Nancy Sent on 08/28/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5.0 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5.0 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5.0 out of 5 rating
Value
5.0 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5.0 out of 5 rating

Kat and her team are highly organized, knowledgeable and fun to work with! Our daughter's wedding was well-executed and we appreciated Kat's great suggestions in the planning process. Aisle Planner is also a helpful tool to keep planning on track and on budget. If you're looking for a creative and talented wedding planner, Kat and Dear Sweetheart Events is your answer!

Jane Sent on 08/20/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5.0 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5.0 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5.0 out of 5 rating
Value
5.0 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5.0 out of 5 rating

Having a Day-Of Coordinator was something my family and I went back and forth on - would the cost really be worth it? Before I go on, let me tell you it was one of the BEST decisions I made in our wedding planning process. After speaking with Kat on the phone, it became clear that we would greatly benefit from her services so I went ahead and booked with Dear Sweetheart Events.

I believe Kat went above and beyond her duties to help ensure that our wedding day was all that we envisioned it to be. She greatly assisted in communication with our vendors and made sure all parties had considered and addressed the important and minor details. Kat communicated effectively, politely, and made the whole process from planning to our wedding day as relaxed, smooth, and happy as possible for not just me as the bride but our family and friends as well.

Kat and the DSE team are worth every single penny spent and we could not have had the amazing day we did if it wasn't for them. We are so grateful for their hard work, flexibility, patience, and their creative vision that made our wedding day so sweet!

Summer Sent on 08/21/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5.0 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5.0 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5.0 out of 5 rating
Value
5.0 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5.0 out of 5 rating

Kat was so amazing!
Even if you’re thinking you don’t need a planner, you need her! Kat was there throughout our wedding planning process- every step of the way. She thought of absolutely every little detail leading up to the wedding day and on the actual day. Nothing went unnoticed and we were able to have a smooth sailing day due to all of her behind-the-scenes hard work! Kat is professional and a total well seasoned pro at what she does, and we would hire her all over again if we could!

Sidney Sent on 06/14/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5.0 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5.0 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5.0 out of 5 rating
Value
5.0 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5.0 out of 5 rating

Oh my goodness, where do I begin? Kat and Hannah were so incredible to work with from the very first email with them. Kat found out shortly after we booked with her that she and her husband were expecting and let us know right away, and she essentially held my hand all the way up until a week before her due date, when Hannah took over! Those two gals handled SO MUCH of the backend of wedding coordination for me, all the way down to the nitty gritty. As a wedding professional myself, it meant so much to me that they were so responsive, so on top of things, and so willing to help me think through so many of my decisions related to planning. On the day of, my venue flooded and we had to move the reception. Hannah arrived SO early and led a small army of people through the move and the decorating, and she made everything appear as though it were the original plan all along. I cannot recommend DSE more, and I would use them again and again if I could! Kat and Hannah, THANK YOU SO MUCH for your patience and guidance and for making my wedding day so wonderful!

Kelli Sent on 06/21/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5.0 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5.0 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5.0 out of 5 rating
Value
5.0 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5.0 out of 5 rating

Kat was absolutely amazing! She made my day so easy and relaxed. Because of her my wedding day was stress free for me and my family. Definitely the best investment I made for my wedding!

Arienne Sent on 01/07/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5.0 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5.0 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5.0 out of 5 rating
Value
5.0 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5.0 out of 5 rating

Kat is an absolutely MUST! She is sweet, caring, calming, and I truly believe one of the best wedding decisions we made was hiring her! She also designed our florals and did a phenomenal job! We had a few things come up during the planning process (as far as a change of catering) a couple of months before the wedding. As you can imagine, it was not planned and very stressful, but as always, Kat was WONDERFUL in making sure everything was done, and done well. Kat made sure to understand my vision of the wedding and made wonderful suggestions along the way. I cannot express enough how thankful I am to have had her through the planning process and the day of. I had no worries that everything would run smoothly (and it absolutely did!). She is a MUST!!

