Reviews for Distinct Occasions

Reviews

• Staci M. Sent on 05/09/2018
  5 out of 5 rating

  5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0

  Wedding of our dreams!

  We planned our 250 guest wedding with Crystal over a span of approximately 1.5 years. I was the type of bride that was quite obsessive and anxious to get things done. Throughout our long planning process, Crystal was always quick to respond to emails and would address our concerns promptly. Her experience planning weddings really shows in her attention-to-detail, and she is extremely knowledgeable. She guided us easily through every step of the planning process. For the design of our wedding, she took our initial vision and turned it into something better than we could have ever imagined- trust her advice and expertise because she will make your wedding look magnificent! Despite the large size of our wedding and the very busy itinerary, my husband and I were able to enjoy ourselves, finish our meals, and socialize with no stress because Crystal handled everything behind the scenes. Our family and friends even commented on how organized she was. Crystal truly was an incredible asset for our wedding and we already miss her! If you want a planner who is organized, creative, fun, kindhearted, and has tons of experience, choose Crystal and Distinct Occasions.

  We planned our 250 guest wedding with Crystal over a span of approximately 1.5 years. I was the type of bride that was quite obsessive and anxious to get things done. Throughout our long planning process, Crystal was always quick to respond to emails and would address our concerns promptly. Her experience planning weddings really shows in her attention-to-detail, and she is extremely knowledgeable. She guided us easily through every step of the planning process. For the design of our wedding, she took our initial vision and turned it into something better than we could have ever imagined- trust her advice and expertise because she will make your wedding look magnificent! Despite the large size of our wedding and the very busy itinerary, my husband and I were able to enjoy ourselves, finish our meals, and socialize with no stress because Crystal handled everything behind the scenes. Our family and friends even commented on how organized she was. Crystal truly was an incredible asset for our wedding and we already miss her! If you want a planner who is organized, creative, fun, kindhearted, and has tons of experience, choose Crystal and Distinct Occasions.

  Distinct Occasions's reply:

  Staci & Mitch! What a delight it was to plan your big day. I miss you both already, too. Congratulations on your wedding and best wishes for a future filled with love, light and tremendous happiness. Love to you and your families! xo
• Narin R. Sent on 13/07/2017
  1.6 out of 5 rating

  1.6
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    1.0 out of 5 rating
    1.0
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    3.0 out of 5 rating
    3.0
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    2.0 out of 5 rating
    2.0
  • Value
    1.0 out of 5 rating
    1.0
  • Flexibility
    1.0 out of 5 rating
    1.0

  My husband and I had a magical wedding that is still talked about today. Unfortunately, our wedding's success was in spite of Distinct Occasions (mainly Crystal and her team), rather than a result. Here are some of our experiences with her.
  
  - When inputting numbers/invoices into our budget, not only did she forget most of our vendors, she also typed the numbers in wrong OR added them twice. As a result, I spent hours fixing her mistakes so that our budget was an accurate portrayal of what was spent and what was remaining.
  
  - Weeks before the wedding, she informed me that she and her team would get to the venues (we had a two-day event) early for set up. The day before event 1, she told my aunt and cousin that she would need them to arrive early to help set up. As a result, they had to change their hair and make-up appointments, and felt rushed throughout the day.
  
  - She also informed me that my family should not be helping because it works better for one person to be in command of everything. Meanwhile, she didn't even bring an updated, printed itinerary with her and had to ask my cousin to borrow hers.
  
  - Even with my cousin's itinerary, things got missed. The wrong song was played at my entrance, games and prizes were forgotten and most disappointing, photographs of me individually and with the groom were never taken. All of these were discussed with her ahead of time and typed up on our detailed itinerary. When I spoke with her about it -
  focusing on the photographs - she blamed the weather and guests. I reminded her that photographs had nothing to do with either and that she needed to follow the itinerary that had taken days to put together, with every little detail thought out for her.
  
  -On our actual wedding day, I heard her complaining to someone that my family had shown up too early. I asked her not to talk about my family to others. If she had a complaint, she should speak to me in a professional manner about it. I then informed her that the people who showed up early were the flower girl and ring bearer with their parents. Crystal was supposed to have shown them where we were taking bridal photos. Her lack of professionalism and courtesy made them miss the photos. Again, this was all clearly marked on the itinerary which I'm not sure she read.
  
