I can't begin to say enough good things about Elena Donnelly and the staff at Before I Do events. 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! read more

Before I Do Events - Our beautiful wedding day thanks to Elena! - Wedding Planning Near Me

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Being a Project Manager in my every day life, I very much handled my wedding in the same manner. A project. However, even good project managers know good delegation skills... Since I already had my vendors and most major details sorted out, I was strictly looking for a coordinator to help me the week/day of our wedding to make it all come together and to relieve any internal stress/anxiety I was surely about to have (note: we had recently moved cross-country from San Diego to FL months before we came back to SD for the wedding...thank you, U.S. Navy.) I was recommended Before I Do Events from a fellow friend and was lucky enough to meet Elena Donnelly. To echo a lot of the other reviews, I cannot say enough great things of Elena and her team for what they did for us that special day. While I'm sure we were not their most complicated, I'd like to think our traditional Catholic and Military wedding put some curve balls into the mix. Elena and her team did an exceptional job from prepping the church, to working hand in hand with each venue coordinator, to making sure the vendors and guests had seamless access to the military base (where our reception was held) to dealing with a difficult reception room layout/setup, transporting/setting every table center piece since I shipped most of it and had it staged in our hotel room (and yes, I did my own flower arrangements because I'm insane!) down to the littlest details of making sure we and the bridal party had sandwiches for lunch on the trolley as we ran around SD taking pictures in between the ceremony and reception. The timing of the day was tight and it went in a blink of an eye but it was flawless and for the first time ever (it's hard for me to not be in control of everything) I handed over command to someone that I truly trusted and felt confident would excel in executing every last task of our big day. Elena, you handled everything with ease and you did it with class...thank you again to you and your Before I Do Events team for making it memorable! read more

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It was amazing working with Tammi and Alicia. Looking back, I couldn't have imagined working with anyone 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! read more

If you're considering hiring a wedding planner or day-of coordinator, choose BEFORE I DO!!! Our wedding day and rehearsal dinner was absolutely perfect, and it's all due to Alicia and Michele! Their professionalism is unparalleled, and their dedication to your wedding is impressive. Seriously, they went above and way beyond what we expected. It sounds like a cliché, but they treat your wedding like if it was their own. So many small touches that we didn't even think of. Even last minute requests or things we forgot - they took care of. Alicia in particular was incredible! She answered every question we had, pored over details for hours, and eliminated all of our pre-wedding stress with her organization and preparation. Well, *almost* all of our stress! Alicia worked within our budget and offered workarounds to help us have the wedding we always dreamed of. It's clear they take great pride in their work, and the proof is in the final product and how your guests talk about your wedding. We got so many beautiful compliments about our wedding. It's really a credit to Alicia, Michele and their amazing team. We're so grateful we chose Before I Do. I can't imagine picking someone else to trust with the biggest day of your life. We would (and have) recommended Before I Do to our family and friends. Thank you both SO MUCH for giving us the BEST DAY EVER!!! read more

Our entire wedding planning process was 100% enjoyable and FUN all thanks to the wonderful team at Before I Do Events - and especially Alicia Strom. My husband and I were fortunate enough to get to connect with Before I Do Events through our wedding photographer. From our first meeting over a year ago to our wedding day this past September, Alicia was extremely professional, organized, detail-oriented, and energetic. We could've have picked a better fit for our wedding style and personalities. Alicia provided full wedding planning package - which included EVERYTHING. It was amazing to know that every single small detail was thought through and being taken care of. Throughout the process of bringing on various vendors, Alicia was able to vet them and then negotiate prices that fit our budget needs. We were able to bring on the most incredible team of vendors - from our rocking band to our beautiful florals. It all turned out SO perfectly. Overall Alicia has the BEST ideas for making a wedding feel like the couple while also being realistic in staying within your budget. She came up with some really creative and interesting details that our guests loved. We worked together on a collaborative Pinterest board to coordinate ideas and design styles. On our wedding day, Alicia had outlined a schedule down to the minute for all our vendors - which made it very seamless and stress-free (everything you want on the big day). She is extremely organized, and maintains a really great demeanor throughout the whole day. Our guests even commented on how well organized our wedding was - and that our planner was "very on top of everything." I HIGHLY recommend Before I Do Events for a very professional, well connected, and fun wedding planning experience. read more

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We are SO HAPPY that we decided to go with Before I do Events! Elena was our coordinator and we immediately felt comfortable with her. We were planning our wedding from the bay area and she was always flexible about meeting with us whenever we happened to be in town. There were so many times during the wedding planning process where my now husband and I would look at each other and say "we're so happy we have Elena." She is extremely organized and after our wedding, we got so many comments from friends and family about how great she is and how she knew EVERYTHING. I think most importantly, we always felt like she was on our side and we could conquer the world (or at least the day) with her by our side! read more

I could not say enough about Alicia! I have no idea what I would have done without her. My wedding day was easy and calm thanks to her and I could not be more thankful. She knew my style and my vision from day one and her suggestions made deciding easy. You can not go wrong with Before I Do events! XOXO read more

Best money spent on my daughter's wedding! Elena and Olivia are absolutely amazing - great to work with and made the whole experience less stressful! They are so detail oriented, well connected and easy to work with - Highest recommendation!!!!! read more

