REVIEWS

Here are a few things some of past clients are saying about Duncan –

When we connected with you back in June, I took a deep breathe and just did it.  When I heard the calm of your voice, I knew we were making the perfect choice.  There is not enough thanks that can be expressed for all of your support, your work and utmost professionalism.  You told me when we first spoke that this was your passion, and it has truly shown!  We’ll be singing your praises for many years.  A gazillion thank-you’s!!!  With great, love and respect — Jennifer Brinn Barbee (Bride)
Duncan!  We owe you our gratitude, our thanks, and our love for all that you have done to make this the most special day of our lives.  I hope to remain friends with you long after today is gone!  Love, Todd Barbee (Groom)
 
There aren’t enough great things to say about Duncan Reyes and the work he does. I found Duncan right after we got engaged by endlessly stalking San Francisco weddings on every website I could find. His weddings were featured many times and I instantly fell in love with his work. I knew I had to have him as our planner! We reached out and set up a meeting shortly after. Duncan met with myself, my fiancè and my Mom. We all fell in love with his warm personality, his organization and his ideas right off the bat for making my wedding spectacular.  After hiring Duncan, we went to our top two venues with him. We walked in to each venue and EVERYONE we encountered at the venues excitedly screamed “DUNCAN!!” and ran over to talk to us. It was clear Duncan was good at what he does and more importantly, that people genuinely enjoyed working with him. After deciding on our venue, Duncan immediately saved us a ton of money negotiating with our venue for us. After that, he used his (many) connections and saved us even more money on almost all of our vendors. Besides the financial aspect, Duncan truly made our wedding planning easy and stress free. He handled everything leading up to the wedding, and seamlessly handled our wedding day craziness. Somehow mine and my now husbands wedding bands were left at the hotel while we headed to the church for our ceremony. Duncan somehow got our bands from the hotel to the church in time for the ring exchange. I don’t know how in the world he did it, but he of course handled it with a smile on his face. I can’t thank Duncan enough for everything he did for us during our wedding planning and wedding, and I can’t recommend him enough! — Cyndi Hicks Ramirez (Bride)

Thank you SO MUCH for being our wedding planner! It has been quite a journey from when we first met only several month ago (which now seems like an eternity!). You not only helped us to embark on what seemed like a task that just got bigger and bigger, but you also helped us bring the the ship home through our wedding day (only slightly wetter than expected). Your down-to-the-wire agility and assuredness through the unpredictable weather helped us embrace the rain and ensure that our guests were comfortable and having a great time. Again, we can’t thank you enough and hope we cross paths again. — Joyce Lee & Dennis Chang (Bride & Groom)

My husband and I are both medical students across the country, so planning a wedding several time zones away was going to be challenging. Additionally, I am a self-described personality type “AAA” so I knew I wanted to be as involved as I could in the wedding planning process but also have someone on my team that I could entrust with all other details when my wedding could not be prioritized. As a thorough individual, I wanted to do my due diligence in researching a wedding planner who would protect my vision, understand my neuroses, and be flexible with a demanding schedule. In the end I made a spreadsheet of 46 wedding planners – spoke to most of them over the phone and eventually landed on Duncan Reyes. Duncan was truly the brains behind our entire wedding- not to mention a complete genius when it comes to knowing who’s who in the Bay Area wedding scene. In the end Duncan did so much more than plan our wedding; he introduced us to vendors that I never would have found, answered thousands of e-mails (responding to all of them with lightning speed!), and kept meticulous records of budgets, payments, and meetings. To those of you weighing whether or not to have a wedding planner – it was an absolute must for us and really allowed us to enjoy the wedding planning process and most importantly our wedding day. Duncan Reyes truly has our highest recommendation and is a pleasure to work with. He coordinated our wedding, dealt with crazy nuances (and personalities), and handled all stress and anxiety with poise and grace.  The day of for me was actually RELAXING knowing that Duncan was in charge of everything and that we had settled bills, gratuity and such ahead of time. THE ONLY THING I HAD TO WORRY ABOUT WAS GETTING MARRIED! Our timeline was 12 pages long, but I knew Duncan had that whole thing memorized and was ready to execute and perfect every single detail. If there were any problems, I knew nothing about them because Duncan had already taken care of them. What most impressed me the wedding day was how fluidly everything flowed, everything happened AS PLANNED, and Duncan was able to create the warmest, most welcoming, and glamorous black tie wedding in the middle of down town San Francisco.  Several weeks have gone by and we are still getting endless compliments on our wedding and wedding weekend. Duncan absolutely knows how to make YOUR special vision come to life in the most vibrant and fabulous form. Most importantly, my husband and I were beyond floored our wedding day and would not have changed a thing. — Jordan Scher Merkow (Bride)

Duncan saved our wedding. When Minted messed up our escort/place cards 3 times, Duncan used one of his many relationships and had a small local printer produce exactly what we wanted (better than Minted) for less money in less than 24 hours – absolutely unbelievable!  He knew the venue inside and out and had a great relationship with the hotel coordinator. Our wedding was expertly organized, on-time and executed exactly as planned. Our special day was stress free because of Duncan.  In short, Duncan’s enthusiasm, attention to detail, responsiveness and execution is second to none. — Robert Kayman (Groom)

