Reviews
What our happy clients are saying:
Endless creativity and energy
There are not enough words to say how incredible Smiling Through Chaos is. Amanda and her team captured our essence in every way for our December 2023 wedding. Her communications were consistent, timely and informative. She spent countless hours on Zoom calls with us to make sure all of our ideas and feedback were heard and actioned.
It is not often that you can ask someone to create something unique in the wedding industry and they truly deliver something incredible. However, Amanda took our quirkiness and humor to create everything from our save the dates to our gorgeous paper flower ceiling installation from scratch.
One of the best decisions we made when planning our wedding was hiring Smiling Through Chaos as our full service wedding planner!
- CHRISSY LANNI
Amanda is everything you need!!!
There will never be enough words to describe how amazing Amanda and Smiling Through Chaos are. We worked with Amanda for almost two years planning our wedding. During that time she was not only or wedding planner, but our cheerleader, therapist, advocate, and friend. While I know she has tons of brides and events, she always made me feel like I was the only one, giving me her full attention. She goes above and beyond in all aspects of planning. She is accessible and available to you. I’m not sure she ever sleeps! Amanda gave us access to vendors we would have never found, who all executed our vision perfectly. She is so well respected in the wedding vendor community and was able to get us discounts and negotiate pricing and contracts for us. Within the first week she saves us over 7k. Amazing! We completely trusted her creative process, and the results were STUNNING. There was never a moment where I felt stressed or that Amanda didn’t have things handled. She allowed us to truly enjoy the process and our wedding day. Thanks to her we were able to be in the moment and not worrying about the behind the scenes stuff. Amanda is incredibly hard working, detail oriented, and organized. We had so many people who told us it was the best wedding they had ever been to, and that was all thanks to Amanda! Wedding planning is a full time job, don’t let yourself do it alone! Finding Amanda was the best thing that could have happened to us and I could not recommend her more!!!
- ALLISON DUNNE
Smiling Through Chaos goes above and beyond!
Amanda is exactly the kind of caring, creative, professional, organized presence you want on your team. She has such a bright personality, and it's beyond clear that she is 110% all in for her clients, always. We had less than a year before our wedding day and Amanda was so much more than just a planner or coordinator. She was an advocate, a negotiator, and the creative director who took our feedback, crafted it into a cohesive story, and executed the wedding of my dreams. From our invitations to our florals/decor and cakes, her network of vendors was top notch. She understood us and just *knew* who to bring in to match our style both in personality and the top-tier products they brought to our day. I was never worried about any of our vendors being uncommunicative or delivering anything less than amazing thanks to Amanda. During the last few weeks before the big day Amanda was my saving grace, managing last-minute details that needed handling and confidently assuring me that everything would be stellar when I got overwhelmed. The day of my wedding I can honestly say I was able to be fully present and enjoyed every minute! Amanda made that happen and I'm so grateful. You can't put a price on that kind of peace of mind.
- holly m.
Best Planner ever!
Amanda was such an amazing planner! She took all of the stress out of planning, especially in a pandemic, and made it the most amazing day! We couldn’t have ask for a better day, and we would highly recommend Amanda to anyone! Not one thing went wrong that day, and we can’t thank her enough for everything she has done for us! She started as our planner, but she has turned into a friend! I can’t imagine not having Amanda in my life!
- KIMBERLY
Amanda helped us plan our daughter’s Bat Mitzvah (2 different parties over the course of the same day!) which ended up being everything we had hoped for and more! Amanda and her team are creative, super resourceful and lots of fun. All out amazing and couldn’t have been possible without her!
- ALEX BLOSTEIN
We loved working with Amanda!! She made our wedding process feel so fun so we were able to enjoy being engaged and not stressed with wedding planning. She’s definitely an expert on everything wedding! Organized, punctual and ahead of the game at all times. Amanda was a dream maker she took our vision and made the most beautiful wedding we could’ve ever imagined. She is a ray of sunshine and including her in your big deal won’t be a regret she will make everything happen for you in a positive fashion. We are so lucky to have found her! Thanks Amanda.
- Crystal and Harold
Must Have Planner!
As a mother of the bride, I was tasked with a lot of details, I am a project manager, but have NOTHING on Amanda. What a relief, what a pleasure to work with! She was on top of EVERY detail, with professionalism. She put me at ease, she managed ALL the details big and little, that allowed me to just be MOM that day! She's incredible. Strong work ethic, responsive, never annoyed by my 1,000 questions to ensure it was taken care of. I could go on and on. Bright and wonderful personality! WORTH every cent and more! She over delivered. She also had resources and opinions (if asked). Her #Goal was that the day was everything you want it be! No matter how well you plan, something will come up, small or big, and you will want someone paying attention to notice it and resolve it so you don't have to! THAT IS AMANDA!! I wish I had something else to plan to keep working with her!
