We had our wedding at Montecito Club and I live out of town and so having a local planner was great! Dalina listened to what we wanted and helped to execute that day when we had so many things going on! I was able to relax with my bridesmaids and family and friends and she worked behind the scenes with all our vendors to make our day beautiful! We had the best time and so did our friends and family! She also has a very calming energy and she makes sure everything comes together! read more

Once In A Lifetime - Party & Event Planning Near Me

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Dalina assisted me as I was planning my daughter's Bat Mitzvah party. We explored different ways of saving money, as we were on a fairly tight budget, but also wanted to make the party feel special and elegant. The night of the party (which was outdoors), there was a light sprinkle in the air, and Dalina helped to make sure we had things set up properly and that the kids all had the best of times. Together, we worked through all the day-of-details, and we were able to have an affordable, beautiful and memorable celebration for my daughter's momentous occasion. I would highly recommend Dalina. She is a master of parties big or small, is a wealth of information and is super dependable. Having someone like her in your corner, who has many years of experience, a great rapport with so many vendors, and who can help with ideas and decisions, is priceless. Don't wait-- hire her now! read more

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I worked with Dalina for over a year and a half on my May 2025 wedding and she was the most fabulous and encouraging and helpful source of support. She went way beyond my expectations and the terms of her responsibility to guide me and answer (and I am not exaggerating) hundreds of emails over the course of that year and a half. Every little question, every little anxiety, she had an incredibly well thought out and timely response for. She was proactive and on the actual day of my wedding, she blew me away. I've spent 31 years as the most anxious person on the face of this planet. I practically have a laminated binder for my day-to-day, so this wedding was like my Super Bowl. And I really honestly thought I was going have to walk around with like a headset and a walkie-talkie on my own wedding day to make sure that things were perfect, and that I was going to be constantly worrying about every little thing. But, when I got to finally sit down to dinner at my wedding, I realized that my brain had been completely and blissfully off for maybe the longest stretch of uninterrupted time I've ever had in my entire life. And that was because I was actually enjoying myself and because somebody a.k.a. Dalina actually took that responsibility over so well that the control freak in me was able to completely let go and just enjoy my own wedding day. My husband was really blown away at how well she executed my entire vision and how much she showed up for us on our wedding day. My wedding would've never come close to achieving everything that I had dreamed of and when I tell you that it was actually the most perfect and beautiful and incredible day, I am not exaggerating. There was not one single thing that went wrong. Everyone always told me to "be prepared, things will go wrong, you have to roll with it", and I came in with that mindset and not ONE thing went wrong and if it did, I certainly wasn't aware of it! I have to credit that fully and completely to Dalina - she is an absolute superstar and you would be very lucky to work with her. read more

Dalina is an amazing person. She is honest, smart, attentive, helpful, thoughtful and truly cares. She is very budget minded and will help you save where you can without sacrificing your dream wedding. She went above and beyond for us with emails, calls, and meetings. Dalina has extensive local contacts which help make sure you find the best for the best cost! Thank you so much Dalina for being so special! read more

Dalina made our daughters' Bat Mitzvahs perfect for them. She coordinated all the vendors from the cotton candy, the photobooth, restrooms, and caterers, all of whom were top notch professionals. She was great at working with the girls to make their vision come to life! read more

Dalina was so helpful in planning in the months leading up to our wedding, and she did an excellent job of coordinating the day of! Planning a wedding is not easy, but she was so comforting throughout the entire planning process and gave us realistic and helpful suggestions. There were so many little details that go into planning a big event that I would not have even known to think about if Dalina hadn't told me. She even had an assistant come to help out with our polaroid guestbook, which turned out so cute and such a fun way to relive the day! It was so nice having her to help with the day-of coordination - we had so many compliments from family and our bridal party about how smoothly the day went - all thanks to Dalina! :) read more

Dalina took on the wedding for my daughter - and now son-in-law! - with enthusiasm - and "we're going to get this done" attitude. After a search for venues at a time with pent up demand from COVID, the decision was to host the wedding at our home. We then had just about eight weeks to complete the process of finding vendors, securing all of the details and getting to the "day." Dalina was highly organized, provided contacts for great professional vendors, and always followed up our phone meetings with a detailed summary. Those summaries helped me get through the maze of all of the tasks that needed to be completed. After providing remarkable direction and support, she then kicked into high gear on wedding day and everything went so smoothly. I enjoyed the day so much - thanks to Dalina. I recommend Dalina!!! She will provide organization, professional advice, and be in your court to ensure that your money is spent wisely. Her coaching style is very supportive and - we were very lucky that Dalina had time in her schedule for us! read more

