Reviews of Joy by Joelle (Event Planner)

Jocelyn Veikle

When we started to plan our wedding I thought, “I am a project manager. I plan every single day. I’ve got this no problem!” And boy was I wrong! I started scrolling Pinterest and Instagram, talking with bridesmaids and parents and realized that this wedding was going to be unlike anything I had ever planned because there are so many emotions and expectations that we weren’t anticipating and stress from not having an actual clue how to pull it all together let alone within a reasonable budget. Thankfully, I was already a long-time follower of Joelle and have seen some of the beautiful weddings she’s put together so gave her a call for a Joy Date. Let me tell you - this woman can work miracles! After listening to my ideas and getting an idea where we were at, she went to work figuring out our extra large floorplan, gave me unique, Instagram-worthy décor ideas that will fit into our tight budget, problem solved some logistical issues, but more importantly, had us looking forward to our wedding day again. Her knowledge and experience in the industry was tremendously helpful. She rattled off answers to questions in minutes that I’d been stewing over for months. She gave us tips we never would have considered, and solved problems before we even knew we had them. Her fun-loving personality and laid-back attitude had me feeling so much more relaxed and confident that it was all going to work out. I couldn’t recommend Joelle more if you’re planning a wedding or event!

Megan Dawson

If you are feeling overwhelmed, lost or at your wits' end at the prospect of planning your wedding, then Joelle is the answer to your prayers. We were stuck in limbo with our wedding planning, tossing ideas around but not really committing to anything. We had an idea of what we wanted, but no concept of how to make that idea into a reality. Any planning efforts we made left us feeling overwhelmed at amount of work and organization required to put together our wedding. We just didn't feel like we had the time and energy we needed to plan on our own on top of working and living our busy lives... Enter Joelle! We were totally blown away after our very first consultation meeting by how organized and professional she was, not to mention how bubbly and upbeat. She's been planning weddings for over 4 years, and has a thorough understanding of the wedding industry, and great connections and knowledge of local vendors and venues. It was a no-brainer to work with her and have her co-ordinate our wedding. We were lucky enough to have Joelle fully co-ordinate our wedding. Once we started working with her, it was like an immense weight was lifted from our shoulders. She had organized spreadsheets and timelines for every aspect of our wedding, and would regularly keep in touch with us via email about what was going on and what we needed to do. We were planning a destination wedding in the Rockies, but we liked working with a planner based in Edmonton where we lived. We were able to meet regularly in person, which really put our minds at ease because we knew we were on the same page and that Joelle had everything under control! In the last couple of weeks leading up to the wedding, Joelle had to remind us to breathe, sit back, relax, and trust that she was handling everything. Boy was she right! We were actually able to relax and spend time together during the last couple days before our wedding. When we arrived at our wedding destination, we got to enjoy greeting family and friends as they arrived, and had a lovely relaxing rehearsal dinner with close family. Both of us slept well the night before the wedding because we knew Joelle had everything covered and we didn't have anything to worry about except being present, living in the moment and enjoying marrying each other and the experience of our wedding day. Seeing Joelle on the day of our wedding was a sight to behold. She was totally in her element, and we could tell she thrives off of making sure everything stays on track and goes according to plan. She was super attentive to everything we needed during our day. Need a water break, bathroom break, your dress bustled, a makeup touch-up, or a mimosa? Joelle was always there to lend a helping hand and make sure we had everything we needed to enjoy the experience of getting married. Even little things like making sure nobody paddled off in our rental canoe, or shooing away wayward tourists who wandered into our wedding venue were handled with grace and professionalism. She wrangled our friends and family for all the family photos that we wanted, so that we had more time for couples' photos with our photographer. Our family and friends got along with her and thought she was great! Since our wedding, our families have told us they understand why we decided to get a wedding planner, and how wonderful and helpful Joelle was on our wedding day. As far as wedding planning goes, we would say that the whole process was about as painless as it could possibly be, and Joelle is the one responsible for that! One of the things we appreciated most was that Joelle really took the time to get to know us as a couple, and got an understanding of what our vision was for our wedding. She helped us define, create and realize the wedding of our dreams, and we are so thankful! If you're hung up on your wedding planning or stuck in a wedding planning rut, Joelle can help you! We are so thankful that we were able to work with her, and can't recommend her enough!

