It's been approximately 10 months since our wedding and in a nutshell, I can say that I'm super…read morethankful for excel spreadsheets and Hazel Q. Having never planned a major event, I was terrified about planning a smallish wedding with an even smaller budget. Couple that with adopting a DIY philosophy, I seriously thought I could do it all. I couldn't. That's where Hazel came in. She helped us organize our ideas, see them through, advise us on the significant and insignificant, and more importantly, she helped us stick to our budget without judment. Hazel researched and organized excel spreadsheets with the items we needed and different price points. Her floor plan software was on point when trying to figure out our layout with the limited space we had. She's a crafter as well, so she knows all hidden fabric/craft store gems all over LA and OC. She took care of being in contact with the vendors, venue, and rental places to make sure everything ran smoothly. And everything did. She kept everyone on check during the rehearsal, set up, ceremony and reception, and executed beautifully. Yes, that even means knowing who not to give the mic to gracefully (my mother). Hazel and her husband Mike also helped us tremendously with our photo booth as they played photographer and photo printer. As soon as our guests took pictures, their pictures were printing and ready to take home. A few days after the wedding, we had all the pictures emailed to us. I still go back and look at all the pictures and can't help but smile. All our guests had a great time and it was enhanced by the memories captured in the photo booth. On a side note, it's so incredible and inspiring to see how Hazel's husband Mike is so supportive and a part of her team immediately. He helped with our set up and so much more. Talk about an exemplary supportive couple that we can all hope to be like. Now that I'm thinking about the wedding, I can't stop beaming. We had the support of all our family and friends. If you're thinking of doing everything on your own, you can. But it'll be really stressful and time consuming. Do yourself a favor and enlist help. With Hazel's background in wedding and venue planning, combined with her own DIY and crafty nature, you are sure to make the wedding of your budget and/or dreams come true. Thank you so much, Hazel! We are indebted to you.

I was engaged for a year before getting in touch with Hazel and diving deep into the wedding…read moreplanning process. I had never planned a major event, or have been part of planning a wedding before, and my prior years' attempt in trying to do it myself left me completely frustrated, crying (literally), and even more confused than when I started. From the moment I first spoke on the phone with Hazel all my worries were pacified; not only did I find a planner to make my wedding a reality, Hazel "got" the quirky and not so traditional vibe my fiancé (now husband!) and I were going for in our wedding. In short, she made wedding planning a dream and guided us step by step; from taking us venue shopping, picking out caterers, negotiating contracts.. to just coming by and helping me put together our invites. Not only did she help us stay perfectly within our budget WITHOUT compromising what was important to us, she SAVED us money by negotiating some of our contracts and getting us in touch with quality vendors/businesses that fit within our budget. Not only was the planning process easy, we has so much fun at our wedding. Didn't have to worry about a thing-- drunk family/friends, flakey vendors, setting up, tearing down, cleaning... it was all managed perfectly. Thank you Double Q :)

I couldn't think of a better way to review beYOUtiful Soiree than to copy the email I sent to them…read moreafter my wedding on November 9, 2013. "Out of all of the fabulous vendors we had at our wedding, Mark and I are most grateful for you. We are utterly overwhelmed by the generosity, dedication and hard work you put into our special day. Words can not express my gratitude and appreciation for your time and effort. I truly felt like my wedding was perfect and exactly what I envisioned. You are both so extremely talented and know just how to bring a crowd and an event together. Thinking back, it almost feels like a dream because it seems to good to be true. Everything went smoothly, the music was fun, the food was great, and the venue looked AMAZING! It really came to life with all of the decor and embellishments. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making sure everything was flawless. All of your ideas and questions really helped keep me on track to ensure everything was finished on time. It was such a beautiful and emotional day, but those are memories I will keep with me forever. You guys are truly meant for this line of work. You are such a great team! You are both so thoughtful, organized, detail-oriented, kind-hearted, empathetic, creative, and you genuinely care about the people you're helping. I could go on and on about how much I love you both, but I could still never come close to describing how lucky I feel to have had you as part of my wedding day. I am really so thankful to have met you both and become friends with you along the way. You are excellent coordinators and amazing women. Keep it up!" These two ladies were born to be event coordinators! They are a breath of fresh air with unique ideas and refreshing enthusiasm. My wedding day would not have been as wonderful without Melanie and Nicole.

