Why I Cannot Recommend Allie Heineman Events

I'm sharing my experience here because I, along with members of my immediate family and friends, have been blocked from Facebook, which is the only public platform where Allie Heineman Events accepts reviews. Since I no longer have the ability to leave a review there, I wanted to share my experience somewhere future brides might find it before making a decision.

My goal isn't to start drama or encourage anyone to attack anyone involved. I simply wish I had been able to read an honest review before hiring Allison ("Allie") Heineman of Allie Heineman Events.

Planning a wedding should be one of the most exciting seasons of your life. Instead, this experience became one of the most stressful parts of mine. I paid thousands of dollars upfront for a full-service planning package, never received or signed a contract, ultimately had to hire someone else to ensure my wedding was properly coordinated, and was unable to recover what I believe was payment for services that were never provided.

If sharing what happened to me helps even one bride ask better questions before signing on with a planner, then it's worth writing this.

I hired Allison ("Allie") Heineman of Allie Heineman Events for her full-service wedding planning package in February of 2025 for my wedding in May of 2026, and paid the balance in full upfront. I was never presented with or asked to sign a contract before paying.

From the beginning, I struggled with the level of organization and guidance I expected from a full-service planner. Budget management was advertised as part of the package, but I was repeatedly referred to vendors that were far outside what I was comfortable spending, despite never being asked what my budget actually was.

As the months went on, I found myself doing much of the planning and design work myself. Around November—roughly six months before my wedding—I finally received a budget spreadsheet. Unfortunately, it did not reflect the vendors I had already booked or the actual pricing we had already received, making it of little practical use at that point in the planning process.

As my wedding got closer, I was still lacking meaningful design guidance. I frequently had to source décor, rentals, signage, linens, and other design elements on my own. I often felt like I was leading the planning process rather than being guided through it.

Later, Allie announced that she was expecting a baby. I was genuinely happy for her and wished her nothing but the best. My concern arose when her due date ended up being within days of my wedding.

When I asked what the backup plan would be, I was told she would still attend my wedding—even if she were in labor—or would bring her newborn to my child-free wedding. Neither option gave me confidence that there was a reliable contingency plan in place.

I requested that her assistants begin taking a more active role well before the wedding so there would be a smooth transition if necessary. To my knowledge, that transition never occurred.

After giving it a great deal of thought, I decided the best decision for my wedding was to end our working relationship and hire another coordinator. I requested a partial refund only for services I believed had not yet been provided. Specifically, I requested an amount that was less than half of what I had paid and roughly equivalent to the day-of coordination package she advertises, since I would no longer be receiving the full-service planning package I had purchased.

That request was denied. I was told I had agreed to a no-refund policy contained in a contract that I had never received or signed.

The situation became even more uncomfortable after that. Rather than keeping the dispute between the parties directly involved, Allie's husband contacted my husband by both phone and text message regarding the disagreement. In those messages, he referred to my husband as a "coward." among other things.

I was later offered a $600 refund if I agreed to sign a non-disclosure agreement. I declined because I did not feel comfortable agreeing not to discuss my experience.

Since then, I have been blocked on Facebook, along with members of my immediate family and friends, preventing any of us from leaving a review on the only public platform where her business accepts reviews.

For the record, my wedding turned out absolutely beautiful—but that is because of the incredible vendors, family, and friends who stepped in after I made the difficult decision to move in a different direction. I am incredibly grateful to them.

I'm not posting this to encourage harassment or personal attacks. I'm sharing it because I believe future brides deserve to make informed decisions.