Haley Cramer

Joelle brought not only our outdoor wedding dreams come true, but she also made our entire engagement season SO much fun for my husband and I! I'm pretty sure the day before our wedding I even took a nap...enough said right?!?! Joelle went over and beyond from the moment we got started. From scheduling times to meet all together to plan in her, (might I add) ADORABLE office, giving advice on vendors that would give us the best bang for our buck, taking our ideas and visions and bringing them to life, to making the day of so special for both of our parents! Our parents didn't need to worry about who was going to fill the punch bowl when it emptied because Joelle was on it! My parents still talk about how blessed they were by Joelle since it allowed them to celebrate our day fully with us and all of our friends and family! We are so thankful for having Joelle as our wedding planner!! She was a huge reason why our engagement season and wedding day was so fun, memorable, and most of all full of love!!

Honorata Chromiak

Joelle is so incredible at what she does. We had met several times to discuss how my wedding could look and everything she came up with was beautiful. When COVID-19 hit, she went straight to her closet to grab her thinking cap and came out with idea after idea. She dealt with my meltdowns gracefully, she handled last minute rental disasters efficiently, and when Joelle said she was going to do something... SHE DID IT!! I don't think there is a price you can put on someone who values you and will do anything to make your day beautiful. Photos by Barbara Rahal Photography

Caterina Snyder

Joelle is bride valium! She's also the most perfect mix of your outrageously fun and trucker mouthed cousin from the country and your cosmopolitan bff who gasps in delight at all your over the top ideas.....we had a LOT! Both my husband and I feel so blessed to have shared our wedding journey with Joelle and I can't say enough what an absolute joy she is to have along for the ride! Seriously, you just want to hang out with her!! She was always there for us and was equally happy working with either of us, which was amazing because our availability was constantly changing. She was super responsive and open to our feedback about what we needed, rarely missed a beat in our uber complicated wedding, and was the perfect go to person for the million vendors and artists we hired, who loved working with her. I was especially appreciative of the fact that she was able to jump right in when we hired her about 5 months out from our wedding and dumped all of our complicated vendor/artist contacts and ENDLESS details (like 1000+ pins) on her. She also dealt very graciously but firmly with a few of our vendors who turned out to be giant pains. In addition to her mad management and organizational skills, she also was an incredible emotional support, she listened to all my family drama and always ensured that I felt supported, comfortable with my choices, and organized (which is saying a lot cause I organize people for a living)! We are proud to count Joelle as a friend and we are eternally grateful for everything she put into making our whimsical woodland wedding a reality.

Lucy

Hitched by Joelle was the best decision we made for our wedding. She went above and BEYOND to make everything perfect for us, and we fell in love with her... so did everyone else. Seriously, our wedding guests and family complimented how amazingly professional, organized and hilarious she was and we could not agree more! Nothing ever seemed impossible or too much to ask from Joelle. She was always accommodating to our schedules, mediated our indecisiveness, took us outside the box, and folded our napkins more times than anyone could bare just to make them PERFECT. She was there to look over every detail and make our wedding day stress free. I don't think our day could be any more special thanks to Joelle, and we have told everyone and their dog to hire her for their wedding too. Trust us, you NEED her so don't even think twice!

Mariah St Germain

As a bride who signed up for these services before the Covid-19 pandemic was even a thing, I can honestly say it is the second-best decision I made as a bride (the first has to be my hubby, right?!) And I think my guests agreed - “Where did you find her?!?” “She has this thing on lockdown!” “What’s her name again?!” Were just a few of the comments my guests shared from our day. Not to mention the awe of other vendors and wedding industry professionals. Being a VIP Wedding Day Management client of Joelle’s was nothing short of wonderful! The services I received were EXACTLY as advertised - you meet, share your vision, do the work of the dreaming and scheming, and hand things over for those finishing touches weeks before the big day. And before your eyes (or maybe even behind them, because it sure as heck appears seamless!) its magic!!! I used my extra hours for things like a site visit, some last minute decor add-ins, and a surprise sweetheart table. But, in reality, I know I got SO much more than I bargained for, especially throughout the pandemic process multiple check-ins, empathy, compassion, and an exterior mind’s eye when I couldn’t see it myself. I find it incredibly suiting that Joelle has recently rebranded into “Joy by Joelle” as she is an embodiment of this, both for her clients and as a person. She is professional, prompt when needed, and casual when not, making working with her really like having a rendez-vous with an old friend. Did I mention she is FUN?! I found her accountability and willingness to lean into hard conversations admirable; she follows-up when necessary and keeps truckin’ along when not. She has amazing knowledge of the industry, access to fantastic vendors and resources, and (simply put) Gets. It. Done!!! But most importantly, she listened to me - to what I wanted and what I needed - throughout this weird and wonderful time. I joked a few times that I was “her first joy” but in reality she was mine! Thank you doesn’t even cover the gratitude I feel towards her. And, while I plan on keeping my husband, I am already starting to think of ways that I can have an anniversary reception in the future because she is JUST. THAT. GOOD.

