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Weddings

Anything But Gray Events Reviews

Anything But Gray Events

Anything But Gray Events

Studio City, CA
5.0 out of 5 rating, 65 Reviews
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Reviews

5.0 out of 5 rating
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65 Reviews
100% recommend it
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Awards

65
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2022 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
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    S Z Sent on 04/27/2024
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    Who can do it better?

    Here's the thing, dear review reader. Brevity is the soul of wit and I hope you will find this review both succinct and informative. Then you can promptly book Holly so that she may, for a time, shine her light on a special moment in your life.

    If I could give six stars I would. Holly is like a 3-star Michelin chef but her kitchen is your venue and your event is the dish she carefully and lovingly crafts with all your favorite ingredients. Not just my partner and I were blown away by the creativity, attention to detail, and professionalism that Holly brought to our wedding--but our guests shared in that sentiment as well. Many claiming it was "one of, if not the best wedding" they've ever been to. You can't put a price on that. And if you read any of these other reviews, you will see this feedback is common. Talk about consistency!

    Lastly, I want to state the obvious. Not only does Holly bring the above noted qualities to the table but she also carries with her an impressive catalog of world-class vendors who can assist in elevating your event into the stratosphere. When it comes to creative, uniquely you events - do not make the mistake of hiring anyone else.
  • Elizabeth
    Elizabeth Sent on 02/13/2024
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    Holly works magic

    Holly is enthusiastic, visionary, and can-do. She assembled a top-flight team of vendors for our LGBTQ wedding, all women- or LGBTQ-owned. She went to bat for everything we wanted and then some. Her generosity and good cheer knows no bounds. And she created an elegant, unique look for our wedding and had everything planned to the minute, while remaining calm and flexible. A joy to work with.
  • Stephanie
    Stephanie D. Sent on 12/28/2023
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    Wedding and event planning is an absolute art!

    In an age of self-checkout and self-service, Holly Gray offers a complete and comprehensive event planning service. Holly makes a concerted effort to immerse herself in every aspect of an event, ensuring that it is a wholly complete and thoroughly thought-out and amazing affair. My partner and I were lucky enough to hire Holly to handle the event planning aspects of our wedding. We believe that wedding and event planning is an absolute art. While sometimes the finished product and the artist can be worlds apart; in the case of Holly Gray, both she and her events are incredibly similar. If you haven’t yet had the chance to meet Holly in person, she is elegant, stylish, refined, adaptable and collaborative, yet she is be fun, funny, witty, and always professional and incredibly original. My partner and I would suggest that our experience in working with Holly for our incredible wedding weekend was and is a reflection of her as a person and as an artist! She gave us her all to make our wedding weekend a resounding success that we will recall and look back on fondly for the rest of our lives. In the weeks and now month since our wedding, guests still contact us and tell us that we had the most amazing wedding that they’ve ever attended. It is such a joy to hear such kind compliments. However, a lot of the credit should go to Holly and her team. In fairness to Holly, my partner and I are not the easiest of clients. We both have a history of event planning and hosting events for clients as well as hiring and working with vendors. Therefore, we were likely more opinionated and fastidious about certain details than other clients. To Holly’s credit, she embraced this and made quick work to collaborate and work with each of our vendors. In addition, we believe that this is a testament to Holly’s talent and her superb organizational skills, as well as ability to be flexible and to do what it takes to get the job done. Although many aspects were pre-selected by us, there were many things that only someone like Holly with her industry and vendor connections could handle and execute. Moreover, Holly was able to sift through the hours of discussion and a sea of options to help my partner and I decide on a theme(s) for our events. Holly paid close attention to details with the specific issues of our wedding venue and the nature of the area helped ensure that our wedding looked beyond great. As anyone who has has hosted a special event will attest after the countless hours of work, preparation and attention to every detail, there comes a point that one must hand over the reins to fate and to the people you’ve entrusted to assure that everything will run smoothly. When you are fortunate enough to work with Holly Gray, you can rest assured that you are in the most capable of hands, that details will be and/or are being handled with the utmost care and consideration. Indeed, we would work with Holly again! We highly recommend her to couples and organizations looking to plan an event that requires finesse and originality, elegance and refinement, but that is thoroughly fun and unforgettable!
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  • Brianna
    Brianna K. Sent on 12/30/2023
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    Hire Holly for your colorful/creative/quirky wedding!

    Hiring Holly was the second-best decision we made when it came to our wedding – second only to our decision to marry each other! Not only is she a wedding planner, but she’s also a wedding designer, and WOW did she design a gorgeous wedding for us.