Don't even know where to begin!! My wedding day was the best day of my life and I can completely give all the credit to Before I Do Events!! Everything went off without a hitch - when 2 of my bridesmaids' zippers broke and had to be sewn into their dresses (hilarious), Tammi and her assistants took care of everything without missing a beat! It was amazing!! Not one single detail was missed - they did it all!! I have said it several times, I would have given up so many wedding necessities just to have these ladies - they were unbelievable! My wedding was at Estancia La Jolla with 260 guests and Tammi continually made sure I was completely relaxed and enjoyed myself - and I did! :) The last week she called me to hand EVERYTHING over to her, and despite the unplanned weather (only weekend of rain in like 3 months fell on my wedding weekend), Tammi transformed all of our original plans into something even more spectacular than I had ever dreamed!! They handled all contracts, correspondence with vendors, details that you would never think of, organization of timeline, and just about everything else! Best choice I made when planning my wedding was hiring Before I Do Events (FYI I interviewed 2 other planners and at first thought they would all be the same - totally not the case)!!! If you want a stress-free, enjoyable wedding planning experience, talk to these ladies.. I will be referring all of my friends to them :) read more

Michele was an amazing help to our venue. She was very professional and took care of everything down to the very last item. She made our day extremely smooth and flawless. We had a hiccup and she and took care if it at her own expense. If you are looking for a event planner, your search should end here. I I would highly recommend Before I do Events!!!! read more

We are the parents of the bride, and this was our third wedding for our last child to be married. At our two prior weddings, we used another wedding planner, but we wanted a change. Olivia and her colleagues were fantastic. The vendors they recommended were all fabulous, well-priced and provided top-notch service. Some coordinators think the wedding is about them and their vision as a result they pretend to listen but they do not listen well to what the bride and groom want for their wedding. Olivia and her colleagues listen well and implement the vision of the bride and groom. Olivia and her colleagues are unobtrusive but have everything in control at all times so that all the moving parts of our daughter's wedding came together in a seamless and epic fashion. My wife and I recommend "Before I Do Events" without hesitation. read more

I can't begin to explain how grateful we are for Alicia's expertise in planning our wedding. She made the event absolutely incredible and went above and beyond what we expected from a full service planner. After talking with several friends who were not very happy with their planners, it made us appreciate her that much more. Our wedding completely exceeded our expectations down to every detail and it couldn't have happened without Alicia and Before I Do Events! read more

Before I do events is truly an awesome company. Tammi and Alicia and their associates were worth every penny! My awesome daughter hired this company to be her wedding coordinators. When I first met them, I was blown away how young they looked. Beautiful and not one hair on their heads was out of place. I was mother-of-the-bride, and I was wondering if their youthfulness meant inexperience. But they quickly won me over because of their creativity, organizational skills and their composure. They were very professional and precise at every meeting and during my daughter's wedding at the Darlington House in La Jolla, CA. They answered every one of my endless questions and put my mind at ease. My daughter put me in charge of decor since I am an interior designer. But MOB's have to relinquish control which I felt very safe doing due my admiration of this company. The day of the wedding I watched the coordinators and their staff take the decor that I bought and place each piece around the venue with assuredness. The metal pear in the apple bucket that SyleMePretty featured was one of many of their stylish ideas! During the wedding, the coordinators were in complete control, always with smiles on their faces. The day was filled with organized events: a bridal party breakfast, hair and makeup, and pre-wedding bride and groom stroll around the venue to take in what was going to happen later on in the day. The wedding was to take place in the Rose Garden, then the cocktail hour was in the Library and other gardens, then back to the Rose Garden for dinner. It was a big accomplishment to coordinate the tear-down of the Rose Garden ceremony chairs to Rose Garden reception tables with all the candles lit and decorations and flowers on them. It took an hour or so to do this but the guests weren't complaining because of my now son-in-law's famous Margaritas and the many passed hors d'eouvres and antipasto. But I can't imagine what went on behind the scenes. Everyone, especially my daughter, remained calm and joyful! If you go to Stylemepretty.com and look under Darlington House, you will see our successful efforts. Everything turned out perfectly! A huge thank you Alicia, Tammi and their associates! read more

Michele, Alicia, and the entire Before I Do team are absolutely amazing and phenomenal to work with! As wedding videographers, we work with a multitude of coordinators throughout the year, and few have been as professional, positive, and truly on top of it as Before I Do. From detailed itineraries to each and every detail of the day being meticulously cared for, they make the entire wedding experience seamless. Our favorite thing about Before I Do is their hugely positive attitude and way of handling high-stress situations with ease and a smile. It keeps the Bride & Groom, along with the vendors, feeling comfortable and on track even when time gets tight. We are always thrilled to book a wedding coordinated by Michele & Alicia! read more

Working with Alicia and the Before I Do Events team was simply wonderful! It was a fun process and Alicia truly wanted to capture our dream wedding and relationship throughout the whole day--she most definitely succeeded! The whole process was organized, professional, flexible and helpful. Before I Do Events has everything a bride to be needs to feel relaxed and calm as her wedding day approaches--not to mention on the big day. We knew the wedding and all the details would fall into place perfectly after all the hard work, many communications and meetings spent working with Alicia. I was able to relax, the groom could relax and the mother and father of the bride were calm knowing the whole day was in the best hands. Before I Do will help with every detail if you want: napkin fold recommendations, photographers, desserts, videographer, the way you want to enter the ceremony, lighting, florals, seating--you name it! Alicia was always there to answer my and my mom's many questions and was a quietly commanding, joyful presence on our wedding day and throughout the planning process. If you want a wedding planner--be it for the whole process or just the day-of--Before I Do Events is exactly who you want to hire! Thank you again for making our wedding day simply beautiful and seamless. read more