Donaji knows exactly what she is doing!!! Her years of experience is what made the entire process run so smoothly, I booked her services 4 months before our wedding date, 11/23/2025, and she made it work. She made me feel like I didn't have to worry about a thing. She made me feel special and made it seem like it was all effortless on her behalf. She asked all the right questions to my vendors, kept note of what to look out for contracts, and kept me in the loop throughout the entire time. She is fully aware as to how special this day is and goes above and beyond to make it all happen. She is simply beyond qualified and we are forever thankful! read more

I'm guilty of not having left a review the first time I worked with Donaji and her team nearly three years ago, and this review is for both occasions (the last being March 2024) in which Donaji came through and helped make our events amazing! Both times I reached out to Donaji pretty late in planning but she was such a life saver- helped us pull together both events in 3-4 weeks! She's very responsive and helps you through all the details! Our first event was a small family gathering of 30- she was able to provide rentals, catering, servers, a bar tender, and videographer. Great linen, serve ware, tablescape, and food! For our second event at an event location in Pasadena, she provided catering, servers, and a bar tender as well! Again, another delightful experience with Donaji who has always in my experience gone above and beyond! She followed up with me each time, even on details that were not under her contracting services- just her being helpful to make our lives easier and have a successful event! Thank you Donaji and your team! read more

Event Professionals - Photos are from our last event in Pasadena. Woodland themed baby shower. - Caterers Near Me - Pasadena, California

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There's the good and the bad. The good : the pricing seems relatively reasonable compared to today's wedding prices all over the country. The food was pretty decent ; not as great as some other wedding caterers I've taste tested but again for the price it was reasonable. Their linen, napkin, table, charger, and other table accessories color and upgrade options was pretty wide. The bad : Donaji is very inflexible and lets her stress overwhelm her. She seemed to be very aloof on the day of our wedding, which was surprising given how strict she was during the planning process. I'm giving the company 2 stars because she made a scene at one of the tables and had a verbal spout with one of our guests, from which I heard later about , witnessed by several others including those I work with. Very unprofessional. The company also appears to try to nickle and dime you and if you go out of their comfort zone of ideas , you're on your own. But Donaji is reasonable when it comes to you saying what YOU want. You just need to be clear and know how to execute it yourself because she won't know how to. Overall, like every company, they will wine and dine you to get you to sign and when that happens , it's all up in the air. I don't know if I "regret" going with EP but I know for sure what I would do different and what I recommend EP do different. Thankfully I only plan on getting married once ... read more

My husband and I started working with Donaji in October 2018 to prepare for our wedding in April 2019. Donaji and her staff were wonderful to work with throughout the entire process, from the initial tasting prior to hiring Event Professionals through to the execution of the wedding day! All of Donaji's recommendations were wonderful and so appreciated, as I know how difficult it can be to dive into wedding planning and not knowing any contacts for flowers, hair/makeup, etc. Donaji was always available if we needed anything during the planning process, was extremely organized and kept us moving forward in a realm where we knew nothing. She had great options for the chairs, linens, etc. and made everything so simple for us to choose and execute. On the day of the event, her staff was prepared, punctual and made everything look absolutely beautiful! We were blown away by everything! In terms of the food and service the day of the wedding, everything was phenomenal, the prices were beyond reasonable and everything was set up perfectly! Our reasonably-budgeted wedding looked and felt like a million dollars! We are so grateful and would recommend Donaji to everyone to help to coordinate your wedding day! She's a wonderful, sweet person who works hard to make everything beautiful! Thank you so much, Donaji! And, brides, feel free to contact me if you need any recommendations/advice! read more

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Our wedding was a dream and I'm crying because it's over. I worked with Donaji for over a year planning our wedding! Unfortunately, Covid-19 forced us to postpone our 2020 wedding. Through all the trials and tribulations, Donaji was there to help us. After 3 postponements, we finally had our wedding on August 7, 2021 and it was everything we ever hoped for and more. We celebrated with all 250 of our guests!! It was amazing. We almost gave up and forfeited everything we spent but we're so glad we didn't! Donaji worked with all our other vendors to put together a timeline for our special day. She was our coordinator and caterer. We worked closely through phone calls / emails. The service was excellent and everyone loved the food. She recommended a florist who was also a great vendor. Everything was just beautiful and I can't thank her enough. read more

Event Professionals, Donaji and her team are absolutely wonderful! The food was excellent and the coordination on the day of the wedding went smoothly. They definitely exceeded our expectations! My guests could not stop raving about how it was one of, if not the best wedding food they've ever had. We had asked Donaji for a somewhat custom menu touching on some of our heritage/favorite foods that aren't typical of a wedding and they delivered. From start to finish the wedding planning/coordination was responsive/professional and most importantly warm and friendly. EP was constantly in contact with us making sure that we were doing well and offering assistance for anything we might need. The referrals were excellent and absolutely helped us save on big ticket items like alcohol (think Costco but less DIY). If you are looking for a team that will make you feel comfortable every step of the way and you want to get the best bang for your buck then Event Professionals is for you. read more

Event Professionals - Our Wedding Menu (food was soo delicious we forgot to take a pic of it!) - Caterers Near Me - Pasadena, California