    We are a couple of nerdy people whose interests lie in tabletop and video games, fantasy, and sci-fi… but our tastes are also upscale and trendy. We weren’t sure how to combine those to make our wedding feel like us, which we expressed to Holly several times over the course of our initial design phase. Holly assured us she would design something that felt perfect for us, so that when guests entered the space, it would feel like it couldn’t possibly be anyone else’s wedding. We literally got that feedback from our guests, word-for-word! You get a truly unique wedding when you work with Holly, uniquely you!

    As a same-sex couple, it was important to us that our vendors were queer-affirming. It’s also important to us to spend our money with small businesses, and the fact that Anything But Gray Events is a small, woman-owned business meant we were aligning our spending with our values. She also works exclusively with queer-affirming vendors, so having a list of vendors to choose from that are prescreened to not only be within the budget range we expressed, but also would align with our values, was a huge weight off our shoulders. Planning a wedding in LA makes the vendor options seem endless (in a completely overwhelming way), so having Holly to guide us through the process made things so much easier and saved us a massive amount of time and stress.

    The whole time we were planning this wedding with Holly, we kept reiterating how grateful we were to have her. We got to make the fun and creative decisions, still have a ton of input, but not have to spend time and effort on the discussions about things like the distance between the DJ setup and the nearest outlet at the venue. Plus a million other little things that we never had to know or worry about. She also helped us navigate through mishaps we would have had no idea how to fix; she was always quick to find a solution to anything that came up.

    One of us worked as a production manager on commercial shoots for many years, and the other one planned large scale events at a university. We could see the similarities between those experiences and planning a wedding, so it’s understandable that for some people, there may be a temptation to plan your wedding on your own because the skills are transferable. We’re here to tell you that they’re really not! Every decision seems so important and personal, you’ll feel much more supported when you have an actual wedding professional to guide you. No amount of internet wedding checklists and tools can replace the experience, talent and support of a professional like Holly.

    So many of our guests said ours was the best wedding they’d ever been to, including their own! No detail was out of place, and the experience was seamless and perfectly encapsulated us as a couple. If you want a wedding planner who’s a kick-ass problem solver, an inspired creative, and a wonderful person who lives her values, you need to hire Holly!
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    Bojo B. Sent on 02/05/2023
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    A colorful orchestration of space that celebrates love in all its shades

    Wedding planning involves a lot of details, a lot of work. One can easily get lost in the weeds of things, forget what the big picture is all about, and totally miss out on the moments big and small leading to and on the day itself. Luckily, we had Holly with us every step of the way! As a one-woman force of nature who has surrounded herself with an amazing growing network of vendors who equally just “gets it,” Holly made the wedding planning process generally enjoyable and stress free. We are very busy folks and so while we wanted to pay attention to the wedding planning, we did not want it to take over our lives for an entire year. With Holly leading the charge, we were able to put together a concept, iterate, and turn it into reality with all the logistics it requires without spending hours upon hours worrying. The best way to describe the process: we only had to think about the wedding planning when Holly asked us to. Honestly, that there, is worth having Holly in your team.

    We had a seemingly quirky prompt of “bricks and bamboos; Legos and pandas” that we knew will baffle many run-of-the-mill wedding planners. Not Holly though. Having worked with other couples from the LGBTQ community before, Holly understands what “queering” weddings mean. We draw from while also question standards; we revere while also provoke traditions. Holly’s portfolio reflect these and we are glad to add a splash of Mondrian, panda bears, Lego bricks, and Filipino pride to the mix.

    She heard us and made sense of our ideas. She creatively explored options while also recognized our uncertainties. She pushed when needed but always made sure we were comfortable. She was professional while also being fun to be around. She translated & tempered our expectations, and coordinated & cared for our team of vendors. She assuaged our concerns, gave us time, and delivered as promised (and then some). She. Just. Gets. It.

    A week before our wedding day there was barely anything left to do or worry about. Our friends kept on asking us if there’s anything else they can help with leading to the wedding and we just responded with a shrug. Many were flabbergasted that we were so calm, not running around checking in on details or working on last minute stuff. A big reason why this is the case is because Holly had things covered since Day 1. Having built trust with each other through the months of working together, we knew everything will go well. If ever things go astray (which, btw, they did not), we knew that Holly and the rest of the team will smoothly roll with it and deliver. If like us you would rather focus on spending quality time with friends and family right before the wedding and not worry at all about the big day, then Holly’s got your back.

    On our wedding day, we remained calm allowing us to really savor each detail, each beat, and every single moment. Holly made sure everything ran smoothly. She made sure that we the couple, our guests, and our team of vendors were taken care of. The evening was filled with overwhelming love, sheer joy, and absolute fun. Every single detail that Holly worked on enabled all of us to focus on celebrating together as a community.

