We had a great experience with Allison from Monarch Wedding Planning. She was professional, easy to talk to, organized, and knowledgeable about vendors in the area. She was absolutely invaluable on our wedding day and we highly recommend workin...g with her.
Our wedding was at a private residence which required a flexible approach. Allison was patient and never discouraged us from pursuing this non-traditional (and challenging at times) path. She provided big picture guidance and helped us translate our unique vision for our wedding into reality. The wedding was amazing and we have a huge amount of gratitude to Allison for making it possible.
Our experience began with a video chat with Allison. She provided feedback on our ideas and information to help us decide if she was the right fit. After we hired Allison, we arranged for her to visit the wedding venue (a private residence). We were unable to visit the venue in person (with or without Allison) prior to the wedding, so this visit was very important. She went out of her way to make this happen. From that point we had phone/video meetings about every two months up to the wedding. In all the ways that mattered, Allison was on top of the timeline and in sync with our progress. She kept us on our toes which is the most important thing a wedding coordinator can do. You need to stay organized and Allison will make sure you do. As part of her services you will have access to Aisle Planner which is invaluable for staying organized and coordinating with Allison. Use it early and often. Also be sure to retrieve any information from the website soon after the wedding because your access will be limited.
Allison provided a good balance between clearly stating her professional opinions and accommodating our unique ideas for our wedding. There were no major conflicts between her advice and our vision, but if there had been, we are sure Allison would have given us her honest opinion with our best interests in mind. She offered many valuable insights, especially about local vendors. It was clear she had a good relationship with the caterer we selected, which is critical because the caterer plays a big role in the experience of your guests and the overall success of your wedding, and you definitely want things to be seamless between your caterer and your coordinator. I imagine the same would be true if you hire a venue.
The week or two leading up to the wedding and the wedding day itself is where Allison absolutely shines as a top notch wedding coordinator. Although much of the wedding will be planned several months ahead of time (with Allison’s guidance), the week leading up to the wedding largely determines how much you actually get to enjoy your wedding day (you will be stressed out!). Allison was there for us during this time. She helped with set up, timeline, take down, and coordinated everyone involved in every aspect of the wedding (main job!). Apart from your coordinator, you will be relying on your friends and family during this time, especially if your wedding is not at a wedding venue. We received feedback from some of our closest friends and family that Allison was on top of things and helped them keep track of what they needed to be doing and when. We could not have done it without her, and nothing was left undone.
In short, we have nothing but good things to say about Allison, and we are very thankful to her for helping us make our wedding dreams become reality. Thank you Allison!