Cheapest chair and table rentals in the area! Used this place for chair and table rentals, plus a few odds and ends, for our wedding July 3, 2011. A great place to go for the basics, with some nice linens options and some lounge furniture; They also have a contact for tenting and lighting should you need it. For the negative review who had a bad experience with her quote/communication, we were quoted everything we said we'd like to rent, and then trimmed down from there to fit our budget. As for customer service, true we sometimes sent a few emails or left messages, but that's pretty standard for any wedding vendor in my experience with the business. In our experience, they were nice, prompt, and were on time with pickup and delivery. They were also straightforward, courteous, and very competitive in their pricing. I don't understand why anyone would feel they weren't willing to work with anyone on any budget... it's simply not true. We paid under $400 for everything we needed for a wedding of 50 guests. What we couldn't afford through EP, we borrowed or bought elsewhere. No saga, no drama. They accept check, cash or MO only, no credit cards (but they do take cards as a damage deposit). Great for garden weddings, bridal/baby showers, or birthday/anniversary parties. read more

Event Professionals - white wood padded chairs from Event Professionals - Caterers Near Me - Pasadena, California

We recently worked with Donaji and Event Professionals for our backyard wedding in Pasadena, CA. Originally we wanted to use a local catering company since we've been going to them for many years but they no longer provide servers. We started looking for servers and came across Event Professionals. We met with Donaji and learned about her catering co-company, Chef Touche. We did a tasting and the food was so yummy that it was a no brainer to go with EP and Chef Touche for both the food and servers. And boy are we happy we did! Donaji simplified the process and took care of all the details. She has a great package where she provides literally everything you need for the event setup. She's super easy to work with, very calm and patient. Which is helpful since planning a wedding is so stressful. Day of, we had rain and it was a completely outdoor wedding. Donaji's team didn't skip a beat. She had a ton of suggestions to prep us for the rain and then day of they made it all happen and even though I wasn't prepared mentally for rain on my wedding day it ended up being more than a perfect day for me and my now husband. I know this is in big thanks to the work Donaji and her team did. I highly recommend!! Thank you Donaji for making our day one we will remember so fondly for a lifetime! read more

I can not express how amazing Donaji is at her job! She truly gave me the wedding of my dreams! I happened to find Donaji at my wedding venue as I was touring and saw her setting up for another wedding. I was able to see first hand how pro-active she is in planning and setting up prior to booking her and her team for my wedding. I have a busy career and was nervous about planning a wedding. She made sure to not only help with finding vendors but also contacted them with all the important information/details. She also went above and beyond by helping me negotiate with some vendors. I was able to enjoy all the fun stuff about planning a wedding, since I had her help with all the stressful aspects. On the day of the wedding, everything felt like it flowed so perfectly. If there were any hiccups, I still haven't heard about it. She made sure to coordinate with all the vendors regarding set up and breakdown. Her team was amazing. In regards to the wedding reception set up, Donaji made sure I was happy with the way the table setting. She went out of her way to do a couple mock ups to make sure it was exactly what I wanted. The day of the wedding the reception looked gorgeous! I will definitely be using Event professionals for any event from now on! Thanks again Donaji and the team! read more

My wife and I selected Event Professionals to cater our backyard wedding reception, as well as brunch the following morning. From providing the initial quote to the clean up of our event, Donaji and her team did an amazing job. During the planning phase, she guided us in developing our vision of the evening. Along the way, she had valuable recommendations to make the evening more enjoyable and smoother-running. A last-minute recommendation of adding space heaters was greatly appreciated when the temperature forecasted for our reception started to fall two days before the event. Communication was always super clear and well documented within the quote and day of schedule. When we had questions, there was always a very quick response time. An unexpected bonus was that Donaji also acted as our day-of coordinator. During the rehearsal, she helped our families understand the overall flow and detailed steps of the ceremony so that the actual wedding went smoothly. It's not an easy task to wrangle our families but she did this with professionalism and confidence that commanded everyone's respect. On the day of the wedding, she kept things on track and on schedule. The food was also top notch. We really enjoyed the chicken in white wine sauce with risotto. The strip steak in a port reduction was also very good. The made-to-order brunch the next morning was also a hit with our guests. Event Professionals took Covid protocols very seriously during the reception and brunch. All members of the team wore masks the entire time and this made everyone feel very comfortable. I had a very positive experience with Event Professionals and would recommend them with no reservations. Thanks Donaji! David and Sarah read more

After the wedding is now all over, and I have gotten just a taste of the scope of what goes into planning a wedding, I don't know how Donaji does her job at the price she gave. It is almost mind blowing that someone can put that much effort into something at a price when I'm myself couldn't be paid enough to do it at all. The stress I felt just planning the small things was nothing compared to what she had to do. If you are looking for someone who will guide you through things, listen to your requests and inform you of what she feels could work even better, go with her. She will speak her mind if she disagrees with you on certain points, but only in your best interest, and will still ultimately go with what you decide. She tried very hard to convince us of the importance of assigned seating, not trying to force us, but to explain why she felt it was important. She just didn't realize that we had a 'screw them they can fend for themselves and fight over the best tables' mentality haha. I appreciate giving us reasons as to her logic and past experiences. She found us basically everything, with options. Whether we wanted something more on the inexpensive side or extravagant, she knew a guy. We were getting quotes from planners where they charge double and basically just show up the day of, letting you do all the leg work of finding and hiring everyone else. As I said, by the time everything was all done I felt the price she offered was the equivalent of someone working a job that makes $25 an hour but only asking for minimum wage. I work in the wedding industry myself, but I'm a salesman of engagement and wedding rings. I will be recommending her to every client I am in front of because I want my guests to have the best help possible, and Donaji is the one to provide that. Hire her! read more

In January...my review for Event Professionals was "So far so good. :)" Well...that's an understatement. I'm a picky girl...which probably makes me even a pickier bride but Donaji was so accomodating and patient. If I had to do what she does...there would probably some brides out there with some shiners. :) Donaji sat with us on 2 occasions for 4 hours to set up and organize our itinerary for the big day!! 4 hours!! 2 times!! She cares more about your wedding than you do. :) She worked around our budget, did a walk through with us at the venue, coordinated with our other vendors and coordinated our wedding. To put it plainly, she did a spectacular job. I would recommend her to any bride who comes my way. EP provided all the food and rentals. Our guests loved the food, especially the filet mignon and cheese risotto. Our linens were beautiful and went so well with our chiavari chairs. I'm not sure what I would've done without Donaji and her crew. They made our wedding day an amazing one. read more