We want to thank you so very much for all you did in planning our Wedding! You are/were fabulous; your knowledge and expertise were so helpful. But most of all, you made our Wedding Day smooth, effortless and easy. We actually got to enjoy it. All your vendor recommendations were spot on too! My co-workers kept telling me ‘Morgan, you’re so calm”. My answer was ‘it’s because I have the best, most knowledgable, fun, energetic Coordinator there is!’. And thank you for your speedy responses, attention to detail, vision, care and love. Thank you for making our Wedding such a special lifelong memory! — Morgan Tobor & Rob Kayman (Bride & Groom)

Not sure where to begin. You were absolutely amazing, truly! I’m not sure how you stay so calm and patient. You are a Pro, and as a result, we had the perfect Wedding. Thank you so much for all your sage wisdom – you made our Wedding unforgettable! — Victoria Barry & Daniel Loreto (Bride & Groom)

Duncan helped make our dream wedding come together seamlessly. More than anything, it was his attention to detail that truly made it special. His extensive experience in the industry and love for the job made our lives so much easier. He’s incredibly organized, quick to respond, calm under pressure, and a pleasure to work with. Any time we were flustered or buried under thousands of decisions to make, Duncan would always be available to help us navigate any issue and helped keep us on track.  Duncan came so well recommended that we had very high expectations. And I can say now that he has well exceeded even those elevated expectations.  If you’re planning a wedding, it’s a no-brainer. Call Duncan and you won’t regret it. — Bo Nam (Groom)

THANK YOU so much for making our dream wedding happen!! (Many thanks to Alex also!) Everything flowed seamlessly and we sure received many ravings about the wedding.. some of them were “this was my favorite wedding I’ve been to, the wedding was magical!, beautiful!, the cake on top of the champagne flutes — WOW!  — Michelle Ko-Nam (Bride)

It goes without saying, but THANK YOU again for everything pre/during/post-Wedding.  You truly were our Fearless Leader during the whole process and would not have been able to pull everything off without your guidance.  Cheers! — Stef Ybarra & Matthew Archambault (Bride & Groom)

We can’t begin to express our thanks and gratitude for all you have done!  The level of detail is impeccable.  Your creativity is off the charts, and all your unflappable demeanor is amazing.  You never once said “No” – only “Standby”, “Done”, “I’ll take care of it”.  From a Television Producer and a Medical Researcher who both pay close attention to detail, we can’t tell you how comforting those words and “can do” attitude have meant to us.  You have made our most important day a spectacular event that our Friends and Families, and most importantly ourselves, will be talking for years.  You and your Team really are “The Dream Team”, and we’re very lucky to have all of you.  But most importantly … YOU!  Our sincerest gratitude — Bryan Nadeau & Dr. John C. Davis, Jr. (Grooms)

As a wedding photographer, coordinators really help make things happen for our clients, therefore really help us do our job. Having someone to organize the day, as well as help make it beautiful to look at is a huge part of a couple’s wedding day. Duncan does all that and more.  I had the pleasure of working as a photographer at a wedding Duncan was coordinating at the Boulder Ridge Golf course in San Jose. There was a lot of chaos going on that day due to the Jazz festival happening… and like the rockstar he is he remained calm and made sure things that had to get done got done. In the end our clients were happy, and I was given enough time to take the beautiful photographs that they have to remember their day by.  And that’s besides the beautiful decor of the wedding that was incredible to photograph. So not only did the bride and groom’s day go wonderful, but it looked stellar as well.  Duncan is a rock star! — Heather Elizabeth Sumter (Wedding Photographer-Heather Elizabeth Photography)

Duncan – We wanted to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping us make our Wedding Day so special.  We are so grateful for your friendship and that you took time out of your busy schedule to be a part of this special time in our lives.  We wish there was we could say or do to express our gratitude.  Thank you so much! — Emily Dow & Brian Ethridge (Bride & Groom)

Dear Duncan – Our Wedding exceeded all our expectations due in no small part to your hard work and we were both amazed at how we got to enjoy our big day and imply take it all in  without last minute snafus or stress!  You were calm and collected throughout the year-long process and it helped us knowing that you had so much experience and more importantly we knew you cared about us and would make sure everything went smoothly.  We also want to donate to the Charity of your choice to help with the Typhoon recover (Typhoon Haiyan, Philippines).  Cheers Duncan – we hope to keep in touch and continue to share our experiences! — Kristal Pollack & Brandon Duncan (Bride & Groom)

Thank you, Duncan, for all your help through this stressful wedding process.  Especially starting early in our time of need.  You help saved our sanity and will make this a truly special weekend that will last a lifetime! — Noosheen Khalil-Naji & Elmer Madriaga (Bride & Groom)

Duncan Reyes could organize a party in Hell and everyone would have so much fun they would never want to leave.   Seriously….this guy throws a party and you won’t ever forget you were lucky enough to be invited.  It is the little things…Duncan lets nothing slip by him. His attention to detail is astonishing….his ability to stay unflappable in a hurricane force wind is something that is inspiring to witness.  I know he has planned parties for mega stars….and is in demand by celebrities and powerful people who can choose anyone.  They choose him for countless reasons.  The best part about Duncan is that he will treat you the same if you are a couple in love getting married at the Hilton as he would if you were Prince Abooboo from some enchanted isle in the middle of the South Pacific.  There is none better. Period. — Rev. Rich Menefee (Officiant)

