About this vendor
Whether you’re dreaming of saying I do with refined Southern simplicity, glamour and grandeur, or old-world opulence—one thing holds true: you want yours to be a gathering full of life, love, and lasting memories. You’re envisioning a celebration steeped in warmth, revelry, and sophistication. One that expresses your story honestly, organically, and in a way that’s impossible to forget. One that doesn’t just delight your guests—but that leaves them enveloped in absolute awe.
If you’re seeking a wedding that turns heads, captures imaginations, and transforms fleeting moments into familial memories you’ll revel in forever—welcome, friend. We can’t wait to help you celebrate your love story in an extraordinary way.
Details
Business Attributes
- Woman-owned Business
Destination Weddings
- Destination Wedding Planning
Planning
- Destination Wedding Planning
- Full Service Wedding Planning
- Wedding Design
Wedding Activities
- Getting Engaged
- Engagement Party
- Rehearsals & Parties
- After Party
- Bridal Luncheon
- Bridal Shower
Awards and Affiliations
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
4.9
out of 5.041 reviews
Review photos
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It was a pleasure to work with Sam and the Simply Chic team. Sam and Kelly did an amazing job throughout the planning process helping to keep us on track and plan our wedding in a relatively tight timeframe. They made incredible vendor recommendations who helped us to make our dream wedding a reality. The weekend of our wedding they were truly there every step of the way. The team helped to manage our big wedding party and families which allowed my husband and I to relax and enjoy our time. The attention to detail, including a last minute break down of tables for a bigger dance party, was second to none. I would recommend the Simply Chic team to anyone looking to plan their dream wedding and hope I get the opportunity to work with them on another event in the future!
Working with Sam was such a dream!
Sam took away a lot of the stress and anxiety I had about planning a wedding. Even though she lived on the East Coast and my wedding was in California at a venue she had never been to before, she still had all the right contacts and was instrumental in all of my vendor selections.
I am a perfectionist and very detail oriented, and Sam was the perfect match - nothing in planning or the day of wasn't thought about, and she was very accommodating whenever I had feedback.
She was able to thread the needle perfectly between deferring to my vision and guiding me based on her experience and expertise. I never felt like she was pushing me to make decisions that aligned only with what she felt was important, but she also redirected me when needed (yes - taking all the wedding party photos before the event was actually the right call!).
She was so warm and friendly, and I actually wanted to hang out with her at my wedding because we had developed such a friendship over the 18-months of planning! She was organized and thoughtful, and I really appreciated that she kept my budget in mind and after hearing what I was thought was most important for the day, helped me prioritize my spending to the "biggest bang for your buck" type items.
After the wedding, everyone was coming up to me saying the flow of the event was perfect and that everything about the day and the details were beautiful. Sam and the whole Simply Chic team enabled me to just show up to my wedding and enjoy myself.
Unsolicited, I recommend working with Sam to all of my friends (even the ones who aren't engaged yet!). I am forever grateful to her for giving me the best memories of the best day ever.
Working with Sam and Kelly from Simply Chic kept me sane during the wedding planning process. They were always understanding about last minute changes and overall created such a perfect and beautiful evening for us! People constantly tell us how beautiful our wedding was and comment on how "no detail was forgotten". Love the Simply Chic Team!!
Samantha was incredible, and I'm so glad I had her leading the way throughout the planning process! She understood our vision immediately and created the wedding of our dreams. The whole Simply Chic team executed the wedding so well and handled everything with ease. Highly recommend Samantha and Simply Chic if you're looking for a great partner to create your wedding with!
I can’t speak highly enough about the whole SCE team! Sam, the owner, is knowledgeable, full of energy, and creative. Emily and Kelly are supportive every step of the way, accommodating, and so talented! Each used their strengths to put together a weekend full of unique and memorable events for us. They were honest and realistic throughout the planning process, which I thoroughly appreciated. We felt like we were in great hands even with small, inevitable hiccups! For example, we had a full monsoon during our outdoor, tented, nearly 300-person reception. Even so, they kept things moving and created an unforgettable evening! If you’re looking for a bespoke, experienced, truly kind group of planners to make magic for your wedding - you’ve found it with Simply Chic!
Simply Chic was everything, and so much more! Rachel, our lead planner, and her team seamlessly executed our out of state wedding, with a day-of rain plan, at a venue she had never worked with before and everything was simply flawless. With everything going on around us, not for a minute did we as the bride and groom feel any of the challenges and decisions Rachel was tackling on our behalf. Her attention to detail and ability to adapt spans far beyond just day-of and was demonstrated throughout the planning process.
