Wedding Savvy, Inc.

I originally hadn't intended to hire a wedding planner, as I thought that I could handle my wedding of fewer than 30 guests. But about 4-5 months into the process, I was exhausted by the numerous details of planning a wedding and the multiple phone calls necessary to reach vendors. So, I researched wedding planners on WeddingWire and then reviewed multiple planners' websites. I called Wedding Savvy first, because it had the only website that simply promised to take care of things, rather than plan "the wedding of my dreams!" - which wasn't what I was looking for. I have an extremely time-consuming job and eventually figured out that I needed to outsource the remainder of the wedding process in order to maintain my sanity. Owner Raquel Shutt called me personally and informed me that the majority of their brides also contact them when they reach the tipping point of frustration. After a satisfying conversation with Raquel, I hired Wedding Savvy for its day-of plus two-month service, which was perfect for me since my wedding was less than three months away at that point. Raquel assigned Leslie Jefferson, her associate who happens to live close to my wedding venue, to my account, and Leslie took over. I provided a list of my vendors, and from then on, the vendors worked directly with Leslie. We conducted all of our business by telephone (my choice, to save time), and Leslie was extremely helpful not only with coordinating vendors, but also with providing insight into things that hadn't occurred to me (e.g., the event manager at the venue hadn't suggested that we may need to order meals for the vendors). Also, having Leslie on-site on the wedding day was a godsend. She coordinated everything with the venue's staff, hosted the vendors, and also made sure that our family heirlooms (cake cutting set, for example) made it back safely to my hotel room. My only complaint - and it's very minor - is that Leslie said that she would contact all of my vendors as soon as the contract was active, but I spoke to two of them about a month later, and they didn't know who she was. Leslie explained that she had called them, but they hadn't returned the calls. Given my own frustration with the lack of responsiveness from vendors, that didn't surprise me. (Alert to all brides: I found vendors to be much more Type B than Type A generally, requiring a lot of follow up.) However, my primary reason for hiring a wedding planner was to deal with this issue, and I would have preferred that Leslie had connected with everyone promptly as promised. In the end, this didn't matter, and the wedding went beautifully. I would hire Wedding Savvy again and specifically recommend the firm to brides looking for a professional wedding planner who cares about making a bride's life simpler, rather than just the pomp and circumstance of a glamorous, large wedding. Additionally, I was impressed with Wedding Savvy's flexibility. My wedding was somewhat atypical (small guest list, no DJ/band & dancing), but Leslie adapted beautifully and we achieved exactly the wedding experience that my groom and I wanted.

Never in a million years did I think I would be able to plan my wedding in less than 4 months. Until I met Raquel... She was like a breath of fresh air. I went into our first meeting with only one centerpiece idea, and after that, her vison became my fairytale wedding. I did not have a single worry in the world, never had a bridezilla moment, all because she handled every single detail. I truly felt like she was a lifelong friend, and am so grateful that I had her to plan my wedding. It was a beautiful day, and I owe most of it to her. Thank you Wedding Savvy!!!!

Perfection. Whether looking backward from the wedding or forward from our first meeting with Raquel Shutt, I can think of no other word to use. It was a magical event--mostly because of who the bride and groom are, partly because of the New Year's Eve date, but surely because of Wedding Savvy and Raquel. When we were clueless, she had a vision. When we had an idea, she had a plan. When the inevitable hiccup came, she had the antidote. From big--what would the venue be and how would the event unfold--to small--we forgot the garter--to everything in between, I can imagine no better partner in this wonderful adventure than Raquel. She had a sense of who we were and adjusted on the fly to deliver what we wanted and what we needed. Definitely a problem-solver not a problem-identifier, she was the calm in the middle of the maelstrom. Raquel and her staff were present when the situation demanded and in the background when things were running smoothly. The single best testament to what she gave our family came at the very end of the night, when we had toasted the New Year and had sent the newlyweds on their way, my daughter (the new bride) came rushing back to me and said, "Mom, where's Raquel, I need to give HER a hug!" I hired Wedding Savvy because I understood that wedding planning is not MY profession, but it is theirs. And, boy, did that single decision pay dividends in quality, value, and straight-up enjoyment. That Raquel is known and respected throughout Annapolis became obvious and yielded amazing results. I unequivocally and with unbridled enthusiasm recommend Raquel and Wedding Savvy for your most special day. The memories of ours will last a lifetime.

My Wedding Savvy Coordinator was amazing. The wedding went off without a hitch and she made me feel like everything was under control. I couldn't have done it without her.