  - Her main task was to keep us on time with everything, including photos. We had discussed this 2 days before the wedding. When it was time for family photos, I couldn't find her. I asked her assistant where she was and she said that Crystal doesn't help with photos. I informed the assistant that she needed to find Crystal and Crystal needed to follow through with this important responsibility. Crystal showed up 5 minutes before the photos were done. Her only input was to tell me to hold my bouquet lower.
  
  - She broke one of my vases. Rather than clean it up and put it in the garbage, she threw the glass back in the box with other items of mine. I could have reached my hand in and cut myself. She did not inform me of this herself until much after the fact
  
  The list went on and on. Eventually, we began to ignore her, and didn't even notice when she left. Instead we relied on our other vendors who were an awesome team and truly stepped up to make the day magical for us. They included:
  
  Dave Abreau - Photographer
  Paras of Paras Events - Decorator
  Kim Janse - Florist
  Dev of Impact Djs - DJ
  Cindy - Liberty Grand Coordinator
  
  Looking back, I wish I had taken all the negative reviews about Crystal seriously, and simply relied on the wedding coordinator from the hall. It would have saved us time and stress. I wrote this review to help brides out there avoid my mistake.

  My husband and I had a magical wedding that is still talked about today. Unfortunately, our wedding's success was in spite of Distinct Occasions (mainly Crystal and her team), rather than a result. Here are some of our experiences with her.
  
  - When inputting numbers/invoices into our budget, not only did she forget most of our vendors, she also typed the numbers in wrong OR added them twice. As a result, I spent hours fixing her mistakes so that our budget was an accurate portrayal of what was spent and what was remaining.
  
  - Weeks before the wedding, she informed me that she and her team would get to the venues (we had a two-day event) early for set up. The day before event 1, she told my aunt and cousin that she would need them to arrive early to help set up. As a result, they had to change their hair and make-up appointments, and felt rushed throughout the day.
  
  - She also informed me that my family should not be helping because it works better for one person to be in command of everything. Meanwhile, she didn't even bring an updated, printed itinerary with her and had to ask my cousin to borrow hers.
  
  - Even with my cousin's itinerary, things got missed. The wrong song was played at my entrance, games and prizes were forgotten and most disappointing, photographs of me individually and with the groom were never taken. All of these were discussed with her ahead of time and typed up on our detailed itinerary. When I spoke with her about it -
  focusing on the photographs - she blamed the weather and guests. I reminded her that photographs had nothing to do with either and that she needed to follow the itinerary that had taken days to put together, with every little detail thought out for her.
  
  -On our actual wedding day, I heard her complaining to someone that my family had shown up too early. I asked her not to talk about my family to others. If she had a complaint, she should speak to me in a professional manner about it. I then informed her that the people who showed up early were the flower girl and ring bearer with their parents. Crystal was supposed to have shown them where we were taking bridal photos. Her lack of professionalism and courtesy made them miss the photos. Again, this was all clearly marked on the itinerary which I'm not sure she read.
  
  - Her main task was to keep us on time with everything, including photos. We had discussed this 2 days before the wedding. When it was time for family photos, I couldn't find her. I asked her assistant where she was and she said that Crystal doesn't help with photos. I informed the assistant that she needed to find Crystal and Crystal needed to follow through with this important responsibility. Crystal showed up 5 minutes before the photos were done. Her only input was to tell me to hold my bouquet lower.
  
  - She broke one of my vases. Rather than clean it up and put it in the garbage, she threw the glass back in the box with other items of mine. I could have reached my hand in and cut myself. She did not inform me of this herself until much after the fact
  
  The list went on and on. Eventually, we began to ignore her, and didn't even notice when she left. Instead we relied on our other vendors who were an awesome team and truly stepped up to make the day magical for us. They included:
  
  Dave Abreau - Photographer
  Paras of Paras Events - Decorator
  Kim Janse - Florist
  Dev of Impact Djs - DJ
  Cindy - Liberty Grand Coordinator
  
  Looking back, I wish I had taken all the negative reviews about Crystal seriously, and simply relied on the wedding coordinator from the hall. It would have saved us time and stress. I wrote this review to help brides out there avoid my mistake.
• Rachel H. Sent on 14/07/2017
  5 out of 5 rating

