Review is written by Staff @ The Ring and is based on • Interviews with this vendor • Interviews with past brides
This is one of the biggest days of your life, so when it comes to planning, having someone you can trust - someone that you meet and instantly click with - to be by your side over-seeing all the many details is a must. Over 100 Toronto and Ontario brides have succeeded in finding their planner-turned-BFF-for-the-day by hiring Jodi Gagné of Simply Perfect. Through her company, Simply Perfect, Jodi aims to offer a wedding planner who takes a laid back, artistic and professional approach to overseeing the countless fine details of your wedding day.
From theatre productions and rock concerts to wedding days
Having started Simply Perfect in September 2001, Jodi is celebrating her tenth anniversary this year. With close to 100 weddings to her name, and recognized as an Accredited Bridal Consultant with the Association of Bridal Consultants, Jodi has become a sought after wedding planner for a multitude of Toronto and Southwestern Ontario area weddings. Several of Simply Perfect’s weddings (and Jodi herself) have been featured online and in national magazines.
She started her career as a stage manager and lighting designer after graduating from York University with a major in theatre production. Surrounding herself with live performances of all kind, she began working with dance festivals, theatre productions, rock and roll concerts and cruise ships before creating her own company. And since every wedding is truly the ultimate live performance, she finds herself pulling on this past experience with each wedding she takes on.
It’s true love
Simply Perfect offers the kind of personal service that can be found in a wedding professional who loves what she does. “I love my brides! And I believe in the service I provide them. I have had the pleasure of truly connecting with my brides and their families over the years and feel honoured to have had the opportunity to share in their wedding. Corny, but true!”
The feeling is mutual. Kellie Smith married Glenn Zujew on August 22, 2009. She told The Ring how much they enjoyed the service. “She was lovely to work with. She was down to earth, easy to get along with and professional at all times. She takes her job seriously; she’s in the profession because she’s invested in it, not because it’s a whim job she thinks would be fun to do.”
First impressions count
Judi Savdie and Yigal Achren married in August 2010 and were immediately amazed with the company. “The biggest reason we decided to go ahead with Simply Perfect was due to our first impression. Jodi was friendly, approachable and seemed incredibly organized… She was also very transparent regarding prices and her extensive experience with wedding planning was impressive.”
Experts-only
When it comes to hiring wedding experts for your wedding, your list is likely as long as you are tall, if not longer! Erica married in April 2010 and says that she ended up with a wedding beyond her dreams. “Simply Perfect came fully stocked with vendors that we never would have thought of, but came highly recommended because Simply Perfect had worked with them before and they were trusted. You can’t beat that kind of service!”
All hands on deck!
After making initial contact on the phone Jodi will arrange a complimentary initial consultation. After discussing the level of planning needed a letter of agreement is drawn up.
Then it’s all hands on deck! As the planner on the wedding day, Jodi acts as liaison between the Bride, Groom, Family and Guests - in conjunction with the team of experts that have been put in place. She coordinates with the Venue, Floral/Decor, Pastry Chef, Photographer, Videographer, Disc Jockey, Master of Ceremonies and Entertainment to ensure that all the key players are aware of the flow of events.
Jodi will send you useful tools such as a guest seating plan template and will be on hand until the big day to answer any questions about everything wedding related. “Our clients will receive a calendar checklist which breaks down their ‘to do’s’ into bite size pieces to assist them with keeping focus throughout the wedding planning process.”
In the months leading up to the wedding Simply Perfect will help by reviewing vendors’ contracts, sending payment reminders, and finalizing details with all parties involved.
Your wedding day is finally here and while you are enjoying the time with family and friends Simply Perfect is over-seeing deliveries and organizing the set up. Jodi says: “We love to touch base with our bride in the morning to say hello and ensure that she is enjoying her day!”
The groom is not forgotten. “We greet the groom at the ceremony site, pin on the boutonnieres (to their relief!) and ensure that all is ready for the bride to make her entrance when she arrives.”
You can rely on Jodi and her team to work with the timeline and make sure that your day flows seamlessly. They will pay the vendors on your behalf, so no need to tuck cheques into your wedding corset!
Putting a price on peace of mind
Peace of mind is everything when you’re a bride. You don’t want to be running around checking that your DJ is in place, or whether your centrepieces have arrived in one piece and that everyone has been paid. “Imagine standing on the corner of Yonge Street, only minutes before the Bride has to walk down the aisle, when the clasp on her gown's halter comes apart! Or imagine the Mother of the Bride's dress rips right down the side. That's when a well-stocked emergency kit, sewing skills, speed, and a sense of humor are essential. Or imagine the groom realizes that he has forgotten the marriage license and the Father of the Bride tries to leave the ceremony to search for it. That's when a solution needs to be found so that the (200) guests are not waiting a moment longer for the ceremony to begin. With each wedding there is always something new, a twist, a surprise that creates unique moments that will always be remembered. And it is my job on the day to help them let go of the details so they can truly be present and live in the moment.”