In my many years of being a professional wedding photographer, I have had the opportunity to work with many event planners. In planning my event, I wanted to employ the very best in the field. Raquel Shutt of “Wedding Savvy” was selected as the event planner because she is brilliant at her work. She is extraordinary at what she does, from start to finish. The event was amazing. I received multiple comments on how great the party was planned and executed. I want Raquel to know that we thoroughly appreciate everything she done for us. She is truly a professional, amazing, organized, and she knows exactly what she’s doing. She will help you select the best vendors that meet your budget and requirements. Just sit back and enjoy your event. Photos by F.A. Formica

Raquel planned my mother's 70th birthday party in less than 2 months. She was organized, thoughtful about how to bring the party vision to life, on top of every detail, resourceful and flexible. I felt like the party was creative and things were always under control. She is the definition of a great party planner. I would hire her again in a second!

I worked with Gina from Wedding Savvy, she was great! We did most of the wedding planning ourselves but wanted someone to help us on the big day so we could relax and enjoy the party. We met with Gina once before the wedding and she helped us come up with a detailed timeline for the whole weekend. She also helped us with our rehearsal since our officiant was unable to come at that time. Gina was wonderful to work with, friendly and very helpful. Was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. Thanks!

My wedding wouldn't have even been close to perfect if Gina from Wedding Savvy wasn't there. My dad stepped on my dress during the father/daughter dance and broke the bustle and Gina fixed it right there. Also, one of my bridesmaids totally ripped the back of her dress and Gina sewed it up at the reception in a couple seconds. She was so helpful and was there whenever I needed her. I didn't have to worry about a single thing the entire day because I knew I could rely on Gina. I would recommend Gina and the other members of Wedding Savvy to everyone! Lacey Married 09/04/11

My wedding wouldn't have even been close to perfect if Gina from Wedding Savvy wasn't there. My dad stepped on my dress during the father/daughter dance and broke the bustle and Gina fixed it right there. Also, one of my bridesmaids totally ripped the back of her dress and Gina sewed it up at the reception in a couple seconds. She was so helpful and was there whenever I needed her. I didn't have to worry about a single thing the entire day because I knew I could rely on Gina. I would recommend Gina and the other members of Wedding Savvy to everyone! Lacey Married 09/04/11

Our wedding was flawless and I have Wedding Savvy to thank! They are the utmost professionals and their vendors are THE BEST. Thank you Leslie and Wedding Savvy for the wedding of our dreams!

Raquel and Wedding Saavy were truly amazing through the whole wedding planning process. I hired them for their "Day Of" services, but they began working with me and getting organized three months before our wedding. Raquel was always quick to respond to emails and phone call. She has great recommendations and relatonships with vendors. But most importantly she is extremely organized and friendly to work with. She was in contact with all of my vendors and had a very extensive day of agenda that everyone had signed off on weeks prior to our wedding. As all of my vendors felt prepared and coordinated, they were at ease on the day of and everything went perfectly! Without Raquel, our wedding would not have taken place. I got married in the middle of a hurricane in August. I heard a lot of sad stories of couples having to call off their weddings that weekend. I fortunately had Wedding Saavy, and they managed to pull off my wedding almost exactly as it had been planned. It was truly incredible!

I had the pleasure of working with Raquel Shutt, the owner of Wedding Savvy. Not only is she the sweetest person you will ever meet, but she is professional and absolutely incredible at her job! We hired Raquel about two years before our wedding and it was absolutely the best decision my family made when it came to the wedding!! She is worth EVERY penny!! Not only did she relieve any and every stress I might have had about the wedding, but she also saved us more money than we spent on her!! Looking back, we were very (VERY) hesitant to hire a wedding planner because we didn't know if it was worth the money, but now it is so clear that it was the best decision we could have made!! Prior to the wedding, Raquel helped us pick out all of our vendors. Because she is so well-known throughout the area, every single one of our vendors gave us a discount thanks to Raquel! Even more so, because Raquel had used all of our vendors prior to the wedding, we were able to pick the vendors that would not only give us the best price, but the vendors who would give us "the best bang for our buck." I have zero regrets about any of our vendors! Raquel did an amazing job helping us pick out vendors who all did a spectacular job!! The day of the wedding was amazing! I didn't have to do anything except enjoy the day!! Raquel had EVERYTHING taken care of! I assume everything was 100% completely under control because I never had anything stressful brought to my attention and every single little detail of the wedding went off perfectly without a hitch! Even my bridesmaids loved Raquel because anything they forgot (scissors were their favorite necessity!), Raquel had it in her bag of goodies!! Honestly, I cannot say enough good things about Raquel Shutt and Wedding Savvy. I strongly urge anyone considering a wedding planner to meet with Wedding Savvy. After your first meeting, you'll understand why you can't have a wedding without them!!