As a makeup artist, I love working with event professionals who help to make the day go smoothly- especially for the bride! I love working with Once in Lifetime because Dalina had the whole morning planned out so I could come and do makeup- with plenty of time to help the bride relax and feel pampered. It is great to work with a Santa Barbara local who knows the best way to time everything so that the bride looks and feels her best. Thank you Dalina and the Once in a Lifetime team! read more

Amazing, full of love, incredible connections, organized and knowledgeable. That only BEGINS to describe Dalina at Once In A Lifetime!! We originally hired Dalina as our "day of" planner thinking that we really did not even need anyone (our site required that we have a day-of planner) -- we are very DIY and self sufficient so we just assumed that having Dalina for the day-of would help ease any of the stress that day. Dalina was SO much more than just a day-of planner. We spoke with her several times throughout the year - she provided recommended vendors and always had a great answer to any of our questions. Weddings are a tricky thing to plan -- there are so many details that you never think of, and Dalina was there to help us along the way. THEN...two days before our wedding, a storm hit Santa Barbara. Our site got an evacuation order, forcing us to completely change EVERYTHING. I cannot even explain how Dalina was our LIFE SAVER. She worked with us in every step along the way to make things happen and help us completely rework our wedding within 24 hours. She. Is. AMAZING. Let's not forget to mention that Dalina and her family were EVACUATED ALSO! So the entire time that my now husband and I are totally focused on ourselves and trying to get our wedding back in order, she is right alongside us even though she was dealing with having her kids stay with friends and her husband out of town. To top everything off, the day of our wedding, our DJ, Photographer and Videographer got stuck in a 101 closure due to mudslides and about 2 hours before the ceremony, we were without key vendors. Dalina NEVER stressed - she always came to me with a backup plan and a positive attitude. She honestly made me feel like she had been my friend for years...helping me navigate through the madness. She got new vendors to come and everything even STARTED ON TIME!!! I could honestly ramble on and on and on about how grateful we are for Dalina and how amazing she is. Thank you Dalina for being an incredible human and the WORLDS BEST WEDDING PLANNER! xoxoxo read more

Once In A Lifetime - Dalina made this all happen! Thank you for everything!!!! - Party & Event Planning Near Me

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5 star rating for Dalina and Once in a Lifetime Events! She helped create the ultimate surprise 40th birthday party for my husband. She helped me organize the invitations, organized the menu and communicated with the caterer. Her connections to local vendors was amazing and allowed us to secure the best options for our budget. On the day of the party, she helped me host and was a wonderful addition to the party. Dalina is organized, kind and easy to communicate with. She can create whatever you can imagine! read more

Dalina is a true professional. Not only do her local contacts from years of experience make event planning an ease but her calming and highly organized nature allowed me to partake in all of the fun planning but most of all I was fully available to enjoy my event! read more

My now wife and I were stressed about the amount of planning that goes into a wedding and were looking for a professional to help us tie everything together the month-of and smooth things over the day-of and Dalina definitely fit the bill! Dalina was very easy to work with and was diligent about making sure every detail of the wedding was accounted for. She knew exactly what questions to ask and is very friendly. Finally the day came and Dalina is an expert in her craft. She was calm and collected interacting with my wife and I, and assertive and energized while organizing all our helpers! Whatever needed to happen she was level-headed and made sure it was taken care of. She also seemed to be really enjoying herself! Thank you so much Dalina! read more

I highly recommend Dalina. I had spoken to several coordinators and she was the only one I felt that was real, honest, and helped me reduce costs in the right ways. The wedding industry can feel very overwhelming and her communication style, directness, and support helped me pull off an amazing event and at an affordable price. She is super seasoned, has GREAT vendor recommendations, and her cool, calm demeanor can make any stressful situation put at ease. Go with Dalina! You won't regret it :-) read more

