The Whole Shebang Events

My daughter chose Blowing Rock for her wedding ceremony. Meris with The Whole Shebang came highly recommended and I can certainly see why. Her and her teams attention to detail was such a blessing to me. This was my 4th wedding and the only one with a planner due to location. So I knew more than I wanted, but Meris and Lauren eased any pressure or anxiety that I had. From our initial meeting to the last; we talked, text, met and zoomed when any concerned, questions or great reports came about. Truly the best experience for me, my daughter and our whole family. Even our guests commented about "this girl knew what I needed or was going to ask"-haha!! Customer service 100%.

Book them!! I had zero stress the whole wedding weekend because of them. Every time something popped in my head that I thought I forgot, they had already handled it and had it done. They worked so hard all throughout the planning process and the weekend of my wedding to ensure everything went perfectly, and it did! Every detail was thought out and exactly how I wanted it because of them!

Meris was the first vendor that we booked, and I could not have imagined navigating the wedding planning process without her. We planned a wedding halfway across the country and it was a breeze thanks to her help. Her communication is direct and prompt, and we were never left wondering what we needed to do next. She has an excellent system for staying organized, always remembering the little details and keeping on top of timelines and deadlines. The service truly exceeded our expectations, as she coordinated seamlessly with our other vendors, even filling out our rental order, which would have taken us hours to do on our own. When it came to the week and day of the wedding, I had zero worries because I knew Meris would be there to resolve any surprises or problems. The weather was very unpredictable on our wedding day, and Meris provided open communication during the morning about our options for rain plans while I was able to enjoy the morning with my bridesmaids. Additionally, her team (including Lauren and her husband Paul), went above and beyond with bustling my dress, fixing a leak in the tent, and ensuring that we got snacks and drinks at cocktail hour, and even made a plate for us for dinner. We were truly able to relax and enjoy our day thanks to Meris. We could not have ever dreamed up such an amazing wedding without her expertise and guidance, and the best part was how fun she made the process. My fiance and I truly looked forward to every planning call with Meris. If you are on the fence at all about hiring a planner, I would absolutely recommend Meris and her team!

If I could give one piece of advice to newly engaged couples it would be to hire Meris and her team asap! Meris made planning our dream wedding in under five months an absolute breeze. Meris is always available to answer any question and her years of expertise and contacts in the business are invaluable. Every vendor we worked with knew The Whole Shabang team already and every detail was executed perfectly. Meris keeps everyone calm and organized throughout the whole process so you don’t have to worry about any detail or timeline. Her team handled everything so all we had to do was show up and enjoy every minute. I cannot recommend Meris and her team enough!

Meris & Lauren are the dream team! My saving grace. They helped me plan and carry out the most beautiful day with only 5 months to plan! They can do anything. Lauren ensured everything ran smoothly from start to finish, she was completely there for me wedding week, weekend, and day! Extremely knowledgeable and supportive. If you are looking for a planner, the search is over.

We used Meris and her team for our daughter's wedding. They were amazing! Meris was extremely competent in a caring and calming way. She was the perfect fit with our daughter on her special day! She knew all of the vendors and everyone she recommended kept things running smoothly!

Meris and her entire team were so incredibly kind and helpful. They ensured our day ran smoothly and that we were able to truly enjoy it. I cannot imagine our wedding without them! We cannot recommend their planning and coordinating services enough.

Meris is awesome! Having worked with soooo many planners/coordinators as a musician through the years, I have seen my share of good and bad. Meris is top notch professional and on the ball. Would be a great choice for any bride! She communicated well, did a zoom to include out of town people in meetings…can’t recommend highly enough.

After we postponed our wedding due to COVID, my fiance and I decided to elope on our original date. Two weeks before we tied the knot, we called Meris and asked for her help planning and creating a beautiful picnic "reception" for ourselves and our four guests. Despite the time constraints and challenges posed by executing a socially distant celebration during a pandemic, Meris sprang to action and helped us scope a ceremony and picnic spot, design a menu, find a designer to work with, and create an experience and celebration we'll never forget. She was responsive, kind, creative, accommodating, and dependable – we are so glad that had her help and would absolutely recommend her for your wedding or elopement!

The best thing that happened to our wedding was Meris and her team! I honestly do not think we could’ve pulled it off without them. I thought I could handle most of the wedding planning on own. Turns out, I was 100% wrong. The bottom line is, if you are wondering if a wedding planner is worth it or not - I would say it’s genuinely the best money we spent for our entire wedding. Meris and her staff were amazing at making EVERYONE feel sooooo special! They made sure everyone had a blast! (They also went above and beyond to ensure all of our needs were met.) But most importantly, Meris also helped me keep my head on straight days/weeks/months before the wedding! She literally checked in every single day, making sure we were on schedule. Not only did she check in, she delivered and talked me off many cliffs. LONG STORY SHORT... If anyone asks what is the best money we spent for our wedding? I would HANDS DOWNS say it was Meris and her team. She is worth EVERY PENNY! Our wedding would not have been the same without her!

