Love Notes - What Brides Are Saying About Stella
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The Stella Event Design team exceeded my expectations! I found their creative and inspired designs to be right on target for our vision for a wedding weekend celebrating family, friends, and our new life. We enjoyed the detailed plans that the Stella Event Design team prepared giving us a really clear picture of how we could maximize our budget. The preferred vendor/supplier list also made our research much more efficient by reducing the need to contact pages upon pages of potential suppliers.
I loved that Stella Event Design checked in periodically to see how our planning was going. They managed the coordination with several of our suppliers/vendors to ensure a successful and stress-free wedding day. To that point, I spent the entire day at the spa with my maid-of-honor relaxing knowing that Stella Event Design had it all under control. I even have pictures of my groom "chilling" the afternoon of our wedding day since I reassured him Stella Event Design would take care of all the details and set up.
Investing in wedding planning services was the second best decision I made (picking a pretty amazing husband to wed ranks at the top of the list!).
Kristen+Jason
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Jessica and her team made our wedding phenomenal from start to finish. Our first meeting she informed us that there was a huge golf tournament occuring in St. Joseph on the weekend we were considering for our wedding. We had spoken with 3 reception venues prior to our meeting, and none had mentioned the tournament or the logistical issues it would pose for our day. We right then how valuable she would be to our wedding planning experience.
She had the ability to hear our ideas and transform them into reality. She was never overbearing, and just wanted to give us the wedding of our dreams on our budget. She was there with us through the whole process and was always available to help us navigate bumps in the road. If you are looking for a down to earth, creative, and exceptionally organized planner .... Jessica is your girl!
Liz+Justin
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PRE-WEDDING: I was stressing out big time when we decided to hire Stella Event Design. By the time we did, the wedding was only a few months away and mostly planned, but since my husband and I were getting married in Michigan and living in Chicago, we needed serious help with a few odds and ends, like finding a baker in the area and figuring out the marriage license process, etc...Jessica was a huge success in helping us tie up those loose ends so we knew we were going into our big day with everything taken care of.
DAY-OF: Our wedding was very DIY, so there was A LOT of setup. I mean, A LOT. I was worried that Jessica and her crew wouldn't be able to get everything set up in time and that if they did, it wouldn't match the wedding in my head, but everything turned out perfectly! And anytime we hit a roadblock, Jessica and her crew were there to help us, from ordering more alcohol when we started to run out before we even started dinner (oh brother!!) to helping coordinate rides for all of us at the end of the night when one of our shuttles broke down on the side of the highway. I ended up driving a group of my drunk friends back to the hotel, but so did Jessica! Which I can't thank her enough for. She went above and beyond what we hired her to do.
Leah+Dan
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Hiring Stella Event Design was the best decision I made for my wedding. Jessica, the lead planner, coordinated my wedding and she was reliable in every way and has a personality that could make even the most nervous person relaxed and comfortable. She provided every service with professionalism from designing a budget, recommending vendors, designing the look of the reception and making the rehearsal, wedding and reception go smoothly. My family, wedding party, and myself all got to enjoy the entire day with no stress b/c Jessica did the set-up, made sure vendors were on time, gave vendor tips, did the take down, and much more that I don't even know b/c I didn't have to be concerned with any behind the scenes. I would recommend Stella Event Design to anyone that wants their day to be sensational!
Janelle+Mike
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If you are someone who needs guidance, support, creative ideas, organization & much much more, then Jessica is the one for you! She drove our wedding from start to finish (literally finish, she and her team were the last to leave the venue after the reception).
When it came to my wedding I had no idea where to start, even choosing a theme, flowers and location was all over my head. Jessica and her team came to the rescue, and honestly I don't know how I would have done anything without them. Jessica has personal relationships with so many vendors that no matter what our budget was she had a reliable vendor to offer us. She personally knew florists, dj's, venue coordinators, officiants. She came up with the most amazing centerpiece displays (that I would have NEVER thought of on my own) and decor for the reception. All our guests were totally blown away at how beautiful everything was.