    Holly’s colorful orchestration created not only an event, but a space that spoke to and of us. It was a space that felt safe and welcoming. It was a space that enabled us to celebrate love in all its shades. Thank you, Holly!
  • Rob
    Rob F. Sent on 11/05/2022
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    Simply the best

    You will make hundreds, if not thousands, of decisions about your wedding. The absolute best decision we made was hiring Holly of ABGE as our planner, and doing it early in the process.

    Every other choice stemmed from Holly’s base of expertise, creativity, organizational skills, and network. She listened to our ideas and vision, and made them better than we ever could have hoped, in a way that felt fully, uniquely, and unmistakably us. Holly does not do cookie-cutter weddings!

    Over the course of more than a year, Holly got to know us, our personalities, and our tastes. She broke down the intimidating process into digestible tasks, spread out over key time periods, so we were never overwhelmed. We are an LGBTQ+ Jewish couple, and she incorporated our traditions and kept the whole experience inclusive, meaningful, and fun.

    With Holly comes a legion of inclusive professional relationships. She makes tailored recommendations on floral designers, photographers, stationers, beauty experts, clothing designers, and more.

    By encouraging us to be true to ourselves with every creative choice and hired vendor, Holly crafted the elevated, colorful, romantic fairytale wedding of our dreams. Simply put, she made magic happen.

    It would be enough to recommend ABGE by saying the end result was, according to our guests, the “best wedding ever” and “the Met Gala of weddings.” Our officiant, who has decades of experience, said it was the best he’d ever seen. And it was those things.

    But Holly was also a shoulder to cry on when life threw curveballs at us, and she was a steady hand to guide us through the emotional process of wedding planning. Her empathy was as essential as her creativity in making our wedding as special as it was.

    You can’t do better than Holly, seriously.
  • A
    Anthony A. Sent on 11/05/2022
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    Holly Gray will take you to another dimension!

    Holly is everything you want to help make your wedding day truly magical! We started planning with Holly prior to the pandemic, which pushed our wedding date several times. This made our wedding date 2 years later than planned. Nevertheless, Holly continued to work with us and made planning our engagement photo shoot and wedding simple and easy; she broke down everything that we needed to do in an organized manner. We love Disney and wanted to have a Tower of Terror theme. We were blown away at her ideas and the attention to detail that were intertwined throughout the ceremony and reception. It was so much fun getting to brainstorm ideas with her during our planning sessions. Her final vision helped to transform the venue into a spooky, run-down hotel that included our guests checking in at a registration desk. Our guests are still talking about how impressed they were with the all the details and theming. The multitude of vendors that were recommended by Holly are top-notch. The invitations, flowers, and a working elevator that was used for our grand entrance as well as a photo booth, were works of art. Know that if you have the opportunity to work with Holly you will not be disappointed!
  • Hailey
    Hailey C. Sent on 05/18/2022
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    Incredible, Personalized, Unique Wedding Planner!

    Okay, I'm gonna cut to the chase right from the jump: HIRE HOLLY GRAY!!!! Holly helped us, for over a year, plan a nearly 200 person wedding that was at a BEAST of a venue and never once did she bat an eye. She is capable of everything you throw at her and more. She leads her business with endless kindness and joy. She will take your ideas and vision and create an EXPERIENCE for your guests. She comes from being a stage manager and she treats the whole day like it's a big show. Truly, the majority of my guests told me that our wedding was the best wedding they've ever been to. As much as my wife and I would love to take sole credit for that, it was all Holly Gray and her team of incredible vendors. Someone literally said "Did Steven Speilberg direct this wedding?" No, even better. Holly Gray did. Now, what are you doing reading this review?! Go hire her!

    Anything But Gray Events's reply:

    Thank you, Hailey and Kimia! Simply put, you both were such a delight to work with. I am so proud to have gotten to "direct" your incredible wedding.
  • S
    Stephen L. Sent on 12/09/2021
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    Get yourself a Holly Gray!

    Holly Gray Events Review

    Where to begin with sweet Holly Gray! From start to finish, Holly had our best interests at heart, with advice and suggestions to ensure we were choosing the right vendors and making the right choices for our needs. She brings a big, fun energy, with a professionalism that gets the job done! Even though we had a very clear vision with what we wanted the aesthetic of the wedding to be, Holly helped us refine the details, knowing the space, and what would work best to achieve our dream wedding! She collaborated with our vendors and came up with the perfect creations for us. She was considerate, and caring, and took time with us. Holly kept us well informed of the ongoing changes and challenges 2021 brought to the wedding industry, and communicated with our venue and vendors with every aspect of the wedding. Holly provides this incredible support that you don’t realize you need until you’re in the thick of planning your wedding! Once the big day arrived, we had the most spectacular day, and are still talking about how magical every little detail was! We truly could not have managed every aspect of our wedding with the style and grace that Holly did. We cannot recommend enough that you all get yourselves a Holly Gray for your big day!