Kimberly Phillips

I do not even know where to begin when speaking about Joelle because there is too many wonderful things to say. She is hands down one of the most genuine, caring, hilarious, organized people I have ever met. She is so good at what she does and because of her our wedding was perfect. My husband and I are so lucky that we met Joelle and had her as our wedding coordinator. We became very close with her over the time we worked with her and we are so lucky to call her one of our good friends. If we were to do it all over again, Joelle would be the first person on my list. Our day would not have been the same without her and she truly is one of the most talented people I have met in the wedding industry. She brought our vision to life and made our wedding dreams come true. If you are planning your wedding, you need Joelle in your life. She is a game changer.

Devynn King

Joelle helped make my vision come to life through just an online consult! I was having trouble picturing everything we were planning and she went through it all and made it even better than we could have ever imagined. She has also been a huge factor in calming the anxieties around COVID and wedding planning during a pandemic. 100% recommend for any of her services! Personally I booked a Hitched Hangout and was part of her Badass Bride Group. The value from those 2 things alone were off the charts. She is an awesome human and is amazing at her job.

Courtney Hihn

Joelle made our wedding day ( and rehearsal day) so much easier and less stressful for both of us and our families. It all went perfect! Whenever I felt stressed or disorganized she was one step ahead of me knowing exactly what was going on! She worked hard and did everything she could to make the whole experience easier for us! We could not have done it without her (or we could have but a lot of things would be been missing and I would have been a stress case). Joelle was easy to communicate with and always held true to her word! She got everything done in a timely matter and did anything I could have possibly asked from her! If you are thinking of hiring her as a wedding planner, do it, you won't regret is! She clearly loves what she does and does it amazingly!

Ian Weiting

She's crazy organized and super creative. Very fun and uplifting presence.

Katrina Hansen

Joelle is amazing! I couldn't imagine the day without her and Jill. When looking at our wedding budget a wedding coordinator was one thing we thought we could take out and I am so glad we didn't. Joelle and Jill covered everything, especially things I would never have thought of. During the night we ran out of wine and a few other drinks and she ran out and restocked, I didn't even know this happened until the following day. This is just one example of how they dealt with any hiccups and we didn't even know about them. Joelle did such an amazing job making our day flawless that my brother and his fiance booked her for their wedding as well. I would not hesitate to recommend her to any other bride and groom!

Emily Eckroth

Joelle is a ball of sunshine and energy that makes you even more excited about your wedding than you already are! She is easy to talk to and creates a safe place to be honest about what you are looking for and your expectations for your big day. Joelle gave us that peace of mind that is priceless on such a momentous occasion. We didn't have to worry or think about how events would transition or move along with her there looking after it all. She went above and beyond and even set up our small ceremony space with her team the morning of so we didn't have to arrange for family and friends to take care of it! Joelle was organized and professional keeping us updated regarding vendors and plans throughout the whole process. Definitely worth every bit of investment to have Joelle there for the planning and execution of your wedding day!

Meagan McCartney

What a rockstar Joelle and her team have been throughout this season of covid, she is just what any bride needs during this time. Thankyou Joelle for your help in making our soon to be wedding that much easier to plan, and for my sanity. Book in with her for a Hitched Hangout ladies you wont regret any of it, she may even have an inside to saving you $$ on rentals! It might just pay for itself!