So with Wedding Day Management/Coordination Service that starts at $1500 (plus HST), Simply Perfect supports you through email, phone and face-to-face meetings to help with challenges during the planning process. They consult with you on your budget planning, music for the ceremony, etiquette – everything that you need to know for your day.
Amongst other things, they visit the venue to figure out the fine points with you and help you with a detailed timeline so you know what you’re doing from the time you wake up in the morning until you go to bed that night.
Not only do you have a professional planner for the day of the wedding, you also have someone at your side for the rehearsal, just to make sure that everything (and everyone) is organized and comfortable with the flow of events.
Brides seem to be just fine with the cost of Simply Perfect’s services. Erica told The Ring, “Simply Perfect was well, well worth the price. Jodi was worth her weight in gold and she certainly can charge much more for her services and we would still be more than happy to pay for them.”
Judi has the same opinion. “Worth every cent! The prices more than matched our value. This statement is based on the countless [hours] of time Jodi spent really getting to know our vendors, their preferences and ideas so that our wedding day turned out smoothly and we did not worry about a thing.”
Kellie told us how she went above and beyond to make her day perfect. She was impressed that even though they hired Simply Perfect as a Day Of Planner a year before the wedding, Jodi kept in touch throughout the entire planning process scheduling meetings and sending reminders. “We absolutely got value out of it… She wanted our wedding to be successful; she got excited with us at some of our ideas and really went above what my expectations were for a Day Of Coordinator.”
Details, details, details
• The average bride spends $1500 for Day-of Coordination with Simply Perfect
• Prices are applicable to HST
• Depending on your location, travel charges and/or overnight accommodations may apply
• A 40% retainer books Simply Perfect for your day
• Try to book 8 to 12 months ahead, though Jodi does her best to accommodate all requests. “8-12 months is a good time to enlist the services of a Wedding Planner... We love the idea of being able to coach our brides through the start-up, breakdown all of the to do's into bite size pieces and to lend our support throughout the planning process.”
This is one of the biggest days of your life, so when it comes to planning, having someone you can trust - someone that you meet and instantly click with - to be by your side over-seeing all the many details is a must. Over 100 Toronto and Ontario brides have succeeded in finding their planner-turned-BFF-for-the-day by hiring Jodi Gagné of Simply Perfect. Through her company, Simply Perfect, Jodi aims to offer a wedding planner who takes a laid back, artistic and professional approach to overseeing the countless fine details of your wedding day.
From theatre productions and rock concerts to wedding days
Having started Simply Perfect in September 2001, Jodi is celebrating her tenth anniversary this year. With close to 100 weddings to her name, and recognized as an Accredited Bridal Consultant with the Association of Bridal Consultants, Jodi has become a sought after wedding planner for a multitude of Toronto and Southwestern Ontario area weddings. Several of Simply Perfect’s weddings (and Jodi herself) have been featured online and in national magazines.
She started her career as a stage manager and lighting designer after graduating from York University with a major in theatre production. Surrounding herself with live performances of all kind, she began working with dance festivals, theatre productions, rock and roll concerts and cruise ships before creating her own company. And since every wedding is truly the ultimate live performance, she finds herself pulling on this past experience with each wedding she takes on.
It’s true love
Simply Perfect offers the kind of personal service that can be found in a wedding professional who loves what she does. “I love my brides! And I believe in the service I provide them. I have had the pleasure of truly connecting with my brides and their families over the years and feel honoured to have had the opportunity to share in their wedding. Corny, but true!”
The feeling is mutual. Kellie Smith married Glenn Zujew on August 22, 2009. She told The Ring how much they enjoyed the service. “She was lovely to work with. She was down to earth, easy to get along with and professional at all times. She takes her job seriously; she’s in the profession because she’s invested in it, not because it’s a whim job she thinks would be fun to do.”
First impressions count
Judi Savdie and Yigal Achren married in August 2010 and were immediately amazed with the company. “The biggest reason we decided to go ahead with Simply Perfect was due to our first impression. Jodi was friendly, approachable and seemed incredibly organized… She was also very transparent regarding prices and her extensive experience with wedding planning was impressive.”