My wedding was SO beautiful because of Carissa, my wedding coordinator! She was on top of every single detail. When I emailed her updates throughout my engagement, she was on top of it! She revised my wedding itinerary with the updates and sent it to me to reassure me everything was going according to plan. She also kept in contact with other vendors I was using to make sure everyone was on the same page. She did an AMAZING job on setting everything up for my wedding. It was truly breathe taking. The only reason I gave them a 4 star review and not a 5 star review was because many of my guests complained about not getting enough food. For example, they had about 6 bread rolls in the basket and 4 pads of butter with 10 people to a table. Also, my family table (the one my parents and closest family members sat at asked for more chicken because there wasn't enough to go around) and the waiter had a little bit of an attitude about it. Another thing was that the bartender, Joe, was not only rude to some of my guests but also decided to sell/make a profit off of our bottles of alcohol. He charged our guests $20 per bottles and he pocketed the money. These bottles of alcohol belonged to us not EP. However, I told EP about this situation and I sent pictures of guests with the bottles in their hands as proof and they refunded us our money. Overall, I recommend using Event Professionals! read more

I had a two-year engagement and worked hard on planning my perfect day from day 1. I came across Event Professionals as I was doing venue research and they seemed to fit our budget while providing quality service. Donaji and Carisa were always in touch and very accommodating. They answered all my questions very clearly and worked around my requests. How often do you get to hear "Sure, we can do that!"? When our big day finally arrived, Carisa and the crew went beyond our expectations! They definitely kept in mind all the notes we provided over the whole planning process to create the perfect, smooth day for us! Our menu consisted of typical wedding fare, but EVERYONE enjoyed their meals (especially the mixed green salad with candied pecans, feta cheese and raspberry vinaigrette). To be honest I was suprised and therefore sooo happy with our hors d'oeuvres and dinner! We were never stressed out during our reception and Carisa always touched base with us throughout the night's events. They dealt with our vendors very professionally and provided the best service to our guests. I can't help but want to relive our special day over and over again all because they made it so great! read more

I will be renting everything from this company for my engagement party, and most likely for wedding ( if have an outdoor wedding). The lady who works here was on the phone for me for 30 mins brainstorming ideas for venues and overall. This is even before booking anything so I'm completely shocked at the amazing work ethic here. I called her on another occasion and she was able to quote me on everything I needed. Thanks for the wonderdul customer service!!! read more

Disclaimer: I am using my husband's account to post a review, as I do not own a Yelp account. We just had our wedding a couple weeks ago and EVERYTHING went smoothly. We have Event Professionals to thank for that! EP was professional from the start. Donaji was our contact person from the beginning and she walked us through every step of the way. Because we were very cost conscious and had specific requests for our special day (our venue was almost completely DIY), we contacted several caterers and vendors. We ultimately decided on EP because they had A) superb customer service, B) delicious food and C) the best value Superb Customer Service: EP was flexible with anything we threw at them. My husband works in the Bay Area M-F, so it was difficult to meet outside of the weekends. However, EP was willing to meet after hours to ensure that we were on track with the planning and that all the i's were dotted and t's were crossed. They even contacted each of our vendors the week prior to the wedding to ensure they were all aware of timing and schedule. EP had superb attention to detail and an ability to adapt to any changes we threw at them (guest list constantly changed and they were willing to make changes necessary up until a few days before the wedding). On the day of the wedding, things could not have gone more smoothly. This was, in no small part, thanks to Event Professionals. Of course, it helped that the weather was somehow 80 degrees in November (luck smiled on us that day!). If there were any glitches during the wedding, we didn't notice them. EP also was there to give us a few minutes to relax and even set aside time for us to enjoy the wedding food. Delicious food: We also had several tastings with different caterers and we were WOWed by the food. Our menu ended up being: Salad w/ Raspberry Vinegarette/Seaweed Salad, Salmon Teriyaki/Tri-Tip w/ Horseradish, and Risotto/Roasted Potatoes/Rice. It was delicious and we had many, many guests tell us it was some of the best wedding food they had tasted and some went and got seconds (we had buffet style serving). They especially raved about the salmon and the risotto. We were more than satisfied with the food. Best value: We began negotiations with different caterers, but early in the conversations it became apparent that EP had the most reasonable prices for the level of service we required (of course we couldn't let them know this until we were able to finalize all pricing!). They were able to work with us to recommend ways to cut costs while staying true to the theme of the wedding. They also recommended several vendors and, while we didn't use all of them, the ones we did use were great as well. I know this review may sound too good to be true, but we felt our wedding was EXACTLY what we imagined and was perfect for us, so we felt EP deserves a great review. If you are having a wedding/event, I would recommend at least speaking with Event Professionals. You will not be disappointed! read more

