My husband and I got married at Empire Mines on the 14th of August. If it weren't for Dyane and…read moreJeff my wedding day would have never come to fruition. From the first moment I met them for a consultation to the last moment when the lights came on after our last dance at the wedding they were there every step of the way. My husband and I live in Long Beach Ca. and having our wedding in Grass Valley turned out to be a daunting task to execute. So we decided to hire a day of coordinator. We chose Dyane and Jeff for their expertise and experience. Not to mention we clicked right away and I felt completely comfortable in their presence. The overwhelming task of planning a wedding from a fare lessened once my husband and I chose Dyane and Jeff. Let me just say that they go above and beyond what a day of event planner typically handles. They contacted all of our vendors for us multiple times leading up to the wedding insuring everyone was on the same page. They have worked many weddings at the Mines so they are familiar with the rules and regulations that come with having a wedding in a State Park. I brought a lot of DIY stuff and only having 2 hours to set up was daunting task but they handled it to a T. This was because there were multiple e mails and phone calls leading up to the big day. Once again going above and beyond for being a day of event planner! Dyane and Jeff accompanied me on the 30 day walk threw with the park rangers and Dyane was not afraid to be assertive on my behalf with the vision I had for guest once entering the park. Normally the park rangers have the guests enter at a certain location but my vision was to have them enter threw the gardens to get the full experience the park has to offer. One of the Rangers was hesitant to this idea because it had never been done before. Dyane knew this was important to me and was vocal with the ranger and made it happen. Another "issue" was that we had lawn games at the wedding and wanted a place for guest to be able to put their drink and tray passed hourderves while they played their games. The Rangers did not want cocktail tables on the lawn game area which would have made the games difficult to play. Once again they made multiple phone calls to the Rangers on our behalf and needless to say we had cocktail tables on the lawn game area! All of our friends and family said it was the most beautiful wedding that they had ever been to. The venue it self is a great backdrop for an enchanting wedding but the flow and vision of the wedding executed with experts like Dyane and Jeff left it as a magical evening everyone will remember! They kept the night flowing with the behind the scenes details all the while trending to my husband and I to make sure we were taken care of and happy. I can't say thanks enough to these two amazing human beings! They definitely have a great thing going! If you want a stress free magical event where you, friends, and family don't have to lift a finger and just enjoy what should be the best day of your life......... Then I would HIGHLY recommend Special Arrangements! Many thanks from Mr. & Mrs. Kristopher Kiebler

We hired Jeff and Dyane as wedding day coordinators for our wedding in Grass Valley in August. I…read moretruly have nothing but great things to say about them. Extremely professional, organized, accommodating and all around amazing! Great listeners and communicators which is huge!! The whole experience with them from start to the actual big day was very positive. They go above and beyond what we expected and are really more than just day coordinators. They were fully involved in the entire wedding planning process, handled the vendors and guests with ease and care. Our guests personally came up to us with nothing but great things to say about them. Especially the family and wedding party they treated them as if they were guests in their home. I highly recommend using them for any event planning needs. Thanks to you both!!

Moments By Myra helped our family plan, prepare, and host a Celebration of Life event. We…read moreinterviewed a number of event planners and Myra submitted the most complete and detailed plan. And she delivered! 100+ guests attended the event and we received complement after complement about how nice the event was. Thanks to Myra's careful planning and supervision the entire event was a huge success.

From the owner: At Moments, we're on a mission to make every event a work of art, regardless of the budget. Our…read morededication to producing beautiful and stress-free events sets us apart. We believe that collaboration is key, and we work closely with our clients to turn their visions into reality. Sustainability is at the heart of our values. We're committed to minimizing our environmental footprint and creating events that leave a positive mark on the planet. Building strong relationships is also central to our approach. Whether it's with our clients, our talented in-house team, or our network of trusted event vendor partners, we prioritize meaningful connections.

I could not recommend Epic Thyme enough! Jessi, Monique and Christi made all my wedding dreams come…read moretrue. My husband and I could not be more grateful and appreciative for all the hard work they put into making our wedding the most magical day! I can't recommend Epic Thyme enough!!!!

Jessi, Monique and their team did a truly *epic* job of capturing our vision for our wedding day in…read moreJune 2025 and executing flawlessly. From day one, they came in with energy, joy, enthusiasm and full support of making our dreams come true. And boy did we have some unconventional dreams, like my husband arriving to the ceremony by scuba diving up to the ceremony cite!! The venue gave us some grief, about that and many other things we wanted to achieve, but Epic Thyme navigated it perfectly and helped us execute everything we wanted. Their eye for style and design far surpasses our own, and the day of, they created absolutely magical, show-stopping visual impact. The whole day flowed perfectly, on time, zero mishaps, and we enjoyed the day without a care in a the world. Every one of our guests told us ours was the best wedding they had ever been to, and this was all due to Epic Thyme, their expertise, full heartedness and commitment to their clients. Thank you Jessi, Monique and making our dreams come true, for us and all our guests. We will never forget it xoxo

