Black Swan Events Reviews
Reviews
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![Rachel]()
Rachel Sent on 11/16/2020The Best Investment We Have Ever Made
If there is one investment you make in your wedding, it should be with Gabrielle and Black Swan Events. She was the saving grace of our big day, especially during COVID wedding times. This woman is more than a wedding planner, she is driven, organized, and the steady hand we all needed during the uncertain times. Not once did Jordan and I feel worried or scared about our wedding. If plans needed to change, she made sure to have multiple other solutions before we had a chance to panic. One thing that makes her stand out among everyone else, is Gabrielle cares. She deeply cares for her clients and puts you at the top of her priority list. She is extremely established and well versed and there is not one detail missed. She will take your vision and make your wedding dreams come true. If you are looking for a wedding planner, look no further Gabrielle is your girl. -
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Christopher Sent on 11/08/2022
Gabrielle made our Wedding come true.
My wife and I were nearly halfway through planning our Victorian Gothic Wedding till things had become so hectic that we felt like this wedding was going to be way over our heads. After realizing they we may have bitten off more than we could chew, we were referred to Gabrielle Lennartz from Black Swan Events. She has so much knowledge and experience in multiple types of weddings. She gave us so many ideas and things to decide, thing that we never knew we should've planned. If it weren't for her all those fine details could have potentially ruined our weddings. Gabrielle took what work we had done and fined tuned it and made it a cohesive and wonderful wedding. She referred us to an awesome photographer, Jon from Atelier Photography, and they both built a timeline for our wedding to make sure that every minute was used to its fullest. Thanks to her, our wedding was a great success. We highly recommend Gabrielle to anyone looking to have a professional, wonderful, and smooth wedding on their special day. -
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![Taryn]()
Taryn Sent on 11/27/2021Amazing experience
We were so fortunate to get to work with Gabrielle and Black Swan Events. I truly can't say enough good things about our experience. I am not a planner and have a very busy more than full time job, so the thought of a wedding was daunting. Gabrielle made it so doable and even fun. The vendors she found for us to work with were second to none and the day of was stunning and from my perspective seamless!! She was easy to communicate with and willing to talk to not only me but our parents through the process. She was quick to reach out to vendors to help keep us on task and on time. I can't say enough good things, we had a backyard wedding and it felt like we had rented a venue with how smoothly it ran and the decor was beyond my dreams! Many people approached me the following days simply to say it was the best wedding they had been to! I highly recommend Gabrielle!! -
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Meera Sent on 07/27/2021
Wedding that finally happened!
Given CoVID my now husband and I went through numerous hurdles trying to even have a wedding. We’ve had to change city locations, push back dates and even last minute venue change one week prior to the wedding. Despite the venue change last minute for our 100 guest count Gabrielle (Black Swan Events) made it happen! Gabrielle was up for the challenge, she reached out to all her contacts for us, and she kept the positivity alive in such a stressful situation in the end helping us have the wedding of our dreams! We definitely were lucky to have Black Sean Events! -
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![Kasi]()
Kasi Sent on 02/15/2021Exceptional Service From An Exceptional Woman
Words cannot begin to describe how much I appreciated having Gabrielle be apart of our big day. Planning a wedding is no easy task to begin with, let alone planning a wedding during Covid...in less than a months time, yet Gabrielle handled it with such precision and professionalism. Due to Covid restrictions during the early stages of our wedding planning I thought “it’s a small wedding, there will be no need to hire a planner” but that could not be further from the truth, and I was so thankful that Gabrielle was there to help me. Not only is she so well educated on the wedding/event industry, she has built relationships with countless vendors to ensure everyone you hire for your big day is well vetted, professional and reliable. However, if you have chosen your own vendors she is more than willing to accommodate and help ease their way as well. One of our main concerns while dealing with COVID was ensuring the guests we invited all felt comfortable and were still able to enjoy their time. Gabrielle thought of everything! we had “social bubble” seating charts, our dinner was served in the most elegant picknik wine baskets, and all of our cutlery and dinnerware was all disposable. Gabrielle went out of her way to source all of these materials and even brought my fiancé and I a trial basket before the big day, Just so we could get a feel of what it would be like for our guests. Your wedding day happens once, and truly goes by in the blink of an eye. You can trust that Gabrielle will ensure the whole event runs seamlessly and on time. Do yourself a favor and make the whole experience more enjoyable, and let Gabrielle worry about the details, you won’t regret it!