We hired Dalina for our June wedding at the San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara. We highly recommend Once in a Lifetime. We took a very long time to select a wedding coordinator for our wedding. We even cancelled on another coordinator to hire Dalina. We do not regret it. Dalina went above and beyond to ensure our wedding day ran smoothly. Prior to the event she advocated for us when issues came up with our venue and was always there to answer questions we had. We do not live in Santa Barbara, so we had a lot of helpful recommendations from Dalina. She was very thorough and professional and made sure all bases were covered prior to the event. We also respected that she was not pushy with her ideas at all. She heard us out with what we wanted, and gave very helpful advice and left the decisions up to us. Additionally, she is so friendly. Which is always a plus when dealing with the wedding world. The day before the wedding we had another issue come up..it wasn't realized that Dalina had to be present at the venue when the event rentals were delivered. She contacted us and let us know she would be there. We felt terrible, what an inconvenience. However, she did not give us a hard time about it and she probably moved her schedule around and went above and beyond to be there 4 hours before our event started! She is just wonderful and we can't recommend her enough. Having her coordinate our wedding took much of the stress off of us and the wedding day was nothing but enjoyable. We couldn't be happier about the choice we made. Weddings are such a huge ordeal..there are so many things that come up and we are so thankful we hired Once in a Lifetime. read more

I knew Dalina in elementary school and was at a friends wedding where she was the Coordinator and she did such an amazing job that I knew I had to have her for my wedding. I had been planning this day for my entire life and thought I wouldn't need any help but not only did Dalina think of elements I had no idea of, but she made my day so smooth. She took care of all my vendors and all the little things that come up that day that I could relax and enjoy my wedding day. It was nice having someone I knew and trusted there to look after everything and it is safe to say that she treats all clients that way. Highly Recommend her for your special day!!! read more

Dalina is such a pleasure! We worked with Dalina on a gorgeous wedding at The Biltmore Resort in Santa Barbara last month and can say with complete certainty that she knows her stuff! Striving to always be Santa Barbara's top Wedding and Event Videographers, we are always pleased to work with someone who is kind, courteous and SO professional. The wedding went off without a hitch and everyone had a fabulous time! Having someone like Dalina in charge makes our job so enjoyable and helps create an even better wedding film for the couple celebrating their special day! The team at YTS Digital Films highly recommends Dalina at Once In A Lifetime and can't wait to work with her again! read more

Once in a Lifetime was extremely easy to work with. We at Alan Larsen Films shot a wedding Dalina put together and everything was beautiful. The timeline was clear and there was plenty of time scheduled to shoot what we needed to get for the couple. It is always a pleasure to work with someone who is on top of everything and strives to make sure all the vendors are taken care of so we can do exactly what we were hired to do. I hope to work with Dalina and company in the future. read more

Dalina was the perfect fir for my Son and new daughter's wedding. She was accessible to the bride and had everything in order do the day of. Dalina was not overbearing, and her organization skills and willingness to step in and get it done were just what we needed. She worked easily with the photographer and built a rapport with the caterer. She is a delight and you will also fall in love with her demeanor and smile. read more

Dalina is a sweetheart who truly wants to be of service. She helped us step through the plans, bringing up all sorts of things that my daughter and I would have otherwise overlooked. On the day of the wedding, my daughter and I were truly able to relax, enjoy and celebrate the day, while all the important things were magically taken care of. I have planned many events, but I truly and highly recommend the use of a wonderful wedding planner like dear Dalina. You'll be glad she's by your side to guide you. read more

I cannot recommend Dalina and Once In A Lifetime enough. She was the critical factor that brought everything together to make our wedding day perfect. We live in San Francisco, so we had to plan our Santa Barbara Cabrillo Arts Pavilion wedding from 300 miles away. Additionally, the venue wasn't full service, so things like caterer, beverages, plates/utensils, linens all needed to be brought in. I have no doubt that Dalina was the reason I was able to 1) stay sane in the week leading up to my wedding and 2) enjoy my day to the fullest. There are so many inevitable snags when you're planning a destination (or any) wedding, Dalina was my MVP through all of them. To name a few: * Our caterer dropped out on us last minute - Dalina found us a new one that fit our style perfectly and deliciously by the next day! * Because of the caterer switch we now needed waitstaff - Dalina recommended and coordinated with an amazing company that made our day even better. * We wanted brownies instead of cake - Dalina scheduled brownie tastings for us in SB and our brownies were a hit. They got completely finished even though we ordered 2 per person! Dalina is an amazing communicator, she talks with all your vendors to make sure they're on the same page. She knows exactly how to support you. Our wedding was DIY so I made things like tablecloths, chalkboards, etc. Dalina knew exactly how to give me the freedom to add my own personal touches while also overseeing minute details so I was worry free. I cannot recommend her enough. She makes the impossible possible. She is fantastic to work with. Have Once In A Lifetime coordinate your wedding, it was easily the most important purchase for making our wedding day perfect! read more

