I thought I would be able to handle a party of 200, but boy was I wrong. From the moment I brought…read moreon Lauren to my wedding planning, everything fell in to place with ease and comfort. She was absolutely amazing from day 1. I felt so comfortable throughout the planning process working with Lauren and come DAY OF, everything was perfect. I would highly recommend working with Joie de Vivre to my friends and family. Hopefully I host another event in which we can work together in the future.

Keep in mind, I'm writing this as a freshly minted groom as of July 6, 2013…read more.. I'm nothing more than an average male. For some reason, my now beautiful wife agreed to marry me. Before she said yes to my proposal, I never dreamed of how my wedding would look or what food would be served to our wedding guests or what I'd wear. I assumed we be visiting a justice of the peace. When the now wife said she wanted a fairly traditional wedding, I tried to encourage her to try a DIY wedding. We'd book a venue, we'd book a caterer, a DJ, a bartender, buy the booze, find someone for decorations, find a florist, etc. I didn't want to hire a wedding planner...probably because I disliked that J-Lo movie. After writing down all of the things we needed to arrange for to pull off a proper yet contemporary wedding that would satisfy my Chaldean family and her American family, we both felt overwhelmed. Even though my better half is very organized (me, not so much), we still were feeling extremely insecure. We were drowning under "what ifs" and "should wes" and "do you thinks." Frankly, as time ticked closer to summer, we became more lost. Our only accomplishment was booking a ceremony and reception venue on the date we wanted. The then fiancée happened to walk past an event being held at our reception venue about four months before our date. We were both still reeling under the chest pressure of trying to create, plan and pull off our day. When she looked inside, she was floored by the look, smell, sound and feel of the venue. With some pushy prying and some happenstance, she met the event planner, Lauren Lisker, that night. Later that night, I was told tales of Lauren's talent and we met with Lauren and her Joie de Vivre parter, Erica, for an interview. Both women instantly struck me as being confident, experienced, classy and completely organized. More importantly, neither of the two women gave off any vibe like they were running a for profit business. They both were sincere about wanting to make our wedding day special. They were patient with us, which was important, as we didn't have a large budget. And even though we told them our below average budget, they didn't laugh at us, flinch or find a way to leave the meeting early. They never made us feel ashamed. They said they would find a way. We hired them and Lauren sure did find the way! Lauren is probably the most thorough, most organized and most wedding industry connected person I will ever have the chance to meet. She ushered us calmly and creatively out of our self induced wedding pressure chamber onto an organized pathway to the perfect party. She was so calm that I wanted to check her for a pulse or add her as a closer on my fantasy baseball team. She responded promptly to emails and phone calls and made us feel like she was working only for us even though we knew she had other clients at the same time. Lauren always had options for us. She never told us we couldn't do something. She always found a way to make it work, within our budget, and to our liking. Most importantly, Lauren was always gracefully glowing, happy, positive and encouraging. So much so, that after it was done, our bridesmaids told me my bride showed no signs of pre-wedding stress at all. I owe that to Lauren being there and being ready for anything. I can't write enough good things about Lauren Lisker and Joie de Vivre without sounding like I'm on their payroll, which I'm not! From the groom's perspective, if you're thinking about a DIY wedding that's more than a simple backyard affair, don't. Hire Joie de Vivre. They kicked ass! They did such a good job that I may have cried a couple of times at my wedding and my buddies from work probably won't let me forget about it for the rest of my career. Thank you, Lauren! You are great at what you do and you are an incredible person!

I was initially set up with another coordinator from I Do Weddings for our past October 2015…read morewedding but was re-assigned after careful consideration and correspondence from Melissa the owner to be assigned to Arielle for our day-of package because my original coordinator was leaving the company due to moving out of state. I was then set up with Arielle and she took over our wedding like she had been helping us from the beginning. Questions, assistance, advice, and expertise, Arielle was there every step of the way. We had a lot of family input and a lot of "too many cooks in the kitchen" incidents, so Arielle was very helpful with this and all of the other speed bumps. I also came to find out after the wedding that there had been some confusion with the catering company and venue in terms of the tables and then with a couple of our guests meals. She handled it and didn't "bother" us with the issue the moment of so we wouldn't be too stressed on our day. She and I have since corresponded about everything that happened and kept that communication open. For the "day-of" package, I never found a price and package detail listing quite as extensive as I Do's and they go above and beyond the day-of attendance. We were very please with the I Do Weddings Team and recommend Arielle as a coordinator for your next event!