    From the bottom of our hearts - Holly, thank you for everything.

    Anything But Gray Events's reply:

    Stephen and Jared,

    Your Showboy wedding was a dream! I wish we could do it again every year! Thank you for being such kind, fun, and collaborative people.
  • Julia
    Julia W. Sent on 08/28/2021
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    Are you getting married? Do you love color? Book Holly ASAP!

    Holly helped us plan our 2020 wedding… and then helped plan It again for 2021. Doing literally anything in the middle of a pandemic is hard, (like putting on pants for a Zoom call), so having to plan and then postpone a wedding is, let’s just say, VERY hard.

    Though we were in the unknown, Holly was there for us every step of the way. Any questions we had, even if not directly wedding-planning-related, Holly went above and beyond with her willingness to help.

    Holly hooked us up with the greatest vendor team in the biz, and communicated with them from start to finish. Though we had many Zoom calls, she made an effort to meet (safely masked and 6ft apart) when we could for the larger moments like venue walkthroughs, a flower market visit and multiple wedding dress alterations.

    Throughout 2020-2021, Holly was a huge believer in approaching events with a safety-first mindset, and advocated for Covid-safe protocols. We dealt with family drama, masking mandates, the inside vs. outside gathering debacle, needing to downsize our guest count, and all of the other hurdles the pandemic threw our way. With how cautious Holly had been, we fully trusted her call for when it ultimately was safe for us to get married.

    The day of our wedding turned out exactly how we had hoped, and we have Holly to thank for that. It felt joyful, full of color, and truly was Anything But Gray.

    Anything But Gray Events's reply:

    Julia and Jackson,

    Thank you for your kind words. It was truly my pleasure. Your wedding was worth the wait! All the colors, all the joy, all the creativity. It was a joy to work with you both from beginning to end. Your love and respect for each other is so admirable. I can't wait to see the next steps life has in store for your lives. Don't be strangers, J & J!!
  • Matthew
    Matthew B. Sent on 09/18/2021
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    The Short Of It: Three cheers for Holly Gray!

    The Long Of It: We got engaged in 2019 and set our wedding date... UNKNOWINGLY RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF PANDEMIC. Holly Gray was a beacon of rainbow light in the midst of the last year! Her stellar creative mind, sharp organization and buoyant demeanor kept us on task from planning through our wedding day. Honestly, any butterflies we had dissipated whenever we brought concerns up to Holly, knowing we had such a pro in our corner.

    Holly's strength lies in accurately accessing her client's style and their needs, adjusting how involved she is in each phase of the project. My wife is very crafty and artistic... Holly recommended vendors but then let my wife create many of our designs and paper goods, giving excellent critiques and suggestions when needed. For things we didn't want to DIY, Holly knew exactly who to call, and had worked with pretty much everyone before, so we knew they were going to be great. One only has to look at her Instagram to see her bold and strong wedding brand. You cannot place yourselves in better hands.

    We had so many guests coming up to us and telling us they could not believe how much they had at our wedding. It was truly a magical night spent in the arms of my now wife and we owe it all to Holly. If you are looking for a planner you can absolutely trust to get things done, get them done right, and make the process fun even during the stress of a pandemic, HOLLY IS THE ONE!!

    The Long Of It: We got engaged in 2019 and set our wedding date... UNKNOWINGLY RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF PANDEMIC. Holly Gray was a beacon of rainbow light in the midst of the last year! Her stellar creative mind, sharp organization and buoyant demeanor kept us on task from planning through our wedding day. Honestly, any butterflies we had dissipated whenever we brought concerns up to Holly, knowing we had such a pro in our corner.

    Holly's strength lies in accurately accessing her client's style and their needs, adjusting how involved she is in each phase of the project. My wife is very crafty and artistic... Holly recommended vendors but then let my wife create many of our designs and paper goods, giving excellent critiques and suggestions when needed. For things we didn't want to DIY, Holly knew exactly who to call, and had worked with pretty much everyone before, so we knew they were going to be great. One only has to look at her Instagram to see her bold and strong wedding brand. You cannot place yourselves in better hands.

    We had so many guests coming up to us and telling us they could not believe how much they had at our wedding. It was truly a magical night spent in the arms of my now wife and we owe it all to Holly. If you are looking for a planner you can absolutely trust to get things done, get them done right, and make the process fun even during the stress of a pandemic, HOLLY IS THE ONE!!