Donaji and the rest of the Event Professionals team were incredible. If you are considering hiring them as your wedding caterer, stop considering and hire them now! Their pricing was significantly lower than all of the other caterers we looked at, but their food, service and attention was the best of the best. After we attended the free tasting we hired them immediately. My fiancé (at the time) said the ginger glazed salmon was the best he ever tasted! So we went with that and the tri-tip. Plus the raspberry salad, grilled veggies, roasted potatoes and macaroni and cheese! We also had an amazing taco bar for late night. We couldn't believe how great the food tasted the day of the wedding. It was executed to perfection and for 100 guests. Seriously impressive. Our guests raved about the food as well--especially the late night taco bar. This was by far the best food I've had at a wedding and most restaurants! Their staff was also professional and friendly. Also, our wedding was on a site with nothing, so EP had to bring in everything from the kitchen, to all of the furniture, etc. It was so helpful having Donaji's expertise when creating a wedding from scratch essentially. I can't recommend Event Professionals enough! Thanks for making our wedding "the best party we've ever been to" (in the words of my husband). Also, our wedding was featured on Green Wedding Shoes!!! http://greenweddingshoes.com/colorful-california-backyard-wedding-stefanie-leigh/ http://www.mariannewilsonblog.com/los-angeles-backyard-wedding-stefanie-leigh/ read more

Event Professionals - Caterers Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I spent almost one year of wedding planning with Event Professionals. So now that the wedding has passed, I miss them! Working with Donaji was intense, but in a good way. From the beginning she made sure to cover every single thing she could think of. We had a total of about 3 meetings in person with her. They were quite long and tiring, but every bit of it was important. Event Professionals comes in two parts - catering and day-of coordinating. For catering, we did a taste-testing and boy was everything delicious. Let's just say our guests are still talking about how delicious their dinner was and how impressed they were with the appetizers, main dishes and desserts. For the day-of coordinating, that's the part I was most impressed with. Not only did we spend nearly a year of planning the day out, but she brought it all to life on our wedding day. Donaji did the planning and Dora did the actual coordinating. I need to give them each their own review: Donaji - She is ON TOP OF IT. Like, it really is insane how many things she has to think about. I really appreciated how I could ask her anything and make changes wherever I needed to. If it weren't for Donaji's thoroughness and attention to detail, I would have missed a bunch of stuff. As I mentioned before, the long meetings were very beneficial. She was a pleasure to work with. Dora - Oh how my husband and I LOVED Dora!!! Dora is one of Donaji's assistants and she was there coordinating everything on the day of the wedding. I'm pretty sure she doesn't have a twin but it sure seemed like it because she would show up quickly whenever we needed her or she would be on time getting people ready for the next part of the event. Oh and the entire time Dora always had a smile on her face and she is just so incredibly nice and sweet. And VERY patient! If she ever came to a point where she was stressed we would never have known it. She really took care of us. Event Professionals transformed my dream wedding into a reality and I know that's a lot to say, but it's true. read more

Event professionals definitely lives up to its name. I got married at the elegant and beautiful Ambassador Garden and Mansion (Merritt mansion) at the beginning of June 2013. There were many sudden changes that occurred due to new construction and sound ordinance regulations at the venue, but Event Professionals was able to accommodate seemlessly with these changes. They assured me that their team could provide a great setup that the guests would be happy with, and by the smiles and laughs of the guests' faces, I have no doubt it was a success. The food: the food was great. We ordered the Chicken Marsala, Tri-tip, grilled vegetables, and grilled artichoke garden salad. The chicken was very juicy, the Tri-tip was flavored nicely, and the salad and vegetables were very tasty and filled with lots of artichokes and seasoning. TIP: definitely go to their complimentary tasting and if there are any changes needed, they will be happy to accommodate. The decor and table setup: we had a combination of round tables and long rectangular tables w white folding chairs and white table cloth with green runners. And we had string market lights across the patio. The tables fit on the top and bottom patio of the mansion, and the runners just made the tables pop. And the lights were setup in a way that it didn't intrude on the tables and lit the area perfectly. And the setup of the tables in the mansion for drinks and dessert worked w the flow of the mansion. TIP: go over the floorplan closely w your coordinator so that they know what your vision is. The more details you give them, the better of a job they'll do of setting it up the way you like it. The staff: what can I say, but thank you. Donaji-was so professional, organized and accommodating w our budget. She was so detailed w the day of itinerary and it took care of every detail. Mariel- was very responsive and helpful to my millions of questions throughout all the planning, she really made you feel like a number one client. Nikki-was so organized and collected as my day of planner and was able to answer all the questions for setup and details of the day. TIP: do not be afraid to ask questions. The more you clarify upfront, the less surprises to come later. The cost: for the quality of service and food, it is definitely one of the most affordable caterers in Pasadena. And since they are a FULL service caterer, you get a great deal on services you'd purchase a la carte elsewhere. Trust me, I did my research. TIP: be sure to review your itinerary and invoice carefully and read through your contract thoroughly. There were some mistakes that I saw, but Event professionals was very understanding and reflected changes immediately. read more

We hired Event Professionals to coordinate our wedding - like others have mentioned they are pretty much a one-stop-shop and do both catering and coordinating. They also partner with several vendors that provide quality at reasonable prices. We did not go with the florist or photographer they suggested, but we did go with Cake Sensations and Liquid Catering, who provided us the best wedding cake and open bar ever!! So I trust that their other partners are just as spectacular. Norine was our main contact throughout the wedding planning process. We had worked with Meredith for the first few months, but she left the company and we were taken care of by Norine. The change wasn't a big deal and the transition felt pretty seamless as Norine easily took on the role Meredith once occupied. Our wedding day was spectacular and I have to say that investing in a coordinator was the best decision ever! We got married on November 14th, 2009 at Ambassador Campus using the Merritt and Fowler Gardens. I never felt the stress that many brides felt planning their weddings and thoroughly enjoyed my big day without noticing anything that could have gone wrong. Norine contacted all of my vendors for me the week before to make sure everyone was on the same page. So many guests complimented us on their meal (we had a sit-down service dinner of steak, salmon, and chicken) and could not believe it was so good for wedding food. They also raved about our red velvet wedding cake from Cake Sensations, which made me soo happy. I've had my share of bland, boring wedding food and had hoped that mine would not be remembered that way. Although my wedding was nearly flawless for the most part, I should mention that there was a bit of confusion with my table linens. Event Professionals told me with less than 2 weeks left before wedding day that they did not have enough of the lavender table linens I had chosen early on in the process. I was taken aback by the last minute realization, but Donaji told me not to worry and went out of her way to search for table linens of a similar lavender shade. Also, we originally ordered 10 heatlamps, but when our final guest count was larger than we originally planned we asked if it was possible to get more and they did not have enough. I was surprised that they didn't have more in stock. The heatlamps also did not radiate heat very strongly... but other than those 2 minor details, Event Professionals really did an amazing job. I loved every moment of my wedding and I have to give them a BIG thanks for their hand in it all! read more