Arielle and Ashley were phenomenal! They were excellent every step of the way, from our first…read morecontact with them through the wedding itself. They listened carefully to what we wanted, offered great suggestions, ran things with professionalism and efficiency. They were the perfect balance of available and supportive, but not overbearing. We had our wedding the way we wanted, but with their expertise to make sure it went smoothly. We met with several wedding coordinators, and are very happy that we chose them. They're creative, smart, kind, and professional. Thanks to you both for helping us celebrate and pulling off such a great wedding! -- Sarah and Tim.

Deciding to hire a content creator for our wedding was a last-minute idea, but it was the BEST…read morephoto and video decision we made! Working with Tahnie was an incredible experience from start to finish, from the seamless booking process to the stunning final product. Our wedding was a multi-day Indian hybrid celebration, and Tahnie perfectly captured its essence. She edited and delivered reels and photos so quickly that we could share them on social media immediately, making our lives much easier. A bonus was that Tahnie is also a wedding planner, making everything smoother. Our guests loved her, and our family couldn't stop sharing her content afterward. We're so grateful to have had her as part of our special day.

Tahnie is absolutely fantastic!! If you want your day to run smoothly and efficiently Tahnie is…read moreyour girl. She made sure everything was in order and my husband and I were taken care of. She will go above and beyond to make your vision come true. She really helped managed the stress and address any concern with such creativity and professionalism, it couldn't have gone any better. She also helped me so much when choosing the right vendors for our wedding who were all rockstars in their own right. You will not regret working with Tahnie, I give her the highest of highest recommendations. Choosing to work with Tahnie and her team was one of the best decisions we made in our entire wedding planning process. We could not have had the most perfect day without her and her assistant Tiffany, so hire her today!!!

We absolutely love Rachael and are so thankful we had her as our wedding planner! We did some…read moreplanner shopping before deciding, but there was just something about her energy that stood out to us. She was so easy to talk to, and we immediately felt comfortable sharing our ideas with her. Your planner is someone you'll be communicating with often throughout the process, so finding the right fit is so important, and Rachael was exactly that for us! One thing we really appreciated was how she embraced our vision and gave us the room to make our wedding feel unique to us. She never made us feel like we had to fit into a certain mold. Instead, she listened to what we wanted and helped bring our ideas to life while offering her own expertise along the way. She also kept us on track and made sure everything was getting done in a timely manner, which we really needed because there is SO much that goes into planning a wedding. One of the things I appreciated most was how mindful she was of our budget. She was honest with us about what was priced on the higher end and helped us figure out what was worth the splurge and where we could save, even when it came down to the smallest details. She was also open to our vendor suggestions while offering her own recommendations. Our wedding started at around 120 guests and eventually grew to 138. We had our wedding at Loreto, a venue Rachael was already very familiar with, which made the entire process that much smoother. And on the actual wedding day, I didn't have to think about a thing! Rachael took the lead, handled everything, and allowed us to simply be present and enjoy the day with our loved ones. Everything came together beautifully, and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. We love Rachael and are so thankful she was part of one of the most special days of our lives. Having her by our side made the entire process so much easier, and we truly couldn't imagine having done it without her!

I wanted to recognize wedding coordinators Rachel and Irene for their hard work and dedication to…read moremaking my job easy as a DJ. Most coordinators don't introduce themselves to me until the week of the wedding but Rachel was on top of it and intruduced herself by email and included all floor plans, and timelines right away. The day of, Rachael and Irene both checked with me throughout the day to ensure we were on top of the schedule and organized with the right song choices. Highly recommend her to anyone planning their big day. All the staff included in the evening were so friendly and helpful to me during my set up and breakdown. Thanks for taking care of me and checking in with me throughout the day.

I can't begin to say enough good things about Elena Donnelly and the staff at Before I Do events…read more Elena was the sweetest person to work with and worked so incredibly hard to make our wedding the day of our dreams and go off without a glitch! She worked so well with all of the vendors and just made the whole experience so much more pleasant. She was like having a little buddy to conquer the world with those last few weeks! I'm so incredibly thankful to her and her staff (who were all total sweethearts too) for making everything perfect!

