Castiglione Events Reviews
Reviews
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
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![Sydney]()
Sydney Sent on 03/14/2025Best human, and best wedding planner in the WHOLE game
This is very long overdue, but Dara and her team are hands down the most incredible wedding and event planning team and exceeded every single expectation we could’ve ever dreamed of. From the moment we began working together through wedding day and beyond - Dara is organized, meticulous, patient, understanding, warm & so kind. She took ALL the stress away from planning. How many people get to say they actually had fun throughout the entire wedding process?
Her team was a dream on wedding day. The day was perfect in every way. A Pinterest board come to life but so much better and beautiful. She has an impeccable eye for design and brilliant ability to plan + execute and make all your dreams, big and small, come to life. We were in awe. Thank you for making over a year’s worth of planning a breeze and giving us the best day of our lives. Xx Syd and Nick -
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![Ellen]()
Ellen Sent on 11/10/2023Look No further, Castiglione Events is The BEST
I can’t say enough amazing things about Dara and her team. From the moment I met her, I knew she was the perfect planner to bring our wedding day vision to life. With each inspiration picture I shared, she immediately knew the right vendor and reached out to secure them for our day. Her network and connections across the wedding industry allowed us to have the best day of team of vendors - everyone worked together seamlessly and understood our vision! Dara’s organization and communication took away any stress that a bride could have. My husband and I enjoyed every step of wedding planning and can truly say there was no stress, arguments on details, or hiccups along the way because of Dara’s amazing process. Our wedding day was nothing short of perfection and brought everything we hoped for together - beautiful, classic, timeless, whimsical, and fun! I cannot recommend Castiglione Events enough and just know that once you are a bride in Dara’s hands, you are one of the luckiest brides on earth!! -
![Daryl]()
Daryl Sent on 11/09/2023The Best of the Best!
I truly cannot say how great Dara and her team are; She is a total rockstar, and even showed up at our event setup days after she had her baby. She's wonderful to work with (and super responsive), an expert on local vendors, and makes it all way too easy. I grew up locally in the wedding business, and I can say with confidence that there's no one better. -
![Leah]()
Leah Sent on 09/13/2023Look no further for your wedding planner!
My husband and I worked with Dara for the duration of our 2 year engagement before getting married this past weekend. From the start, Dara was incredibly easy to talk to, approachable, and organized. The website she builds for each couple keeps you on track of things you should be doing and when. We scheduled calls with her multiple times throughout the years to catch up and to talk design/planning. On these calls she listened to our comments, opinions, and thoughts on the overall design and vibe as we continued to perfect it. She worked with us and our vendors on adjusting our reception timeline to what we had hoped it would look like. The vendors she recommended for day of signage and paperwork produced incredible products that are now wedding keepsakes.
After those 2 years, we were so excited to see everything come together. Dara and her team worked behind the scenes that morning setting up our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception spaces. She and her team then had to flip our ceremony space from one location to another due to inclement weather in about 30 minutes all without *seemingly* breaking a sweat. The entire day, for us, was stress free and enjoyable. Dara's bridal attendant, Steph, was with me all day and had everything my bridesmaids and I could possibly need along with a wonderful and calming demeanor.
Working with Dara was such an enjoyable experience and the final product her and her team put together was incredibly us. All of our guests commented on how everything in our design felt like a true representation of us and how no small detail was overlooked. Dara and her team are top of the top and I could not recommend them more!! -
![Alex]()
Alex Sent on 09/01/2023Dream wedding day thanks to Dara & Team
We cannot say enough about how amazing Dara and her team were throughout our entire 1.5 year engagement and our our big day in Asbury Park, NJ. From our kick off call through the day of, Dara was there to help us every step of the way including answering many many questions, having regular check-ins with us, making sure we didn't forget any detail and making our vision come to life. We told Dara we were inspired by a mix of funky and classic Jersey Shore vibes, bright colors and making sure everyone had a great time and she delivered our vision 1000%. Thanks to the Castiglione Team, we could enjoy our big day and focus on getting married because we knew they had everything handled. 10/10 would recommend! -
![Michelle]()
Michelle Sent on 01/24/2023Beyond amazing!!