    Anything But Gray Events's reply:

    Thank you for the kind words, Matt. I love that you stated them twice to get your point across! The more love the merrier! Vendor matchmaking for my clients is something I am super passionate about. I am glad you felt taken care of and supported by everyone involved, especially while trying to navigate during a pandemic and postponement challenges. You both were always so kind, understanding, and patient. The feeling of love and adoration is completely mutual.
  • J
    Jeffrey D. Sent on 06/29/2021
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    Best decision ever

    Everything we could have hoped for and SO MUCH MORE! Holly helped us plan our SURPRISE wedding and it was magical. She fulfilled our dream of having a no-stress wedding and especially if you are thinking about having a nontraditional wedding, LOOK NO FURTHER --> Holly is the person for you! She planned/coordinated our surprise wedding in 3 months, and it turned out more perfect than we could have imagined.

    When our wedding plans had to change due to COVID, Holly sold us from the beginning: her energy, ideas, and professionalism fit exactly what we needed. From beginning to end, Holly helped us through EVERYTHING including finding/connecting us to vendors (we already had some but we loved all of the vendors she connected us to), helping us find clothes, coordinating EVERYTHING with the venue, but keeping our vision and details in mind. And then on top of that, she added surprises for us to incorporate the Disney magic that we were originally going to have before COVID.

    Holly took our idea and made it happen. She had everything planned from beginning to end but had the flexibility to adjust as needed. But most importantly, she made us feel loved and supported through this potentially very overwhelming process and kept us engaged and excited to allow us to fully enjoy our special night. We love Holly and it was the best decision we made for our wedding.
  • R
    Ramzi Z. Sent on 04/15/2019
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    Holly Gray is the absolute best!

    There are not enough great things I can say about Holly and Anything But Gray Events! We just got married in Palm Springs and live on the East Coast. Holly navigated us through the entire process with grace and ease. We gave her a high level vision of what we wanted and trusted her to make it happen. She nailed every decision, big or small, and the whole wedding went off without a hitch. She took care of everything day-of and we didn't have to lift a finger. All of the vendors she linked us with were great and the one time we had a small hiccup Holly had it solved immediately! There is no way we could have done it without her and her team.

    If you want your event to have to have that wow factor (and lots of color) Holly is the only choice! We're sad we don't get to work with her anymore now that the wedding is over, but she'll be our first call next time we have a major event to plan!

    Anything But Gray Events's reply:

    Thank you so much for your kind words. Working you with and EJ was my absolute pleasure. A pink flamingo wedding in Palm Springs was made for you both!
  • Em Hantke
    Em Hantke Sent on 11/13/2021
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    Hire this woman

    Listen, I wish my review could just be me reaching through your screen, grabbing you by the shoulders, looking into your eyes and intensely whispering, “HIRE. HOLLY.” I already knew she did good work since she planned my sister in law’s wedding, but I had no idea just how far above and beyond she’d go to give us our perfect day.

    From the first meeting, she was professional, fun, and really LISTENED to what we wanted. There were a few aspects of our wedding that we were really picky about, but mostly we had no idea what we were doing. I don’t have an eye for design, but I know what I like. We were able to describe the general vibe we were going for, and she NAILED IT. From the design to the rentals, to the venue itself, everything was spot on.

    At the beginning of the planning process, she would send us a list of vendors for us to interview, we’d make our selection, and she’d do the dirty work of declining the others and sending me the contract. Every referral was so good, by the end of the process she’d just suggest a name and I’d say, “Book it! I trust you!” For the things we were picky about (like food and drinks) she’d work with us and go through every detail. For the things we cared less about (like florals) she’d suggest a vendor, choose the design, and just send us the paperwork for approval. We were as hands-on or hands-off as we wanted to be, which allowed us to focus on the fun parts of planning.

    Our wedding was originally booked for October of 2020. When we made the tough decision to postpone, she reached out to all our vendors, cross-referenced their 2021 availability dates, and sent us a list of all the dates that would work. The woman basically COPIED AND PASTED our wedding on a new date. We didn’t lose a single vendor! Better yet, she kept in communication with the vendors, got the new paperwork, kept track of any additional payments/deposits, and kept everything organized for us.

    Holly also had some great suggestions when we needed advice. For example, I wanted a way to honor my late father without bumming everybody out. She arranged to have the catering company (who were serving tacos) make my dad’s famous salsa recipe, and had our paper goods vendor create a sign board with his recipe printed on it. When my sister took a bite she exclaimed, “This is dad’s salsa! They nailed it!” I never would have thought of such a fun and touching way to honor my father; it was perfect.

    The day itself went off without a hitch. If there were problems, we didn’t know about them! Every vendor showed up on time, everything was high-quality, and it was a blast. Our guests couldn’t stop talking about how cool the venue was, how fun the event was, how everything was so uniquely US. My uncle later told me he’d never seen a bride so relaxed on her wedding day. I told him, “It’s because I didn’t have to worry about anything!” And I truly didn’t. Yesterday my husband asked me, “Would you have done anything differently?” My honest answer was, “I wish I would have asked for more salsa and cilantro on my tacos.”

