Reviews of Keen Events PDX. (Event Planner) in Portland (Oregon).

Keen Events PDX

70 Reviews

69 Comments

Event planner

Wedding planner

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Information of Keen Events PDX, Event planner in Portland (Oregon)

Discover the opening times, the location, contact, popular times, photos and real reviews by internet users.

This place has a very good rate, they treat their customers well and you’ll feel welcome, super recommended

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Reviews of Keen Events PDX

Michael LaNasa

Your wedding will be one of the most memorable, exciting, and likely complex events of your entire life. When we started planning ours, there was no question that a proper wedding planner was a requirement. After we found Keen Events (thanks to some glowing recommendations), there was no question that Elise was going to be a pivotal part of our wedding (and all the days leading up to it). From the start, Elise was a true example of professionalism, extremely organized down to the smallest detail, and a lovely human to have included in our wedding planning. She kept us on track for deadlines, important vendor bookings, and was always willing to share her expert perspective on the event as a whole. Thanks to Elise, we spent far more time excited instead of stressing about the planning — we knew she had everything handled beautifully. It's nearly impossible to list all of the reasons to recommend Elise and Keen Events; there are many. But in short, booking Elise as your wedding planner will be the best decision you'll make surrounding your wedding day... aside from choosing an amazing partner, of course. If you're reading this review, stop anything else you're doing today and immediately lock down Keen Events. 🥂

AE Cherry-Dencer

With everything that we spent on the wedding, hiring Elise, Keen events was by far the best purchase we made. We had been through the Covid postponement process for so long, when things got real we decided that a wedding planner was a good idea, and we didn't realize how important that was until after our first call. Elise made everything seem easier and she was always there to keep us updated and helped find some of the BEST vendors ever. She was able to understand our vision and really made sure that our day was Exactly what we wanted, and so much more. Not only is she the most genuine of humans, but her attention to detail and workability are unmatched. As someone that is usually the one making the events happen to the expectation of the host, I wasn't sure about letting someone else take control, but she was spectacular and made my wedding day stress free and Beautiful. Thank you so much Elise, you are Wonderful!!

Kara and Nate

Elise is just the BEST! We had an incredible day and planning was fun and relatively easy with guidance from Elise. We were able to incorporate all of our favorite things to make our wedding truly, ours. Highly recommend Elise, from florals to DJs, she knows the best vendors. She communicated everything to our vendors and made sure everything went smoothly!

Megan Hetrick

Having a wedding planner is so vital for your wedding, and Elise is the best!! She helped us find our dream team of venders. We were so truly satisfied with everyone we hired, and Elise was pivotal in finding them all. She helped in making my timeline rock solid and made sure that everything I wanted happened through out the day. When our weather was showing 100% rain during what would have been our outdoor photos, she helped me find the right indoor solution. She also helped make sure my grandma was there on zoom, when she couldn't make it in person last minute. She meets you with drinks and food when you need it and makes sure that you are completely taken care of! We loved our day, and it could not have happened without her!

Josue Diaz III

Without Elise and her team we would not have had the experience of being fully present, enjoying all the intimate moments as well as the big ceremonious moments of our wedding. Planning your wedding can feel seemingly endless, there are a lot of details and aspects of the day you have to consider when you’re inviting a hundred people from all over the globe to celebrate with you for 7 hours. And yet, after our first call with Elise more than a year before the wedding, what was so clear in our minds was that we knew we’d found an expert. One who would walk us through the ins and outs of planning and advocate for us as we put our vendor team together. One who would be our cheerleader, pepping us up when we found ourselves stacked with life stuff and needed to meet deadlines so our big day would go smoothly. Most importantly, one with whom we’d have a good time pulling this off. We had plenty of laughs along the way :) She kept us in tip top shape with excellent project management software ensuring we checked off all the mundane stuff early so we could spend most of our time with the fun stuff. She even negotiated services and responses on our behalf. And then, when it came to the actual day, Jon and I had a quiet, intimate morning enjoying time with our wedding party, grooming and getting ready for the day, while Elise and her team worked tirelessly with all of our vendors and the venue to create the most beautiful wedding we had ever been to. The endless planning was over. We got to stroll into our day with absolute peace and trust that everything would be as we’d envisioned, and if it wasn’t she’d already found a solution that was even better. The special thing about Elise is that she was there to ensure we had moments to step away from the party and be present with each other, to share a hug, a prayer, a funny story and then jump back into the mix. As we danced the night away she would appear with cocktails, dessert, late night snacks and water in hand to ensure we were getting to enjoy time with our people uninterrupted. I’m emotional just thinking about all it took for our wedding to happen so beautifully and Elise was the nucleus, the glue that held it all together. We are so grateful to have been in such great hands for such a momentous occasion. The best day our lives and we owe much of it to Elise.