Yay for EP! Our coordinators on the day of were led by Nikki and supervised by Donaji - but we had constant contact with Mariel up until the day before our wedding. They handled everything on the day of our wedding so that we didn't have to worry about a thing. The day before our wedding, I had a major flip out moment when I arrived at our rehearsal. The entire property of Ambassador Mansions had been covered just hours ago in bright teal-green mulch. Apparently, they thought teal was the closest color to natural green grass. It looked like radioactive grass. So, what is a bride to do when she has 12-hours to her wedding and she finds that her venue looks like a bizarre scene from a Dr. Seuss book? Well, luckily, our actual garden, the Fowler Gardens, only had a couple of minor teal patches that our coordinators were able to cover up after rearranging a few tables here and there. They also were able to move our cocktail hour from hilly grass area into the Japanese gardens so guests wouldn't notice the weird colored grass. It definitely helps to have day of coordinators who are very familiar with your wedding venue so that they can come up with solutions and alternatives fast and on the spot. Since Event Professionals also provided our food and rentals, everything was seamless on the day of. This was so important since our venue was a headache to deal with. There were some minor hiccups - which is why they didn't get a 5/5 rating from us. 1. The day before at rehearsal our main coordinator, Nikki, didn't really seem like she knew exactly what to do - she wasn't giving directions and just wasn't very informative overall. Mariel was much better. 2. The day of, we had three (I think) coordinators total and yet I couldn't find anyone to let me know what was going on when I was getting ready. No one to help with veil, bustle dress, etc. I was kind of in the dark the entire morning. Overall quality and value is great for EP - I just recommend getting Mariel for your coordinator if you can. read more

When my husband and I began to plan our wedding, we new off the bat we did not want a stuffy, generic wedding. We wanted our day to be a reflection of our personalities. Tony and I are mexican, and we new a mexican fiesta was the sort of off beat event we wanted. First; our first meeting with Donaji made the rest of the year planning such an easy because she had already answered so many questions. We wanted to have authentic Mexican food. EP served food that tasted as if it were made by my grandmother! It was delicious! The salsa's, the Mole, the guacamole! AMAZING. Even my grandmother, who was here visiting from Mexico said the food was exquisite! Second, EP took care of calling all the vendors and all those involved. The day off, everything was taken care of all Norine was worried about is making sure Tony and I were having a great time! WE DID! all of our guests had a great time! Remember, they don't only do weddings. But because they have everything it allows you to choose a non-conventional venue for your event. Our's was on the roof! read more

Generally wedding food tastes like a night out at Applebee's. Part of that stems from the fact that the catering companies have to appeal to everyone, so by and large the food is always bland and forgetable. Event Professionals did a nice job of providing tasty food that could appeal to the masses. Some close friends of ours used their services for their wedding at the Ambassador campus. Since I wasn't involved I can only review the food itself but overall they seemed to do an excellent job. There were open bars with the bride and grooms signature drink choices, large fruit plates and servers wandering around with delicious little bites to try before the actual dinner. Dinner itself was quite nice. The highlight was the prime rib, which was nicely flavored with pepper. The chicken was also good, topped with corn and tomatoes. The third choice of fish was less successful, a little too dry but okay nonetheless. Also included were numerous side dishes. Unlike most weddings, this was buffet style instead of asking each guest to choose one entree. It was a nice change of pace. All in all from a third party perspective they did a good job of the catering. The servers however were way to quick to take away unfinished drinks which was more than irritating towards the end of the evening when the bar had closed down. Best Plates: Prime Rib. Food - B+ Service - B- read more

I just got married in Pasadena and couldn't have had my wedding without Donaji and her crew. My wedding was 11/5/11 and I started planning my event in October 2010. From beginning to end EP was there every step of the way. EP is very affordable (budget bride) and did all they could to give me an amazing wedding in my budget. They were honest and wanted to make sure I was happy with all decisions. Once you say wedding vendors take advantage of you, but not EP, they work with you. Donaji listened to me and saw my vision. She helped me find my venue (in budget) as well as I used her preferred vendors for flowers and alcohol. Letty coordinated the day of the wedding, which left me nothing to worry about. I am a planner and like to be hands on, but the day of the wedding I was able to let go and let EP take over. I was a guest at my own wedding and that is the way it should be. The day of the wedding went smoothly and my wedding was a hit. Thank you EP for all you did... Answering all my emails, phone calls, and sit down meetings in the office. I couldn't have planned my wedding without you. Dana (Pineda) Barber read more

Donaji and her team were amazing. When we decided to have a smaller wedding due to COVID we had about 8 weeks to plan everything. I am so happy we found Event Professionals. They helped us find vendors, coordinate rentals, finalize our layout and so much more. Not only were they our planner, but they also handled almost every aspect of the day. They did most of our rentals, catering, and servers. The day was a whirlwind and the team handled everything so well. The staff was great! The food was fantastic! And the whole evening went so well. Everything from the lighting and table layouts to the food and service and even the end of the night was perfect. The staff was so nice too! I would highly recommend them!! read more

