Pure Ambiance Event Planning

This is probably one of the hardest “reviews” I have to write because I have positives and negatives to write about. So first let me start off with the positives. Kisha took a little break from setting up the ballroom to come upstairs and see me. I was very touched by that. I also have to say that having her assistant by my side all day was one of the best touches that she could have ever put on her services. Honestly, there was never a moment in which I was worried about ANYTHING because I knew her assistnat was right there to take care of it. Having her there and having Kisha just a phone call away was so comforting that I have NO IDEA how brides do it WITHOUT a wedding planning service. I was able to relax and enjoy the moments without having to worry about ANYTHING going wrong. And then there was the ballroom. I still can’t believe how well every detail came together… the room was just “pure ambiance”… lol. EVERYONE we speak with mentions the room… EVERYONE. From the lighting, to the tablecloths, to the centerpieces… everything was just PERFECT. It was a scene out of one of my dreams. It was shimmery and purple with candle lights glowing. I don’t even have words to describe that feeling, even now as I remember it. It was just breathtaking. I never wanted it to end.But like I said, there were some negatives: The first thing that bothered me was Kisha's lack of flexibility. All appointments had to be made around her schedule, even if that meant days off from work or leaving work early. Late evening appointments were hard to come by and weekend appointments were virtually nonexistent. Next, there was the "last minute" attitude. As a bride, you want to make sure that everything is done so you don't have to stress. I found myself biting my nails bc she was cutting deadlines so close. Email responses took 2-3 days. She was late getting to appointments. She didn't do a lot of research, which was required because we had an untraditional wedding as far as nationalities went. Our venue list had to be scrapped from the beginning bc almost none of them met the criteria needed. Our budget was not even referred to throughtout the planning process.... I'm the one who kept updating it.Overall, I don't feel I got my money's worth. One of Pure Ambiance's biggest competitors offered me the same services for a little over half the price. I went with PA bc I felt a connection. A few weeks into the planning, that connection was gone. PA does great work, but I feel like its too big for one person to run. I feel like I missed out on the connection with a planner and that my customer service experience was poor bc I had to wait so long for appointments etc. She was the only vendor who didn't make me feel like my wedding was important. For 10 months I thought I made the wrong choice, on 1 day I knew I didn’t… but that 10 month experience still sticks with me.

This is the only vendor than underwhelmed me with their services. It started in the beginning when it took days for Kisha & her assistant planner Megan to get back to emails but I chose to ignore the little red flag I felt in my gut… We technically hired her for “partial planning” b/c by the time I found her, I had already booked all the big pieces including: ceremony venue, officiant, reception venue, caterer, photographer, hair & make up. So the only vendors I needed some help with were the florist & the DJ. She included in her “partial planning” was the “event design” where she presented me with 3 options for flower arrangements, escort cards, etc. I DIYed most of the pieces for our wedding. Nothing she presented me with was anything I had never seen before on this website or wedding blogs but it fit with the overall look I wanted for our wedding. Either way, I knew I needed someone to set everything up & take everything down the day of the wedding. The day of the wedding, our ceremony & reception were set up perfectly. I was very happy with how everything looked. Kisha had 4 girls working at the wedding & although I do not know how much they did & how much the caterer set up, it all looked exactly the way I wanted it to. That being said, there were FIVE people from Pure Ambiance working our wedding. Yet, many of my guests were not directed where to go for cocktail hour, they were not instructed on what to do with our “thumbprint tree” (and I was told someone was going to stand next to it to go over it), and when questions were asked, they weren’t always answered nicely. My mother asked one of the girls where I was & she shrugged & said “How should I know?”. All of them ate before all of my guests got to go to the buffet line. MY SISTER was behind them in line & I think it was completely inappropriate. If I were working at someone’s wedding & noticed that the MOH was behind me in line, I would have moved. At one point, I was pulled aside from dancing with my guests to be asked if any of the desserts had nuts (I did not know) & then I asked if any of my guests were allergic. No… one of the PA girls wanted to eat dessert & wanted to know. Isn’t the solution to that question very simple? Ask the caterer OR just don’t eat dessert. Yes, I have to feed you & I did (even before all my GUESTS ate) but you really don’t need to sample all of the desserts if you aren’t sure which ones have nuts. And who stops the bride to ask that type of question when you are the planner? So many of my guests made comments about how all of them sat the whole night & looked like they were guests at our wedding, eating, drinking, & chatting it up all night. At the end of the night, we had already discussed having them pack everything up so my parents could bring home. I had 26 lanterns that were put together & they wanted to put all the lanterns in the car w/o breaking them down. My mother had to ask them to please take them apart & put them back in their boxes. I emailed Kisha about my feelings especially since I was going to be writing a review & I got an email back explaining her feelings, & I appreciated it & thought it was professional. Overall, I do not think their services are up to par to the cost & I would not recommend her or her “staff”.