All my nerves were totally at ease, everyone kept asking me if I was nervous before the wedding and the answer was always "no" because Jessica was ten steps ahead of me. The day of, Jessica was waiting for me at the ceremony...everything looked perfect, everyone was where they were supposed to be. I would recommend Stella Event Design to ANYONE who is looking for an amazing wedding planner and day of coordinator. You will not be disappointed!
Lucy+Matt
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We could not have had such a wonderful wedding without Jessica and her team. The best details of our wedding were her recommendations ... We had a beautiful wedding in Union Pier, Mi and had so many personal touches we were able to include because of everyone's creativity, flexibility and general concern that our day would be special. Jessica makes it happen! Her attention to details and cute ideas made our wedding day memorable not just for the two of us, but for our families and guests as well!
Megan+Anthony
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Brittany Johnson from Stella Event Design was my knight in shining armor. Only instead of a knight she was the perfect wedding planner, and instead of shining armor she was armed with a plethora of fabulous ideas and infinite patience!
Our intimate beach wedding was put together in a little less than four months with the help of the talented Brittany and her team at Stella Event Design. She was able to offer me plenty of suggestions and options to keep us within our budget and still make it look like we spent a million bucks on the wedding of our dreams.
Not only was Brittany there for me every step (and email) of the way, but she was genuinely excited about our upcoming wedding and you could tell that she cared just as much for our small affair as she did her 300+ wedding the weekend before. We were never put aside or treated any differently even though we weren't a large event; she made us feel like we were the only wedding she had under her belt. And that really says a lot, because Brittany and Stella Event Design are constantly busy planning gorgeous affairs! :)
She even helped me with ideas for our small dinner reception as well and I feel like I made a true friend who I hope to keep in touch with for months and years to come. I would recommend Stella Event Design and especially Brittany Johnson to anyone who wants a person who genuinely cares about your special day and will make you feel like you are the only client in the world that matters. Our day wouldn't have been what it was without her help! Thank you so much, Brittany! I'll always recommend you whenever I have a chance!
Mandy+Keith
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Working with Jessica at Stella Event Design was amazing! As a Detroit bride planning a wedding on the other side of the state, it was extremely helpful to receive vendor recommendations that were reliable, within my budget and matched my "vision." Looking at past event photos, I knew Jessica and her team would come up with something fun, modern and perfect for my theme and venue. I really trusted her judgements and referrals. She was extremely flexible with me since I couldn't always get there for a face-to-face meeting (or had very short notice!) and answered all emails immediately. She definitely went above and beyond just day-of-coordination and I am very thankful that I had her to help me on the day of the wedding. I literally do not know what I would have done without her. She was very professional and very caring. I never felt like my wedding was just another job to her, or that she was too busy to help me with things. She stayed until the very end of the reception and helped my family load up the cars (very efficiently!). I have nothing but good things to say about her and my experience-- VERY highly recommend her and Stella Event Design. You will not regret it!
Dawn+Nick
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Stella Event Design helped make our wedding day perfect! Everything was organized and planned to a T. We had no worries or concerns the day of the wedding, simply because of all the help from Stella Event Design and there presence on our wedding day. They are sincere, enthusiastic, flexible, and professional. I truly enjoyed and appreciate all of their help and guidance! Thank you so much ladies from Stella Event Design! Everything you did is greatly appreciated!
Devin+Dave
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We hired Stella Events for day-of planning for our wedding at the Blue Dress Barn. From the very beginning Jessica was extremely helpful, friendly, and extremely quick to email me back with any answers to our questions. Being from Chicago and not knowing much about the area, Jessica provided us with a list of recommended vendors to work with, all of which turned out to be reliable, quality professionals.
Our actual planner was Mary Beth, who was AMAZING!! Mary Beth is extremely sweet, kind, and made us feel at ease. Each meeting we had with her was wonderful, and she executed our vision to perfection. Our day ran as scheduled and without flaw because of her, and there is no way we could of had such a beautiful, stress-free wedding without all of her help. From schlepping loads of decorations, cupcakes, etc to the barn and spending hours setting everything up exactly as we discussed (and even better!) to making sure our other vendors were right on point, Mary Beth and her assistant Lexie were the best! Stella Events is the best, and we would definitely say this service was money well spent!!!
