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Bona Fide Events Reviews

Bona Fide Events

Bona Fide Events

Hillsborough, NC
4.9 out of 5 rating, 47 Reviews
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Reviews

4.9 out of 5 rating
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2024 Winner
4.9 out of 5 rating
47 Reviews
99% recommend it
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    4.9 out of 5 rating
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Awards

47
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2024 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2022 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2020 Winner
  • Victoria
    Victoria R. Sent on 05/19/2024
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    There for us every step of the way...

    My now husband and I were pretty lost when starting to plan our wedding. For two adults with adhd, it felt almost impossible to figure out how to plan a wedding for a 100 guest count. It was important to us to include as many family members and friends as possible, so a small wedding was not an option for us.

    We couldn't have done it without Bona Fide Events as our wedding planning service. Heather and Jamie made it as easy as possible and helped to reduce stress and to think ahead about getting things in order. They shared numerous resources, provided timelines, set appointments well in advance, had a rain backup plan (that we ended up using!), supported our diy ideas while also providing realistic advice, worked well with all of our vendors (especially our venue owners/managers at The Colonial Inn), had a positive and encouraging attitude, and kept cool leading up to and on the day of our wedding. Heather and Jamie were rockstars on the day of the wedding. With having to adjust plans due to the rain, they were on it and didn't skip a beat. There are so many things to think about, and when you're stressed it's normal to forget something. Both planners brought in last minute supplies of their own to lend to us last minute. We are so grateful for that.

    Due to the rain, there were a couple of things we had planned that couldn't happen at the ceremony such as bubble girls using handheld blowers when walking down the aisle in leu of throwing flowers. I had hand painted each blower and attached flowers to match the decor. Heather and Jamie asked the bubble girls to use them during our send off outside instead. It was perfect and something that we wouldn't think of on our wedding day when we are experiencing a dream with our family and friends. Bona Fide Events were there every step of the way and helped to make our special day the best of our lives.

    Bona Fide Events's reply:

    Jamie & I loved working with the two of you! Weather is a thing in NC, and we try our darndest to make things happen and somehow include all of your special moments in the day despite the forecast. Your guests had a great time; what a night, and I hope to see you around the Borough!
    Cheers, Heather
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    Sarah M. Sent on 05/13/2024
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    Wonderful!!!!

    We loved working with Heather ! She is relaxed, knowledgeable, fun and kind and took all the stress out of our wedding day. She had excellent advice throughout the process and made our day perfect! We are so so grateful to her and I would highly recommend her to anyone else!!
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  • K
    Kaleigh L. Sent on 11/27/2023
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    Bona Fide Events is the best!

    Working with Bona Fide Events was absolutely amazing and I highly recommend them to anyone having a wedding. We came in a little late in the game requesting help and Heather was able to take us on as clients. I truly enjoyed working with Heather as she was organized, knowledgeable, professional, and so kind. Bona Fide made our vision for the wedding possible and took so much stress off our plates!
  • Courtney
    Courtney L. Sent on 12/19/2023
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    Great experience with Heather at Haw River Ballroom

    Heather was recommended to us by the event manager at the Haw River Ballroom and it was so helpful to have someone who knew the venue so well, was an old pro at running weddings, and could recommend local vendors who also knew the venue. Her signature timeline is also remarkable and the entire wedding party was incredibly thankful to have a detailed understanding of all the moving parts. It was also wonderful to have Heather at our American Party Rentals meeting, to help us understand the more opaque parts of wedding planning, and to take SO MUCH STRESS off of my husband, my family, and I on the big day. Looking back I can't imagine coordinating all the day-of details without Heather and her team.
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    Kelsey M. Sent on 10/30/2023
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    Bona Fide Events is excellent!

    Heather at Bona Fide Events is a truly fantastic wedding planner! We unexpectedly had to change our ceremony venue 3 weeks before our wedding, and Heather perfectly managed all the changes. She worked quickly to update our vendor team of the ceremony venue change and she kept us calm. She also helped our wedding day run so smoothly and efficiently. It was truly an amazing day for us thanks to Heather's help and management!
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    Hadley T. Sent on 10/11/2023
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    easy and efficient!

