Destination Wedding Reviews
Nothing has more value, is more rewarding or motivational, than the kind words and recognition of the people who trust me with the most important day of their lives. I am humbled every single time I get one of these in my inbox and my heart is filled with gratitude faced with so much kindness! These incredible reviews are not only my dearest possessions and biggest reward, they are also a validation of how valued, important and essential the work of a destination wedding planner really is.
The entire process of planning a destination wedding in Portugal, dictates and stretches out to the overall experience you and your guests will have. When does my work start? From the very first day we meet. My goal? Exceed your expectations at every stage and deliver an experience that will leave everyone in awe, to keep the memories you made in Portugal forever in your hearts.
Are you ready to start your journey planning a destination wedding in Portugal? Tell me more!
The kindest words
Michelle & Anand
“Working with Carina on our wedding was an absolute pleasure!! She truly went above and beyond in every step of the planning process. My husband and I were nervous about planning so many details from far away but Carina was so thorough, thoughtful, and communicative in every planning stage. We felt like we could trust and connect with her from our initial call. She effectively prioritized while still balancing the details and being flexible.
So many of our vendors had rave reviews for her as well which made us even more confident in how our wedding would be executed. She was great to be around during our visits throughout the planning process and put us at ease during our wedding weekend.
Carina made planning 3 days of events (all with different visions!) look so easy and went above and beyond on so many small details. We had the extra challenge of having to balance multiple cultures into our events and everything was executed beyond our expectations. Our family and friends could not stop commenting on how beautiful and well run our weekend was.
We highly recommend her for any couple looking to plan their destination wedding in Portugal!!”
Fei & Kyle
100 stars!!! Carina is the best choice we made out of all the choices we had to make for the wedding!! Sheβs extremely personable and it feels like youβre planning a wedding with your best friend. Sheβs also very knowledgeable about the venues and vendors, which takes all the qualms out of planning a destination wedding from abroad (we live in the US).
Β She was with us every step of the way and presented everything in such an orderly and organized fashion, from timelines down to the tiniest details for every decision we had to make. It has made our lives so much easier and made the whole process extremely stress free!! She also provides great recommendations based on what looks best in the venue we chose, which vendors pairs best together, etc. Even when I had a bridezilla moment and wanted to change the whole color scheme of all florals two weeks before the wedding, she was extremely accommodating and determined to get me exactly what I wanted. Everything flowed together seamlessly, and many of our guests said that it was the best wedding theyβve ever been to! Even the welcome party was top-notch and flawless! I cannot thank her enough for all her hard work – I highly recommend!! Trust me, itβll be the most important decision you make for your wedding!!
Lucy & Jonathan
“What a day and one we will never forget!
Weβve had so many people approach us to genuinely say this was one of the best weddings theyβve been to. Regardless of whether itβs true or notβ¦we certainly feel it was. Maybe because so many people played a part and therefore felt involved in some way, however small.
We donβt know if the suppliers are always like this at all weddings, but we particularly felt as though they too were happy and connected to us and our guests, which just added to the energy on the night.
We appreciate our venue was far away and possibly out of your comfort zone with it being in the middle of nowhere in the Alentejo, but you certainly absorbed the pressure and handled things superbly. Your energy and demeanor was perfect to ensure the smooth running of things, so thank you for agreeing to being our planner. We sincerely hope you can look back at this wedding with pride and fondness because it was perfect and felt unique to us which was also important.
Thank you for everything youβve done for us during our planning journey and for the recommendations of the suppliers we worked with, you have excellent taste and we are so happy we picked you to be our planner. We would certainly recommend your services to anyone that asks. You made our dream wedding come alive!”
