Erika O'Brien Events Reviews
Reviews
5.0 out of 5 rating
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5.0 out of 5 rating
25 Reviews
100% recommend it
Awards
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![Brady]()
Brady H. Sent on 06/27/2024Stress gone!
We were stressing out the few months before our wedding, we felt like we weren't doing what needed to be done but didn't know what needed to be done. Erika came in and helped my wife throughout the process and eased so much of our worries! Our wedding day went even better than we could've hoped thanks to her help, everything was coordinated and we didn't have to worry about a thing on the day
Erika O'Brien Events's reply:
Thank you so much for your kind words, Brady! I had such a wonderful time working with you and Haley! Your wedding was so beautiful and I was honored to be a part of it! Thank you again and I wish you two the best! -
![Victoria]()
Victoria H. Sent on 11/08/2023Clearwater Wedding Reception
We cannot imagine planning or having our wedding reception without Erika!! Planning a "destination" event was a daunting task since we weren't very familiar with the Clearwater area, but Erika made the process easy and enjoyable. Through in-person, virtual meetings, and emails, she kept our planning timeline on track. Her vendor recommendations were always on point! On the day of the reception, she made everything run smoothly. From decorating the venue within 2.5hrs to being one-step ahead with every aspect of the schedule to wrapping everything up at the end of the night, she didn't miss a single detail. Above all, she was a joy to work with - kind, even-keeled, and talented. We cannot recommend Erika enough!! (It was also really fun to work with Erika and Hunter together - they make a great team!)Erika O'Brien Events's reply:
Victoria, thank you so much for your incredibly kind words and sharing your experience! Hunter and I had a wonderful time working with you and Keith. You both were such a joy to be around and I'm so honored to have had the opportunity to coordinate such a beautiful wedding reception for such an amazing couple! Thank you! -
![Alma]()
Alma C. Sent on 06/15/2023Got Hitched Without a Hitch!
I thought I was organized and on top of things, but then I had Erika coordinate my wedding! I got married in New York City in June 2023 and opted to plan the big parts (venues, menu, specialty things my fiancé and I wanted like musicians and our getaway car), but I couldn't have pulled it off without Erika. She was there to remind me of the little things that often get overlooked like syncing up with vendors prior and during the wedding day, setting up the tables at the reception, and acting as emcee at said reception. She made sure no rock was unturned in terms of anything we may have wanted.
All in all, my wedding - which was a "destination" wedding for around 90% of guests and brings its own unique set of worries - was a smooth sailing success thanks to Erika's coordination and communication skills. She was ultra clear in emails and calls and was thoroughly wonderful to work with start to finish.
PS: Her husband, Hunter, took photos for our reception and did a beautiful job! He knew exactly how to pose us to capture those glowy, in-the-moment shots and shared in our excitement all throughout. I would totally recommend them as a package dynamic duo if you're also looking for a great photographer.Erika O'Brien Events's reply:
Alma, thank you so much for your incredibly kind words and sharing your experience! Hunter and I had a wonderful time working with you and Nick. You both were such a joy to be around and I'm so honored to have coordinated such a beautiful wedding for such an amazing couple! Thank you! -
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![Jessica]()
Jessica I. Sent on 02/05/2024Hire erika!
First off, absolutely worth it! I wanted a full time wedding planner, and I struck gold with Erika O’Brien! My husband Frank and I got engaged on Christmas Day 2022 and we were lucky to have found Erika just a few days later since we wanted to get started on planning our November 2023 wedding right away. There are so many reasons I could recommend Erika to plan your wedding, but here are my top five: #1: Erika was so flexible with our planning calls/meetings! My husband and I have such busy work schedules, so finding time to plan our wedding was sometimes challenging. Thankfully Erika was always down to chat after-work hours - which was SO helpful! #2: Erika made my classic meets modern wedding come to life! She has an amazing eye on making sure everything we picked was on theme from table setting to signage. She handled everything that I needed every time I needed. She even broke up with a vendor for me (huge source of anxiety). #3: Erika’s transparency was a breath of fresh air! She keeps it real and honest each time we had to make a decision towards wedding planning #4: Erika is great at working with all kinds of people with her exceptional organizational skills and emotional intelligence. All my family and friends loved how organized our whole wedding day was - from photos, to reception, to the party! Everything was planned down to the minute and Erika did it all with grace and a smile :) #5: Last but not least...what I appreciated the most about Erika was that she was ALWAYS 2 steps ahead of me - so no matter what random question I threw at her, she had an answer ready! If you are a bride that wants to stay on task, wants to be organized and doesn't know where to start? Erika is your fairy godsister. She will help you get your dream wedding, while being realistic about your budget. I still can’t believe that we were her first full time planning wedding clients and honestly 10/10 recommend going full time planning with her. HIRE ERIKA! She's reliable, fun, experienced, sweet and an all-around girl boss!!!Erika O'Brien Events's reply:
Hi Jessica! Thank you so much for such an honest, detailed, and amazing review! I truly appreciate your kind words. I absolutely loved working with you and Frank and it was so wonderful having you two as my first full-service planning clients! It was an honor helping you create your special day! Thank you again! -
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Featured
Rozanne T. Sent on 05/13/2023Wedding Weekend
Wedding weekend May 4, 2023 - May 7, 2023
When my son and future daughter in law set their wedding date and location in St. Petersburg, FL, I knew immediately that we would need help in planning all of the fun parties I had been dreaming about for years. My husband and I had the pleasure of working with Erika O’Brien Events in a unique way. I am the Mother of the Groom and typically the only event planning for the groom’s family is the rehearsal dinner. However, we wanted to do so much more since many family and friends from both “sides” of the bride and groom would be traveling to Florida from throughout the country for this long awaited celebration.
