure that my romantic, dusty blue dream wedding came to life! From providing decor suggestions to creating the timeline of the ceremony, reception events, and rehearsal, etc. Samantha’s attention to detail and her talent for design and styling is just impeccable! Samantha was with me every step of the way through the wedding planning process: From design elements including linen selections and floor plans to the dreaded seating charts and table assignments, she also helped to handle issues that popped up with my venue just one month before my big day. Trust me ladies, you’ll want Samantha in your corner to get things done the right way, the first time! Having her at the venue the day of the wedding allowed me to just relax while getting ready and enjoy the day with my bridesmaids, while she took care of literally EVERYTHING: Decor setup, minor hiccups (which there weren’t any besides one that I was made aware of, all thanks to Samantha’s premeditations), vendor coordination, etc. This girl also literally sat on the floor at my feet to hide behind the head table just to sew my broken bustle (which I had no idea whatsoever) back in place following the first dance and while salads were served at the reception! 😂 Seriously, what would I have done without her?! My wedding day was seriously PERFECT and it was with great thanks to Samantha’s amazing work and day-of execution! And don’t let Samantha’s “get it done” attitude and skilled determination scare you! Samantha isn’t just another one of those strictly business vendors that consider you as just a client; Samantha’s bubbly and personable demeanor makes you feel more like you’re just planning your dream wedding with one of your life-long girlfriends! BRIDES! Would you rather be running around and stressing to the max to finish up last minute details the day of your wedding or sipping on mimosas, relaxing with your bridesmaids while being pampered in preparation to marry the love of your life? Do yourself a favor and hire Samantha Joy Events to help put your mind at ease so you can enjoy your wedding planning process every step of the way! Let SJE handle all of the “dirty work” while you create memories that will last a lifetime! ❤️

that Sam facilitated for us was honestly above and beyond. She did an amazing job calling on all of her experience to fill in gaps where I was looking for advice or direction (sometimes gaps I didn't even realize at the time she was filling), all while empowering me to spend time and energy on the pieces or details that I cared most about. Many things she almost does in her sleep, not even realizing the slack she is picking up - coordinating who would set the tables, compiling all of my contracts, holding a planning session with our officiant, and keeping me on schedule with things like finalizing timelines and getting my seating chart done. I can be picky (I like what I like!) and Sam picked up on my aesthetic almost immediately and represented my interests to my partners and vendors effectively in meetings and discussions that I was not able to participate in being so far away. In addition to her incredible attention to detail (did I mention she did all of our calligraphy and styled the details photo shoot on the day of?! ), she is truly passionate about what she does and that comes through over, and over again. She is not fatigued by doing weddings and events nonstop, but rather she is energized by them and always looking to do things differently and innovate. Wedding weekend would not have been the perfect experience that it was without SJE and her incredible staff. On our wedding day, I spent time with friends and family, drank champagne, and focused on the special moments and she made that happen. Sam also ran the rehearsal like an absolute pro - showing up with [beautiful] weekend itineraries for the whole wedding party - without me asking for those! I cannot recommend SJE highly enough.

to see how incredibly valuable her services are and how she's THE ONE who will take care of you best! I cannot be more grateful for Sam's efficiency and professionalism, as well as how easy she is to talk to and be around.

anning package was the best wedding planning decision that we made! Samantha is extremely organized, knowledgeable of vendors, very creative, professional and a pleasure to work with. In addition, her communication with my daughter, who lives out of town, and myself was essential to keeping us organized and on track. Samantha’s support before and during the wedding allowed us to enjoy the process and the wedding! She and her assistants truely went above and beyond to help make our wedding a truely memorable event!

go. Luckily, Samantha travels to Chicago often so we were able to have in person meetings which are so much better than just phone calls! Samantha is extremely organized (hooray for one email thread) and made sure to ask questions and bring things to our attention that we had never considered. Planning a wedding can be tiring and you can get "decision fatigue." Samantha made sure to keep our timeline on track when we would have preferred to procrastinate. On the actual day we received multiple comments from the wedding party and guests at how helpful she is and how hard she was working to make sure our day went smoothly. There was one miscommunication with the caterers. We were under the impression that they would be staying to clean up, but they ended up leaving earlier than expected. Samantha jumped in and made sure those unexpected loose ends were tied up before we left. Aside from being organized and timely, she also helped pull together our vague design idea for the wedding. From a calligraphy welcome sign to a beautiful escort card display to our modified guest book, she really pulled the whole thing together wonderfully. We would definitely recommend anyone to work with Samantha and we will miss working with her ourselves!

d contacts she has. A month before my wedding, I had a change of heart on the decor and she handled everything! We met, talked about what I wanted and she made the changes stress-free. She created a new budget, called vendors and made my dream wedding happen all in such a short time period. She goes the extra mile every step of the way even down to making sure you have a glass of your favorite wine waiting for you after the ceremony. She carves out time so you have special moments alone with your new spouse that you wouldn’t think to do for yourself. From styling & decor to organization & details, Sam does it all beautifully. Without hesitation, I recommend Samantha Joy Events to anyone.

to come together. A friend referred me to Samantha and we did the Month of Coordination package. From our first meeting we were impressed with her poise and experience. Having her organize the day was amazing, and the day of the wedding we couldn’t have pulled it off without her! Our wedding was October 28th, 2017 at Canyon Run Ranch. The ideal plan was to get married outside in the forest chapel. Samantha planned a solid plan b in case of rain. We were lucky for no rain, but wedding day got less than 40 degrees. Samantha made our outside ceremony happen! From getting outdoor heaters set up for the musicians to literally giving me her coat after the ceremony while I waited for pictures, the day was able to happen because of her! All of her month of organizing was so helpful, but her presence the day of the wedding was priceless. She handled logistics at the venue the morning of so my mom, sisters and I were able to enjoy a peaceful morning at home with hair and makeup knowing that Samantha had everything under control. She was on top of every moment from managing the overall flow of events-to the little details like giving the train of my dress a final “fluff” before I walked down the aisle! Wow! Our wedding day was able to be enjoyed as a truly emotional experience. Thank you, Samantha!

liaison between us (when I was frustrated with the owner!) and always very professional. You can tell her experience is extensive and she often had creative ideas on things that I was concerned about. Also on the day of the wedding she was PERFECT. She has enough back bone to tell you exactly what you need to be doing and her attitude and positivity is very helpful. No activity was beneath her on the day of the wedding. She did items that the other vendors forgot (filling wedding table glasses, helping serve) and even helped to pin up my bridesmaids dresses that had torn! She even got appetizers brought in to the bridal suite so the groom and I could enjoy a quiet moment alone without starving! Everyone that worked with her thought she was extremely helpful and worth the money! I had multiple comments from aunts and uncles about how accommodating and helpful she was. With the stress a wedding day can bring - it is always worth having at least a day of coordinator so on that day you can RELAX and have fun (you deserve it!).

or making sure every detail was perfect. The little things: helping me with my shoes, making sure my dress was laying/fitting the best it possibly could (many layers of fabric), putting all of our stuff back into the hotel room across the street night of and helping me out of my dress at the end of the night all made me so happy with the choice I made to hire Sam. She is a rockstar and I am grateful I had her on my wedding day.

in the right place. I couldn't have asked for a better wedding planner to help make the big day go smooth. She is so flexible and easy to talk to.

ing the rehearsal. However on the day that really mattered...she EXECUTED her responsibilities flawlessly. We enjoyed our day without worries because of Samantha Joy Events! I would not ever consider doing a wedding without her!!