It was amazing working with Tammi and Alicia. Looking back, I couldn't have imagined working with…read moreanyone else! When I first met with Tammi back in 2013, I was immediately impressed with her professionalism and organization. That day I met with several wedding planners and Before I Do was the perfect mix of business savvy and creativity. They had a lot of inspiring, imaginative ideas and were the only ones who had a goal for their services to pay for themselves (through negotiating contracts, etc.). I live in LA and was planning a wedding down in San Diego. My venue happened to be one that is highly customizable, so I needed recommendations for everything from rentals to catering to florists. Tammi and Alicia did a great job with this and already had an extensive list of recommended vendors for every category. Also, they were always responsive to our questions. The timeline meeting was immensely helpful and they thought of every little detail so our wedding day would run smoothly. The week leading up to the weekend was by far the most stressful. I really appreciated handing everything off on the Rehearsal Dinner night. They even picked up some last minute things for my husband and I so we didn't need to worry about a thing. Highly recommended!

I don't even know where to begin with this review other than to say that Eventity is the BEST…read morewedding planning company I could have ever asked for. My now husband and I used Eventity for our October 29th wedding and we purchased the full service package. They were there helping us find a location and set a date all the way through post wedding questions. I can not even list all the amazing things they did for us! They were our guardian angels through the entire 11 month process and I don't know what I would've done without them. We worked primarily with Jenn and Monica and they were professionals to the umpteenth degree. They were also so kind and fun! They completely understood my vision and executed every single detail from vendor selection, menu items to invitation help while keeping this vision in mind. Over the last 11 months there were probably, on average, 10 emails a day, countless conference calls, text messages, meetings and overall assistance. They made me feel like we were their only clients - that's how much personalized attention we got. I honestly cant believe they had other brides and other weddings going on because they were on our side working hard for us EVERY single day. I will have to say, out of all the money we spent on our wedding, the best value was FAR AND BEYOND using Eventity. They are worth every single penny and many many many more. If you are even hesitating about this, hire them. You will be so happy you did. Jenn, Monica, we have been through so much together in this process and you truly were there for me every step of the way, like family. My wedding wouldn't have been what it was without you and Eric and I can't say thank you enough for everything you did for us.

5+++ stars!! Jenn and Monica are lifesavers! Deciding to work with Eventity is the best…read morewedding-related decision I made (after, of course, deciding to marry the love of my life)! There isn't enough room in this box for me to tell you how incredibly fabulous Eventity is, so I will touch on the highlights. Pre-wedding: We were unable to meet them, so they coordinated an initial Skype conference call. They asked questions about us and about our vision. They also let us ask several of our questions, and they were more than prepared with answers and anecdotes. We felt extremely comfortable chatting with them, and almost immediately, it felt like a collaborative effort. I could just tell they would help my special day be as good as it gets. That is huge. Also, starting around 3 months before our special day, Jenn and Monica regularly checked in with us and our vendors to make sure we were all on the same page. They even caught the fact that one of our difficult vendors (San Diego Paella) ended up falling off of the approved caterers list for our venue! Without Jenn and Monica, we may have had to scramble for a last minute caterer for our wedding. They pay an incredible amount of attention to detail, which is crucial for wedding coordination. Walk-Through: One week before the wedding day, Jenn and Monica coordinated a walk-through of our venues for the ceremony and reception. They notified our vendors and arranged for someone from the City of Coronado to meet with us and go over our final contract. Jenn and Monica from Eventity had thought of EVERYTHING! They had previously sent us a draft timeline, processional, ceremony diagram, and seating chart. We basically just had to fill in the blanks. They had our day planned out by 5-15 minute increments. I was beyond impressed. Plus, they really kept their composure were extremely professional with our latest difficult vendor (K&J Party Rentals). They also made sure to have their questions answered and to allow us plenty of time for questions. After the walk-through, they also took lots of our "props" and decorations to hang onto for us (so we didn't have to lug that stuff around before the wedding day). Rehearsal: Jenn and Monica were on time and they explained everything to our wedding party and family. They brought several copies of the timeline and took questions at the beginning and end. We ran through the ceremony once, and after some remaining questions were answered, we ran through the ceremony a second time. I am so thankful that Eventity was there because: (1) our officiant was not able to make the rehearsal; and (2) we didn't realize we had so many questions about how the ceremony was supposed to go. The entire rehearsal went about 1 hour, and I am so thankful that we were able to get together the day before the ceremony. It was a huge stress reliever. Also, my husband and I were able to drop off most of the remaining decorations to Jenn and Monica at the rehearsal, so we had only a small punch list of items for our trusted family members to worry about on the day of. Day of: It was flawless (as far as I know). The timeline was on point. Jenn and Monica were on the ball. Somehow, we were about 5 minutes early for everything. I'm told that never happens, but with the amazingly thorough timeline, it was easy for us! Also, my husband and I had several telephone conversations with Eventity before our wedding, and they answered tons and tons of questions for us, so by the time the day of came, it really felt like we could let go. I am a type A lawyer, and it takes a lot for me to relinquish control, but I was 100% confident that Jenn and Monica would get things done. The ceremony was beautifully set up, and they gave us some great ideas about simple decorations, like shells along the aisle. They also convinced us (rightly so) not to use columns on the beach. The reception was incredible! I do not have an eye for decorations/style (read: I can barely match my socks), so I was thrilled when Jenn and Monica informed me that they were able to take our decorations and create a beautiful layout. When I walked into my reception, I was blown away! They used everything we gave them, and it was EXACTLY what I wanted. They really stuck to my vision, and I absolutely adored what they did with our sweetheart table. Jenn and Monica were great about letting people know they were "on deck" for toasts or speeches or that the grand entrance or cake was coming up. It was just what we needed. One final thing, they helped me orchestrate an amazing surprise for my husband, and I will never forget them for that. I would highly recommend Eventity for your wedding.