Aleksandra & Andrew
“Carina is an absolutely exceptional wedding planner. From the very start, her professionalism, creativity, and unwavering dedication was evident every step of our wedding planning journey. Thanks to her expertise, our experience was truly stress-free! Her open lines of communication, impeccable design sense, and flawless organization ensured that every detail was nothing short of perfection.Β
What’s more, her hard work and stellar reputation were evident in the respect and praise she garnered from all the vendors we collaborated with. Each interaction left us feeling utterly reassured, knowing that with Carina at the helm, we had nothing to worry about. For any couple dreaming of an extraordinary wedding experience in Portugal, we cannot recommend Carina highly enough β you’ll be in the most capable hands imaginable!”
Priscilla & Johannes
“From the first moment we talked to Carina, we had an instant connection with her. Not only did she impress us with her approach but she seemed like a person that we would enjoy working with which turned out to be true. Throughout the process of organizing the wedding, Carina was very professional at all times and very responsive. She made sure to always to have our best interest in mind and handled the budget with much care and transparency.Β
Living in Germany, it was very important to us to have someone that we can trust to organize a wedding in Portugal. Her ideas were great and without her, we probably wouldn’t have chosen the amazing wedding location where we ultimately tied the knot. We can recommend her services to anyone who wants to get married in Portugal!Β
Carina is amazing and her reputation speaks volumes – seeing how she interacted with the different vendors and how well they spoke of her just was a further confirmation for us that working with her was the best choice. Our wedding was an absolute dream and every single guest told us afterwards that this was the best wedding they have attended. This feedback absolutely belongs to Carina and all the vendors. Thank you very much!
Best
Priscilla & Johannes”
Alina & Justin
11 stars if we could. My wife and I had our wedding in Portugal in summer, and everyone at the wedding said it was the most beautiful, well planned wedding they had ever been to. This is 100% because of Carina.Β From Day 1, Carina has been extremely communicative, detail oriented, and going above and beyond to make our vision a reality. And it doesn’t hurt that she has impeccable taste.Β
From designing signs, choosing the perfect flowers, and setting an incredible vibe, and helped us execute some of our quirky ideas.
Having Carina by our side on the day of our wedding made the whole event way less stressful. We were actually able to enjoy it, because everything was so well planned!
We put an incredible amount of trust in her, and we’re glad we did. Carina is the REAL DEAL, and I would recommend anyone who wants to have the wedding of their dreams to work with Carina.
Kasia & Richard
“To all couples out there who are getting married and looking for an outstanding wedding planner β¦ I highly recommend you to save your precious time andΒ get in touch with La Key Events right away!Β We were spending enormous time to find a wedding planners across Portugal (we are British Lebanese Italian Polish couple living in Dubai ;)) β¦Β
from calls to calls , emails to emailsβ¦ and none of them were suitable for us in terms of the communication, style, price, and most importantly personality.Β
The founder and owner Miss Carina is one of a kind, she immediately knew what we were looking for and she took care of every single small detail to make sure our wedding day was perfect- from the planning to execution!
Carinaβs great communication skills, passion, devotion, attention to details and creativity are everything you need from your preferred, perfect wedding planner. On the wedding day she made sure that no tiny flaws were noticed, she was always there for me during some stressful moments ( when my dress had some unexpected problems). I still donβt know how she was managing everything so fast and so well. I think what makes her so special is ability to listen, she always goes this extra mile to make her clients happy and satisfied.
She even helped us enormously after our wedding, when my parents got stuck at the airport and their luggage were lost in Portugal. Iβm mentioning this because she didnβt have to deal with all the hassle but thatβs who she is – she is extremely generous, kind and her dedication is extraordinary. I canβt thank La Key Events enough for creating such unforgettable day full of joy, laughter and memories that will last forever! Our family, and friends until today are talking how special and amazing our wedding was. Thank you guys! You are truly the best!”
Erin & Carlos
“I first came across Carina’s profile on social media not knowing where to begin planning a destination wedding. We sent Carina an email and had an initial zoom meeting. She sent us venues to choose from and we narrowed down our favorites.
Within a few weeks we were headed to Portugal and she picked us up for a few days of touring venues. Immediately we knew Carina was special, not only were the vendors raving about how she is the best (most organized, etc) but she was so helpful in guiding us towards our vision (even when we weren’t always sure what we wanted). She is calm and always reassuring. Carina has the BEST relationships with talented vendors, and even when I had a crazy idea and requested a Carousel – something she had never done before, she found a way to make my vision come to life.
