Turning Point Events, LLC

ce-went far above and beyond-simply outstanding!

e from Washington DC, and without Mary we would have had a hard time figuring out what role to play and planning a rehearsal dinner from out of town. Mary has a special set of skills and personal qualities that make her a perfect wedding planner. She knows the area's caterers, DJs, and venues, and if there is anything she doesn't know, she will go to great lengths to get reliable information. Mary went above and beyond in figuring out how we could play the Hora at the wedding (even calling a rabbi!), as this customary dance was important to us. The bride and groom liked Mary immediately and felt that she "got" them. Additionally, Mary deftly navigated lots of family dynamics and managed to unruffle any ruffled feathers. She was clear in her reminders that the bride's and groom's wishes were at the fore - something we all wanted but sometimes lost track of. As the mother of the groom, I wasn't sure if it would be okay for me to reach out to Mary with questions and concerns. I needn't have worried about that! Mary answered every single one of my questions (via text, email, and phone) promptly and with good cheer. I'm not sure how many of us can say their only regret is that their child's wedding planner couldn't also be their friend. I can't recommend Mary highly enough. She is wonderful!

nt at talking sense into you. She was right there with me the whole time we were planning our reception, and when we had to find a new venue five days before the event, she didn't even blink. She just helped me transfer everything and got right along with it. My husband and I were so relaxed the day of. She made the most beautiful tablescapes and handled the marshalling of the troops for setup and takedown. You need this woman for your event. You will regret it if you go with anyone else.

e than pleased with. Her calming and kind personality kept me so at peace through the whole process. Not only did Mary coordinate for my wedding, but she also did our florals. Mary took maybe one or two pictures that I sent to her of my vision. She not only encompassed that in all of our floral arrangements, but she somehow went above and beyond that. I feel like she really got to know me as a person and the way the florals and decorations turned out really reflected that. Having Mary for both florals and coordination was easily the BEST decision I made for my wedding, truly and honestly. Her assistants are wonderful as well. She will make sure that you have the day you have always dreamed of. I will recommend her to every single bride I know in the future. She will be your saving grace!

rue! She has great experience and expertly guides you through the planning process. Mary truly enjoys helping brides and their families and it shows! She’s amazingly hands-on invaluable on the wedding day and handles the big stuff as well as crazy issues that pop up - like sewing my daughter-in-law into her dress when her zipper broke!

r almost a year, and when we needed her early on, she was always available, and when everything for the final day ramped up, Mary was right there, coaching us, making calls, attending meetings, sending emails, calming our nerves and most importantly allowing me and my husband to enjoy the beautiful day with our daughter, new son in law, family and friends! She went above and beyond! I hope she is still working when my next two get married so I can hire her again!

g 180 guests inside and back out. She is a patient, kind and dedicated planner who LISTENS to your every want, need or concern! Leading up to our wedding day, Mary was responsive and diligent in collecting all of our details to eliminate stress off the bride, groom and their families. She was sent from the Wedding Gods to make sure everything went smoothly, but more importantly, that the couple and our families were able to enjoy every minute of the day. Don't hesitate... book Mary NOW!!!

dding went smoothly. She helped resolve an issue with our transportation and allowed us to focus on the big picture rather than the small details. The day of the wedding was where Mary really shined. Everyone knew where to be and what their cues were. She especially knows how to maneuver difficult circumstances and changes in timing. Due to an overestimate, we arrived 45 minutes early to our reception. We were ushered into a side room to avoid an early entrance. My wife and I were able to have our own private cocktail hour. Mary and Kris (from The Monastery) made sure we were comfortable. The rest of the night went amazingly!

and did a great job making sure everything ran smoothly. Additionally, she went above and beyond to make sure my husband’s grandma was taken care of during the cocktail hour, and she made sure the bridal party, parents table and my husband and I were taken care of during dinner! We couldn’t have asked for anything more!

s in addition to guiding me through planning (recognizing my schedule is crazy as a busy physician) and ensured everything went smoothly on our big day. She is calm, dedicated, artistic, kind and a joy to work with. You should race to reserve Mary’s time and expertise, she’s the cream of the crop!

the wedding day. I'm not sure how we would have enjoyed ourself on the day of without her behind-the-scenes action and calm demeanor throughout. You absolutely should invest in working with Mary!

ble conversations that I wanted to avoid which I cannot praise her enough for! She made me know that I alone was her priority and made sure to communicate my vision to the other vendors. She was by myside every step of the way. Her tips and tricks were priceless. She is a bull dog and made me feel so important and special. I cannot imagine going through this process without her. I absolutely hate planning and I was very overwhelmed until Mary stepped onto the scene. My fiance and I live in Nashville so planning an out of state ceremony and reception was a lot, and asking Mary to help us was my best decision I could have made. Thank you so much for caring so much, Mary. You are truly gifted. In Mary We Trust.