Katie Sent on 10/30/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5.0 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5.0 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5.0 out of 5 rating
Value
5.0 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5.0 out of 5 rating

We booked Kat to do our weekend of wedding planning, as well as our décor setup and breakdown. Kat was absolutely amazing! She came up months before the wedding and went to the church and the reception venue with us. She took over talking with all of our vendors 2 weeks before the wedding and did an excellent job on the décor! I was so impressed with her work ethic and her ability to keep an eye on everything that was going on. We had a couple issues with our reception venue and Kat stepped up to the plate and handled the situation and made sure I didn't know there were any issues. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking any type of wedding planning!!

Karoline Sent on 10/12/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5.0 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5.0 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5.0 out of 5 rating
Value
5.0 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5.0 out of 5 rating

For those that don't think a wedding planner is necessary, think again! Working with Kat to help coordinate my wedding was a wonderful experience! I used Kat's month of services and she helped make sure everything came together on my wedding weekend. She was wonderful to work with from the start. I would recommend Kat to anyone, she is worth every penny!

Amelia Sent on 09/29/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5.0 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5.0 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5.0 out of 5 rating
Value
5.0 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5.0 out of 5 rating

Let me preface this by saying, Kat had a mountain to climb when it came to our wedding.
We were leaving no stone unturned, as I did a years worth of small details from 4 different wedding favors, to a wardrobe change for the bridal party, two table designs and even a sparkler send off to a helicopter with precise timing. With tensions running high, Kat dealt with an outdoor wedding with a flash flood warning, a last minute plan b tent plan, a shuttle bus accident which left them MIA for 2 hours (and no she didn't hire them) guests complaining about puddles, and my stressed out father upset about people stealing cigars! Throughout everything, Kat remained so calm, to the point I didn't even know any of this was going on! She had timed everything so perfectly I even would ask the time thinking it was almost up, and realized, wow, I have an hour and a half left to dance!

When I contacted Kat, we started with a $35,000 budget, and I knew she'd be the girl to make something amazing for a dime. However, after selecting the caterer and deciding on the menu, the $35,000 budget was spent within the first Catering Proposal! From there, I really threw it at her, considering I had only even done the partial planning package! Also, I lived in NJ, she in Harrisonburg, and the wedding was 3 hours south of her in Virginia! Talk about needing strong communication! I handled the vendors and contracts, and strongly relied on her to design my vision, which also left her coordinating between the lighting, catering and rentals. Yes, we worked with amazing vendors, but mind you, in meetings when they'd ask me what'd I'd like, I looked to Kat for an answer.
Additionally, I relied on Kat for florals. Knowing she already had a lot on her plate, it worried a few people on my side but I put the trust in her she wouldn't take on more she could handle. Boy did my trust pay off. She NAILED it. Our florals were so original, so gorgeous and so ME. (won't let me add more text!!!)

Sara Sent on 04/18/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5.0 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5.0 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5.0 out of 5 rating
Value
5.0 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5.0 out of 5 rating

We hired Kat to provide "day-of" wedding coordination, which included the wedding rehearsal the day before. She was also amazing about answering questions and offering advice during the whole wedding planning process. Kat and her assistants were a huge asset and kept our wedding day running smoothly, despite the 90 degree day, a broken dishwasher, unhelpful venue staff, errant family members, and a timeline that got off schedule. We would definitely hire her again!

Megan Sent on 08/14/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5.0 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5.0 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5.0 out of 5 rating
Value
5.0 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5.0 out of 5 rating

Yes, you need her! By now if you follow Kat on social media and/or read her blog you've surely fallen in love with her work and you're wondering if she is as good as she seems. SHE IS! Kat is as creative, organized, passionate, compassionate, dependable, and inspiring as you imagine her to be. Everything you want and deserve as a wedding planner. Plus, she is exactly the bubbly, sweetly southern, contagiously positive girl that you expect after following her work. I hired kat for my day of planner because I needed someone that would understand and execute all my elaborate design elements. I gave Kat and her team A LOT of details to put together, PLUS Kat did all the florals. Kat herself has said our wedding was the most detail-oriented one she's had to date (and it was all the way in South Carolina) but I never saw one ounce of worry or stress. They were perfect! I could not believe how quickly everything was set up, how STUNNING the flowers were, and how smoothly the day went. If you're not sure if you need a planner I wish I could grab your face and tell you that you SERIOUSLY need to hire Kat. I have been to many weddings and something always goes wrong - but not ours! I know with complete certainty that is solely because of Kat and Dear Sweetheart Events.