Communication was easy; Rachel was always available for me to reach out to her whether it was 1 question or 30 questions at a time. Rachel hosted weekly calls with us to review finer details and guide us each and every step of the way. Rachel truly cares about each of her clients and that is abundantly clear as you continue to build your relationship with her. She was right there by my side each step of the way!
Forever grateful for Rachel and Simply Chic Events for giving us a day that will eternally give us that "pinch me" feeling.
Words can not explain how wonderful it was to work with Simply Chic. Samantha was there every step of the way from handling family dynamics to making sure we had a unique and special touch to each piece that was included at our wedding. While we got married on my family farm, Samantha made sure my husband's voice was present throughout the planning process. Samantha understood my design vision and made each of my family members feel included in the process, she understood my wedding stressors; and always made sure to take any possible stress away before I even got the chance to hear about it. Samantha was such a joy to work with and made wedding planning so much fun! Samantha and her team were beyond professional and always made sure we felt prioritized and heard throughout this process. We have received countless compliments regarding the design, music, and vibe of our wedding but the best of all is how present my husband and I were.. I will forever be grateful to Samantha and her team for creating a magical and seamless event that allowed us to be present and happy on our wedding day!! Happy to speak in further detail to any bride who is interested in booking Simply Chic!
Thanks to Simply Chic — in particular, our lead planner Emily — my husband and I had our dream wedding! The team excelled on every level, which made the wedding planning process seamless and fun. Throughout the process, Emily was responsive and thoughtful, providing us with stellar vendor recommendations and creative design ideas that were exactly in line with our wedding vision. More importantly, Emily and the Simply Chic team were always kind and down-to-earth. From vendor communications to last-minute changes (of which there were plenty!), the Simply Chic team handled every situation with professionalism and grace. Because of them, our wedding went off without a hitch, and we’re still getting compliments from our guests weeks later. Needless to say, we would highly recommend Simply Chic!
Simply Chic knocked it out of the park! Sam and her team have so much experience and a vast network of vendors. They provide plenty of options to execute your event vision. That said, they are also careful to channel your time, effort, and resources into what's important to you and your event. Every vendor was always delighted to get the call because of their stellar reputation. Communicating with Sam always put us at ease. She is calm, confident, and thorough! The attention to detail was incredible and perfectly coordinated in the background. I can't speak highly enough of Simply Chic. They are rockstars
Sam and her team made my wedding dreams come true, and then some! From the moment we first spoke on the phone and up until the very end, she showed the utmost care and attention to the planning process and execution. She is so knowledgeable and stayed so levelheaded through it all. She was so patient and understanding, especially in dealing with multiple opinions and lots of back and forth. We had lots of logistics and venue changes, and nothing was too much for her - even when we presented the idea of having our band walk/continue playing from one venue to another to lead guests to our "Hora Loca"/after party, she made that a reality. No matter what last minute changes came up, she always had the answer. She made me feel well taken care of and had my best interests in mind. My family was so impressed by the artistry of it all and how seamless everything was. And our guests can't stop raving about how perfectly things were executed. Truly, it went off without a hitch! Having Sam and her team plan my wedding was the best decision I ever made, and I can't recommend them enough! I felt so lucky that I could just enjoy my entire wedding day without a worry at all and focus on dancing and having fun!
We are so grateful to have come across Alex and the entire SimplyChic team and to have had their support and guidance throughout our wedding planning process! Alex was our lead planner and we utilized the team's partial planning package - though there was nothing "partial" about the dedication we felt to ensuring we had a lovely and seamless wedding.
Throughout the two years we spent planning our day, Alex was attentive, thoughtful, and tireless. We truly could not quantify the number of emails that went back and forth on the smallest of details. Alex helped us create a framework to move through the planning process (an essential for organizing our myriad of thoughts) and connected us with exceptional vendors who brought our wedding ideas to perfect execution.
The team's flawless performance was highlighted on wedding day. Every family member who passed through where my bridemaids and I were getting ready commented on how calm the atmosphere was as we had our hair and makeup done. Throughout the day, Alex and the team worked tirelessly and I was completely comfortable knowing that they had every element under control. They were flexible when that was needed and helped keep us on schedule. The timeline Alex created even allowed for pockets of spontaneity that become some of our most treasured moments of our wedding day.
In sum, we would highly recommend Alex and her team, both for their expertise throughout the planning process and ultimately for the exceptional experience we had on wedding day! Our endless gratitude to SimplyChic for making our day all we could have wished for.
