Jennifer Matteo Event Planning - Sarasota, Florida

Courtney P.

I’m not quite sure where to begin this review but I believe it’s extremely pertinent to mention that I got married on 10/13/2024. A mere 4 days after Hurricane Milton made landfall. It was definitely a new experience for the JMEP team to figure out how to pull off a full blown wedding in my childhood home’s backyard with no power, but they did. She even had her husband bring an additional generators on top of the ones my father had so we could ensure we had lights. For that, I will always be so thankful. Our date was very important to us, as it was our 7 year anniversary and with my wife scheduled to deploy to Poland this April, we knew we couldn’t wait.

My biggest highlight of working with Meghan and Jenn is the effort they took to create the vision I had in mind. They guided me on tough choices and I always appreciated what they had to say. Also, each person they suggested was beyond kind to me and my wife, we LOVED every single vendor. It felt like they really considered how each vendor would fit with my wife and I’s personalities. The clearest example of this is how at ease our photographer made my camera shy wife feel.

Additionally, as a queer couple we were particularly guarded and Jenn was a fierce advocate. She found an LGBTQIA activist in the area to marry us, made vendors change language in contracts to reflect two brides NOT a bride and a groom, and overall just let us know how she loved planning gay weddings!

Meghan has a huge heart for others and their joy, it’s very apparent. She tries so hard to make you feel loved.

It was a whirlwind planning and executing our day, but I’m very proud of this team.

Elizabeth F.

Jen and her team were fantastic! I know almost nothing about getting married or being a bride- and lucky for me, I found Jen! Jen and her team were hands on with everything. They even helped us find some amazing vendors! We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect wedding. Everything turned out truly amazing, every detail was carefully thought out and things I would have never even considered, she made sure were perfect. I would absolutely recommend Jen and her team.

Julie S.

Jen is AMAZING, one of a kind! I hired JMEP to help me with the overwhelming task of planning a Celebration of Life for my recently deceased husband. Jen was super easy to work with and has incredible ideas and taste. She is assertive, but so likeable and caring. I could not have done this without her and will be using her and her team for my kids’ future weddings!

I had already chosen the venue, a menu & music, but Jen and her team jumped in to help me with everything else. She created a partial custom party package which included creating & sending a save the date and then later the official evite, customized a floorplan, coordinated furniture, linens, flowers, drapes, lighting, a videographer, attended walk-throughs of the event space, meetings with the DJ, and procured beautiful custom memory photo walls. She and Megan were on-site on the night of my event to make sure everything ran smoothly. I have not stopped receiving compliments about how elegant and respectful the space turned out and how wonderful the evening was to honor my husband. It was even better than I had hoped for.

Cassandra M.

I had a wonderful experience working with Jen and her team for my November wedding! From start to finish, she helped me stay organized and I always felt one step ahead! Her creative vision and attention to detail is unmatched! She perfectly executed our vision day of. Jen, Meg and Debbie helped my wedding day run smoothly and on time. I cannot thank JMEP enough! It was truly a dream come true!!

akinder92

JMEP is the wedding planning service that every bride NEEDS in their wedding planning process. Not only is Jenn a true lady boss, she has a fine eye for details, as does everyone on her team. I truly felt like I had another group of friends planning my wedding with me. I hired Jenn over a year before my wedding and no matter how far out our date was, she always responded to emails quickly and helped with whatever I needed. She was a buffer between me and my mother at times (everyone needs that at some point), she put me in touch with the best vendors, and she made my wedding vision become a reality. She made sure everything went according to schedule the day of, and even our guests said that she made the day better! I would 100% recommend AT LEAST her partial planning package, but full planning is really the ticket, as is her Bridal Concierge program. I would book Jenn for every event I have for the rest of my life and would recommend her 10 times over! Best planner and person EVER! Go and book her now- do it!!!!

Taylor M.

