10 Best Wedding Planners 2023

Women's Dating

10 Best California Wedding Planners of 2023

Chloë Hylkema

Written by: Chloë Hylkema

Chloë Hylkema

Chloë Hylkema has covered hundreds of people, services, and ideas in the dating and lifestyle sphere, all explored through the lens of making dating enjoyable. She has earned her bachelor's degree in English from Emory University and worked on animal rights advocacy issues and research in the past. Chloë is passionate about delivering readers the information and resources they need to forge conscious and self-realized connections. When she’s not writing, you can find her cooking a vegan feast or at the climbing gym.

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Edited by: Lillian Castro

Lillian Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of journalism experience to ensure DatingAdvice articles have been edited for overall clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement. She has worked at The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, The Gwinnett Daily News, and The Gainesville Sun covering lifestyle topics.

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The perfect wedding day is a bit of a myth. Most times, the day of the wedding is simultaneously the busiest, best, and most stressful day of a couple’s life together. It’s full of exciting moments, juggling family and friends, and trying to remember every last bit of a jam-packed day. The big day is often full of big celebrations and bigger emotions. 

Achieving a beautiful and elegant wedding is a difficult feat that requires months (sometimes years!) of intense planning. It’s easy to forget just how much it takes to plan a wedding. From RSVPs and meal planning to coordinating music and bartenders, planning a wedding is a daunting task, even for the most organized couples.

Wedding planners know that weddings are stressful, even without the responsibility of event planning. Wedding planners work with couples to take the unnecessary stress out of planning their perfect wedding, so couples can soak in the special moments without worrying about logistics. California couples who want to focus entirely on their big day should consider one of these wedding planning services.

Tessa Lyn Events, based in Santa Monica, takes the stress out of wedding planning. The wedding planning company is led by Tessa Lyn Brand and supported by her all-star five-person team. The team at Tessa Lyn is known for creating elegant and classic weddings.

Tessa Lyn Events has a variety of wedding packages. Packages allow couples to choose the level of involvement of the wedding planner. Package features vary from last-minute help to all-inclusive, multiday planning. The team at Tessa Lyn finds venues, vendors, hotels, and anything else a couple shouldn’t have to worry about while planning a wedding.

Tessa Lyn Events is the perfect wedding planning service for couples in search of something exquisite and lavish. Tessa Lyn weddings are marked by billowing white curtains, extravagant floral arrangements, and magnificent chandeliers. This wedding planner is perfect for couples planning a big and lush wedding.

Best for: Large and Lavish Weddings

Gather Events works with clients to achieve their dream weddings. The team at Gather Events sees wedding planning as a privilege and gift. They offer local and destination wedding planning services, meaning couples can take Gather Event’s expertise no matter where they get hitched.

Gather Events works to capture the spirit and story of a couple in their wedding planning process. They know no two clients are the same, and work to create one-of-a-kind weddings that reflect this uniqueness. Gather Events has planned for weddings in Italy, Mexico, and Los Angeles – just to name a few locations.

The team at Gather Events is highly experienced. There are five team members who work relentlessly to give couples their dream weddings. Gather Events captures the identities of all their couples through wedding planning. They are proud to help LGBTQ+ couples experience the wedding of their dreams.

Best for: Destination Weddings

2 Friends Events was established by Nicole and Lindsey, who met as co-maids of honor at a mutual friend’s wedding. Since then, the wedding planning duo has teamed up to bring fun and personal weddings to the Bay Area, Napa Valley, and beyond.

Nicole and Lindsey want to give couples a wedding that reflects their story and their love. They know different couples need varying levels of planning assistance. Their wedding planning packages span from hourly consulting to complete event planning. 2 Friends Events is ready to plan any kind of wedding, whether fun and funky or classic and traditional.

2 Friends Events has access to hundreds of vendors. They have their own marketplace, called 2 Friends Marketplace, where couples planning with 2 Friends Events can receive discounts on wine for the wedding. The team at 2 Friends Events includes a florist, meaning couples have a dedicated planner to imbue meaning into the nuptial floral arrangements. 

Best for: Making Wedding Planning Fun

Roque Events was founded by Raquel Bickford, a wedding planner with over 450 events under her belt. Raquel and her team at Roque Events are based in San Francisco but serve couples across California and the United States. Roque Events works diligently to create weddings that match the aesthetic preferences of its clients.

Weddings planned by Roque Events are always highly curated and meaningful to each specific client. The team creates weddings that feel effortlessly and intuitively designed. Raquel wants her clients and their guests to experience elevated and unforgettable weddings marked by luxury.

Roque Events plans weddings from the top to the bottom. This means they exclusively offer full-service planning and design. With two separate full-service packages, couples receive personalized planning from when they send out save-the-date notices to when they pop the last bottle of champagne at the after-party.

Best for: Luxury Full Service Planning

Pretty Occasions is a wedding planning service that specializes in sophisticated and elegant weddings. Pretty Occasions is led by Solmaz Burke and based out of San Francisco. Solmaz is an experienced event planner who has a passion for planning weddings.

Pretty Occasions treats wedding planning as a partnership. Couples work closely with Solmaz and her team to achieve the kind of wedding they dream of. Pretty Occasions offers several different planning packages, with full-service planning and design packages to month-of packages. No matter where a couple is in the planning process, Pretty Occasions can help.