It is hard to put into words how amazing Meris and her team really are!! Throughout the entire process Meris was organized, calm, and always open/available to answer any questions. Our wedding day went so unbelievably smooth because of Meris and her team. We didn't have to drop a finger on the big day and we owe that all to her! Meris and her team always made sure my husband and I had everything we needed (food, drinks, etc) throughout the entire night. I could have not imagined my wedding day without Meris and I am so lucky to have had worked with her and her team!! If you need a wedding planner, the Whole Shebang is simply the best!

Meris was so great to work with. We had a stellar vendor team in general, but it couldn't have gone as smoothly without Meris and her girls. I underestimated my day-of tasks really badly. When Meris and her team showed up, they jumped right in and got everything done perfectly! I have a hard time letting others take over tasks for me, but it's hard to not trust in this woman. She maintains a calm, cool, and laid back demeanor which is super important on your wedding day when the anxiety starts kicking in! All of my bridesmaids (and family!) were raving about what a great job these girls did. You won't go wrong hiring Meris (or any of her team!) to help make your fairytale wedding come to life. ❤️

So can we talk about how FABULOUS and talented Meris is? I decided to plan a destination wedding in NC and knew immediately I would need some help. We found Meris through a ton of recommendations in the area and it's so obvious why she comes so highly recommended. Not only is she extremely organized, funny, and kind, but she's super down to earth and puts your mind at ease the entire time. Meris was there for any questions, emails, oh no moments and everything in between. Her team of girls she has also are amazing. The day of our wedding her and her girls are there bright and early making sure you do not worry about a single thing and even brought us lunch to the bridal suite (squeal!) seriously though I did not have a single moment of panic the entire wedding planning process because Meris put me at ease so much that everything would be taken care of and turn out wonderfully. I am so thankful to Meris and her girls and I honestly hope to never lose touch with them!

We hired The Whole Shebang for their full services in planning our wedding weekend. Maris Gantt not only coordinated our wedding day, but also our welcome reception and rehearsal dinner for our guests. There were so many details, locations and vendors involved - we could have never pulled it off without Meris and her amazing team! My husband and I were planning our big day from out-of-state, and needed someone who could represent us in the High Country. Maris has strong relationships with vendors in the area that was an incredible resource for us (she not only knows a “guy” but also the brother of the “guy” and his best friend who owns the bar who also has a car service. You get the idea). We also felt from the beginning, Meris was someone who understood our vision. Her down to earth nature, joyful spirit and open mind made us feel confident that she could execute our wedding plan. Planning a wedding requires countless decisions to be made. Meris guided us through that process with charm, confidence and lightness of heart. Meris made herself available consistently over the course of the year and was always happy to listen to our new ideas or our latest concerns. She took away our stress and reassured us that everything would come together, which was an invaluable feeling for us (as you can imagine planning a wedding is stressful!). This quality is not to be underrated! For example, we decided to add table runner four days before the wedding and she showed up the day of with them in her car, pressed and ready to go. Meris (and the people on her staff) have warm, kind spirits and tenacious can-do attitudes. When our day finally came, her team was incredibly thorough, and made sure all our needs were met. Our wedding weekend was more than we could have ever expected, and have Meris to thank for all she did for us to make our day truly unforgettable. Obviously, we could not recommend Meris and The Whole Shebang team highly enough!!

Meris and her team surpassed our expectations throughout the entire wedding planning process. They went above and beyond to make sure our wedding went off without a hitch. She is so calm and caring, I was at ease knowing that if anything came up she would be there to handle it. I highly recommend The Whole Shebang Events!

One of the best decisions we made in our wedding planning process was choosing to work with Meris and The Whole Shebang. We went with the month of planning package and are so glad we did! From my first initial phone call with Meris, I felt confident we would be well taken care of. Leading up to our wedding, she was always available to us whenever we had any questions and communicated/organized everything so well with our vendors that we truly didn't have to think twice about anything! Her and her team are so fun to work with and made sure we were well taken care of on the day of our wedding. They truly went above and beyond for us, which we were so grateful for. I can honestly say not one thing went wrong on our wedding day and we can thank Meris and her team for that!

I cannot say enough about Meris at Whole Shebang. She is amazing at her job and went above and beyond to ensure that our day was exactly how we wanted it. She helped communicate with other vendors and even laid down the hammer when needed in meeting deadlines and deciding details. She and her crew were available day of for not just the wedding party, but guests as well. She made our wedding weekend come together beautifully. Not to mention she has a great personality and is all around a great person. By the end of it I wanted to her to be my best friend. Don't hesitate to have her there for you! You will not regret it - I promise!

We loved working with Meris and her lovely ladies. We went with her month-of package and got so much more than just "a month out" planner and day-of coordinator. Meris was extremely flexible in the planning process, and so thorough! She truly gets to know everything about her brides and thinks of EVERYTHING you might need to make your day beautiful. She has excellent organizational skills and brings a calming presence to a hectic wedding day. As an out of town bride, we really appreciated all the help she provided to us to make our day special.