Dear Donaji, Event Professionals did an A+++ job on our daughter's wedding. In particular, Mariel, our "day of coordinator", was nothing short of phenomenal. She handled everything with calm assurance with the expert assistance of Nikki. Both worked super hard and took care of literally everything, so that the family could enjoy the celebration. All of our guests said it was "the best wedding they had ever attended." The food was excellent, the service outstanding, the handling of the decorations superb. The wedding coordination was not just expert & trouble free, it was perfect. The serving staff was not just competent, they were very attentive and cordial and gave everyone personalized attention. Your entire staff deserves the highest marks and accolades. We had several gourmet chefs who attended as guests and each said, how excellent the food and service was. Both bride and groom said that they felt everything went perfect! We thank you Donaji and all your staff and will definitely recommend your company to anyone looking to cater an affair. We appreciate your dedication and professionalism. We thank you for being as your name says, "Event Professionals." Eric and Helane read more

So happy we chose event professionals for Our wedding. Originally I found this company through yelp reviews as I'm from out of town and needed someone to help with wedding preparations. Mariel was our coordinator and she was helpful and attentive through the whole process. The suggested vendors were all wonderful and everything went smoothly because they have all worked together before. Our wedding location was severely deconstructed a few days before our wedding and Mariel came with me to the site and kept me calm and also suggested ways to improve what we had to deal with. In the end we had a great time thanks to Mariel and the team at EP. read more

Event Professionals - Caterers Near Me - Pasadena, California

Where do I even begin to tell all of you how AMAZING and WONDERFUL Donaji and her girls are from Event Professionals. We TRULY feel so BLESSED to have found them. They were our ANGELS throughout this whole process. They made our wedding day PERFECT in every way. It was truly our DREAM WEDDING :-) They went ABOVE and BEYOND our expectations. We received endless compliments from all our guests on how ORGANIZED and BEAUTIFUL everything was. I kid not, my husband and I received tons of calls and texts messages the next day from friends and family telling us that it was the best wedding they have ever been to. Some of them even said that it will probably be the best wedding they will EVER go to because it would be so difficult to top. I mean WOW, we were so humbled by those compliments. But I KNOW for a FACT that this would not be the case without the AMAZING and TALENTED team of girls that Donaji has. THANK YOU Donaji! THANK YOU Carisa! THANK YOU Mariel! THANK YOU Letty! THANK YOU Julie! THANK YOU Sharon! Each one of you should get an AWARD for all the effort you put into weddings. You gals put all your hearts into it, and that's what helps create a magnificent wedding. We also want to THANK Chef Touché for the YUMMY food at the wedding! We actually booked Event Professionals before we even booked anyone else, including our venue. Let me tell you... It was the BEST and WISEST decision we ever made throughout this whole wedding process. Not only did Donaji guide us EVERY SINGLE step of the way throughout the process, but she led us to the best vendors in town. Donaji and her team are super duper organized and they pay attention to every little detail. And I mean every single little detail. They don't miss anything just to ensure that your day is as perfect as you can ever imagine. They are also so prompt in responding to emails and ensure that they answer every single question or worry you have on all wedding matters. It was also so great that they were a one stop shop from catering to rentals to event planning. You just can't go wrong with them! I refer them all the time to other brides I know getting married because I TRULY BELIEVE and TRUST that when you hire a group like Donaji's, it's almost guaranteed that you will have a SUCCESSFUL event. Honestly, that's how I feel about them. Our friends actually already hired Event Professionals for their wedding in May 2013, and after our wedding, they were even more excited for their own wedding because they saw firsthand what an amazing job Donaji and her girls did. Josh and I LOVE you so much girls! We truly can't thank you enough. You made our DREAM WEDDING a REALITY :-) I attached a few pictures of the MASTERPIECE they created for us :-) Closing remark... Book Event Professionals ladies!! It will be the BEST and WISEST choice you will ever make for your wedding! Good luck everyone!! read more

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I don't even know where to start....Event Professionals definitely made our wedding day the best it could ever be. We got married at the Ambassador Campus on July 25th, 2009. We used the Merritt Mansion, Merritt Garden & Italian Garden. Donaji & Imelda helped us plan every single detail of the wedding & reception, and the chef prepared a scrumptious dinner that all our guests enjoyed. One of the great things about EP is that they are a one stop shop for almost everything you need to host your own wedding/reception. The party rentals, table linens, food, bar service. You name it they have it. And if they don't have it (like flowers or music), they'll definitely know someone who does. And their referrals are only the best of the best, so it saves a lot of time and guesswork when looking for certain vendors. Four months after the wedding and we are still receiving compliments on the big day. It wasn't our goal to put on the most lavish, extravagant wedding ever. We had mostly wanted the wedding and reception to be simple and nice, and for our guests to enjoy ourselves. Event Professionals helped us achieve just that, and then some. They helped turn the day into something that we'll all remember for a long time to come. I would recommend Event Professionals to any couple who is planning their own wedding. Definitely try to make it to one of their food tastings, the food alone should be enough to hook you. read more

Loved our experience with EP. Loved donaji! She came through with everything she promised. She works with your budget, and i love how she is calm and reassuring. EP makes time for you and your concerns and questions too! A couple of my mtgs with them ran long and they didnt seem to be rushing me out the door. I had my wedding at the Craven Estates, and EP did a wonderful job making the event come together to make an elegant and beautiful wedding! The only complaints i had with the wedding was that some of the guests got cold food. I started asking around and didn't hear the same complaint from others. I would recommend them to anyone. read more

