Hudson Valley Ceremonies

er in Law Amanda immensely, saving her lots of computer search time and false-starts.  Her help walking us through the rehearsal was vital, getting us organized the day of and "on our spots" at the right critical time. It's all such a whirlwind of activity. And the logistics at our farm were challenging, to say the least. I also greatly appreciated how, during the actual wedding and party afterward, Sandra and her assistant were there, in the background, keeping the caterer happy, moving tables, shuttling slightly inebriated guests to their cars, (thank you, especially for that. I think I would still find people walking the horse pasture fence, looking for their cars.) And for doing the behind-the-scenes things that rarely are noticed, unless they're not done. (For example, one of the porta potties malfunctioning). Sandra handled that with quiet speed. And mostly I appreciated how she took care of Amanda's mother's doilies, the family mementoes, tucking things away in the pool house for safe keeping. And for a good, general tidying up at the end of the night.

mmendations and taking note of every detail. She even came over our house to go through EVERYTHING, which was amazing. After doing all of our vendor research and bookings, Sandra helped tie everything together; she filled in the cracks with ideas of her own and kept all of our vendors on the same page. She made a complicated process very simple and stress free. The day of our Wedding went incredibly smooth. Sandra was on the go the entire time, checking to make sure we were on schedule and checking in with my wife and I often. Although we didn't experience any day of issues, Sandra had been prepared with alternative solutions just in case! If you are looking for some peace of mind for your big day, look no further than Sandra O'Connell. Best decision we made. Thanks for everything Sandra!

our vendors and answered any questions we had along the planning process. We would recommend HVC to any couple who is choosing Basilica as their venue. It was truly our dream come true :)

e found us an amazing venue, helped us find all of our vendors, and then was invaluable on the day-of with decorating, organizing, and troubleshooting. Our wedding turned out perfectly and it is because of Sandra’s tireless efforts.

f and brunch. She was supportive and always understood exactly what we wanted for our special day. She not only worked with me, but was available always for phone calls, texts and emails from parents. Because Basilica is truly an empty canvas, you need the help of a planner, even if you have a vision. Amanda was able to listen to our vision, and use her MANY incredible connections in the Hudson area to find us the very best vendors. Amanda created the most beautiful and unimaginable wedding weekend, that I didn’t even know I wanted. She is forever part of our love story and our family.

ct, she sent the wedding party for photos without flowers, etc. Even more disturbing, she lost the Ketuba and then would not acknowledge that it was her responsibility to safeguard such an item.

helpful for Sandra to join us on our final venue walkthrough to see the venue layout. Also, Sandra devoted several hours on the phone kindly listening to me, a nervous bride. The day of our wedding, Sandra and her fab assistant arrived early to meet me so she could collect my decorations & ceremony items and set them up. Sandra was always checking in on me, my groom, & bridal party. She was there for us during our ceremony, reception, cocktail hour, dinner & dance party. (I can’t imagine how many times she ran up & down the Historic venue’s stairs to be certain we had everything we needed). In addition she took on responsibility of making certain that the bridal party and vendors followed our timeline. (She had all of family in place for the wedding procession, our 1st dance, family photos, cake cutting, ect..) Sandra is extremely trustworthy. She coordinated the details of the day with our vendors & she made the remaining balance payments as per our instructions. Also, we requested & entrusted Sandra to collect all our gifts. At the end of the night, Sandra delegated the packing up of all the items we needed to get home, something I was too exhausted to deal with! Thank you, Sandra for everything!

barn. In 2021, Covid-19 made it impossible for my future son-in-law's family to come from Germany, so we considered canceling the wedding. I was surprised when Jeanne stated that we could "still have the wedding" without the groom's family and that we may not get a refund from the hotel for that reason, despite the fact that a "pandemic" was clearly in the hotel contract as a reason for refund. I called the hotel event coordinator myself and was told "of course" it was a pandemic and didn't know why we would be told otherwise. Ultimately, we decided to postpone the wedding until June 2022, rather than cancel, and left deposits with the vendors. In December of 2020, we had made the first installment payment to HVC, so they had the majority of their total fee. In September of 2021, after the groom lost his job and Covid was not abating, we decided to cancel the big wedding. I contacted Jeanne to let her know and discuss refunds. No response. Phone calls, emails, and text message, no response. I ended up speaking to all vendors directly, hotel, caterer, photographer, and working out details for refunds or credit for future services. Four months later and still no response or any refund from Jeanne Stark. VERY POOR BUSINESS PRACTICE, especially since I am a minister that has officiated weddings in the Hudson Valley and I have a family member with a great venue for future weddings. Jeanne Stark and HVC have burned their bridges with me. So, if I were you, I wouldn't expect good service if things don't go as planned!