Carina answered endless emails, messages and zoom meetings from afar always with a smile and can do attitude. She is so fun to work with and has the biggest heart and kind soul.
To top it all off, on our wedding day, moments before walking down the aisle, my Mother’s dress zipper split and Carina calmly sewed my Mom into her dress while my Mother was in a full panic (yes Carina is a seamstress too)
Thank you Carina for welcoming us and throwing us the most stunning and fun 130 person destination wedding we could have ever asked for.”Β
Alyssa & Bret
“Carina is the best wedding planner around! We got married in Cascais in July 2019 and live in the US, so we absolutely needed a wedding planner in Portugal. After speaking with a few, it became obvious to us that Carina was the best choice.
We thought it would be an extremely stressful and daunting task to get a wedding planned from thousands of miles away, but it was exactly the opposite! Carina kept in constant contact with usΒ via phone, email, and WhatsApp and was there whenever we needed her. We never once doubted anything she was doing. The vendors she works with were incredible and we can’t say enough great things about them. When we went to visit Portugal during the planning process, Carina was there with us almost the whole time. She is professional, knowledgeable, and so friendly! It was like working with a close friend!
When it came time for the wedding weekend, everything went off without a hitch! From logistics to food to music to decorations, it was a fairytale wedding! All of the decorations that Carina planned out were absolutely beautiful. We could have never in our wildest dreams imagined that we would have a wedding this amazing! Our guests, who all flew in from different countries, had an incredible time and could not stop talking about it.
Working with Carina was the best choice we made for our wedding…it would have never been the same without her!”
Joana & Drew
Jade & Corey
“Carina was my second wedding plannerβ it didnβt work out with the first one I was attempting to plan my wedding with. When I got in contact with Carina, she had a casual chat with me, to get an idea of what I wanted and a feel for what I liked. She quickly became a friend and worked within my budget to help create an amazing wedding. She is skilled at fielding and enabling crazy last minute changes- (like switching ceremony venues the day before the wedding!) She was willing to sacrifice herself and almost fell into a pond to save me from ruining my wedding dress! (after our first look photoshoot, we were walking over stepping stones in a pond on our way out of the Monserrate Ruins in my puffy wedding dress that obscured my feet. I missed a step and nearly fell into the water β luckily she was there to save me!) She stuck by me even after the wedding (and her job) was over. In short, she is an amazing friend and a beyond incredible wedding planner!”
CintraΒ & Trey
βWe are thrilled with the event planning services provided by Carina and La Key Events. We could not have planned our wedding in Portugal from the USA without her. Sheβs extremely organized and experienced with planning and executing weddings. She has great taste so it was easy to trust her with decisions we could not approve in person. She made sure to only use trustworthy vendors that were top notch. Planning a wedding will inevitably be stressful, but you will be doing yourself a tremendous favor if you hire her to guide you through the process! Everything was better than we couldβve imagined, a million thanks!β
Sara & Andreas
βWeddings by their very nature can be stressful, destination weddings even more so. That is why we knew the most important step was choosing the right wedding planner. Carina was definitely just that. From helping us find all the perfect vendors and countless other details to changing the ceremony location at the last minute due to the weather, Carina made sure our wedding weekend was perfect and unforgettable.
Thank Carina for all of your patience and hard work, we are eternally grateful!β
Rebeca & JoΓ£o
βPlanning a wedding abroad is not easy, however we were blessed when we found Carina! She is a true professional at what she does, she is very organized and detailed at every step of the way and will help you with ideas, keep your budget in check and is constantly updating you with anything that may happen along the way. She was very available when I needed her and was also a great support! Our wedding was a dream come true thanks to all the hard work she put in, she didnβt stop from morning to night and everything was PERFECT! This is because she was always there to make sure everyone was doing their job. I didnβt have to worry about anything. Let me not forget to mention the decor and everything was just beautiful!