    Heather and I worked together for partial planning, design planning and day of coordination. She was extremely helpful from the start with vendor recommendations, her experience and connections in the triangle definitely set her apart. Her help with finalizing design as well as coordination with rentals were my personal favorite parts of her services as she was able to fill every gap that we weren’t thinking of. As far as day of coordination, my husband and I had not a worry in the world that everything would run smoothly with vendors and guests and even if it didn’t, we had no idea! We truly just enjoyed our day with friends and family with no concerns thanks to Heather and her team!
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    Lisa K. Sent on 12/20/2020
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    Exceed Expectations

    Heather has exceeded our expectations in every area. The pandemic created difficult issues for us; having to reschedule due to the lock down and our caterer going out of business and losing 50% of our deposit to mention a few. Heather went above and beyond to help us.

    Bona Fide Events's reply:

    Thank you, Lisa, for trusting me with the challenges that 2020 has brought to us all. I just know that Maggie and Michael's wedding will be a great success! I will be there the whole time! Cheers, Heather
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    Lucy S. Sent on 12/14/2023
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    Heather was the best!

    She was our day of planner and did such a great job. I felt very calm that day knowing she was behind the scenes. She was super response during the process and most importantly, made us feel really comfortable. During the reception, I ended up changing my dress earlier than planned and she seamlessly changed timing with the other vendors in the moment. I would recommend my friends use her any day.

    Bona Fide Events's reply:

    Thank you, Lucy! Sometimes we have to roll with the changes. It was great working with you and Ian! I hope the two of you have a Happy New Year.
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    Karl Sent on 12/01/2022
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    Organized, Prepared, and a Wonderful Person!

    Heather is AMAZING! She did a wonderful job of getting us pointed in the right direction early so that we could secure some amazing vendors. She gave us great guidance and recommendations throughout the planning process and was super organized and worked hard to help us realize the vision of our perfect wedding so that she could execute that plan. Wedding day ran so smoothly, and Heather is absolutely the hero here. She was organized, built a clear timeline and orchestrated so many moving pieces seamlessly. If I could do it all again, I wouldn’t change a thing. Thanks so much Heather!
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    Elizabeth M. Sent on 10/30/2022
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    Amazing Experience with Heather at Bona Fide

    We had a great experience with Heather at Bona Fide in planning our fall wedding! She is very sweet, knowledgeable, and efficient with all aspects of wedding planning.

    Originally, we were on the fence about having a wedding planner at all. My now-husband and I are very organized and detail oriented, but we quickly realized early in the planning process that we were in over our heads in planning the kind of wedding that we wanted. We loved Heather the second we met her, and having her working for us behind the scenes was more of an asset than we could have realized when we initially hired her. We were planning our wedding out-of-state, and it was amazing to have Heather on the ground, coordinating with vendors, and giving us all the info we needed to make our wedding day come together the way we wanted. We called on Heather SO many times for vendor recommendations (her vast knowledge of all the vendors in the area is stunning), and every time, she came through with an excellent recommendation for our specific request.

    Heather is also extremely flexible - we did the bulk of the wedding planning during the bizarre time of COVID, and since we were out of state, we had to do everything via Zoom. Heather accommodated this logistical challenge seamlessly and was always flexible with meeting times and communicated very well with us.

    Heather and her assistant Harley were also incredible on the day of the wedding. They orchestrated all the vendors, timing, and placement for everyone perfectly, and my husband and I didn’t have to worry about any details on the Big Day – Heather did it all. Heather, we are SO grateful to have worked with you, and thank you for helping us have the wedding of our dreams!!
  • Kasey
    Kasey S. Sent on 10/14/2022
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    We love Heather!

    We simply cannot say enough good things about working with Heather. From a by-the-minute timeline to detailed questionnaires for ceremony and reception planning, she was on top of things from the time we hired her. Although she was a "month of" coordinator for us, she graciously answered my zillion questions much further than a month out. We really appreciated her working closely with us to make all of our intentional details come together (like bringing in our own craft beer from all over and having our dogs around for pictures), and we equally appreciated her taking charge the day of so we didn't have to worry about anything. Special shoutout to Debra (assistant wedding planner) too...we hadn't met her before our wedding day and she fit seamlessly into everything and helped our day go so smoothly. They also PERFECTLY orchestrated end-of-night breakdown...my mom went to get her car and by the time she pulled it around, they had everything ready to load in her trunk. If you're looking for someone who will work with you to get your vision for your wedding exactly right while also being able to take over when things get crazy, we can't recommend Heather and Bona Fide enough. Thank you!
  • Eross
    Eross G. Sent on 09/19/2022
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    Amazing Wedding Coordinator For Our Wedding!

