About
Committed to creating Special Events that are as distinctive as my Clientele, I create and execute flawless affairs with sophistication and panáche yet with a personable approach that represent my own unique style, exceeding expectations for the planning and design experience. The myriad of Weddings, Corporate and Special Events accommodate all requests large and small with a touch of class With years of experience conceptualizing ideas themes and budgets for all events, my capabilities and resources are endless in an effort to create memories that will last a lifetime.
My successful career all began as a Corporate Event Planner until my tenure as Catering Manager for luxury hotels such as The Portman Hotel and The Pan Pacific Hotel San Francisco; the Fairmont Hotel San Francisco & Chicago; General Manager and Director of Events at The Julia Morgan Ballroom, and at the historic Westin St. Francis Hotel San Francisco as their Catering Manager for Weddings and Special Events.
My impressive accolades have given him credentials to recognize me as an Independent Food Editor, Restaurant Critic and a Contributing Writer for San Francisco, Chicago and New York media publications.
Spanning over 37 years planning Wedding, Corporate and Special Events, my passon has taken me soaring to new career heights that eventually led me to create my business venture, F. DUNCAN REYES EVENTS BY DESIGN and I am renowned as the Event & Hospitality Industry’s most Premiere Wedding & Event Planner Extraordinaire.
No matter how difficult and ovewhleming the process takes to "make things happen", it's always the end result that counts, and knowing that I've exceeded the Client's expectations.
Reviews
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Dr. B.
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Mr. B.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
The initial interview begins with a preliminary phone call to get more information on their Wedding details and an overview of my work experience. Following, I would generally schedule a face-to-face meeting with the Clients and get to know each other more on a one-on-one basis. If both the Clients and myself agree to work with each other, I provide them with a contract for their signature of approval and deposit payment required in order to begin with the wedding planning process.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
37 years of wedding & event planning, with no formal education. But I am certified, business registered and insured, and a member of a myriad event planning organizations such as NACE (National Association of Catered Events), BAWN (Bay Area Wedding Network), ISES (International Society of Event Specialists), just to name a few.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your services? If so, please share the details here.
"Day Of" Coordination start at $2,500 on up
"Month Of" Coordination start at $3,500 on up
"Partial Planning" Services start at $6,000 on up
"Full Event Planning" Services start at $8,500 on up
All packages do not include a hotel overnight accommodations for the event days that require my services.
How did you get started in this business?
I worked as a Corporate Event Planner from 1980 to 1987.
Worked in Hotel Catering for The Portman San Francisco, The Pan Pacific San Francisco, The Fairmont San Francisco, The Fairmont Chicago, The Julia Morgan Ballroom San Francisco, The Westin St. Francis Hotel San Francisco from 1987 to 2006 - a total of 29 years before starting my business in June 2006 up to present.
What types of customers have you worked with?
All my clients come from all walks of life - whether it's a low or high budget wedding; from young to old . . . there really is no "type". And while my Clients interview me, I too qualify my Clientele before agreeing to plan their Wedding. It's not who you work for, it's how you relate to each other with trust and confidence that their Wedding will be flawless. So I create their Wedding as if they are my dearest Friend. And even after the Wedding, we end up forming a newfound friendship for a lifetime.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
Here's a testimonial from a recent Bride that sums it all up below. You may also visit this link to view more "Raves & Rants" from my happy Clients!
https://www.facebook.com/notes/f-duncan-reyes-events-by-design/rants-raves/180260521995755/
"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)
What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a pro in your area of expertise?
One of the best analogies I can give regarding not having a Wedding Planner is it’s like opening up your own abdomen to do surgery, and then having second thoughts as you nick an artery and then wanting to reach out for help. Little late I’d say! I urge you to avoid learning after the fact, because once you’ve had your wedding and you’ve gone through the experience to learn what it is all about, then you’ll know why having an expert on your side is needed. When you have someone you can trust working on your behalf, available to call, text and e-mail like a maniac to get what needs to get done, you have the comfort to actually relax and enjoy your wedding day. Trust your Vendors . . . trust your Wedding Planner!
What questions should customers think through before talking to pros about their needs?
- Are you a certified wedding planner? If so, where did you get certified? What is your educational background?
- How long have you been in business? Do you have a business license?
- How many wedding clients do you take on in a year? How many do you expect to have during the month of our wedding?
- Are we required to book only the vendors you recommend or do we have the freedom to hire someone even if you haven't worked with them before?
- What kind planning do you offer? Logistical only (i.e. organizational—handling things like the timeline and floor plan) or Design and Logistical (i.e. bringing a client's vision to life as well as taking care of all the organizational aspects of the wedding)?