Duncan Reyes is the most fabulous man alive!  When I first met Duncan over Sushi, he told me the story of being flown to India to hand select white elephants for a Wedding he was planning in Dubai. Wow. Duncan has shaken hands with Presidents, traveled the World designing events, and regularly works with CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and NFL Stars. But what makes him such an amazing human being and so good at what he does?  The moment you meet Duncan, he brings you into his world, and you are a part of his family of event professionals and vendors. He connects you with his “Dream Team” of vendors, whom also shower you with love, and care very much about making your event a success. You get a warm feeling of security and ease, which is very unusual for a Groom in the Wedding planning phase. 90 minutes after Duncan started planning our Wedding, he called me back and said, “Ok, we’re ready. The whole Dream Team is on board.”  I know in my heart that our Wedding was a hundred times more brilliant, elegant, gorgeous, memorable, and stress free as a result of Duncan’s constant, diligent, all encompassing work. We are so grateful for everything that Duncan did for us, and he always has a place in our family.  The best investment you can make in planning your Wedding or Special Event is to hire Duncan. He is the best of the best. From both my Wife and Myself, we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for giving us a day we will remember the rest of our lives.  — Jason Mitchell (Groom)

Yo Yo Yo . . . Duncan’s in DA HOUSE!  We were so cut from the same cloth – destiny truly played a role in us meeting. :-).  Duncan, we just adore your creative style and appreciate all of your efforts  in making this birthday party more than what we could have ever expected or hoped for.  I’m still reeling from one of the most memorable nights of our life – you are simply extraordinary!  Your passion and exquisite creativity showed.  Every one of our guests were enveloped by the dramatic, sexy and fun atmosphere that you and your team created.  We can’t stop talking about it! — 
Janet Kunze (Mrs. John Kunze/Host)

You are my saving grace!  I don’t know how I could have done this without you.  From the moment we talked for the first time, you have been there supporting us, and working hard.  Everything you do is so thorough with everything you do which makes Brides (especially me) feel so supported and like the Wedding isn’t falling apart.  You have worked so hard, we hope you get a fab Spa treatment and relax … you deserve it.  Love, Colleen — Colleen Marks Deni (Bride)

I cannot say enough about how much you have helped make our big day all come together perfectly.  You were always there when we needed you most.  You are a true master of your craft and you make it look so easy. — Dominic Zeni (Groom)

When Kelvin and I got engaged, I knew that I needed the help of a Wedding Coordinator.  While missing my parents and knowing that Kelvin could not help us from Ireland, it became painfully clear that I did not want to do this alone.  I spoke to several other Wedding Coordinators before meeting with you.  They had romantic ideas and emotional outpourings, but I didn’t need someone to hold my hand through the process.  I needed someone like me.  Someone who embraces the power of endless e-mails, adores their own OCD, respects generosity, practices gratitude, and understands that business is business and love is love — even when the two go hand-in-hand.  You have been a savior during this process.  I admire your kind heart, your keen advice, and your overwhelming patience (and I know I tested that with my many many e-mails, questions and changes).  Your connections and recommendations speak highly of your character.  I’ve been consistently impressed with the vendors you recommended.  They have kind hearts and admirable work, just like you.  When I look back at this wedding, I know that I will always think of you.  You are the dark horse.  Your are the man behind the whole occasion.  You are the reason that Kelvin and I will remember this day as the start of our lives together.  From the very bottom of my heart, and from Kelvin’s heart as well, THANK YOU!  I don’t know how you do what you do – but you do it with grace and style. — AnneMarie Hogan Ruddy (Bride)

We are so glad we had Duncan to help with our wedding.  He has been in the business a long time so knows almost every major player in the wedding industry in the Bay area.  Plus he always has his eye out for new talent.  He coordinated all of our wedding vendors before the event so everyone was on the same page.  He knows how to take a wedding space and transform it into something spectacular that still reflects the tastes and personalities of the bride and groom.  The “look” of our wedding was gorgeous and remarkable- all because Duncan knows how to hire great vendors and make them all work together as a team to create a great overall experience.  Most importantly, on the day of the wedding he is so calm and just takes care of everything.  One of my guests brought their 2 kids without RSVPing.  One of my friends had 1 unexpected guest at her wedding and it sent her planner into a tizzy.  Not Duncan, he just asked for the name of the guest and somehow took care of it without blinking.  That’s what you want in a planner.  All of my family commented on how smoothly the wedding ran and how incredible the venue looked.  This is all because of Duncan!  Let him and his team take care of you, you won’t regret it! — Mohana Amirtharajah (Bride)

Duncan to the rescue! About a month before my daughters wedding, I realized that if my daughter and I wanted to fully enjoy the coming weeks and the day of the wedding, we needed some help.David Ethridge of AVR films, highly recommended Duncan Reyes Events by Design.  Duncan was a lifesaver. Heidi and Dave were impressed with him right away. For me, the mother of the bride, he took a huge weight off my shoulders. He contacted all our vendors so that everything would fall into place seamlessly. Duncan facilitated the rehearsal the night before. He showed up early the next morning at the hotel where the wedding party spent the day getting ready for the 5:00pm wedding. It was after 10:00pm when he finally left.Duncan is an all-around good guy. He is very professional and efficient, and at the same time friendly and fun.I highly recommend F. Duncan Reyes Events By Design. You can relax and be sure that your event will be a great success. It’s worth every penny. — Deane Giuffrida (Mother of the Bride)