We had the pleasure of working with Raquel Shutt and her wonderful team for our wedding in May 2011. From the moment we started the planning process, we knew we were in capable hands. No words can express how easy and exciting Raquel made this whole process- from the initial meeting to the day of the wedding experience! Our wedding was unique, personal, and memorable and we could not have done it without Wedding Savvy, Inc.!

I can't thank Gina enough for her help with our wedding! I live in London, UK and needed on the ground, local support for our celebration in DC. Gina was so organized, professional and personable. She also was so thoughtful in stocking our limos with treats, leaving kind notes and working so well with all our vendors. Wedding Savvy came highly recommended from a family friend and now I, in turn, can in great confidence recommend Gina and the Wedding Savvy team to all brides to be.

Although my daughter, Suzy Casey (the bride) contracted to hire your consultant, I would like an opportunity to provide feedback with my experience with Gina the day of the rehearsal and the wedding. I felt that Gina was "right on top of things!" She was pleasant and very professional. She interacted with us in a very positive, supportive manner. As the mother of the bride, I felt comfortable that I could trust Gina with taking care of all of the details entrusted to her. At times, she was able to anticipate and follow through on her intuition with situations that came up. The rehearsal and the wedding went by very smoothly, thanks to Gina! Veronica K. Casey

Dear Raquel, Leslie, and Gina, As one of your coworkers, I want to thank you for all of your advice, support, and guidance in helping me plan my own dream wedding. It was a wonderful experience being a bride, and being able to sit back and enjoy the day! Thank you for always answering my questions, and responding to phone calls and emails as soon as you could. You made me feel at ease on the day of the wedding, and I knew I could count on you to make the day flow smoothly and perfectly. I have always been a firm supporter of Wedding Savvy, and your performance on the rehearsal and the wedding day made my family and friends fall in love with the business too. Wedding Savvy is truly a unique wedding coordinating business that is professional, dependable, and makes every wedding day more complete. There is always some kind of stress the last few weeks leading up to any wedding, but Wedding Savvy is your key vendor to push that stress away and really soak in and enjoy every minute of your wedding day. Thank you again for making our day perfect!!! -Valerie and Lee Baklarz

Wedding Savvy was fantastic and went over and beyond my expectations. They were extremely flexible and worked very hard based on my desire for a unique, non-traditional wedding. I couldn't be more thankful and appreciative. I never thought I'd be able to say this, but I really had a fairy tale wedding. Thanks so much!

There just are not words to describe how valuable a service Wedding Savvy provided, and I would stress that you almost cannot appreciate it until after the fact. As the Mother of the Bride and the chief host of the event, I wanted to give my daughter and son in law the wedding of their dreams, but I also wanted to enjoy the day myself. Leslie took care of every detail, thoroughly, professionally, compassionately, as if it were her own event. She listened to my daughter, her fiance', me and somehow made each of us feel/know we were in good hands. I never doubted any tiny detail, and our day was simply perfect! This was the best money I ever spent!! I was a detail-holic, and early on I questioned my need for this service, but in the end, I needed it MOST because I was the type of person who valued that kind of service and attention. If you are a bit like me, trust me, you need someone like Wedding Savvy in your corner...and if you AREN'T like me, then you REALLY need them, or you'll be sorry. Thank you thank you thank you, Raquel and Leslie and Jessica, for a dream come true!!!

I can not recommend Wedding Savvy enough. Raquel Shutt is an absolute pleasure to work with. She is a very warm, caring, and down-to-earth individual, plus she is great fun and has great ideas! She is totally organized and not one thing went wrong on wedding day. We had such a fantastic experience working with her...I can't wait until my other daughter gets married so we can do it again!

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Wedding Savvy! As a very detail-oriented person in general, I was selective as to who I could trust to help out with the important details of our wedding. I knew Wedding Savvy was right for us from the very beginning. Leslie ensured that all the details were addressed before the big day and really made our wedding day go extremely smooth. As the bride, I was able to be at ease throughout the process thanks to Leslie's help. We've had nothing but rave reviews from everyone that attended the wedding and its because of the great detail, professional service, and attentiveness of Leslie and Wedding Savvy! I would recommend them to any bride and groom, they were an absolute pleasure to work with!