I can't even express how happy I am that I chose Meris and her team at The Whole Shebang for the coordination of my wedding weekend. My mother-in-law hired Meris for the rehearsal dinner planning and I chose TWS Month-Of planning contract and we were both so happy with everything. Both days went incredibly smoothly (if there was a "fire" she had to put out I don't even know about it, which is amazing!). Meris is truly a joy to work with and I felt like she became part of my family over the past few months! She has a fantastic relationship with all the vendors in the Boone/Blowing Rock area (I knew I'd made the right choice when I told vendors who my coordinator was and they immediately said "I LOVE Meris!") and she worked so well with everyone, which in my case was a bit more difficult because one of our biggest vendors were family members of mine. She is somehow laid back but also super on top of things and put everyone at ease with her competence all weekend. Meris, I can't even say how much I appreciate everything you did. THANK YOU!! (Can we do it all again??)

My daughter met with The Whole Shebang for the month of package, but I can speak highly of Kelsey and her team for the rehearsal and day of planning, coordinating. First, if you are the Mother of the Bride and want to enjoy the special occasion, then a wedding coordinator is essential. Kelsey and The Whole Shebang Staff made that 100% possible. They were so familiar with the vendors that we used and the venue, that they took things into their own hands the day of the wedding. They were fun, gracious, helpful, and so easy to work with. Yes, wedding coordinators are expensive, but I would say that, Venue, wedding gown and The Whole Shebang should be the top three must haves for any wedding and reception in the High Country and Beyond.

Meris and The Whole Shebang team is AMAZING! We had our choice of wedding planners for our venue, and are so glad we chose to work with Meris! From my first meeting with her, I knew that she didn't have her own agenda but genuinely wanted to bring our wedding day vision to life. Meris and her team did a fantastic job making our vision come true and made sure everything was seamlessly executed. She is so realistic and down to earth, which my family and I both appreciated throughout the entire process. I loved that she really thought about what vendors would work well with my vision and personality, which ended up truly making our wedding day even more special and tailored towards our personalities and vision. For each decision, Meris would question "does this go with the vision of the day?" Meris is organized, on top of her game, and so kind. She handles anything and everything with ease and joy, which took a lot of stress off of me as the bride. From completing our timeline to coordinating vendors to bustling my dress...Meris does it all! If you are unsure about going with the Whole Shebang or hiring a coordinator, DO IT. Hire The Whole Shebang and you will be happy with every penny spent, it is SO worth it for Meris and her team!!! They truly made our day unforgettable and flawless. We are so thankful we found and hired Meris!!!

We were married at the Eseeola Lodge in Linville NC on July 30, 2017. We hired Meris and the Whole Shebang crew in September of 2016. She was absolutely fantastic every step of the way! Being from Miami, FL, we did not know what was available to us in the mountains of NC, so a wedding planner was essential. Meris was on top of everything the whole time. She checked in with me often and quickly responded to emails, phone calls and text messages. The day of, she kept everything running very smoothly and even found us an extra bus to transport our guests when we figured out that morning that we needed it. Because of Meris, we actually got to eat at our wedding, which I'm told is rare. She and her staff are kind, patient and fun! I would highly recommend her and her company!!!

Meris stuck by my side during two years of crazy wedding hiccups. I knew I would need her from day one, but the value of having her calm spirit around really started to sink in at my rehearsal. Between dealing with big personalities, cancellations, and super hot/stormy weather, I am 100% sure I would have cried for half my wedding day had Meris not been there with solutions at every turn. Vendors, family members, and guests have all complimented that everything looked perfect and was run so smoothly, most of them crediting Meris and Rachael by name. Rightfully so, as everything I pictured in my mind for my wedding day turned out perfectly. I would recommend Meris and TWS any day and have never been so happy with an investment! For any brides trying to determine if you should make room in your budget for a coordinator…do it. I promise your future spouse, friends, and family with thank you. And most importantly, your sanity and mental health will be saved. Thank you again Meris and Rachael!

I could not have been happier with Meris and her team! They made my wedding absolutely perfect. Meris went above and beyond during the whole planning process. I was planning my wedding from abroad and wouldn't have trusted anyone but Meris to be my eyes and ears in North Carolina. She was responsive, creative, and an absolute blast! Need someone to get you in shape before your wedding? Meris will join you on your pre wedding workouts and runs! She's the real deal folks. Meris does a great job of reading her brides and catering to their personal style and personality. She is extremely patient and supportive. Even when I was stressing the day of she always knew when I needed a minute to myself. I will be having her plan every single event I ever have. One of the saddest parts of the wedding being over is no longer having an excuse to constantly hang out with Meris. Thanks for the best wedding I could have asked for!

The Whole Shebang really lives up to its name! They think of all the little things and keep brides at ease when things seem to be piling up. The ceremony ran so smoothly even with weather troubles and some communication issues. I couldn't imagine putting a wedding together without this planner!

Meris is ALL THAT and a bag of chips! She made my day everything I envisioned.

We are ever so grateful for what Meris did for our wedding day. She was such a help for leading up to the wedding that I could not imagine planning this day without her. The day of the wedding I worried about nothing, she took care of everything and allowed us to enjoy each minute. She was well worth hiring, I would highly recommend her for any wedding.