About Oreades Events.

We’re new to Maine, we’re woman-owned, and we’re excited to engage with the New England community! Oreades Events is an event planning and management company located in southern Maine and we’ll travel throughout New England. Known for delighting guests with elegant decor and added personal touches, we offer everything from small-scale event services, like DIY assistance and day-of bartending, to full-service event planning. We love planning and being a part of your memorable events. And that's exactly one of our goals -- to make the day special and memorable for both you and your guests.

We are a pro-woman, pro-bodily autonomy, and pro-diversity company that believes that ‘love is love.’ A strong sense of integrity, inclusion, and commitment is a part of every professional relationship we build.

About me.

Hi there! I’m Jenn (she/her/hers), the founder and principal at Oreades Events. I started working in the hospitality industry 15 years ago when I took my first after-school job in a small Chicago restaurant. It was love for serving my neighbors and community from the very beginning.

I attended the University of Colorado in Boulder (Go Buffs!) for my undergraduate degree, then Loyola University in Chicago (Hi, Sister Jean!) for my graduate degree. I paid my way through college working in bars, restaurants and wineries, and eventually catering and event coordinating jobs. I loved planning wine education classes for organizations like NASA in Washington, DC, and designing cocktail menus for corporate events in Chicago. I currently work as a Business Development Director in the healthcare industry, and over the past 15 years, I have managed projects for countless national companies, and coordinated events that demanded specific results for the involved businesses as well as large social events. To keep things on track, I am Project Management certified from Cornell University!

Event planning allows me to use my keen eye for detail (hurray for Excel spreadsheets!), my love for the hospitality industry, and my creative side, but it also allows me to get to know people from all walks of life. I love getting to know couples and their families. By forming strong relationships I can seamlessly blend into a wedding day. I always try hard to work to understand my clients’ personalities, style, goals, and manage expectations so that their visions are brought to life and run smoothly. Whether I’m shepherding your wedding party to get to photos, running through timelines with vendors, or directing guests, you can bet that I’ll keep things under control.

Having planned my own 2018 wedding, I now have a new perspective on things from the bride’s side. I can better understand a client’s stress revolving around guest lists, seating charts, scheduling tastings and floral samples, and honeymoon planning all while still having a full-time career. There are so many decisions a couple will make for their wedding day and it’s easy to question every decision. Especially when you “don’t know what you don’t know” about planning a wedding! My advice is to always follow your instincts!

My goal has always been to own my own company within the world of events and wedding so I can utilize my organizational skills, creativity, and slightly Type A personality to manage logistics and design challenges with professionalism, creativity, ninja-like reflexes, and that special something that clients seeking a FUN and stress-free collaboration appreciate!

Personally, I live in Gorham, Maine with my husband, our goofy Doberman, and our five chickens. We love to travel, immerse ourselves in different cultures, and more specifically, try a ton of different foods! I love to cook - anything from Mexican to Moroccan to tradition French food. I am obsessed with wine and will take any opportunity to talk with people about viticulture and terroir (annoying, I know) and ultimately help people find things that they love. I spent most of my day working for a nonprofit in Portland and am passionate about paying my good fortune in life forward with volunteer opportunities in my community.