“I am going to be very honest here: when I got engaged, I had BBE (“Big Bride Energy”). I was convinced I could plan a wedding on my own. After all, I manage partnerships, events and collaborations for a living. I’ve got this, right?! I kept telling myself that. But let me be very clear for all brides: YOU DON’T GOT THIS. No matter how capable and how determined you are, you need guidance, and you need support. I was hashtag humbled real quick on the process of managing vendors, negotiations, details, etc.
I spoke to multiple wedding planners, but I swear fate brought me to Sarah. (Just kidding, it was deep research. But also, yes, it was also the stars). I wholeheartedly mean this: every bride needs Sarah—not “a Sarah”—this Sarah, in their life. I first connected with LRE in Winter 2019. Sarah was with me in 2019, 2020, 2021 and ultimately in 2022. And oh my goodness, did she ever show up for me, for us.
As you can likely tell, I have zero chill. It’s a gift and it’s a fault all in one. But Sarah has chill, she has calm. Why? Because SHE’S GOT THIS. She’s that good. When she tells you she does, she does. She is an inhuman dichotomy, I swear. She is calm, but confident. She is organized, but flexible. She dreams big, but she follows your budget. She can ideate, but also execute. How is she even real?!
When my wedding week finally came around after years and years of planning, years and years of details, I felt something I had never really felt before—all thanks to Sarah. I was calm. I had full confidence, full faith that she would have us covered. I wasn’t stressing over details—which is incredibly atypical of me—as I knew that she had our backs. She did. I will never have enough thank you’s for Sarah.
If there is one piece of advice I can tell future New England brides, it’s this: hire Sarah. She’s the one for you. Sure, your future husband/wife/partner is too. But it’s Sarah. It’s the best money you’ll spend on your wedding. I promise you.”
evie b.
“Wow, where do I begin? How about with the end of the story, which was the Most Magical Day we could have ever imagined. (Does anyone else read a book from back to front?)
As a detail-loving Mother of the Bride [with an even more detail-loving daughter and bride], we had to be the most high maintenance mother/daughter duo Sarah could have ever dealt with. Every decision was met with ... ahem, contemplation, which meant we pushed every single deadline to the brink. Ok, we pushed every deadline past the brink. Sarah not only kept us on track, gently reminding us of upcoming deadlines, but she maintained a sense of poise and grace throughout the entire year we worked together. Quite the accomplishment, since “Type A” Mother of Bride in North Carolina and “Type A” Bride in New York was a recipe for “Type Gridlock” in Newport, lol. Sarah was an absolute dream and I cannot imagine not having her to guide us, keep us on track, and keep us calm throughout a year of destination wedding planning. Everything we dreamed up, even last minute changes, was met with a helpful get-it-done mentality.
The number of hats Sarah wore for us was astounding: Vendor Liaison...Contract Negotiator...Budget Manager...Concierge...Welcome Box Builder...Tour Guide...Personal Package Delivery Location...Wedding Day Champion...Trusted Friend. Sarah and her team were truly a dream team; they were like busy worker bees on our wedding day, making so many things happen behind the scenes that we weren’t even aware of.
The end result was a perfect, magical day/night that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. If you want to keep all the hairs on your head (without adding gray ones), contact Sarah without hesitation for all your wedding planning needs. They are truly a dream...and will make your wedding day a dream come true!
angela b.
mother of the bride
We cannot say enough amazing things about working with Sarah! We were at ease with her in our corner - Sarah was extremely organized and kept us in line throughout the entire process. Their knowledge of all vendors and venues in Newport was apparent from Day 1 and was even more important when the big day finally came. Sarah and her team made our vision come to life at Castle Hill Inn and the wedding day surpassed our wildest dreams! Book Leila James for all weddings in Rhode Island or anywhere! Thank you Sarah!
EVAN C.
The best thing I ever did was hire Sarah and her team to help with my wedding day. Sarah is not only an expert planner, but she is one of the nicest, most organized professionals to work with. Sarah had every aspect of my wedding planned to perfection, and carried out every detail effortlessly. Not only did she keep myself and my husband on top of everything so we didn’t fall behind, she also took the stress off of our shoulders and literally handled everything - and I mean everything!
Throughout the planning process my husband and I would often think how we could not have done this without them. Every idea we had Sarah and her team made happen, and on the wedding day, all of our guests (and of course my husband and I) were so impressed with how smooth everything went! Everything we needed on the day of they had on hand, they went above and beyond to make sure everyone at the wedding was happy and comfortable, and they literally made my wedding day dreams come true!
If you are contemplating hiring a wedding planner, do it, and you have to hire Leila James Events. Sarah her team are wedding experts, their recommendations, expertise, and eye for design is unmatched and I would not have had the wedding I had without them!
ALEXANDRA V.
