Melisa Sent on 09/22/2017

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Kia is WONDERFUL to work with and we highly recommend her! We originally looked at her services for day-of coordination, but decided to go with the higher package after speaking to her over Skype. Kia's experience helped us so much in the wedding planning process, from thinking about things that never would have crossed our minds, to helping us select the right vendors, Kia was there with us through it all. She recommended Sweet Rewards by Kelly for our cake (who did an awesome job), and Floral Design by Melissa for our floral needs (who also did an amazing job!). I remember walking into the church for our rehearsal the day before the wedding and seeing Kia, and just sighing audibly in relief knowing that she was there to take care of us! Kia was so helpful in all of the planning leading up to our big day, and she kept everything running smoothly for us day of. She is simply a joy to work with, and we highly recommend Kia!

Kelly Sent on 11/12/2016

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We knew the first moment we met Kia Martinson that she was going to be our wedding coordinator. She is truly the best of the best. I could only wish that everyone could have a wedding coordinator as patient and experienced as Kia is. If there was a time where we felt stressed in the planning process, Kia was there and always eased our worries. We can’t thank her enough for all of her help in making our wedding go smoothly and a day that we will never forget.

Lindsay C. Sent on 08/17/2015

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I cannot say enough about the wonderful Kia Martinson and her business. From the moment I first spoke with her back in 2013/2014 I felt comfortable and at ease with all of my plans. I'm the kind of person that likes to plan every little thing, so I decided to go with her "Partial" wedding package. It was perfect in that I got to pick out and do all of the little bridaly things that are a kind of right-of-passage, without becoming overwhelmed. Times that I had questions she was a quick text away, and as things got down to the nitty gritty, she was there to save me time and time again with a smile on her face saying "no problem girl that's what I'm here for...now relax and go have a cocktail" lol. She even planned the next morning event for my family!! Kia became more than a wedding planner for me... she is a great, kind person and someone who I am happy to now call a friend. Thank you Kia and ESTOccasions for all that you did for Corey and I. Our dream wedding came true with help from you! XOXO LINDSAY & COREY CRANE

User1872861 Sent on 10/19/2014

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As I did with any vendor I heavily researched experience, read reviews, asked for referrals and set meetings. Communication with Kia was constant from the moment we signed on. From doing a walkthrough of our venue, to giving ideas we had never even thought about (or seen on Pinterest!) to letting me know if I ever had a question – even if I thought it was silly – that she was there and able to help, you could not feel more relieved to have someone on your side that has this experience. The month of we had several meetings, she followed up with all Vendors to make sure they were aware of where they needed to be of and when, helped me with any of those silly questions I may have had and also just made me feel so relieved and at ease everything was going to run smoothly. Wedding weekend – she did everything she said she would and more! We have never seen a more efficient rehearsal. Then for wedding day she greeted me with a big hug, helped direct the girls and I to bridal suite, coordinated picture taking and making sure she was in communication with groomsmen so the groom wouldn’t see me, to helping set up ALL of my details, to then getting everyone’s flowers pinned and everyone ready to go! For pictures she was running through the trees and garden at times to help ensure I had something in my belly, had something to drink, and my lip gloss was refreshed for pictures! I mean, how amazing?! I was so nervous at one point she was going to sprain her ankle at how amazing she was being literally dodging large rocks to make sure my veil was perfect or if I needed additional fluffing of my dress for the pictures! You just couldn’t ask for better help with checking in on us, running up to grab my sparkly flip flops for a shoe change, and to always making sure we were having a good time. Oh, did I mention Kia and her team pack up and store your wedding items for you until the next day or after your honeymoon? Hiring Kia was one of the best decisions we made!!

User1888425 Sent on 10/27/2014

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Kia, & her staff at Estoccasions and all of the vendors that she provided us with for our wedding were an absolute pleasure to work with. Our wedding was amazing and having a wedding in our own yard was a scary thought. Then we saw it call come together. We owe it all to Kia for all of her hard work. Also on a personal note, Kia is a fabulous person - very professional, personable and a real pleasure to work with. I would highly recommend her and Estoccasions to anyone that wants the best for their wedding day - they will deliver.

User1898338 Sent on 10/31/2014

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Thank you, thank you, thank you. With your help we were able to plan our wedding; and it was a real blessing to work with you. I think we would have been lost without a planner, and still believe it was some of the best money I spent. Thank you for dealing with my crazy family. My mother and brothers were thankful to have you there and even the band leader said you were awesome. Considering the simple fact that we asked to get married this year, and went from planning a wedding in 6 months to 3 month, you never once seemed scared or frazzled or made us think we were crazy. THANK YOU for that.

