Testimonials
Clayton and Kari's Wedding
Erica was wonderful throughout our process. During our meetings, we never felt rushed or like we were taking up too much of her time. Each time I attempted to reach Erica she picked up the phone right away or called back within an hour and/or e-mailed me right back. I never felt like I was bugging her or calling too much or asking a stupid question. On the day before and of, she made the day run incredibly smoothly. I'll probably never know how many miracles that Erica performed that day but I'm sure it was many. The peace of mind I had knowing that Erica was there on the day of was incredibly valuable to me and my husband.
William and Elle's Wedding
Helping Hands Parties was the right choice for me and my groom. I had never had a wedding, or even attended one. So, when it came to planning my wedding and reception I was in the dark but Helping Hand Parties brought me into the light. The Internet is congested with many engines that really don’t point you in any specific direction. Helping Hand Parties allowed me to narrow my scope and focus on what I wanted as well as what I could afford. If money is no issue for you, then that’s not a problem either :>). However, we were on a strict budget and Helping Hand Parties provided the expertise and vendor suggestions that really assisted in financial savings. Not to mention, they were hands on around-the-clock assisting me in every step. My wedding was a small wedding, but it was elegant, intimate and all CLASS! Hindsight, my wedding and reception was Grand! I couldn’t have pulled this off without Helping Hand Parties. Helping Hand Parties was a God send.
Michael and Sydney's Wedding
Erica of Helping Hand Parties and Weddings was a true blessing to mine and my husband's wedding day. We met with her months prior to the big day and she was always available for advice as we contracted the caterer, the rentals, etc. A month prior to the wedding we started meeting with Erica once a week and constantly emailing each other updates. She is so wonderfully organized! We made sure every "i" was dotted and every "t" was crossed concerning the details of our wedding weekend. By the week of the wedding we had a whole schedule laid out of exactly how everything was going to take place - with a little wiggle room built in just in case pictures ran over or a grandparent showed up late. Our wedding day was absolutely perfect! God blessed us with gorgeous weather and Erica handled everything with such grace. Thanks to her our parents were able to sit back and enjoy the day with us and we were all just able to celebrate our union. I highly recommend Erica to anyone newly engaged, in the middle of planning, or just looking for someone to make their wedding day run smoothly. She has very reasonable rates and is as sweet as she can be! Sydney
Matt and Maegan's Wedding
Erica, I just wanted to tell you how much we appreciated the awesome job you did with our only daughter’s wedding. With your help we were able to make all of her dreams come true (as well as our own). We are absolutely overwhelmed with all of the comments and compliments being made about how spectacular things were.
We felt as if we were working with a trusted and loving family member and I feel I have made a new friend for life. Kathy Carter
Love Erica! Not only is she a person with a calm, sweet disposition, she is really on top of things & made wedding planning much less stressful for us. Having her there to help with our day was truly a blessing & I would highly recommend her services! Thank you so much for making our special day absolutely perfect, Erica - it couldn’t have gone any better - THANK YOU!!! Maegan Carter
We felt as if we were working with a trusted and loving family member and I feel I have made a new friend for life. Kathy Carter
Love Erica! Not only is she a person with a calm, sweet disposition, she is really on top of things & made wedding planning much less stressful for us. Having her there to help with our day was truly a blessing & I would highly recommend her services! Thank you so much for making our special day absolutely perfect, Erica - it couldn’t have gone any better - THANK YOU!!! Maegan Carter
Jake and Jordan's Wedding
We truly enjoyed having Erica as our coordinator. She helped us navigate through all the decisions and logistic details of planning a wedding, always making sure we had everything covered. Due to her experience with event planning, she was able to give valuable advice and insight to make our day go smoothly, and it was such a relief to have her present on the day of the wedding! Having someone outside of the wedding party that knows how everything is supposed to go and can keep the day on track is invaluable! I would most certainly recommend Helping Hand Parties and Weddings. Our wedding would not have been a success without Erica!