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![Lexie]()
Lexie Sent on 10/06/2020Dream Wedding Despite Last-Minute Replans & Pandemic
Gabrielle came in and saved the day!
We had been planning our wedding for over a year and we were determined to DIY it to simplicity and on a very tight. Although we thought we were on top of it, with wedding planning binders & blogs, we simply could not anticipate the complexities of actually planning a wedding… let alone planning during a PANDEMIC!
One and a half months to the Big Day and we suddenly found ourselves on our THIRD venue and quickly had to reduce our wedding guest list from 150 (which was 200 to start) down to 25 to accommodate the county’s COVID-19 regulations.
That’s when we requested some help from a Fairy Godmother, Gabrielle with Black Swan Events! You guys, she’s a miracle worker and a God send!!!
With very little time to our wedding date, Gabrielle quickly organized our dreams and desires into our eventual Quaint COVID Backyard Wedding. Before I knew there was an issue, Gabrielle had a solution, blowing my mind away with its elegance, simplicity, affordability and all done with grace. Gabrielle’s organization is impeccable and she is really on top of it.
She provides lists and information that allow you to know what needs to be taken care of and will regularly check-in with you in case you get busy with other life events or work, just making sure the necessities are being covered. This truly reduces the last-minute stress we hear so much about. Gabrielle’s hard work allowed us minimal, if any, stress leading up to our wedding!
She’s also very cautious not to overwhelm you and constantly reminds you that you don’t have to make any decisions if you aren’t ready. “It’s completely up to you” and “Whatever you choose to do” were repeated to me frequently. (Again, it was a quick re-plan of our previous 3 re-plannings!) In the end, she makes sure you know all of your options, even the ones you didn’t think about, so that you can make the right decision for you and your partner.
Gabrielle is WELL RESEARCHED and EDUCATED in all of the rapidly changing regulations through this pandemic. This comes at no surprise because she is always on top of the situation and prepared for what is coming long before it becomes an issue.
We had enlisted one of our favorite catering companies for our wedding at the beginning of our planning. However, with the pandemic going on, they were required to limit their services to drop-off services only. Gabrielle never skipped a beat and immediately devised a plan AND saved us money in the process. She has all of the resources for all of your rental and purchasing needs and she will never insist that you spend excessive amounts to make your dream what you desire!
One of the toughest parts of planning a wedding is making every family member feel heard and showing them their opinions matter. For Gabrielle, this is no challenge at all. She kindly acknowledges your family member and seamlessly incorporates their dreams with yours without ever making you or your family member feel compromised.
On the Big Day, Gabrielle was a wizard at with handling everything that was coming in and managing all of the details in the background all while making sure she was fully available for all direction and concerns throughout the day yet also nearly invisible during intimate moments with our family. She works well in the background and anticipates your concerns.
In the end, we had a beautiful backyard wedding that honored our families that was better suited to our personalities and our dream than we had even imagined, even pre-COVID. We were able to live stream and record the event in order to include our loved ones that could not attend either due to health concerns, travel or county guidelines. It was the most beautiful and perfect event, more than we could have ever imagined. And this is all because of Gabrielle’s hard work (though, she makes it look incredibly easy!).
This isn’t the first event organized by Gabrielle that we have been a part of and it certainly won’t be the last. She has a kind, caring and compassionate soul and her dream is to make your dream happen. You can tell that this is truly what makes her happy and fills her soul.
With Gabrielle, your vision and your desire for your special event is the everything she works toward achieving. -
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![Meghana]()
Meghana Sent on 09/22/2020Our Dream Wedding - Part 1 - COVID Edition
With COVID in mind, we wanted a small wedding with our closest family members with plans of a bigger celebration to follow in 2022. We hired Gabby for the 2022 celebration but as she said in the very beginning when we hired her: "I do it all, from now until the big day. It's all inclusive." She is a true professional and helped us bring this intimate backyard (and very impromptu wedding) to life -- and in a matter of weeks!
Her genuine character, passion for her work and the extra effort she always puts forth is immeasurable. We feel like the only couple she is working with and are consistently comforted with her full-undivided presence and attention. More than just doing the job effectively, her way of relating to love is touching, real and remarkable. She brings that touch and intention into her work and it shows. Moreover, her ops and logistics trained brain helped us tremendously to stay on top of our timeline and responsibilities.
