Katharine Phillips Event & Design

Katharine was the best decision we evere made. We were planning a distance wedding in a very remote location in the Adirondacks for which we had a guest list of close to 200. From the beginning, Katharine exuded knowledge, confidence, calmness, and was extremely fun. For a woman who lost her mom young and had no idea what i was doing when planning a wedding or the formal etiquette that goes with one, she made things so much easier for me and everything much more meaningful. She noted my anxieties about family dynamics and/or concerns when it came to out guests comforts and immediately stepped in an had solutions and calmed the waters. She even managed to calm my then fiance's particulatities about too many items on tables. She is a sweetheart through and through and it definitely shows in her work. She made every moment special and always asked me if there were details or elements that would make it even more special for me. On the day of my wedding, we had set-up a special chair with flowers with a picture of my mom and grandmother who have sinced passed. Before the ceremony, Katharine caught several pictures of a monarch butterfly that hand landed on the side of the frame. Before I walked down the aisle, she showed me this image telling me that my mom and grandmother were there, witnessing this important day. This is the kind and beautiful heart that Katharine shows with her couples. I feel so special to have gotten to work with her. She is definitely great at what she does and is an all-around wonderful person.

From our very first meeting, Katharine had such a positive and calming presence, which is exactly what we needed in a wedding planner, especially planning during a pandemic! Planning our Buffalo wedding during COVID, and from another state, had us in a constant state of uncertainty. But every planning meeting with Katharine left us feeling reassured and so excited for our big day. She always kept a positive outlook, even when we didn't have a venue booked just five months out from our date, due to COVID restrictions! And while we were so happy with her support leading up to the wedding, her day-of wedding management was most impressive of all. The time she took to map out every detail of our wedding day timeline, down to the minute, was incredible. She gave us structure and organization, with some timing flexibility built in, to keep everything running smoothly, and our day went off without a hitch because of it! Everything operated so seamlessly in the background, we didn't have to lift a finger all weekend. We are so grateful to Katharine for making our wedding day better than we could have imagined.

Katharine was the design partner, the logistics coordinator, the lifesaver, the realist and optimist, the wedding magic-maker that we never realized we needed...until we did. We are so grateful for her! Her incredible eye for design made her a partner in my wedding design vision. Her attention to detail and styling made me confident that she would bring to life the most beautiful version of my vision. And her tireless work ethic and passion for what she does allowed us to truly feel at ease and relaxed going into what, for some, can be a very overwhelming day. She made us feel all of these things from our very first meeting, and so I hired Katharine for her services in the months leading up to our wedding day. She played a pivotal role during these months when it came to management, logistics, and planning. BUT, it didn't stop there... Her real magic is in the details - the parts of the wedding weekend where you need some unexpected help and the moments where she seamlessly coordinates and makes things happen, without you even noticing. A few examples: - As of the week of my wedding, we still didn't have a wedding cake vendor. We weren't planning on serving cake to our guests for dessert; I really just wanted a beautiful cutting cake (for the photo op) ;-) That said, I just hadn't prioritized it, and I really wasn't looking to spend an arm and a leg on a cake for this purpose. Katharine not only found someone available to make my dream cake super last minute from an amazing local bakery (at an insanely reasonable cost), but also picked it up herself and transported it to the venue. A godsend! - The venue for our reception was very simple and open-concept with minimal decor. While I was excited about this opportunity to design a blank slate, I was also totally overwhelmed. How do I source and coordinate my dream tables, chairs, linens, table settings, flatware, candles, and florals, when they are all coming from different vendors (some outside of Buffalo)?! Katharine had it covered. She coordinated all delivery times, storage of items, day-of setup, & cleanup and return of all rental items! She even is there herself (or her assistant) during setup, to ensure everything is laid out the way YOU envisioned it. She is an extension of your brain, and it is a beautiful thing! - When we got into town for the weekend, Katharine drove out to my parents' house to get our 'Welcome' bags from us and distributed them at the hotel before our guests arrived! - We wanted there to be beverages for our guests in the party bus to reception; Katharine saved us a major trip and picked up the drinks to bring to the limo company the night before! - When I got to the church for our ceremony, I realized I didn't have my comfy shoes for reception! Not a problem, her assistant, Erin, went back to my hotel room to get them for me! - At the reception, we truly did ZERO hosting or corralling of guests at any point in time. She did it all behind the scenes, and we were able to be guests at our own wedding - it was amazing. - When we got back to our hotel suite that night, she had set up our room with our reception sign, chocolate strawberries, champagne, and our wedding florals! I am honestly tearing up writing this because it was just such a heartfelt, unexpected gesture that capped off an incredible day with such a feeling of gratitude. Katharine goes absolutely above and beyond for her couples, and we are so grateful for her as part of our special day!

I hired Katharine for my wedding and it was the best decision I ever made! First and foremost, she's just an awesome person to be around! Secondly, her attention to detail throughout the whole process really blew us away. We told her the vibe we were looking for and she absolutely nailed it! Also, her intimate knowledge of/relationships with local vendors was straight up impressive. 11/10 would recommend!

