Reviews of VanBee & Co (Event Planner)

Janet Simkins

My Wife and I live in California but wanted to have our wedding the Saranac Lake region. Planning the wedding from across the country presented some challenges, so we hired VanBee & Co to help us. We were looking to mostly manage the planning process and vendors, but have VanBee & Co keep us on track and help with local coordination, especially day-of. From the start, Katy listened intently for what we wanted and then helped us create a plan to get there. We started by meeting once a month to ensure we were making progress, and Katy was able to ask us questions to fill in a lot of details we didn't think about. Katy was also very well connected in the Saranac Lake region and personally knew many of the vendors we had selected. As the wedding got closer we started meeting more frequently. Katy also helped pick up some of the slack with some vendor coordination and brought on Colette and Eileen to handle day-of coordination. The wedding day could have been more smooth. I found that I really had nothing to do or worry about except enjoy our beautiful wedding and celebration together. It was perfect. I have several friends who did not engage a planner for their wedding, and they have all more or less regretted the decision. You should be able to fully engage in and enjoy your wedding day instead of having to worry about vendors, timelines, and small issues that may come up. I highly recommend VanBee & Co. - they are friendly, professional, effective, and really care about making your day special.

Dan Fey

Katy from VanBee & Co is by far the most exceptional wedding coordinator that I have ever seen. As an event planner myself, I hired Katy as I was planning a destination wedding in Lake Placid, NY. Being far away and dealing with some difficult venue issues - Katy made the entire process seamless and enjoyable. We had 4 days of multiple events including rehearsal dinners, welcome BBQ's, boat rides, spa days, golf courses, cocktail hours, receptions and a farewell brunch. Katy didn't flinch one time. She was on top of EVERY detail, even things I didn't think of. She was available at all times, literally ahead of me on every question or concern. I can not recommend her services enough. She is spectacular. She even dealt with a difficult vendor with ease. I had absolutely no anxiety or concern the entire 4 days because I knew it was in her hands.

Sarah Stratford

Katy was so helpful as we were planning our wedding weekend! We got married at a summer camp in the Adirondacks which comes with just about as many quirks as one could possibly imagine. But from start to finish, Katy was a creative problem solver, taking control of challenging situations and making it possible for us to focus on our family and friends in attendance. She was a friend and advisor throughout the entire planning process, culminating with the wedding weekend where she navigated working alongside the venue while still being our advocate. She and her team decorated the reception, managed vendors, answered a million questions on our behalf, made sure we were pulled out at just the right time for golden hour photos, & so much more! We are so grateful!

Sarah Aquilla

Katy is the most amazing wedding planner in the entire state. She took care of problems before we even knew to there was an issue. She is completely professional and is extremely personable. She made my wife feel completely at rest and kept us on track during our two year long engagement. There is no one I would rather have to help me with the most important day of my life than Katy.

Caroline R Dormer

Katy and her team could not have been better to work with for our big day!! She made everything feel like a breeze and brought our vision to life. Truly could not have planned our wedding / had our wedding day executed flawlessly without her. She is magic!

Ian Freeburg

Katy is the absolute best and deserves all the stars in the world! She helped us plan our wedding on Saranac lake and was so on top of her game from recommendations, advice, planning, budgeting, and day of coordination. She immediately understood my vision and helped execute it flawlessly. She is very personable and was fun to chat with once we had the chance to meet in person too. Our wedding guests were all raving about her outstanding service throughout our wedding weekend. I would hire her again and recommend her to others without hesitation. We hired her family catering business Lakeview Catering for several events and they were also outstanding, Katy helped coordinate those events too. Thank you Katy! You are a gem !

Carly Speck

If you’re looking to have an Adirondack wedding, Katy is your person. There is no one that can match her knowledge, experience, and connections when it comes to wedding planning. She nails every event and somehow always is cool, calm, collected and fun. Katy is an amazing resource and could answer any question we had. She was super prompt and communicative during what turned into a 3 year covid planning period. She was a lifesaver keeping up with all the venue, vendor, and guideline changes. Our plans had to change too many times too count but Katy never missed a beat and she kept us sane. We could not have done this without her and we are SO happy that we were able to work with her. She is on top of every detail and made sure our day was perfect, even when plans had to change due to some rain. She truly is Wonder Woman of event planning. We would 1000% recommend her. Working with Katy was the best decision we made when it came to our wedding.