Dan and Emilia's Wedding
My husband and I feel so lucky we found Erica to help us with our wedding. I honestly don’t know how we could have done without her help. Erica went above and beyond to ensure our wedding was the way we envisioned. My family absolutely loved her and her calm and assuring demeanor. She was available to me basically 24h on the week of my wedding, I even felt bad for her (I didn’t want to be a bridezilla). She reviewed my contracts, contacted all the vendors, confirmed appointments, and kept me on the schedule. I know I could not have done it without her. Everything turned out so beautiful and organized and for that we will be forever grateful. Thank you Erica!!! Emilia
Hunter and Gabriella's Wedding
Erica was truly a godsend when planning my recent wedding. We live in New York and planned to be married in my fiance's hometown of Huntsville, so we knew that coordinating from a distance could be a challenge. Thanks to Erica, everything turned out wonderfully. From the earliest planning stages to our exit from the reception, Erica worked with me on every detail, offering suggestions and advice but always keeping true to my vision for the event. When our original caterer suddenly canceled a few months before the wedding, Erica was immediately on the task and found us an amazing replacement who still fit in our original budget. On our wedding day, Erica kept everything running smoothly within the timeline we'd laid out in advance, and when little glitches popped up behind the scenes, she handled everything calmly and discreetly so that my new husband and I could simply enjoy our day. If I have occasion again, I would hire Erica in a heartbeat. She has my highest recommendation and my most sincere gratitude. Gabriella
Adam and Tessa's Wedding
Having Erica plan my wedding was the absolute best decision I made about my wedding...other than marrying my husband of course! I was not one of those girls who dreamed about her wedding and when the time came, I did not have a clue what I wanted. Erica was so patient with me and gave me endless ideas and themes and in the end, I left most of the decorating ideas up to her. Not only did the wedding turn out stunningly gorgeous, but the reception looked like it belonged in a fairy tale book. She worked tirelessly on the day of the event and calmly made everything so perfect. She ensured that my husband and I had a wonderful and relaxing day. I highly, highly recommend Erica to anyone who is planning a wedding or event!
Will and Jessica's Wedding
My family, friends and I recently celebrated and thoroughly enjoyed my daughter’s wedding. The rehearsal, ceremony, and reception went off without a hitch, due in large part to Ms. Erica Thimsen’s outstanding work as our wedding coordinator. She provided spot-on recommendations, coordinated with all vendors, and orchestrated the entire event, all while placing our personal desires as the top priority. Her professional demeanor, attention to detail, and tireless efforts were instrumental to providing an absolutely wonderful event and allowed my wife and me to relax and enjoy rather than scurry and worry about details, large or small.
I absolutely recommend Helping Hand Parties and Erica as your choice of wedding coordinator. Her rates are very reasonable, her service top-notch, and the results were outstanding. Steve
Having Erica guide us along the way and be a coordinator the day of the wedding was amazing. It took so much pressure and worry off of myself and my family. I'm so glad we had her. Jessica
I absolutely recommend Helping Hand Parties and Erica as your choice of wedding coordinator. Her rates are very reasonable, her service top-notch, and the results were outstanding. Steve
Having Erica guide us along the way and be a coordinator the day of the wedding was amazing. It took so much pressure and worry off of myself and my family. I'm so glad we had her. Jessica
Kirk and Julie's Wedding
I cannot say enough good things about Erica. My daughter's wedding was June 2012. I was caring for my invalid mother who subsequently died a few weeks before the wedding. Erica took over all the stress for me. She was extremely conscientious with all the details, especially checking up on the vendors. Erica knows which vendors are excellent and reliable. For all the services she provided us and the many hours of phone calls and meetings, I felt like we got a bargain. She arrived before the wedding party and worked tirelessly making sure every detail was perfect. I just wish we had hired Helping Hands Parties the day my daughter was engaged! JoAnn
Shawn & Brittany's Wedding
Erica,
Again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for making our wedding day nothing more than a fairy tale. We sincerely appreciate all your time and skill and yes, woman, you have skills! You are an angel! Thank you for serving us like Jesus! I could not have asked for a better coordinator/friend to share my day with! Love you lady! Shawn & Brittany
Again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for making our wedding day nothing more than a fairy tale. We sincerely appreciate all your time and skill and yes, woman, you have skills! You are an angel! Thank you for serving us like Jesus! I could not have asked for a better coordinator/friend to share my day with! Love you lady! Shawn & Brittany
Brad and Lindsey's Wedding
Erica helped plan my daughter's wedding this past weekend. I highly recommend Erica. She is very knowledgeable and very organized. She was quick to respond to my emails and phone calls and always knew the answers. The wedding turned out wonderful; it was exactly what we wanted. Erica worked so hard on the wedding day. She was there from 8:00 am and was still there cleaning up when we left at 11:00 pm. I couldn't have done it without her!
Thank you so much for making my wedding perfect! I'm so thankful that we found you. We couldn't have done it without you. You went above and beyond and I will be forever grateful!!! Lindsey
Will and Katie's Wedding
Erica's professionalism, attention to detail and patience is unrivaled. We could not have had such a great wedding without her; she thought of everything. There were several issues that my daughter and I had not thought of and Erica was able to see the big picture and get us through the planning and the "Big Day"! Thank you so very much!
