Occasions by Emily

The best decision we made in planning our wedding was hiring Occasions by Emily. Emily and her crew were a pleasure to work with and are truly capable of bringing all ideas to life. Occasions by Emily made planning a wedding from out of state smooth and stress-free. Throughout the entire process (over and year and half), my husband(!!!) and I never had a doubt that Occasions by Emily was the perfect fit for us.

Emily went above and beyond for our wedding! She was very quick to respond, easy to contact, made anything possible that I wanted, and is a fantastic wedding planner! Couldn't find a sweeter person to have coordinated our wedding! We were married at a Bed and Breakfast on Tiffany Hill and she made it the most absolutely perfect day! We had a very small wedding, but she put a lot of time and effort into it! Emily coordinated with all the vendors and arranged everything for me; all my fiance and I did was show up in our dress and tux! It was the most relaxing and non-stressful events I have been a part of, and I would recommend her to anyone! The officiant she chose for us was perfect, as well as an amazing cake and the most beautiful bouquet I have ever seen! She made me an appointment at a salon that did exactly what I wanted and they had the most accommodating staff! My hair and makeup could not have turned out any more perfect!Emily is also one of the nicest people I have ever met- she was very professional yet personable, and you can easily see she is doing what she loves! Occasions by Emily made my wedding day perfect and stress-free.

Emily is an amazing planner and I highly recommend her. She helped on so many different levels, from helping pick my decor, to recommending vendors, to creating all of my flower arrangements and centerpieces to making all the arrangements for rental equipment and even running my wedding rehearsal in lieu of the minister who would have charged more. She knew the best places to set things up and what exactly was needed. She's excellent, especially at Castle Ladyhawke. My only complaints about her were the price quote changed the day before my wedding because my original quote did not include taxes or some other fees that I wasn't expecting. I was extremely upset because I thought I was paid in full. She ended up dropping some rental stuff that she said no one would really notice anyway, but if I get a price quote and attempt to pay in full more than a month in advance then my guest numbers go down, I expect money back, not an increase by several hundred dollars. I also do not recommend her for the floral arrangements and bouquets. I can't say she did a bad job, she didn't, but it wasn't what I asked for or was expecting. If I'd been a bridezilla I would've freaked out that day. Instead I decided not to worry about the little things and just enjoy the day. She is an awesome planner, just have someone else do the flowers.

The place that we chose for our wedding uses Occasions by Emily as part of a package. I was not pleased with Emily for several reasons. The regular package that they offer is for 10 people and my wedding consisted of 20 people which she said "was triple their usual guests" which meant she had to "adjust" the package for us. Her adjustment consisted of charging the same price while taking services away from the package due to the "increased planning activity" of my wedding. When she told me this I agreed that yes if you have to do more work you deserve to get paid more but this wasn't the case. I contacted and hired the vendors and except for the restaurant where the reception was held, I also had to find the vendors. When I would ask for a suggestion or recommendation, it would usually take her several days to respond back. Her other reason for adjusting the package was "the amount of vendors she had to coordinate with the day of the wedding." The only vendor she had to coordinate was the cater since all the others were off property and I confirmed the schedule/price/delivery with them.Her contract stipulated what amounts and when we should send the payment therefore after a couple of weeks of mailing the second deposit and not hearing back from her I emailed her. Her response said that her assistant had gone back to college so she "might have received it" but she wasn't sure. Isn't a fundamental part of your job is to have attention to detail and be able to tell your clients if you received their payment?I am sorry that I had to work with Emily because it added unnecessary stress to my wedding planning.

Emily McColin's company Occasion's by Emily was absolutely FABULOUS!! Being a very busy couple, my husband and I were able to plan a wedding in North Carolina while living in California with the hard work of Emily and her company. Not only was she helpful with the planning, but she was flexible on EVERYTHING!! It was wonderful! I averaged out to maybe 2 phone calls and about 2 emails a week from December '10 to the last week of August '11 and was ecstatic to find that my wedding was absolutely PERFECT. With Emily as our wedding planner, there were NO issues at the wedding, everything was cued up precisely and our wedding party and guests enjoyed their afternoon flawlessly. The most amazing part about Emily was her ability to take ALL of my ideas and add in everything I asked for in an elegant way well within our budget!! Her company supplied the flowers and the centerpieces, all of which were exactly what I asked for. I would recommend Occasions by Emily to any Bride and Groom whether they need a wedding planner or not.

Very frustrating. Cheap price turned into a cheap service. I had to ask for details multiple times and finally 3 weeks before the event I had to write up and send them the list of vendors, contacts, time schedules and days game plan. I would never recommend using this company.After showing them how to do their jobs they did come thru in the end but if you are counting on them on your big day I would look else where so you are not as frustrated.

I can't imagine my wedding being as perfect as it was without Emily. She is very creative and has a wonderful personality that just puts you at ease during the stressful preparations of a wedding. Emily allowed me to participate in whatever manner provided me with the most comfort level without taking offense. As I'm a planner, the amount of detail that I provided her during the 9 months leading up to the wedding was enormous. She not only reviewed every last page, she appreciated the information as it helped her better plan and contribute with her expertise. Despite the fact that during the preparation time for my wedding she had a baby, I never felt a disruption in service for even a minute. She is incredibley dedicated and a true perfectionist. My wedding was a destination wedding and I never lived in the area where I got married. Addtionally, I had limited time in visiting the area to interview vendors. I had a discussion with Emily about the style of the wedding and what I was looking for from each of my vendors, and she shortlisted vendors for me to interview. I was able to take a long weekend and meeting with all the finalists and make my selections. I do not regret 1 selection that was made. Her knowledge of the area, which vendor's perform at the highest levels within their craft and which ones compliment the wedding style and personality is truly invaluable. Emily also competed to be my florist, which she won hands down. Not only was she competitive but her and her staff's creativity were breathtaking. The flower's were a beautiful complement to the wedding as were the tablescapes and all the other little touches. On the day of the wedding, I literally turned everything over to Emily and had NO CONCERN with the fact that it would be everything I planned for and imagined. It was BETTER than I had planned for or imagined. I'm sure there were issues that she had to address and resolve but I never knew anything other than that it was perfect. Emily was always close when you needed her, but you didn't know it until she was there. My family and friends adored her and she was as much a guest of the day as she was the coordinator. I think every bride in that area should work with Emily and I know they would not be disappointed with the outcome of their wedding. She made sure my only job that day was to be happy and get married.