. She went out of her way to make sure we got exactly what we needed, even helping us with florals when we had a vendor cancel. It was so refreshing to find someone who knew what they were doing, told us the best way to get things done, and then made sure it got done no matter what. I cannot stress enough how much we loved working with Mary and how much she did to create the best event for us. She also is the sweetest and was so easy to get along with.

king with her was phenomenal. I knew how much I was going to have to pay (she never tried to up-charge me) along with the flowers were beautiful. I felt so heard and understand. She put together the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen and set up my arbor to be breathtaking. She also threw in extra flowers onto my arbor because she is just super kind and thoughtful. I will be recommending her to anyone who needs wedding flowers!

and downs throughout the wedding planning process and Mary was there for me every step of the way. She is always so responsive, so organized and so easy to work with. She became a great friend along the way and I am so beyond grateful for her support and help. My wedding was an absolute dream and I truly have Mary to thank for it. She is there for any late night text with questions, a quick Facetime call to go over details, and has solutions to every problem out there. I've always been a person who has to have control over a lot of things, and I put all my trust into Mary and her team and I'm so happy I did. I didn't have to worry about a thing because she always had it covered. She is so great at what she does and she is one aspect to your wedding that you will never regret having. Thank you, Turning Point Events, for literally everything!

l, the kindest human, and always on top of things. She put together the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen and executed a day that could've been overwhelming if we did it alone, but with her help, was the best day of our lives! She helped make our wedding day everything we could have ever dreamed of, even in the midst of a pandemic. We are forever thankful for Mary and all she did for us!!

great wedding together. Mary was our day-of coordinator and did a great job making sure we were only included in the right decisions at the right time. Our day went so well and all of our friends mentioned how amazing our wedding was.

lessed to have the kind of simple but beautiful event that they had hoped for, and we owe so much of that to Mary at Turning Points Event. As she had assured us, and other parents we knew had already experienced, every need had been anticipated by Mary and every detail pre-planned. Mary lived up to her reputation of being gifted, personable, and detail-oriented, which allowed for a largely stress-free weekend for the couple and their families! The wedding was touching, the flowers were so lovely, the reception was a blast, our guests were treated so well, and no one went into long-term debt. What else could we have asked for? Thank you again to Mary and her team!

made this especially challenging for us as parents, was that this wedding was an out of town event (some 1,000 miles away in Denver), and the “kids” wanted to do it on a tight budget and do much of the wedding planning and coordination themselves! We thought about suggesting to them the possibility of using a wedding planner to help plan their dream wedding, but first we had to find a wedding planner. We asked friends and neighbors in Cincinnati for recommendations, and ONE name consistently came up – Mary Barkocy, owner of Turning Point Events! We approached the kids and asked them if they would be interested in using Mary’s expertise, and they jumped at the opportunity (as their stress level was increasing as the big day was fast approaching)! Through the next several months, Mary helped them stay within budget, saving them money by working directly with vendors and contractors, helped the kids with checklists and timelines and to-do lists, helped them sort through cost cutting options (while still trying to give them the wedding of their dreams), and she even gave them things to do or consider not doing, as they prepared for this special day. Additionally, to ensure the wedding went as planned, she was willing to travel to Denver to make sure things went as smoothly as possible. Mary’s team was non-stop for several days prior to the wedding to ensure things went well. Mary coordinated and managed the Denver vendors, handled the rehearsal and she also managed the transformation of the kids’ church to a reception hall. Mary designed table layout options for the available lobby space in the church and arranged for lighting specialists to “convert the lobby to a reception area”. She also personally arranged the flowers and centerpieces as well. What makes Mary so unique as a wedding planner is that she is not trying to plan a wedding that she wants - but rather what the bride and groom want! She uses her vast experience as a wedding planner, her experience as a mom of 3 married daughters, her experience as a wife of 35+ years and the ability to listen and continue to move forward to get the job done! She sees the big picture, but is very attentive to the many details involved with a wedding to make it amazing. And boy was our daughter’s wedding amazing. Words can’t express how amazing this out of town wedding was. But in the words of my daughter the day after the event “We LOVED IT, We can’t stop talking about it, It was PERFECT”. We would strongly recommend Mary to help make your daughter’s wedding a memory to last a lifetime!

