Sparkling Occasions
Danvers, MA
(7)
Danvers, MA
(7)
7 customer reviews
Olivia
Leslye was the day-of-coordinator for our wedding at Camp Ketcha. It was really important that we had a great coordinator for our wedding because there were a lot of moving parts at our venue.
Leslye vastly exceeded our expectations. She came to the rehearsal prepared with all the details prepared for the ceremony (the processional order, where everyone would be standing, timing of everything), and worked with the officiant to make sure they were on the same page. On the day of, she and Nick (her assistant for our wedding) helped make sure all table settings and decorations were just right before the wedding, including making some of the floral centerpieces. Throughout the day, Lesley kept vendors aware of the schedule and any last minute changes made. Leslye repeatedly checked on my husband and I throughout the night to see to make sure we'd eaten enough and see if we needed anything (she even texted us before the wedding in the morning reminding us to eat, which was greatly appreciated!). I think how Leslye and Nick dealt with the chaos before ceremony best demonstrates her exceptional work as a coordinator. It was still raining up to an hour before our outdoor ceremony was supposed to begin and she got our reception room ready for the ceremony instead in literally less than 10 minutes. The weather ended up clearing up and we decided last minute to have the ceremony outside and she quickly got the reception room put back in place for dinner while Nick dried all the seats outside off before any guests arrived.
Overall, our day ran so smoothly thanks to Lesyle and Nick. If there were any issues, we had no idea because they immediately took care of them before anyone could notice. I chose Leslye as our coordinator because I knew after my first phone call with her that she was someone who can take charge and get things done and that's absolutely what she did. We're so thankful we had her there on our wedding day - it couldn't have happened without her!
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charity
Leslye was amazing and she was so excited for our wedding. Her excitement helped me stay excited and fight off the nerves. She was very professional and when I had a problem she fixed it. I would highly recommend her to anyone who is looking for that person who will invest in their wedding and really care about it being perfect and going smoothly. She will make sure the vendors are all on the same page and will be there to keep things on schedule and the flow going the day of. WE would have been Lost without her. I am in her debt for all that she did for us. More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Sarah
Wedding planning is pretty overwhelming, so having someone who can give insight into the process is invaluable. Lesley is a pro, she’s been doing this long enough that she is a great resource for the industry!
She’ll think of things you definitely won’t have even considered, which will save you lots of headaches down the line. A few of our vendors were directly recommended by her – and they were absolutely wonderful, she knows the best people for the job! Lesley was great to work with and she kept me on track throughout the process. On the day of the wedding – she was there to help with anything we needed, including repeatedly sewing me into my dress after the eye hook gave out!! Not to mention we definitely would have forgotten to actually sit down and eat at our own wedding without her.
She really went above and beyond helping us find a venue – she spent a couple of her weekends very generously going with us to northern NH to check out different venues! It was great having her there to guide us through the process and use her extensive experience to help us navigate the pros and cons of each one. She even drew up helpful comparison guides to give us a better picture of the cost and benefits of each different venue. If you’re looking for a wonderful wedding planner to help you through the process and to be there to think of everything (so you won’t have to) on your wedding day, go with Leslye!
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Reviewed on WeddingWire
Heather
Karen was wonderful! My husband and I were renewing our vows with the wedding we never had. I was in Texas, going to school and moved to virginia all while making the plans for our event.
Karen was so good about communication, and handling the research part of everything I had no problem adding a wedding to my plate.
She was always was available for my questions, open to changes and really captured what we wanted. Her honesty is so valueable. She will tell you what she thinks is best but will always give you what you want. She found the most amazing venue and vendors who did amazing work.
On the day of the event she was there at my side to be sure I was happy and did countless things behind the scenes to make my day perfect.
I think Karen and the Affordable Occasions staff directly contributed to my perfect wedding.
Thanks Karen!
Heather and Bryce Bogart
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Nikki
AMAZING is the way to describe Karen and her fantastic wedding planning services. I hired Karen somewhat out of the blue and on a whim.
I'd seen her noted on a bridal blog and had otherwise no personal references for her services. Thanks goodness I trusted my instincts!
From the very early days I felt complete and total confidence in Karen's skills. Not only is she a very experienced, skilled, and honest wedding planner she is also a kind and friendly person to work with. I truly believe I could not have had the wedding of my dreams without her.