I wanted to give it 3 stars but I can be okay with giving it 4 stars. The reason why four stars…read moreover three is because the customer service was exceptional. Overall friendly, staffed and very helpful In the pro shop. The reason why I did not get five stars is the lack of service for turning. After the first nine holes, there were no amenities that were available for a golfer to hydrate and refuel. I recently played this course as a single and overall, I found the experience to be decent. The layout and pace of play were enjoyable, and it's clear that the course has good potential. That said, there are a few areas I think are worth addressing to elevate the overall experience--especially considering this is a country club with a dress code and rates that are above the average public course. Course Conditions: The greens were noticeably slow, which seemed to be due to a recent punching--likely within the past month--and the grass on the greens was longer than typical, which affected roll and consistency. Additionally, there were several areas on the course showing signs of disease or stress in the turf. I did see maintenance staff actively surveying those areas, so it looks like steps are being taken to address it, which I appreciated. Amenities and Service: The biggest drawback during my round came when I made the turn at 9:00 a.m. and wasn't able to grab any water, snacks, or food. The bar area was severely understaffed--just one overwhelmed waitress handling eight tables and no bartender in sight. As a golfer, especially on a warm day, basic access to refreshments is a necessity. A simple and practical solution would be to offer a small variety of prepackaged snacks, water, sports drinks, and maybe even grab-and-go options in the pro shop. This would ensure that players making the turn can quickly fuel up and continue the round without disruption. For a club of this caliber, that's a reasonable expectation. Driving Range Feedback: Another minor but notable issue was the inability to use a standard tee on the driving range for driver practice. Having rubber tees or designated tee areas would make warm-up sessions much more functional and convenient. Final Thoughts: I want to be fair--I did enjoy the round, and I can see myself playing here again in the future. However, a few key improvements would go a long way. I would also strongly encourage the course to consider offering a military discount. Recognizing those who've served is something many courses do as a small but meaningful gesture. Lastly, I'd hope the club might consider making this experience right--especially as a returning customer who genuinely wants to see the course live up to its full potential.

Review -- Great course, terrible experience with the marshal…read more Played today in a foursome, and what should've been a relaxing round turned into something completely different. From hole 1 through hole 3, the course marshal was on us nonstop. We played 2.5 holes in about 20 minutes -- which is faster than most groups should ever have to play -- and somehow it still wasn't fast enough for him. It might've had something to do with the 32 women in individual carts behind us, chasing us down like an English fox hunt. It was honestly surreal. Instead of enjoying the course, we spent the entire time feeling pressured and rushed, and it really took the fun out of the day. The course itself is great, the staff inside are friendly, and normally it's a solid place to golf. But the marshal's attitude and constant pushing completely ruined the experience for us. Not sure what was going on today, but it left a pretty bad impression.

Gianna was truly one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. Her professionalism,…read moreconfidence, and work ethic are completely unmatched. She made the entire wedding planning process feel not only smooth and stress-free, but genuinely FUN. From answering every single question I had to giving the best suggestions and guidance along the way, she made us feel so supported through the entire process. The moment we started working with her, I knew we were in good hands. Gianna is so real, organized, confident, and incredibly talented at what she does. I never once doubted that she was going to make our day amazing and somehow she exceeded every expectation we had. If you are getting married, USE G. I truly cannot recommend her enough and I promise you will not regret it. - The Hastert's

I can't say enough good things about Gianna!!!!! Planning a wedding requires making about a…read morethousand decisions, and hiring Gianna was our best one by FAR! First, every single vendor Gianna recommended to us ended up being amazing. DJ? Best we've ever seen! Caterer? Best we've ever tasted! She has incredible connections with the best of the best in and around Nevada County, and those positive relationships went a long way throughout the planning process. Second, Gianna is an absolute gem. She's warm and kind but she tells it like it is. I have never felt so confident in a professional's ability to get their job done. She executed everything for our wedding to a T and it ended up being one of the absolute best days of our lives. You could not be putting your big day in more capable hands. Thank you Gianna!!!!

A to Z gave me great advice on rehabilitating a lizard that had been attacked by a cat. I was able…read moreto give her time to recover and release her a week later based on that advice! Thank you so much!

I called a couple months ago. I left a voicemail the first time with no response. The second time a…read morelady answered and said she would give me a call back in 5-10 min... never received a call. Luckily I found another place to take my reptiles. Clearly this business isn't interested in helping people or at-least being courteous and returning a phone call.

Donna is by far the best coordinator any girl could ask for! Let me try to explain how amazing of a…read morejob she did by telling you about the unforeseen circumstances of our perfect wedding. We decided to have our ceremony overlooking Lake Tahoe with our reception in Incline Village, both venues outside with little to no coverage. During Septemeber, the weather is known for being nice, however, two days before our wedding it snowed and day temperatures were down to 45ºF. I was in a panic because changing your wedding, TWO DAYS BEFORE that date is wedding suicide. I guess the risk comes with the mountain territory. Donna was a champ and used her creativity and endless effort for your happiness, and arranged a new reception venue and turned it into something magical. She, last minute, arranged hot cider, coffee and tea to be served during the ceremony (we did not change that venue due to its importance) and did many other small touches that made a large impact. So why do I recommend Donna? Because at the end of the day you need someone who not only has your interest at heart but has the creativity and passion to make any scenario amazing. She turned a ski lodge bar into a gorgeous mountain retreat! Her pricing is low for all the sweat and creativity she puts into it. Thank you Donna for rolling with the mountain punches and handling it like boss! You are amazing and I hope to use you again for other celebrations!

Donna Hoekstra, owner of Joy of Life Events, is hands down the hardest working professional in our…read morelocal wedding industry. I have had the pleasure and good fortune to work alongside Donna very many times over her ten years as a coordinator & designer. I know her both personally & professionally , giving me a unique insight into just how dedicated to her clients she truly is! Donna has taken design training courses and studied her craft, she has developed a 5 star sense of style and flow and as her portfolio shows. The bride and groom looking for a wedding with world class design, elegance and flow will be well-served by hiring Donna as their Planner. I think so highly of her that my wife and I made sure we reserved Donna for our own daughter's wedding this coming September. Please take the time to contact her and by all means- book her !! I did- GW