Shelly Fortune Event Design

Fantastic experience: I truly can't say enough wonderful things about Beth & the Shelly Fortune Events team. Throughout the whole wedding process Beth navigated every part with quick responses, professionalism and excellent advice and expertise. Before I started planning, my sister's number one piece of advice was to hire the best wedding planner we could find. I can confidently say we did just that. Beth truly made the whole process fun, enjoyable, and for that we are forever grateful. She listened to all of our wants and needs and brought our vision to life. We couldn't have hoped for anything more. I am a very type A planner myself and I was able to fully let go and trust that Beth and the Shelly Fortune team had everything under control. If you are looking for an event planner- this is your team.

Fantastic experience: Cannot say enough wonderful things about Shelly and her entire team! If I could give more stars I would!

Fantastic experience: I’m approaching my 10th wedding with Shelly & team, and I can’t sing their praises enough. I’m not entirely sure how they’ve managed it (I should probably take notes), but both Shelly & Beth combine a down-to-earth aura with mountain-moving competence. I’ve worked with a lot of wedding planners, and that’s the combo you want. They put the important things into perspective and craft events that reflect the values of their clients. As a result, those couples feel safe to let go and become fully present come wedding day (what it's all about). Both Shelly & Beth are a joy to collaborate with and bring out the best in everyone involved. You’ll be lucky to work with them.

Fantastic experience: Part one of two! Our wedding bested our every dream thanks to the Shelly Fortune Event Design team. They are everything they tell you they are and far beyond. We worked with SF over a two year engagement. We spoke with a lot of planners, but we loved the professionalism, kindness, and clear high quality we saw right away from SF. It's fantastic they are both planners and designers. We learned some planners really just deal with guest experience and logistics and hire designers...or don't. SF does it all and the team values storytelling, art, and design, which was huge to us! The video on their website describes everything we were looking for and it's everything the team is! As we continued on with them, we were only ever reassured in our choice and just realized more and more how special the team is. We worked closest with Beth Thorner who is just so incredible for so many reasons. Beth amazes us with her work ethic, expertise, and ability to be both the kindest person, but still firm when needed. One of our first real experiences with Beth was on a tour of venues all around Kentucky and Cincinnati. She created such an organized itinerary for us that made everything easy and fun. She clearly had such a great relationship with the staff at the venues she had already worked at, but we also saw how great she was at connecting with newer venues. We could've gotten married at all the places she took us to. She understood what we wanted so fast and found great options. It was such a tough choice. When we eventually ended up picking a venue near Nashville outside SF's typical area, the team was right there with us. I wanted to make sure it was ok with them, but Beth made it feel like wherever we chose, they'd make it work and be happy to do so! It ended up being so fun and special that it was a new place for all of us and involved travel. Beth arranged a trip there all on her own to start getting to know the venue. We also met her there once for a tasting and to advance our planning. Next, it was time to figure out how to actually plan a wedding. No question was too small for Beth who helped me figure out how one actually picks a wedding photographer, for example, with simple answers that left me feeling sure and less stressed. She was always so responsive. I often have so many ideas in all different directions and get easily overwhelmed by it all and end up frozen. Beth was a wonderful expert to lean on. She helped organize all my ideas into mood boards. She also knew which vendors would be perfect for us, but never pressured us to pick them. Her stationer suggestion (Poeme in Cinncinati) was possibly the biggest win of the whole wedding. When it was challenging for us to figure out how we wanted to move forward with design, Beth recommended we create the invitation and go from there. It truly did help and MADE the wedding! As our planning progressed, we realized Beth was really our ride or die through this whole thing. She fought for us always. She also advocated for us with our families, vendors, and the venue, always standing up to make sure we were getting what we wanted. I've never had someone do that for me and I think it has had a longer term impact beyond just the wedding. Beth is so sweet so I was really surprised the first couple times I saw her get tough with people, but she does it as needed and her ability to do both is so necessary and has inspired me to learn how to be a little stronger when needed in business. I should say she also worked so harmoniously with all our other team members. In a similar vein, I feel it's important to note we had some really big requests. My mother, for example, is wonderful, but can be tough and extremely detail oriented, sometimes scaring people away. Beth took it all in stride and never shied away. Continue to part two, please from account "VJ-Kim Neat Seltzer"!