Elyse Mace Ezra

Firstly, thank you so much to Elise! She was so amazing, kind, professional, and attentive. All of my emails, calls, changes and concerns were addressed quickly and without any hesitation. I quite literally could not have done it without her. Our wedding was beautiful and stress free because I knew Elise had everything under control so I could just enjoy the once in a lifetime moment! Every single vendor recommendation she had was on point, sometimes even making choosing which one to go with a challenge. I will 100% be using Elise and Keen Events for any future events I host. Again, I can’t say enough how easy it was to work with Elise, how professional she was, and how great our day turned out because of all of her guidance along the way. 10/10

Shameem Jamil

We do not even know where to start, but Elise from Keen Events does, which is why you will be so relieved if you are lucky enough to have her on your team when planning your wedding. We started seriously looking for a wedding day-of coordinator only 3 months before our wedding date even though we had the date saved a year and half before. By some miracle, Elise was available to take us on. We originally were looking for just a day-of coordinator, but every single one we contacted was booked until we received a response from Elise saying she was available but that she does not offer day-of only services, and for good reason. She starts by offering partial-planning, and I think most people need this when planning a wedding if you hope to enjoy any part of your wedding day. The moment we officially booked Keen Events, we had a long and thorough consultation meeting where Elise assessed our progress with a calm and very collected demeanor. We were in mostly okay shape, but still needed to complete hundreds of small details as well as book our final vendors. She laid out our tasks in manageable order and helped us to understand our priorities to get to the finish line. Working with her on her planning software was easy because she walks you through it, and being able to communicate with her there was so essential to our hectic work schedule. I could open up the software anytime to knock out little tasks, but she also was essential in making sure I was logging in to do so. We had so much work travel leading up to our wedding, but Elise made time every week to check in with us and work on our schedule. We wanted to incorporate so many of our own personal details into the wedding, and she did everything in her power and her network to help us accomplish them. She knew where to triple check on details that we overlooked with our vendors so that we avoided any and all day-of emergencies. I cannot express how valuable her services are leading up to the wedding. There is SO MUCH communication in the final week with vendors and I cannot imagine how much more stressed and worried we would have been if she was not onboard fielding emails and communication left and right. She held down our team of vendors with all the direction they needed and expressed our vision clearly where it still needed to be. This allowed us to actually meet and greet our guests as they arrived in town, as well as finish up all of our final tasks and prep at home. We are so grateful for the role Keen Events played in the success of our wedding day. Our guests had such a wonderful time, and the whole day was so incredibly smooth. We cannot recommend Keen Events enough and can confidently say that the value they bring to the success of your wedding is beyond the price you pay for their services.

Kelly Cascino

This review may have taken a year to post, but my gratitude towards Elise’s hard work and fond memories of our wedding have only grown. From the first time we spoke on the phone we KNEW Elise would be the only planner for us. Her mentality, energy, and vision were a direct reflection of us. From the absolutely glowing reviews we found about her service, to the efforts she takes to support good causes and make a positive impact in the community Elise is a wedding planner extraordinaire! She was one of the biggest cheerleaders throughout this process, and was unbelievably patient in keeping us on track. When life pulls us in different directions, Elise never hesitated to offer to step in or help us to refocus. We knew without a doubt leading up to the day that our wedding was going to be amazing because we were 100% confident in Elise's capable hands. This day would not have been possible without her amazing hard work, and we couldn't possibly thank her enough for everything that she does. If you are shopping around for a planner, and trying to see who you’ll hire I strongly recommend taking a few minutes to look at Keen Events. Her pricing is more than fair for the quality of service she provides, she has AMAZING vendor recommendations (she connected us with our wonderful photographer/videographer team, dj, and beauty team), and she will be your biggest advocate/resource for every step of the day. I had considered a few other vendors, but from the first phone call I knew she was the perfect fit and no one else would make our day match our vision or run as smoothly as we hoped. Elise, thank you again for all that you did! You are an amazing person and planner, and we hope you continue enjoy this work because it absolutely shines through in the service you provide, and the impact you leave on your clients. ❤️

Stefanie Scholl

If you are even considering hiring a wedding planner DO IT and without question hire Elise with Keen Events! My now husband and I got engaged in 2019 and had to postpone our wedding until 2022 due to Covid and Elise was there every step of the way over the 3 years and multiple postponements. She would constantly check in to see how we were doing and was such a calming presence during what could have been a very chaotic time. Leading up to the day she was already amazing and then she managed to outdo herself the day of. The entire day was so smooth and a huge reason for that is Elise. I had several people in the bridal party ask how I found her because everyone was blown away by her. We cannot thank her and her team enough for everything they did and would HIGHLY recommend hiring Elise for your wedding!!!

Cassidy Garcia

Elise came into our wedding journey about 2 months before our wedding when we finally realized we couldn't do it all. I cannot tell you how grateful we are that our research to find a day of coordinator brought us to Elise. She truly went above and beyond to make sure that our wedding day ran smoothly with smart personal touches and suggestions and ensured we didn't see any imperfections. Our videographer was so impressed and said she had never worked with such a talented and smart planner. Elise made a point to understand who are as a couple and tailor her advice and suggestions to our tastes and our values. Another great thing about Elise is that she is tough when she needs to be and will go to bat for you as a couple. She is seasoned in the industry, which we didn't realize how big of plus that is until we needed to have some tough conversations with a vendor and Elise handled it swiftly, effectively, and with utmost professionalism. If you want a planner who truly has open communication, who genuinely wants you to have the best day, and who knows how to make your journey seamless, hire her now. The only regret we have for Elise is that we didn't bring her on sooner! P.S. - She has a great sense of humor and is a genuinely nice person to work and speak with. We're going to miss chatting as often now that our wedding is over! Love, M & C

Kiara Rose

Elise at Keen is truly a phenomenal professional. I've worked with her as a photographer for several years, and she is one of my favorite and most trusted vendors. Elise takes care of her clients with the upmost respect and attention, going above and beyond to consider their needs and anticipate challenges or problems before they even arise. Elise handles a team of vendors well, with empathy and assertiveness when necessary, and I cannot recommend her enough to all of our couples. If you are searching for a planner who is experienced, attentive, responsive, and talented, hire Elise.

