Lindsay and John
Married October 7, 2022
Look no further for the most respected wedding planner in Raleigh. Addie and Michael of Dogwood Gatherings are not only wonderful people, but the key team you want running the show on your biggest day. While we were grateful to have them on our side from day one, it became most evident that we chose the best team possible when informing vendors of who our planner would be. Nothing but glowing comments and excitement to work with Addie and Michael, which let us know that they were an admired pair that we were lucky to have secured!
While the process seems daunting at first, Addie has a method that clearly works to keep all stressors to a minimum and the flow of planning just right. We really appreciated how during each meet up she would give us 2-3 achievable decisions or tasks to be settled to match our timeline. Addie has a multitude of vendor connections to match any dreamed of style or detail. She routinely checks in, confirms any areas of concern and will happily reassure you a million times exactly how all details will come into place. She plays part-time therapist, is sensitive to worries about awkward family issues and provides honest feedback on how your ideas can come to life.
On wedding day, the relief of having Addie and Michael orchestrating vendor arrival, setup and flow of events made it possible for us to fully take in every moment. They made last minute changes with grace and if there were any roadblocks, then we sure didn’t hear about them. They are truly on the couple’s side and genuinely want you to have a magical day.
We routinely reflect on how special it is that we can look back on our planning process with fondness. It was an honor to work with Dogwood Gatherings and we highly recommend their services!
Alison & Hannah
Married April 21, 2023
Addie and Michael are worth their weight in gold.
We were new to Raleigh while planning our wedding and Addie was full of the information we were looking for. Addie knows every single person, vendor, and reputation in the NC wedding world. She will tell you why they will and why they won’t work for you- and give you honest direction. She is reputable and people know her name for the right reasons. We considered it insurance in our investment when we realized that every vendor we contacted after her had nothing but good things to say. Networking really matters and there were more than a handful of times where working with Addie significantly benefitted us when it came to business doings with other vendors.
Addie is assertive, personable, likable, directive, organized, and timely. She excels as a wedding planner. Her problem-solving skills are untouched. She shrinks everything to size and comes up with solutions and backup plans on the spot. I can’t imagine what it would take to frazzle her- she is so confident and well versed in what she does. And worth adding: Addie and Michael are truly fun to be around.
If you can’t tell where this is going- it’s a 10/10, would use again in a heartbeat, best vendor we booked kind of review. Dogwood delivers exactly as contracted and promised. Addie and Michael are well worth your investment. You will be extremely satisfied.
Alyssa & Jesse
August 21, 2022
Hiring Dogwood Gatherings to assist in coordinating our wedding was one of the best decisions we made in the whole shebang. From our first meeting to the night of the wedding, Addie and Michael made the process seamless. To start, they are extremely friendly and personable and we really enjoyed just chatting with them, in addition to discussing wedding stuff. They are total pros and gave us a very do-able and realistic timeline to work with. They were also involved in helping us secure our vendors, as needed. They have a TON of connections and were not afraid to be assertive when responses didnt come through in a timely manner. Additionally, they have a huge inventory of items available which was amazing, especially as our costs continued to grow, and we needed more decorations and items.
As anyone can imagine, planning a wedding is stressful and a bit scary. It is expensive and there are a ton of moving parts. There were more than a few occasions we became overwhelmed and convinced our timing was off. Addie and Michael were instrumental in helping us remain calm and rest assured that everything was unfolding as planned.
On the actual day of the wedding, they were superstars. They provided the perfect amount of support to keep things running smoothly and to allow us to enjoy our day instead of worrying about logistics. We totally trusted them and were able to stay completely in the moment for our big day. You can't put a price on that. As to be expected, some things did not go as planned, and they were incredible at problem-solving in the moment. Our wedding was the best day of our lives (so far) and we are grateful to Addie and Michael for being a part of it.
Very sincerely, Dogwood Gatherings was a 10/10.