Positively Charming Weddings -

Krista Kelly

Christian and I knew we wanted to make our wedding as personal as possible. For us, this meant we wanted to get married in our church and we wanted to have a say in the food, the drinks, the cake, the rentals, the stationery, the small little details. When we first decided on our location, we were ecstatic about how fun it would be to have no restrictions set by the venue about our vendors, but we quickly became overwhelmed with the unique (and very small) layout of our venue and how much we didn’t know about planning our own wedding from the ground up. We knew right then that investing in a coordinator would be the only way to achieve the outcome we wanted and have a good time doing it. We made the easy decision to have Carissa as our 10-month coordinator. She was there every step of the way - she simultaneously kept the planning process flowing with monthly check-ins, recommended vendors, assistance with communication, a lot of encouragement and so many more things along the way all while allowing us to put in the work and make our vision come to life. Sure, there were naturally moments that felt like the world was closing in on us, but then we’d get that monthly email from Carissa telling us to go enjoy a date night out because we were ahead of the game (only thanks to her guidance). Once we got to our one-month countdown, Carissa truly shined. The feeling of trusting someone to take over your where you left off was scary at first, but it was honestly the best and most exciting part of the planning! The weeks flew by and it was suddenly rehearsal! I remember going over details in my head and realizing there were directions I forgot to give or pictures of layouts I didn't include, but I knew that we worked to closely with Carissa that she would make it happen (and would probably do it better than my suggestions). The big day came and we were relaxed, excited to get married and celebrate with our loved ones! The time between our ceremony and our reception reveal felt like ages. We could not wait to see the magic Carissa and her team made happen. I remember seeing the room from a distance as we took our last photos and I felt so giddy - even the groom kept saying “it looks so damn good even from here.” Everything was exactly how we had envisioned it - I turned to Carissa with some tears and a big hug. I just wanted her to know that she made every single piece of our vision come to life. From her relationships with our vendors to her flawless execution, she allowed us to be so present during the evening as she and her team were putting out fires that we probably don’t even know about to this day. The number of guests who told us they had not been to a wedding with such a great flow and so many personal touches just made us so happy. We knew we put a lot of work on her plate, but Carissa embraced it and it made all the difference.

Thank you, Carissa & your wonderful team, for making our day an absolute dream come true. We wouldn't ever dare try to re-live this day because there's just no way it could ever be as perfect as it ended up being.

Liz Wong

I will start off by saying that Carissa is the only coordinator/planner that I reached out to after our engagement. Once I saw her website and read her reviews, I knew immediately that I wanted to work with her on our wedding. Now that our wedding is over, we have zero regrets. We thoroughly enjoyed working with her and highly recommend her services.
We mainly need a day-of-coordinator that could assist with some design aspects, but we didn’t need a full wedding planner. Carissa worked with us to create a custom package that specifically fit our needs.
Although we didn’t use her full-service design package, we did have one early design meeting with her to help us talk through colors and décor, and then from there, she connected us with many of her preferred vendors (who are also phenomenal) to order linens, tables, chairs, etc. Throughout the rest of our engagement, she kept us on track by sending us frequent emails with reminders and tips.
About a month before the wedding is when things really kicked into gear. We can’t emphasize how organized and on-top of things Carissa was. She was taking care of things that we didn’t even know needed to be done (like table service ordering and final head counts). And on the day of the wedding, we literally did not think about anything related to planning. She literally took ALL the logistical stress away from us.
Beyond the big important things, like the stellar organization and communication, it’s the little details that really show her expertise and experience. We had purchased See’s candy as wedding favors, and we wanted them placed at each seat. However, our wedding was outdoors in July, and since it was so hot that day Carissa made the decision to not place them at each seat, knowing they would melt and become a big mess. I honestly think some coordinators wouldn’t have thought ahead about that and would have still set them out and tried to follow the original plan. But it’s the impromptu problem solving and adaptability that we appreciated most. She was able to professionally handle any curveball thrown her way, including an MIA DJ two weeks before the wedding (which thankfully, got resolved).

Julia Cabrales Senne

I truly can’t say enough amazing things about Carissa and her team at Positively Charming Weddings. She was the very first vendor I hired for my wedding, a year and a half in advance. Within the first 2 minutes of chatting with Carissa the first time, I knew we were the perfect match. She is incredibly organized, compassionate, an amazing listener, and isn’t afraid to take the lead and make decisions when necessary. She is thoughtful, calm, has a wealth of wedding industry knowledge and was able to provide personalized suggestions based on my preferences at every turn.

To be honest, I was originally super nervous and anxious to hire a wedding planner, as I am a very type A person because of my job as a programs and event planner. But Carissa exceeded all expectations and truly was able to allow me to relax and enjoy my wedding weekend without a worry in the world. She was a problem solver every step of the way. For example, she offered to manually fixed my seating chart the day before the wedding and found a print shop willingly to print very specific last minute signage (both things that were my fault that they were delayed/wrong).

She kept not only me, but my husband and both families on track leading up to the wedding, provided monthly checklists, was available via phone and email for my questions, and even provided bridal party itineraries the weekend of. Her and her team were incredibly easy to work with, and our other vendors and bridal party members said the exact same thing. She can work with anyone, with any personality type, and makes you feel important and heard.