Deirdre Galvin-McLaughlin

We really valued having Elise available for coordinating all the tasks and vendors we had on our wedding day. She communicated with every vendor before, during, and after the event. She set up and broke down all of our materials and coordinated with a family member for hand offs. She coached us through wedding ceremony with our informal officiant. She made sure everything went smoothly. She even sent me some really adorable pictures and videos she snapped during the event the next day which was a lovely touch. We were very grateful to have had her on our team! Elise also provided us with check ins and as needed planning meetings throughout the year before our wedding. She offered advice and explanation when we were confused or didn't know what we were doing. She honored our choices to be non-traditional and eliminate a lot of pageantry in our event. Overall, really good experience!

Dara Wilson

My partner and I knew from the start that we wanted some help planning our wedding. There are so many moving pieces and we knew it would be hard to figure out where to start, what to prioritize, and how to make a planning timeline for ourselves. We both have busy lives and neither of us wanted to take on a 2nd full time job in planning our wedding. Elise did an incredible job guiding us through the planning process, always open to hopping on the phone at convenient times for us and pointing us in the direction of what we should prioritize next. She was also a helpful sounding board as we made decisions or thought through how the night would go (because like most folks in a post-COVID world, we couldn't quite remember how parties work anymore). Collaborating together & with her on the Aisle Planner platform helped to streamline everything and keep everyone aligned on where things were at. Day of, Elise did an incredible job making sure all the setup went as planned and using her EXCELLENT judgement to figure out situations where we forgot to pack something or provide direction about setup. She made sure my partner and I were eating and drinking during the day, provided direction to all our guests who also had little jobs (greeting, managing Spotify, officiating, giving toasts, etc.) and if anything went wrong during the wedding, we sure didn't hear about it! If you're thinking about getting some help planning your wedding, definitely recommend going with Elise!

Daniel Massa

We can't say enough great things about Elise as a wedding coordinator. With all the details that need to be worked out planning a wedding, Elise helped us keep on track and did so in a very thoughtful and supportive manner. We appreciated her insight and guidance in a process that can seem overwhelming at times. Elise is a great listener and really took the time to understand our vision and what was most important to us. On the day of the wedding, she was so helpful behind the scenes from attending to the bridal party to making sure the venue was just perfect. This included setting up all the flower arrangements and adding finishing touches to the cake, not an easy task! It was evident she really cared about making our wedding so special. Her attention to detail is outstanding. Not only is Elise excellent at her job, she is also a very warm, caring, and thoughtful person who is easy and fun to work with. With all the stress that can come with a wedding, Elise makes you feel at ease. Brides and grooms who choose Keen Events PDX can rest easy knowing that Elise is on top of it. You won't be disappointed!

Kassandra McCluskie

I don't know what I would've done without Elise. When anyone asks me what was a "must have" from our wedding I immediately think of her! She showed so much love for us and our friends and truly didn't even feel like someone I hired - she felt like a friend (which she is now), and that's what I adored most about her. She cares SO much and it shows in her organization and ability execute and make everything seamless. She's unreal!

Kim Pramuk

Elise is SO good at her job. She has excellent experience navigating the complexities of weddings, couples, vendors, and guests. She provides direct and thoughtful advice that help steer decision making. She is detailed, focused, and organized. The weeks leading up to the event, we were excited and relaxed because she handled everything, which allowed my partner and I to enjoy our very special day. The wedding went off without a hitch and it's largely due to Elise and her extraordinary management. A million thanks, Elise, for all of your hard work and coordination. You are simply the best! For couples who are hesitant or looking elsewhere, stop right here and just hire her. She is worth every penny!

Two Spoons Personal Chef & Catering

Elise and her team are some serious masters of their craft. She thinks of all the little details, communicates thouroughly and manages to keep her wits and humor about her the entire time - yes, even during a 14 hour day! Fantastic coordinator you will not regret hiring!

Jordan Patterson

Elise was an absolute rock star of a wedding planner. My now wife has assisted Elise on some jobs, so we both knew there was no one better for keeping us in line, sane and on schedule on our big day. Elise was great with connecting us to different venues and vendors for our big day, helped us make decisions, and played devils advocate on timeline items as we planned more details. Elise is a tough gal, and doesn't take BS from anyone, that includes us, a crazy family member or drunk friend. Elise is REAL and ultimately wanted our big day to go as smooth as possible, for us to be happy, and all along for us to have realistic expectations. Our big day really could not have gone better, and we are grateful that Elise was there as part of the team.