Donaji and Carisa made our day the most amazing ever. **I chose them because they were rated in the top 3 on Yelp** Our guests raved about the food and said it was one of the only weddings they remember where they were full. It was so special to have a great, relaxed fun crew of people focused on ensuring the day went smoothly and managing all the details so my husband and I could marry with no worries. The staff is super professional and I chose them because they were rated in the top 3 on Yelp. I am SO happy I made this choice and want to tell everyone that it's amazing what Donaji and team can pull off for your wedding. It was unique and personal and we were able to include all the things we wanted (that other catering companies promised, but then declined to offer). It was important to us to have family style food, home made churros and tables that allowed us to share pictures of family that could not make the event. EP made sure all of the things happened and that the venue in the mountains looked stunning. They always had good ideas to offer and I never felt like our event was cookie cutter for them. They were happy to make it exactly reflect us and our budget. read more

We had the honor to have worked with Donaji and Event Professionals for our Wedding which was in October of this year. We've already seen their work as they did our brother and sis-in laws and as well as our good friends wedding. So at that point we knew we had to have them for ours! We had our wedding reception at the Vibiana Los Angeles. The whole EP staff was awesome to work with as they were very professional, organized and creative. Mariel was pretty much our point of contact throughout the whole wedding preparation and she was so awesome! They made the whole planning process so much easier for us as they had everything planned to a "T"! We pretty much filled in the blanks with what we wanted. Mariel had everything down packed and on the day of, she was there to help out for our ceremony which ran very smoothly and on time! it seemed like whenever there was a question/concern she appeared within the next min with the situation taken cared of! The venue looked amazing when my husband and I saw everything put together. Definitely had us speechless. Not to mention the food was delicious!! Our guests had a great time and it was definitely a day to remember. So happy to have Event Professionals be a part of making our day so special! read more

We had the pleasure of working with Donaji and her team at Event Professionals for our Wedding from a few weeks ago. After sending an email with a request for a quote on table rentals, she personally called me to discuss all of the options available which was very nice to have, since I didn't have a clue about table and chair rentals! When I informed her of some of the hurdles of our DIY wedding space, and that we would likely need to hire staffing, she quickly provided me with a variety of different staffing options at different price points that could fit our budget. Donaji truly pays attention to the small details and we are so happy with the service we got from Event Professionals. We highly recommend them to anyone having a wedding or large scale event. read more

a lot of people have said to me that i don't seem too stressed about my wedding. that's because i hired event professionals to cater and coordinate my wedding. now that i am planning my own wedding, i don't understand how some people can wed more than once. i would die if i had to do this all over again!!! all brides know that the first thing to cross off the to-do lists is securing a venue for ceremony and reception and then selecting a cater. of course, i did exactly the opposite. i contacted catering companies before even knowing where the wedding would take place (i knew it wasn't going to be a hotel). after talking and getting quotes from a few reputable caterers, i decided to go with donaji (owner) and her company event professionals. donaji was there from the very beginning and helped me select my lovely venue, the ambassador campus. she and her assistant met up with me at the site even before i booked her to scout the place. what i liked the most about event professionals was the fact that they offer complete packages from food to equipment rentals. i didn't have to worry about renting tables and linens from another vendor later on. another reason i picked this cater was that they allowed me to bring my own alcohols (they provide bar set-up, bartender and liquor license) which was so much more affordable than having a cater or venue charge per person. a month ago, my fiance and i went for their food tasting. i didn't expect any 5 star restaurant food, but their food was quite tasty. i actually preferred their chicken dishes over ny strips (most of you know that i have strong repulsion to chicken)!!! my only complaint was that their portions were a bit small. i really appreciate donaji for staying on top of everything. my wedding is still a few months away, but she already wants to meet up for an initial consultation to go over my itinerary and design concepts. event professionals isn't just a catering company that provides food and rentals. they will act as event coordinators and work with different vendors that are involved in your wedding to make your day perfect. i must say i feel less worried knowing that donaji and her team will follow through and put their best effort in planning my wedding. read more

The first of many reviews in the saga of our wedding. I was excited to speak with Donaji as the vast majority of the reviews here on Yelp were quite positive. However, the process was not nearly as smooth as I had hoped and thus we decided not to go with this company and here is why: - It took 5 emails back and forth with assistants and 1 totally useless quote (4000+ over my budget) to even set up a phone conversation with Donaji. - Despite so many emails, Donaji had not been given any of my information. I had to reiterate to her all of the info that I had been hashing out with her assistant, which made me feel like I had wasted so much time. - While her assistant stated that they could absolutely work with our budget ($5000) and that all of their packages were totally customizable, this was in fact not the case. My venue provides tables, chairs, a catering kitchen and many nice wood tables to use so I would not be needing any tables, chairs or linen rentals. The 'credits' she offered on her package for this were not realistic and she stated that she could not deviate too far from the packages, and when she did it was all upgrade charges. - The one other negative review here talks about watching out for hidden fees. I would agree with this statement as Donaji informed me it would be an additional $1 per person if I wanted to have them use my own vintage napkins and set the fork/knife to the side of the plate instead of rolled up into a standard (and not very wedding-like I might add) silverware bundle. - Donaji seemed like she was talking down to me which I did not appreciate, esp. from someone who was ill-prepared for our conversation. I work from home and deal with people on the phone all the time, so inflection and interest in the conversation is something I can sense. I have spoke on the phone with other caterers (Elaine from Auntie Em's being one) that were very pleasant on the phone and seemed genuinely interested in my day and not my cash. - After all the back and forth, the quote she came back to me with was only $1000 less than the first one, which I had explained at the beginning of the conversation was far above our budget. If it was not possible for her to come anywhere close to my budget, why did we have the conversation at all? I hope this helps all you brides out there. Overall, I would say that perhaps if I was looking for a more full-service company with rentals and linens and the whole nine maybe this company would be a better fit, but they seem unwilling to work with any kind of budget constraints and personal options as opposed to package deals - just a word of warning. read more