Thank you Carina for being part of this special moment we are so happy we found you. We will meet again! Beijinhosβ
Sarah & Fernando
βWe loved working with Carina to prepare our unforgettable wedding day. We had to plan our wedding from abroad and also had to blend four different cultures and opinions into one wedding. Carina was extremely responsive, gave us a number of exceptional ideas and was always prepared to coming up with solutions to any curve balls we threw her way. On the wedding day, Carina was extremely reliable, making sure everything took place without a single glitch and every detail was tended to.Β Thank you Carina for your devoted help and making sure our wedding day was magical.β
Fernanda & Alysson
βWhen we decided to host our wedding in Portugal (we live in Brazil), we started looking for a wedding planning company. We researched several companies on the internet, and Carina was the first one we got in contact with. We talked to other professionals, but the one we had the most empathy and trust was with her, and so we chose La Key! It was definitely the best choice we could have made. Our wedding was perfect, we were impressed with everything as it exceeded all our expectations! Throughout the process Carina gave us tranquility, professionalism and dedication. We could question her any day and time (even with the time difference she always adjusted her schedules!), Not to mention her good humor, our conversations were always very good and fun! The organization was sensational, it managed to capture our style and all the decorations were exactly what we wanted, but she always gave great tips and suggestions. All the indicated suppliers were very competent and highly professional. The guests couldnβt believe how a wedding planned from a distance could have be so wonderful! All we have to do is thank Carina for everything, for giving us such a beautiful and unforgettable event for everyone who was present. In the end, we became friends and we hope to one day receive her in our country, and return all of her affection and attention!β
VeronicaΒ &Β Tom
VeraΒ &Β Pedro
βCarina was the right choice! Besides being invaluable help throughout the entire process, she offered us great help from the very beginning, because living in London and organizing a wedding in Portugal required a person of utmost trust and professionalism to help us to have our dream day, and Carina was that person. It was excellent working with her for the great suggestions she gave, the agility she showed during the entire organization and the constant communication that reassured us and gave us confidence from the first moment. In few words, it certainly would not have been so good without Carina! We recommend La Key!β
IwonaΒ &Β Rob
βWe are extremely happy with the wedding planning services we received from Carina at La Key Events. Carina was amazing, she was there with us through the whole process, every step of the way. Not only did she come up with great design and vendor suggestions, but she was also there for us at all times, supporting us like a close friend. One of her most valuable qualities is her ability to stay calm, which helped us through the most challenging times during the planning process.Β Carinaβs dedication and hard work is something that went above and beyond our expectations, especially since we were planning a destination wedding. Her attention to detail and imagination made our dream wedding come true. We would definitely recommend her service to all future brides and grooms.Β Fun fact: as the bride I have no idea how I would have survived the whole process without her, and I was the one who wasnβt sure about getting wedding planning help in the first place!β
ChiaChiaΒ &Β JoΓ£o
βCarina was everything that one could ever ask for β organized, professional, patient, and passionate. Itβs beyond words how much we appreciate Carinaβs effort and work! We could not have managed the wedding from overseas without her! During the planning process, Carina showed me how much she really cared about our big day as if this was her own wedding. She was the Fairy Godmother for me (REALLY), and she took care of so many things one week before the wedding that I wouldnβt expect a wedding planner to have done. Now the wedding planning is over but our love for her as a wonderful friend will stay for forever!β
ShahnaΒ &Β Diogo
βThank you so much for making my wedding the most incredible an unforgettable day of my life!β
LuizaΒ &Β Erlend
βIf there were 10 stars it would get 10/10. Excellent service, made me feel like I was her only client the whole year.β
SylwiaΒ &Β Michel
EmiliaΒ &Β Tom
βThank you Carina for organising our beautiful wedding! You made us feel so relaxed on the day and everything went so smoothly. Highly recommend La Key Events.β
PatrΓcia & Pedro