Kelsey Burkett

Elise is a force to be reckoned with. I worked with Elise, the owner and lead planner of Keen, to plan and execute my wedding and I couldn't be more blown away. We started to work together at the end of 2019 and ended up needing to push our wedding a year due to the pandemic. Elise was there with me every step of the way to help navigate how to communicate the change to our vendors and our guests; she not only had great advice but that advice was rooted in understanding who we were as a couple and the type of event we wanted to execute. She made herself available to us if we had any questions or concerns and checked in with us regularly as state mandates and rules changed. Having her there to help us understand how the changing news effected our wedding helped to cut the anxiety and allowed us to make thoughtful, real-time decisions that we were confident in. When we got closer to the wedding day, Elise took over all vendor management and communication. I knew I could rely on her with all of the minute details I had been storing in my brain over the last year and a half and it put my mind at ease to know she was picking up right where I left off. She was hyper-organized and direct when she needed to be - exactly what you want (and need!) from your planner. Elise also handled the day-of coordination of our wedding, with the help of her husband who was also a badass and handled our music, parking and general assistance. With Elise at the helm, I was able to completely relax on my wedding day. She showed up day-of with the most incredible charcuterie boards for our wedding party (separate for bridal and groom suites), made sure we were happy and had a glass of champagne in our hands and got right to work. She checked in many times throughout the day to ensure we were comfortable and gave us updates on how the setup was progressing (as someone who has trouble delegating, this was so helpful in calming my nerves). She managed and oversaw all of the vendors (which there were many - catering, photography, florals, bar, transportation, restrooms, lighting, etc) and helped to set up four distinct areas that our guests would be shuffled between throughout the evening. She ran the entire event, making sure everything went off without a hitch - including checking in with us to ensure we had a drink in our hands and that any family dynamics were being kept at bay so we could be present and fully enjoy the event. At the end of the night, my husband and I came back to a tidy suite (including our wedding party who were also staying in the house), flower arrangements thoughtfully placed by bedsides and my cell phone plugged in. She also wrote us a sweet note that tied up any loose end details we might be wondering about. WHAT ELSE COULD YOU ASK FOR?! She truly thought of everything. I can't express enough how highly I'd recommend working with Keen Events for any of your wedding and event needs. Their service list is endless (it seems as though there is nothing they can't do!) and their pricing is extremely reasonable for the value and experience. If there was only one recommendation I could make to a future bride, it would be to hire a coordinator so you can relax, enjoy and be fully present on your big day. Well, that and to hire Keen Events.

The Side Yard Farm & Kitchen

Working with Elise was an absolute pleasure. She is very detail-oriented and my staff loved how organized everything was. I have to say it was one of the smoothest weddings we have ever catered thanks to Elise. Looking forward to working with Keen Events again!

Robert Reed

Elise was a perfect fit as our wedding coordinator and knocked it out of the park. She is super friendly and professional, and very easy to work with. We started working with her about 3 months before our wedding day, and she jumped right in by identifying all of our outstanding vendors, and matching us with the right people for our unique needs and style. She assisted with pulling together the logistics for the day and communicated with all our vendors leading up to our wedding. She joined us for our second visit to our chosen venue and helped develop an outdoor plan and a backup rain plan for the ceremony. We did a two-night wedding party at a summer camp on the Oregon coast. We (bride and groom) managed things ourselves on Friday night, and what a difference it made to have Elise arrive there Saturday to relieve of us any responsibilities other than walking down the aisle, saying our vows, and partying our faces off. Saturday morning we were able to go for a morning hike, socialize and relax with all our guests while Elise coordinated all our vendors and setup. She got our bar set up and moved furniture all around to ensure the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception had a cozy and community feeling. It was flawless, and I can't imagine it going nearly so smoothly without her there. After the reception, she took charge to transform the dinner room into the dance hall in no time, and she brought desserts around to our guests while we partied late into the night. We highly recommend working with Elise as your wedding coordinator!!

Alexis Nelsen

If I could suggest one thing to every bride I come across in my lifetime, it's to hire Elise (Keen Events PDX). Elise was worth her weight in gold and so much more! She solved every worry and problem that came up while also making sure I still felt in control. She answered every email, phone call, and text without hesitation! During the wedding she handled everything..I mean everything. From setup to take down she was there either making sure it got done correctly, or doing it herself. She was also ready to handle our wedding crasher situation with whatever force necessary! She is fierce when it comes to the couples she's working with! But more than anything, Elise, you gave me the opportunity and reminded me to relax and absorb every moment and detail of my wedding day. You took the dreams I had been concocting for years and turned them into my reality. Thank you for more than you could ever know.

Magnolia Grill

We worked with Elise catering a wedding she was coordinating. The communication with her was excellent, she was well organized and executed everything seamlessly. Elise and her team were kind and fun to work with. We highly recommended her for your next event and would be thrilled to work with her again.

Katrina Wrede

Hiring Elise was the BEST decision I made when planning my wedding! We decided on her ‘day of’ package and she made sure everything was perfect and ran smoothly. I assumed that ‘day of’ literally just meant ‘day of’. But no, Elise constantly reached out, checked in to see if I needed anything and was always there if I needed her, every month prior to the wedding. Most importantly she was always asking how we were feeling. She really cares! She also gave us access to a very THOROUGH wedding checklist online which was very helpful. Our wedding day was stress free and my husband and I were able to enjoy our day without worrying about a thing. I was surprised to see she even took personal items she had at home to use on our sweetheart table to make it even more special! Elise is very detailed oriented and puts no pressure on you when it comes to decision making. We hired her mainly because we needed someone to be in charge of a timeline for the day of and she made sure to detail out every hour/half hour. She checked in with us throughout the day, but at all the right times. We never felt overwhelmed or rushed. We received comments later from guests on how impressed they were with Elise. They took notice to how focused she was on making sure everything was perfect and how hard she was working. I can not say enough good things about Elise. Hire her as your wedding coordinator and don’t think twice about it. I didn’t realize how much we needed her until after we hired her. Do it. It’s the best decision you’ll make!

Heather Scheer

Elise is not only a delight, but a rock solid coordinator! We at Delilah’s Catering recently had the pleasure of working with Elise for a wedding. From our first meeting till the end of the event, I could not have been more pleased with her attention to detail, communication and overall delightful disposition. We work with a lot of event coordinators, and I can honestly say that I am looking forward to our next event together. It’s always a bonus to work with a team that helps to make our jobs smooth.