Fantastic experience: Beth Thorner with Shelly Fortune Events was amazing! From the minute we started planning my daughter’s wedding to the last minute of the reception, Beth was incredible. Her attention to detail, vendor recommendations, design, organization, availability and moral support were both professional and warm. Beth immediately grasped Meggie’s vision as if she had known her for years making it a very personal experience. Whether it was keeping us on task or on budget, Beth never let me get overwhelmed and when I called her with a concern or question she always promptly responded with a solution. My daughter’s comment to her dad and I ,”Thanks for the best day of my life, it was even more beautiful than I envisioned”, says it all. We could never have accomplished that without Beth’s incredible talent and her warm personality who is also nice to be around, which is especially important on wedding day! I would highly recommend Shelly Fortune Event and Design, and Beth Thorner in particular.

Fantastic experience: Shelly and her team are just remarkable. I am not a planner type at all so having shelly calling the shots and making vendor connections made our wedding process so relaxing and simple. Shelly is everything you’d look for in a wedding planner. She tells it like it is, offers opinions on what’s worth your money, and what’s not! This is huge as all those little things add up. And I can’t not mention and add a few pics of how stunning our wedding turned out. Shelly is the absolute best!!!!

Fantastic experience: Shelly and her team were exceptional! Shelly was right there with me every step of the way from the beginning of the planning process to the very end of the wedding reception. She was always available to answer any and all of my many questions along the way, and she and her team truly brought my dream wedding to life! Highly recommend if you're looking for a team to seamlessly walk you through every step of the wedding planning process from start to finish.

Fantastic experience: I can’t even begin to put into words how grateful we are to have had the opportunity to work with the Shelly Fortune team when it came to planning our wedding! Shelly Fortune Events came highly recommended by our venue and we now know why! They made the entire planning process so easy, organized and most importantly, FUN! Of course they also provided us with the best vendor recommendations as well. This team is top-notch and exceeded our expectations in every way possible. We seriously cannot recommend Beth and the rest of the SF team enough!

Fantastic experience: Beth Thorner and the entire team at Shelly Fortune are top notch!! Beth was a dream to work with. She helped bring to life the wedding my daughter imagined. We left every meeting with Beth saying "thank goodness for Beth"! She helped connect us with the best vendors. And for every question she had an answer, for every problem she offered a solution. There was never a call or text that wasn't responded to quickly and she was always so patient and kind!! The peace of mind we had knowing we had her and the SF team on the job was priceless. My daughter and I were stress free on the day of the wedding because we were 100% confident in Beth to take care of everything!! Beth is a gem!! It was a magical, beautiful and happy day and I can't thank this team enough.

Fantastic experience: Short version Eloquent Ease. If Shelly Fortune Events was doing some type of rebranding and asking people to submit company names, that would be our submission. A sense of ease is something that seems impossible to experience on momentous days (and most days these days). But, this and clarity is what her and her team just naturally provide to the day and the steps leading up to it. This gift allowed everything to fall exactly how it was supposed to, or at least feel like it. Professional, organized, and feels like family (with like really healthy boundaries that no one messes with) that you can be yourself around from the start. All of the stars. Long version Planning and coordinating a small or large gathering isn’t something that comes naturally to most people. It takes mental and emotional energy, financial resources, and time. This challenge is one that Shelly and her team are experts in, and supported us throughout as a couple. Their dynamic created a space for us to intentionally determine our gathering’s purpose: to fully celebrate our love with our tribe. They were exceptional and patient in understanding our preferences, desires, and ideas, no matter how silly we thought they may be. They accepted them, sat with them, configured and reconfigured them, polished them, and transformed them into reality (all within our budget). They made sure any perceived or actual barriers of the day were eliminated or prevented. Shelly reminded us that we were deserving of our day, and to prioritize our brains and bellies throughout the way, and to laugh. The only gripe we have about Shelly Fortune Events is that the day they beautifully orchestrate has to come to an end. Oh, and that they politely decline invitations to wedding after parties. So I guess they get points for professionalism too! It’s likely that the beauty that we observe from their events rises from their process. They listen intently, and we felt heard and advocated for consistently. The experience with them created a safe environment to authentically express ourselves as individuals and as a couple. The process was a perfect way to began our journey of marriage, and we are forever grateful for these fond memories.

Fantastic experience: The very very best! Shelly and her team are detail oriented, organized, prompt, and of course so stylish! We loved our experience and wish we could do it all again tomorrow.