After doing quite a bit of research and reading countless reviews of various “wedding planners”, I narrowed the list to four “possibles” and forwarded the names and information to the bride’s family and to our son and his future bride. We all agreed that Erika was the perfect fit for what we all wanted and needed.
This is where we did something a little unusual. Erika contracted and worked with the bride and groom and the bride’s family on the multitude of to-do’s for the wedding celebration (venue, catering, invitations, photographer, flowers, etc.). My husband and I then contracted with Erika separately to work with us on all of the pre and post wedding day events. Both contracts worked harmoniously but separately. This review addresses the assistance and planning by Erika O’Brien Events as it relates to that arrangement.
Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in St. Pete was reserved as soon as the wedding date was confirmed so we knew that box was quickly checked. We planned to have a rehearsal dinner for immediate family and the wedding party one evening (approximately 30 guests), a full invite of guests to a Welcome Party on the eve of the wedding (80-120 guests), and finishing off with a newlywed brunch (50-60 guests) for all guests who were able to join for one more celebration. The guest counts were tricky as invitations had not even been mailed, so we all sort of made “guesstimates” just for preliminary planning purposes. And, we needed Erika’s expertise as my husband and I live six plus hours away in northwestern Florida, the bride and groom live in Cincinnati, and the bride’s family live just outside of Tampa. Additionally, we preferred to have all the events either within walking distance of the selected hotels or within a very short drive.
Nearly ten months before the wedding, Erika swung into gear helping us find hotel options for guests and doing some preliminary site reviews for the rehearsal dinner, welcome party and newlywed brunch. Shortly thereafter my husband and I met with Erika over the course of several days, really getting to know her and attending all the appointments with her. She had the days planned so efficiently. Communication with all parties was exceptional. We never felt rushed or wondering which options we should pursue. Questions were asked and answered. Her insights were so helpful in our decision making. Before we left St. Pete on that first visit we had the block of rooms at two hotels, and the rehearsal dinner and the pre/post party locations confirmed. We were so pleased with the range of options we looked at and even more excited once we made our selections. Erika was instrumental in all of this! I never had a doubt that we had made the right decision to have Erika help us.
Over the course of the months, Erika and I were in constant communication. Every email and phone call was answered in hours if not minutes. Never did I feel as though I were “waiting” to hear back from Erika about one of my countless questions. I made two additional trips to St. Pete to meet with the hotel and venue coordinators. At every meeting, Erika was by my side, prepared and ready to go. She helped me select menus at the restaurant and select the appropriate foods and decor for the two other parties. We finalized everything with the coordinators and felt confident that each venue was the perfect setting for what our vision was for each event. No detail was left up in the air.
Several weeks before the wedding weekend, my husband unexpectedly asked if Erika could find a photographer to capture the moments at the Welcome Party. Finding an event photographer for a few hours at the last minute is not an easy ask. Erika once again came through with flying colors, giving us options (and pricing) and her suggestions. In the end we chose Erika’s husband who has experience with photo shoots at engagement and other party types. He was the perfect fit since we wanted candid, fun pictures of everyone having a good time! (I received a file with all the photos within three days of the party and they are great!) A big shout out and thank you to Hunter O’Brien!