Darby Sent on 11/02/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5.0 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5.0 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5.0 out of 5 rating
Value
5.0 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5.0 out of 5 rating

Kat is simply a dream come true! I contacted her right after our engagement, and she was right there for our entire wedding planning process from start to finish. We couldn't have done it without her! We also hired Kat for her floral design : She is so talented with flowers!! I started to cry when I saw my big, beautiful, fluffy, perfect bouquet! Kat was a wonderful contact person for ALL our vendors, and I could relax knowing everything was handled on my wedding day. I gave Kat and her assistants a lot to set up, and they went above and beyond! It poured rain on our wedding day, and thanks to Kat and her assistants, the "Plan B" set up was more beautiful than I could have ever imaged. Kat is so professional, caring, and talented :) Kat, Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts!

Evelyn Sent on 10/22/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5.0 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5.0 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5.0 out of 5 rating
Value
5.0 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5.0 out of 5 rating

Kat is an AMAZING wedding planner. I booked her for day-of service. She drove from Harrisonburg to Portsmouth to visit with me and see my venue. She gave me great suggestions and helped me finalize a few plans. A few weeks before the wedding, she took over the planning so that I could be stress free. She coordinated the band, the caterer and everything else so everything would be perfect. On the day of, she helped to set up and make everything the way I wanted. Honestly though, those things don't merit a five star review because those things are in the basic job description.

This girl earned her five stars when one of my vendors didn't come through. My flowers (I picked the florist, not Kat), gave me "fall" bouquets that looked like Easter Sunday. They were white and light pink and lavender. I was so upset (Kat and I don't share the same affinity for all things pink). She kept me calm and redid all of the bouquets with flowers purchased from the grocery store. She happens to be a florist too! They looked amazing and like they belonged in a fall wedding. I don't know what I would have done without her.

Here's the plain and simple:
If you, like me, thought a wedding planner might not be worth the cost - stop, hire a wedding planner, and make sure Kat is your first pick.

Ali Sent on 06/10/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5.0 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5.0 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5.0 out of 5 rating
Value
5.0 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5.0 out of 5 rating

Kat is who I credit for making our wedding day beyond perfect. On our wedding day she ran all over the place setting up, moving, arranging, and helping in any way that she could. Her timeline is extraordinary and a huge help for the vendors and everyone else involved. Our wedding party felt comfortable with her which was very important to us. Any questions or stresses that I had she was more than willing to help or even solve immediately. She is very easy to get in touch with which is great for a stressed bride. I would recommend Dear Sweetheart Events to every bride. My day would not have been as perfect and stress free as it was if I did not have her.

Joy Sent on 05/22/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5.0 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5.0 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5.0 out of 5 rating
Value
5.0 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5.0 out of 5 rating

Dear Sweetheart Events made my wedding plans come to life. About halfway through the planning process, I realized I had a lot going on with details, a large wedding party, guests and the many logistics for the day. I was afraid nothing would be executed correctly and my hard work would be wasted. I emailed Kat asking her about another planner (a vendor she used for her own wedding). I received an email back within the hour and could feel her excitement, warmness, and passion! I then became informed she was starting her own event planning business. PERFECT, I thought! It just felt right. I am a particular person, type A all the way and super detail oriented. Kat is the ONLY person I trusted to plan my dream day. I just knew she cared and could see the brides perspective. We worked together for 8 months and she came up with unique ways to help make my wedding special. She made decor, planned her heart out and was completely prepared. She is creative, understanding and just simply gets it! I was so stress-free the entire time. The day of my wedding was unbelievable!! The day went on without a hitch! My guests were happy, my groom was happy and I was thrilled! She helped me make last minute decisions, fixed my dress when the bustle wouldn't hold, ran out last minute to pick up things we needed and supplied me with my favorite beverage at the reception ;) With Kat's help, our day was the best day possible. She was on top of her game 100%!! I could never imagine my wedding day without her. Future brides reading this, book her, just do it!! You will not regret it at ALL!!! I promise. Thank you again, Kat!!