Dara and her team were so amazing throughout the entire wedding process. It was such a weight off my shoulders to have the help and not have to worry about anything the day of our wedding. The design was incredible and beyond anything I could have dreamed of. I would recommend to everyone that they book Dara and her team if you want an amazing wedding that will make all of your dreams come true. The attention to detail was great and it was so nice to have someone to reach out to while leading up to the wedding with all of my questions. Our wedding day would not have been the same without them. Truly cannot say enough good things!! If you are on the fence, I promise you won’t regret it! Go with Castiglione events! -
Bridget Sent on 11/08/2022
Castiglione Events- Simply the BEST!
When my husband (!!) and I started planning our wedding, we were clueless. We had an idea of what we would like our day to look like, but did not know where to start. I encourage any (and every) one to start by hiring Dara and her amazing team.
From the beginning, we knew hiring Castiglione Events was our best decision. From giving vendor recommendations to coordinating last minute details, everything on our wedding day was perfect because of Dara and her team.
We truly felt worry-free during our wedding planning because of Castiglione Events. We could not recommend them enough!!! -
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![Jee/]()
Jee/ Sent on 10/28/2022Hire Dara + Team!
Dara and her team were incredible and such an integral part of our wedding plans/ wedding day. We chose a venue that was non traditional, but met with Dara who we had researched in advance and knew she had planned weddings here in the past. From our initial meeting, we knew Dara had a lot of experience in this field and she would always provide concrete answers on budgeting, expectations, vendor recommendations, etc, which was always so helpful. We also had certain visions in mind for parts of our wedding (ie. a beautiful escort display using my husband's parent's vintage records) and she went above and beyond. We also provided a general direction on colors and themes but really took a step back and let her pull the details and day together. Let me tell you, we were absolutely flooooored on our wedding day when we saw everything come together.
Cannot stress how important it was for us to have Dara by our side on our big day as everything ran incredibly smoothly and stress free. Never did I think we would be so zen on our wedding morning/ day and night but we were and as a couple who tends to hate these types of events, we would do it all over again. As cliche as it sounds, it truly was the best day of our lives and as daunting as wedding planning process can be, Dara and her team made it so easy.
1000% recommend! -
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![Ariel]()
Ariel Sent on 08/09/2022Wouldn't have had the perfect wedding we did without Castiglione Events
I will start out by saying I am not the most laid-back bride – I have had a very specific vision of how I wanted my wedding to look like for forever, so trying to distill that down to a team of event planners and have full trust they could execute it perfectly was something I initially struggled with and couldn't wrap my head around. But Dara and Cassie were true creatives and professionals who handled all my requests, questions, logistics, and anything else I could throw out to them with absolute gusto. They were there for us through every step of the way but they really got us excited once we got into the design specifics and worked closely with us to create a vision that was unique to us. If I had revisions they addressed them all and over-delivered. They really shined when it came down to crunch time. Leading up to the wedding they handled all communication and advocated for us with our vendors so I wouldn't have to do anything and checked in with me on almost a daily basis. On our wedding day, I didn't lift a finger, and my bridal attendant Steph went above and beyond to make sure I had the easiest day possible. When I saw the final result I couldn't help but cry happy tears. It was STUNNING! Our venue was the type that needed to be 100% customized and multiple guests (who knew that) told me they couldn't believe how absolutely seamless everything turned out. I would recommend Castiglione Events to absolutely every couple, especially if you are looking to create a truly one-of-a-kind wedding. They are so respected in this industry because they know what they are doing and they know all of the best vendors who can come together to make it happen. I miss them already! -
![Tara]()
Tara Sent on 03/24/2022Literally Magical!
Dara and her team were exceptional! It was such an uncertain time planning the wedding during the ups and downs of Covid and Dara was so great working with all of the emotions that I had lol she was positive in certain and on the ball and just fun! The day I was no exception and everything was literally flawless! -
Hdinap Sent on 03/23/2022
Simply the Best!
Dara and her team helped make our wedding weekend a great success. We had no clue what we were doing, but Castiglione Events walked us through everything during the planning process with great advice, suggestions, and recommendations. They handled EVERYTHING on our wedding day. The attention to detail was remarkable. We heard nothing but positive comments from our guests and we couldn't have been happier!! -
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![Hannah]()
Hannah Sent on 11/30/2021Most incredible, unbeatable, dream team! 💕
Dara, Cassie, and the Castiglione team made our wedding and the entire process so special. We feel extremely grateful to have found this team, they translated our thoughts and interests into the most incredible vision for our day and delivered on every single detail. Their passion and continued support from day one, to seamlessly postponing due to Covid-19, and then pulling off the most perfect event a year later - they turned what could have been a stressful situation into a fun and enjoyable setting. My husband and I were able to soak in every moment of our wedding day all because of the Castiglione team. This is the team that will make your day, the best day ever. -
![Chloe]()
Chloe Sent on 11/18/2021Absolute Dream Team
I honestly do not know where to start in sharing my experience with Dara and her team, so I'll start at the beginning. We decided to work with CE because although we got married at The Asbury Hotel in Asbury Park, we live in California and it seemed necessary to have a planner given the distance. Little did we know that it would be the single best decision that we made in regards to wedding planning.
