There are not enough stars to truly reflect my thoughts about our wedding planner, Lisa Havard, Founder of Havard Events. From our very first meeting, we knew immediately that Lisa was the right fit for us. Throughout the entire process, including the wedding day and beyond, Lisa far exceeded every expectation.

We had a bumpy start with a different planner and felt like Lisa answered our prayers. Her years of experience, unparalleled professionalism, ninja-like organization, incomparable creativity, and attention to detail made the entire planning process fun and stress-free. I must also mention that it was a pleasure to work with Maureen Ashby, Lisa’s very capable and talented assistant.

A wedding planner wears many hats—designer, problem-solver, coordinator, and sometimes even therapist (yes, my darling daughter and I had a few differences in vision, shocker!)—and Lisa excelled in every role. She helped us develop and adhere to a realistic budget; this was crucial and provided the foundation for our successful experience. Based on our budget and priorities (and Lisa’s solid industry relationships), she connected us with vendors we weren’t aware of, and never would’ve considered, and in every case, it was a perfect fit for us. Priceless.

From the beginning, Lisa listened carefully to our vision and brought it to life far more beautifully and creatively than we ever imagined. You can spend thousands of hours on Pinterest and still end up with an unsatisfactory result. Or you can rely on an expert like Lisa to create and coordinate design elements that result in a cohesive and clever theme across all features of the wedding (from the menu and entertainment to florals, tablescape, escort cards, signage, and even signature drinks). Lisa’s creativity is nothing short of brilliant. The result was magical.

As one would expect, there were a few ‘hiccups’ along the way (e.g. the weather). Lisa anticipated needs before they arose, provided invaluable guidance, and presented a range of solutions. In the lead-up to the big weekend, and on the wedding day, Lisa managed every detail seamlessly, allowing our family (especially our daughter and fiancé) to relax, be fully present, and enjoy every special moment. Every element flowed perfectly and authentically, and we received countless compliments from our guests on how magnificent and well-organized the wedding was.

As the mother of the bride, I knew this would be one of the most meaningful days of my life, and I wanted to be fully present for every moment. Thanks to Lisa, I was able to do exactly that. She understood the emotions that come with planning such an important milestone and her warmth, patience, reassurance, and calm presence made me feel supported every step of the way. When I look back on my daughter’s wedding day (two months ago), I don’t remember feeling stressed. I remember joy, love, laughter, tears of happiness and a celebration that exceeded every dream. Instead of worrying about timelines, vendors, décor, or the countless details that go into a wedding, thanks to Lisa, I was able to focus on what truly mattered—watching my daughter marry her best friend, celebrating with family and friends, and enjoying every precious moment.

If you are looking for a wedding planner who is immeasurably talented in every respect and who will be truly invested in making your wedding extraordinary, I recommend Lisa Havard without hesitation. Lisa’s wedding-planning superpowers are beyond exceptional; her warmth, kindness, and heart truly set her apart.

Lisa and Paige made my wedding day the most stress free seamless day I could have ever imagined. They answered every small or big question I had no matter the hour and made a seamless timeline for my wedding that had many moving parts. This day was truly the best day of my life and I couldn’t have done it all without their help.

I cannot say enough good things about Lisa Havard and her team. We were double booked at our first venue and Lisa went above and beyond to get everything sorted out, which included basically planning a second wedding at a new venue. I don't know what we would have done without her. Amanda and Maureen were amazing day-of coordinators, everything went absolutely perfectly. I highly recommend them to anyone planning a wedding!

We loved working with Lisa and Paige for our wedding! Although I had some prior event planning experience, wedding planning was a whole new world for me. From my first conversation with Lisa, it was clear she had deep expertise and would be a great guide throughout this process. We opted for day-of coordination along with a few consultation calls to keep me on track during the planning process, which ended up being the perfect balance. Lisa provided valuable feedback, direction, and insight throughout, which helped me stay organized and on track during a year-long planning process.
Around 12 weeks before the wedding, the Havard Events team stepped in and took over effortlessly. They asked thoughtful questions, paid attention to every detail, and ensured that everything was in place for our big day. Paige, my day-of coordinator, was truly fantastic. As a type-A bride deeply involved in every detail, I felt completely reassured with Paige by my side. Her organization and attention to detail gave me full confidence that everything was under control - allowing me to relax, be fully present, and focus on making memories rather than managing logistics. Working with Lisa, Paige, and the Havard Events team was a wonderful experience, and I highly recommend them to anyone looking for an organized, supportive, and capable planning team!