Kendall Tsuei

We are so glad we chose to hire Elise as a wedding coordinator! All of us felt a little lost as we started planning a wedding in Portland and her experienced professional insights and tidbits of advice were so valuable. From our initial phone consultation, I knew that she would be an incredible help throughout the whole planning process. Seven months later, even just a few days before the wedding, she was available for our last planning session to assure me that she had covered the millions of little planning decisions it felt like I still had swimming around my brain! Elise obviously has a great relationship with her network of amazingly talented Portland wedding vendors - her advice was so helpful as we built our team of vendors and considered proposals and budgets! In moments of stress during the planning process, Elise was always willing to offer advice based on her extensive experience but personalized to our vision and situation. I cannot imagine how stressful the day of the wedding would have been without her. But with Elise steering the ship, we were all able to rest assured that everything was going to happen when it was supposed to and turn out even more fun and beautiful than we had imagined.

Bethany Beckerle

Everyone always tells you to hire a wedding coordinator, but when you're on a budget and thinking your wedding will just be small and casual, it's hard to really justify hiring one. However, I will now be that person telling everyone they need to hire a coordinator and it needs to be Elise. We hired Elise as a day of coordinator but she is so much more than that. She was constantly checking in, giving advice, and generally just helping us feel more at ease. Elise really understood our vibe and never pushed anything on us that wasn't us. I had people commenting that I was the most laid back bride and honestly a lot of that had to do with Elise. She took charge the second she got to the venue and I just got to enjoy the beautiful day. I had so many friends and family tell me how wonderful she was and how impressed they were by her. We are so, so happy with our decision to hire Elise- I can't say enough good things about her.

Jenny S

Elise is the absolute best! She went so above and beyond on our day of coordination for our reception. I mean, she was available much more than the day of, with phone check-ins the weeks leading up to the event, sweet texts to see if I needed help with anything, and great advice and suggestions as things arose!! She was an extremely wonderful mix of super professional, caring, and kind and our day was absolutely perfect with her help. We didn't have to worry about anything. I highly recommend Elise to everyone and anyone, from full on wedding planning to day-of coordination. You won't be disappointed!!

Melissa Pantoja

There isn't enough I could say about Elise! If you are shopping around for a wedding coordinator you've found your girl! Elise is professional, efficient, smart, on time, and overall extremely good at what she does. My husband and I are in California and hired Elise in October 2018 to help us plan our out of state wedding. I personally loved that Elise wasn't pushy or salesy, she genuinely wanted us to book with her only if we felt she was the right fit for us. Elise has several different tiers of coordination all of which are very affordable. I had a vision of what I wanted my wedding day to look like prior to booking with Elise so while I did most of the planning Elise was always there to answer any questions I had and provided me with a detailed checklist of all of the items I needed to get done throughout my planning process. Elise was great about following up with me periodically and sending me friendly email reminders about which checklist items needed to get done. She also sent us a sweet "thank you" box filled with goodies about 6 months into our time together. The month of the wedding we had a phone call every week to ensure all of our last minute items were in order and of course to ensure that I was keeping up with my self-care routines. The day of the wedding Elise ensured everybody was on time, placed all of my decor correctly and handled all day of hiccups with a smile. We received so many personal compliments from our guest about how great Elise was. My absolute FAVORITE moment was when Elise came out to my wedding party and I while we were taking photos and fed us our appetizers our guests were enjoying during cocktail hour. Thank you for being amazing Elise! Yay Keen Events! Love, Chase & Melissa Pantoja

Michelle Bernard

Elise and Keen Events are seriously good event planners. We had our wedding in a public park with limited access to much of anything so all our logistics needed to be coordinated thoughtfully and succinctly. Everything was brought to the park for the reception and it came out better than we could have imagined. Friends and family said the event seemed like something out of a European destination. Elise helped us tremendously in referring us to some top notch vendor talent who we could not have been without day of. It was bliss and Elise was always a step ahead of us but in an adaptive, supportive way. We knew we were taking a gamble with our venue but it paid off and it would not have come together so wonderfully without the coordination of Elise and her colleague, Alex. We loved our day and think back on it with bright smiles and grateful hearts. Thank you, Elise and Alex! Mr. + Mrs. Gifford, Portland, Oregon

Kelly Kincella

Hiring Elise Handler and Keen Events PDX to plan and execute our wedding was the best decision we made. I hired Elise as a month of coordinator 9 months before my wedding date, but she was involved from the very beginning of our planning process. Leading up to my wedding Elise reached out to me every couple of months and kept track of my progress within Aisle Planner. You get a free account through Elise and this website makes planning a wedding a breeze. The month before she was working with me on almost a daily basis. For brides out there trying to determine if they need a coordinator, budget Elise into your overall budget. The last thing you want on your wedding day is to be stressed about whether or not decor was put out or if your flowers made it to the venue. Let Elise handle it. You worry about enjoying your special day.

Megan DeVous

We've had the pleasure of working with Elise for over a year now. My (now husband) hired her to help with his big proposal last June (2018) and we quickly hired her as our wedding coordinator for the big day! She has been nothing short of amazing since that day. She was my go-to for everything wedding related, and then quickly became my go-to for everything else too, she has become a great friend and we're lucky to have found her! On the big day, we would have been lost without her as the venue coordinator was unable to perform her duties. With that mess, she still managed to make our day absolutely perfect with her focus on us! For any bride, any budget, any day, Elise is your girl for the job. She will be your best wedding related expense, I can promise you that!