- linda rosenthal
The best decision we've ever made
I’ll start by saying both my husband and I were dead set against having a planner in the beginning. We didn’t see a reason for one and we didn’t want the extra expense. On the request of our mom, we looked into a planner hesitantly- and then we found Amanda. Amanda is EVERYTHING. Calling her a planner isn’t enough- she really does it all. She made sure our day was everything we wanted it to be, and thought about details that never would have even crossed our mind. She ultimately ended up saving us money, stress, time and anxiety. She understood my vision and transformed the venue and every thought of every detail to make sure we had the day of our dreams. She made the day and the weeks prior feel so effortless so I could just focus on being happy and enjoying the process. Not to mention, everyone loved her. She literally feels like a part of the family now. It’s hard to describe exactly how much time and effort Amanda put into our day and how much she delivered. I will say this: every bride and groom needs an Amanda. She is the best of the best and she made our day what it was. I will be forever grateful that we had Amanda for our special day.”
- emily anderson
“Amanda was the best decision we ever made before planning a party. I don’t even know where to start on how amazing Amanda is and was during our entire planning process and day of the party for my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary.
From start to finish she was always on top of the planning and so organized. She went beyond any expectation we had and was very patient.
She gave us many options according to what we wanted and helped us find what we were looking for as far as photographer, floral, music and DJ and Entertainment (we had a hula dance show). She made my parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary party a dream and we can even say perfect! It was such a flawless planning experience that was fun and effortless. All I can say is if you have the opportunity to work with Amanda and Smiling Through Chaos do it!”
- kristen
Last minute Chaos? Not with Amanda!
When I hired Amanda from Smiling Through Chaos, I knew it was a long shot to get a Sweet 16 planned for my daughter in about a month. But Amanda did it, and it was beautiful. My daughter had a blast playing DJ games with the other kids, eating great food, and looking around at the beautiful decor, and our guests had a great time too.
I recognized Amanda's patience when we were reviewing color palette options and I was not sure between two options. She guided me like the professional she is, and it really came together in such a customized, outstanding way. I also recognized her patience when working with different elements of family. She worked as the mediator between us in some instances so each one of us would be happy, and it worked. The evening was unforgettable!
- JAVIER
Amanda was incredible. She took every idea and detail of what we wanted for our wedding and made it come to life. Anytime we needed her she was there and was quick to respond to any questions or concerns. Amanda made it her priority to make the planning process stress free and smooth and allowed us to have the most magical and memorable night of our life. She is creative, responsive, professional and most of all kind and I cannot recommend her to plan any event enough.
- jillian
I wasn’t planning to hire a wedding planner but organizing a NJ wedding from Denver (with the bride and groom living in England) was getting increasingly complicated as the day drew near. I had hired all our vendors but I became overwhelmed by all of the minutiae required for a successful wedding day.. When I spoke with Amanda initially, it became clear right away that she was going to be an outstanding person to work with. She told me that she would handle all conversations with the vendors, and I panicked as I wasn’t sure I could let her assume all responsibility. She quickly proved herself beyond capable and I began to relax and realize that I had found a gem 💎. She’s smart, easy to work with, and has a positive, can-do personality! We worked mostly through four way emails, with the MOB, bride, groom and her, to make decisions.
I am so thankful that I hired Amanda as I was able to completely enjoy the wedding day with no worries. But, I also had someone with a lot of experience working with me the month before, helping me source place cards and menus, preparing the goodie bags, bringing the wedding dress to be steamed, coordinating the transportation to and from the venue, and the list goes on. Dealing with all these details was fun, with Amanda! She is an outstanding person, and well worth the expense.
-JODY
Truly Amazing!
Amanda was honestly the best decision I made while wedding planning. Her month of coordination was above and beyond what I expected. From going over details I didn't even think of to her day of attentiveness Amanda was truly incredible. Wedding planning is stressful and the day of even more but Amanda made it so I didn't even have to think about being stressed. Even following up long after the wedding, cant go wrong when Amanda is involved!”
- monica
Magical! The best decision I made!
Amanda is amazing!! Not only did she execute exactly what I visioned but she stuck up for me as the bride and what I wanted! She had no problem with anything I wanted to have because it was my day! I not only had an amazing wedding planner but I gained a beautiful friend!! I recommend Amanda to EVERYONE! you won't be disappointed!
-adria
How Amanda continues to smile throughout the entire process is beyond me! We loved her throughout the planning process - but to see the precision with which she pulls it off on the day of- always with a smile and such warmth - is beyond! She has a wonderful rapport with the vendors and is there for you in every way possible.
-anne
I had the pleasure of having Amanda as the planner and day-of coordinator for my wedding this past Saturday. With Amanda’s help, my wedding day was everything that I envisioned and more!
A few months ago, my mom and I found ourselves overwhelmed by the wedding planning process. We had picked most of our vendors and mailed out invitations, but we couldn’t figure out how to piece it all together, and manage the individual vendors. Luckily, Amanda stepped in and saved day.
From the first conversation that I had with Amanda, I knew that my wedding was in good hands. Not only did Amanda have an extremely positive attitude, but she also showed a genuine interest in getting to know us as a couple. By getting to know us, Amanda was then able to make suggestions regarding the final touches of our wedding (e.g., the design of the dinner menus) that completely aligned with our style and taste. Amanda also made several amazing judgment calls on our wedding day (e.g., removing the strobe lighting from our photo booth setup), which further reflected how well she knew us as a couple.