We are so grateful for all of your efforts and expertise!  You did an amazing job and everyone from the Florist to the Guests expressed the same sentiment – you’re amazing!  I can’t thank you enough for your hard work, expertise, cool head and professionalism.  My family was so completely impressed with you – both my parents and my sisters continually remarked on how great you are, how organized, how much they trusted you.  The Surhs are a “critical” bunch, so that really means something!!  It’s been such an overwhelming pleasure to work with you.  To say that I couldn’t have done it without you is an understatement!  I am not a gusher, but seriously, I will gush about you!  Our very best and thank you from the bottom of our hearts! — Carolyn Surh & Trevor Fox (Bride & Groom)

5 stars all around for Duncan, who lived up to his legendary reputation. Duncan was actually the first vendor we hired. My husband had experienced Duncan’s talent at his older brother’s wedding and kept saying how smooth everything was. We were lucky that Duncan was available on our date and hired him without hesitation.  Starting the month before the wedding, Duncan was the main point of contact for every vendor we had hired. A wedding is such a production with so many people involved, so it was super helpful to have a coordinator handle major communications and follow up. Duncan came up with a detailed, 6-page timeline and ensured everyone knew where they needed to be at all times. He has great ideas and is always accessible, quick to respond, and detail-oriented.  One example that impressed me was how Duncan caught an error on my seating chart. To organize our guests, we had three different spreadsheets in Google Docs. One spreadsheet indicated everyone’s entree selections. Another spreadsheet listed everyone by table. A third spreadsheet organized everyone alphabetically. Without my asking, Duncan cross-referenced the three spreadsheets and asked me if one guest was still coming, because her name with missing from the alphabetical order spreadsheet. Good thing Duncan caught that, because I was using the alphabetical order spreadsheet to lay out my seating chart! His timing couldn’t have been better because he caught the error before I printed the chart.  Whenever anyone asks me how my wedding went, I tell them it was everything I hoped it would be and more. The day really was about as perfect as it could have been! I give a huge chunk of the credit to Duncan for making sure everything went off without a hitch. A relaxed bride is a happy bride. I absolutely recommend Duncan as someone you can trust to make your day happen. Hire him so that you can kick back and enjoy every moment! — Christina Chiou-Yeh (Bride)

I had the honor of working again with Duncan at an event yesterday, the 4th of September in Sausilito.  As my ” altar ego ” Reverend Rich….I have done countless weddings all over the Bay Area.  I can’t keep track of the number of mediocre wedding planners I have had to endure in my years of practice.  However, I can keep a very accurate record of those who excel at their craft.  Duncan is at the top of my list. Effortless is how he makes it look….but I know it is no easy task to pull off the miracles he does each weekend.  No detail is too small, no detail is over-looked. The man is the picture of composure under fire.  I wish Duncan would be the planner at all of my future events.  Alas…I shall have to treasure those times when I am blessed enough to work with him in the future.  Pay this man whatever he asks. He is well worth it. — Rev. Rich Menefee (Officiant)

I remember the day my fiance (at the time) told me we had to go meet with our wedding planner (Duncan). It was a Sunday and I was not pleased about it. I thought to myself, wow, this is going to take about 3 hours to get through and totally burn my Sunday.  I came out of that meeting floored by Duncan and remember turning to my wife and saying, “If I could hire 10 more of him and take them to work with me I would have the perfect team and we would accomplish great things.” Seriously.  To say he’s on top of his stuff is an understatement. He’s not only incredibly considerate of your own thoughts / considerations but comes with a wealth of advice that he’ll disperse appropriately and comfortably.  He’ll also come with all the details / contracts / and anything else you can possibly think of prepared. What I thought was going to be a painful meeting going over the ceremony was incredibly enjoyable, fast, and efficient. This same experience happened again and again with him.  He is truly a pleasure to work with and I can’t say enough great things. He exceeded my expectations beyond anything I thought someone was capable of; and that is quite a compliment considering I’m fairly (ok, very) critical. It is such a relief to be having him running point the day of as well – he’s a game changer! — Dan O’Connell (Groom)

I wasn’t sure if we even needed a wedding planner but my fiance insisted and, in preparation for a lifetime of doing what she says, i of course listened to her and I couldn’t be happier that I did.  Duncan was great throughout the entire process and is extremely creative and had many great ideas that we incorporated into our wedding.  He has tons of connections within the industry and saved us a ton of time and money throughout the process… I have no idea how we would have survived the day of the wedding without him.  If you’re like me and on the fence about getting a wedding planner give it some serious thought b/c the amount of time and stress saved is well worth it and I can’t imagine anyone better than Duncan! — Mike Gehrke (Groom)

Duncan is the best thing that will happen to you… after getting engaged of course!   Seriously, any bride looking for a wedding planner to help plan your wedding or just someone to run the show on your big day, this is your MAN!!  My videographer (David Ethridge, also great!) referred me to Duncan and I’m so glad he did.  My husband and I had Duncan’s services for three weeks prior to our wedding and he was like a GOD that took care of every little detail and organized every little thing that you can imagine.  Our wedding may have been a disaster if we didn’t have Duncan.  I was skeptical at first because my husband and I were the ones who had planned everything and we were so on top of the whole thing that I really didn’t think we would need a planner.  But then after talking to Duncan and telling him all about our wedding, I realized that there were little details that we had not even thought about and great ideas that we had not even considered.  Duncan is extremely creative and can give you lots of wonderful ideas and referrals.  Anyone who works in the wedding industry knows that when it comes to planners, Duncan Reyes is the one and that he is the GOD of planners in this industry.  No joke.  This will be the best money you spend on your wedding… and it gets you peace of mind, a great new friend, and a wedding that he makes possible for YOU and YOUR husband to actually ENJOY! — Mahsa Nekouasl-Sohi (Bride)