Sunny Eckerle

First of all - HIRE ELISE! I can't imagine our wedding without her. If you're on the fence about whether to get a wedding coordinator or if you really need one, I'd strongly suggest you do. Plenty of wedding coordinators are detailed-oriented and will get the job done, but working with Elise was such a personal experience. She's caring, helpful, and intuitive. I don't feel in any way that we got a "standard" level of service - she really goes above and beyond in such a valuable way. She even fed our cats the night of our wedding because we'd left the house and totally forgotten, ha! My partner and I did a good deal of the planning ourselves - finding a venue, booking most of our vendors, etc. We thought that because we were having a smaller, somewhat straightforward event (ceremony and reception at the same space, no wedding party) that we wouldn't need a coordinator. About 4 months out from the wedding we realized how overwhelming so many of the smaller details were becoming and decided we needed help. It was such a good decision. Looking back it seems crazy that we thought we didn't need a coordinator. We had initial had calls with 3 coordinators, including Elise. She was by far the most thorough and detail-oriented. She really wanted to understand where we were at with the planning and what we needed/expected from her. She instantly made us feel at ease and taken care of, answering questions and offering ideas from the very start. We could tell that we'd have a very personal and thoughtful experience with Elise just based on her approach to our first call and we weren't wrong. Elise met us for venue walkthroughs to discuss layout, flow, timing, etc. She recommended vendors for some of our outstanding needs and also offered her expertise or guidance on certain decisions that we'd had on the back burner. She made our timeline and worked with all our vendors to ensure they were where they needed to be and at the right time. She's super responsive and checked in many times during those 4 months to see if we needed anything or were feeling stressed. It alleviated SO MUCH stress to know we had someone in our corner we could turn to with questions or concerns. Aside from being extremely detail oriented and organized, one of Elise's big strengths is how intuitive she is. She was able to understand us as a couple and what we needed. You certainly don't get a one size fits all experience with Elise. She is great at reading people and offering exactly what they need. My partner and I weren't "OMG RAH-RAH WEDDING" people. We were excited of course, but had a more low key approach to it all. I was nervous that a coordinator would really push that stereotypical "omg wedding" vibe on us or make us feel bad for not being that way. Elise totally read our energy and offered us the perfect vibe back. I have no doubt that she tailors to each couple so that they have an experience appropriate to their personalities and needs. Another example - the only time I got a bit stressed at our wedding was during the family photos. She could quickly sense that I was getting overwhelmed/frazzled and took me somewhere quiet and private before the ceremony to relax for a few minutes. Small things like that made such a huge difference to our overall experience and moods for the day. Elise did an amazing job. The wedding ran like clockwork. She's everything a wedding coordinator should be but offers even more in that she's a kind, caring, and intuitive person. She really takes the time to get to know you, help you, and make sure your wedding is what you want. You won't regret hiring her! Thanks Elise!!

Jasmine Henderson

Elise is an amazing coordinator and planner! We have worked with her twice now on different events and each time she has been extremely accommodating, creative, helpful, and giving of her time. From designing a mood board to orchestrating a whole production, Keen Events creates exactly what you dreamed of and more. If my husband and I could get married again we would definitely hire Keen Events.

Kelli Thomsen

As a vendor in the wedding community, it is an honor to work with likeminded business owners that really go the extra mile with their clients. They treat their clients like family & they work like they mean business - it’s that perfect combo that really makes working with Elise a breeze! I’m also really impressed with her ability to see that styling with intention is so important. Sustainability and that forward thinking is another reason why I look forward to partnering with her for weddings and can see how impressed her clients are with her attention to the details.

Carrie Ariniello

Elise was wonderful to work with when planning my sisters celebration of life. She was incredibly helpful with providing recommendations and extending her expertise. The day of the event she had everything in full control so I could focus on family. I highly recommend Keen Events and Elise when planning your celebration of life.

marina haynes

If you’re looking for a coordinator who’s got your back then look no further than Elise with Keen events. As a make up artist who works in the industry I’ve met so many coordinators and Elise is the only one who I’ve found to be down to earth, and SO helpful. I even chose her to be my coordinator for my wedding 9/28/18. I have no idea what I would have done without her! My venue failed in so many ways, but Elise was there to pick up all the pieces and I will be forever grateful. Elise helped me along the way finding vendors, emailing them and making sure my timeline was on track. She was even a spark of motivation when I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with planning. Keen events, and Elise will always be my go to for coordination services. She’s simply the BEST to work with 🤗

Natalie Ryman

It has taken me a little over two weeks to try to find the words to say about Elise, the owner of Keen Events PDX--in all reality, there are no words to describe how utterly amazing she is. On September 22 I married the love of my life, and the day was made even more perfect because of Elise. Keen Events PDX was one of the best decisions that we made when planning our wedding. I could not have imagined how beautifully it would all turn out, and that was largely due to Elise's execution. Her attention to detail, compassion, and ability to make friends with anyone (while maintaining a professional attitude) is the perfect combination for an outstanding wedding planner. She was my second pair of eyes, had endless ideas to suggest and advice to give, and was our biggest supporter. Elise exceeded all of our expectations by far, and we could not recommend Keen Events PDX more. We were in such good hands during the planning process and on the day of the wedding, and we can't thank you enough for all that you did for us (including being the best cheerleader!). Look no further for the BEST wedding planner/designer/and coordinator in Portland. We love you!

Maggie Ryan

We brought Elise in to our wedding planning a little late. She stepped right into our plans and made it easy to bring our dreams to reality. She was there from the start of the day to set up the park, helped organize our bike parade, transferred everything to the reception, and had the reception venue glowing when our guests showed up. She even cleaned up our entire reception site while the dance party rocked on without anyone noticing. The day went so well, she let us focus on our celebration and guests! It was the best day!