Aaren Sent on 03/14/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5.0 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5.0 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5.0 out of 5 rating
Value
5.0 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5.0 out of 5 rating

Dear Sweetheart Events made our wedding day a dream come true. Kat was there every step of the way to help me plan every detail of our big day. From the fun stuff like picking colors, "the dress", and flowers, to all the little logistical things such as the day of time line, order of ceremony and reception, and running the rehearsal--Kat was excited, patient, and always had what we wanted as her top priority. Although our style of wedding was more rustic and simple than her personal taste, she knew and executed our style like it was written on her heart. She knew me like the back of her hand--calling me if she saw a cute item for our décor, emailing me DIY projects she thought I would like, and making sure the way things were decorated on the wedding day were exactly what I had pictured.
Kat worked really well when things got off to a little bit of a delay on the wedding day. We had to do our rehearsal on the day of the wedding due to scheduling with our church so we were on a tight schedule. Unfortunately, my dear husband woke up with a terrible cold on the day of the wedding and was running a little late for the rehearsal. However, Kat stayed calm and did what she could do without him there with our bridal party. I appreciated her flexibility and efficiency so much in that moment.
Kat made our a day more than a dream come true--it was OUR dream come true. Emory and I had come together for first time and imagined what we wanted in an event to represent the love of Christ and our love for each other. Kat brought our plan to life so beautifully. Our best decision in our preparation for the wedding was having Kat as our wedding planner.

Allison Sent on 10/03/2016

1.3 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
1.0 out of 5 rating
Average response time
0.5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
1.5 out of 5 rating
Value
1.5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
2.0 out of 5 rating

Unfortunately, I did not have a positive experience with DSE. There were multiple communication issues, including times when it took several days to several weeks to hear back from Kat. I don't know whether it is because of the software she uses or because she was just busy, but it created additional stress for me. The repeated communication difficulties resulted in me having to do most of the planning work myself. I admire her for working hard to grow her consulting business and brand, but felt it was at the expense of my wedding. It's too bad it didn't work out for us, but I wish her the best in the future.

Katherine Sent on 11/28/2016

1.2 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
1.0 out of 5 rating
Average response time
2.0 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
1.0 out of 5 rating
Value
1.0 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
1.0 out of 5 rating

I have a demanding job with long hours and very limited flexibility and hired Kat to make sure that everything went smoothly on the day of my wedding. Unfortunately, she caused me and my family a huge amount of undue stress and barely performed the most basic tasks we had contracted for.

In the months leading up to the wedding, she was almost never available to meet with vendors and was very slow to respond to emails, so my family and I handled everything ourselves. In the weeks before the wedding, I made a detailed spreadsheet of all of the vendor contact information and provided it to her, asking to be copied on all vendor communications. She haphazardly contacted the vendors, often providing incorrect information that I had to correct.

On the day of the wedding, Kat was at the venue to "set up" from noon to 5pm. When my photographer went to the reception site to take photos prior to the ceremony, almost nothing was set up. Further, Kat failed to get a day of contact for our shuttle drivers. One of the shuttles got lost and was not picking up 50+ guests from the hotel as planned. When a friend texted my maid of honor to let us know, I asked Kat what the issue was and she said it was the vendor's fault and there was nothing she could do. This was completely inappropriate. My sister and dad had to fix the issue. At the reception, despite clear instructions on the song to play for the Father/Daughter dance, Kat told the band the wrong song. At the end of the reception, when my mom asked for assistance cleaning up, Kat refused to help take things back to the hotel and just left. My family and the exhausted wedding party cleaned up.

After all of these issues, Kat never contacted me to apologize or follow up. Ultimately, Kat is trying to do too many things, and it came at the expense of my wedding. I was very disappointed and do not recommend her services.

Dear Sweetheart Events Reviews

Reviews

Awards

Dear Sweetheart Events