In the year and half that we worked together, they became so much more than wedding planners. They brought all of my visions to life, helped me make really hard decisions in regards to COVID, offered advice on situations that I didn't know how to handle, and were so excited and happy for us every step of the way. They also made it super easy to communicate on things even though I was across the country. Fast forward to the day of the wedding and everything was absolutely flawless. Cass ensured that every detail was executed to perfection and was honestly just an absolute pleasure to be around. She has the best energy and I'm so grateful that she was there with us on our day.
I truly don't think the day would have been the same without Castiglione Events and wish I could give them ten stars again and again. So much love to Dara, Cass and the rest of the team! xo -
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![Kristen]()
Kristen Sent on 10/01/2021Pure gold.
When we first got engaged back in 2018, I found Dara on instagram and immediately became obsessed with her aesthetic and unique approach to each wedding. We hired her for our Asbury Hotel wedding scheduled for August 16, 2020. She was friendly, professional, and organized from the very start! She provided everything from tips, vendor recommendations, and design, to insights and enthusiasm! Then when the pandemic hit and everything in life turned into chaos, Dara and her team were so on top of it that we never had to worry about what mandates were most current, whether/when to postpone, contacting vendors for a new date, getting new contracts, or finding last minute details for what became an intimate backyard affair. Then when the postponed party rolled around in August 2021, Dara and Cassie and the rest of the team made it so special and run so smoothly! I literally can't imagine how any couples managed the pandemic without this team. Friendly, dedicated, organized, professional, fun, and just amazing people! So grateful to have had them and would 10/10 recommend them to anyone planning a special event! -
![Erin]()
Erin Sent on 09/20/2021Best planners everrrr
We had our wedding at the Asbury Hotel on the busiest weekend of the year in AP, the Friday of the SEA.HEAR.NOW. music festival. We also were one of the first weddings to decide to postpone due to covid and CE made this such a smooth process for us. Even though we only hired them for the 6 weeks out and day of experience, Dara and Cassie always made sure we were doing alright and answered any questions we had. If you don't know anything about the Asbury Hotel, it's an untraditional space and you have to bring in all your vendors. It's awesome because you can create it into your wedding vision so easily with how blank of a slate it is. But, this also makes it a lot more work since you have so many vendors working with you to make your big day perfect. That's why it's KEY to hire a wedding planner. Dara and Cassie are the coolest ones out there and I can't thank them enough for making our wedding the most epic night of our lives. They made it so stress free and helped us every step of the way. Forever grateful for their guidance and love during such a crazy time in our lives! Couldn't have pulled off a 200+ person wedding during covid without them. -
![Veronica]()
Veronica Sent on 07/30/2021Simply the best!
Dara and Castiglione events is the best! She is very organized, easy to contact and made my wedding day go smoothly. I can’t recommend her enough. Thanks lease for not hesitate to choose her as your wedding planner -
Carla Sent on 07/19/2021
No words to describe it...
My husband and I got married this past month and people still call/text us about the details of our wedding that Dara and her team put together. Our vision was classical with a modern twist and there are just no words for our incredible it turned out.
From the beginning Dara and the whole team were organized, efficient, and a great resource with any and all questions we had. Especially with navigating through a COVID year and dealing with all different mandates and updates Dara and her team were proactive and on top of all vendors to make it as minimal stress for us.
Everything was amazing; the tables, the decor, the organization, and the overall help through the whole day. I say it anytime anyone asks me, I don’t know how we would’ve had our day without the whole Castiglione team.
We seriously can’t find one thing that we would’ve changed, it exceeded our expectations. The talent, expertise, and overall great people made working with them such an enjoyable time. -
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Jan F. Sent on 07/02/2021
Dara and her team are MAGIC!