Duncan Reyes is the Master Planner!  As a wedding professional for over 20 years, I know Duncan Reyes is THE Event Planner that sets the standards for going the extra mile for his clients.  The personal attention he gives every bride before the event also gives relief and excitement at the same time.  He is so detailed about the things you know you need to do and the “Iceberg Effect” of the things that are hidden that can add up and cause stress vs. pleasure.  Everyone of his clients have a friend for life.  I have never seen such a detailed layout of events and timelines, and I know the hours he puts into every event design.  On the wedding day, he works for his brides to make sure that the vendors; Hotels, Florists, Caterers, DJ’s, Photographers and Videographers, etc. are all on the same page for deliveries, set-up, timeline and execution of events.  He is working for you vs. a venue coordinator who only have the venue’s best interest at heart.  Mahsa was a Persian Bride of mine that I referred him for a huge wedding at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.  She knows that if she had not used Duncan, the limos would have been overfilled;  relatives would have stressed her out at the wedding ceremony;  and the wedding design would have completely blewn her away for the private viewing.  All the hotels know who he is  – he is the master of ceremonies and they love to work with him.  He really is the secret to a stress free wedding that any bride can just enjoy her dream day.  He really does become your next best friend.  Duncan is a DREAM Event Planner! I have worked with him at amazing weddings he has designed, planned and executed perfectly. His expertise and passion as an artist of design will take your event to a whole next level. He is so accommodating to everyone, guests, vendors and family. HUGE HEART for life and special moments is what he loves and lives for. He told me once that he was so excited about a bride and groom that he started designing the event for even before he had received the signed contract.  The bride was completely floored, and he was ready to tour venues for a day of fun and excitement.  Call him, you’ll love him!!!  Experience and flair of design come to mind. — Dave Ethridge (Owner & “Master Videographer”-AVR Fillms)

Just wanted to send our heartfelt thanks for all the help and support you provided to Jenny and Mike during the last year and, especially, on their wedding day. We will always have the memories of a glorious day in San Francisco filled with sunshine, smiles, celebration and love. The ceremony was beautiful and the reception was perfect — and so much fun. I know that Jenny’s parents were as thrilled in heaven as we were here on earth.  Thank you, thank you , thank you. — Mrs. Joan Gehrke (Mother of the Groom)

This endorsement comes with great excitement!  Duncan Reyes of F. Duncan Reyes Events By Design is one of the most talented event planners. I have always been awestruck at his professionalism, creativity, art design, and architectural expertise in set up. I witnessed first hand a hotel ball room turned into a magical wedding. From the massive rose petals with the initials of the bride/groom down the aisle to the circular golden chairs and lighting at the ceremony structure- that is one of my all time favorite weddings. I remember walking in and the videographer said “do I need to pick your jaw off the floor?”. Wow!! It has been every event since then that has taken my breath away. He also handles every bit of details for the brides and grooms that they may need regarding their wedding and does it with such ease. He also is a great friend to me! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work with your couples. Much Love to you Duncan!! — Kimberly Thompson (Officiant-A Beautiful Ceremony)

Five- stars is nowhere near the number of stars that Duncan deserves.  Although he’s already well-known in the Bay Area, I thought I’d add my 2-cents.  I first contacted Duncan almost 2- years prior to my wedding date to inquire about his services & pricing.  He was very prompt in responding- he always is!  Sometimes he even replied within the hour!  We couldn’t afford it back then (even the 2-week coordination), but when he contacted us again a year later, he mentioned that he was still available & with the downturn of the economy he lowered his prices.  We were paying for the entire wedding ourselves, and at this point we already had most everything planned, bought, and booked.  But we decided that having a professional brought in for the last (hectic, agonizing, anxious) 2-weeks would be worth it.  It was the best decision ever made.  When we had a photographer nightmare (see my review for Amie Morgan Photography) less than 3-weeks before the wedding, Duncan stepped in, contacted a few friends, & found us a Wooooo-nderful photographer to shoot our wedding (here’s a shout-out to Mike Steelman Photography!).  We don’t know what we would’ve done without Duncan.  He did more than coordinate for us.  He brought calm into the storm, made us laugh & smile when we wanted to throw our hands up and cry, & helped us enjoy our special day.  Duncan, thanks for being so thoughtful as to bring straws so I wouldn’t mess up my lipstick, for bringing a granola bar to make sure I eat so I won’t pass out, for helping bustle my dress when it broke, for . . . .  (YELP has decided to amend this posting because it continued on for another 10 pages). — Donna Sison (Bride)

As the Groom, I was skeptical that we actually needed a Wedding Planner. I figured we could do most of it on our own and use friends and family to do the rest. Thank goodness I was overruled.  Duncan is an amazing professional who treated our wedding as if it were his own (and we know he had others to plan and coordinate at the same time). He fixed existing problems, anticipated problems that we did not foresee, was a great sounding board and most importantly he made sure that the big day went off without a hitch. By the end of our wedding day I wasn’t sure whether my wife was more excited about getting married to me or about having the chance to hang out with Duncan for the months prior to the wedding.  He would have been worth at least twice as much as we actually paid him. Of all my vendors I recommend Duncan the most. I work with professionals on a daily basis — Duncan truly lives up to the title.  And he’s a very nice guy too – which is nice! — Darin & Elizabeth Harvey-Sands (Bride & Groom)