KW Productions

We had the pleasure of working alongside Elise this last week for a wedding. I could go on and on about how smoothly the day went. You know someone is doing their job right when you don’t notice anything. Nothing getting hung up on, nothing going wrong, everything in its place. But what I really want to touch on is HOW she worked and it was in a way that is rare and so refreshing to see. Elise always had a smile on her face, she was enjoying what she was doing and doing it with such a serving heart. Not only was she making sure we knew what was happening next and making sure we ate that was one thing, but coming up to us with open water bottles ready to give us a drink herself is a whole other level. She genuinely cared about the event running smoothly on all faucets down to caring for all the people that were contributing in making the event what it was. Some things people may not realize is when you have a coordinator that cares enough to communicate consistently with your vendors about things about to happen, the couple is getting a better experience in more ways than one. Their film is now filled with as many moments in their entirety because the videographers were fully prepared for them to happen. Not only is Elise good at her job, something you most definitely want in a coordinator, she cares, and she has a heart for what she does. This is something so so valuable and so hard to find. We 100% recommend her for any and all of your event needs.

Sarah dryfoos-guss

Elise and Keen Events did a phenomenal job pulling together multiple vendors from across Portland to create the best wedding on a short time frame I could possibly imagine. She is thoughtful, attentive to detail, organized and so communicative. If you're looking for someone to make your wedding dreams a reality with zero stress, she's your person.

Christina Kuenzli

Elise was so so easy to work with! I had never met her before photographing this amazingly beautiful styled shoot she coordinated/designed/executed and upon actually meeting her I felt like we had been friends and worked together forever! Planning an event of any kind is stressful and Elise does it with ease and grace. Hiring Elise isn't just hiring a coordinator, your gaining a friend!

Lacy Kalberer

I had the absolute pleasure of working with Elise where she assisted day of coordination for one of my weddings. I don't even know where to start as she is top notch straight across the board. She's caring, down to earth, straight forward, has attention to detail, and truly has a passion for event planning. I would work with her any day, and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to have her on my team that day! You won't go wrong with hiring her, coming from a fellow event planner!

Naba Zabih

If I could sing every praise I had for this amazing person, we would literally be reading this review for ten years. Keen Events is basically magic. As a wedding photographer we dream of days that go smoothly so that our couples get the best photos in the best light. With Keen events not only do you experience the best kind of day, but she is also consistently on top of communication not just with me but every vendor and of course the couple themselves. It truly makes the day feel like a team effort and it is so incredible to be able to see the happiness she is able to bring to all her couples and the people who work alongside her. Now lets talk a little about Elise herself- she is a BABE. Absolutely down to earth, so kind hearted and creative, and just such a badass of a human. When you're with her you feel so calm because you know she has a handle on everything and you also feel so relieved because she is making sure that everything goes flawlessly so that you can do your job better. I am so grateful to have met her in the industry and will recommend her to literally every couple I work with, because I truly believe having her at your wedding day is an absolute MUST <3

Tania Acuna

Elise was not available to hire for our wedding day so my fiancé and I purchased her consultation package. I sent her my master planning spreadsheet the day before and we chatted on the phone for two hours. I walked away from our conversation feeling less anxious and a lot more prepared. We went over my list of vendors, timeline, rehearsal dinner, and she gave me tons of advice from what to put in my emergency kit to vendor tip guidelines; everything from how to personalize my wedding to advice about florals and decor. I’m so happy I found her and I will be recommending her services to future bride friends.

Donna Ramos Barsana

Elise is a blessing in my life, an answered prayer. I didn't know if I needed a wedding coordinator until I saw what a wedding coordinator did for my sister's wedding. I immediately saw the benefits of a wedding coordinator and contacted a bunch of wedding coordinators. Elise was THE FIRST to respond. That shows a lot about her willingness to help every bride in need. I hired her immediately after our initial phone interview because of how comfortable she made me feel about wedding planning and her contagious smile that I felt through the phone. As soon as we hung up from our initial interview, Elise immediately (within seconds) sent me checklist, vision boards, and contact information for possible vendors. She got right to work! Throughout the process, Elise was the "Monica from Friends" in my life (exactly what I needed for my Joey and Pheobe from Friends personality). She would also send me random "how are you texts" and see if there is anything else that can make my wedding stress-free. She always made me smile and put my mind at ease. At times I would tear because her "how are you "texts would make me tear because it ALWAYS came at the right time and felt like she really cared about me as a person. A trusted friend. The day of my wedding felt like a dream. She made sure all of my family and friends were having a great time, that all of my set-up was on schedule and that my fiance and I had EVERYTHING we wanted for our wedding. My family wanted to adopt her! Honestly, she made my dream wedding come true and more. My husband and I still talk about her and miss her EVERYDAY. We are secretly thinking about renewing our vows, just so we can have Elise plan our next big day. Elise is THE BEST investment for your wedding! We still keep in touch and she is no longer my wedding planner, but a part of my family. There is no one like her.

Kim Jeyaraj

I've had the privilege to work with Elise who is the most sweetest and down to earth person in the biz. She is warm, friendly, cheers you on and believes in you. It is so great that she is Oregon's first green certified wedding planner, this is perfect for everyone whether you are a green conscious bride or not, she will take care of ya!

Jessie Hunter

I worked with Keen events for her in home organization services and I can't even begin to tell you how much of a difference it made! I reached out for help when in the midst of a really chaotic time in our home (sick family, pet emergencies) and my house was just getting away from me. Elise swooped in and needing no hand holding from me (Covid-era precautions meant I took the kids and I out of the house while Elise was in the house) she assigned order to the place. When the kids saw their room they were actually eager to help keep it looking put together! She was thoughtful and responsive and was so good natured when our dogs gave her a noisy time. Elise is clearly an organizing genius and I'm still reaching out to bounce ideas off of her. I can't wait to get her help again and would recommend her to anyone who needs a hand with meaningful, substantial organizing!