Jillian+Ryan
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Brittany, one of Stella's event planners, was essential in the planning of my southwest Michigan wedding. I was planning my wedding from Chicago and had NO idea about which vendors to work with. She was friendly, responsive and professional and full of ideas. My wedding day was completely without stress because of Brittany's organization and ability to tie things together.
Virginia+Rich
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Jessica and her team were fantastic, and we couldn't have pulled off our wedding without her! I no longer live in Michigan and have a very busy job in which I travel every week, so I needed a lot of help selecting and communicating with vendors whom I wasn't familiar with. She always had great recommendations and had established relationships with everyone I worked with, so she knew what areas the vendors were good at managing and the areas she needed to stay on top of with them. She was also very friendly and really allowed for me and my family to relax and enjoy our special day. She never made me feel like this was just another wedding for her. I would definitley recommend working with Jessica. She is super flexible and incredibly knowledgable about the SW Michigan area!
Lindsay+Kevin
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When I first told my mom I had hired Jessica, she was a little mad at me. Not because she had anything against Jessica, but wedding planners in general. She had wanted to do all things wedding, including setting up the day of the wedding and tearing down. After the wedding, I asked her how she felt about me hiring Jessica and she said, "I don't know how we could've done it without her." And that's not an exaggeration.
We got married at Millcreek Barns in Watervliet, which is very much an a la carte site. For day of services, Jessica received all the deliveries, set up the ceremony site, reception hall, coordinated timing for all the vendors, ordered us more alcohol when we were running low on beer, wine, rum and whiskey at 7 pm, double-sided taped my dress up... etc. etc. etc. Her services were so valuable the day of the wedding so we could actually enjoy our day without stress. I can only imagine the panic that would've occurred if she hadn't been there to solve our alcohol situation, but instead it was handled immediately.
I also hired Jessica for decor for the wedding. I'm a bride with eclectic tastes, I love all colors, all textures, all patterns. Jessica found a way to execute my vision without going overboard and being tacky (which I'm really good at!). I repeatedly received compliments on how beautiful our wedding was. Jessica took my vision (or lack of) and picked out beautiful table linens, put together our floral order, created several handmade touches and made my wedding something I can be proud of.
Why hire Jessica? Many people think a wedding planner is out of their budget. I planned my wedding on 18k and Stella Event Design was a pivotal piece to my wedding I could have never done without. Because I was a budget bride, I gave my decor budget to Jessica, and she kept me on budget. Rather than going over budget on flowers because I fell in love with something, she chose a floral arrangement within my budget. She created handmade touches to make my wedding special without being exorbitant. Everything came in at my budget, which is difficult to do when planning a wedding.
My entire family was able to enjoy our wedding as much as my husband and I did, because they got to participate in the fun stuff without all the hard work.
Jessica is friendly, responsive, knowledgeable, helpful, professional. All the things that a wedding planner should be.
Katie+Jack
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Every bride and groom should be as lucky as us to have Jessica Pennington from Stella Event Design as their wedding planner. From the minute we started working with her, she exemplified professionalism. She also has a vast knowledge of the industry and goes above and beyond to make sure your day goes perfectly. Without Jessica, our wedding would not have been nearly as perfect as it was. On top of her great knowlege and professionalism, Jessica goes above and beyond to really get to know the couple she is working with and make sure that they are the highlight of the event. We simply cannot send enought Thank You's her way!
Sarah+Bill
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Jessica from Stella Event Design was very flexible and easy to work with. My husband and I live out of state and she was willing to coordinate almost the entire wedding via email and phone calls.
Her vendor recommendations and event design suggestions were also extremely helpful. We really liked everyone we ended up working with, and the wedding turned out perfectly. We couldn't have been more pleased with the look of the entire event.
Kate+Evan
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My hopes for Jessica Pennington didn't stop at her wonderful web site. Those pictures and ideas are real. My daughter's wedding was amazing and truly beautiful. Jessica was prompt with responses and ideas. She was willing to give me honest advice. I thought I was organized until I worked with Stella Event Design. They worked our plan and made the day more fun and lovely than we ever imagined. My daughter and I were able to laugh, cry and enjoy all our guests without the stress of details. Mothers of Brides-- you need this woman!