Due to Covid-19, our wedding date changed from May to August. We end up just having our ceremony in August and moved our reception to next year. Mary went above and beyond her contract duties to ensure our wedding would still be amazing! She really became a good friend throughout this process! She help communicate with our other vendors, created the perfect timeline of the day, and also help us communicate with our guests with our “change of plans” mailings. Mary is definitely someone you want on your wedding planning team! She stays calm, problem solved quickly, very detail oriented and communicates well! Thank you Mary!

bsolutely choose her for any of your wedding needs!! We LOVED working with her!

challenging to say the least. As our plans evolved from a large indoor event to an intimate outdoor event, Mary walked us through every consideration. In the end, the wedding was all my daughter hoped for and more. Mary's knowledge of the industry helped us make quick decisions during a time when rules were changing daily. In addition to the planning help, Mary arranged the floral for the wedding, including arch pieces. With very little direction, Mary was able to understand what my daughter wanted and exceeded her expectations- the floral was absolutely stunning! Having Mary’s help enabled me to hand over the control, trusting her to keep us on track. Investing in Mary’s services allowed me to focus on and be present for my daughter which is a gift I will be forever grateful for.

othing out all the fine details. Due to COVID-19, we had to change a vast majority from what we originally planned (including a change in venue) and we could not have done this without her. She took the time to walk us through all of our options and helped us to decide what would be the best solution would be to still have our dream wedding while keeping our friends and family safe. She problem solves calmly and efficiently. She is quick to respond to all questions and is incredibly willing to help at all times. Her floral arrangements were BEAUTIFUL, she did exactly what I wanted. It was so simple for me to just give her a few inspiration photos and I knew I could trust her to do the rest, she did not disappoint!

ays leading up to the wedding and the wedding day itself so much more relaxed and easy than we ever could have thought! She’s professional, diligent, creative, and a blast to work with. If We could give one piece of advice for future couples, it would be to hire Mary. She will save you money in a bunch of different areas and help make your day fun for your guests and yourselves. Her years of experience are one of her biggest assets as a planner/coordinator. She’ll help you with big picture vision down to every detail, like what size candles you need for you space. She’s even amazing at arranging flowers! We can’t recommend her enough!!!!!!

ul wedding florals! As the coordinator she accompanied my mom to all of the meetings with vendors knowing all the right questions to ask and matters to address. She helped my fiancé and I organize our chaos with useful spreadsheets and prioritization. She was also an excellent advocate for us navigating between the various vendors to help us have the wedding of our dreams down to the little details. My family always joked that I would be late to my own wedding, and thanks to Mary creating a wedding day timeline for us- that was not the case. On the day of she managed all the details and arrivals at the venue as well as the florals. I received so many compliments on the flower arrangements. Mary listened carefully to my vision and beautifully executed everything I had hoped for and more! I would absolutely recommend Turning Point Events.

ut she also has an incredible heart for listening to what the bride and groom want their wedding to be. Mary also did our florals and they were GORGEOUS! My daughter had loosely described her vision and Mary nailed it and then some! I have never seen prettier bouquets, garlands and centerpieces. Throughout the planning process Mary was a joy to work with and quick to respond to texts or emails. On the day of the wedding she was a calming presence, handling all of the details so that we could just enjoy the day.

our phone call meetings (long distance wedding planning) and also handled all of the floral arrangements, even putting them together herself (we had so many compliments on them). We also had some minor changes that we wanted during our wedding day and she was so accommodating and went right to work handling all of them with no complaint or hesitation, which was a huge stress reliever for us. I couldn't imagine trying to plan & execute our big day without her help!