We knew from our first conversation that Lisa was different. After consultations with quite literally dozens of wedding planners, Lisa was a breath of fresh air. She was intentional about listening to our priorities and helping us tackle every step of the wedding planning process with those priorities in mind. She was a creative partner, helping us think about rentals, tablescapes, florals, and other design touches we could add to make our wedding feel unique and special without going overboard. She was hands on and supportive with vendors we needed more help with like catering and flowers, and made sure that we felt confident with every decision we made. When we had challenges with other vendors, Lisa was our first call. She was on top of every single detail, from timeline to room layouts and photography lists. She sent a detailed timeline of the entire day not just to us and to our vendors, but to the entire wedding party so everyone knew exactly where they needed to be throughout the day. The day of the wedding, Lisa and her team managed everything perfectly. If there were any major hiccups or challenges, we didn't hear about them. If we were ever running behind schedule, we weren't stressed because we knew she and her team would handle everything. Our wedding design came together perfectly, and not only did Lisa have an incredible role to play in helping us with that design, but she also made sure we had such a special reveal moment at the wedding where we got to walk into the reception space and see our vision come to life. As a wedding planner, Lisa is among the best. Even more important than her organization, attention to detail, and creativity, though, Lisa took her role in the most important day of our lives seriously. For Lisa, we may have just been one of dozens of weddings she was planning over the course of the two years we worked with her, but we never felt like we weren't a priority. She always made time for us if we needed it, and she knows that the role of a wedding planner goes beyond just logistics. She invests in her couples and their love stories, and she helped us tell exactly the story we wanted to tell on our wedding day.

Working with Lisa at Havard Events is an absolute delight ALWAYS! As a wedding photographer, it makes all the difference in the world to work with a high-quality planner, and Lisa is one of the best. Her communication is seamless and efficient, making the entire process smooth and stress-free for both the couple and the vendor team. She has fantastic taste and can bring her clients’ visions to life in magnificent ways. She places great trust in us as photographers, which allows us to do our best work. We always enjoy our collaborations with her and highly recommend Havard Events for anyone looking for a top-notch wedding planner!
- LVER (lverphoto.com)

I worked with Havard Events for my son's wedding. Lisa was wonderful. She came up with an incredible design for the reception that was more beautiful than we could have imagined. She was with us every step of the way. And on the wedding day was very flexible when we had to make rain plans. I would highly recommend Havard Events for any upcoming wedding.

Lisa and her team were absolutely fantastic in planning our wedding! When trying to identify different vendors to help execute our vision, she had plenty of recommendations and ultimately helped us put together a superb team that exceeded our expectations! All the design elements that the team put together were so elegant and incorporated little aspects of our lives and love story. And even with impending rain on our wedding day, Paige made sure everything was executed seamlessly and our day went better than we could have imagined. The team was an amazing resource throughout the whole planning process, and I couldn’t recommend them enough!

From the first email to our amazing wedding day, Lisa and her team are who you want on your team. I was lucky enough to snag her last spot for 2022, and I count my blessings for that! Lisa only takes on a limited number of weddings each year, and I felt that difference as a bride! Lisa and her team were always quick to respond with email, happy to find a time to meet over the phone (regardless of how many months out the big day was), and were always adding inspiration to our Pinterest board! Mid-engagement I found out that my fiance and I would be moving across the country, and my loved ones were concerned about how I would possibly be okay giving up that much control! I can say that because I had Lisa and her team by my side, I knew things were going to be okay! Between Zoom calls at weird hours because of the time difference, and linen selections via FaceTime, it all worked out perfectly!

On the wedding day itself, we were again SO lucky to have Lisa and her team by our side because they had already been so involved in the planning. Though I was one of the first Greek Orthodox brides she worked with, you wouldn’t have known! One of the biggest things I value in Lisa was her willingness to understand and accept components of my Greek culture. Though it may seem a little deal to some, it was SO impactful as a bride even to hear Lisa use the same language I did to describe certain items and part of the ceremony.

From the hotel, to the church, and then to the venue, even a rainy day didn’t slow her team down! In the hustle of leaving for the church, I realized I had left a special heirloom in the hotel room but brushed it off saying it would all be okay. As I got ready to walk down the aisle, one of Lisa’s assistants handed me the heirloom. (!) After dropping us off, she went and retrieved it! In moments like that, I was reminded that I wasn’t just a client of Havard Events. Lisa and her team truly care for each one of their brides.

The event coordination went off without a hitch! Lisa had the great idea of giving us some alone time during cocktail hour and ensured we were eating whenever we could! We were able to get a preview of the reception space, and had an intimate setting for the cake cutting which I LOVED and highly recommend!

I could write for days about the value of having Lisa and her team as part of your vendor team. I thought right after I was engaged that I could do it all on my own, but WOW was I wrong, and I’m so glad I made this investment! Having the vision, organization, systems, and life experience of Lisa and her team was a game changer, and I only wish I lived back in DC so I could help her make other brides’ special days amazing!

Lisa and her team were incredibly helpful throughout the wedding planning process. They were very on top of communicating with our vendors and keeping us on track by asking questions we wouldn't have thought of and letting us know when we should have certain things checked off our list. they set up all our wedding decor and packed up everything at the end of night so we were able to enjoy our wedding stress free!