    Heather was wonderful to work with! She was super responsive and communication extended earlier beyond the "month-of" coordinator duties to provide the best plan for us. She was very collaborative and lined up our day exactly to our liking. Her catering background shined as the logistics and workflow aspects were seamless throughout the progression of the wedding. Thee ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, dancing (most important part for us), and the exit went as planned thanks to her and her assistant tirelessly working in the background. I would most definitely recommend Heather, she's simply amazing to work with!
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    Slb Sent on 09/26/2022
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    Quite Amazing!

    Heather of Bona-Fide Events (and ace assistant, Harley) were hired as the "day-of" event coordinator for my daughter's wedding and reception at the Cookery; but in all actuality, Heather's efforts were present during the entire year of preparation. And it was a very tumultuous and heartbreaking year within our families. While we were distracted with very challenging circumstances, Heather was filling in blanks we didn't know existed. Even the day of when I realized I left the cake set 200 miles away, Heather was clutch in securing another. Her vendor recommendations proved to be perfect matches for my daughter's unique vision. But what best sums up Heather's effort occurred at the end of the night during breakdown when near 11:00 pm I was presented with the cake stand to return and my face went blank. Heather swooped in and just said "I'll take care of that". Going above and beyond...Thank you, Heather!!
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    Eileen M. Sent on 06/19/2022
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    Invaluable help for out of town parents of the bride

    When our daughter told us she wanted to be married in Durham, which is across the country from where we live, we knew we needed the assistance of a wedding planner, primarily to help us find and select a venue and all of the vendors. Ultimately, Heather went above and beyond our expectations. Each step of the way Heather shared with us not only the options available, but her recommendations as to each vendor, based on her vast knowledge and experience. Heather was respectful of our budget, was very patient with us as she guided us through the process from afar, worked with all of the vendors when we had to change the wedding date due to COVID, and kept the bride and groom on track with meeting all of the pre-wedding deadlines. Our daughter's wedding day could not have been any better, and Heather deserves all of the credit.
  • Mckenzie
    Mckenzie M. Sent on 06/18/2022
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    Heather is the absolute best!

    Heather has been with us since we were originally planning our wedding for June 6, 2020. We were unable to have the planned date due to covid, but Heather stuck with us for two more date changes. Throughout the whole planning process, Heather was a source of reassurance and comfort. She was able to answer any question I had promptly and was always patient with us when we hadn't made up our minds about some things. When our wedding finally happened she made it go seamlessly from the rehearsal to the last send off. If you want a highly qualified, no non-sense planner, Bona Fide events is for you!
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    Erica H. Sent on 07/06/2022
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    I couldnt have made a better decision!

    Our wedding day turned out better than either of us could have imagined. Heather was so helpful in the months leading up to and exceeded our expectations on the wedding day. We received so many compliments, including how well organized and smooth everything went. Less stress meant we could truly enjoy each other and dance the night away (which we did :). We couldn't have done it without you, Heather. Thank you! Your help was invaluable.
  • Trisha
    Trisha G. Sent on 05/20/2022
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    Could not have done this without her!

    We hired Heather to be out "Day of "Co-ordinator. We planed much of our home wedding but needed her to be 'US' on the day. Heather was amazing. She provided more so much help and support and recommendations before the big day, offering advise and support way beyond what we thought we had contracted for. We could not have done this without her.

    Bona Fide Events's reply:

    Thanks for the wonderful review, Trisha! I pride myself on being resourceful. It was a pleasure working with you and Jay on your very special day. Glad to help!
  • Paula
    Paula L. Sent on 05/06/2022
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    Highly recommended

    We appreciated Heather going above and beyond to help after the wedding with 3rd party issues. She also went above and beyond at the wedding, jumping in to help with things that weren't even her job. Her assistant Jamie did as well. She is very professional. She was also very flexible in working with us when we had to make a lot of changes along the way due to COVID safety concerns. She was always quick to respond as well. Thank you, Heather and Jamie!