Spoke to them this past Saturday about my event at length. They said they would get me a quote by Monday; which was yesterday. I never heard back from them. Hired another caterer who obviously wanted my business. read more

Donaji is great! She listens to your vision and helps make it happen and works with your budget! I couldn't have asked for a better looking wedding! Specially because it was a backyard wedding, everyone said it looked so amazing that they forgot they were in the backyard! I highly recommend them in your next party planning needs! read more

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We booked EP for a double wedding, which took place on October 6, 2012 in Malibu. The initial visit was impressive, owner seemed like she cared. As we got close to the wedding, things began to emerge that we were not made previously aware of and the execution of the catering the day of the wedding fell short of our expectations. For example, we were not aware that the nonalcoholic beverages would only be served at only one point during the entire day until two days before the wedding. We paid an additional $5 for the vegans in addition to the $70 per person for the buffet. The vegan dish consisted of cold, undercooked pasta with little olive oil and olives. Some vegans, including one of the bride's brother and close family friend did not get a plate. The vegans were not told that they could help themselves to the non-meat dishes at the buffet. Some vegans, including the vegan bride and brother did not eat. We purchased a large cake from a separate vendor despite our coordinator warning us that we would have a lot of cake left over. Our coordinator was correct. By the time we got to the cake cutting part of the ceremony, the majority of our guests had left. The cake fed 167 (our final guest count was 144, however, we didn't achieve that at the start of the ceremony). At the end of the night, we had NO CAKE. THE CATERING STAFF LEFT WITH OUR CAKE! Several guests had witnessed this. Guests also witnessed a lot of cake sitting on the table towards the end of the night. This was troubling because no effort was taken to make sure we received a slice of cake (besides what we fed to each other during the cake cutting ceremony). Not even the top layer was preserved as tradition dictates. None of the alcohol we purchased was left at the end of the night, and a family member witnessed a catering staff drinking directly out of one of the liquor bottles. In looking back, I believe Event Professionals should stick to catering small events and refrain from an event that requires a multi/speciality-dish (e.g., vegan) in addition to a traditional dish. Our meat eating guests enjoyed the salmon and the risotto rice. I nibbled off of my new husband's plate and found the vegetables to be very tasty. Event Professionals' staff also did a great job with setting up the venue. We had a difficult venue owner that changed things at the last minute which required some last minute adjustments. In this area the company excelled. Despite the postives, I gave EP a 2-star because at the end of the night/wedding I'm left with more negative feeling about such a major part of my day. read more

I just had my wedding at the Natural History Museum in LA on 11/17/12. I am so glad we booked EP, because they really did such AMAZING work. All the good reviews are true. Letty, Carissa, and Donaji really helped us from the start. We chose the "Extravaganza" package, which basically includes everything, except for the alcohol and venue. We brought our own alcohol, which was such a good alternative and saved us a lot of $. But, EP brought in everything, Eveything! I have got to give Letty mad props for being our coordinator and helping us out all the way through our planning. She busted so many missions to make us happy and have our event run smoothly. She took all my decorations (more than two big boxes) and helped me put up everything exactly how I wanted. When I walked into the ceremony, cocktail and reception area, I seriously wanted to cry because she nailed my vision. I was so happy! She was on top of everything, so professional indeed. Right before the ceremony, actually seconds before the ceremony, I realized that I had forgotten the lasso. I quickly said, "Letty can we use your necklace?" Right away Letty rushed to getting her necklace off. She seriously saved us! So awesome of her. She was also so awesome that at the end of the night, she drove my daughter and I back to our hotel. She then went back and drove my husband and father-in-law back to the hotel as well. She seriously went above and beyond to make sure we were always good. The food was amazing! We had- -appetizers: coconut shrimp, mini beef sliders, chicken skewers, (oh soo good!) -arugula salad with feta and vinaigrette (best salad I've ever had at a wedding) -chicken with mushrooms -ginger glazed salmon with coconut rice (my favorite, and apparently everyone's favorite too!) -tri-tip with horse radish -coffee, tea, aguas frescas, cheese crackers, fruit, veggies, etc. OMG the list is endless! I do wish I would have eating more!!!! So much delicious food! The service was amazing, the bartenders where cool, and the layout of everything was perfectly executed. My husband and I could not have been happier. Letty, Donaji and her crew were simply amazing! My husband and I are still feeling bitter-sweet about our wedding day being over. EP really made it that great for us. BTW their tasting is what got us hooked. We had gone to several tastings, but did not compare to EP. So, if you have a chance please at least go to one of their tastings! I haven't received my pictures yet, but here is our video http://vimeo.com/57089235 Thanks again Letty for all the great times! read more

What can we say, Event Professionals went way above our expectations for a wedding caterer. Over the 12 months we worked with them on planning the wedding, they were overly professional, accessible and always going above and beyond to make sure everything was on track. We had Mariel as our coordinator (supervised by Donaji) who we give a 5 star recommendation to (anyone would be lucky to have her execute their wedding - she was fantastic)! Being a West Coast bride planning everything from the East Coast (currently from NYC), it is not an easy task. Mariel and the team took extra time out of their schedule to accommodate off-hour conference calls and meetings and took everyone of my ideas in stride. The execution was equally as flawless and the wedding went better than I can ever have expected. Everyone was raving all night about how good the food was and some of the best they have had at a wedding! THANK YOU EP SO MUCH for helping to make our dream wedding a reality - we really couldn't have done it without you! Working with you was the best decision we could have made. read more