REVIEWS

Allison B and I met through some mutual friends in college – it is only fitting that we really bonded at a wedding-themed event – a bachelorette weekend in Nashville. Since then, she and I have become such great friends. She is one of the most outgoing, sweet, thoughtful, and organized people I know. And that is why when the stress of teaching and wedding planning during a pandemic became too much – she was the answer to our prayers. My now-husband, John, and I decided it would be such a more enjoyable time of our lives if we got a day-of-coordinator to help us make our dream wedding a reality.

John, our family, and I had been planning the wedding of our dreams and had only two weeks until the big day – so I asked my friend if she would be willing to take on the task, and this was the exact moment she became our wedding SAVIOR! She immediately stepped up to the plate ready to confirm things with my vendors, make a finalized day-of schedule, and kept the whole day moving so smoothly. I can not express how much less stressful she made the last two weeks of the wedding planning. She is simply the best. Although she is a dear friend, she told us that she wanted to treat us as she would her other brides and grooms. She scheduled a sit-down meeting with us to go over the vendors, little details, our wedding vision. She gathered all of the information she needed and was off to the races to help us make sure everything was perfect! I truly was able to sit back and relax and only worry about a few small things while she tackled the rest.

If you are considering planning a wedding, needing a day-of-coordinator, or simply just have nowhere to start in the world of weddings or events in the Cincinnati area – she is the right person for you. She takes what YOU want and turns it into a reality. She is sweet, organized, and gets stuff done. There are too many decisions to make when planning an event and she makes sure all of the details have been taken care of. I can not recommend using Sit Back Relax Events enough. We can not thank you enough, Allison, for being such a god-send on the best day of our lives.

ALLISON D. & JOHN D.

Planning a wedding is a joyful, and, yes, stressful time especially in the midst of a pandemic. As the mother of the bride, I wanted everything to be perfect for my daughter because, of course, she is perfect. Realizing early on that help was needed, I met Allison Brucato. When she showed up at our house to “assess” the situation, she brought so much happiness into the room.

Allison started with our vision. That was the key starting point. This makes her unique in the way she plans a wedding event. She asked me, “What did I want her to accomplish for me?” I said I just want to be able to sit back, relax, and enjoy the wedding – talk to guests – dance – and not worry about what pictures were or weren’t taken. That is exactly what happened. Allison had the rehearsal, wedding, and reception planned out so precisely that it was seamless. She coordinated the “timeline of events” with the photographer and caterer so my daughter and I only had one person to discuss specific items. Allison took it from there.

Not only did she offer the best planning ever … she had such wonderful suggestions to carry out the vision of the wedding. From ordering playing cards with the couple’s names on it to Polaroid cameras and gigantic sparklers, Allison took care of it.

I have only one piece of advice for you if you are planning a wedding event: hire her!

It is the best decision you could make and then just sit back, offer suggestions, relax, and get ready for your vision to come true.

cINDY c.

With the pandemic hitting hard and seeming like it wasn’t going to end anytime soon, my then-fiancé, Erik, and I decided in early summer that we needed to alter our wedding, which was set for Labor Day weekend. We decided to cut our wedding back from nearly 300 guests to just 50 of our immediate family members and bridal party, while moving our reception venue from our dream location to my mom’s backyard. It was a tough decision to make, but we felt in our hearts it was the best one for the safety and health of our family and friends.

That’s where Allison stepped in, thanks to an introduction from my sister-in-law. Allison was such a joy from the start — her outgoing personality made her so fun to work with, but her attention to detail was what sealed the deal as our wedding coordinator. She cared so deeply about our vision but was able to take our ideas to the next level, turning our backyard reception into what felt like a beautiful, intimate reception hall under the stars. When we had to make the decision to move the ceremony to our front driveway, she was calm and collected, creating a sun plan, rain plan, and (as we joked) monsoon plan, although we fortunate enough weather-wise to have the sunniest, most gorgeous day ever.

When the big weekend finally arrived, Allison was on call when things weren’t exactly right with vendors or rentals, and she helped remedy situations quickly and efficiently. Before the rehearsal dinner, as I was about to slide into a true bridal meltdown, Allison looked at me calmly, with a smile, and said, “I’ve got this. You go rest.” And she really did have it all under control! I came back downstairs calm and ready to celebrate, while she handled caterers and family arriving. The next day, she showed up ready to work. By then, I truly can say I got to sit back and relax — the few moments where I did start to stress at the craziness of the day, she made sure I could lean on her to have all the details, and even had a water bottle with a straw always ready for me to stay hydrated and not mess up my lipstick. Additionally, our guests also had nothing but wonderful things to say about Allison, who did everything from telling bridesmaids and groomsmen where to go when they weren’t sure or helping a grandparent find a place to sit in the shade.

While our wedding weekend was quite a bit different than we had originally imagined, Allison managed to make it truly the best day of our lives. I remember walking outside after the tents had been placed, floral arrangements had been set, and tables were ready for dinner, and just thinking, “Wow. I am so blessed.” To not only get to marry the love of your life, but to also have a wedding coordinator who executes a jaw-dropping vision in the middle of a pandemic is a true gift. We were blessed to have Allison there to assist in our wedding, and looking back, I cannot imagine our day without her kindness, organization, diligence, or joyful spirit allowing us truly to sit back, relax, and enjoy the event.

ELLIE a.

“These [Fiona Cookies] were such a fantastic surprise at my bridal shower! Allison did such an amazing job planning this get together. It provided a great environment to get to know my new family better.”

aDRIENNE M.