My wedding was outside in August and we built it from the ground up. We had to bring in the tables & chairs, the tent, the caterer, the DJ, the bartenders etc. Karen connected me with many of these vendors, and while she made suggestions on who she likes to work with, she never pushed vendors on me. That said, she's build wonderful professional relationships with many vendors in New England, so has a long list of great vendors to work with (and I hired many of her suggested contacts - they were incredible). Her relationships are true test of her character. Karen is also a staunch negotiator, as she took on the task of working with one vendor who was unflexible and horrific to work with. She kept us in-line with a timeline of things that need to be done, reminded us about vendor payments, and worked as a team with me to generate beautiful decor ideas for the wedding. Karen does it all - and with a smile!
On wedding day, I felt complete and utter calm and I'm confident that was due partly because I had Karen running the ship. Her team executed a gorgeous wedding set-up and if there were any hiccups with vendors that would be news to me! She shielded me well.
You would be remiss to not hire Karen - or anyone from her AO team for that matter - to plan, organize, or inspire your wedding. She was a life saver for me and my husband and I owe her a million thank yous!
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Reviewed on WeddingWire
Linda
I would love the opportunity to write a recommendation for Karen of Affordable Occasions. This is the 2nd time that I will be used Karen's services for a wedding.
In June of 2005 my daughter got married and Karen was my right arm during the preparation for the wedding. I am in Texas and the wedding was to be held in New England. I used Karen's skills from the very start to the very end. She helped me find places for the reception and wedding, after a few conversations and Karen asking all the right questions, she was able to find me the type of places that were in line with my daughter and my tastes. When ever I had a question or needed suggestions, I knew that I could turn to Karen and that she would find what I was looking for or come up with suggestions that I would never have thought of (and I am a very "crafty" type person). One of the things that I really liked was the time that Karen took with me and my daughter "brainstorming" on different things. - The guests at my daughter's wedding are still talking about how great it was... The church, the venue, the music and everything else was perfect. During the reception, my daughter asked me what she should be doing next and I told her to ask Karen because she would know the right thing to do at the right time.
Now it is my turn to get married and I would not use anyone but Karen and Affordable Occasions. I took a trip to New England and had selected some venues to look at (recommedations of Karen's). I really liked the 2nd place we saw. Karen suggested that I wait until I saw the last place before making a decision (she said I am pretty sure that last place we see will be the one you select, based on our current and previous conversations). She was right, she saved the best for last and she exceeded my expectations on location and the venue.
Karen is extremely professional yet I felt like I was talking to my best friend. She was there when I needed her, she was constantly watching out for my best interest (making sure that I was charge correctly, the contracts had no hidden things in them that would come back to haunt me in the future, and providing me with a list of vendors to meet my needs). Karen was even there to run interference between my daughter, son-in-law and me, when we were in a disagreement. She has an amazing way of defusing high tension situations so that every felt like they won! Karen has a unique way of reading the situation, listening to what is being said and what is not being said.
I did not encounter any negatives while working with Karen. I would go to her with a problem and she would either handle it for me (if I needed her to) or give me solutions or ways to handle it myself. When I first was looking at hiring an event planner, I had concerns about them being pushy or over powering... This DID NOT happen with Karen, if fact, it was just the opposite. She seemed to know when I needed her to step in and when I didn't. In fact, even though I know Karen had several other wedding that she was working while working with me, I always felt that I was her only client (never felt like her attention was divided between myself and others)
I am proud to recommend Karen and Affordable Occasions for any event that you are planning. Having Karen of Affordable Occasions as your event planner, you will not be disappointed. You will ALWAYS be first with her and ALWAYS be her most important client. I was very concerned about planning a wedding in New England from Texas... With Karen on my team, distance was not a factor. I must say, I worry a lot less than I did the first time because I know that Karen will have everything taken care of.
Thank you Karen, another successful wedding and reception! I could never have done either weddings with such an extraordinary outcome without your services.
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Reviewed on WeddingWire
Emily
I cannot say enough about Karen... from the minute we hired her a year before the wedding to the follow-up phone calls we've had since returning from the honeymoon, she has been SO helpful, organized, and professional. We honestly could not have had the wedding we did without her. Hiring Karen was the best wedding decision we made. More...
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