I recently attend a 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration party which was planned and coordinated by…read moreMelanie and Nicole of BeYOUtiful Soiree. With a black and gold theme, with pink, ivory and purple accents in the flowers it was an elegant and beautiful back yard event perfectly executed down to the very last detail. There were many personal touches and a photo history of the celebrating couple. It's easy to tell that Melanie and Nicole have a passion for what they do! Their effortless style and grace made the event spectacular and the guests feel special.

I don't even know where to start when I talk about Paula Laskelle. To say that she is an amazing…read morewedding planner seems to be too much of an understatement and not do her the justice she deserves. She truly is the best wedding planner that one could hope to have. From the moment I spoke to Paula on the phone during the interview process, I knew she was the one. There is something about the way she speaks and the tone in her voice that instantly will put you at ease. And her tone and gentle way about her never changes, even in the most stressful of times. Paula is kind, calm, collected, and always has her wits about her. It is comforting to just hear her voice or be in her presence, both because of her personality and because of her expertise. That is something imperative for every bride, given the amount of stress you are under it when planning a wedding. To have a planner that puts you at ease is priceless. Even more impressive than Paula's demeanor and kindness is her hard work ethic and her knowledge of how to plan a perfect wedding. Paula has been doing this a long time, and there is nothing she hasn't seen. She has an answer to every problem, a suggestion for every question, she never makes you feel forced but she always has golden nuggets of wisdom to give. You will never feel lost with Paula. She makes you feel like you are not alone, and that not only do you have a strong teammate, but you have a leader that you can rely on it to make sure everything goes fantastic. Paula is about as responsive as she could possibly be. I emailed her all hours of the day and night pretty much every day from the day I hired her to the day of the wedding, and she almost always responded immediately. If she didn't, I was never surprised because she let me know ahead of time that she would be in a meeting or at a wedding and that she would be unavailable during certain hours and would get back to me as soon as she was done. Paula spoke to me on weekends and holidays, even at times when I told her she should take time off and relax. It was always a priority to make sure that she was there for me and helping me. And this made SUCH a difference. As a bride, there are moments when you feel frantic and you need an answer to your questions in order to soothe your soul, and Paula gives you that, and for that I will forever be grateful. My wedding was perfect. It was majestic. It was breathtaking. It was a blast. And everything went off without a hitch. Everyone at the wedding said it was the best wedding they had ever attended. I attribute that to Paula. Paula worked so so hard to make sure that my day was perfect. She was there at every turn making sure that everything was in place and done exactly how it should be. I never even had to speak with vendors once I hired them - she set everything up and made sure that it was all done perfectly. And it was. Everything was set up on time in the way I had envisioned. She even set things up herself that I had purchased for decor and for my guests. At the rehearsal and on the day of the wedding Paula was on point, seemingly everywhere at once and yet not noticeable to any of my guests. My entire bridal party commented to me how wonderful a planner she is. My sister got married last year and used a different wedding planner, and her biggest regret is that she didn't know about Paula Laskelle. My dad said the same thing. Paula is the one thing about the wedding that I know I would do again in a heartbeat (besides marrying my husband, of course ;) ). She is the smartest decision you will make. There is a reason she has a reputation for being the best wedding planner in orange county: because she IS. Hire her. You will not regret it. I promise you. Thank you, Paula, for giving me the best day of my life.