Our first step in wedding planning was finding a planner that we clicked with. From our first phone call with Sam, to our coffee date to meet in person, we knew she was the one! Sam is fun, energetic, creative, and incredibly knowledgeable about the wedding industry. There is absolutely no way we could have planned our wedding without her, especially during the COVID unknowns, changing directives from the city, venues, etc. She was our sounding board, visionary, and voice of reason during the whole process. No idea was too big or small for her and her team. There are times in life when leaning on a professional is absolutely necessary, and I believe this was the best decision we could have ever made. Our wedding required lots and lots of coordination, three locations to be exact, and everything went off without a hitch. Knowing we had Sam in our corner, we could move throughout the process with ease. To this day, a year later, we still have family members and friends tell us it was the most beautiful and well coordinated wedding (3 locations!) they have ever attended. To us, that’s the biggest compliment because we wanted our guests to have an easy, joyful experience! If I had to sum it up, as cliché as it sounds, she made our wedding dreams come true!
All I can say is WOW! Sam and her team truly made my vision come to life for my very special day! Sam and her team were always super professional, honest, kind, and truly so fun to be around! Her knowledge of vendors in the area is phenomenal AND vendors outside our area that could easily be used for stationary and other things! She has the best relationships with her vendors and that speaks to the business and staff she has behind her! Working with her during the wedding process was very easy and she gave me fabulous options for vendors and different ideas! I am not super creative on my own but she took my ideas and made a masterpiece! On my wedding day everything went smoothly and on time! I always have people telling me how much they loved my wedding, although I might be a little biased. Sam and her staff truly made this experience stress-free which was exactly what I wanted! Would pick her to plan my wedding a million times over!
The Simply Chic Events Team was a great business to work with in terms of design and aesthetics, however, my now husband and I were disappointed with the level of commitment and professionalism the team showed us throughout the almost year we worked with them. I believe there is a minimum standard for how you conduct yourself professional as a wedding planner no matter the size of the event, the price the customer pays, or the level of luxury of the wedding. It was apparent to us that we were not a priority for Samantha and simply chic especially on the day of our wedding. There were multiple instances where we were completely on our own as a couple navigating things that really should have been handled by a planner, especially when we had payed and planned for full planning services ie. not having anyone from Simply Chic present during either of our tastings, and being approached on the day of - fully dressed and ready, and being told that our lead planner might leave our wedding because she felt sick.
From the moment we decided to postpone our wedding due to COVID-19 it felt that we were a second rate client to Samantha.
Our wedding turned out beautiful and Samantha and Simply Chic had much to do with that, however, they do not get my recommendation due to their lack of reliability.
Working with Alexandra Schrager was nothing short of a dream – she is simply the best in every possible way! Hiring her was the best decision I made, and my only regret is not hiring her sooner! In addition to having superb taste, Alex was professional, responsive, thoughtful, and very thorough. Throughout our eighteen months of planning Alex was my true partner and always kept me on course, despite how difficult of a bride I was! She handled every challenge with grace, even when I decided to change our flowers a few weeks before the wedding. Alex took the time to genuinely get to know me as a person and made sure that our wedding was a true reflection of our personalities. She missed no detail and went above and beyond helping me with design despite being hired as a partial planner. While Alex is an extraordinary designer, she's also a logistical queen. Our family and friends still talk about how amazing and well executed our wedding was, it’s truly something I’ll never forget. Alex is so much more than a wedding planner and I will always consider her a friend. The best thing you can do is hire Alex as soon as possible!
Sam and the entire Simply Chic team are absolutely incredible and we cannot say enough about the amazing wedding they created. They really helped make Becca's dream wedding come true. From joining part way through our planning, to helping us through two postponements (covid), Sam made the entire process seamless and flawless. With a contagious smile on her face, she was willing to make anything we asked happen and created a beautiful vision that was in line with us as a couple as well as the venue atmosphere (our family lake house in northern MN). She has a fantastic eye for design, was so easy to work with, is very professional and fun! Everything from the most outstanding vendors, down to the small details, Sam is SIMPLY the best!
It's hard to express my gratitude toward Sam and her team. Through three years of planning, multiple cancellations, re-booking and pivoting plans, Sam took it in stride and made the process smooth and seamless. Sam was professional but also become a very good friend throughout the process. All in all, Sam was the best decision I made through the wedding planning and will forever be thankful for her and her team!
