Testimonials

Meredith Hollingshead

To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Meredith Hollingshead, and I am writing this letter in support of Ellen Gutierrez of Bride’s Vision. Ellen Gutierrez was the phenomenal wedding coordinator for my marriage to Jeremy Hollingshead on November 14, 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri. Our wedding ceremony was held at the Jewel Box in Forest Park, and the reception for 200 guests was held at the Four Seasons, St. Louis.

Upon meeting Ellen for the first time, we were very impressed with her years of experience and portfolio of previous weddings. We had no doubt that Ellen was capable of coordinating a wedding of our caliber. My parents were so impressed by Ellen’s skills that they hired her for my sister’s wedding in May 2009 at the Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis. Ellen and I started planning the wedding 16 months in advance and, I am so thankful that she dealt with me for that long! Ellen always made herself available by phone, email or to meet in person. Her quick response to emails was impressive; she would always respond the same day. Usually, by the time she responded, she already had an answer to my question! She was especially conscious of involving my mother in the planning process. My mother was wintering in Florida at the time, so Ellen always made sure we could meet when mother was in town, which meant a lot to my mother.

Ellen was meticulously organized. Within a few months of beginning the planning process, she had created a minute-by-minute itinerary of the wedding day. The itinerary was especially convenient for my father who was not involved with the details of the wedding. Miraculously, Ellen made sure our wedding and reception ran exactly on schedule. Through her years of experience in the wedding business, Ellen was able to recommend several excellent vendors. It eased my nerves to know that Ellen had previously worked with the band, lighting company, string quartet and transportation company. It was also great to see her do a wonderful job at my sister’s wedding.

Ellen’s most impressive moment on our wedding day occurred before the ceremony at the Jewel Box. As the guests were being escorted to their seats and within minutes of our wedding starting, one guest accidentally knocked over a water-filled decorative vase in the aisle. The vase, filled with four gallons of colored water and orchids, shattered, spraying water and glass shards in the middle of the aisle. Ellen acted immediately. Since there was no time to put on gloves or call a janitor, she used her bare hands to pick up the glass. She then brought another vase from the back of the facility to replace the broken one. All of this happened without my knowledge, and the wedding started precisely on time. Of course, Ellen didn’t want to disturb the bride! I wish I could write in this letter about more calamities that Ellen gracefully corrected. Fortunately for me, however, Ellen’s careful planning and calm demeanor avoided any major problems.

Finally, Ellen went way beyond the call of duty. To that end, there are far too many examples to list, so I’ll just name a few. She took the time at both my wedding and my sister’s wedding to tie Jeremy’s bow tie. Since Ellen lives only a short distance from my home, I get the sense that she would still tie Jeremy’s bow tie if he ever needed it! Also, Jeremy and I casually told Ellen that at our engagement party, we weren’t able to ever get drinks, because we spent so much time talking with guests. To our surprise, at our reception, every time Jeremy or my drink would get low, Ellen would appear with a new drink.

Because of Ellen’s commitment to making my wedding day perfect and the incredible job she did in accomplishing that goal, I have recommended Ellen to all of my single friends! Not surprisingly, I didn’t need to make the referral. All of our family and friends that attended the wedding also noticed the amazing job Ellen did, and they wouldn’t consider hiring anybody else.

Sincerely,
Meredith Hollingshead