    Having Holly with us through the process allowed us to focus on celebrating and enjoying our wedding. Thank you for being our superhero!

    Anything But Gray Events's reply:

    Thank you for the very kind words, Em. Working with you and Scott was my pleasure. And sadly, as someone who has also lost her father, my heart went out to you. I wanted to make sure you knew and felt his presence on your special day in a way that felt authentic and meaningful to you. Skip's salsa will live on forever in our hearts and tastebuds.
  • Joe
    Joe G. Sent on 11/26/2019
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    Fly Away with Holly!

    Look no further: hire Holly as your wedding planner! Holly helped us create our dream Pan Am wedding that took over a year to put together.

    When Holly began the planning process, she helped us stay focused on having a wedding in which our guests would think, "Wow, that's so Adam and Joe!" every step of the way. The end result was a beautiful blend of my love of midcentury modern aesthetics and my husband's lifelong passion for aviation that took our breath - and that of our guests - away!

    Holly kept us on task over the course of our engagement with reasonable, bite-sized amounts of work on our end of the wedding planning bargain. In fact, we literally had nothing to do the last week before wedding because we got everything done, giving us the time to simply enjoy the precious few moments of that special period that fly by so quickly!

    Holly also has deep ties with great vendors, from photographers to paper goods to photobooth creators to the entire team at Pan Am Experience, who made our special day so extraordinary. When you work with Holly, you know you're getting the best of the best; there's no time for amateur hour!

    We can't sing Holly's praises enough!

    Anything But Gray Events's reply:

    Thank you so much A & J for trusting me to take your Pan Am vision and run with it. Your wedding was unique and reflected both of your personalities so well. Congratulations to these forever co-pilots!
  • Kiley
    Kiley D. Sent on 01/09/2020
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    The Fairy Godmother of Weddings!

    Where do we even begin? Holly was wonderful from our very first Skype with her. She made us feel comfortable and was asking us all the right questions. She was even taking notes and we had not even hired her yet! Once we hired her I knew it was one of the best decisions I had ever made...besides marrying my fiance (now husband). Holly was there for us through every. single. step. She helped with the creative process and came up with some magical ideas! She recommended our incredible team of vendors. Most importantly, she kept us on track. For two people that work a lot of hours and planning a wedding Holly was the perfect person to help make everything happen in a timely manner! She was so organized and had helpful tools to guide us a long the way. We couldn't recommend her enough. Do NOT hesitate to reach out to her if you are planning a wedding and want things to go absolutely perfect. Literally not one thing went wrong during our big and it is all because of Holly!
  • K
    Kaitlin S. Sent on 03/24/2019
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    19 days to plan a destination wedding

    19 days to plan a destination wedding. A daunting task, but Holly made it seem easy. We barely had a venue secured, much less flowers, photographer, band, dj or anything else. While we did our day jobs in Australia, which included traveling every week for 4 weeks before our wedding, Holly did hers in LA - and made it all happen. With only a few calls (and lots of follow up emails) she made sure we were on track, and locked down everything we needed for a fantastic day. She set up the video conferences so that she could see us "in person" even though we didn't actually meet until two days before the wedding. This really helped us connect and feel like we were in the right hands.

    She struck a balance of rolling with the punches and making sure the key elements were in place for the day. With her extensive network, she was able to give us a few (excellent) choices for key vendors so we could make decisions quickly and feel comfortable that everything would be great. She visited the venue with the vendors and worked out how to set up and break down so that we got the most possible time and made some key suggestions about how to set up and decorate so that the backyard patio of a bar became an amazing haven just for us. Her styling and layout for the venue really pulled it all together.

    She was unflappable as we came up with crazy ideas, and helped make them happen - including helping my partner to get an ice cream truck as a surprise for me! She was the reassuring presence I needed when I freaked out about my dress, and was just focused on making sure that I felt happy and confident for the day.

    By the time the day arrived everything was all set and went incredibly smoothly. She made sure we stayed hydrated, and that we got a few moments to ourselves, to pause and take it in. Her experience was so key as she was able to just be where she needed to be to support and help me without it ever feeling like we had a wedding planner hovering and directly everything from a clipboard. I got several comments of amazement at how well I'd pulled it all off, which really all comes down to hiring Holly at the beginning.

    Anything But Gray Events's reply:

    You gave me one of the best challenging of my wedding planner career - 19 days till I do. K & L, your brunch wedding in a bar was upbeat, colorful, and so much fun to help plan! Thank you for letting me take this planning journey with you!
  • S
    Stephen Sent on 09/27/2016
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    Holly has been nothing but professional and a great coordinator. We first met her at our event open house and we recommend her to all of our clients. If you are looking for a great wedding planner Holly is the perfect choice!

