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Weddings

About

Helping Hand Weddings & Events (formerly Helping Hand Parties & Weddings) is a full-service wedding planning and coordination company based in Huntsville, Alabama, serving couples throughout North Alabama, including Huntsville, Madison, and the surrounding area.

I'm Erica Thimsen, and I've been planning and coordinating weddings in this region for over 15 years. What sets my approach apart is the level of detail and personal investment I bring to every event. I create individual timelines for every vendor — tailored to their specific role — so everyone arrives on the same page working as a unified team. I select vendors fresh for every couple based on their personality and budget, and I stay available by phone and email throughout the entire planning process so my clients always feel supported.

I offer Full Wedding Planning, Partial Wedding Planning, and Month-of Coordination, along with Wedding Planning Consultations, Rehearsal Dinner Planning, Rental Coordination, and professional staffing for setup, serving, and teardown.

Whether you're planning an intimate ceremony or a large celebration, my goal is always the same — that you walk into your wedding day feeling calm, confident, and completely taken care of, so you can be fully present for every moment that matters.

I would be truly honored to be part of making your day everything you've dreamed it would be. I look forward to hearing all about your plans!

  • Woman-owned
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Frequently asked questions

What is the starting price for day-of wedding coordination?

$650

What is the starting price for partial wedding planning?

$3,600

What is the starting price for full wedding planning?

$9,000

Do you offer an hourly rate?

Yes

What is the hourly rate?

$50

What wedding events do you provide services for?

Ceremony
Reception
Rehearsal Dinner

What wedding planning services do you offer?

Full Planning
Partial Planning

What weddings do you have experience planning?

Civil
Cultural
Destination
Double Weddings
Eco-Friendly
Military
Non-Religious
Religious

Reviews of Helping Hand Weddings & Events

This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Review summary

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Erica of Helping Hand Parties & Weddings is praised for exceptional organization, attention to detail, and calm, professional support. She coordinates vendors, manages timelines, and handles surprises so couples can relax. Reviewers say their days ran smoothly and highly recommend her services.

Review summary

Powered by AI
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Erica of Helping Hand Parties & Weddings is praised for exceptional organization, attention to detail, and calm, professional support. She coordinates vendors, manages timelines, and handles surprises so couples can relax. Reviewers say their days ran smoothly and highly recommend her services.

K
Kassidy Sent on 03/04/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Could NOT Have Done It Without Her

Erica with Helping Hands is a planning genius. We wanted a LED dance floor, she found us a LED dance floor. We wanted a break dancer to perform at our wedding, she found a break dancer to perform at our wedding. We had a lot of strange ideas for our wedding. Everything that we wanted, she was able to find vendor that we needed or she and her team were able to provide it for us. A LOT of our wedding changed last minute and Erica was able to conquer every task that came her way. She was there whenever we needed her. She was on top of everything. I know and she probably knows (lol) that no one would be able to pull this crazy wedding off expect for her.
M
Megan Sent on 06/23/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Erica is the BEST!!!!

If I could give Erica more than five stars, I absolutely would. She is AMAZING. Hiring Erica was hands down one of the best decisions we made throughout our entire wedding planning process. From the very beginning, she was incredibly organized, professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in making our day everything we dreamed it would be. She has an amazing attention to detail. She truly thinks of everything, down to the tiniest details that most people would never even consider.

Whether it was coordinating vendors, managing the timeline, handling logistics, or ensuring every little detail was exactly right, she had everything completely under control. Knowing she was overseeing every aspect of the day allowed us to fully enjoy every moment of our wedding day. The day could not have gone more perfectly, and we have Erica to thank for making that possible.

She exceeded every expectation. We are endlessly grateful for her and HIGHLY recommend her. She is simply the best, and we feel incredibly lucky to have worked with her.
Michelle
Michelle Sent on 04/04/2026
5 out of 5 rating

None Better

From the very first meeting, Erica exceeded every expectation we had for a wedding planner. She took the time to truly understand our vision and turned it into something even more beautiful than we imagined. Every detail—from the timeline to the décor to vendor coordination—was handled with incredible care and professionalism.

On the wedding day itself, Erica and her team were absolute lifesavers. Everything ran smoothly and on schedule, and they somehow managed to keep everyone calm and happy. Their organization, creativity, and warm, reassuring presence made the entire experience completely stress‑free.

If you’re looking for someone who is responsive, thoughtful, and genuinely passionate about making your wedding perfect, look no further than Erica at Helping Hand Parties and Weddings. We can’t recommend them highly enough.
Courtney
Courtney Sent on 12/27/2025
5 out of 5 rating

MVP of our wedding!!

Erica is absolutely amazing. From start to finish, she went above and beyond to make sure every detail was perfect. Her professionalism, kindness, and attention to detail gave us so much peace of mind. She genuinely cares about her couples, and it shows in everything she does. We are so grateful for her!
Paige
Paige Sent on 12/10/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Thank you, Erica!