Carrie Sent on 09/28/2014

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Kia did a great job running our wedding day. Everyone of our vendors had great things to say about her. Would hire her again in a heartbeat.

User1898516 Sent on 10/31/2014

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Estoccasions made our wedding day a simple, elegant and joyful event. Not only didn't I have to worry but no one else in my family or wedding party did either. Our concern from day one was hosting a wedding at my parents house was going to be to much. Kia kept us on task, and kept things handled for us all and we were all thankful.

Megan Sent on 11/26/2012

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Hiring Kia and ESTOccasions was one of the best decisions we made while planning our wedding. Kia went above and beyond just being a "Day of Coordinator" and made helpful suggestions and event helped us to finish making table covers when we got too overwhelmed. In the week leading up to the wedding it was a wonderful feeling to be able to hand all of the details over to Kia and know that everything would be in good hands. On the day of, all of our details (and there were a lot!) were executed exactly as we wanted and we were able to stick to our timeline because Kia kept everyone, including our other vendors, moving. While we were on our honeymoon Kia stored all of our leftover items and returned them to us packed away as soon as we returned along with about 100 pictures her assistant had taken, some of which we were able to use on our Thank You cards. If you are thinking of hiring a Day of Coordinator do not hesitate to hire Kia and ESTOccasions- they were truly a life saver!

Allie Sent on 08/13/2012

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I'm a DIY girl and didn't think I was going to need a planner. I changed my mind after I realized I had tons of projects and not sure hw to make them all work. Kia's approach was what my family and I needed. I needed someone who could handle my families sense of humor and was easy to work with but firm and got things done. Having a wedding at home means a lot of work but I couldn't have asked for anything more.

User1075694 Sent on 01/23/2013

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Hiring Kia at ESTOccassions was once of the best decisions we made for the wedding. We started off thinking we didn't need a coordinator, but as there were more DIY projects and we realized how much we wanted to be calm and not stressed on our wedding day, we decided to go with a day of coordinator. I scheduled meetings with various coordinators but met with Kia first. She was so easy to talk to and so pleasant, I wanted to hire her on the spot. I sat through the rest of the meeting just to be sure, and there was nobody I liked nearly as much as Kia. Kia always made me feel like I could contact her with small questions even though she was technically only our day of coordinator. We had minor miscommunications with other vendors and she stepped in, confirmed everything, and gave us peace of mind. She worked wonderfully with all of our vendors- some she knew and some she didn't- which I came to realize is so important. When I started worrying about things after the rehearsal dinner and the day of, I could freak out to her and she would calm me down. I emailed her in the middle of the night, the night before, over some small detail, and she somehow answered right away. Kia is exactly the right balance of taking charge but also listening to you. She knows what the couple wants and then makes it happen. While I was lucky to have wonderful vendors, the day truly would not have been the same without Kia; she is responsible for making it all come together, and also letting us be able to relax and be present in the moment to enjoy it all. I cannot say enough good things about Kia and ESTOccassions.

Sandra Sent on 09/15/2011

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We planned to renew our vows and have a grand party at the end of august. Mother Nature decided to plan a hurricane on short notice that same weekend unbeknownst to us. We had planned our event for Saturday and we were so unsure of when Irene was going to hit and what it would do all week we were stressed out. Over 55 of our guests were coming in and staying over at the hotel where we had planned this event. We had to scramble, with Estoccasions, to get the word out to everyone that wasn’t staying to book fast or please not come to be safe. Estoccasions on the fly changed the welcome baskets to hurricane relief bags with all sorts of items to help with anything that might happen, and even got the onsite bar staff to stock and recommend a signature drink called the hurricane.

Estoccasions crew came in like a whirlwind, set up everything and made sure that we were 100% happy with what was happening. We asked them to leave early to be safe since it was already stormy out during the event. While the event was low key, it was perfect for us and all of our friends and family. Special thanks to Estoccasions for helping make it a weekend that none of us will never forget!

ESTOccasions's reply:

Our pleasure and a huge thank you for releasing my crew so they could be safe. <3

Kerry Sent on 09/21/2011

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Early into my wedding planning process, I was skeptical to hire a wedding coordinator. I read all these blurbs about how "worth it" planners are but I had my doubts. After going to several family and friend’s weddings, I decided to look into hiring a coordinator. I interviewed several and finally decided to go with Kia for the partial planning she offers. Hiring Kia was one of the best decisions we made in that whole year leading up the wedding.