Tyler and Vanessa's Wedding
Words cannot express my gratitude and appreciation for Erica Thimsen. I hired Erica as my “Day Of” coordinator for my the reception of my wedding that was held on April 30, 2011. The minute I met her, and her warm spirit, I knew that she genuinely cared about me and making sure my wedding reception was perfect. I had spent a year planning my formal reception that included a cocktail hour and formal dinner. I had planned every detail to a ‘t’ yet, I wanted someone to put my dreams into play and keep my reception running smoothly. Erica was there to come up with things I didn’t even think of. She was organized, professional, and remembered everything we discussed. The week before my wedding, I knew she had everything taken care of and that my reception would flow smoothly.
Then on April 27, 2011 tornados ripped across the state of Alabama. Devastation. Power was out and predicted to stay out for 7 days. Cell phones didn’t work. As you can imagine, I panicked. My dream wedding was falling apart. Yet, Erica sprang into action. Though I couldn’t get a hold of her because of the cell phones service, she was already planning and making alternative arrangements. I’ll never forget when we were finally able to get through to each other, how amazed I was on how much she had already done. Over the day, she amazingly contacted all my vendors and made a plan of what our options were. At this point, I was in a state of shock by everything that I told her to make whatever she could happen, happen. Due to the power outages and tornado damage, Erica had to cancel and replan a whole reception in a day. She was able to change venues, work with my caterer, cake lady, florist, etc. She made it happen.
Our story was featured in the local television evening news and newspaper:
http://www.madisoncountyrecord.com/2011/05/26/a-twist-on-wedding-bliss/
http://www.clipsyndicate.com/video/playlist/19493/2421456?title=10pm&wpid=9715
I’ll never forget walking into our “new” reception and how amazed I was. Not only was the place beautiful with linens, a buffet of food, etc., she had remember the little details from our reception and incorporated them all-even down to the little elephant name card holders. She is a miracle worker who went out of her way to make our wedding perfect. I cannot tell you enough how much I recommend her. Please feel free to contact me personally if you would like more information on my experience: VanessaRolfJones@gmail.com.
Thank you Erica, from the bottom of my heart!
Then on April 27, 2011 tornados ripped across the state of Alabama. Devastation. Power was out and predicted to stay out for 7 days. Cell phones didn’t work. As you can imagine, I panicked. My dream wedding was falling apart. Yet, Erica sprang into action. Though I couldn’t get a hold of her because of the cell phones service, she was already planning and making alternative arrangements. I’ll never forget when we were finally able to get through to each other, how amazed I was on how much she had already done. Over the day, she amazingly contacted all my vendors and made a plan of what our options were. At this point, I was in a state of shock by everything that I told her to make whatever she could happen, happen. Due to the power outages and tornado damage, Erica had to cancel and replan a whole reception in a day. She was able to change venues, work with my caterer, cake lady, florist, etc. She made it happen.
Our story was featured in the local television evening news and newspaper:
http://www.madisoncountyrecord.com/2011/05/26/a-twist-on-wedding-bliss/
http://www.clipsyndicate.com/video/playlist/19493/2421456?title=10pm&wpid=9715
I’ll never forget walking into our “new” reception and how amazed I was. Not only was the place beautiful with linens, a buffet of food, etc., she had remember the little details from our reception and incorporated them all-even down to the little elephant name card holders. She is a miracle worker who went out of her way to make our wedding perfect. I cannot tell you enough how much I recommend her. Please feel free to contact me personally if you would like more information on my experience: VanessaRolfJones@gmail.com.
Thank you Erica, from the bottom of my heart!
Rolf/Jones Wedding Cont.
Erica was considered our Guardian Angel for our wedding!!! Our daughter Vanessa selected Erica for her wedding to help coordinate the day. We were excited about her ideas, and the sense of security it gave us to have her there for the day.
The April 27th tornado came on Wednesday, and the wedding was planned for three days later. Among the destruction and disaster many faced during this tragic time, Erica was cool and calm and collected.
Erica was able to contact and collaborate with our selected vendors!!! The candlelight wedding for Vanessa and Tyler Jones occured due to Erica!!! Immediately following the ceremony she set up a reception at Cyn Shea's Restaurant in downtown Huntsville!!!! All this with NO POWER !!!!
I highly recommend Erica!! I am unaware of any other event planner who would be able to do what she did for us. In 72 hours she made it all happen during one of the worst times in the city of Huntsville. We had 133 guests attend and leave with a wonderful memory of the wedding.