Duncan was invaluable. I planned my Napa wedding from NY, and he dealt with all the logistics, the decor, and details remotely.  He allowed me to actually enjoy the wedding weekend instead of having to deal with crazy logistics and last minute coordination, as well as made sure the weekend and actual wedding looked beautiful and went smoothly.  He was a lifesaver, and as much as I loved my wedding I think it would have been a nightmare without him! — Patricia Halfen-Wexler (Bride)

A friend referred me to Duncan for my month-of wedding coordinator.  It is extremely hard to articulate how amazing and fantastic Duncan is to work with.  He is so experienced and truly understands what makes a fun, exciting, elegant wedding.  He makes wonderful suggestions, knowing exactly what my husband and I envisioned for our wedding day.  He does not “take over” by any means, and really allows you to be as involved in the process as you want to be and really makes your perfect day happen.  I swear we could not have pulled off the wedding that we did without his help.  I have received so many compliments from family and friends on how well-planned, how detailed and beautiful the wedding was.  Duncan took care of everything on the day-of so I could truly enjoy the day with all of my guests.  I had the best day of my life and I believe, hiring Duncan was the best decision I ever could have made as a bride.  BRIDES: I strongly recommend you meet with Duncan.  His calendar is filling up fast and he’s doing the most ornate, amazing, awe-inspiring weddings out there.  I feel lucky that he chose my wedding to plan!! — Khe Nguyen-Yeh (Bride)

Absolutely fabulous!  Our wedding was such a success and fun time for everyone who came.  Duncan was able to almost predict our needs before they even occurred to us.  He is a true professional and extremely detail oriented.  I honestly can’t say enough good things about him. — Jeffrey Yeh (Groom)

If you are lucky enough to have Duncan Reyes to orchestrate your wedding; I want your wedding here!! — Cathy Reynolds Stone (Director of Events-Vintners Inn)

One always hopes that Stephanie and Eric’s wedding will be as fabulous as one imagines, but the wedding ceremony and reception far exceeded our expectations and was as wonderful and perfect as a wedding could be! — Mayor & Mrs. Oscar Goodman (Mayor of Las Vegas and Parents of the Groom) for Eric & Stephanie Boixo-Goodman (Bride & Groom)

Duncan by far, was the best investment we made during our wedding planning.  Not only is he tremendously knowledgeable about everything weddings, he was able to pick up the slack of our reception vendor ever so gracefully and professionally.  We were confident that through his knowledge and talents that we were taken cared of.  We had only heard of Duncan after we’d booked most of our vendors, but if we were to do it again, we would hire him for full wedding coordination.  I described my vision to Duncan, he went with it, and I was more than satisfied with the way everything turned out.  Our guests were ooh-ing and ahh-ing about him too!  We will definitely be recommending him.  He is such a God send. — Christine Balingit-Vargas (Bride)

Duncan is upbeat, professional and spot on in his work. — Heron Freed-Toor (Officiant-Weddings of Heart)

Well, that went by pretty quickly, huh?! I suppose most Weddings do. Thank you so much for all your help and guidance during the planning and for keeping things on track the day of our Wedding.  We had a great time ourselves and we keep hearing that others did too.  Anything that didn’t go as planned was certainly not noticeable to us!  Your years of experience – while they don’t show on your face – certainly show in the end result! I ‘m going to miss all the Wedding updates and chit-chat. Thanks again! — Jonathan & Kirstin Williams-Dobson (Bride & Groom)

I give Duncan five stars for his service and commitment to his profession.  Our wedding was a success!!  He recommended reliable vendors, especially our florist who created amazing arrangements.  His artistry in event set up and decor turned our ballroom into a fantasy.  My husband and I are truly impressed with his work. — Deanna Lim-de Goma (Bride)

I would highly recommmend Duncan as a wedding coordinator.  I found him after my first planner went AWOL and more than one of the vendors I had already selected recommended that I work with him.  He did an amazing job pulling together the details of the wedding and stepping into a wedding that was already in the works.  I was particularly impressed on two points – that he was so well organized (my timeline was a work of art) and that he went out of the way to pick up some last minute things that I wanted for the wedding. — Jennifer Liu-Friedland (Bride)

Your gifted sense of style, taste and staging, deep planning experience, wonderful coordination skills, and strong commitment to us and our event, our daughter Kristin’s wedding last month far exceeded our fondest dreams for how that day and its activities would play out. You have given our family so many rich and priceless memories we honestly don’t know how to thank you enough.  Whatever special events are in our future, Duncan, you can be assured that you will be our partner. — Mr. & Mrs. Jack & Kathi Balousek (Parents of the Bride) for J.T. & Kirstin Balousek-Reeder (Bride & Groom) 

Knowing that such an amazing person and friend said ‘yes’ to helping us out for our wedding What can I say … we’ve been having a ball!  You’ve been my right hand through this entire process, i couldn’t have done this without your insight and assistance.  I feel like you’ve become part of our family.  I appreciate how comfortable you’ve made all of us feel.  I hope to keep in contact with you in the future – you’re always doing fabulous things!  Thanks again for everyone. — Mrs.. & Mrs. Steve & Teresa Tirado for Christopher & Raquel Tirado-Wong (Parents of the Bride)