  5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0
  • Response time
    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0
  • Professionalism
    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0
  • Value
    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0
  • Flexibility
    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0

  Choosing Distinct Occasions for planning my wedding was without a doubt the best decision I could have made. I was a nervous bride and was overwhelmed with the idea of planning my wedding. I am so grateful that I could lean on Crystal for support! You can tell she is an expert with tons of experience. Every question had an answer and every worry had a thoughtful solution. I had always dreamed of an outdoor wedding but it poured rain the day-of and flooded the field! Normally this would have sent me spiraling but I had Crystal to trust! She already had Plan B ready before I even got to the venue. It was such a beautiful day and I have people still sending me messages about how beautiful and fun it was! I couldn't have pictured a better day and it is all thanks to Crystal.

  Choosing Distinct Occasions for planning my wedding was without a doubt the best decision I could have made. I was a nervous bride and was overwhelmed with the idea of planning my wedding. I am so grateful that I could lean on Crystal for support! You can tell she is an expert with tons of experience. Every question had an answer and every worry had a thoughtful solution. I had always dreamed of an outdoor wedding but it poured rain the day-of and flooded the field! Normally this would have sent me spiraling but I had Crystal to trust! She already had Plan B ready before I even got to the venue. It was such a beautiful day and I have people still sending me messages about how beautiful and fun it was! I couldn't have pictured a better day and it is all thanks to Crystal.
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• Danielle T. Sent on 27/10/2016
  5 out of 5 rating

  5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0

  We were fortunate enough to have Crystal, Gina, AND Gloria be a part of our Wedding day, at let me tell you everything went AMAZINGLY. The whole day we were able to relax and not even realize if things were going wrong with other vendors because our planners were on top of EVERYTHING, and for a Bride who is a self-proclaimed control freak, this was a big deal. Despite all my concerns, they reassured me that everything would be magical and the day truly was. All of our family and guests even commented about how organized, calm, and friendly they were. I cannot thank you all enough!

  We were fortunate enough to have Crystal, Gina, AND Gloria be a part of our Wedding day, at let me tell you everything went AMAZINGLY. The whole day we were able to relax and not even realize if things were going wrong with other vendors because our planners were on top of EVERYTHING, and for a Bride who is a self-proclaimed control freak, this was a big deal. Despite all my concerns, they reassured me that everything would be magical and the day truly was. All of our family and guests even commented about how organized, calm, and friendly they were. I cannot thank you all enough!
• Amanda Z. Sent on 26/09/2016
  2.6 out of 5 rating

  2.6
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    4.0 out of 5 rating
    4.0
  • Response time
    2.0 out of 5 rating
    2.0
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    3.0 out of 5 rating
    3.0
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    2.0 out of 5 rating
    2.0
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    2.0 out of 5 rating
    2.0

  Don't get too deterred by the rating. We had such a beautiful wedding. Having Crystal as our planner was so great as she helped so much source location, vendors and define the style. Guests are still talking about how wonderful the wedding was. Crystal has been in the business for many years and you can tell she is a pro so that eased any anxiety. That said, since she is such a pro and has done hundreds of wedding, its second nature for her so this style clashed a bit with the way we wanted to work - be well-prepared, stay within budget, etc. While you will discuss your budget, you have to ensure you manage it yourself as we ended up going over by 50%. There were a few hiccups and at the end of the day, the wedding was not ruined, but it caused some undue stress.
  If you know what you want, know how to manage your budget and have a strong personality to make sure you get what you want when you want then Distinct Occasions is for you. Alternatively, if you have unlimited budget and don't have strong preferences about your wedding, then Carte Blanche offering at Distinct Occassions is also for you.