One of the most valuable things that Amanda did for us leading up to the wedding was setting up a timeline for the wedding day. This timeline was amazing! Amanda communicated with all of our vendors - the band, the florist, the photographer, the venue, the hotel, the transportation company, the photo booth company, the seamstress, the hair stylist, the make up artist, the officiant, as well as the individuals responsible for the cookies and cake. On the wedding day, the whole operation was like a well-oiled machine! Amanda even helped us figure out a way to incorporate 10 speeches into our dinner program (while still making sure there would be time for plenty of dancing).
I could go on and on about Amanda, but I’m hoping you get the bottom point by now - she is the real deal! With tremendous confidence, and without reservation, I would recommend Amanda to any bride.
— Hannah
When my husband, and I were first engaged, we started the difficult process of trying to plan and organize a wedding. We kept going around in circles without being able to make any decisions or even knowing where to start.
Since the first day when we met Amanda to the day of our wedding, on December 10th, Amanda was able to seamlessly take over and give us the day of our dreams. We didn’t want anything traditional, and Amanda never pressured us to do anything we didn’t want to. She listened to what we wanted, and gave us suggestions on how to make the event even more spectacular. What was amazing is that she found us the venue of our dreams within a matter of two weeks of working with us.
I don’t think that we could even have imagined how beautiful, well planned and detail oriented an event could be, until we saw Amanda take charge and put together such an amazing party.
The beauty was really in all the details, because very few people can think about all the small details that actually create the big picture, and Amanda is one of those rare individuals.
What was the most incredible part of working with Amanda was that we always felt like she had our back and that our wedding was the most important part of her life as well. She truly went above and beyond her role as a planner and became a member of our family and even a friend. I would recommend Amanda without reservation. She can plan an event of your dreams without ever letting you feel any of the stress that comes with planning. She will undoubtedly be our planner for all future events.
- Viral
I have worked with Amanda on nutrition counseling for almost a year. We started when she was planning my wedding and this was one of the services she offered. At that time I felt I had about 15 pounds to lose before my wedding. We had 3 months to work with. Right after our first session, I knew that it would work; that she could help me. See, I have worked with a couple of other nutrition counselors before. Pretty much all of them had the same advice, which boiled down to, eat less carbs or eat good carbs and increase protein intake. They had a very set plan of action, just rinse and repeat. Not Amanda! In our first session, her questions were about my eating habits. Not just my current habits, but we want back as far as I could remember, all the way to my childhood. Based on my feedback she came back suggestions that were tailored to me. They were something I could follow. Small changes that I could make. It was good start.
Most of my previous counselors were little restricted with their approach give that that I'm a vegetarian. I also hate raw food, salads and the likes. So I could never really follow their suggestions. Amanda however, gave me recipes that appealed to my taste buds. And that's especially difficult, given that I'm an Indian who loves his spices :) Almost all of those recipes are now part of our regular meals. She would also encourage me to find recipes that I found tasty and would suggest small improvements and replacements that would make them healthy. As a result, I didn't go on a 'diet'. I changed my lifestyle. I continued working with Amanda, even after my wedding, only this time the focus was not loosing weight, but to continue making my lifestyle healthier. Six months later, I can say I'm definitely eating more cleaner and healthier than before. I'm also thinking variety, which I lacked before. I'm now confident that I will not go back to unhealthy lifestyle and if by chance I do, Amanda is just a phone call away.
-SATISH
I am beyond excited to see how much my body has changed after having two beautiful boys over the last two years. I lost almost 30 pounds in 6 months!! After her program, I am still continuing to lose weight. I lost so far all together almost 40 pounds. For the most part, everyone knows I am a vegetarian but even so I still had much to learn about eating the right foods in order to have a healthy lifestyle. Also, you can't forget to throw some exercises there too! I reached out to Amanda from Smiling Through Chaos to help me to achieve my goals. She is absolutely great to work with. She has an amazingly positive attitude and she is right there with you making sure you don't give up. She listens to you and what you want. That is huge! I highly recommend her to anyone who is looking to lose some weight or just to learn to eat healthier. You won't be disappointed! Thank you, Amanda, for everything! You are a gem to work with! 😁
-STEPHANIE
Amanda/STC was the best referral I received and I would highly recommend using her as your day of coordinator. From our first meeting (about 6 weeks before the event) until the final moments I was amazed by Amanda’s positive attitude and her genuine love of the job. Amanda coordinates with/between all the vendors so you can stress less about those last minute details. She is the timeline queen and works with EVERYBODY to ensure that no details are missed. Amanda took the time to understand what I was looking for and helped to make my day perfect. Because of Amanda my husband and I were actually able to enjoy our wedding and we are so grateful for that. Thank you!
-Julia
Amanda brings so much to everything she does. She is seriously smart, professional, knowledgable and has a huge heart. You couldn't pick a more wonderful person to work with.