Highly recommend hiring Simply Chic Events if you’re on the hunt for a wedding planning company. Alex was the lead planner for our wedding and was involved start to finish for our year and a half of planning. We chose to do the partial planning with SCE which was perfect for us. I knew what I wanted when it came to decor and Alex helped make sure everything was happening on time, suggested ideas, reviewed contracts, and helped us figure out how to maximize the budget. Simply Chic also had connections with other vendors they had worked with, which left us feeling confident with our vendor choices. Between their knowledge of the wedding world and execution of my vision, our wedding day was an absolute fairytale come true. I will be forever grateful for SCE 🤍
I strongly recommend hiring Samantha if you’re planning a wedding
When my daughter got engaged in December 2020 at the peak of COVID my first thought was extreme happiness and my second was , I’m going to have to plan a wedding
Having no knowledge about this process I’ve heard about from my friends other than it’s stressful and lengthy, I realized the only thing I need to do right is find the right wedding planner
My daughter (the bride) interviewed many , but once she met Sam she knew she was the one
Sam made the process fun and enjoyable, there was no stress. She’s well organized and professional. She works with the best vendors and guides you through the selection process with ease. The results of our March 19th Ritz Carlton wedding was stunning
We did not encounter even one mistake or problem from early morning with hair and makeup until midnight. It was like a fairytale wedding all thanks to Samantha Crew and her team at Simply Chic Events
I want to emphasize you will be 100% satisfied if you put your trust in Sam , she will deliver
Samantha from Simply Chic Events was the best (and first!) investment I made during the wedding planning process. She came highly recommended from our venue, Pippin Hill, and a friend. It was important for me to find vendors that I really clicked with and I knew immediately after meeting Sam that she would be a dear friend for life. Sam helped me not only plan our wedding, but was there every step of the way when we had to reschedule it due to Covid. Throughout the almost 2 year planning process, she also helped plan and design the most beautiful bridal shower. I cannot thank Sam and her team enough for guiding me throughout the whole wedding planning process. I wanted to stay very hands on with the planning and Sam was great at providing me options and ideas so that I could stay involved. She helped with every detail from choosing the wedding venue, to picking out the color scheme, down to picking the table numbers. She is beyond creative and has the most amazing design eye. Sam has great relationships with amazing vendor contacts so the rentals, linens, and design elements were all new and unique. Planning a wedding can be super stressful and Sam really took this stress off our plate. She is super responsive, answering emails and texts quickly - which is a major plus when you're in wedding planning mode! She was able to take my vision and months of planning and turn it into the wedding of my dreams. It all came together even better than I could have imagine and I truly credit Sam and her team for making it come to life. I know I have a friend and planner in Sam and will be utilizing her and Simply Chic for events in the future.
Samantha is an absolute dream to work with and truly the best decision we’ve made throughout the wedding planning process. I don’t think we will ever be able to find to words to express our gratitude to have worked with her. She planned not only one wedding but TWO weddings for us after we had to scratch our initial plans due to Covid and pivot to an entirely new venue. Through the joys of 2019 wedding planning, to the tears and tribulations of planning during Covid, we are so grateful to have worked with Samantha these past two and half years. We cannot say enough good things about her and the Simply Chic Events team.
Not only is she beyond talented but she is so hardworking and so organized. Every detail of our wedding was so thoughtfully planned and executed. The wedding weekend felt so easy and we were comforted knowing that Samantha and her team had a handle on all of the behind the scenes pieces. She has a true gift and such a talented eye for design.
If you are looking a wedding designer/planner with exceptional organizational skills, exquisite taste, and the kindest of hearts then Samantha is the gal for you! We are so lucky to call Samantha our dear friend and an honorary member of the family now!
Samantha and Simply Chic Events have to be the absolute best investment we made throughout the entire wedding planning process. Sam turned a possible hassle into the most fun and exciting process ever! She as a person is an absolute joy, and as a professional is a serious, organized, and well-connected person. Sam did not work on commission based on the cost of the wedding, so whether it ended up small or ended up large, Sam and Simply Chic cost the same amount. This really took the pressure off when planning a wedding during COVID that ended up much smaller than expected. But this small wedding was still luxurious and truly perfect thanks to Sam. She also is just perfect when it comes to suggesting vendors. We not only had a great team from the photographer to the band to everyone else, but we also made lifelong friends with an amazing group of people. Thank you for everything, Sam!! Can't wait to see you again.