I could not recommend a better wedding planner than Occasions by Emily(Emily). To add to the stress of a marriage, our venue needed changing 2 weeks before our wedding date. In 2 weeks she pulled off one of the most elegant and picture perfect weddings that my wife and I could have ever imagined. Our minister, caterer, rental company, family and friends went on and on about how magnificent of a job she did. You can not find a better Wedding Planner!

It is because of Occasions by Emily that our wedding on May 14, 2011 was so fantastic! I'm pretty much a control freak, but I didn't want to be that way about my wedding (especially since I recognized I was clueless) . Emily was so helpful, thorough and encouraging. Even on a budget ourwedding was more phenomenal than I ever dreamed. Her staff was fantastic on the wedding day and I really appreciate them making my wedding day so much fun! I really don't have enough words to express my delight with everything.

Emily was absolutely wonderful. her enthusiasm for her job and making our wedding run as smoothly as possible was so valuable. She made sure to understand our needs and work them into the plans. Hiring her was a great choice!

Emily and her staff were wonderful and they were able to take my vision and make it happen within a budget that we could afford. The whole weekend was everything we wanted and more!

Emily and her team were a huge help for our wedding. I don't think we could have pulled it off without them. They arranged an incredibly complicated transportation scheme for our wedding day, involving hotels and venues in different cities in the area. They worked well with all of our vendors. They saved me hundreds of phone calls and anxiety as far as organization. The number one comment i kept hearing from guests was "I can't believe how beautifully the entire day flowed! Everything seemed so smooth!" She has a huge number of contacts in the area. Our musicians cancelled at the last minute, and Emily's team took care of hiring a new crew without me even knowing about it. Emily wanted to be involved from the very beginning so that she would know EVERY detail for the event. She was attuned to all of my needs and my family's needs. I highly recommend Emily and her team.

Emily is a delightful lady. She is ready to listen and assist in anyway she can. In listening, she gives her opinion when asked, gives pros and cons of your thoughts. Our only negative, if you will, was on the last meeting with venue before the wedding, she sent an assistant, and the bride and groom felt somewhat abandoned. The assistant did not have all the info with her, and it appeared unorganized.

I would recommend Emily without reservation. Her assistance and presence removed much of the stress that is inevitable in planning a wedding. It allowed me to enjoy the wedding and reception as mother of the bride, without having to handle a lot of small details. She and her assistant were professional in every way, but also remained calm and pleasant. I had not originally planned to hire a wedding planner, but now I can't imagine doing it without Emily's help. She was well worth the fee.

Emily was amazing, very thorough and planned. She thought of everything, listened to me and my mom, and always had helpful tips and advice and suggestions. Efficient but doesn't ignore you while being so. Very flexible but always has a schedule. Loved her.

Emily of Occasions by Emily was wonderful. She helped make our wedding day exaclty how we envisioned....and that was not easy! Throughout the process, she was kind, thoughtful and professional. She was made for this.

I consider Emily the angel watching over us. Her professionalism, calm demeanor, and attention to detail made our wedding a beautiful day that my husband and I were both able to enjoy to the fullest. Our road was a bit rocky, we had a problem with our venue, but Emily delivered the news with grace and provided not only ideas but her undivided attention until a new venue was selected. In addition, I absolutely loved everyone she associated with. Her choices for a florist, musician, reverand, photographer etc were all a perfect match for us. We had a gorgeous and flawless event that was a result of her amazing efforts. I could never thank her enough.

Emily was the best wedding planner that we could've hoped for! She planned our wedding so well and was available for questions and concerns along the way. Our wedding day turned out exactly how she envisioned it for us. She has a very sweet personality too. She is the exact kind of person you want with you on your special day.

A photographer I was interviewing recommended Emily to me, and I am so glad she did. I hadn't planned on using one, but it made a huge difference in the lead-up and on the big day. Emily even showed up at a florist appointment when I was unexpectedly delayed, she made several site visits to make sure the rental company had every detail we needed--she helped me plan details I was excited about, and took care of those I wasn't so excited about. She was also extremely diplomatic in managing communication between different vendors/relations. THIS IS MORE VALUABLE THAN YOU THINK! It means you as the bride aren't worried about ticking off your future mother-in-law or another important vendor. Emily was one of the best investments I made in my wedding. She ensured that the experience and memories I (and my bridesmaids) have of my wedding match the photos, and we were able to enjoy ourselves dancing and visiting instead of coordinating. THANK YOU, thank you, thank you.

We had a four-day destination wedding. Emily was invaluable not only in helping bring our vision to life, but in suggesting creative ways to enhance our vision. She was calm, organized and made sure our wedding week-end went off without a hitch. In fact, when our car vendor backed out two days before the wedding, she had a replacement lined up within hours. We had the wedding of our dreams, and it would not have been possible without her! (In fact, we'd like her to come organize the rest of our lives!)