e, and presented many unique challenges, but working with Jeanne and her team made it as fun and stress-free as possible! Can't recommend highly enough.

were screwed out of our coordinator who was Unprofessional enough not to remember she was handling our wedding. But Sandra found out and immediately offered her services to us right away. And with such short notice I couldn’t believe how much she did for us. She kept great communication on timelines. Especially the rehearsal for the day before she went out of her way and drove almost two hours to us just to make sure our rehearsal was perfect. I remember waking up that morning and when I went outside to check how the weather was for the day these wonderful ladies were already outside putting together our tables with the center pieces and everything. I couldn’t believe how early they were there to make sure our day went perfect and that everything went as beautiful as it did. My wife and I would 100% recommend her to anyone looking for their day of coordinator. Thank you so much to Sandra and Sharon for all you did for us that day. You two ladies are absolutely amazing and couldn’t have thanked you more.

re our wedding by finding us someone absolutely incredible last minute. She was so genuine and relaxed and calmed my nerves through the whole process. I was able to spend my wedding weekend ENJOYING because I knew she would execute everything perfectly and she did. I also cannot recommend the HVC staff enough. They pulled through to staff our wedding as well for service and bartending and were SO much fun while still being professional and making our guests' experience perfect. Thank you Amanda and HVC!

up our décor, and being our point person for any day of concerns and needs. She and her team made our day carefree and run smoothly. I highly recommend Jeanne and Hudson Valley Ceremonies to assist with your wedding.

th every issue we had. She knew how to advocate for us and ensure that we were able to get what we needed. On the day of the wedding, Sandra ran the show and put out fires that neither of us even knew happened. She was very attentive and had a quiet no bullshit attitude that was exactly what we needed on our big day. Especially during and after COVID, Sandra went above and beyond to help us find new vendors when we had to push our date. We worked with Sandra 8 more months than we were initially supposed to due to COVID. During a time when HVC was probably very busy, she made us feel like we were the only couple getting married in 2021. As an aside, Sandra is very warm and loving. Both of our families and parents fell in love with Sandra just as we did. We were so happy to work with her, and we were so happy to have her at our wedding! Highly HIGHLY recommend Hudson Valley Ceremonies and Sandra O’Connell.

ng COVID restrictions in NY state and gave us excellent advice related to that. She stayed on top of paperwork and communications with our outside vendors and the venue, making sure that a lot of the important administrative and planning duties were taken care of, which really helped lighten our load. She was always very friendly, warm, and supportive as we struggled with planning a wedding during a global pandemic. She offered so much of her time in the form of video calls, emails, and other communications leading up to the day, even though she was technically just a “day-of” coordinator. She is a total professional and we are so grateful that she was a part of our wedding!

eceived a ton of compliments from our guests about Jeanne and her staff about how hard they worked and on top of everything they were. Jeanne had great communication, would help price out multiple vendors to get you the best quote, and I truly don't have one bad thing to say about the experience. I am a detailed person myself and never felt like I had to micro manage which was a relief after rescheduling and changing venues. I would highly recommend hiring Jeanne and her staff, especially if you are hosting your own event, it is definitely worth it.

were so many details (non venue related) that someone would need to manage—and I didn’t want that someone to be me (or the groom, or my mom, or anyone else who was supposed to be enjoying the day). We interviewed a couple of people, but the moment we got on the phone with Jeanne from HVC, we knew we were dealing with a professional. She had worked at our venue countless times, was detail oriented, calm, and friendly. In the few months leading up to the wedding Jeanne helped us refine our day-of timeline and helped us find a vendor for our shuttles. We also ended up renting some candle holders through her, and for a very reasonable price, she assembled and delivered our welcome bags to the hotels where our guests were staying (something that would have been a logistical nightmare for us to manage alone). Jeanne was present for our rehearsal the day before the wedding, ensuring everything ran smoothly. On the day of our wedding, Jeanne checked in on both wedding parties at the separate locations where we were prepping, and her smiling face welcomed us when we arrived at the venue. She helped wrangle family members for formal photos, and every time I realized I was thirsty (we got married in July) she was already standing there with water for me and my husband. At one point my bustle broke, and she was right there pulling safety pins out of her pocket to help fix it. It was also such a relief to know that if any of our vendors had issues or questions, she would be their go-to (not me!). I have no idea if anything went wrong on the day, but from my perspective, it was seamless. Thank you Jeanne! You are a treasure!