    Anything But Gray Events's reply:

    Thank you for the kind words Stephen!
  • kimberly
    Kimberly Sent on 10/14/2019
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    Thank you, Holly!

    Tomorrow marks one year since my husband and I tied the knot with the help of the most amazing wedding planner ever. In thinking about how fantastic our wedding turned out, I couldn’t let another day (or year, oops!) go by without writing a review for the woman who made it happen.

    My husband and I booked our venue first and soon after came to the conclusion that we needed professional help! Holly came to the rescue and turned our blank slate of a city venue into something truly unique and special. I was so worried that our venue would come across as generic or drab. Well, these are two words that are not in Holly’s vocabulary! She transformed the man-made lake outside into a magical work of art complete with a balloon installation that lit up in bright colors at night. Our guests were blown away by this (as were we)! She suggested an old-school Volkswagen van that doubles as a photo-booth as a fun and quirky way of getting our guests engaged. And she knew just how to dress up the interior of our venue in a way that conveyed class without being pretentious or gaudy.

    Holly is a true professional. She has amassed an extensive network of vendors and knows just the right person or company with which to put you in contact to suit your individual wishes. Every single vendor that Holly recommended was amazing. It’s incredible that from sitting down and meeting with us she was able to get such a feel for our unique needs that she gave us just the right people to contact. She also helped to keep us focused. My husband and I can both be a bit of procrastinators (case in point, writing this review)! By giving us timelines and specific dates, she helped turn a potentially stressful and overwhelming process into something fun and manageable.

    The way in which Holly handled the inevitable challenges that come with planning any major event truly speaks to her level of professionalism. When it turned out that certain elements of our decor would have significantly increased our costs, Holly put in the extra effort to scale back to meet our needs without compromising quality. She was seemlessly able to work with the restrictions that come with using a city venue and all the while maintaining a cheerful and motivating exterior.

    Overall, we couldn’t have been happier with the work that Holly did for us for our wedding. She is not only an exceptional wedding planner, but an exceptional human being and we are truly blessed to have chosen her as our guide through this journey.
  • Keri
    Keri B. Sent on 12/02/2018
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    Making the Impossible Possible

    We hired Anything But Gray Events to assist in wedding coordinating for three months prior to our wedding and the day of. I am an extremely detail oriented person so I had already thought through many details but what you don't think about are the things that make it all come together, like bathrooms haha! We had our ceremony and reception at two different venues which alone would be difficult to coordinate but on top of that one of our venues was an off the grid stargazing retreat so we really had to have everything brought in! Holly and her team were amazing at bringing ALL of our vendors together and making sure the day went off seamlessly! Everything was on time and coordinated to a T! Holly was also wonderful at providing me recommendations for anything and everything that I hadn't thought of yet and/or needed, she is a wealth of recommendations. Hight recommended especially if are looking to make the seemingly impossible possible! Thank you Anything But Gray Events!
  • C
    Chia Sent on 09/12/2018
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    We had the pleasure of working with Holly Gray for our entire wedding planning process. We initially spoke with Holly on the phone and she was very bubbly and friendly! She didn't pressure us into making a decision, but rather encouraged us to talk to other planners to get a feel for what we wanted. Narrowing down a wedding planner can be difficult, so ultimately we chose Holly not just because her work looked and sounded impressive, but because of her personality. She really clicked with us as a couple and we loved that about her. Because realistically whom ever we chose, would heavily be involved in our lives for the next year, so we wanted to make sure we had a great connection.

    After we locked down Holly, we jumped right into it! She had lots of recommendations for every aspect of a wedding; flowers, videographers, photographers, cake, music, makeup, hair, etc. Holly accompanied us on our initial meetings with the vendors and spoke true to our vision. She always had our best interest in mind and made us feel comfortable every step of the way. Which is extremely important because this occasion should be done exactly the way you pictured it. There are hundreds of major and minor decisions to make, that it can be hard to feel confident in your choices. It was always nice to hear that we were on the right track and everything would be okay.

    On our actual wedding day, it was surreal to see everything come together. It was in this moment that we finally realized that the endless amount of e-mails and several months of planning was all worth it. Holly was running around like crazy and making sure everything was in place and exactly how it should be. The day was so perfect and if there were any hiccups or mishaps, we didn't notice a thing. That's why you hire a wedding planner! She is an absolute gem and organized the most perfect day we could have ever imagined. It was a dream come true!

    Thank you Holly!

  • K
    Kelly Sent on 08/08/2018
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    Best. Decision. Ever.