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I threw myself a 60th birthday party and my friend suggested I needed a planner and recommended Dalina. I could not have been more delighted! It was a super evening of music, great food and drink, super location. Dalina took care of every detail, and knew all the perfect vendors to meet my needs and budget. All I had to do was show up and enjoy myself. I give Dalina my highest recommendation! Katina Etsell read more

Dalina was an all star at my sister-in-laws wedding. She worked around torrential rain, mud slides, evacuations, canceled vendors - she was the one sure thing that held it all together. Thank you Dalina! You truly saved the day. read more

I had the pleasure of working with Dalina yesterday. I couldn't wait to give her a review. Dalina was GREAT to work with. Her communication was great, her attention to detail was amazing, and her vision is astonishing. If she's available on your event date, don't think twice, book Dalina right away if you want a TRUE professional to be at the helm of it all. read more

We have worked with Dalina on more than a couple occasions and she never ceases to amaze us with her attention to detail and refreshingly clear communication. She is so easy to work with and maintains her professionalism throughout the entire event process. We recently worked closely with Dalina for a 60th Birthday Party and it went swimmingly. She absolutely transformed the space for the birthday girl and it looked stunning. The best part is the client had a blast. That's when you know you're doing something right, the client actually gets to ENJOY their party! We hope to work with Dalina many more times this upcoming season because she's such a joy. Thank yoou Dalina for being on top of it, easy going and just wonderful! ~From the Pure Joy Catering Team read more

We had the privilege of working with Dalina on a wedding in Solvang last summer. It went without a hitch. As the owner of Central Coast Party Helpers, staffing weddings and events with professional servers, bartenders, kitchen help etc, it's of the utmost importance that we have the right coordinators to see things through. My staff work diligently providing an awesome "experience" for our guests and Dalina helped with that. Food provided by Full of Life Flatbread was delicious, timely and well presented. We truly enjoyed working with Dalina and look forward to more events. Brigitte read more

Dalina is great! The week of my wedding I started to get anxious about the BIG day. My main concern was I opted not to have a wedding rehearsal... WELL let me say, Dalina was there to calm me, to create a timeline I could share with everyone. She was at the ceremony early, she was there to great everyone, she is a true professional and the nicest!! I never had to call or ask for anything! She knew what I needed, she was there! My wedding was perfect.. Thank you Dalina, for EVERYTHING! read more

Dalina is absolutely amazing! I had my wedding last weekend and it went off without a hitch, all thanks to Dalina! I did a lot of projects for the wedding on my own and realized that I was going to need a lot of help making all of my special moments happen (set up of centerpieces, a very intricate escort card display and so many vendors!) Dalina made everything happen just as I asked her. Every time I spoke with her throughout the wedding planning process I felt calm and knew that my wedding was in good hands. She contacted my vendors and organized everything with them, which is more work than I ever realized! She was in charge of set up, direction, clean-up and everything else at the wedding. It went off great! i highly highly recommend her! read more

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If you want a wedding planner that goes above and beyond, this is the one. She went to incredible lengths to make my daughter's wedding beautiful, even though storms forced a new venue, photographer, videographer, and DJ. She is energetic, positive, and solution oriented, and has ways of making things happen because she has many good contacts and ideas. We are really grateful for how she saved the wedding and reception, and it came out as a memorable occasion rather than a disappointment. read more

Dalina is wonderful! She is well versed in venue options and has coordinated weddings at many of them. She is committed to making sure the wedding reflects the couple and their style. I would highly recommend working w Dalina. read more

Dalina was an amazingly helpful support as I had to plan many aspects of my wedding from out of town, and a busy schedule. She made sure to take care of things that you'd never imagine would come up here and there throughout the day, helped me stay organized, and really put me at ease in helping me to stay organized throughout the whole process. We had a beautiful outdoor wedding and our guests are still talking about how easy, relaxed and fun it was. Thanks Dalina!!! read more