Kia thought of so many small details that we had not. Even better, her organization was incredible. She was great with communication (phone and email). Just days away from my wedding, a few of my close friends and family told me that I was the most "cool and collected" bride they had ever seen; my response was, "thats why I got Kia to come in."

On the big day, my family, friends, and I were able to enjoy the day and the celebration instead of focusing on implementing all of our big plans. I am convinced that Kia is one of the best kept secrets of Connecticut weddings- a true diamond in the industry.

Kristan Sent on 08/16/2011

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I wanted a planner who was organized, on top of things, could handle my insane family (who I love), and keep me on budget. My new husband wanted someone down to earth, easy to talk to and someone who keep me from freaking out. Kia was a perfect mix for the two of us. I never thought I would be laughing and having a great time while working on the wedding. She was upfront about the two bad reviews, and explained it from her point of view. CALL her today.

Denise Sent on 09/03/2011

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Wow! Estoccasions is INCREDIBLE!!!! I can't say enough about just how happy we were with the final outcome of my gorgeous wedding! My mother and I went into the wedding planning without a clue as to where to begin, We were in way over our heads! We met Kia at a wedding show in new london, and fell in love. The first question she asked was "How do you envision your wedding?". My mother and I didn’t even have an answer to that. She talked to me about what I loved and liked, showing me what was possible. From the word GO, Kia was "spot on" with answering any questions we had and getting us on track for planning everything from the ground up at that first meeting (while keeping budget in mind). She brought up things we didn't even know would have been issues if we tried this ourselves -- The greatest part about working with estoccasions was their sense of humor! This is what made things click for my mom and I, and we SO loved being able to joke around with her while everything kept moving along with ease and style. Honestly, if there was something that went wrong, we didn't know about it and everything was taken care of behind the curtians. My family and friends were able to enjoy themselves without having to work my wedding because Kia had it all figured out.

Jessica Sent on 08/16/2011

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I hired ESTOccasions for full wedding planning when I had about a year and a half left to plan my wedding. THey went above and beyond anything I ever expected as far as helping me with everything. Kia was always there when I needed assistance, or someone to talk to, or someone to bounce ideas off of.
When it came to the day of my wedding, I had NOTHING to worry about. Kia handled EVERYTHING! She was running around from one place to another, sometimes with her shoes off, running me drinks while taking pictures. She was absolutely fantastic, I couldn't ask for anything more. My friends and family are still talking about her to this day.

Also, I just wanted to add that Kia made us a Custom Cake stand, and a custom card box. They absolutely added so much to our special day! She was reasonably priced for the level of service we received. I am so grateful for everything that Kia has done for us! We will always remember the wonderful things she helped us with!!

Carrie Sent on 08/19/2011

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I am always the type of person who thinks I can handle anything all by myself, but this wedding got out of control. I had great friends and family offering to help with anything and everything, sadly this was adding to stress of the whole project and there was no one to coordinate everything without giving me or the people I wanted there, extra work and stress on a day to celebration. My finance and I were hesitant to meet with Kia (because again I thought I could handle it all my self) and we left our meeting with her feeling like a ton of weight had disappeared off our shoulders. She offered services and advice that I never found in a magazine or online. She was there for me when I wanted to tear my hair out in frustration dealing while dealing with the barrage of adivce from others. My finance and I both felt comfortable and relaxed with Kia and her crew; she was amazing and professional. Having a wedding in your backyard is a TON of work and I’m glad that she had a crew to do it. Highly recommended.

Jackie Sent on 08/20/2011

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The wedding planning done by Estoccasions was professional, efficient and truly unforgettable.We got what we desired and more. I loved the communication throughout the planning process, the advice given and the way everything just ran so smoothly. On the day of the wedding all of the vendors and even my brother (she played coy on how she managed that) was on time and there was not one moment of stress. Both families were able to relax and enjoy every moment of the wedding because everything was handled beautifly by kia and her great staff.The center pieces we had them custom create for us were very unique and admired by everyone attending. Plus they were within our budget but didn’t look it. Many guests have told me that this was the best wedding they have ever attended. What wonderful memories thanks to Kia and estoccasions

Tara Sent on 09/03/2011

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Kia from estoccasions made my wedding nothing short of magical. She is truly my new sister. She took everything that my fiance and I ever envisioned of and brought it to life for one spectalor event. Kia’s eye for detail is impeccable and she even put up with every crazy notion that we proposed to her. I can´t begin to describe what personal service she offers and she made me feel like I was her only bride even though I know she had other weddings going on. She helped me feel like a princess on my wedding day, and everything was coordinated to the minute. Everyone knew where to be, and what to do. No one was ever the least bit confused by what was going on, yet was constantly in awe of the wedding she created. There was so much love and joy surrounding us, and Kia took all the stress away from us and allowed us to enjoy our day and start our life together in peace.