Simply put, Dara and her team create magic. We started our wonderful journey with Dara back in 2019 and had no idea that our friendship and working relationship would extend longer than expected due to the pandemic. We lived in Michigan while planning for our 2020 New Jersey wedding, but Dara and her team made it feel like we were a part of the process the entire way through, and she found the right vendors and people to bring our vision to life.
I’ll never forget when Dara reached out to us at the very beginning of the pandemic to pivot our plans. If it wasn’t for her, we would not have been able to secure a date and venue for 2021. And again, if it wasn’t for her, plan C (downsizing the guest list and changing venues to meet state regulations for COVID-19), would have been impossible. She made a very stressful time feel very stress free.
Again, the word that comes to mind when we think about Dara is: magic. She helped create a moody, romantic wedding and made the day feel special and unique despite it being the third iteration of our original plan.
More importantly, when we had an experience of discrimination from a vendor, she was an ally and the best person to have in our corner. We cannot thank her enough for validating our feelings, encouraging us to speak up, and helping us find another vendor at the last minute who was not only respectful of us, but surpassed our expectations.
Trust me when we say that you will not regret hiring her!
Oh, and did we mention that we are fortunate enough to work with her again as she is planning our 1 year wedding anniversary celebration?? -
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Gregory Sent on 09/30/2020
Perfect Backyard Minimony + Dinner
Dara and her team were in every way the best! From the moment we began working with her, she made the process simple and easy. Even with all of our changes, she accommodated them all with professionalism and expertise. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful and perfect event and Dara and her team really made our dreams come true. We can't recommend Castiglione Events more and look forward to working with them in the future! -
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John Sent on 09/29/2020
boyfriend “proposal”
I had been exclusively dating my now boyfriend for a couple months and wanted to ask him to make it “official” with something special. I had decided that I wanted to surprise him with a small, intimate set-up on the beach with custom-labeled wine/gin bottles and some sort of food. I contacted Cassie and Dara and shared my ideas; they brainstormed and the end result exceeded my EVERY expectation! They arranged to have mini desserts from a local restaurant, a cooler with water/drinks, glassware, candles, pillows, and blankets - absolutely everything I had wanted and more - ready for us after dinner so all we had to do was walk down the boardwalk and enjoy! From the initial planning to the final details, and from the set up to the ultimate execution, Cassie and Dara were punctual, communicative, fairly-priced, and professional. I would HIGHLY recommend them and Castiglione Events to take even a simple idea and turn it into something truly spectacular! -
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![Rebecca]()
Rebecca Sent on 09/28/2020Highly Recommend Castiglione Events!
Covid Bride here!! I had my dream wedding all planned out for this past August. I had been in touch with Dara and planned on using Castiglione events for some "extras" on our big day. Then Covid hit and it threw us completely off track. My (now) husband and I decided to postpone our BIG wedding until May 2021 but still wanted to keep our OG date and do a "micro wedding." I immediately reached out to Dara, as the thought of planning another wedding was the last thing I wanted to do. I met with Dara and went over my vision and got her feedback. Dara and her team not only brought my vision to life but they exceeded my expectations. They were there to answer all my questions and kept me organized with spreadsheets, timelines, and contract folders that they created. I highly recommend Dara and the Castiglione team for any event, whether its a wedding or a birthday party. I cannot wait to work with them again! -
![Molly]()
Molly Sent on 09/23/2020Castiglione Events
I was looking at outdoor, non traditional venues. I ended up choosing an outdoor farm where everything would need to be brought in. Dara and Castiglione Events was recommended to me and I thought, I don't need a wedding planner. But upon our initial meeting and consultation, I knew she would be a tremendous asset. And that was only the beginning. Dara & the Castiglione Events team were more than planners but partners. They provided extensive knowledge and guidance and made the planning process seamless. But their execution, is what really knocked it out of the park. From planning, to vendor coordination, to set up, run of show and break down and all of the bits in between, I could not have dreamed of a better team to be with us on our wedding day. I cannot say enough good things about them, and urge any and all brides to consider them (even the non-planner minded)! Thank you to Dara and her team for making our dream wedding into a reality. -
![Anna]()
Anna Sent on 12/01/2019Truly amazing!