S Rolf
Athens,Alabama
The April 27th tornado came on Wednesday, and the wedding was planned for three days later. Among the destruction and disaster many faced during this tragic time, Erica was cool and calm and collected.
Erica was able to contact and collaborate with our selected vendors!!! The candlelight wedding for Vanessa and Tyler Jones occured due to Erica!!! Immediately following the ceremony she set up a reception at Cyn Shea's Restaurant in downtown Huntsville!!!! All this with NO POWER !!!!
I highly recommend Erica!! I am unaware of any other event planner who would be able to do what she did for us. In 72 hours she made it all happen during one of the worst times in the city of Huntsville. We had 133 guests attend and leave with a wonderful memory of the wedding.
S Rolf
Athens,Alabama
Matt and Cardin's Wedding
From our very first meeting, I knew Erica was the woman for the job! She took my ideas and ran with them creatively, was direct and precise with all of the logistics for those ideas and was completely "on the ball" with every aspect of my event. Throughout the rest of the planning, she was consistently available to me the moment I called on her. I was so calm without an ounce of stress the day of my wedding. I knew it had all been taken care of and that if a problem arose, Erica would handle it perfectly. She directed the day beautifully and I feel that I am forever indebted to her awesome service and the service of her staff! Thanks, Erica!
Josh and Morgan's Wedding
Several of my friends asked how we were able to be so calm on the "big day" and I had to give Erica the credit. She handled all the details: from seating, order of entry down the aisle, coordinating rides to the reception, reception events, and making sure everyone was where they needed to be. My daughter was able to enjoy the limelight and her new husband and we were able to visit with our guests. If anyone had a question, they went straight to Erica for the answer. Thanks again, Erica!
Lynn
A wedding is an event you don't want to repeat. You want everything to be perfect the first time. Erica took care of not only the details that we discussed before hand in our pre-wedding meetings but was the go to for all details that day and added special touches and organization that made the day go smoothly and come off perfectly. I would highly recommend her services to anyone. Her desire to please and skill at organization is sure to be a blessing! Morgan
Lynn
A wedding is an event you don't want to repeat. You want everything to be perfect the first time. Erica took care of not only the details that we discussed before hand in our pre-wedding meetings but was the go to for all details that day and added special touches and organization that made the day go smoothly and come off perfectly. I would highly recommend her services to anyone. Her desire to please and skill at organization is sure to be a blessing! Morgan
Burn's Wedding
The service provided of setting up the chairs & tables for the outdoor wedding & reception allowed us more time to relax & get ready for the wedding. If we hadn't of used this service we would have spent approximately 2 -1/2 - 3 hrs setting up the chairs & tables & driving back & forth to the venue.
50th Wedding Anniversary
Helping hand parties planned and executed my 50th wedding anniversary party for 100 friends. The party was unique and beautiful and even more than I wished for.
Robin's Holiday Party
I must give a shout out and tell everyone if you are hosting a family gathering, Christmas party or any kind of party you should call Erica Thimsen at "Helping Hand Parties". She is AMAZING!! She knows EXACTLY what to do and how to help to make your event run smoothly and stress free!! I'm pretty finicky and she really went above and beyond my expectations! I was able to enjoy the party and relax! It was my first time using her service and I have to say...I wouldn't want to host anything else without her help again!! Worth EVERY cent!!
About Us
Erica Thimsen - owner
After graduating from the University of California, Irvine, I continued my education to become a certified Court Reporter, but once I had my children, I was able to be a stay at home mom. Then in 1998, we moved to Kwajalein Island in the Marshall Islands where my husband and I lived and raised our children for 10 years.
I have always loved entertaining and since there is not a lot to do on a small island, I spent my time throwing lots of dinner parties, large holiday theme parties, special occasion parties, and organizing a multitude of church-wide events. Upon returning to the states and locating in Madison, Alabama, I started coordinating weddings and loving the excitement of coordinating a bride's very special day. I also contracted to setup and serve for a local catering company working many events and weddings. But it wasn't until I was throwing my own large party, and I could not find servers/helpers, that the idea formed to start my own business providing helpers and servers for home parties, corporate events, holiday parties, showers, receptions, etc. and providing wedding coordination services. I wanted to be able to relax and enjoy my own party and knew others would enjoy that also.
We believe in going above and beyond what is expected while staying very reasonably priced. My staff is hand picked, well trained, and is dedicated to making your event a success. Whether you just need one person's help or a whole crew, we will be there for you. If it's a wedding coordinator you need, I will personally make sure your day goes as beautifully and smoothly as planned.