Erika was with us at each of the three events from the set up to the take down. She even spent one of the mornings shortly after we arrived in St. Petersburg for the wedding to help with putting the welcome jute tote bags together and delivering them to the hotels. Many of our family and friends were anxious to meet my “Wonder Woman” as I had spoken of her numerous times. When they met Erika, they were so impressed with her, as I was every step of the “wedding journey”. Erika has such an easygoing manner; she’s a calming influence at a time when emotions can, and frequently do, run high. Her communication was always excellent and timely- with the coordinators and with me. I cannot recommend her more highly. If you are a mother of the groom (as I was) trying to figure out where you fit into all the wedding planning, or the bride and groom, or the parents of the bride, you will not be disappointed if you choose to work with Erika. I am so pleased that I had the opportunity to work with Erika and even more proud to say that I found a friend in her.
Wedding Weekend Events Planned by Parents of the Groom and Erika O’Brien Events:
HOTELS: Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront Hotel
Hampton Inn St. Petersburg
REHEARSAL DINNER: Sea Salt Restaurant, St. Petersburg (an absolutely fantastic choice!)
CHURCH: Saint Mary Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, St. Petersburg
WELCOME PARTY: The Birchwood, 4th Floor Ballroom (coordinators, service staff and bartenders, food and location unbeatable-everyone raved about the food and views!)
NEWLYWED BRUNCH: The Birchwood, Rooftop Canopy (rented all the cabanas and skywest lounge-food, service staff, and rooftop views were superb!)
FLOWERS: Trader Joe’s (the best for orchids, protea, and hydrangeas! So inexpensive, fresh and beautiful.)
(The Wedding Reception was held at NOVA 535, which is a fantastic and beautiful venue!)Erika O'Brien Events's reply:
Rozanne, wow! What can I say except WOW and thank you so much for such a detailed and kind review! It was truly so special getting to work with you and both families to plan an exceptional wedding weekend! Thank you so much for sharing your experience. These words mean so much to me and my team and I am honored to have been able to help plan and coordinate these wonderful events with you. I wish you all the best and hope to work with you again in the future! -
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Amanda I. Sent on 12/22/2022
Cannot recommend Erika O’Brien Events enough!!
Erika O’Brien Events did a spectacular job throughout my entire wedding planning process. Like many others, I have not ever planned a wedding and had no idea all the details involved in the process. Erika was quick and thorough to reply to my questions, kept me involved in every step, and kept me calm when I got stressed. Erika knows the ins and outs of the wedding industry and diligently works to meet the needs and requests of her couples. Erika’s passion shines through in her work and in the end result of your big day. My wedding day could not have gone more smoothly, all thanks to Erika O’Brien Events!Erika O'Brien Events's reply:
Thank you so much Amanda! I loved working with you to help all of your wedding dreams come to life! You were such a delight to work with and it was an honor to help plan such a beautiful day! -
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![Jessica]()
Jessica B. Sent on 10/24/2022Erika is the BEST!!
Erika is truly the best!! We could not have asked for a better coordinator for our wedding. She was so calming and reassuring throughout the process of planning the day and the execution on the day of. We didn’t have to worry or stress about anything! She made our day SO special!Erika O'Brien Events's reply:
Thank you so much for your kind words Jessica! Thank you for trusting me to help plan and coordinate your special day. It was such a delight working with you and Bryan and your wonderful families! -
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![Lauren]()
Lauren E. Sent on 11/27/2022Best wedding ever!
Erika helped make this process the least stressful it could be! Even with us being in Kansas, she made our dreams possible, and we couldn’t have asked for anyone better. I didn’t once feel stressed on the day of my wedding. We had a lot of anxiety about the day of, but it actually was a breeze. It was almost so easy that we forgot the amount of planning that had gone into it. Erika was doing so much behind the scenes that we didn’t even notice what was happening. She’s always thinking ten steps ahead. Thank you Erika! :)Erika O'Brien Events's reply:
Lauren & Jonathan, it was truly my pleasure to help plan your special day! It was so fun working with new vendors in Kansas. Thank you so much for trusting me to help you plan & coordinate your wedding day! You two were so relaxed and flexible and made the planning process so enjoyable. -
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![Christopher]()
Christopher P. Sent on 03/24/2024Amazing month-of coordination!
I had a wonderful experience with Erika O'Brien as my wedding Coordinator. While she was our month-of coordinator, she helped us months out from the date to ensure we were on track and had everything squared away. All of the work she did behind the scenes did not go unnoticed, and we had such a beautiful and perfect wedding day. I appreciate all she did for us.Erika O'Brien Events's reply:
Thank you Christopher! I had a wonderful time helping you plan your day. It was such a beautiful wedding and I was so honored to be a part of it. Wishing you and Maribeth the best!
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