Katharine was a true professional with the best personality! Not only did she have our confidence, she was a joy to work with. Always punctual, informative and calming! If you are on the fence about whether or not you need an event planner, YOU DO! Katharine is the best.

I am an event planner myself and had the pleasure of planning my sister’s wedding for 09/05/20. I hired Katharine to handle the wedding day coordination because I was a bridesmaid and was hoping to enjoy the day as a sister, not a planner. All I can say is WOW. I knew the day would be in great hands immediately after meeting with her. She was thoughtful, thorough and a true expert. She treated the day as if she had planned it from the beginning, which I really appreciated. She was fantastic with the other vendors - managing them firmly while keeping the vibe light, and my own family absolutely loved her. She solved a few challenges that popped up before they came to fruition - a skill that is so valuable and not everyone possesses. She kept us informed on the day’s progress consistently and I never felt out of the loop while still focusing on being a bridesmaid. The day went off without a hitch thanks to her incredible attention to detail. If you are considering hiring a planner - look no further. I couldn’t recommend enough. 100/10!

When you work with Katharine you are not only getting a true professional you are getting an artist as well. Katharine was able to take the ideas my now husband had and made them into a true colorful vision. I mean the woman turned her apartment into an art studio to splatter paint on our invitations. She even let us borrow a table she made when we couldn’t find a suitable rental. Our guests are still talking about our wedding and all the details many of which were sparked from Katharine’s design vision. If you are looking for creative, original, and memorable I recommend working with Katharine.

Katharine is the best! Not only is she a lovely person, she is so talented and worked so hard to make sure everything was perfect for my son and daughter-in-law's wedding. We couldn't have had such a great event without her. I highly recommend Katharine!

I have worked with Katherine on several weddings, events and even some personal projects. Katherine has this incredible energy and zest for each and every project she works on along with every client and vendor. She goes above and beyond to make sure there is an eb and flow to the day and the overall feel of the vision she has worked so hard to bring to life. I love working with Katherine and can't wait to see what 2020 brings to her in her new adventure. Plus, she is an incredible human with the sweetest soul, making it feel as though you are working with a friend you have known forever.

Katharine was our day of wedding planner and I don’t know what we would have done without her. We jam packed way too much into our special day and it took some serious magic to pull it all off. From keeping us on schedule down to delivering all of our gifts to our room after and everything in between, I give her my absolute highest recommendation to any couple.

Hiring Katharine was the best decision we made when it came to our wedding! We didn't have a clear direction when it came to theme, pricing, or timeline. Katharine helped us establish all of that off the bat. By just giving her a few descriptive words she was able to curate the most beautiful setting for our special day. She kept us on track, on budget, and added the most unique details. Katharine even hand painted our drink menu herself! She is a DIY genius! On the day of I didn't have to do a thing, from table settings to tipping the vendors at the end of the night she made sure everything was covered. Even months after our wedding she continued to follow up to make sure we were satisfied with our photographs and video. Katharine was such a pleasure to work with and I would recommend her a hundred times over.

Katharine provided my bride, myself and both families incredible service and support in the weeks leading up to our wedding and her day of services were invaluable. Her coordination, organization and ideas made our wedding day everything we wanted it to be and took all the stress off everyone in the wedding. I cannot say enough good words about her personally and about the service she provides, I would recommend her for anyone.

Katharine was an absolute God send when it came to ensuring that our wedding day went as smoothly as possible! Similar to other reviewers, my husband and I were on the fence of whether or not we actually needed a day of coordinator. We had a few hiccups with our venue in the month leading up to our wedding and decided to pull the trigger. I can say this with confidence that hiring Katharine was the BEST decision we made throughout the entire process- she was absolutely incredible! The weeks leading up to a wedding can be quite stressful but Katharine's calm nature helped to put us as ease. One of the things that we loved most about her was that she made sure that if something didn't necessarily go as planned on the day of the wedding (impossible for everything to go perfect!) we were the last to know about it. She takes care of all the behind the scenes details so that the bride and groom can just enjoy the night. The fact that she cleans up the room and boxes up all of your personal items at the end of the night so that you can continue the festivities with your guests is worth her fee alone!

Hiring Katharine to help with our wedding was one of the best decisions we made [and we will hire her for any and all future events because she is the best]! She literally took all the pressure and stress off of me and handled everything with poise and grace. Katharine came to our rehearsal and was the go-to person for any parent or bridal party questions. She told them when to go, where to stand, etc. etc. She even worked flawlessly with all of our vendors to coordinate arrival times, delivery times, photo destinations, etc. On our wedding day, Katharine came to my parents house bright and early-- she was again the go-to person for any questions and she also took charge of my phone so I could relax and enjoy the morning with my bridesmaids. Before my Dad and I walked down the aisle, Katharine smiled at me and told me to breathe and smile. I am so appreciative of that quick moment because before I knew it, I was smiling [and not crying] the entire way down the aisle. Katharine took us to see our reception room before any guests were allowed in and it was so magical to see our vision we worked so hard for, come to life. She was there to take any photos, she had mints and gum on hand at all times, and she was still keeping us calm and relaxed right until the end of the night. Our wedding day was so amazing and we absolutely attribute so much of that that to Katherine for making sure everything went so perfectly. I cannot be more thankful for her and for everything she did for us. Working with Katharine truly made our planning and wedding day absolutely perfect. Thank you, thank you, thank you a million times over!

