Dawn of a new day wedding planning

My wife, Jacqueline, and I were married at the Deer Path Inn in Lake Forest on July 25, 2026, and Dawn Gailey of Dawn of a New Day Weddings handled our day-of coordination as well as our post-wedding celebration the following day.

As the groom, I probably came into the wedding with a somewhat different perspective on what a wedding planner actually does. By the end of the weekend, I understood exactly why having the right person in that role matters so much.

Dawn hit the ground running from the moment she arrived. She has a remarkable ability to walk into a situation, quickly assess what needs to happen, and then get everyone moving in the same direction. At times, it felt like watching military precision—but without any of the harshness that description might suggest. Dawn is fearless and assertive while remaining unfailingly polite. Somehow, people don’t simply respond to her; they genuinely want to deliver for her. That is a rare gift.

One example happened almost immediately. Dawn took one look at the reception table arrangement and recognized that it wasn’t going to work as well as it should. There was no drama and no lengthy discussion. She assessed the problem, worked with the Deer Path Inn team, and in remarkably short order the room was rearranged and looked exactly as it should have. Jacqueline and I didn’t have to manage it or worry about it. Dawn simply took ownership and made it right.

And that really captures what impressed me most about her.

Dawn has an extraordinary attention to detail and an internal drive to see things through until they are right—not merely “good enough.” She doesn’t seem capable of leaving something at 95 percent when she knows she can make it 100 percent. For something as personal and important as a wedding, that quality is invaluable.

Our wedding was filled with moments we will remember for the rest of our lives, right through walking out together to “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.” Dawn helped make it possible for Jacqueline and me to actually experience those moments instead of worrying about what was happening behind the scenes.

Then she came back and did it all over again for our celebration the following day.

What I appreciate most about Dawn Gailey is simple: her attention to detail, her determination to finish everything to perfection, and her ability to make the people around her rise to that same standard.

If you are looking for someone who will simply show up and coordinate your wedding, there are probably plenty of choices. If you want someone who will take personal ownership of your day, see the things you don’t see, fix the things you didn’t know needed fixing, and relentlessly work to make the celebration everything it should be, that’s Dawn.

Jacqueline and I are extraordinarily grateful that she was part of ours.

— David Perkins
Groom, July 25, 2026 — Deer Path Inn, Lake Forest, Illinois

Dawn is truly worth her weight in gold. I was so nervous on my wedding day Dawn talked me through everything. My seating chart did not turn out the way we thought it would so she made an entire new idea with what she had at the venue and it was gorgeous. She was amazing in every aspect and she truly helped make our day perfect. I asked her if she could get us white wine for our toast because I forgot to get to get champagne and she went out of her way to get us champagne for our toast. She also gifted us a beautiful cutting board with our last name that her husband hand crafted. She went above and beyond in every way and she is a fantastic wedding planner and she is very reasonable priced. I was so picky with who was on my wedding team and I seriously could not have found a better person for our day!!

She was incredibly easy to work with and made sure everything went perfectly! Awesome and clear communication and handling anything that may arise big or small with promptness and perfection are just a few of her strengths !was 10 steps of everyone else and took so much stress off my plate. I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for help with their wedding or any special event, I will definitely be using her for any future events hands down.