Melanie, Mother of the Bride
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Wow!! Brittany Johnson from Stella Event Design was unbelievable!!! She was so on top of everything from me being late to the ceremony to a missing center piece! She gave helpful hints to any questions that we had! She was very detailed about things that we didnt even think about!! The day went off without an issue,thanks all to Brittany!!
Dana+Ryan
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Jessica Pennington and the team at Stella Event Design made my wedding AMAZING! I had but *ONE* freak out during the ENTIRE wedding process and that came the morning of the wedding when I woke up to a torrential downpour (the sky cleared and it was a BEAUTIFUL day, phew!). I am not the 'typical' bride. I had not dreamed of my wedding day for years, and frankly - didn't really want to work out all the details that lots of girls enjoy. Call me crazy.... Cue Stella Event Design and their "full service" planning option!!
I gave Jessica my vision and because I trusted her and her expertise I just let her run with it. The vendors she works with are TOP NOTCH and she made this entire wedding process fun, (almost) effortless, and easy-peasy. My hubby and I had a totally stress-free experience - no joke! I could NOT imagine pulling off what she pulled off on my own and I would HIGHLY recommend her to ANYONE planning a wedding in Michigan. Our wedding was PERFECT, there is not ONE SINGLE THING that I would change, and that is due in large part to Jessica and her team. They listen, they respond, they deliver!
Brittany+Scott
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Brittany, Thank you again for all of your help leading up to, and on our wedding day! We couldn't have pulled off such a fantastic event without you. Best of luck in all you do, and thanks again!
Brigid+Benjamin
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Living in Chicago and planning a destination wedding in St. Joseph was challenging, but Jessica was a lifesaver during this process! I hired Stella Event Design for day-of coordination, design assistance and vendor referrals. Jessica provided referrals for extremely professional vendors with great service. She even coordinated vendors to meet us at her office to make it more convenient for me and my husband. She was always responsive to phone and email correspondence, and available/flexible for our meetings. Multiple times I went to her with general planning questions and she always provided helpful information and advice from past wedding and personal experiences. When the wedding day came, I was relieved that I had an experienced and reliable coordinator overseeing the day's events and making sure everything went as planned....and it did, thanks to Jessica and her team!
Shannon+Dave
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I enjoyed working with Brittany at Stella Event Design very much! She helped us transform a warehouse into a beautiful event space and managed all of the details for us. I wouldn't have been so relaxed that day without her!
Barb+ROn
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Working with Jessica was so much fun! Being an out-of-town bride, I was nervous about finding everything we would need to make our wedding day perfect, but Jessica immediately put me at ease. She connected me with all of the people and services we were looking for and enhanced our ideas with even better ones! We couldn't have had such a beautiful day without her help!
Tanya+Jason
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Jessica and her team were very helpful and professional. I had to worry about NOTHING the day of and she made sure I was on the right track throughout the planning. She was worth every penny and I would use her again and HIGHLY recommend her to other brides.
Jessica+Justin
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Jessica and her team were lifesavers. My husband and I live in Chicago and were trying to plan our wedding in Michigan. We quickly realized it was way too difficult, time consuming, and frustrating to try to do everything on our own - so we contacted Jessica. Best decision ever!
I've been to many weddings in the past where the bridal couple and their family and friends weren't able to sit down, eat, or do anything other than run around trying to coordinate things - NOT AT OUR WEDDING! Beyond all the advice, assistance, and experience Jessica provided us, she gave us the best wedding present EVER - the ability to relax and simply enjoy our wedding day. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to wake up the day of my wedding and just be able to enjoy the time with my bridesmaids and family with the peace of mind that Jessica had everything under control.
During the planning stages when I tried to communicate my vision of the wedding to her, Jessica understood immediately and really helped me to make my vision a reality. She had worked with our vendors in the past, so she already knew what to expect from the vendors and passed that on to us. She also recommended a DJ to us, who was absolutely perfect for us! Beyond that, she was extremely responsive to my emails and she provided great advice and insight on the numerous sticky situations that I encountered during the planning.