Kisha's enthusiasm, impeccable taste and guidance (with her wonderful Pure Ambiance team) helped to make my 40th birthday backyard bash a most memorable night - Despite rains and mud, or perhaps because of, her planning with tents and use of our indoor and outdoor space created a most cozy atmosphere where friends of ours from different parts of our lives "met and partied under the tents". I've already been asked for my party planner's name from multiple guests and I have gladly recommended Pure Ambiance to others as well. I look forward to working with her in the future to create more amazing events.

Pure Ambiance saved my sanity. I was finishing up a very intensive program, and the groom was working full time and finishing up school as well, so we had no time to plan. Kisha and her team helped us plan everything. They were very organized, professional and coordinated. They went out of their way to make sure that we got the best price on everything. They were simply wonderful and I highly recommend them.

My husband, Kevin and I met Kisha at a bridal show at the Addison Park. We were just at the beginning stages of planning the wedding and were semi unorganized and hadn't even thought of hiring a wedding planner. When we met Kisha, we were just starting to think about hotel accommodations for our guests and feeling a bit lost because we were both unfamiliar with what was available near the Addison Park. We scheduled an appointment with Kisha to just get a feel for what a planner could do for us. Before we even had our meeting or signed with Kisha she had already researched hotels in the area and e-mailed them to us. After the first 10 minutes of our meeting, Kevin and I knew we had to work Kisha into the budget and hire her. We chose the day of package which was perfect for us and our needs. However, Kisha went above and beyond what she was hired for. Kisha and I immediately hit it off and clicked as if we knew each other for years which made me feel extremely comfortable. Her upbeat positive attitude really made me feel like she was a part of the wedding planning as my friend which was such a great experience! Kisha had great ideas and always had suggestions of where to purchase things, what questions to ask vendors, and great referrals, such as Cam Turner for invitations.When it came close to the wedding day, we had several meetings with Kisha and her team to work out a plan for the day of the wedding. I was so impressed with how she put together a timeline for the entire day. All I kept saying the morning of my wedding was "I don't know how people do this without having a planner!" The entire morning went smoothly and without a hitch! There were no major problems and anything that did come up, (like me forgetting my dancing shoes for our first dance at the hotel that was 30 min away) Kisha and her team were on it! Every detail was taken care of and I was able to enjoy my day like any bride would want to: stress free and happy! I can honestly say I would recommend Kisha to any bride that wants to have a stress free wedding. Not only did I have a fantastic wedding but I gained a wonderful friend as well!

Kisha Barner and her staff made my day special and beautiful. From the moment I met Kisha I knew she was the one. My dreams became a reality. The day was problem free and I enjoyed my day. She handled every problem and organized every detail. If you want a classy beautiful wedding I definitely suggest you contact Pure Ambiance. "Class at its Best"

Not to be dramatic, but Pure Ambiance was awesome!! Kisha and her team literally took care of everything. My wife and I are very laid back people, and really did not want to have to go through any of the stress or drama that can sometimes be associated with weddings. From the first time we sat down with Kisha, we got the feeling that we would never had to worry about that at all. She made us feel very comfortable and REALLY valued our input. When the wedding day actually came, everything was beautiful. Kisha and her team completely captured our garden themed wedding and reception to the letter. The only thing that even came close to being a snag that day came when one of my groomsmen left half of his tux at the house over an hour away from the venue. Even then, the team went into action, finding a formal store nearby with the missing pieces AND keeping this news from the rest of the bridal party. It went so smoothly that my wife didn't find out until our honeymoon!Looking back at our overall experience we could not have asked for anything more.