Zoe made our dreams come true! She is one of most capable, organized, and well networked people we…read morehave ever met, while also always maintaining a very chill energy through the planning process. This balance makes her extremely well suited for her job, allowing us to relax knowing that everything would be handled perfectly. We worked with Zoe from the beginning, before we had chosen a venue, all the way through to saying goodbye after the brunch the day after the wedding. We are eternally grateful to her for helping us pull off the wedding of our wildest dreams! Zoe is good at her job. Our wedding was a bit complicated - from glamping tents to shower trailers, from multiple DJs to Drag Queens, from 3 cocktail hours to multiple brunches. Zoe kept a lot of moving parts in her head throughout a long planning process and helped us iron out an uncountable number of kinks. With her help, we unlocked savings with certain vendor contracts. With her help, everything stayed on time. With her help, we were able to surprise our guests with 3 different performances during the wedding reception. Zoe knows Mendocino well. Her deep roots along the coast became deeply valuable throughout the planning process. When we wanted to best pastries for our glampers, she had us try Franny's in Point Arena. When we wanted a vinyl DJ, she introduced us to Colby in Gualala. When we needed brunch at a reasonable price, she suggested Shay, a young caterer getting their business off the ground. Mendocino is one of most magical places I know and I know it because of Zoe's guidance. Zoe is a calming presence. Planning a wedding is a stressful ordeal. Every time we had a call with Zoe, she answered our questions clearly and concisely, offering help much of the time. But beyond the content of her answers, she had a way of reducing the anxiety my partner and I were feeling at that moment. This carried through well during the wedding weekend, when she consistently reminded us, through her actions, that we were in good hands. We cannot recommend Zoe and her team highly enough! You'll be in good hands!

Sarah Sharaf of Zoe Braga Events was truly the only way we could have pulled off our wedding in…read moreWestport! Beyond being a literal delight of a human, Sarah is incredibly communicative, creative, and knows every vendor you could possibly imagine. She was very hands-on and brought extra materials that really elevated the overall look of our wedding. She also hired a wonderful team to make it all happen - everyone was kind to us and our guests, thorough, and deeply professional. Our location was pretty unique, and no one in the area had done a wedding of our size (75 people) on the field we used, but Sarah absolutely pulled it off. We never saw any of the behind-the-scenes chaos - only the ease and joy she brought to the entire process. Leading up to the wedding, Sarah was easy to reach and great to communicate with. She provided helpful tools to keep everything organized and worked with us to create a clear, manageable timeline. On the day itself, she was exactly the energy we needed by our side - a cheerful, calming presence to start the day, and by the end of the night (even through exhaustion), she was still incredibly thorough in making sure everything ended up exactly where it needed to go.We would highly recommend her for your event!

Alegria was great to work with while planning our wedding ceremony! She is very organized and…read moreprofessional, but is also fun to talk to! We don't live in the area, so our meetings were all via video chat, which worked out really well. She made sure that the ceremony was exactly what we were hoping for! She also arranged our photography, our dinner after the ceremony, and my hair and makeup. Thank you, Alegria, for making the day so magical!

My partner and I are SO HAPPY that we decided to hire Gala Events for our day of coordination…read more Alegria was such a blessing in our experience. I am getting teary even as I write this, thinking of her support. We are a queer couple who's wedding was postponed 2 years in a row due to the pandemic and a medical emergency in the family. We also had to change venues and caterer during all of the challenges. The path to our wedding day was not simple or easy, but Alegria's support and expertise made it all manageable. She was immediately responsive and loving about our concerns related to potential homophobia we might experience through our process. We never once felt othered or treated differently as a queer couple, something we are sensitive to. My spouse is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, and Alegria was immediately honoring and respectful. All of this makes a big difference when you've experienced prior homophobia in the place where you grew up. And when medical emergencies and the pandemic kept throwing up big barriers, Alegria was the calm in the storm. She joined us in grounded decision making, was thoughtful and informed, and really demonstrated so much care during the hard parts. When we had challenges with our past vendors that we ended up not working with, she had such helpful advice. And on our actual wedding day, which was so beautiful and perfect, Alegria joined us in our vision of a big community celebration. She and her staff were so so kind and thoughtful, so supportive. They made us feel special while reducing decision fatigue and stress. She worked with our vendors beautifully, and the day of we were able to truly relax and be present. We could not have asked for better. Thank you, Gala Events!! xo Erin + Ames

Catrina delivered!!!…read more We contracted Catrina to coordinate our destination wedding from thousands of miles away, which required a lot of communication, and and fair amount of trust. The end result was *blissful*. It was exactly what we wanted to experience. Everything just seemed to fall into place and the extra effort she put forth on the little things provided an environment where we could be fully present with our family and leave our cares behind while Catrina and her staff artfully coordinated each phase of our perfect day. No notes. Keep up the great work Catrina!