Shortly after hiring Jen for my wedding at the Jubilee Estate, my fiancé and I settled on a wedding date of 12/28/2024 after confirming with our VIP guests. Jen facilitated the contract to reserve the date, and we signed it. Days later, we were suddenly told that the venue had been "accidentally" double-booked and that we needed to choose a new date. This was devastating. I later learned that another family booked the venue through Airbnb because it still showed as available, which left me wondering whether the issue was truly a mistake or just a careless oversight by Jen. Instead of taking accountability, Jen shifted blame elsewhere and downplayed the situation while I was left in tears. When we picked a new date, she went completely unresponsive for almost a week, leaving us in limbo as we anxiously waited for confirmation that our date was secured.
Over the next 10 months, Jen frequently canceled or rescheduled Zoom calls without warning, often without any explanation, and with no regard for my work and school schedule. More concerning was her complete disregard for our budget. Despite us making it very clear what we could afford, she continuously pushed the most expensive vendors on us. I later realized that she charges an extra 10% fee if the total event cost exceeds $75,000, which left me questioning whose interests she was really looking out for.
As the wedding got closer, crucial tasks were still unfinished, and we had to chase her down for updates. We specifically asked to finalize vendor proposals well before traveling to Florida so that payments would be handled in advance. Yet, week after week, she gave excuse after excuse, blaming vendors for the delays. When we finally called the vendors ourselves, we were shocked to hear that they had not even heard from her! Instead of advocating for us and ensuring everything was running smoothly, it felt like she was the source of the holdup. Then, when the final proposals were sent, we were shocked to find unnecessary add-ons that we never approved--like 300 wine glasses for 125 guests. It was clear that we had to micromanage every detail just to prevent additional, unnecessary expenses.
Just when I thought the stress was over, two days before the wedding, we received an email informing us that we needed to pay for a generator--something that had never been mentioned in the 10 months of planning. To make matters worse, the day before the wedding, I received an invoice for Jen's additional 10% fee and was told I needed to pay it THAT DAY. I was on vacation, without my computer or records to cross-check numbers, making this request beyond unreasonable. To avoid creating waves, I paid it. When I finally reviewed the invoice after returning home, I was stunned to see that she had included costs for vendors my mother personally found--vendors that she had no involvement with - AND she included prices that corresponded to proposals with a much higher guest count than what was provided on the final guest list.
During my reception, I was further disappointed when I observed Jen being short and dismissive with my guests. I actually watched her physically shoo people and rudely tell them to go to their seats before dinner, which left me feeling embarrassed.
I initially decided not to write a negative review and move on, but today (TWO MONTHS after my wedding), I received an email from a vendor stating that 6 linens were missing from the event and that JMEP told them I was responsible for the replacement cost. Considering JMEP was the one who rented and stored the linens, I was baffled as to why this was suddenly my problem. When I reached out to Jen to discuss, her response was extremely dismissive--essentially telling me it wasn't her issue because her name wasn't on the contract. When I expressed my disappointment in the way she chose to handle the situation, she fired back with a petty threat, saying she would "have the vendors charge me back the extra 10%" that I supposedly received as a discount for being a client of JMEP. Real classy, Jen!

Haley R.

The easiest and best decision we made for our wedding was hiring Jennifer Matteo and her team. Not only is Jen and her team incredibly talented, they’re amazing human beings and so much fun to work with. JMEP made the whole process of planning our wedding fun and stress free. From every vendor they recommended, to the show table(s), to every small detail, everything was so amazing!! I’m sure I wasn’t the easiest client they’ve had - I was the annoying bride that changed everything twice- but they never made me feel short of amazing. I can’t get over of how perfect our wedding day was, all thanks to Jen, Bridgette, and the rest of the team. We love JMEP and will find another reason to hire them again soon. Thank you - we are forever grateful!

colleen B.

As a wedding vendor in the Sarasota area that works with many planners, I love the JMP vibe. They are relaxed and fun and they get the job done beautifully without being uptight. I don’t think the average person realizes how much goes into planning a wedding and then day of execution of a wedding. It’s massive. I love how the JMP team stays calm even when the inevitable surprises come up.

If you want a creative force, on trend and never boring, and a team on site that will be cool and collected, this is a great fit.