  Don't get too deterred by the rating. We had such a beautiful wedding. Having Crystal as our planner was so great as she helped so much source location, vendors and define the style. Guests are still talking about how wonderful the wedding was. Crystal has been in the business for many years and you can tell she is a pro so that eased any anxiety. That said, since she is such a pro and has done hundreds of wedding, its second nature for her so this style clashed a bit with the way we wanted to work - be well-prepared, stay within budget, etc. While you will discuss your budget, you have to ensure you manage it yourself as we ended up going over by 50%. There were a few hiccups and at the end of the day, the wedding was not ruined, but it caused some undue stress.
  If you know what you want, know how to manage your budget and have a strong personality to make sure you get what you want when you want then Distinct Occasions is for you. Alternatively, if you have unlimited budget and don't have strong preferences about your wedding, then Carte Blanche offering at Distinct Occassions is also for you.
• Kathryn F. Sent on 05/10/2015
  4.6 out of 5 rating

  4.6
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0
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    4.0 out of 5 rating
    4.0
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    4.0 out of 5 rating
    4.0

  I will be the first one to say that I was a very skeptical bride when it came to wedding planners. I was SURE that I could do it all on my own! I will also be the first to say that Crystal Adair-Benning and her team were a GOD SEND! From the moment that we started working together she was on my team and on the ball. She made amazing suggestions and helped my husband and I really bring our dreams to life.
  Crystal is the perfect mix of consummate professional and best friend. She is there for you at the drop of a hat with reassuring words, but she will also be the first one to tell you when your idea has gone off the rails. She is not a hand-holder, but a guiding light for all things wonderful and wedding-tastic! The thing that always spoke the loudest to me was just how highly others spoke of her and her services. Everyone knows that when Crystal and Distinct Occasions is on your side, things will get done right.
  I feel so glad that I didn't listen to my inner stomping, stubborn, bride and decided to work with Distinct. I can very honestly say that I truly enjoyed, savored, and remembered my day because of Crystal and her amazing team!

  I will be the first one to say that I was a very skeptical bride when it came to wedding planners. I was SURE that I could do it all on my own! I will also be the first to say that Crystal Adair-Benning and her team were a GOD SEND! From the moment that we started working together she was on my team and on the ball. She made amazing suggestions and helped my husband and I really bring our dreams to life.
  Crystal is the perfect mix of consummate professional and best friend. She is there for you at the drop of a hat with reassuring words, but she will also be the first one to tell you when your idea has gone off the rails. She is not a hand-holder, but a guiding light for all things wonderful and wedding-tastic! The thing that always spoke the loudest to me was just how highly others spoke of her and her services. Everyone knows that when Crystal and Distinct Occasions is on your side, things will get done right.
  I feel so glad that I didn't listen to my inner stomping, stubborn, bride and decided to work with Distinct. I can very honestly say that I truly enjoyed, savored, and remembered my day because of Crystal and her amazing team!
• Talia M. Sent on 17/11/2015
  5 out of 5 rating

  5.0
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    5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0
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    5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0

  Dear All Newly Engaged and Confused,
  
  It was like a successful first date, my initial meeting with Gina 'The Wedding Planner of My Dreams’ from Distinct Occasions. (The company that delivers on awesomeness) She listened to me talk my head off and ramble a bunch of random thoughts and dreams and with an ‘I got you girl' attitude was able to beautifully paint me a picture of exactly what I wanted. I went home and I just couldn't get her out of my head-I told my partner I had to have her!
  Fast forward to our big fat outdoor wedding on a football field of a property, I can honestly say my level of stress was at a negative! I had zero melt downs and I was literally sipping a glass of champagne with figs in it (my favorite) all day long without a worry in the world. I spent my wedding doing what I love: eating, drinking and jumping in a jumpy castle. (Oh yah and marring the love of my life!)
  I must admit at first I didn't think I would need a wedding planner. I really thought the few dinners where I didn't burn the pasta meant I was a successful party planner. I am happy for our magical initial meeting that showed me otherwise because, I can safely say in my own hands given the sheer volume of work required to execute a backyard wedding, my whole wedding experience would not have been so chill to say the least. Distinct Occasions truly understands the concept of a happy stress free bride and groom!
  
  Now Happily Married,
  Talia and Amin
  

  Dear All Newly Engaged and Confused,
  
  It was like a successful first date, my initial meeting with Gina 'The Wedding Planner of My Dreams’ from Distinct Occasions. (The company that delivers on awesomeness) She listened to me talk my head off and ramble a bunch of random thoughts and dreams and with an ‘I got you girl' attitude was able to beautifully paint me a picture of exactly what I wanted. I went home and I just couldn't get her out of my head-I told my partner I had to have her!
  Fast forward to our big fat outdoor wedding on a football field of a property, I can honestly say my level of stress was at a negative! I had zero melt downs and I was literally sipping a glass of champagne with figs in it (my favorite) all day long without a worry in the world. I spent my wedding doing what I love: eating, drinking and jumping in a jumpy castle. (Oh yah and marring the love of my life!)
  I must admit at first I didn't think I would need a wedding planner. I really thought the few dinners where I didn't burn the pasta meant I was a successful party planner. I am happy for our magical initial meeting that showed me otherwise because, I can safely say in my own hands given the sheer volume of work required to execute a backyard wedding, my whole wedding experience would not have been so chill to say the least. Distinct Occasions truly understands the concept of a happy stress free bride and groom!
  