βAs a couple living abroad, our experience with Carina was precious and imperative. We had the happiest day of our lives exactly as we had pictured, without any stress or fuss. Always very professional, caring and reachable, she was the key to our perfect day. Thank you La Key Events!β
Ana &Β Rui
βCarina, when I spoke to you the first time I felt an immediate empathy, and I was not wrong. It was a pleasure (and a tranquility) trusting her with the organization of our wedding. She was enormously competent and caring, taking care of absolutely everything and still got us a few βtreatsβ and surprises. It was wonderful. I am sure that our wedding was a success, thanks to you. (Very much so). Carina was relentless, and created a friendship with us thanks to her commitment, which is very rare nowadays β¦ she has such great and equal human and professional sides. Itβs been a year since we met, and every time Iβm more certain that Carina is the best there is. Our wedding was GORGEOUS!!! Thank you for EVERYTHING. Kisses from us.β
Fatima & Francisco
Lucia & Isaac
βCarina Olim managed to turn our dream into reality! It was definitely worth hiring her, there is something about her that helps us to not become annoying and nervous brides, something magical, and she will certainly charm you too. We would like to leave you a big kiss and thank everyone at La Key Events since in fact we could not have chosen a better team to deliver the responsibilities of such a special and important day in our lives. Kisses and thank you!β
Filipa &Β Pedro
ClaΓΊdiaΒ &Β Miguel
βAt our wedding, we wanted to create an intimate and elegant but also fun and relaxed environment, for we wanted to be available and also make the day about our guests. We wanted it to be a real party! Carina greatly contributed to making that possible, always attentive, collaborative, peaceful and above all very professional. Carina, thank you for the many friendly words and for everything, everything!β
Joana &Β Nuno
βAlthough Nuno and I were a very atypical bride and groom, not very anxious and with no exact plan of what we wanted our wedding to be like, thought to the millimeter in long advance, we had some concerns and desires for our day like any other couple. Working with someone as empathetic and with such a good energy and above everything else, respect for our wishes is essential for a happy couple. It gives us peace and security. Neither of us had ever organized a wedding before, but we didnβt think it was possible that working with another person would be as simple and natural as it was. Carina is a wedding planner thatΒ through professionalism, complete availability, attention to detail, friendliness and respect, Carina is a wedding planner that manages to make you feel unique and special no matter how many weddings she has planned or is planning at the moment, by naturally making it seem like it is the only one.Β Without limitations and with the calmness of a professional who trusts her own work, the βfairy godmother of weddingsβ (aka Carina) secured all the details we discussed were present, and made possible what is considered to be one of the happiest days of our lives, a really special and unique event without any concern, only contagious just smiles from start to finish. Thanks for the dedication.β
SandraΒ &Β Pedro
βWe loved working with Carina from day one, for her simplicity since our first meeting together to all her affection while present at the ceremony. She always helped us in the crazy ideas that the bride was having and helped manage all the details in a very easy, organized and careful way, almost as if the ceremony were her own, which does not always happen in this type of service. We advise all couples to choose Carina who with affection, attention to detail and ease will help in every aspect of this important day, and believe us there are maaaaany details! Carina thanks for the caipirinha!β
Susana & Gonçalo
βLife should not only be lived, it should be celebrated.β Osho βAnd it was with this motto that Carina played her part in our wedding and helped us celebrate this unforgettable day. She managed to help us accomplish everything perfectly, devoting herself to the all details that we have to trust to someone reliable on that day. I could go on continuously with many good things to say but I will finish with a very big thank you for everything she did for us! Our very kind regards.β
VanessaΒ &Β LuΓs
βThere is no doubt! The happiest day of our lives was the 24.09.2011, the day of our wedding! It wouldnβt have been possible without the unconditional support of my dear Carina Olim, ever since the first time we talked, she was a 5 star professional, a companion, a friend who lived with us this magical day as if it were her her own. Carina Thank you, we feel that a friendship was born by accident of fate and that stayed forever! Big kiss and hug from your friends.β