    Bona Fide Events's reply:

    Thank you, Paula Rosine! If we see something to take care of, we take care of it. We plan for a smooth day but are ready to take the helm if need be. So happy that you and Simon had a wonderful wedding day!
  • Emily
    Emily Sent on 04/30/2022
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    Heather is the BEST

    Heather is absolutely wonderful to work with! She was always available to answer questions, provide recommendations and calm my nerves. She went above and beyond to make sure our day went smoothly and matched our vision, including helping set up tables and decor when the caterer fell through and working with the lighting vendor to get a proposal within our budget. I cannot say recommend her enough!!

    Bona Fide Events's reply:

    Thank you, Emily! The gardens looked beautiful with your guest table vision. I hope that you and Mike had a blast on your amazing honeymoon!
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    Jason D. Sent on 03/21/2021
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    Top notch!

    Heather was amazing from day 1. We used Heather for our 25 year wedding vow renewal. We did a full wedding and Heather was outstanding. Heather was there every step of the way day or night and missed nothing. Heather has a vast array of vendors to ensure your day goes off without a hitch. You won’t find a better value.

    Bona Fide Events's reply:

    Thanks, Jason! Working with you and Becca was so much fun. It was so good to be creating beautiful events again, and planning my first wedding (okay....vow renewal!) at The Colonial Inn was extra special!
    That picture of you two says it all!
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    Elle Sent on 02/21/2022
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    Heather is the best!

    Heather was amazing!! She helped ease my mind and figure out how to make my wedding flow in the way I had envisioned. She was very good at communicating and even with the headache of getting married during Covid and a snowstorm, she made us feel like everything was under control!
  • Shelby
    Shelby R. Sent on 11/19/2021
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    Trust in Heather

    So many times throughout the process we've said to each other, "Thank God for Heather!" Planning a wedding can be stressful but having Heather on your team means you can trust that one of the most important days of your life will be one of the happiest days of your life. Heather is super detail-oriented and makes every consideration of how to make your wedding uniquely your own. We also just loved chatting with her and enjoying her company. We got to meet her associate Debra on the day of the wedding who was also very kind and helpful. We're so happy that we had Bona Fide Events helping us along the way.

    Bona Fide Events's reply:

    Wow! Thank you, Shelby! You and Aaron were both such a pleasure to work with throughout the process. I loved your warmth, adventurous spirit, and kindness. I appreciate all of your kind words and hope to bump into you two running around our favorite little hometown soon! Cheers, Heather
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    Kathryn B. Sent on 12/31/2020
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    Heather the Hero!

    Heather, the owner of Bona Fide Events, is simply wonderful. SUPER organized and great about keeping you on track/schedule with deadlines both hard and soft (such as -- you really should get your preliminary rental order in X months early to make sure they don't run out of what you want for your wedding date -- things that I never would've thought of doing so far out!) She is also very knowledgeable and connected, and even though we hired her to be more of a "day-of" coordinator, she was more than happy to help us find vendors and options for things like pipe & drape that fit our finite budget. When our Oct 2020 wedding had to get pushed a year due to Covid, she was once again helpful and flexible, making sure we checked all the boxes to postpone our big day without incident. Having her on our team has truly allowed me to sleep better at night - both before and during the pandemic!

    Bona Fide Events's reply:

    Thank you for the wonderful review, Kathryn! The past year has been a year like no other. Being flexible and helpful with reschedules became a part of my skill set that I could have never imagined. Despite the challenges, we will get this wedding celebration in, and it WILL be a party for you, Nik, and all of your friends and family. Count on it!
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    Alyssa R. Sent on 12/19/2021
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    Fantastic experience!

    Heather was absolutely marvelous! She was so communicative; she gladly met with us via zoom, quickly answered endless emails, provided invaluable recommendations of vendors and facilitated them all working together seamlessly! Heather was kind, patient, helpful and the perfect amount of involved in the process and event! Cannot recommend her highly enough! She is THE BEST!
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