Gabby/Black Swan is not a flashy or super branded company but rather is someone who will be your true partner in making your day a wonderful memory for your lifetime. You won't regret working with her! -
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Kylie Sent on 08/31/2020
Covid-bride
HIRE GABRIELLE! I planned a wedding of 35 people at the end of August 2020 during all the corona virus craziness. Gabrielle was fantastic to work with. I was very skeptical that I needed a day of coordinator but once we hired her we decided it was the best decision we made. Her communication was top-notch, very consistent, extremely detailed. Her knowledge and advice about weddings was incredible. She brought things up that I would never think about, down to the very last detail. Gabrielle went above and beyond to make sure we were taken care of and our wedding went extremely smooth. When you hire Gabrielle you are hiring someone who truly cares about you and your wedding, you will not regret it! -
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Marti Sent on 12/12/2019
Wedding Revisited
Gabrielle from Black Swan events was a partner from the beginning. We always knew that we wanted a wedding redo with an intimate feel and hosted at our home, because when we originally go married we just eloped. She listened to us, and did amazing things with the parameters we gave her. A formal sit down type reception wasn't our style. Gabrielle helped us create a flowing open house reception, which was just perfect for us.
The planning process was extensive, from figuring out parking, where and what seating we could have, menus, decorations, and music.
She helped us solve every problem and anticipated others before they even happened. Gabrielle has a seemingly endless supply of vendors, all of whom love to work with her, and she had wonderful ideas for getting the most out of our budget. We loved every idea she proposed, and she was so good working with us for tweaking any ideas so they fit for us.
We wanted to take a really active role in our planning. Gabrielle completely respected that and worked with us along every step of the planning as well as on the day of the event. Her expertise and guidance allowed us do what we were comfortable with and she handled the rest.
Our wedding revisited was exactly what we wanted and we could not have done it without her. -
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Laura Sent on 12/03/2019
Gabrielle was a fantastic wedding planner!!
Gabrielle Lennartz with Black Swan Events was so professional, knowledgeable, and personable. She supported us each step of the way, brainstormed ideas to create the wedding that fit us, thought of so many details, and handled vendors before and day of wedding to make it all go seamlessly. We got to just be immersed in the moment and didn't have to worry about anything. It was the perfect day. I would highly recommend Gabrielle to anyone planning a special event. She is also very reasonably priced, and makes herself completely available. -
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Greg Sent on 12/02/2019
A wedding guide and planner for a beautiful, stress-free wedding
Gabrielle from Black Swan Events was an amazing guide to all that is needed to plan a wedding, especially one not hosted by a venue. From the other side of the country, she helped us find and coordinate the vendors needed to have our wedding at our own 253 year old farm house. She reviewed each contract and on several occasions kept us from spending extra money in areas where vendors overlapped such as glassware and linens between the rental company and the caterer. She also gave us a ton of great decoration ideas since we were starting with a blank slate in an open field, she threw everything that came to mind out there and we chose or modified her ideas to make a truly beautiful setting.
Gabrielle is a go-getting, she gets stuff done! On the day of, she was way ahead of schedule and knew what to delegate to whom in the wedding party to get the decorations assembled, and the flowers from our garden arranged on the tables. Weddings can be stressful, and when we expected the morning to be the worst, we actually found ourselves relaxing with our friends and a drink because it was all taken care of. You only get married once, and we found the best planner for any wedding! -
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![Tulsee]()
Tulsee Sent on 08/20/2019Expertise and efficiency!