Paula was everything we could have asked for in a wedding planner, and MORE! Our wedding day turned…read moreout perfectly and we could not have done it without Paula. She was always there for us when we needed her, helped us choose great vendors, kept everything very organized and easy to understand and follow, and made sure everything went as planned on the big day. We did not have to worry about anything on our big day, we knew Paula had everything under control at all times. She was professional and fun and so easy to work with. Her experience, creativity, and expertise in the wedding industry is unmatched. She made us feel we were her only clients from the day we hired her. We're so happy to have worked with Paula for our dream wedding and we HIGHLY recommend her, especially for Pelican Hill, where we were married.

Thank you Nicole for organizing and designing such a beautiful Bridal Shower for me! Nicole brought…read moremy inspiration board to life and my shower even matched the theme of my upcoming wedding! There were so many DIY touches that made it so fun for the guests. From personalized banners, to a makeshift photo booth. (complete with handmade props!) She knew that my groom and I are huge music fans and even had invitations made to look like concert tickets! The mimosa bar was a hit complete with fruit and cheese platter, and my glass was never empty! It really was EVERYTHING that I could have hoped for and sooooo much more! If you want your bride to feel special, spoiled, and loved then I would definitely recommend hiring Nicole to plan your event.

Nicole will get it done! We hired Nicole to coordinate our October 2013 wedding and there was no…read moreway we could have done it without her. Upon being referred to her, she came out and met with us at the wedding venue. She took the time to get to know us and our expectations for the wedding day. I thought our situation was a challenging one since we were having a multicultural wedding that entailed two ceremonies and a reception - all held at my cousin's large home. However, it didn't seem challenging to Nicole. She was able to develop a timeline for the day that put my heart at ease on how our plans will come together. She kept in touch with me regularly as we approached the wedding and joined us again for the rehearsal. Her professionalism and courtesy was very much appreciated by my entire wedding party. We all knew exactly what each of us needed to do on the day of and could see that she had everything under control. On the day of the wedding I was able to let go and enjoy myself thanks to Nicole. She was there for everything from managing the vendors to keeping me, my groom, and the wedding party fed and hydrated. She was especially awesome at handling the unexpected - like finding a quick solution to fixing the bustle of my dress and keeping all of the wedding events flowing smoothly. So, obviously, we highly recommend Nicole! You'll know within five minutes of talking to her that she will take great care of you for your very special day:)

Courtney has an incredible gift. She does stellar work. Our wedding day was perfect. While we're…read moresure there were snafus at the reception (there always are), we knew absolutely nothing about them. Courtney and her team handled everything expertly. In the lead-up to the big day, Courtney asked all the right questions and helped us to think through exactly what we wanted for our reception. And then she made it happen. Every time we look at our wedding photos, we recognize Courtney's presence and hard work. She made my lofty Pinterest dreams come true. The table settings were crisp and sweet; the lights hung perfectly; the flowers were beautifully placed on the tables and around the venue and on top of the cakes; the name cards aligned in friendly columns and rows. And we were all smiling. There was no stress, nothing to worry about. On the big day, Courtney and her team did all the hard work. If we were to do it all over again, we would once again choose The Joy Parade for our team.

If you are hoping that everything on your wedding day goes exactly as you envisioned, then you have…read morefound your sure proof way to make it happen and her name is Courtney. I have been a part of so many friends weddings, and talked to so many of my friends who have looked back on their wedding and said oh, "I wish I noticed (fill in the blank) wasn't how I wanted it, or I was so stressed out I didn't enjoy my day, we forgot to take this picture" etc. I can't say that about my wedding, my wedding was flawless. Courtney is meticulous. She made sure that my day was absolutely perfect. There is not one thing that did not go according to plan and the reason being Courtney is on point. She made sure that things went smoothly, that all the events I wanted to experience where experienced, it was amazing. During the month before the wedding Courtney was my right and left hand. I never had to worry. She made sure that all my vendors were coordinate with one another that the timelines were all in sink and when it was time to prove herself she went beyond. I cannot give her a higher recommendation. She's the best, simply simply the best!