I have known Dara for years now and to say she is amazing at her job is an understatement. She truly is the best and genuinely cares throughout the whole process making planning your wedding seamless and stress free. The moment I got engaged it was a NO BRAINER that Dara would be the only one we could trust to make our visions come to life from all the little details to the big ones. I have worked with Dara on various events over the years but to be one of her brides was truly special. Kyle and I love Dara and are so grateful she was a part of our day guiding us throughout the process and making our ceremony and reception space absolutely gorgeous. If you are looking for someone to guide you, understand your visions, and make your wedding day absolutely stunning, look no further. Our wedding would not have been complete without you!!! Thank you times a million we love you !! -
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![Rebekah]()
Rebekah Sent on 11/06/2019Wedding at Bay Head Yacht Club
Dara was such a pleasure to work with! She spent the time to go through a play by play of every minute of the day with my husband and I to make sure no detail was forgotten. She listened to our ideas, gave her input when necessary, kept us heading down the right path, and found a way to execute it all. This girl gets it!! Highly recommend. -
Tyler Sent on 11/05/2019
Great experience!!
Dara and her team were flexible, accommodating, easy to work with and very professional. The final touches for our big day were just beautiful thanks to them! I would highly recommend working with them. -
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Laurie Sent on 06/26/2019
Thanks for perfect wedding day!
Dara and her team were Everything! We wanted a beautiful, charming, and fun experience with a vintage vibe and we got that and more. Dara was there guiding us for every step of the process. It was like having a BFF with formidable organizational skills. Castiglione Events made our venue shine like a star. And Dara and her team ensured that the day and evening ran smoothly. We really couldn’t be happier with Castiglione Events: 100% recommend! -
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![Amy]()
Amy S. Sent on 05/28/2019Castiglione Events: A+++
Is it weird to say that I actually miss my wedding planner? Dara and her team at Castiglione Events went above and beyond in every way possible to make my wedding the absolute best day I could have imagined.
I got married at a very traditional venue that was not keen on bending or breaking any "rules" of how they have done weddings in the past. Dara helped me to navigate relationships and was able to impart her wisdom and expertise to make my big day truly personalized.
From the moment I started to work with her, I knew that I could count on her to see through any detail, no matter how big or small. She even tolerated all of my homemade spreadsheets and lists of questions with patience and grace (that's when I KNEW she was a keeper!)
A truly invaluable asset to the planning process, my husband and I were truly lucky to have had the opportunity to work with Castiglione Events! -
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Marguerite Sent on 05/22/2019
Dara and her staff are amazing!
Hired Dara for my daughters wedding 2 months prior when things were getting stressful. She and her staff did a fabulous job and we were all able to appreciate and enjoy the wonderful moments of their beautiful wedding day ! -
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![Lauren]()
Lauren Sent on 02/12/2019Book Castiglione Events :)
Dara and her team were amazing. Since our venue (The Asbury Hote) required us to bring in almost everything from off-site - I certainly could not have accomplished such a flawless execution of my wedding day without the help of Dara and her team. They helped me with every aspect of my wedding - from the initial vision & inspiration to the day-of execution and I couldn't be more grateful. I would ABSOLUTELY recommend Castiglione events - especially for brides who don't want to be full "hands on" (like myself!) and also for venues that require outside vendors, rentals, etc. -
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Sara Sent on 02/01/2018I loved working with Dara on my wedding! I wasn't looking for a planner but little did I know, I needed her help and connections! She gave me great advice on what I would need to do and offered to add some personal touches. She handmade my placecards and helped me pick out my invitation creator amongst many other things. Thank you Dara! I look forward to planning another event with you in the near future! <3
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![allison]()
Allison Sent on 07/29/2017Dara is the absolute BEST!!! as a bride, she always made me feel so comfortable and confident and it was so amazing to not have to worry about anything on my wedding day. i knew we were in great hands. she literally thought of every detail before and on the actual day, she handled everything confidently and smoothly. We were working with quite a few different vendors, and she was the one that pulled everything together seamlessly, taking our vision and making it a dream come true. she truly loves what she does and it shows!!! she's an extremely talented and dedicated individual, and we were so fortunate to have her on board for our big day. don't even think twice, BOOK BOOK BOOK!!!! :) -
![Sarah]()
Sarah Sent on 02/13/2019Asbury Park Wedding
Dara was super professional and easy to work with. I called her in a semi-panic just a couple weeks before the wedding and she made time to meet with me very quickly which I really appreciated! It was a bit more expensive than we had hoped to spend but was worth it in the end - guests really loves the decorations she had put together. Really I wish I had gotten in touch with her sooner!
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