Lindsay Allen

I worked with Elise and her team on a wedding this summer. She was so incredibly helpful and responsive when it came to organizing drop offs and timelines. She was kind, professional and was exactly who I would want planning or organizing my event! I highly recommend and hope to work with her again.

Ryan Kolberg

Elise at Keen Events is always a pleasure to work with! I have worked with Keen events a few times and the weddings are always super smooth. I would highly recommend Elise as your planner for your wedding!

Amanda Skipper

Elise and Kourtney with Keen Events were such pleasure to work with. They made it easy! From the start to the finish, communication was there. Communication is such a key component in making an event run smooth and also for making the journey enjoyable. Thank you so much for always being there to brainstorm, chat, share inspirations, and get the details all sorted out and in order. You made our event so incredible and run so smooth. I truly will cherish our event forever! You ladies are a pleasure and so fun to work with!

Denver Porter

Elise is a top tier professional. Strongly communicative, positive, and great at providing elegant solutions. She's also proactive, anticipating needs for her clients, and she's a productive and positive energy vendor to work with for other vendors as well.

casey petry

Elise and the Keen Events team put on an amazing wedding for my two moms. It was absolutely an incredible day and they ensured everyone's safety during covid. Absolutely would recommend them for your wedding! Thank you so so much ❤️

Matt Ryman

I just got back from my Bachelor Party in South Lake Tahoe and want to thank Keen Events. Elise worked alongside my best man to help research and schedule all our events. Everything was perfect and timely and there were no complaints. We had a BLAST! Thanks again Elise!

Leigh Brown

As a music vendor, it was great working with Elise from Keen Events on a wedding recently in Portland. She was very organized and made the wedding go smoothly for the wedding couple as well as for me!

Robyn Hunter

I recently had the pleasure of working as a fellow vendor with Elise of Keen Events. She was organized, collaborative, personable, and relaxed. She’s clearly experienced and was a valuable leader who made sure everything went off without a hitch.

Chelsea Harkey

My fiancé and I have been engaged for about four years now, constantly changing wedding plans and never committing to any plan. I never really understood the role of a wedding planner until I reached out to Elise, and I now don’t understand why anyone would get married without one, especially her! She is AMAZING. Organized, consistent, very time oriented, flexible, and just overall PERFECT. I can’t stress enough how amazing she is, and highly, highly recommend Keen Events PDX to anyone planning to get married. (Btw, we live in Texas and are getting married in PDX, and she took care of everything flawlessly, and took a mood board inspiration and brought it to life, with no issue of us being out of state!)

Rick Myers

I am writing on behalf of Company Tonight Catering, a Portland based full- service catering company specializing in weddings and DJ's. Over the last 12 years we've worked with dozens of event planners and recognized the requirements and skills that embody a successful event planner. That said, our 5 star rating of Keen Events is well deserved. Having worked with Keen Events 3 times I've come to know Elise H, owner of Keen Events, for her hard working, roll up your sleeves, and get the job done approach. She's organized, communicates well, follows through, fixes problems, and works well under pressure. So, If it's fair to say that successful event planners are required to wear different hats and utilize a variety of skills in oder to meet their client's needs, then Keen Events are all about Hats.

Arielle Leisman

As a wedding photographer, working with the right team can make or break the flow of the day. Elise thinks of EVERYTHING and makes your vendors feel like they’re all cohesively working together (while also keeping it fun!). You rock girlfriend!!

colby hendricks

Elise is so on top of everything. Keen Events directed a recent wedding and she was outstanding! I would for certain recommend Keen moving forward.

Sean Carr

Hands down one of the best experiences working with a planner(I'm a photographer). Snacks, drinks, we were all well taken care of. Even the wedding day ran almost perfectly on time which is a miracle itself. A really great experience and as a fellow vendor I can't recommend Keen Events enough.

Jordan Sevigny

The ladies from Keen Events are such a joy to work with – they’re everything you could want from your event planner; organized, creative, thorough, but calm and collected! We thoroughly enjoyed working with them on a recent styled shoot and would absolutely recommend them to our clients and anyone else looking for an amazing planning team!

Dustin Joseph

We had a great time working with Keen events! Incredibly professional, easy to work with and always keeping us informed with the latest updates from the wedding party. We very much look forward to working with Keen Events in the future.

Galen Ettlin

Keen Events is all about love and community. My partner and I were lucky enough to be part of a special marriage-athon in November 2020. Elise at Keen Events and other Portland-area wedding vendors donated time, resources, and a venue so about ten LGBTQ+ couples could get married. Elise and these vendors crafted a beautiful, inclusive ceremony in just over a week. To put this all together safely during the pandemic is a true testament to the passion and skill Keen Events brings to wedding planning. For small businesses to give so much in a time of difficulty shows how much they care about making your big day special.

Sarah Baltazar

I was invited to be a part of a styled shoot with Keen Events, and was completely thrilled with the experience. They were very organized and professional, but also made the day fun and always had smiles on their faces. I highly recommend them for any of your event needs.

Erin Colleen

As a fellow wedding professional, the team at Keen Events is one of my favorites to work with. Your event will be in great hands!

Stephanie Maier

I have worked with Keen Events multiple times and they are always super well organized and helpful. I highly recommend hiring them to help plan your event!

Katelyn Williams

Wonderful experience, so professional and organized!

Emily Moore

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