Hiring Samantha and Simply Chic Events was the best decision we made during our wedding planning process. We first spoke with her in January 2020 and she quickly helped us select vendors and begin the design plan. When COVID hit less than two months later, she was instrumental in helping us postpone and expertly guided us through the complicated logistics of postponing a wedding. It was an incredibly stressful time for us but Samantha was such a calming presence and helped us navigate the ever-changing event guidelines. We were finally able to celebrate in April 2021 and everything was perfect because of Samantha and her hard work and expertise! She is highly organized, has an amazing eye for design, and is incredibly warm, compassionate, and friendly. She also has a great professional network and referred us to a team of vendors who were all the perfect match for us. I’m so glad we had Samantha in our corner for the last year and a half! She really is everything you could want and more in a wedding planner!
Samantha did an amazing job as my wedding coordinator! She gave me tons of decor ideas and has an eye for design. She flawlessly communicated with all of my vendors, which was so important since the venue required an outside caterer. She successfully managed any unexpected situations that came up during the night so that my family and I could enjoy the wedding. Almost two years later, my family still talks about how happy they were that Samantha was our wedding coordinator! Thank you Samantha for helping my dream wedding come true!
Samantha is... the dream. My husband and I worked with her for ~2 years (yes, long engagement) and she was with us each step of the way the entire time. She has this way of feeling like your best friend AND being insanely organized, helpful and on top of it all. Her professionalism is top-notch. Our wedding day was stunning and Samantha made it easy to get there, with every detail in place and with calm and grace. And, let me tell you, I asked SO many questions and wanted so many examples of... everything. Samantha helped me make decisions, gave me a loving kick in the behind when I asked for it/needed it and was a soundboard when I wasn't sure which direction to go in. Our experience would not have been the same without her! Thank you, Sam! <3
Kate and Jamie are truly the best in the biz! You never hear brides say they want to re-plan their wedding, but honestly I would do just that if it would give me another chance to work with Kate and Jamie. They have impeccable taste, a keen eye for detail, tremendous work ethic and unmatched client professionalism. I always felt in great hands when working with them. They were patient with my never ending questions and always helped steer me right with whatever decision I had to make (and there is never a shortage of decisions to be made when planning a wedding!) They know planning a wedding is a big task, and they are team team you want to hire! They take the time to get to know you at the onset of their process, and they weave what they learn about you and your finace into the most incredible day. They have an incredible roster of vendors (that clearly love working with them) and also personally pair you to the vendor they know will be right for your day's vision. Ever the meticulous planners, they are on the ball when it comes to budgeting, but they go above and beyond to deliver in every facet. I have no doubt they worked many more hours than what their fee covered because they truly care. They give so much to their clients, and are also just lovely to work with. They want you and your fiance to feel like guests at your own wedding, handled with white glove service, and they provide that kind of service throughout the whole planning journey, not just on the day of your wedding. And your guests will feel that way too! Almost 3 years later, I still have people complimenting my husband and I on our wedding. And I owe those compliments to Kate and Jamie. I felt truly lucky to have found them.
Sam and her team were absolutely extraordinary! She went above and beyond at every chance she had! She is truely a miracle worker and handled any situation with such grace and patience. She made me and more importantly, my family, comfortable and calm at every step. She made our day the best day ever. I highly recommend Sam and her crew!
Samantha and the team were incredible. We went with another planner initially and were unhappy. Samantha stepped with only a few months and truly took care of everything. Her attention to detail and keying in on what really mattered to us was specifically helpful. She is able to boil down for busy people the actual decisions and make the process much easier. Wishing we had used her from the beginning, can't recommend her and Simply Chic enough.
Almost 8 years later, my husband and I still look back on our wedding day and the planning process leading up to it in complete amazement! Working with Jamie was an absolute dream and sometimes I want to pinch myself to be sure it was all real! From the moment we met Jamie, we knew without a doubt she was "The One." She is so kind and thoughtful - her sincerity was apparent instantaneously. After meeting over a casual coffee, we felt she 110% "got us" right away - she understood our vision and in the short time sitting with us even came up with unique personalized suggestions as compliments to our initial ideas. We were blown away! In addition to her sweet personality and creativity, her taste is impeccable! Jamie's expertise put us in touch with phenomenal vendors who made decision-making easy. We still have several very close relationships with some of our vendors after all this time because we loved them so much! Jamie was always punctual, prepared, organized, and responsive. She would have detailed answers to our seemingly unending questions in record time. She always maintained a positive attitude and was so patient with us, even when we were indecisive. We truly felt we could be honest when we were unsure of what would be best and trusted her implicitly. She kept us on schedule and on budget and made the process fun! The wedding weekend was relaxed and we felt beyond confident that Jamie had everything ready to go! We were right! Jamie really was "The One" and our wedding day was better than anything we could have imagined. Seeing it all come together is a special memory we will cherish for the rest of our lives - family members and friends still comment on all of the details and how beautiful it was! We knew nothing about the wedding world before we were engaged but quickly learned that Jamie is incredibly respected by her peers and colleagues because she is so professional, considerate, and such a class-act! We were fortunate enough to experience this first-hand, but are even more fortunate to have gained a friend. Both my husband and I are forever grateful to Jamie and Simply Chic Events - working with her was hands down the best decision we made for our wedding. We genuinely adore Jamie and cannot recommend her highly enough!