Katherine a Godsend! I honestly don’t know what our family would have done without her. She is one of the sweetest, hardworking people I have ever met. My daughter and her husband hired her a month before their wedding because they were having nothing but trouble dealing with the owner of the catering service for their wedding. Katherine not only dealt with all correspondence with the owner, dj and florist, she also helped with every single aspect of the wedding. She went to the florist with us, has great ideas, picked up all decorations, cookies and brought everything to the reception venue. She made sure the pew decorations were in place, the cookie table elegantly displayed and the memory table and reception table were in place. She worked all on her own and stayed until everything was over and she brought all of our stuff back to our rooms. I would recommend Katherine (and have) to everyone! She’s amazing! We liked her so much that we want to make her a part of our family! Thank you Katherine! Without you, we couldn’t have pulled off such a great wedding.

Hiring Katharine as our day of coordinator was one of the best decisions of our wedding! She was a dream to work with! I had a pretty good handle on how I wanted my wedding day to look, feel & flow and she made sure every loose end was tied up to make our day a dream. She took all the last minute calls, coordination and set up off our plate so we could sit back and enjoy our day. I heard great things from all of our vendors about working with her & the team as well. Katharine handled any last minute fire drills (i.e. our florist couldn't get into the room to set up) and I felt so comfortable leaving my vision in her hands. They delivered hotel gift bags and even ran out to get extra drinks for our limo between the ceremony and reception. She exceeded every expectation and even my husband (who was very skeptical to this purchase) raves about "the best money we spent".

I can't even put into words how critical Katharine was during the weekend of our wedding! Prior to getting married, I was so overwhelmed with stress due to the details/coordinating from a distance (I was living in Texas and planning a Buffalo wedding). The stress continued to grow as it got closer to the wedding, and my sister in law recommended Katharine's services. To brides that may be apprehensive about booking a wedding coordinator/planning services-I know how you feel. However, I can't stress this enough-Katharine was hands down the best investment of my entire wedding! Katharine was A LITERAL GODSEND! Her experience, communication skills, coordination abilities, and creative eye were absolutely priceless. Once I brought her on board, she took over all communications with my vendors and set up a timeline for my wedding weekend (which I had no idea of how to do). When the wedding weekend arrived, she was there assisting with everything and I was SO relaxed! She ensured that everything was smooth, organized, and most importantly, on time! The bridal party knew exactly what to do/where to go because Katharine was there helping with everything. Following the services, I needed some things brought to the limo, and her colleague brought them to us while we were driving around for pictures! Once we got to our venue, I was blown away as it was absolutely gorgeous and just like what I had envisioned. Katharine was there ensuring we always had a drink in our hands and a plate of appetizers to choose from. All of our families could fully enjoy the event as they were not responsible for the tidying up afterwards. Katharine even surprised us a little treat to enjoy in our room following the wedding. I would recommend Katharine to anyone/everyone and continue to recommend her services to all that I know getting married!

Katherine acted as our Day-Of Wedding Coordinator, but that title doesn't do her justice as all. She went so above and beyond to make our dream day a reality and I will always be grateful to her! Months prior to our wedding, Katharine and I met both in person as well as over numerous phone meetings. She kept me organized which led me to feel confident – this made it possible for me to focus on my excitement and the aspects of the day that were most important to my husband and I. Before I knew it, the stress I had simply melted away. Katharine prioritized the small details and ensured that no detail went overlooked. She even took the creation and implementation of the seating chart and table numbers off of my plate, which was incredibly helpful. Throughout our wedding, she (and her assistant, Conor) made my husband and I feel so special – ensuring that we were fed and having fun from start to finish. We had a wedding party of 20 and had over 250 guests at our reception – Needless to say, there were many moving pieces and personalities to manage. Yet – Katharine handled it all with ease and kept us/our guests/bridesmaids/groomsmen/vendors on the same page at all times. Katharine is a true creative who will work tirelessly to make your event dreams come true. I truly don’t know what we would have done without her! If you are looking for expertise when it comes to planning a party or social gathering of any kind – Katharine is your person. You will NOT be disappointed!

I had the pleasure of working with Katharine to plan and manage a surprise birthday party for my wife! I had little idea how to pull it off until Katharine entered the picture! She kept me focused on the things I could do well like the invitation list, sharing my budget and eventually entertaining our guests. I provided my ideas for the event and she created a total vision! From working with the venue banquet team for the music selection, appetizers, food and drink to a designer cake - it was perfect! Katharine made it so special preparing a collage of hardcopy family pictures and electronic pictorial of my wife's life to arranging a photographer to capture the evening's event! She was there to manage everything allowing me to entertain our family and friends! The party was a complete success creating new memories and pulling off the classic "Surprise Birthday Party." Thank you Katharine!