Fantastic experience: Wonderful event with tent, dinner, cabaret show and dancing. Shelly was quick to set it up on short notice; experienced, available and flexible with hosts. Special success

Fantastic experience: There are absolutely no words to express how much we loved every minute working with Sara Must!!! Not only did she make our daughter’s wedding day all that she dreamed and planned, each decision made leading up to it was thoughtful and detailed brilliantly. There was no stress whatsoever the week of the wedding and the wedding day was a dream and utterly flawless. Every vendor she suggested was absolutely perfect for us and we will be forever grateful. We can’t imagine what we would have done without her! Cecile and Ralph Stokley

Fantastic experience: Shelly Fortune's team exceeded ALL expectations!! We worked with Beth and had the best experience! She truly made the wedding planning process as seamless as possible for me, my husband, and my parents. She has a gift of making a couple's dream a reality. Absolutely love her! Could not recommend them enough!!!

Fantastic experience: Sara Must and the SF team are incredible! I couldn't imagine our wedding without them. So professional, efficient and willing to jump right it with so many little details I didn't see. It was a HUGE peace of mind and hands down the best money spent on the wedding. Do yourself a favor and hire them for your wedding or event.

Fantastic experience: Being that we weren’t locals and found our wedding venue online, it was important that we had someone not only experienced as an event planner and local, but who also came with reputable connections. Shelly and I worked together remotely to plan my husband and I’s dream wedding, pre-COVID! We made a couple of trips out to Lexington to meet up, see some of the planning come to reality, but all and all, really trusted her and her team to execute our vision on our special day. Down to every little detail, Shelly was there, providing her experience and feedback, to help us navigate the many decisions of planning a wedding. We then experienced the pandemic, and like all brides at that time, made the decision to push our date. We chose to push it out one year so we could have as close to the wedding we had been planning for nearly the whole year. Shelly continued to keep us informed, supported rescheduling, and ensured everything we initially planned and hoped for, still came true. I highly recommend Shelly Fortune and her team for their dedication and passion for what they do, their experience, and trusted partner to you for one of the most important days of your life. Thank you Shelly and team! Photos courtesy of Firm Anchor. Venue: The Apiary Floral: Eve Floral Co. Cake: Martines

Fantastic experience: Shelly & the team are beyond words when it comes to planning a wedding. Shelly helped us navigate not only the year of 2020, when we were originally scheduled to have our wedding day, but also 2021 when we changed dates but were finally able to have the wedding we always envisioned. From handling vendor communications and contracts to being the true expert of design and coordination Shelly was an absolute dream to work with. We had the most spectacular, perfect wedding weekend and all because of Shelly and her team’s attention to detail, their communication and overall passion for us as their clients. Shelly and team - thank you for your incredible efforts in making our wedding so special. You provided us with such an amazing day and we will always celebrate this incredible memory!

Fantastic experience: We absolutely love working with the Shelly Fortune team. They are professional, creative, involved with their clients, and overall get the job done with excellence. Whenever we receive an inquiry from a Shelly Fortune client, we know it’s going to be a beautiful, efficient day with smiles all around. Brides, hire them! They are amazing!

Fantastic experience: So thankful for Shelly Fortune! Shelly helped us create the perfect venue, from the ground and up! She connected us with vendors that matched our vision and she was so organized through it all. It was more than we could have ever imagined while still keeping us within budget. She is professional, responsive, creative, and so fun to work with. It ended up raining all day on our wedding day, and it was so reassuring to know that Shelly had it all under control. Our wedding day was the most beautiful day and I 1000% recommend Shelly Fortune and her team! They are the best!

Fantastic experience: Shelly and team were incredible to work with! We were newbies to the wedding world, and out of state trying to plan a wedding in a city we didn't know much about, but the team guided us with complete ease. Shelly and team listened to our priorities and what was most/least important to us, and we appreciated when they delivered options that acknowledged these priorities/budgetary needs. They did a fantastic job handling the complexity of different players involved in making a lot of different kinds of decisions - streamlining everything. They were trustworthy and transparent on quality and costs - steering us away from some upgrades/higher price point options that weren't true value adds therefore allowing our budget to go elsewhere. We quickly grew very confident in her team as she was a strong communicator and efficient in helping us make decisions and stay on track for deadlines. It is obvious she and the team are respected in the industry (all vendors LOVE working for them) and there is a lot of experience on the team to help with their recommendations...they've seen it all! If there were any issues week of - you'd have to ask Shelly because we didn't stress about a single thing, and her team did not contribute any additional stress or angst to the celebration the weekend of the wedding. Hiring her team lifted the weight of the wedding world off of our shoulders from day 1. We were in fantastic hands with the team throughout what was a higher-stress environment and chaotic time, but Shelly never let us sweat. We could NOT have imagined a better or more knowledgeable partner in all things wedding for what was certainly the best weekend of our lives, where we simply enjoyed being present!