To say Samantha knocked it out of the park would be an understatement!! She made every part of the planning process as fun and stress free as possible. Her attention to detail and execution of our vision was second to none. We had a jumbled mess of ideas for the vision of our wedding and she turned them into an aesthetic masterpiece that our guests still talk about. We are the absolute worst at responding promptly to emails and texts and she was SO patient and courteous with us!! Through all of the mini-freakouts and stressful situations she was always calm, cool and collected, and provided the perfect support to guide us through the situation. Not only did we fall in love with her but every vendor we came in contact with loves her too. This speaks to the quality product she delivers and the level of professionalism she brings to the table. We could not be happier with how our big day turned out and we owe it to Samantha! We HIGHLY recommend Samantha and the Simply Chic Events team for you special day!! It will be the decision you ever made (second to saying yes)!!
Samantha was such a joy to work with for my wedding. She had every detail planned out perfectly so that all I had to do on the wedding day was have fun and relax. I am not from DC, so I relied on Samantha for vendor recommendations. She suggested fabulous vendors to work with and then organized them all to work together seamlessly. I highly recommend Samantha and Simply Chic!
We are SO thankful to Samantha for being there for us leading up to and on our wedding day! She was incredibly responsive and helpful with any questions or advice we were seeking in the months prior; responsiveness was a huge deal for me when it came to who we worked with.
There is nothing better than having peace of mind that you are working with someone who you trust to handle all of the little (and of course, big) details of your special day! I anticipated being stressed and a bit on edge the day of my wedding, but thanks for Samantha, I don’t remember a single minute of feeling that way, I just knew everything was going to run smoothly thanks to her. I knew Samantha had been fighting a cold the day before our wedding, and only later found out how under the weather she had been the whole day/night of. I never would have known – she was positive, helpful, sharp, and completely on top of everything. I remember my mom saying how impressed she was that every time she went to ask or tell Samantha something, she already had it figured out and taken care of, like she was reading her mind.
We can’t thank Samantha enough for making our day so perfect. I know that it’s because of her that we were able to relax and actually enjoy every moment, which I know isn’t always the case!
My husband and I were SO blessed to have Samantha Crew from Simply Chic as our wedding planner, and, let me tell you, she is without a doubt an ANGEL from above!!! I don't think we will ever be able to find the words to express how lucky we feel to have worked with her - her incomparable joy, kindness, compassion, dedication, enthusiasm, humor, and professionalism absolutely *made* our wedding planning experience (we seriously would have been lost without her!!!).
During our 14+ months working together, Samantha consistently went above and beyond the "call of duty" -- she was always, always, always there to answer late-night emails or hop on the phone (sometimes for hours!) if we ever had a question or problem. And on our wedding day, she made me, my husband, and our wedding party feel so comfortable and carefree - like all we had to do was enjoy our special day and the time with our dearest friends and family. By the end of the night, our wedding party was saying, "Samantha is the G.O.A.T" (aka, the greatest of all time)! And we have to agree with them :).
Samantha Crew is truly an impeccable wedding planner and an incredible person whom we are now lucky enough to call our dear friend. We cannot recommend her enough!
If I could give Jamie 100+ stars, I would. If you are reading this review, do yourself a favor. Stop right now and book Jamie. She led us through planning our dream wedding while I was getting my MBA full-time and my now husband was living in the DC area. Over the course of 2 years and many miles, she orchestrated bringing our vision to life. No detail was forgotten. Jamie kept us on budget, on time and in the moment. We got married in 2012 and Jamie and some of the vendors are still part of our life today.
When trying to find a planner to help plan one of the most intimate and important days of your life, you want someone who's decisive, a problem solver, has an impeccable eye for design but also someone you feel comfortable being vulnerable around. Jamie is an incredible woman with the sweetest spirit.
To this day, over 7 years later, people still talk about our wedding and how it was the best wedding they've ever attended.