t a “non-traditional” venue (that did not have an in-house maître d', bridal attendant, etc.) it became clear that we needed some help. Sandra at Hudson Valley Ceremonies was recommended to us and she was absolutely amazing. From the first phone call we had, she made us feel calm and comfortable. She was so much more to us than just our Day-Of Coordinator as she was truly there for us every step of the way through the planning process, helping us brainstorm ideas, giving us suggestions for rental vendors, decoration ideas, and everything in between. She helped us navigate some tricky situations with our vendors and always stayed professional. On our wedding day she was fantastic, coordinating deliveries, catering set up, and helping us with odds and ends to make sure everything went seamlessly. We were so thankful to have her and Mary (her assistant) there! It is clear Sandra has a ton of experience and knows exactly what she’s doing! There are not enough nice things to say about Sandra - she is a fantastic wedding planner and all around wonderful person! We would very highly recommend Sandra at Hudson Valley Ceremonies!

ts happening at the same time and Sandra was on top of every single one. Whether it was setup questions from staff\vendors, hosting people that showed up early, decorating, or making sure the shuttles we able to reverse out of the driveway Sandra was there with a perfectly calm demeanor to make our day perfect and we are incredibly thankful. Many guests are still talking about how perfect everything was! On top of the wedding day she was also extremely helpful during the planning stages. Our food was coming up from Brooklyn, our band’s manager was three time zones away in California and she was able to adapt her schedule for onsite visits and phone calls outside of the standard business hours. The staff she recommended were all great as well, positive attitudes with helpful personalities. They all stayed to make sure everything was cleaned up after the wedding and the next morning when my wife and I came home, it did not even look like we even had an event in the backyard. We could not have done it without you, thank you Sandra.

but felt that Hudson Valley had the best package at the most reasonable price and I certainly made the right decision. Sharon O'Connell worked with us beginning last June. I couldn't have been happier working with Sharon and I knew almost immediately that our celebration would be in good hands. Her knowledge of planning the details of a wedding, coordinating a large event and her knowledge of vendors in the area together with her skills in negotiating with vendors made a hugh difference in how smoothly the planning process ran. Communication- Sharon was available by email, text and phone and always replied to my messages promptly. Her follow through on questions asked was always complete. Identifiying vendors- Once Sharon has an idea of the kind of wedding we wanted and the price range of what we were willing to spend, she recommended numerous vendors that we needed: caterers, flowers, photographers, DJs, music, rentals, hotels and bus transportation among others. She has relationships with a wide swath of businesses in the region and her recommendations were top notch. Developing a time line- Sharon helped us to develop a time line for contacting vendors and securing contracts. Her insider tips and suggestions helped this process run so smoothly. Detailed planning for the day of the wedding- Our daughter's wedding was held at a non-traditional event space so nearly everything had to be brought to the location. Sharon was extremely helpful in the walk-throughs recommending spacing, timing, items that needed to be rented etc. Negotiating through problems- We had a problem with one of the vendors prior to the wedding and one during the wedding. Sharon made recommendations of how to deal with both sets of problems that led to smooth resolutions. The bus company delivered our guests about 30 minutes late and I was pleased to see how calm Sharon was in a stressful situation mediating between our caterer and communicating with us. We never felt that we were responsible for solving the problem. All ended well! Planning a wedding is a big job. As the mother of the bride I wanted to savor every moment of my daughter's wedding. Being able to enjoy the planning process, which is so much a part of the celebration, was important to me and to be able to "be in the moment" during the wedding festivities was an important goal. I felt that with Sandra there with us every step of the way, Claire's wedding day was true bliss. Sent on 06/18/2019

r until the wedding day to answer any questions, send over vendor recommendations and work with us on our wedding timeline. On the day of the wedding, everything ran super smoothly and we really relied on her to keep everything moving - and it did! Sage is a true professional and a really nice person to boot! Thank you!

ay. She brought to the first meeting a strong knowledge of our venue and the local vendors in the Hudson Valley, several great ideas about wedding logistics and decor, and most importantly she made an effort to learn about us as a couple. She helped us begin to visualize what we wanted our wedding day to be, and ultimately managed to create an unforgettable wedding weekend that truly represented us. Amanda is highly professional and was courteous in her dealings with all wedding stakeholders (vendors, family, etc.), and was transparent in all communications, be them financial or otherwise. As well, she not only handled our flowers, rentals, vendor/service contracts, and other important details -- she provided a ton of expertise and sincere advice on the choices we were making, which was the kind of guidance we were looking for in a planner. Her time management skills were excellent, and she was always available to us and our many questions. What set Amanda apart and made us appreciate her as much more than just our wedding planner was her effort to support us on a personal and emotional level. We truly consider her as a lifelong friend. We owe our wedding day success to Amanda, as she provided everything we had hoped for and more. She coordinated every single detail seamlessly. You’ll find no hesitation in our recommendation of Amanda as an event planner who will go above and beyond to create a once in a lifetime experience for you.

at relationships with vendors in the area and she made the vendor selection process easy. Her vendor recommendations were excellent and she always worked within the budget parameters provided! She saved me so much time from having to vet vendors myself and I was 100% happy with all of the choices I made. Sandra set aside time on multiple occasions to meet with me and listen to my vision of the wedding day and give me great advice and comfort that the day would go smoothly! On the day of, Sandra was on point and made sure everyone was where they were supposed to be on time. You can tell she has years of experience planning and coordinating weddings. On the day of I did not worry about a thing as Sandra made sure the groom and groomsmen were ready on time, everyone got to the church on time, vendors arrived on time and were set up properly and made sure they were all paid at the end of the night. The day could not have gone more smoothly and I know that was because of Sandra’s hard work! We paid for the partial planning and day of coordinator service and thought the price was reasonable and affordable for all that’s Sandra did for us. Highly recommend!