It turned out to be far beyond what any of us dreamed. We knew it was going to be great but this was a case where expectation not only was exceeded by realization, but was exceeded by significant levels. We have had the privilege of meeting many ‘superstars’ but you are in a singular category of excellence second to few, if any. — Dr. & Mrs. Nick & Nancy Vidalakis for George & Laura Kaak-Vidalakis (Parents of the Groom) 

Five Stars across the board!  There would be no other score for Duncan.  Duncan is the  man responsible for my PERFECT wedding.  Duncan is pure genius and nothing less.  I could not have asked for a more beautiful wedding.  He was there for me when I had questions.  He introduced me to the best (Video, Photography, Cake, Florals, Decor, etc.) vendors that worked with me equally as professional and exceptional as he did.  If I had to describe Duncan in one word, it would be AMAZING!  And if I could give this man five thousand stars, I would.  Duncan Reyes is truly a god send.  I found Duncan through Yelp and he was the 2nd wedding planner I called.  The first planner I called didn’t answer the phone…on a Monday morning!   Duncan and I hit it off immediately on the phone and set up a meeting, but I knew from that conversation alone that I wanted Duncan to be my planner.  Duncan was attentive to all my questions, was by my side throughout each process and guided me with each decision.  I owe the every perfection of my wedding to this man.  Duncan is true talent, a friend and a man that knows the profession like the back of his hand.  My wedding went off without a hitch.  Timely, gorgeous, classy and exactly what I wanted.  I was told I was the calmest bride ever and it was all thanks to Duncan.  The day was stress free and i was able to enjoy every single minute of it because Duncan had it all under control.  I would do it all over again if I could and I wouldn’t do it with any other person.  You are the best thing that could ever happen to a Bride.  I would have never been able to pull anything close to what you have done.  Two words – “god send” – that’s what you are!  We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.  You will be a part of us forever. — Garrett & Phuong Bui-Hisatake (Bride & Groom)

Where do I begin?  All we can say is that we feel truly blessed to have worked with you this past year.  Your kindness, character, integrity, sense of humor and professionalism are apparently a natural part of who you are.  You have become a friend to us.  You are such a wonderful person, and we can’t thank you enough for all of the hard work, time and effort that you have put into our Wedding.  We admire you and will continue to tell everyone how wonderful you are.  Duncan Reyes is an extraordinary person.  He is honest, full of life, magnetic, and caring.  That is just a description of who he is as a person.  As a wedding planner, he is dedicated, ambitous, detail-oriented, professional, a negotiator, problem-solver, creative, and inventive.  Duncan was truly more than what I had expected.  I have no idea how he keeps every little detail of every wedding he is working on memorized.  He never had to look over notes when talking to me, and knew everything we had planned.  He is truly amazing.  He makes things fun, and he is extremely creative.  He is smart and very organized.  My husband tells everyone that it is the best money we spent on the wedding.  This is the same husband who was asking me why in the world we needed a wedding planner.  My dad also calls him his “adopted son”.  He made the process so smooth, and his ideas made our wedding unique and unforgettable.  He has extensive contacts in the industry, and you can count on him to put his whole heart and soul into planning your special day.  He makes you feel as if you are the only bride he is working with even though he has a ton of weddings that he is working on.  Everyone loves Duncan.  We have heard several guests at our wedding say that our wedding was the best weding they have ever been to.  Enough said!  Call him today! — Matthew & Melissa Casciato-Roybal (Bride & Groom)

Thank You! Thank You for all you did for us before, during and after the Wedding, It surpassed my wildest expectations. You clearly love what you do, because you went above and beyond anything we expected. From coming to all my appointments, to your crazily detailed schedules – you dotted every “I” and crossed every “T”. I would (and already have!) recommend your services to all my friends getting married. Don’t ever stop being your bad-ass self! Love ya !!! — Shawn & Erika Lu-Rangel (Bride & Groom)

I couldn’t have managed without you. You kept me sane with all the planning. I can’t believe how organized your are. It’s fantastic. Knowing you were there with me along the way made planning our day so exciting, stress free and fun. Having you there at our sides during the day ensured everything happened as it should and we had a blast. Thank you so much. I’m definitely having withdrawal symptoms…..so email me anytime !! 😉 — Shane & Suzanne Howard-Murphy (Bride & Groom)

You made us all blush with your effusiveness of thanks and kudos. So much of what happens at a wedding has to do with the overall ability of the planner and his/her willingness to oversee in a gentle manner the flow of the event. Your ability to let us do our job to the best of our abilities makes it a pleasure to work with you . As we all know, not everything is as perfect as we would have liked, small things happen , some things are overlooked or even on occasion forgotten and the best of us in this business pick up the pieces and make the event seamless for our paying clients. That is our job and you do it to perfection. Thank you for your kind words, for your super planning schema before the event, your support during the event and calm. — Betty Zlatchin (Owner-Betty Zlatchin Catering)