XO
Where do I begin? Saying yes to Jamie and Kate was one of the best decisions we’ve made as a couple—after the original yes of course! As a busy couple planning a long distance wedding, having a team that got us, our vision and could execute on the ground was so important. Impeccable taste? Check. But they knew exactly how to tailor to our own style so it wasn’t some generic cookie cutter event. To this day, people still talk about how amazing and “us” our wedding was. Super detail oriented? Check! These ladies are pros. They thought of every little thing so we didn’t have to (see previous statement about being busy and long distance!) But most importantly, just amazing people we feel lucky to have had the pleasure to know and work with. I miss them dearly and am already figuring out ways to work together in the future: baby’s first birthday and vow renewal anyone?
Dearest Jessica,
Several months later, we are still receiving compliments from family and guest who attended Julia and Jason's wedding and reception. To set the tone for this letter it is fitting to being with quotes from our guests:
*Comparisons to the latest issue of Martha Stewart's Wedding Magazine, friend and family said, "they saw nothing that compared to Julia's beautiful wedding and reception."
*For our guests, the definition of a beautiful wedding/reception has been raised to a new level. "Julia's and Jason's wedding/reception is the event by which future weddings will be measured."
*"Most importantly, Julia and Jason have memories of a happy and beautiful wedding day, which serves as a wonderful beginning for their life together."
The day my lovely Julia announced her engagement and asked me to plan her wedding, I could not have been more pleased. Once I listed all the program activities, it was more than apparent we needed a wedding planner who had direct access to and experience with highly competent wedding purveyors. Thus, began my search for a wedding planner that has the temperament to:
*appreciate the sweetness and sensitivity of Julia and
*work with me, a business executive, whose focus was to ensure that if there were to be tears for Julia on her wedding day, they would be tears of overwhelming joy and happiness ant not from disappointment.
So began the interviews. While all wedding planner interviewed were capable of executing a memorable wedding, you, Jessica were the planner that genuinely displayed not only sensitivity to Julia, but also a understanding of the wedding we desired. You:
*were always available and accessible to us and our many quesitons.
*provided practical input into our decisions.
*were transparent in all communications.
*introduced us to highly creative and talented purveyors, ie., florists, caterers, musicians, graphic artists, etc.
Several months later, we and are guests are still baking in the joy and happiness of Julia and Jason's wedding. No doubt, years from now, Julia, Jason, and our family will still be as happy with the outcome of their wedding as we are today. Both the wedding and reception were elegant and beautiful and a stunning success.
My fiancé and I suffer from a disorder known as “type A personality”:) In fact, 2 months after we got engaged my fiancé had already visited 17 venues, I had interviewed 9 photographers, my fiancé had reached out to 14 caterers, and I had spoken with 5 florists.
As a result, we were not sure we would need a planner; however, we decided to speak to the best wedding planners in the area and see what they had to say about our initial selection. I narrowed my list to 11 planners and set up interviews with each of them.
During my first meeting with Jessica I found her to be extraordinarily peaceful, which was so comforting to a worried bride. Jessica was very professional, but still managed to be extremely warm. When we asked her opinion about the vendors we had already interviews or spotted, Jessica gave us invaluable feedback and confirm some of our initial feelings. That’s because Jessica has worked with some of the most popular vendors in the area. When I shared with Jessica my vision/wedding theme, she immediately grasped the concept and was able to guide me in the right direction. She amazed my fiancé and I as she answered (with precision and examples to support her answers), all the critical questions we asked her regarding specific logistical details. Clearly, Jessica had many years of experience in the field and her precise answers highlighted that fact.
During the months to follow, Jessica proved to be invaluable and different from the rest of the planners I had interviewed or my friends had worked with. because she went WELL above and beyond of what is required to put the wedding together. For example, my fiancé and I work in DC and many of our vendors were located in VA (in areas that are not metro accessible). Jessica met us in DC on several occasion to give us rides to our vendors.
Also, two days before for the wedding, she came to my house to pick up items necessary for my Persian ceremony, programs and menu cards.
One of the many things i love about Jessica is her responsive. She responded to every of my many emails promptly. In fact would get emails from her at 12:45am on a Saturday evening after she had returned home from working at a wedding all day. The woman is dedicated:)
The two weeks before the wedding were incredibly stressful and it was at this point that Jessica really proved her worth. Jessica handled the final details that would otherwise make the weeks before the wedding totally overwhelming. She confirmed all of our vendors, made sure that they were paid, and put together a detailed schedule/timeline so that everything ran like clockwork. Every little detail was in place four days before the wedding so I was able to relax and enjoy my time with friends and family.