Experts-only
When it comes to hiring wedding experts for your wedding, your list is likely as long as you are tall, if not longer! Erica married in April 2010 and says that she ended up with a wedding beyond her dreams. “Simply Perfect came fully stocked with vendors that we never would have thought of, but came highly recommended because Simply Perfect had worked with them before and they were trusted. You can’t beat that kind of service!”
All hands on deck!
After making initial contact on the phone Jodi will arrange a complimentary initial consultation. After discussing the level of planning needed a letter of agreement is drawn up.
Then it’s all hands on deck! As the planner on the wedding day, Jodi acts as liaison between the Bride, Groom, Family and Guests - in conjunction with the team of experts that have been put in place. She coordinates with the Venue, Floral/Decor, Pastry Chef, Photographer, Videographer, Disc Jockey, Master of Ceremonies and Entertainment to ensure that all the key players are aware of the flow of events.
Jodi will send you useful tools such as a guest seating plan template and will be on hand until the big day to answer any questions about everything wedding related. “Our clients will receive a calendar checklist which breaks down their ‘to do’s’ into bite size pieces to assist them with keeping focus throughout the wedding planning process.”
In the months leading up to the wedding Simply Perfect will help by reviewing vendors’ contracts, sending payment reminders, and finalizing details with all parties involved.
Your wedding day is finally here and while you are enjoying the time with family and friends Simply Perfect is over-seeing deliveries and organizing the set up. Jodi says: “We love to touch base with our bride in the morning to say hello and ensure that she is enjoying her day!”
The groom is not forgotten. “We greet the groom at the ceremony site, pin on the boutonnieres (to their relief!) and ensure that all is ready for the bride to make her entrance when she arrives.”
You can rely on Jodi and her team to work with the timeline and make sure that your day flows seamlessly. They will pay the vendors on your behalf, so no need to tuck cheques into your wedding corset!
Putting a price on peace of mind
Peace of mind is everything when you’re a bride. You don’t want to be running around checking that your DJ is in place, or whether your centrepieces have arrived in one piece and that everyone has been paid. “Imagine standing on the corner of Yonge Street, only minutes before the Bride has to walk down the aisle, when the clasp on her gown's halter comes apart! Or imagine the Mother of the Bride's dress rips right down the side. That's when a well-stocked emergency kit, sewing skills, speed, and a sense of humor are essential. Or imagine the groom realizes that he has forgotten the marriage license and the Father of the Bride tries to leave the ceremony to search for it. That's when a solution needs to be found so that the (200) guests are not waiting a moment longer for the ceremony to begin. With each wedding there is always something new, a twist, a surprise that creates unique moments that will always be remembered. And it is my job on the day to help them let go of the details so they can truly be present and live in the moment.”
So with Wedding Day Management/Coordination Service that starts at $1500 (plus HST), Simply Perfect supports you through email, phone and face-to-face meetings to help with challenges during the planning process. They consult with you on your budget planning, music for the ceremony, etiquette – everything that you need to know for your day.
Amongst other things, they visit the venue to figure out the fine points with you and help you with a detailed timeline so you know what you’re doing from the time you wake up in the morning until you go to bed that night.
Not only do you have a professional planner for the day of the wedding, you also have someone at your side for the rehearsal, just to make sure that everything (and everyone) is organized and comfortable with the flow of events.
Brides seem to be just fine with the cost of Simply Perfect’s services. Erica told The Ring, “Simply Perfect was well, well worth the price. Jodi was worth her weight in gold and she certainly can charge much more for her services and we would still be more than happy to pay for them.”
Judi has the same opinion. “Worth every cent! The prices more than matched our value. This statement is based on the countless [hours] of time Jodi spent really getting to know our vendors, their preferences and ideas so that our wedding day turned out smoothly and we did not worry about a thing.”
Kellie told us how she went above and beyond to make her day perfect. She was impressed that even though they hired Simply Perfect as a Day Of Planner a year before the wedding, Jodi kept in touch throughout the entire planning process scheduling meetings and sending reminders. “We absolutely got value out of it… She wanted our wedding to be successful; she got excited with us at some of our ideas and really went above what my expectations were for a Day Of Coordinator.”
Details, details, details
• The average bride spends $1500 for Day-of Coordination with Simply Perfect
• Prices are applicable to HST
• Depending on your location, travel charges and/or overnight accommodations may apply
• A 40% retainer books Simply Perfect for your day
• Try to book 8 to 12 months ahead, though Jodi does her best to accommodate all requests. “8-12 months is a good time to enlist the services of a Wedding Planner... We love the idea of being able to coach our brides through the start-up, breakdown all of the to do's into bite size pieces and to lend our support throughout the planning process.”