Catrina and her staff were amazing! They made sure everything was seamless. Catrina brought my…read morevision to life. Her aesthetic and vibe were exactly what I was looking for. I was able to enjoy my wedding without any sort of stress, which is shockingly unheard of. She's very kind and can't thank her enough for making my day picture perfect.

I cannot recommend Prasada highly enough as an event planner. Let me the five top reasons why:…read more 1. She is calm, steadfast and truly mindful in details and countenance. (Her second 'job' is helping people learn how to regulate their nervous system using breath work.) 2. Our weekend - which was at a venue (our retreat center, Whispertree Retreat) that was largely outdoors. The weekend weather went from hoped-for blue skies and billowing white clouds to a 30 degree temperature drop and rain forecast. Prasada patiently held the line assisting us with a Plan A, B AND C for the weekend, depending on the weather, a call we would make the morning of. I cannot tell you how much forethought this took! But Prasada did not complain ONCE. Rather, she held the course and even spearheaded the final plan C option that eventually turned out to work perfectly(!!) for us. 3. During the event, itself, Prasada spun plates behind the scenes. protecting us from a few (unavoidable) things that happened - some of which I STILL think we don't know about. 4. I really care about details and how things look. Beauty is so much a part of what people can notice and feel that helps make an event feel warm, welcoming and heart-opening. Prasada gets that, too, and has a great eye! I really trusted her to set things up just as I asked, and even improve on the outcome. 5. Prasada ALSO works at an event rental company. She has years of experience understanding issues related space and rentals and could probably help you address these issues in her SLEEP. Please do not think twice about hiring Prasada for your event. I enjoyed working with her so much that one thought I have the morning after it all is: What's the next event we can work on with her?!

Prasada was our month of coordinator but really she helped from the moment we hired her on! Our…read morewedding was in the Mendocino area and she had all the local connects, which made planning that much easier. She helped us every step of the way and made sure the day ran as smooth as possible! I did not have to worry about one thing on our wedding day, she handled it all! If you're looking to have your wedding in the area, we recommend you hire Prasada. :)

Sonya, Carol, and the Mendocino Weddings team were invaluable in the success of our wedding in…read moreMendo. Initially, we spoke to 3 different planners in the area, but in asking around with venues and vendors, it became clear that Sonya was the best in town. We hired her and had no regrets. She was helpful in managing our questions and preferences throughout the planning process, and when the weekend of our wedding arrived, everything went off without a hitch. We felt she went above and beyond to take care of us and our guests (and they noticed it too!). We had the most special wedding weekend we could have asked for and the Mendocino Weddings team as a huge part of making that happen. If you're on the fence, just hire them! They have your backs.

I called looking for staffing in Mendocino County, and not only was Sonya a joy to speak with, but…read moreshe was incredibly knowledgable and helpful. She pointed me in the right direction, and this interaction has allowed us to connect further! If I were getting married in Mendocino County, I would 100% hire her and her team. Highly recommend.

I will begin my review of my experience with Karin by saying that I am a professional Event…read moreCoordinator and I was very careful in selecting the right fit for my day-of wedding coordinator. I had naturally high expectations and Karin met all of them! From the get-go, I was pleased with the promptness of her communication timelines, which goes a long way in event planning for both sides of the aisle. I very much appreciated the initial phone call for both of us to make sure that the business relationship would be a good fit. A lot of coordinators and event companies just want money and will tell you whatever you want to hear in order to get your contract. Not Karin! She cares about the quality of her work and she prioritizes making sure that her services will align with you and your vision. She has a lot of experience in all kinds of events, large and small, so there really are not many questions she cannot answer. I appreciated her honesty and insight into what parts of the wedding day were truly important and what I did not need to make myself stress over. She was on time to all of our meetings, communicative with all of my vendors, and took extra time with me when she could see I needed it. Working with Karin felt almost like I was working with a long time friend. On the day of my wedding, she showed up early and made sure everything came together seamlessly. As someone who can be overly involved and aware (to a fault), I tried really hard to relax and let the event I'd spent tons of time and energy planning come together. Karin met with me long enough to keep me in the loop while not overwhelming me (WEDDINGS ARE STRESSFUL!). I felt truly peaceful and confident that everything was happening, even though MY communication fell off completely on my wedding day. My ceremony was perfect and the timeline was magic. When I finally arrived to my reception site, everything was beyond expectation and Karin worked swiftly behind the scenes to make sure that nothing went awry. We, of course, had some inevitable hiccups but Karin made sure that I was oblivious to them and enjoying myself the whole time. I am grateful for Karin's excellent communication, honesty/directness, professionalism, understanding of frazzled-bride-syndrome, and flexibility. She was organized and made everything more comfortable and easy, which, for an event coordinator, is paramount in hospitality and service. The true test: a bride reflecting on her wedding day and knowing that she would not have changed a single thing! It was the perfect wedding and Karin was critical in the success of the day. I could not recommend her more highly if you want someone who will truly care about your event as if it is their own... which, it kind of is! SIDE NOTE: Karin even helped me in and out of my gown to use the restroom when I could not find any of my bridesmaids! That is a TRUE MVP.