On my wedding day, as I was getting ready in my hotel suit, Jessica came to check on me one last time and it’s at that moment that I realized that 15 months ago I had hired a planner, but on that specific July day, I had gained a friend. I saw in her that same peaceful demeanor that I had noticed in her during our first meeting and once again I was comforted and reassured and I knew I was in good hands.
To all my beautiful brides, if you are undecided as to whether to hire a wedding planner, treat youyourselves to the best wedding gift possible: hire Jessica Brown. To all the grooms, if you want your bride to enjoy the planning process without driving you insane, invest in Jessica Brown:)
Kate Harlan is a miracle.
Wedding vendor reviews seem to come in two flavors: it's either "my vendor was good and I had the best wedding": 5/5 for everything; or "my vendor was the worst": 0/5 for everything. That doesn't seem especially useful, so I am staying away from that sort of thing.
I gave Kate 5/5 in every single category above, however, because she actually deserves it on each unique dimension. Every single one. She is the only vendor we had for whom that is true, and I bet if we got married 10 times, it wouldn't happen again.
If you have already decided to hire a wedding planner: hire Kate Harlan. If you are undecided as to whether to hire a wedding planner: it will be the best value-for-money decision of your entire wedding to hire Kate Harlan.
We were already crazy about Kate during the lead up to the wedding. She made prepping for the wedding into an easy, color-by-numbers experience. She had a process, so we didn't need to reinvent the wheel. I cannot overstate how nice that is. She responded to emails at all hours of the day and night, she never lost her cool, she always had good ideas. If we changed our minds, she immediately shifted to make it happen. Weeks before the wedding, we were telling everyone we knew to hire her. It only got better.
When it came time for the wedding weekend itself, she just completely blew us away. When things went to plan, Kate added huge value by making our wedding special. Coming up with little personalizing details without creating any work for us. Running point with all the vendors. When we had questions, she knew the answers, but she was never overbearing. She wanted it to be the wedding that we wanted it to be, and because she's talented and extremely hard-working, we all got exactly that. Again, having Kate around actually let us enjoy our wedding day.
And when things didn't go to plan, Kate saved the day. It rained, she had poise and a contingency plan, and we weathered the storm. It's all well and good now to say that the rain only brought people together. But without Kate, we would have just had a bunch of wet, unfed, impatient guests. That would have been worse.
She is creative, thoughtful, and hugely responsive. She cares deeply about the people getting married and the weddings she plans. Hire Kate Harlan. You will stay sane during the planning, you will have fun at the wedding, and you will spend the week after your wedding (thus far) hearing about how much people loved all the various things you (read: Kate) did to make your wedding unique.
Kate Harlan from Simply Chic was our wedding planner. Its hard for me to describe how wonderful she was. During our 6-month engagement, my fiance and I both had intense jobs and limited time for wedding planning. But I really wanted the wedding to be outdoors, rustic, and unique - not the same cookie-cutter wedding we'd been to many times before. Kate worked tirelessly to make that happen, and it did -- the wedding was perfect.
Kate is extremely organized, has impeccable taste, works around the clock, is always cheerful and responsive, and never, ever lets anything slide through the cracks. She goes WELL above and beyond the basics of what's required to put the wedding together. For example, she surprised me at the wedding with ribbons everywhere and an adorable cake-topper as gifts. She found the perfect cufflinks for my husband. When my grandmother started to feel ill during the ceremony, Kate spotted it and was right there with a glucose pill, water, and snacks. When my mother-in-law wanted a last-minute hair-dresser, Kate made it happen. She lent us her own parasols, mason jars, etc, etc, for the wedding. She was at the venue from 7am until after midnight for the 3 days before the wedding, and from 7am - 2am on the wedding night, just making sure everything was in order. When it started to rain during our ceremony, Kate had a back-up plan ready- no one got soaked, everyone had a great time, and I didn't worry at all.
The list goes on and on. Obviously I would have been lost without her. I have never been more impressed by someone I worked with. If you are planning a wedding in the D.C. area and need a little help, hire Kate Harlan.
Because of Jessica Brown I was able to sit back, relax and just enjoy all the festivities for the wedding and reception. And when a crisis arose, she was quick to go into action and help resolve the issue with another vendor.
Simply Chic Events - exclusively Jessica Brown, was so helpful in all of my planning needs and went above and beyond to make sure before and the day-of that everything was just the way I wanted. Their vision for modern unique affairs is wonderful and all of the vendor recommendations turned out wonderfully! Simply Chic saved my sanity! Thank you Jessica.
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