The team at Pretty Occasions wants weddings to feel simple and stress-free for their clients. Whether clients want an elegant, chic, lavish, or rustic wedding, Pretty Occasions wants to make it a spectacular affair. Couples looking for an elegant yet inviting and comfortable wedding should consider Pretty Occasions’ services.

Best for: Classic and Traditional Weddings

Creative Affairs Inc. is based in San Diego and has been consistently ranked among Southern California’s best wedding planning companies. Creative Affairs Inc. has led the way in San Diego event planning and coordination since 2004. Known across Southern California for its expertly designed weddings, the wedding planning company has coordinated over 2,800 events.

Amanda McPhail is the owner of Creative Affairs Inc. She is the heart behind the wedding planning service and is surrounded by a professional team of wedding experts that she hand-selected. The team at Creative Affairs is committed to quality and creativity in the weddings they plan and execute.

Creative Affairs Inc. offers a wide range of planning services for any kind of wedding, from full-service to month-of packages. Couples will work closely with their planner to create a wedding tailored to their needs and expectations. Creative Affairs offers full-service wedding packages at a competitive price to give any San Diego couple the wedding of their dreams.

Best for: Affordability without Sacrifice

Wish Wonder Dream wedding planning services make dream weddings a reality. Wish Wonder Dream is a group of wedding stylists and coordinators that work together to create elegant and specialized weddings. This creative group focuses on choosing the perfect venue and creating cohesive wedding designs unique to each couple.

Intentionality means everything to the team at Wish Wonder Dream. They offer three different packages. Named for the sky, the moon, and the sun, these packages range from limited packages for the DIY-savvy couple to all-inclusive experiences. Couples who have varying requirements for wedding planning help will be able to find a package suited to their needs.

Wish Wonder Dream is based in San Diego and serves couples across California and the world. They pay attention to every detail to create an ethereal and stunning wedding. The team at Wish Wonder Dream takes the taste and preferences of their clients into consideration to create beautiful weddings for couples of any taste.

Best for: Unique Venues

Kendall Melissa Events takes the guesswork out of wedding planning. Led by creative director and owner Kendall Melissa, this small and dedicated team of wedding planners makes quintessential Northern California weddings a reality. Kendall leads her NorCal-based team with 15 years of event planning experience.

Kendall Melissa Events offers a wide range of wedding services. Besides three wedding planning packages, the team also offers a la carte wedding planning. This allows couples to have assistance only where they need it. A la carte wedding planning from Kendall Melissa includes rehearsal dinner planning to venue search assistance.

While Kendall Melissa Events focuses on NorCal couples, it plans and executes weddings all across California and the globe. Kendall Melissa and her team meet couples where they are in their planning process to create weddings full of personal touch and thoughtfulness. Kendall Melissa Events is a fantastic option for couples who want a wedding that was designed with their story and taste at the forefront.

Best for: Northern California Couples

AB Event Co. was founded by owner and wedding planner Ali Boule. She found a passion for wedding planning in 2017 when she planned and coordinated her own wedding. During the process, she realized how overwhelming weddings can be. The wealth of wedding planning advice online seemed to contradict itself, and she often felt unsure of proper wedding planning procedure.

Since then, she has become an expert on all things weddings and wants to help other California couples navigate the daunting task of planning a wedding. AB Event Co offers several different wedding planning packages. Packages include month-of, partial planning, and full-service planning. Ali also offers a la carte services so couples can receive help only where they need it.

AB Event Co helps couples along every step of the wedding. Ali works hard to build personal connections with her clients so they can feel comfortable and confident in her presence on their wedding day. Couples can find reasonable pricing for stellar services at AB Event Co.

Best for: Sacramento Couples

Couples who want the majestic Lake Tahoe as the backdrop for their wedding should look no further than Lake Tahoe Wedding Planner. This wedding planning service has many outdoor and indoor scenic wedding venues and a variety of wedding packages. Couples can choose from over 10 locations around Lake Tahoe to find the ideal spot for nuptials.

Lake Tahoe Wedding Planner offers comprehensive packages that give couples top-to-bottom wedding day coverage at an accessible price. Packages include officiants, music, marriage license certification, and photography packages. Lake Tahoe Wedding Planner is ideal for couples who want a straightforward and simple wedding design.

Whether a couple is local to the Tahoe area or planning a destination wedding at the lake, Lake Tahoe Wedding Planner offers a variety of valuable resources and all-inclusive packages. Perfect for last-minute elopers and couples in search of intimate ceremonies, Lake Tahoe Wedding Planner translates the natural beauty of the California landscape into romantic ceremonies.

Best for: Lake Tahoe Weddings

While there’s no such thing as a wedding day that goes off without a hitch, these wedding planners allow couples to soak in the romance and excitement of their nuptials without having to worry about the other stuff. Wedding planners attend to every detail, no matter how small or large, to ensure the wedding day is as magical as the couples envisioned it to be.

These wedding planners offer diverse services within a variety of price ranges. All-inclusive packages are ideal for couples who prefer a hands-off approach led by a planner who understands their taste and desires. A la carte services allow couples who love to plan all the freedom to insert their own efforts into the special day.

An often overlooked aspect of wedding planning is just how much the coordinators enjoy planning, executing, and attending weddings. Each planner on this list regards wedding planning as a privilege and honor. They know they have an important responsibility to make these monumental days seamless, beautiful, and, most of all, celebratory.