Selina Grande most definitely goes ABOVE AND BEYOND. For several YEARS…read more A little over three years ago, I got a wild hair to throw a Coachella-themed Sweet 16 party for my daughter Chloe...CHLOCHELLA!! Found a venue, put down a deposit, and then thought to myself "WTH did I get myself into??" Not too long ago, I got married - I planned to elope but folks started inviting themselves, and it became a thing...on a Tuesday. Thinking back to that time, I really could've used some professional help. Since I committed to having this Sweet 16 shindig, I got to looking for an event planner. Found A&BE on Weddingwire, met up with Selina. We immediately adored her and felt she'd take care of us. We shared our vision, color choices, decor dreams...the whole enchilada. And then COVID hit. We postponed the party a year out. COVID continued. 2022 is looking a less worrisome, events started to pick up again. We started planning again with a bit of trepidation. Ok, I dragged my butt on it. But no worries...Selina took the helm, handled just about every single aspect and designed a gala-worthy event where our birthday girl, family, and friends thoroughly had a BLAST. Thank you, Selina, for going Above and Beyond. You are a gift.

Selina was an amazing event planner. She was very professional and a pleasure to work with. She…read moredid a beautiful job with my husband's 70th birthday party. I highly recommend her. Jan S.

Excellent, excellent, excellent…read more Our wedding was a destination wedding (we are from NYC) AND we survived the wave of pandemic unpredictability. I met Claudia pre-pandemic and felt very confident after our first conversation that she would be the perfect fit for our wedding team. She was so kind and adaptable when we had to postpone our wedding TWICE and made sure that I felt supported throughout the entire process. She was a coordinator, director, visionary, and friend. We ended up having a 2-day wedding event and Claudia and her husband Mike were so reliable that I had NO stress because I knew she had my back. If you are looking for someone organized, creative, knowledgable, and altogether phenomenal, GO WITH CLAUDIA AND HER AMAYSING EVENTS!!

Claudia and her husband Mike went above and beyond for us in every way for our wedding day. She…read morewas very supportive and took the time to understand what we were looking for, and did a fabulous job with our decor setup-- everything turned out just how I wanted! Claudia met with us as often as needed to get all the details sorted out. She was very professional yet firm in working with the other vendors and made sure everything stayed on track. Thank you Claudia!!

Just got back from our honeymoon and 2 weeks later, we are still on a high from our wedding. Our…read morewedding was everything we had hoped for AND MORE all thanks to Kaleigh and her team. Kaleigh was our go-to gal throughout the entire planning process. She was so kind, talented, trustworthy, and PATIENT! She is actually one of the major reasons why we chose the venue in the first place. We had one meeting with her at Hamilton Oaks Winery and knew that we would be in good hands if she came with the venue. Thank goodness she did. Kaleigh helped us through all of our to do lists and appointments. She also shared a ton of suggestions, creative ideas, and was very quick to answer any questions we had (we had A LOT of questions). Did I mention she is SUPER PATIENT? She was very aware of our budget and helped us stay within, which we really appreciated. We had a ton of ideas and impossible things we wanted to happen, and she helped us make them happen. On the day of our wedding, we got to sit back and trust that everything would be executed the way we visioned and planned. And it was EVEN BETTER than we expected. I basically threw a bunch of things at her and said "put it wherever." Before the guests arrived, I walked outside and was amazed by her work. Pretty sure I got teary eyed and did some kind of happy dance. She made our wedding STUNNING and so SMOOTH. She has such a great eye and if anything went wrong during the wedding day, we never knew. She stayed cool and positive all day long and kept all of us laughing and in great spirits. I should also add that all of the vendors loved working with her. Kaleigh is so easy to work with and has such a great personality. We cannot thank her enough and cannot say enough good things. Gypsea Events is the way to go... believe me. Thank you for making our day a dream come true, Kaleigh. We are forever grateful!

Kaliegh really makes everyone feel so comfortable. My wife and I photograph many weddings…read morethroughout the year and she is one of the best event planners we have worked around! She is cool under pressure with a beautiful smile and accomadating that makes everyone at the event feel at ease. We really look forward to working with her again soon.