  Now Happily Married,
  Talia and Amin
  
• 
  [Anonymous] Sent on 17/08/2015
  5 out of 5 rating

  5.0
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    5.0
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    5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0

  From the moment I met Crystal I knew she would be the one that would be able to make our wedding day a reality. Our wedding came with more work than the ordinary wedding as it was on a Private Estate in Niagara. That meant we had many vendors including Tent, Decor, etc. She always responsded to all emails very quickly and was flexible in setting up meetings to meet our vendors. Leading up to the wedding and on the day of she was amazing. Our wedding day was absolutely flawless thanks to her and her crew (Gina and Gloria). We literally got to enjoy every single second of our special day and not worry because we knew we had Crystal to take charge and co-ordinate everyone on site. We highly recommend Distinct Occasions. Thanks again Crystal, and we definitely will be crossing paths again in the near future!

  From the moment I met Crystal I knew she would be the one that would be able to make our wedding day a reality. Our wedding came with more work than the ordinary wedding as it was on a Private Estate in Niagara. That meant we had many vendors including Tent, Decor, etc. She always responsded to all emails very quickly and was flexible in setting up meetings to meet our vendors. Leading up to the wedding and on the day of she was amazing. Our wedding day was absolutely flawless thanks to her and her crew (Gina and Gloria). We literally got to enjoy every single second of our special day and not worry because we knew we had Crystal to take charge and co-ordinate everyone on site. We highly recommend Distinct Occasions. Thanks again Crystal, and we definitely will be crossing paths again in the near future!
• Katie M. Sent on 12/07/2015
  5 out of 5 rating

  5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0
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    5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0

  Gina was incredible!! She went above and beyond to make our day absolutely perfect! The pre-wedding meetings and email's kept us on track and much more organized. We had an outdoor wedding at my parents house and our biggest fear was having our family running around the day of the wedding to finish little tasks. Gina and her assistant were on top of EVERYTHING! Never asked any questions and they never concerned us with anything. They were spectacular! Everything we had hoped for came true because of them. I would highly recommend Gina and Distinct Occasions Wedding planning to coordinate your wedding.

  Gina was incredible!! She went above and beyond to make our day absolutely perfect! The pre-wedding meetings and email's kept us on track and much more organized. We had an outdoor wedding at my parents house and our biggest fear was having our family running around the day of the wedding to finish little tasks. Gina and her assistant were on top of EVERYTHING! Never asked any questions and they never concerned us with anything. They were spectacular! Everything we had hoped for came true because of them. I would highly recommend Gina and Distinct Occasions Wedding planning to coordinate your wedding.
• 
  [Anonymous] Sent on 28/04/2015
  5 out of 5 rating

  5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0
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    5.0 out of 5 rating
    5.0
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  We LOVED working with Crystal for our wedding. Right from our first inquiry with her, she was enthusiastic about our wedding. We are an unconventional couple (who gets married on a Wednesday and on April Fool's Day to boot?!) and she helped us fulfill all of our wacky ideas for the big day. She responded to all of our questions quickly - often within an hour - which was really appreciated. On the day of the wedding, Crystal and Gina allowed our day to run smoothly without a hitch for which we are grateful for. They were professional and also a lot of fun to work with.

  We LOVED working with Crystal for our wedding. Right from our first inquiry with her, she was enthusiastic about our wedding. We are an unconventional couple (who gets married on a Wednesday and on April Fool's Day to boot?!) and she helped us fulfill all of our wacky ideas for the big day. She responded to all of our questions quickly - often within an hour - which was really appreciated. On the day of the wedding, Crystal and Gina allowed our day to run smoothly without a hitch for which we are grateful for. They were professional and also a lot of fun to work with.

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