My Wife and I were married in Solvang in early May of 2014 - We hired Dalina almost 1 year prior just after we were engaged.... In a previous life, I was a catering manager, and planned parties for a living, but I knew that I did not want to re-live that role during my own wedding - My Wife and I decided that a "Day of Coordinator" would allow us free rein over planning, but give us a "Hands Off" approach on the Big Day..... We worked with Dalina just a bit during the leadup to the wedding - About a week before, we had a nice call, where we went over all the details that my Wife and I planned......Dalina offered a few suggestions as to ways we could improve the flow of the evening, and we took her up on each suggestion! Fast Forward to the day of the wedding - Dalina showed up on time (early actually!)......I didn't have to think about a single piece of the wedding planning during the entire event..... The best Dalina moment was when I went to her to let her know where our "vegans" were sitting......She stopped me, and let me know she already knew....she knew their names, and had already alerted the caterer where they were sitting.....OMG....how perfect! Our wedding went off without a hitch - in no small part because Dalina was there to make sure everything went perfect! I recommend Dalina and "Once in A Lifetime" 100%..... read more

Dalina was exactly what I was looking for in a coordinator for my wedding. Organized, reliable, knowledgeable, friendly, & affordable. I planned my entire wedding mostly myself, but hired Dalina to help with the day of, and with coordinating all the vendors. I felt so at ease knowing she was there to help with anything and everything that came up. Hiring a day of coordinator is a MUST, and Dalina is everything you would want. Thanks for a wonderful wedding day! read more

Dalina was AWESOME!!! She was soooo helpful in the months leading up to the wedding, responding to my emails within a few hours and always providing great suggestions when asked! The month before, she was so great to go through the whole timeline (that she provided) and we talked through the whole day of! She arrived on time at the wedding and immediately went to work! I had one guest even comment, "I have never been to a wedding where everything was exactly on time like the program says!". We have Dalina to thank for that, because I had no idea what time it was the whole time! I would highly suggest Dalina to any bride looking for an awesome chick to talk things through with, think of things you haven't thought of, and to make your big day run smoothly! read more

Dalina is the detail orientated and organized wedding coordinator that any and everyone should need on their wedding day. As a wedding photographer, we love working with vendors that are professional, friendly and work hard; all of which Dalina of Once in A Lifetime possesses. We can't wait to work with Dalina again and would highly recommend her to anyone that needs the guidance to plan a beautiful wedding! read more

Dalina recently helped to coordinate my wedding. I was very impressed with her level of organization and detail. None of the "little things" were overlooked and she event went the extra 10 miles to have a personalized Guest Book made for me the day prior to the wedding - now that's service! Even more than all that she is a great person to have by your side day of, she's a good listener, keeps you calm and takes charge so you can really enjoy your day! Many thanks Dalina, you're the best! read more

Dalina helped me with "day of" management for a wedding welcome party at our home for our son and his bride. Dalina was indeed amazing, visiting our home in advance and providing so much help and input with the caterer, party rental company, music and more. The event morning, she came for the decorating party and worked right along with my friends to prep and arrange flowers. When I left for the bridesmaid's luncheon and rehearsal, she took right over so that, when we returned ready for the festivities, it brought me to tears how beautifully presented and organized everything was. It was a dream come true! She stayed all evening, seating guests, releasing tables to the buffet, making sure dishes and glasses were bused, even that restrooms were clean and stocked. She does all this with a gentle, positive and loving manner toward all. She even left a note under our bedroom door saying how successful and lovely the party had been. Do yourself a favor and hire Dalina for any event as it will ease your stress and make your time just beautiful and thoroughly enjoyable. read more

Dalina is the winner of the News-Press Reader's Choice Award for good reason...everybody loves working with her! I am a wedding officiant in Santa Barbara and can say, without reservation, that she is as professional as it gets.She seems to sense what is needed at just the right time and is always super calm and reassuring. I heartily recommend Dalina...you can't go wrong! read more

It was a pleasure working with Dalina! Danni and I had an unusual wedding to say the least and Dalina was the greatest when it came to all of our ideas. read more

As a fellow vendor of Once In A Lifetime Santa Barbara, Dalina Michaels is the person to go to. I can't recommend her highly enough to anyone who is looking for an event coordinator to help them navigate and obtain the event they want to create. She is highly professional with great attention to detail and extremely creative. Dalina has such a bubbly personality and is a joy to work with. I can't wait until we collaborate on another event together! Goodland Florist read more

I own an event space and I had the privilege of working with Dalina and Once In A Lifetime at a recent birthday party she coordinated. I have to say it was truly my pleasure to have such a diligent event planner on the job! Her attention to detail and clear communication helped to create the perfect evening. I look forward to working with her again and would highly recommend her services! read more