Skip to main content
Weddings
This vendor is popular with couples. Start a conversation

About

On WeddingWire since 2024

Nina and her team have over 20 years experience executing events all over the world. With offices in Maine and New York, The Cosmos help brides, couples and families plan indelible weddings and wedding-related events of all sizes, and budgets.

More than a decade ago, Nina worked at Condé Nast as the Special Events Director at Glamour Magazine, and from there she launched her own agency focusing on corporate events, executing flawless brand and travel experiences in over 25 global cities. From fashion shows to week-long leadership summits Nina has executed at every level. Her love of travel, food & beverage execution and venues led her to take a leap to service brides, grooms and their families with full-service wedding planning. After working the past few years with couples on their magical day, she and her family moved to Maine, the state where she spent most of her childhood to raise her own daughter. Here, she continues to design and produce event excellence in what she feels is one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Whatever you envision your special day, Nina and The Cosmos team can and will make it happen, offering experience and value in contract negotiation, vendor selection, event design, event production, budget management, venue selection, guest management and travel, food & beverage (one of the most important points) and more!

The Cosmos offers full-service wedding planning, month-of packages and day-of coordination. Please be in touch to see how we can help tailor your wedding celebration, engagment and/or honeymoon.

You can learn more at https://www.thecosmos.events/

CURRENT PROMOTIONS (in the portal) 10% all services for Maine Brides:

We have 20 years experience, but new to the Maine market. Our owner recently purchased a beautiful, ideallic farm and relocted to Maine. If you're having your wedding in Maine, and book with us before September 1, 2024 for any service on any date, we will discount the total proposal 10%.

This offer can't be combined with any other discount.

$750 toward your diamond wedding band:

Get $500* dollars toward a wedding band designed by our in-house team when you book month-of coordination.

Our founder has a limited a very special line of jewelry made of natural white diamonds and 14-24k gold. We keep standard designs, but also offer custom designs. All jewelry has a minimum of a 21-day lead time and is handmade made in New York, NY.

*Value of the selected band must be greater than $1850.

  • Woman-owned

Frequently asked questions

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

$1,500

What is the starting price for partial wedding planning?

$5,500

What is the starting price for full wedding planning?

$10,000

Do you offer an hourly rate?

Yes

What is the hourly rate?

$175

What wedding events do you provide services for?

Ceremony
Reception
Rehearsal Dinner

What wedding planning services do you offer?

Day-of Coordination
Full Planning
Partial Planning

What weddings do you have experience planning?

Civil
Cultural
Destination
Elopement
Eco-Friendly
Military
Non-Religious
Religious

How many planners are on your team?

4
illustration question

Any other questions?

Message vendor

Reviews of The Cosmos

5.0 out of 5 rating
5.0 out of 5 rating
3 Reviews
100% recommend it
  • Quality of service
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    5 out of 5 rating
Tamar
Tamar S. Sent on 05/31/2024
5 out of 5 rating

The triple O: Organized, Optimistic and On-point!

I couldn’t recommend Nina and her team enough. Nina was organized and had the best attitude through the process. She was poised when I was nervous or anxious, and knew how to guide me. The venue I originally wanted was booked solid, and Nina helped me to find and fall in love with an option I never would have considered. Nicole on her team held me down on the day of and I couldn’t be more grateful. The day was beautiful!
S
Sarah N. Sent on 05/23/2024
5 out of 5 rating

The best! Made our Palm Springs Wedding SO special!!

I couldn't recommend Nina and her team more! If you're on the fence, hire The Cosmos! I had so many nerves about making our wedding perfect and a lot of family to make happy, and take care of. I had so many ideas of what I wanted for our destination wedding, but Nina's very balanced nature helped me to "be edited :)" and make choices that made everything look beautiful and come together all in a day I will cherish forever.
Nikola
Nikola S. Sent on 05/24/2024
5 out of 5 rating

10/10 Would highly recommend The Cosmos!

We hired The Cosmos for Month-of services. I was convinced I didn’t need a planner when I started to plan for my wedding, but started to feel anxious and overwhelmed as we got closer to the date. A friend of mine worked with Nina a few years ago and connected us. She made me feel at ease and quickly identified things I had overlooked. The event was in better shape, and I stopped feeling nervous and just had a blast. Nicole was our onsite coordinator for the day of. She is hilarious and if anything carried me through morning so that by the time the ceremony started I was relaxed and ready. I would recommend this team to anyone looking for a month-of coordinator.
illustration message bubble

Are you interested?

Message vendor

Awards

3

Deals

Pricing

Do you want more pricing details?

Team

Nina McCandless
Nina McCandless
Owner, Design and Planning

Nina McCandless is a seasoned events professional who has spent the past 20 years working across brand marketing, strategic partnerships, retail activation, special event production and content management. Fusing her strong emotional intelligence and business acumen, Nina serves as a creative partner to her clients, delivering effortless elegance and a calming under-pressure poise. Both a consulate professional and a diligent servant, Nina works to bring value to all budget levels.

Nina graduated Cum Laude from Columbia University in New York has executed highly-produced special events and brand installations all over the world including in New York, Paris, Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Marrakesh, Tel Aviv, Milan, St. Moritz, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Mexico City/Oaxaca, Venice, Istanbul, Cairo, Toronto and Beijing. In 2021, Nina expanded her planning services to include social events and weddings as she launched her jewelry line Saint Simone.

​She offers wedding and event expertise in Maine, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and The Hudson Valley. Internationally she has planned events in more than 26 global cities, and specializes in destination weddings in Italy, Morocco, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Turks & Caicos, Mexico, and The Seychelles.

Her professional portfolio includes work with Sony, Condé Nast, Hearst, Coach, Revlon, Bloomingdales, Clinique, Reed Krakoff, Restoration Hardware, West Elm, Esteé Lauder, the CFDA, Fendi, NBC Universal, The Faena Miami, The Brooklyn Nets, Mack-Cali, 1 Hotel, The Pearl Brewery and Hotel Emma.

Nina resides between Williamsburg (Brooklyn, New York) and Pownal, Maine (just 20 minutes outside of Portland) with her husband and their 6-year old daughter, Liv.

Nicole  Smith
Nicole Smith
Day-of Coordination and logistics management

A natural-born connector of people and resources, and creator of remarkable experiential value,

Nicole Smith understands the human interest at the heart of every strategic goal — and role, for that

matter.

Smith’s entrepreneurial spirit has driven her diverse career across various fast-paced industries —

each representing new frontiers and challenges sought by this life-long learner.

From media and publishing to residential and commercial real estate, she’s pursued elevation of her

operational and logistical skills to new heights; all the while, honing the keen ability to apply best

practices across disciplines thoughtfully and efficiently. Smith’s talents for strategic foresight, service

excellence, and creative activation have shone brightly at various heights along her multi-faceted

journey — elevating top-tier brands including HBO, Harper-Collins, WEtv and Savills.

When not creating marketing experiences or managing VIPs, you can find Nicole Smith refurbishing

furniture pieces — her all-time favorite DIY pastime, or preparing to embark on another international

pleasure trip for cultural indulgence and inspiration.

Location: Anywhere you need me to be!

Map

Other vendors in Portland for your wedding

Wedding Vendors

Responds within 24 hours