Janet Adelman

Joelle is fabulous!! Joelle helped plan details leading up to the wedding. She was awesome to have on site helping us set up for the reception. She even helped us create our beautiful bouquets (she used to work in a floral shop!). On the day of the wedding I thought I would see her a lot but I barely saw her at all because she was so busy working in the background, taking care of all the little details and making sure everything ran perfectly. Our wedding day turned out better than we could have imagined and I know we couldn't have done it as seamlessly without Joelle. My husband was hesitant to spend money on things we could do ourselves but Joelle provided so much value and took care of so many things leading up to and on our wedding day we both agree she was worth every penny! I hope this review helps you decide to get 'hitched by Joelle'. We know you won’t be disappointed!

Ashley Peterkin

Brides, listen up…you need Joelle in your life! Whether you just follow her on Instagram for tips or you dive into a wedding planner she is your girl. She planned my sisters wedding and I was a part of her badass brides membership. I took her advice and just had the best damn wedding. We kicked tradition to the curb and did the things we wanted. We had an evening ceremony with charcuterie and then danced the night away. And you know what. We got soooo many compliments on our wedding and people loved it. And WE FRIGGEN LOVED IT. I will always look back on our wedding with the fondest memories. She helped with tips and tricks on the planning process and she will help you make that day exactly what you want, not what people just expect at a wedding.

Shelby Haesloop

I came across Joelle at my cousin’s wedding that I was a bridesmaid of. She was coordinating the wedding and I can’t lie when I tell you, from the minute we met I could tell she was an absolute gem, and we connected right away. My wedding was coming up the following year and after learning about her services, I knew I had to sit down with Joelle for a Hitched Hangout. My worries regarding my wedding were mostly surrounded by my lack of creativity when trying to bring the décor all together, as well as the dreaded topic of dealing with COVID-19 at our wedding. Before talking anything wedding, she asked, “Well, what are we drinking!?” MY KIND OF GAL. After my Hitched Hangout with Joelle, which really just felt like talking with an old friend, I felt like she had lifted much of the weight off my shoulders with her guidance and advice. She is truly a breath of fresh air!! I am a very Type A person, and I have been giving myself headache after headache trying to navigate the world of wedding planning during a global pandemic. However, after sitting down with Joelle, I feel confident in my ability to continue planning this wedding with a little “Joelle magic”. ;) She has given me so much clarity, and has helped me allow myself to claim this wedding as mine, along with my fiancé of course, (haha) and to not apologize for the decisions we make for our big day. I am extremely thankful to have had those couple hours with her to hash out every single worry/doubt/idea that I had in mind. Aside from being amazing at what she does, she is such an amazing person and makes every moment so much fun! I can’t thank Joelle enough for this service she provides and would highly highly recommend it to any Bride and Groom!

Katelyn Danielle (kmiel)

Joelle was our wedding planner last summer for our August wedding in Camrose, AB. We sincerely, 100% could not have done it without her! She is so knowledgeable about the wedding industry, surrounding vendors, the wedding planning timeline, typical costs for services, and is incredibly organized. From the very beginning, she outlined very clearly what needed to be done and when, making the process much less stressful (and daunting) for us. I gave Joelle very little to go off of in the beginning - just a rough idea for a theme and a budget- and she took it from there! She really has an eye for the details, which we appreciated greatly. From ensuring we had a sound system/microphone outside so our guests could hear our vows, to making sure we had long enough extension cords to hide the generator for the sound system in the bushes during the ceremony - Joelle thought of everything! She even helped us find a wheelchair accessible site for our outdoor ceremony (the DAY BEFORE the wedding) when we found out that our original site was unusable!! I credit Joelle with the entire success of the day. She made it so easy for us to sit back and enjoy our wedding without worrying! It has been just about a year since our wedding and our family and friends STILL talk about how beautiful our wedding was and how much they loved the gold details, the sweetheart table, the creme brulee! It makes me so happy that our guests enjoyed our day as much as we did! I'm going to stop rambling because I could go on and on forever. I cannot stress enough how much we would recommend Joelle for anyone who is getting married or needs advice for planning their wedding!

Katie Plamondon

I had been very overwhelmed and stressed about centrepieces and linen choices. Pinterest had been my best friend but also my worst nightmare with figuring out what to do for them. But then came Joelle... She let me tell her all the different ideas I had found and was able to take aspects of my fiancé’s and I’s likes, as well as ideas I had had and create something unique and beautiful. She helped direct me with the colour scheme and reminded me not to overthink the little things. Leaving our little confab, a weight had been lifted. I felt peace and a new excitement about our wedding day! I would 100% recommend Joelle!