Jessica's expertise, creativity, and patience were wonderful and I would use Jessica's services again in a heartbeat. I strongly recommend contacting her for help planning your wedding in SW Michigan! And I thank her again for all her help and hard work in making my wedding day truly the most wonderful day of my life!
Emily+Adam
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Jessica and her crew were wonderful and very helpful for our big day. Having them there made us relax and enjoy the day with our guests. They were an amazing help in setting up all of our DIY centerpieces and decorations. The scene was even more complete then I imagined! They are definatly great to have around, especially when you need something in the last minute!
Megan+Will
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I just LOVE Jessica! We hired her for design and Day-of wedding coordination. Jessica is very creative and her design was beautiful! She was very helpful and responsive whenever I had questions along the way. She had lots of handy tips and great ideas to help me with the planning. She was always has a smile on her face and she was a lot of fun to be around throughout the whole experience.
Tessa+Brian
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Jessica was very professional, and very responsive, she had great advice on the flowers and other arrangements as well as where we could buy items such as candles and everything else. We contracted for day-of services, which included a lot more than day-of services! The day-of services included planning the day and allowed us the fun of picking our centerpieces and decorations and vendors to our style. I cannot say enough of how much help she was in referring us to reliable friendly vendors! We had a long distance, "destination" type wedding so the few times I was able to be in town for planning, she made sure to accomodate my schedule. On the wedding day I showed up and all the centerpieces were set as well as the switch to an indoor ceremony -- a change made at 1:30 on the day of the wedding! Two wedding planners were present on the day of the wedding to help with the ceremony and reception and keeping everything moving and keeping track of the wedding party. I recommend taking the worry out of the day by hiring these ladies!
Kay+Sean
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We worked with Stella Event Design for decor planning and day of services and they helped make our day everything we hoped for and more!
Caitlin+Nathan
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Jessica was wonderful every step of the way! Our first meeting she was prepared with suggestions about the reception hall, flowers, and food. She was always easy to reach by email and usually responded within an hour or two from the time my email was sent, sometimes sooner. She was a great listener and really understood the vibe/style that we wanted for our wedding. She handled our invitations and even put them in envelopes and mailed them for us. She kept track of the RSVPs, seating arrangements, even designed the decorations for the rehersal dinner. She was like a magician; if we said we wanted it, she would find it. My husband and I are both busy physicians and did not have the time to handle the millions of details that go into planning a wedding. She made it easy and stress free for us. We were thrilled to have found her!
Yana+Brannon
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Stella Event Design saved my sanity! There were parts of my wedding that I really wanted to have control over and other parts that didn't matter to me at all. Jessica at Stella Event Design was able to accomodate me with a "partial planning" package that fit perfectly with my needs. She is quick to respond to emails and phone calls and is flexible with times to meet in person. She is very familiar with the local area and its vendors and helped me stay on budget. When it comes to above and beyond, Jessica was awesome. She returned all of my rented items for me the next day as well as my alcohol that we didn't use. I ordered wholesale flowers and she was able to put them together to create my centerpieces and they looked beautiful. I really can't rave about her enough. She's calm in chaos, super organized, and obviously loves her job! I would recommend her service to anyone.
Megan+Greg
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We worked with Stella Event Design for day of coordination as well as chair covers. I wanted to plan my own wedding and to do many of the details myself, but once I got to the wedding day I wanted myself and my family to be guests and to hand the coordination off to Stella Event Design.
We booked Jessica in April of 2008 for our June 2009 wedding. Since I worked with her for such a long period of time, I feel very confident in saying that Jessica is extremely prompt in her responsiveness, gives great advice and goes above and beyond to ensure that her clients have the information and assistance they need. She is a southwest Michigan expert! She literally has contacts in every area of planning your wedding. We asked Jessica questions that went above and beyond her day-of coordinator role and she never hesitated to help us out. We especially appreciated the vendor referrals, the ideas for staying within our budget and the help immediately before the wedding. When we ran out of time right before the wedding, Jessica came to my mom's house to pick up the materials for the ceremony and reception set-up and even arranged ice cream cones for our guests at an ice cream shop. She sent me several e-mails in the weeks before the wedding asking if she could do anything to help and it was clear
she wanted to be of assistance. Once we hired Jessica, we were completely at ease that we had someone to coordinate our rehearsal, organize and set up our reception and ceremony and who would make sure the day ran smoothly. The wedding set-up was gorgeous, as were the chair covers. Jessica and her staff handled issues that were not necessarily part of her official duties and helped smooth over issues with another vendor. I was glad to have someone at the wedding be the "go-to" person so we could enjoy the day! It was 100% worth every penny spent for both the peace of mind through the planning process and the ability to fully enjoy my wedding day!