If you want someone to go above and beyond for you, look no further! She will make your day everything YOU want it to be. Couldn’t recommend her and her team more…I walked away with a new friend!

Gwendolen Chu

Trust the process and your planner! Positively Charming Weddings was key in making our day as beautiful as it was. Carissa’s experience and passion for planning was quite clear from the first consultation. Even after bringing her on with only 6 months to the date, she managed to help boost the planning process with her organization and engaging us when needed via scheduled appointments or quick text follow-ups. We appreciated her vendor list but also her flexibility to off-list vendors. Her assistance in interfacing with the vendors through the whole process (inquiry, quoting, details/scheduling) was a huge lift off our shoulders that we cannot emphasize enough. Her work in the design aspect of the wedding not only resulted in everything looking gorgeous, but also made sure the details we cared about as the couple were accounted for. On top of all of that when we could no longer ignore the rain that was forecasted on our wedding day, Carissa made sure we had the proper arrangements just days prior to the wedding, all while my now husband and I were juggling work. In terms of day of, literally do not think the day could have happened without Carissa and her team. From directing all the vendors, corralling the wedding party and family, setting up decor, putting out food, and following up with us to make sure we were fine all day, we are super grateful to have had Carissa as our planner and would highly recommend her to other couples!

Kristin Steffe

I could not have imagined what my entire wedding planning experience would have been without the help of Carissa and her team. My husband and I knew from the beginning that we needed help with the wedding planning process. Prior to our wedding, my husband spent about 7 months working out of town, so a LOT of the planning landed on me, and having her help was what we needed.

From day one, Carissa made us feel comfortable and we felt confident having her by our side with decision making and designs. She always added her two cents, if asked, but still kept in mind what we needed and wanted. Carissa even helped us navigate a VERY STRESSFUL, unexpected, venue change 6 weeks before our wedding.

The day of our wedding, Carissa was amazing! She handled things with grace and never let me know if there were issues - my family and friends felt like they could relax and enjoy the day, and not worry about any minuscule issues.

We hired Carissa for the full planning and designing package and if you’re on the fence about hiring a planner, I’d say go for it - and choose Carissa while you’re at it. I was mostly a stress-free bride (shocking, I know!) and that was 100% because I knew I had a professional like her to help guide us through it all.

Sonia Penso

Working with Carissa and her team at Positively Charming Weddings was such an honor! We hired Carissa as our month-of coordinator, but Carissa was our biggest support throughout the entire wedding planning process. She informed me during our consultation call that this would be her first LGBTQ wedding, but Carissa’s kindness, professionalism, and expertise, left me with zero doubts in moving forward with Positively Charming Weddings.

Carissa really helped to keep us on track with monthly reminders, suggestions, and assistance. Her attention to detail and communication was truly above and beyond, and she always made herself accessible to answer our questions. She has a great list of recommended vendors and helped us with details we would have never thought of. Carissa was such a great help when we needed to make big and small decisions, and always made sure to calm our nerves along the way.

Our wedding day was absolutely perfect and Carissa and her team deserve so much of that credit. When little things came up (as they normally do), Carissa remained calm, organized, and used her amazing problem-solving skills. Even our guests commented on how professional and organized Carissa was! Our wedding was a literal dream come true and we feel so blessed to have worked with Carissa and to have been under her care. She is truly made to do what she does. Thank you to Carissa and her team, we are forever grateful!

Belma Cajic

For someone that never imagined having a wedding and didn’t know where to start, we were lucky enough to be able to snag Carissa to be our North Star and guide us through our year of planning and making it to the alter! Carissa is so thoughtful, knowledgeable and passionate! She was able to put us at ease from the very beginning to the very end when we had to change everything due to weather! I wish that I could get married more than once (to my husband) just so that we can have her be apart of our big day!

I really hope that becoming friends with your wedding planner isn’t taboo like it is with a therapist! Thank you for helping us have our big day be the most magical and brilliant moment of our lives! We can’t wait to see you again and of course finesse a way to use your talents again!

Veronica G

After searching the internet for planners that had done weddings at our venue we came across Positively Charming Weddings. We had previously met with a few other planners but after our initial call with Carissa she really stood out to us and we immediately knew we would be in good hands with her. And let me tell you, she didn’t disappoint!

We decided to hire Carissa for our June 2023 wedding. Initially we had no idea what we needed to look for in regards to wedding planning services but Carissa really helped to break it down and fine tune a package that worked best for what we needed and what was within our budget. Even though we had the partial wedding package, Carissa was always available to us for any questions we had during the entire process. As we got closer to the big day, she really helped to keep us on track with what we should be working on as well. Her list of recommended vendors comes highly rated and you also get a discount for being referred ! If it wasn’t for Carissa we wouldn’t have found the vendors we went with and our day just wouldn’t have been the same without our team of vendors.

Even on the wedding day itself Carissa and her team ensured everything ran smoothly. Even if small things came up, as they usually do on wedding days, Carissa and her team addressed everything with ease and it really allowed us to enjoy the day and be in the moment which was really important to us.

If you’re looking for a wedding planner look no further than Carissa! Wedding planning alone is already so stressful and I guarantee you by going with Positivley Charming Weddings you won’t regret it !