    My mom and sister were freaking out when they realized I had barely done anything to plan for the wedding just 3-4 months out. We all agreed it would be good to get some help and were referred to Holly. And we all agree there was no way we could’ve pulled it off without her!

    The venue I booked was beautiful and unique but was “DIY” (you have to bring in everything). Having not planned a wedding before I had no idea what that really meant until we brought Holly on board. Holly was familiar with the venue and the potential challenges we may have (e.g. it can get dark so add some uplights, we need to bring in our own trash cans) and I really think it would have been a disaster had we not thought of these things. Her planning regarding safety and convenience (the things we also may have overlooked had we not had her) were incredibly helpful as well. Her great attention to detail was essential!

    She had a solid understanding of timing (both in planning stages, event day, post event) various wedding components (official, dancing, speakers, eating, drinking, etc) that again, we would not have thought about without her. She had excellent vendor recommendations – she really understood my style and what was going for even after just 1 or 2 conversations.

    On the wedding day I really appreciated how Holly was very relaxed and cool which made me feel the same. She exemplified complete discretion and a ‘behind-the-scenes’ approach which made it feel very organized and seamless.

    The day of was absolutely perfect. Our guests are STILL talking about how great the wedding was. I never thought I would be one to hire a wedding planner but now I have no idea how someone could have a wedding without one. I would recommend Holly to anyone getting married in the LA area 100%.
  • I
    Ithamar Sent on 12/10/2017
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    When my wife and I were getting ready to plan our wedding, we thought, "we could do this by ourselves!" Thankfully, we didn't. And even MORE thankfully, we went with Holly. Holly made the potentially super stressful process into a smooth and calm experience. And on the actual wedding day, everything went beyond our expectations and hopes for the big day. Holly's expertise and personal touches helped us find other great vendors too!

    It's so cliche to say that your wedding day is the best day of your life, but now I know why. It is definitely the best day of my life and that is in no small part due to working with Holly.
  • A
    Amie Sent on 12/09/2017
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    The best decision we could have made when beginning to plan our wedding was to call Holly at Anything But Gray Events! From our very first conversation she helped me to feel so relaxed and excited about the wedding. Planning can be stressful, and Holly could not have been more supportive, professional, and reassuring that everything was going to be perfect... and it was! We went with all of Holly's recommended vendors and - wow! - they beyond exceeded our expectations! When we decided a week before the wedding that we wanted live entertainment for cocktail hour, Holly worked some kind of magic to get us the best magicians in Los Angeles, which blew our guests away (they are still talking about it)! Even more incredible was that Holly respected our budget by not going over it and still gave us a glamorous, old Hollywood style wedding that we dreamed of. Our goal on our wedding day was to eat, enjoy every moment, to not get overwhelmed, to dance as much as possible, and to have FUN. That is exactly how the day and night went, and we will forever be grateful to Anything But Gray Events for making it all possible. We will never forget those moments. I truly cannot recommend Holly enough!

    Anything But Gray Events's reply:

    Amie and Ithamar,

    Your wedding was a Hollywood dream! I mean look at those photos. You two are glowing. Thank you for letting me be apart of your big day. That dance floor was packed! What a glamourous and magical evening. Literally. Thank you for the very kind words. All my best! xo
  • A
    Amanda Sent on 11/20/2017
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    If you're reading this, stop, and just hire Holly. If you want statements to back up this opinion, read on! Holly is a wonderful blend of qualities that you don't always find together. She is structured and creative, enthusiastic but not overbearing, strong and sympathetic, honest but fair and supportive. She's the very best person to have in your corner on your big day (and it's so much more than one day!). Seriously, thank God I didn't try to do this on my own. When you hire Holly you get organizational skills and professionalism, and you get access to her team of trusted vendors. The woman knows EVERYONE and is a matchmaker when it comes to pairing you with people she thinks will "get" you. Everyone she brought onto the team was wonderful. My wedding day, I got to relax for hair and makeup with my mom and bridesmaids. We were relaxed, because I knew that Holly and her team were at the venue making sure everything was perfect, which is frankly priceless. Holly dealt with me during health issues and job changes and stress. She handled it like a champ, keeping us on budget & tracking everything. She's hard-working and a great person to boot. If you're on the fence about whether or not to hire a wedding planner, the answer is you should. If you're on the fence about which wedding planner to hire, the answer is Holly, assuming you're looking to make your day special, colorful and creative. I couldn't have trusted a better professional for the job. Holly is worth it!

    Anything But Gray Events's reply:

    Amanda, you bring me to tears. Thank you so much for these words. It truly means so much to me to know your wedding day was everything you and Mike hoped for. If I could put you two in a magic machine and clone you to make all my future clients I would in a heartbeat.
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