I can't say enough good things about Karin as our wedding planner! Having previously worked in the…read morewedding industry as a florist (and working with Karin many moons ago!), I thought I could handle everything myself, but I was so wrong! Hiring Karin for day-of coordination was one of the best decisions we made. Karin was amazing--she helped create the timeline, organized all the little details and decor items I wanted in specific places, and even coordinated our wedding party that consisted of 8 kids (which we didn't even get to practice)! She reminded me of so many important details that I hadn't considered while planning, and most importantly, she calmed me down during a stressful moment just a week before the wedding when I was even considering canceling the big day. Karin's support and expertise made all the difference, and I highly recommend her to anyone planning their wedding!

Paul is wonderful . We felt so comfortable with him from the moment we started working with him…read more Both of our 1st marriage, so we were a bit lost and he put at ease immediately. He was also so professional as my dog, Sunny barked the whole time. Thank you, Paul! Mark and I are so happy we found you.

Our elopement in the Redwoods would not have been the same if not for Paul. Communication and…read moreplanning was effortless leading up to our ceremony and Paul made many great suggestions which helped shape our day. He hiked with us through puddles in the pouring rain and smiled the whole time. He truly helped us create a moment we'll remember for the rest of our lives. Thank you Paul!!

Hiring Madeline Hurst as my wedding consultant was the smartest decision I made, outside of saying…read more"yes" to my husband when he asked me to marry him. With her years of experience, Madeline knew the right questions to ask and great vendors to recommend. As someone who had no idea where to start in the planning process, Madeline helped me with my budget, creating the to do list, managing the timeline and helped keep things organized. On the day of the wedding, she handled everything, making our day stress-free and absolutely perfect. I highly recommend hiring Madeline for your event. She's a pro. It also doesn't hurt that she's friendly and nice to be around.

As a florist and a venue host, I have worked with Madeline on events of every scale and type, from…read more backyard weddings to high end corporate events. She always impresses me with her organizational skills, professionalism, and friendly approachability - even in what might be challenging situations. I recommend her to my clients, and always breathe a sigh of relief when they commit to working with her. Having Madeline on your team lets you enjoy the process, and celebrate in the joys of the day!

I was referred to Katie in the beginning of my planning process, thank god! She has such a sweet…read morevoice and I enjoyed our phone conversations. She made me feel comfortable and I was excited to work with her right off the bat! We shared personal stories of our wedding desires (she recently got married too) so it was nice to grow an extra bond together. She hooked me up and included her own table decorations and signage for the wedding so that was great to have an extra responsibility taken off my plate! I hired her for day-of coordination. She showed up with her husband, and I really liked being around the two of them! I barely had to spend any time explaining anything, she just took control over everything and made everything come to life! I'd say "made my vision come to life" but I never even really had a vision to begin with. She was able to just decorate everything beautifully and manage the chaos so I didn't have to lift a finger! Exactly what I wanted!! I stressed with alllll the pre-planning leading up to the day so that on the actual day, I could just be told when and where to be. Poor girl had to run back and forth a bunch (the ceremony was an 8 min walk to the reception/cocktail hour area) so that meant that not everything could run so smoothly/perfect but hey, what do I care? I showed up when I showed up (eek, late, *not her fault), and everything was just as I was told it would be: everyone seated, facing away from me, and ready for me to walk the aisle. My adorable ring bearer dog was also being looked over before it was her turn to prance on over with our rings around her neck. I don't think I saw Katie or Josh much at all throughout the whole day but everything looked so beautiful and even though the timeline got pushed back, I still got to enjoy everything I wanted out of my day. Thank you Katie and Josh!!!

I have had the pleasure of working with this amazing company several times over the last few years…read more As a professional caterer in this industry we rely heavily on coordination and the ability manage events as important as a wedding. Blissful Concepts and Katie can do that as close to perfection as I have ever experienced. Do you yourself a favor. Make the call!