Fantastic experience: Shelly Fortune and her team are truly the best event planners and made the whole wedding planning process stress-free and seamless! They have connections and relationships with all the premier vendors and do a wonderful job at tailoring recommendations to your vision/price point. I can't say enough great things about Beth Thorner, who was beyond professional, responsive, and organized! Five stars for sure!

Fantastic experience: I would highly recommend to team up with the Shelly Fortune Team for your big day. The whole team deserves a 6-star rating. Nothing less. From communication, to spot-on detail work and sparkling creativity there is nothing Sara, Beth and Shelly couldn’t and wouldn’t do for you to make your wedding an absolute hit! We are so grateful to have such an outstanding planner team in our city of Lexington. Here’s to many more events with you all!

Fantastic experience: Shelly Fortune Events was so AMAZING to work with! They helped me create my dream wedding, and managed everything on the wedding day. It was the most perfect and stress free day thanks to them. I highly recommend Shelly Fortune for any event! They have such a good eye and resources to support with bringing the vision to life. They are also very professional and deliver exceptional customer service. Thank you Shelly Fortune Events for all of your support!

Fantastic experience: Beth was the best!!!! Handled our daughters wedding through 3 Covid delays and pulled off one of the best weddings and receptions ever!!!!! Was very pleased with her help! A true professional resource that was very responsive and attentive to all details!!! Thank you Beth!

Fantastic experience: Shelly and her Team are the most professional, creative, and trusted Event Design group in Lexington! There is no one I trust more! It is true pleasure when we are able to work together!

Fantastic experience: Thank you to Shelly Fortune Event Design and Sara Must for doing an amazing job working with my daughter and I on her wedding. You know that every detail was taken care of and the evening was everything my daughter had dreamed of when she looked at me at the end of the night and said "Thank you mom, this has been the best night of my life". "It's everything I have dreamed of". Words can not describe how wonderful that was to hear and the amount of gratitude I have for Shelly Fortune Design and the work by Sara Must. Sincerely, Melissa Fraley

Fantastic experience: Shelly was 100% the best investment we made for our wedding. She coordinated with all vendors and negotiated prices, helped me tease out my own vision/preferences and executed both the planning of the events and the day of details flawlessly. She is organized and relaxed and I never for a second doubted that she had everything under control. My husband and I are incredibly grateful to her for the absolute best day!

Fantastic experience: I cannot say enough about The Shelly Fortune team. They are our trusted referral source for all things Wedding, Personal and Corporate events. Their eye for design is incredible and they are so knowledgeable and passionate about what they do. Highly recommend them!

Fantastic experience: Words cannot describe how great Shelly and her team are. I could go on and on but it’s hard to summarize how incredible she is. From the moment we met her, we knew she would do an incredible job. I am all about letting people that are great at what they do be great at what they do. In my real life, I’m a control freak and I was so great to let Shelly and Lauren be that for me. I would plan our wedding again and again (and by plan I mean let Shelly throw a party for my closest people). Every detail was taken care of up to wedding day and I never even had a care in the world. Wedding day was better than I could’ve imagined—every moment was planned and executed to perfection. They are worth every penny and more. It was the thing dreams are made of.

Fantastic experience: As a wedding vendor, Shelly's vision is a breath of fresh air. Her ideas and design aesthetic is out of the box, refined, and true to the event. Working with her is always a treat.

Fantastic experience: This is long overdue. My wife and I used Shelly for our wedding in 2016. This was one of the best decisions we made. All we had to do was give her our vision for our perfect day and she had the perfect suggestion for everything. We chose her first suggestion for everything she gave us because she knows her clients that well. The entire team works 120% for you to make sure that you have the best experience. Anyone planning for a wedding definitely needs a planner to take the stress away, so go with the best planner and use Shelly.