Gabrielle Dowding and Black Swan Events were crucial to our wedding planning and execution process. Gabrielle has so much energy, and she leverages that energy to drive many intertwined pieces of the wedding planning process. I appreciated her attention and availability every step of the way. I never realized how many details go into planning a single event, or even a single moment, of the wedding. Gabrielle’s expertise, skill, and efficiency led us to identify all the pieces we needed to make the wedding such a beautiful and everlasting memory. -
Varun Sent on 04/07/2019
Great wedding team and flawless execution
Gabrielle Dowding and Black Swan were amazing during our wedding. We had complicated fusion wedding spanning couple of days including Sangeet (musical evening), followed by Baraat (Groom comes on a horse for the wedding accompanied by people dancing on the streets), Indian wedding, American wedding and Reception. Execution and planning were flawless including all design ideas for decor, arranging all vendors and great execution and monitoring during the events. I strongly recommend Gabrielle and team for having a fabulous and flawless wedding!!! -
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Ann-Marie Sent on 12/21/2018
Black Swan Events Is Simply the Best
I have hired Black Swan Events for several private and corporate events. Without fail Gabrielle turns an average occasion in to a very memorable event both on time and on budget. She brings to the table unique ideas, decades of deep industry contacts and expertise and an attention to logistical detail that allows me to relax and have fun knowing she is in charge. I will never stop using her for my most important family milestone events. Bravo Black Swan! -
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Tayler Sent on 12/01/2018
Gabrielle is one of the most wonderful people I have ever met. She is easy to work with and had an enormous amount of knowledge about the industry.
Planning my wedding in less than 4 months was a breeze thanks to Gabrielle. She is quick on her feet, very articulate and easy to work with. My happiest day was bliss because of her amazing work. I had not a single worry in the world that day. -
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![Katie]()
Katie Sent on 11/23/2018A wealth of experience- everything you could ask for in a wedding planner!
Gabrielle of Black Swan Events is the wedding planner of your dreams!
She’s not only incredible at managing every technical detail of your big day - she is emapathetic and an incredible manager of people (from vendors to in-laws). She has the ability to anticipate everyone’s needs, especially those of the couple.
Our wedding was a two-day affair, complete with multiple event sites and an overnight camp-out. When I first started planning, I was so overwhelmed and stressed out, I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it all.
Once I had Gabrielle in my corner, all those worries disappeared, and all I had to do was look forward to getting married! Every bride should be so lucky! Book her while you can - her schedule fills up fast! -
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Emily Sent on 10/25/2018
A Beach Wedding of a Life time
Planning a wedding out of the country, much less on a tropical beach sounds romantic and beautiful but it was also very challenging! When out daughter asked for a her dream wedding at a beach in Tulum Mexico, like all parents we wanted to give her dream. None of us had any idea what it would entail, even in a " fully inclusive resort." Customs, language barriers and logistics for the wedding as well as managing costs made it clear we wanted a professional planner working with us. The resort had very good people but their first loyality was to make the resort money. Hiring Gabrielle ensured that our vision
happened and on budget. 1 month after the wedding I found we had been double billed by the resort!!! Just as she had helped us with so many other unexpected twists and turns, she got the funds returned.
because of her we all enjoyed the wedding.
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Elizabeth Sent on 03/21/2018Gabrielle and Black Swan Events made my wedding day dreams come true. My husband and I were married September 26th 2017 and, like lots of ladies, think of that day often. It was like something from a storybook; a picture perfect setting and I was the princess. Gabrielle helped make my wedding dreams a reality, and every person at the event raved about the beauty found in each detail. Her professionalism, calmness and experience was obvious as she worked hard for my special day. Her presence, and amazing skill set, brought me such peace that I was able to relax before and during the wedding. Thank you, Gabrielle. Even now, years later, people tell me that my wedding was one of the most spectacular weddings they have ever attended....and I agree! Truly, this event was made perfect by Gabrielle and Black Swan. Thank you, thank you THANK YOU.
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![Tyler]()
Tyler Sent on 11/21/2021Detailed Organized Phenomenal
Gabrielle was phenomenal to work with, she was supportive and helpful through the whole process. Her communication was thorough and she was so detailed and organized from the first day we met her through our big day. She made our visions come to life for our big day so seamlessly, she was truly wonderful to work with for planning the most important day of our lives. I highly recommend her services for your event, whatever you need for your big day she’s got you. -
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![Kavitha]()
Kavitha Sent on 07/26/2021A Great Experience!
Gabrielle was great to work with, especially since we were planning our wedding from Chicago. We dealt with COVID-19 postponement and changes in guidelines constantly, and Gabrielle was so helpful as we navigated these changes. In addition, our wedding venue had never organized a Hindu wedding ceremony. Gabrielle educated, informed, and coordinated so much with the venue. It was so valuable! She was particularly great when it came to day-of coordination. I was truly able to enjoy every moment of my wedding day!
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