Art of Joy is a professional, precise and detail oriented event planning duo. They executed our…read morewedding exactly as we had envisioned. Patricia and Deanna are very personable and were extremely attentive to our needs. They do a great job of responding via email, text or phone call. They have an abundance of referrals and vendor resources at their disposal. We trusted their eye for aesthetics and they delivered by optimizing our venue space. During the actual wedding, they were very professional and directive ensuring that the itinerary was right on schedule. When an issue arose during the wedding, these ladies took care of business, allowing my wife and I to enjoy the festivities. Art of Joy is the bomb!!!

I met Patricia a few months after I was engaged. She was so easy to talk to that we just kind of…read morehit if off immediately. Upon deciding that I needed a wedding planner, she was the first on my list to meet with. We hit it off once again and after starting off the wedding planning process with a lot of stress, I became excited again to plan with her help. Throughout the year, Patricia kept me on track with not only the deadlines, but with my vision for the big day. It was so nice to have someone keeping me organized in the time of Pinterest and Wedding blogs. On the day of, Patricia and her assistant rocked it! I know of nothing that may or may not have gone right. She handled a "wedding crasher" with professionalism and once again... kept us on schedule. I couldn't have pulled this off without her! Thank you Patricia!!!

Hire Lindsay!!! Truly the best…read more Lindsay was so fabulous !!! This was the best decision to hire her for our wedding planning. She was incredibly responsive during the entire process, was always willing to hop on the phone or text about some new bridal idea I had, and was just generally such a joy to plan our wedding with. She kept us organized and feeling so good about everything leading up to wedding day, and she just GETS it with decor. she had such good ideas and was such a big help in pulling the wedding weekend together! On the actual wedding weekend and day she was a godsend. We were so organized and on time, she made the whole day feel so stress free and it was the best happiest day ever. It was so smooth and painless and I literally to this day wouldn't know if anything went wrong, she had everything handled! She's also just a joy to work with. hire Lindsay!!

Lindsay was great as our month-of wedding coordinator!…read more She offered useful advice and thoughtful recommendations throughout planning leading up to the big day. Lindsay brought up things I didn't even know I needed to think about. She truly had our and our guests' experience in mind the entire time. On the wedding night, Lindsay handled everything so well, I didn't have to think about literally anything. She always seemed to appear just when you needed her. It felt like she could anticipate things before they happened. Lindsay is a magician. And she was doing things behind the scenes that I wasn't even aware of; I had family members tell me how great she was, and I was confused they even interacted with her but she was really out there looking out for everyone's needs. And she expertly coordinated with all our vendors and was assertive with them when she needed to be. Lindsay runs a tight ship. And if you're having your wedding at Lomas Santa Fe Country Club, you definitely need Lindsay. She knows the venue inside and out, along with the staff and all the vendors who work there. If we'd had the budget for a full wedding planner, we would've hired her to plan the entire event from start to finish.