Duncan was wonderful!  I was panicking about the planning of our wedding.  Our wedding was in May, and when we met Duncan in February, we had done little but choose the venue.  He listened to all our input and came up with creative ideas and gave us a number of choices at each step.  Duncan is extremely well-connected and suggested excellent vendors throughout the Bay Area.  Duncan provided excellent advice on budget, and gave us tips on how to find good prices and what to look for with each vendor.  We had an outdoor wedding for about 180 people and Duncan arranged a beautiful ceremony and reception for us.  He took care of everything in a relaxed manner.  Our guests said they had never had so much fun at a wedding. On our wedding day, my mom said that Duncan gave us the “dream wedding”, which was true.  Lastly, Duncan is just a pleasure to work with.  He’s warm, has a great sense of humor and made us feel comfortable at each step.  There were many days leading up to the wedding when my fiance and I looked at each other, said how lucky we were to work with Duncan.  I know that Duncan has done so many weddings, but he brings so much enthusiasm, and made us feel very special. — Jennifer Yu-Burns (Bride)

Between light and dark. It is all part of the rich pageantry of life. These things come to mind when I think of Duncan. He is a man of so many talents. Over the years I have partnered with him on many events… all of them magical. His reputation is stellar, not only for the quality of his work, but because he is a wonderful human being. To partner with Duncan is a pleasure, but to call him one of my dearest friends is an honor. In the movie “My Best Friends Wedding”, Julia Roberts emphatically states “Creme Brulee could never be Jello!!!” I do not subscribe to that point of view. I have seen them co-exist peacefully in the heart and soul of Duncan.  Kudos to you my friend… you deserve all the success you have gained.  Regardless of the size and scope your your wedding, I highly recommend Duncan Reyes as your partner.  He will no doubt exceed your expectation as to what great service is.  That, and his engaging personality are his trademark. — Kurt Ackerman (Photographer)

I met Duncan Reyes when he worked with me on my wedding at the Westin St. Francis (he was their Coordinating Manager, I believe, at the time).  NOTE: HE WAS NOT THE SUCKY COORDINATOR THAT I PAID AND HIRED…although I should’ve just stuck with Duncan PERIOD, simply because he was a dream to work with.  When my hired wedding planner gave me headaches, Duncan knew how to alleviate them.  He made the wedding process/planning so much fun, he always had wonderful ideas and is beyond creative.  Duncan is very personable and is great to just talk to.  There is no doubt in my mind that if I were to plan my wedding all over again, Duncan would be the man I hire to coordinate the entire event…I recommend him 1000%.  He no longer works at the St. Francis, but has started his own wedding planning service…so he is available to you LUCKY couples!!  If you want to enjoy your wedding planning process…Duncan should be the name of your wedding planner….PERIOD!! — Karen Buitrago-Wong (Bride)

Duncan is truly a hands on, I’ll get it done and do it right Planner.  When you hire Duncan, it’s like hiring a former 5-Star Catering Manager and a Wedding Planner in one person.  It can’t get any better than that.  A few words comes to mind:

(D) – like a DIVA (I’ll call him DIVO) He’s fierce. He’s on your side.

(U) – Understanding, Calm, a problem Solver.

(N) – Never say Never. He listens to your wants and Executes.

(C) – Charismatic – brides and mothers becomes BFF’s w/ him.

(A) – ABSOLUTELY joy to work with!!  He’ll go the extra mile.

(N) – not just a Wedding Planner, but a Creative designer for your Dream Wedding. 

Brides, You’ll have the Dream Team the minute you meet this Man. I’m glad I did.  Duncan, thank you a million times!! Your services Rock!

** 10 STARS **

** 10 STARS **

** 10 STARS **

** 10 STARS **

Beverly Yip (Owner-Especially Yours Chair Covers & Rentals)

I would not hesitate for a moment to recommend Duncan as a wedding planner.  He is kind, respectful, honest, creative, generous, caring, and fun . . . and that’s just for starters. — Syma Kazeminy-Bitton (Bride)

If you are looking for a stress-free wedding day, then Duncan is the man you are looking for.  I am not the easiest person to work with but Duncan knew how to handle things professionally. He went above and beyond my expectations. I said what I wanted and he followed through. When vendors were difficult, he mediated the situation. He knows many highly talented people in the industry, which enables him to work with most budgets and supply a memorable wedding.  If he can handle my drunk brother in a Captain America outfit, then he can do anything.  (If you hire him, you can ask him the story).  When my wedding weekend started, I spent every minute enjoying time with my family and friends.  I wasn’t stressed at any point of my weekend.  I had a missing bridesmaid and at least 10 guest didn’t show up to my reception – still no stress.  I just had the best experience of my life and I know Duncan was somewhat responsible. Thanks DUNCAN!   People are still talking about the wedding. — Liza Sino Cruz-Narido (Bride)

Duncan has planned many super fabulous star-studded bizillionaire type weddings and events.  Yet he never made our small budget wedding feel any less special.  Working with Duncan is fantastic.  He is very organized and responds promptly and is always early for meetings.  He helped keep us on-track and kept within our budget.  He has great ideas and great taste.  Our wedding was beautiful and stress-free and everyone had a fun time.  I would highly recommend Duncan to anyone planning an event. — Jason Hashimoto (Groom)

When we started planning our wedding we were really surprised that our contract with the venue said that we had to have a wedding planner.  We were wondering how to use a coordinator and what they would do that would help us since we felt that it was “all in the bag”.  Well, basically the thing i learned about planning a wedding is that there are a ton of people that need to be on board and Duncan made everything work so well that potential problems were solved, everyone was in line and we were able to enjoy our event. He’s creative, on the ball, and completely professional.  A total ace! — Domenique Sillett-Buxton (Bride)