Howard Sent on 12/21/2010

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I contracted with Kia at Estoccasions to plan my function. I had specifics in mind and she was very helpful in delivering what I needed at the time that it was needed under a tight budget. Her associates were very helpful in providing bar-tending and setting us up with a caterer.
Very happy with the outcome, and I would recommend them highly to anyone who needs assistance in preparing for an event of any type!

Caroline Sent on 08/26/2011

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Kia of Estoccasions is a fabulous wedding planner! I hired her for the day of service. My wedding was entirely done by my friends and I, and I took care of all contracting, little craft projects, and arranging everything before the event. However, Kia was on top if it all, and easily took the reins of the wedding so that I could enjoy it, rather than me running around placing centerpieces or calling the baker to see where the cake was. I was able to just focus on the day, my friends, and my husband. She helped decorate the venue to my needs and wishes, ran the ceremony and reception, took care of final payments, and I'm sure did a million other things that I (thankfully) am not aware of because I was enjoying my day!

If you are a bride that has dreamed of doing all this yourself, Kia is the perfect finishing touch to your wedding - you take care of all the details, and let her make sure they're all put together so you can enjoy all the work you've put into it. I always recommend her to all of my friends that are getting engaged needing help coordinating the whole thing!

Jonathan Sent on 12/20/2010

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Having been force fed the occasional romantic comedy, one of which being "The Wedding Planner", bringing someone in to make our wedding happen, was a no brainer. I'm really thinking weddings are something you only do once, so while I'm hoping not to be a repeat customer for one, I would absolutely recommend ESTOccasions for anyone else looking to tie the knot and wishing to have hassle free peace of mind...Kia and her team are nothing short of excellent. They handled way more details than I think my wife and myself ever would have had the patience to deal with, especially given all the time constraints we already have in life.

Gayle Sent on 12/28/2010

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I would highly recommend Kia as a wedding planner. I was nervous that a wedding planner would not understand my stylistic wishes and respect my budget needs, but Kia came through on both accounts. Kia was always transparent about budgeting, but worked creatively and tirelessly to make the event classic, no matter what the budget.

Furthermore, Kia made herself exceptionally available to me throughout the process. She wool meet with me on my schedule, and take phone calls and texts at late hours when I was very concerned.

She is a creative and gifted planner and a quality professional. Go with Kia!

K Sent on 10/22/2010

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The best decision I made in planning my wedding was to hire Kia from ESTOccasions!! I was a very hands-on bride and did most of the details myself, but did not want to have to worry about getting bogged down in planning/coordinating details the week of my wedding. I made the decision to hire a wedding planner a couple months before my wedding and was skeptical as to whether it was something I really needed to spend the extra money on. Kia was EXACTLY what I was looking for and I'm so glad I came across her company and cannot sing her praises enough!! She was perfect - she has a great demeanor and was calm and not pushy at all...just made sure that everything came together, and let me and my family relax and enjoy our big day! My family couldn't have been happier with everything she coordinated and made happen! She was extremely helpful with some last-minute questions I had the week of the wedding, went out of the way to help us, gave me some great decorating and timeline ideas, and was just incredibly professional and detail-oriented! My family and I still can't stop talking about her and how she helped make sure our day went off without a hitch! Whether you need day/week of help with your wedding, or someone there with you for the long-haul, Kia and ESTOccasions are true professionals and know exactly what it takes to pull of every detail of a successful party! I would 100% recommend them!

Brian Sent on 10/01/2010

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The best decision I made in planning my wedding was to hire Kia from ESTOccasions!! I was a very hands-on bride and did most of the details myself, but did not want to have to worry about getting bogged down in planning/coordinating details the week of my wedding. I made the decision to hire a wedding planner a couple months before my wedding and was skeptical as to whether it was something I really needed to spend the extra money on. Kia was EXACTLY what I was looking for and I'm so glad I came across her company and cannot sing her praises enough!! She was perfect - she has a great demeanor and was calm and not pushy at all...just made sure that everything came together, and let me and my family relax and enjoy our big day! My mom and sister and I couldn't have been happier with everything she coordinated and made happen! She was extremely helpful with some last-minute questions I had the week of the wedding, went out of the way to help us, gave me some great decorating and "timeline" ideas, and was just incredibly professional and detail-oriented! My family and I still can't stop talking about her and how she helped make sure our day went off without a hitch! Whether you need day/week of help with your wedding, or someone there with you for the long-haul, Kia and ESTOccasions are just the best!

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