be. We had never hosted a wedding before and we needed advice in making the event welcoming and intimate for our many guests, making the ceremony spiritual as well as celebratory, and making each detail of the reception personal and joyful. They added just the grace and professionalism we needed for a wonderful weekend! At one point the afternoon of the wedding, the entire bridal party (which included every member of both families) was off-site for a two hour photo session prior to the ceremony. If we had not had Mary coordinating everything, we would have worried about being gone so long, but we knew Turning Point Events was back at the hotel overseeing every detail of lighting and flower placement and chair set-up and table settings and escort cards. So that allowed each of us to relax and enjoy the beautiful day. The team at Turning Point Events was wonderful in every way! We are very thankful for them!

cluding "big events", because the buck stops with me. What made us hire Turning Points was I realized this was my daughter's day, not my companies, and the usual "speak" which I am used to get things done might cause more harm than good. Trusting another person to carry the ball wasn't easy, but due to the love our daughter we wanted the best. Mary was the best. She communicated with great ease, dignity, humor and diplomacy with my daughter, us, the wedding party and family members, and the wedding vendors. We had several people chuckle that "weddings never start on time", but trust me, ours did. It was one of the best days of our lives, and certainly the best day so far for the bride and groom. Mary returns calls and texts promptly, handles the mundane and super delicate tasks that a wedding brings. She worked to find ways for us to save money. Not easy! We were on time, on budget and cannot recommend her and her team enough. I just wish she could stay on and be our "family whisperer" forever, she makes things really easy.

lpful in guiding us through the many decisions that are needed in planning a wedding. Her knowledge of local vendors and which ones would best suit our daughter and her husbands vision of their day was impressive to say the least. Her coordination of the days timeline was key and provided all of us with a relaxed, fun and loving stress free day. Start with the decision to bring Mary on board and everything else will flow from there.

does! She was quick to respond to any question I had and perfectly executed our vision for our day. Any time I needed anything on the wedding day Mary or Corinne was there to help, whether it was bustling my train or making sure I had water to drink. I highly recommend Mary for your day!

help and didn't want to have anyone in our family or guests doing any work. That's when we chose Mary with Turning Point Events as our day-of coordinator and it was the BEST decision we made! She planned every detail we didn't even think about, started working with our vendors beforehand, and was very responsive and communicative through the entire process. When it came to the actual day, we had a last minute switch of the ceremony venue and Mary coordinated all the time and vendor changes so that it was completely seamless! She handled every detail on the day of our wedding so well that I had no stress about things falling into place. We received so many complements throughout the entire evening on how well it flowed! For someone who has never planned a wedding, you don't realize there is so much thought and and prep that goes into the actual day. Mary was a lifesaver and I would recommend her to anyone planning a wedding!

egant reality. She was prompt on time and made me feel very calm during the entire planning process. Mary was on top of things and I did not have to lift a finger during the entire day. She had everything in such a neat order and when I saw the venue come together after she completed her final touches, I could not believe how beautiful everything looked (placement of flowers, centerpieces, etc). Mary is excellent with thinking on the spot and knowing what to do when things don't go quite as planned/envisioned. For example: I had a garland that was supposed to line the aisle, but it ended up being too short. She had the thought to instead line the aisle with lanterns and put the greenery around each lantern, and I actually loved it even more than my original idea! I was not a picky bride whatsoever, and I gave her the reins on just about everything looks-wise. I was so impressed with how everything tied together and came to life. SO many of my wedding guests are still ranting and raving about how gorgeous everything looked and how smooth everything ran. No one had to wait long periods of time for ANYTHING. I was a bit nervous about the room flip (because I decided to have the ceremony inside), but it ran so effortlessly. I don't know how she does it while keeping so very calm, but it was amazing! For being a bride that is usually a very anxious person, I was so calm on our wedding day. I didn't stress for even a second and I truly believe it's all because of that one decision to hire Mary and her team. I would (and will) recommend her to any and every future couple!

stics than anticipated; I am so grateful to Mary and her team for making sure everything ran smoothly. Mary executed everything exactly how we wanted and kept the day very low stress for my mother and myself. We cannot thank her enough!