) PROS -She’s well-connected. -She’s affordable. -She’ll let you use any wedding items she has (many for free). -She allowed us to ship wedding-related items directly to her home. -She was in control on the day of the wedding. We made a master list of everything we needed her to handle. But we didn’t hire Jeanne as a day-of coordinator. We hired her as a planner. CONS -She’s unresponsive. Jeanne sometimes didn't get back to us for 3 weeks. We’d also receive group emails apologizing for her going MIA, only after the fact. One such email to her clients read: “Sorry for any delays, I had a 4 day very large Jewish wedding this weekend which had me going non stop for 5 days.” Not only would an “Out of Office” automated response have been better, but she didn’t address our question for 10 more days after that. -She’s defensive. Jeanne didn’t take care of something we’d asked her to handle. We found out 3 weeks later when the vendor called us to say we had to cancel that day or we’d be charged-We reached out to Jeanne at 3 p.m. to ask about it. When she didn't respond by end of day, we canceled ourselves. At 10 p.m., Jeanne emailed us to apologize: “I have been at a re-ordination seminar…and we aren't allowed to bring phones in. I sent an email back a few weeks ago and she said she had to get right back to me but said it shouldn't be a problem. So don't call, let me take care of this for you.” It was already too late and her instinct was always to blame someone else. We asked Jeanne for a phone call regarding our communication struggles. She responded: “Communication - please understand that you are not my only wedding, many times I am delayed with communication because I am onsite for a wedding ... or I am waiting for a vendor to get back to me.” “You are not my only wedding” is the top thing a wedding planner shouldn't say. We did not expect to be, and were understanding within reason. All we wanted was an OOO or an "FYI, here's where this stands" every once in a while. It was Jeanne who wasn’t understanding. -She’s not on her clients’ side. One of us has a lawyer for a father, who requested changes to most contracts. Jeanne was aware of that, and even made changes in her own for us. In the midst of a contract discussion with one of Jeanne's vendors she—who wasn’t involved in the convo—emailed us to say: “I just want to warn you that I know most of my vendors will not change their contracts. I know your dad is a lawyer and so I know he knows how much he charges an hour. So that being said, you can imagine the cost behind having to change a contract over and over again.” We signed with Jeanne in Aug. and this was Jan. Her email was condescending, her warning was long overdue, and it also wasn't true. We'd booked 6 vendors already, all of whom had made contract changes. Jeanne was speaking with this vendor behind our backs and clearly thought we were being unreasonable. This happened with another vendor later on. It felt like she never tried to see things from our perspective. -She makes her job feel like a chore. Constantly being reminded of how busy Jeanne is with her "you're not my only wedding" attitude was rude and unprofessional. If she couldn't take us on, we wish she had said so.

r my Welcome Dinner and made it look great on a very low budget. She is a lovely person and very knowledgeable about the Hudson Valley area and its vendors. In-person meetings are productive. I like Jeanne as a person, but I had a negative experience with HVC and would not recommend them. My take is that Jeanne is extremely overbooked. I experienced a real lack of communication and attention - her forgetting to reply to emails, not seeing them, constantly forgetting details that we discussed, etc. I feel I took on the role of planner by sending her meeting agendas and then recaps afterwards. I was her third wedding in one weekend - another planner I interviewed only took on 12 weddings per year to ensure each client received the appropriate amount of service and attention. I'm not trying to tell anyone how to run their business, but the lack of attention is not fair on any of her clients. I sent her a detailed to-do list for my wedding weekend because I knew there was no way she could remember all the details, and even then not everything was taken care of. A few examples of disappointments the day of: florals that I paid for were never laid out, the fabric backdrop that she made wasn't wide enough to span the niche (as we discussed it doing) and as a result, a moving blanket was very visible behind the altar and that is what guests were looking at, she lost something for the reception I'd given to her for safekeeping, a photobooth backdrop was haphazardly hung and looked very sloppy. All things considered, she caused me more stress than helped me and I would have preferred to pay more for a planner I could rely on. I would not call what I received full-service planning. I think she could be a good fit for a couple that wants to be very hands off and not worry about details. She is a definite pass for someone detail-oriented.