Kate+Mitch
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Thank you so much for all that you did for us, you were great to work with! Our day was perfect and we couldn't have dont it without you and your staff! Thank you again and we'll definitely be sending new clients your way!
Jessica+Bryan
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Jessica is awesome! She was pretty great to work with and responded quickly to emails. She was constantly searching for solutions to my many problems. On our rainy wedding day, Jessica even got our entire set up ready on the beach for our ceremony an hour after the rain ended! I honestly could not have planned this weddng without her!
Stefanie+Jim
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My goal as a bride was to have an affordable wedding, which meant I would be doing most of it myself. I lost weekends printing, stuffing and addressing envelopes. I even lost sleep over what color of ribbons to use and where I would be able to find it. I knew of people that had event planners and I thought that I would have to have this fancy expensive wedding to be able to justify the added expense. Two months before the big day I decided to reach out for help. I emailed Jessica at midnight when I was at my wits end and that morning when I got to work I had the reply I needed. Jessica's help more than paid for itself. She helped me find a wonderful videographer last minute at a wonderful price. She also helped me with transportation and finding affordable centerpieces. More importantly I became a bride and a guest at my wedding. My parents and I were able to sit back and enjoy our night without having to worry about setting up, tearing down, making sure the cake gets cut and everything is running on time. My wedding turned out wonderfully and everyone had a great time. I can't thank Jessica enough for all of her help. She truly gave me a night I will never forget!
Megan+Scott
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| Amazing is the one word I would use to describe Jessica! My fiancee and I knew we wanted a destination wedding on the beach that would be drivable from Chicago and Cincinnati but were at a complete loss as to where that would be. After multiple trips to different locations feeling completely overwhelmed, I had just about given up when I decided to speak to several coordinators. After speaking to Jessica, I knew right away she was the one I wanted to help plan my wedding. Her knowledge of the area, restaurants, hotels, golf courses and attractions made St. Joseph a beautiful, relaxing, and easy place to choose for my wedding. To say that Jessica just helped is an understatement! She went above and beyond to ensure that all my wants were met. Jessica made sure every detail was captured and everything fell into place perfectly without me feeling the slightest bit of stress or worry. My wedding day went absolutely seamlessly and I have her to thank for making that memory happen!
Kelly+Russ
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We were so grateful for your help---from last minute items forgotten at the hotel to making sure the cake got cut and people knew it, I counted myself very smart to have secured your services! I tell every bride to be sure to hire at least a day-of coordinator! Even though I plan big events for clients every day, I was so glad to have you there so I could enjoy the party and spend time with my guests, not waste precious time having to answer questions from the shuttle drivers or the caterer. Like most people, I've never done this before, so it was great to have advice from someone who has been involved with many weddings on the best way to do things. Thanks again, Jessica!
Claire+Chris
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Originally, we were planning on completing the decor for our wedding ourselves (with the help of family and friends) but as we moved closer to the wedding day, we realized how much less stress we'd have if we hired someone to help us design our decor and decorate. Our photographer recommended Jessica from Stella Event Design.
We had such high expectatations for the look of our reception and Jessica far exceeded our hopes. We were so happy and pleased to walk into Foundry Hall after our rehearsal to find the old warehouse completely transformed into a beautiful and inviting venue! Jessica from Stella Event Design did such a fantastic and beautiful job decorating Foundry Hall for Tracy and I! And what helped even more was her cordiality and smile as she worked with us! Our sincere thanks to Stella Event Design for helping make our day so wonderful! Tracy+David
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