lax and actually enjoy our wedding day because of all the effort and energy Mary put into it. At first I told my wife we really didn't need a planner when we started, but now I think she was one of our most important vendors. She made the entire weekend so awesome. Without Mary there I know my wife and I would have been so stressed out. There were so many things I didn't realize until we had Mary's advice and expertise to help us. She also did our flowers and I couldn't believe how great they looked. Everyone complemented us all night on how amazing everything looked. Don't hesitate when choosing because Mary and her team are worth every penny and more.

mine and Michael's wedding day absolutely amazing! Throughout the planning process, whenever we would speak to Mary about our wedding vision, she instantly knew what we wanted and would come up with the best plans, ideas, and designs to help pull everything together. Five stars does not do her justice! If I could give her more, the limit literally would not exist on how many stars I could give! Mary not only was our wedding planner, she also doubled as our florist and completely hands down captured exactly what we wanted for the design and look of our wedding. I was speechless (which isn't very like me) when I got to view the room. I couldn't wait for Michael to see our vision had truly come to life! We hired Mary because we needed a day of wedding planner and florist but we got so so SO much more. We got a new life friend. If you are looking for someone who truly, genuinely cares about you, your soon to be Mr or Mrs, and honestly your whole wedding guest list, HIRE MARY. No, don't search for other options..Just trust this review and choose Mary. You seriously will NOT regret it!

aid back and pleasant. She enhanced our ideas and plans with gifted and experienced know-how. From early planning days her coordination with the vendors to beautifying the venue, she was top-notch. Come event day, we had no worries. We were in good hands. Thank you, Mary.

a reality check. Mary made it all happen. Truly we could not be more grateful for her expertise, guidance, and sense of style. She was a meaningful support for my husband and I through the whole process and we are more grateful to her than words can say. Especially for helping my mom pull off a behind the scenes surprise in a way that left me more than happy as a bride who had thought through so much of the day and left my mom feeling really valued and cherished. Mary can work her magic with any family, at any venue, at any time of year. We just loved her!

ng my family members, to helping me into my dress while my maid of honor helped the rest of my bridesmaids, there is truly nothing this team can’t accomplish. They are professional from the moment we met and through each stage of the wedding and every up and down. When we worked with our other vendors, including the reception venues planner, Mary’s resources, professionalism and spirit were essential to getting what we needed accomplished. I have a special place for this team in my heart and know that you will feel the same after you work with them!

hedule. Mary coordinated the details, major and minor, running last minute errands, as needed, which allowed me to enjoy the day. It was a great comfort knowing she was there. I highly recommend Mary!

, my go to guru for any and every question, my problem fixer, and most importantly she became a friend. She and Mallory, her designer, helped planned the most amazing wedding for me and my now husband and did it with extreme attention to detail( which is critical for any planner), organization, and prompt timeliness. A planner is an great addition if you can get one, but it makes a world of difference of who it is. I would recommend her to any of my friends and family and In fact my sister can’t wait to work with her as well! Her and Mallory helped create the wedding of my dreams and if you are considering using a planner use them! Not all planners will let you text or call whenever you have a question and calm you down when you are stressed about something you don’t see a solution for, but she will. She was available and ready to help whenever and that is a huge asset. She and Mallory went above and beyond in ways that I can’t list here or this review will go on forever, but in short... hire Turning Point and it will be the single best decision you make for your wedding.

rack starting in the weeks leading up to our day. She also answered the random questions I wasn't sure who else to ask in the months leading up to our wedding. She handled everything and it was such a relief to not have to worry about a single thing that day. You couldn't ask for a better coordinator to help you keep your chill on your day. If you're considering hiring a coordinator, DO IT now and hire Mary - you will not regret it!

ectly and took care of any hiccups that occured. When I walked into my reception, I could not stop talking about how amazing everything was and it was all thanks to Mary and her incredible work. I actually miss talking to her now that my wedding is over :) My mom and bridesmaids also commented on how organized she was and what a calming presence she had on the entire day. I highly recommend Mary and all of her work!

I hesitated to consider hiring a coordinator at first. Being so detail oriented, I thought I could handle it. After one conversation with Mary though, I knew we needed her. She executed my vision perfectly with her impeccable creative eye. Not to mention, her expertise in wedding logistics was absolutely priceless when it came to the many moving pieces and parts of the day. Mary made it possible for me to truly enjoy the day and soak up every moment.