We used Helping Hand Parties, and Erica threw my husband and I a perfect wedding reception. She patiently entertained our vague concepts and ideas and turned them into reality. Want people to have fun and play games outside? No problem. Pairing that with a tasteful indoor dinner filled with numerous floral arrangements and a myriad of candles? Somehow, also no problem. In short - she took our half-baked vision, added a bunch of personal touches we never would have thought of, and made something special for us and all of our guests. We couldn't have done it without her. Thank you again, Erica!
Britini
Britini Sent on 10/03/2025
5 out of 5 rating

McDow Wedding

From beginning to end, Erica was absolutely amazing. Any little detail you may not think of, she did. Any idea that you had but had uncertainty, she listened and made it even better. She is so patient, kind and professional in every aspect. She made our day AMAZING!! Our guests were amazed at how well everything flowed. It ran so smoothly and if we had to do it again, without a doubt we would choose Helping Hand Parties to coordinate our wedding!!
Megan
Megan Sent on 08/18/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Look no further than Erica Thimsen

Our wedding day went off without a hitch—or at least it felt that way, because Erica took care of every single detail. I had braced myself for a day full of nerves, no food, and constant stress, but instead, thanks to Erica, it was one of the most relaxing and enjoyable days my husband and I have ever experienced!

She helped us pull together the wedding of my (well, our) dreams in just four months. If you’re scatterbrained yet detail-oriented like me, Erica is truly a godsend. She broke down the planning process into bite-sized, manageable goals, and guided us through every decision with so much patience and care.

Her connections are unmatched—every vendor we worked with lit up when we mentioned Erica’s name. She brings both prestige and professionalism, along with a calm yet firm personality that makes you feel instantly at ease. No detail was overlooked, and everything ran so smoothly that if there were any hiccups behind the scenes, we never knew about them.

We are endlessly grateful for Erica. She didn’t just help us plan a wedding—she gave us a stress-free, joy-filled day we’ll cherish forever.
Sydney
Sydney Sent on 11/24/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Erica is amazing!

Erica is the very best wedding planner. During the wedding planning process, she made sure that no detail was forgotten and gave the best tips and advice from her years of experience in the wedding world. She lifted the stress off of me and my mom which allowed us to fully enjoy my wedding day - knowing that Erica would take care of it all. My entire wedding day ran so smoothly because of Erica!
Mary
Mary Sent on 11/21/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Erica is a godsend!

Erica was a godsend! Everyone in our families lives at opposite ends of the country -- my daughter and her fiance in NY, me in CA, bridesmaids and groomsmen scattered across two continents... the wedding to be held next to a lake out in the middle of Alabama. A challenge, to say the least! But our daughter's dreams of her glorious wedding day became a reality with Erica's attention to detail, her endless energy and insight, and her personal caring. Although based in Huntsville, Erica's sources and resources extend far beyond the local environs. She provided us with topnotch options for rentals, vendors, traditions and more, accommodating our venue which was nearly an hour outside of HSV. Her recommendations truly shaped our entire weekend, leaving us all with beautiful and loving memories we will forever treasure.
The planning along the way was meticulous and reassuring. Erica's accurate timelines and scheduled reminders of what-needs-to-be-done-by-when gave us a welcome structure that took the guesswork out of staging an event of this size. And when unexpected surprises invariably arose, Erica tackled each problem with her calm and resourceful ability to "pivot". We thank our lucky stars to have found "the best in the biz", when we engaged this lovely person as our wedding planner.
All I can say is: I would work with Erica Thimsen and Helping Hands Parties & Weddings again in a heartbeat!
Marti
Marti Sent on 11/12/2024
5 out of 5 rating

An Unforgettable Day, One Amazing Lady Coordinating it!

Erica is the owner of helping hands, and she gives 110% to her couples. My son and his fiance were married May 25, 2024. She met with them weekly at first and then as needed. She would give them tips, listen to what they wanted at the wedding and rehearsal and brought it to fruition. She guided this process from 1,400 miles away! She help them stay on budget and meet their minimum requirements for the venue. The day of the we rehearsal dinner and the day of the wedding she was there making sure the bride and bridesmaids were on schedule without being overbearing. Lie having a second mom ready to help. She kept the groom and the grooms men on schedule too. We had a couple issues with signage, our fault, and she was quick to come up with a solution so none was the wiser there was an error. I have one more son and I will use Erica and Helping Hands again. I only wished I had used her before.
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Awards

120
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2025 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2022 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2021 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2019 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2014 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2013 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2012 Winner

Professional Network & Endorsements

4 Endorsements
The Lofton Catering Co. The Lofton Catering Co. Wedding Caterers

We have worked with Erica a lot through the last few years and it is always a pleasure!! I know if our client has hired Erica the day we arrive for an event we have nothing to worry about and our event together is going to be flawless! Erica is always on top of things, VERY ORGANIZED (as to which a coordinator should be) and VERY PROFESSIONAL.

Belle Fleur Belle Fleur Wedding Caterers

Erica and her staff are a delight to work with and very professional. Always a joy to do an event together. Highly recommend her service.

Decorous Dishes Decorous Dishes Wedding Rentals

As an event coordinator, Erica is creative, organized, patient and composed. What more can you ask for?

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