Kristan made all our wedding day dreams come true! The day was absolute perfection, and it's all thanks to her. We had to postpone a year because of Covid, and the extra planning really paid off! My husband and I have attended plenty of weddings, and I've even worked behind the scenes at one or two, and I've never gotten to go to one that ran so smoothly. Everything we planned, all the little details and documentation and extra treats for our guests, it all went off without a hitch! And everybody had such a wonderful time, including us :) Usually at weddings, it seems like the bride & groom don't have time to eat or dance or talk to their guests, but we got to do all three, and have beautiful photos & videos taken with our friends and family and guests, because Kristan scheduled everything out so beautifully. The whole wedding day, my husband and I just kept marveling to each other that everything had gone so well and so smoothly, and how genuinely PERFECT the day was! At the end of the night, she helped us with our exit, and we couldn't stop thanking her for making our night so perfect! We really couldn't have asked for a better partner - the smile on her face made us feel like she was just as happy for us as our own family :) Other than our wedding day, I also have to mention how incredibly stress-free the weeks leading up to the wedding day were! The week of our wedding, I mostly just took my dog to the park and went for hikes with our friends and family who were in town for the wedding. Kristan was cc'ing us on all the confirmation emails to vendors, but to be honest, I barely read them because I knew she had everything in hand haha! She had us make all the major decisions weeks and months ahead of time, so by the time we got to the bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, and wedding day, there was nothing left to do but enjoy our time together! She knew exactly what we wanted, and she made it happen!! read more

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We had a great experience working with Kristan and Cora Bella! Kristan helped us to plan our California wedding when we both lived across the country. I cannot imagine planning our wedding without Kristan's coordination and support. Most of our planning was done remotely and Kristan was able to capitalize on the times when we were able to make it out to California. We had an especially difficult time finding a wedding venue, but Kristan really helped us to figure out what was important to us and she was able to navigate difficult situations with potential venues. Kristan also helped us to find an amazing vendor team and she helped me to articulate my vision. Kristan's vendor relationships and industry contacts really are a testimate to her skill as a planner, because we were able to create a fantastic vendor team full of such kind, and creative people. On the day of the wedding, I was able to really just sit back and let all our wonderful vendors work their magic. As a bride, I wasn't stressed out at all! So much work goes in to planning a wedding, but Kristan navigates all of this with professionalism, clear communication, and efficiancy. I wouldn't change anything about how our wedding turned out and I'll be recommending Cora Bella to all of my California friends who are getting married in the future. read more

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Our experience working with Kristan was a dream! Thanks to her planning and execution, our wedding day was fabulous. She worked with us all along the way- meetings with the venue and caterer, helping to source photo, cinema, flowers, DJ, musicians, etc. then working with them on contract details. We especially appreciated her design eye- the décor for the wedding came together beautifully. She met with us regularly and kept us on schedule for the activities we needed to do in preparation. This continued through the wedding weekend. Everything was handled- if there were problems, it wasn't evident to us- she handled it. Our getting ready rooms were stocked by her with anything you might need in an emergency. All of this was done with an unsurpassed level of friendliness and professionalism. So great! read more

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We booked Kristan's Full Planning package for our 130-person wedding in San Jose. She was on top of every detail, pricing and booking and coordinating all of the vendors for us. Our wedding went off beautifully, and many guests commented that it was the best wedding they had ever attended! We knew we wanted to incorporate Star Trek into our wedding, but we also wanted to maintain a traditional wedding feel. She talked to us about our likes and dislikes and what we were hoping to see at the wedding. Kristan took our ideas and flew with them at warp speed. She designed everything from the lighting scheme and linen colors to the physical layout and gobos. She introduced us to the perfect florist for our style, and she found us an amazing caterer who was able to make the entire reception gluten-free for our dietary needs. She even managed our RSVP list! We appreciated Kristan's friendly personality, professionalism, and calm demeanor. She made our wedding as stress-free as it could possibly be, and the day turned out to be magical. The wedding and reception were elegant and still really felt like us. Kristan and her team exceeded our expectations, and we recommend her to anyone planning an event! read more

Our wedding day was PERFECT and it was all thanks to CORA BELLA!! The part you would have never guessed is that our wedding fell 2 days before the very first day of the Coronavirus lockdown in March 2020! We were so nervous and did not know what to expect at all as we saw businesses and events shutting down suddenly, within days of our wedding. I will never forget sitting in the nail salon the day before the wedding and watching the county shut down all church events/weddings on the news. I immediately called Kristan and she was totally calm and had already called all of our vendors and even the church and made sure everyone was still on and adjusted plans to make the event COVID safe! I couldn't have imagined any other planner/coordinator to help us with our wedding, she took the time to fully understand our vision and it showed on our wedding day. Kristan was beyond helpful throughout the entire planning process, has great relationships with every vendor we reached out to in the Bay Area, and her team was so well organized on the day of. My only regret is not hiring her for the FULL wedding planning/coordinating service! read more

*This is our Post-wedding update for Cora Bella Events. Please also check-out our review 6 months ago for our mid-planning review* We're so thrilled to write our review for Kristan and Cora Bella Events! If you read our first review, you saw the journey that we went through to get to our big day, and we're so glad we worked with Kristan through this process. In the final lead-up to the wedding, she gave us incredible guidance, recommendations, and answered our MANY questions with grace. It was also invaluable to seek her input when navigating some tricky COVID-related situations with family members. There was never any doubt that she always put us and our interests first. It truly made this very complicated process go so smoothly! During our rehearsal, she gave us so much reassurance and made sure we had everything ready to go for our big day. She also gave us two massive emergency kits that proved so useful! Without it, my wife's mother would have walked her down the aisle without a sole on her shoe! It's pretty unbelievable, but we actually had a good night's rest the night before our wedding, since we knew every checklist item was crossed off, and we had full trust that Kristan would take care of everything. We built such a trusting relationship during our planning process, that we never had to worry about forgetting something or missing an important detail. During the getting-ready portion of our wedding day, Kristan also set us up with a wonderful getting ready liaison , Lindsay, who helped us with so many things that we never even knew we needed. She made sure that all of the bridal party had lunch (and snacks) while we waited for the festivities to begin. I also don't even want to know how many times she had to run up and down the stairs at our venue to grab random things that we needed. It was so wonderful to have Kristan and a supportive team available so our family and bridal party didn't have to take on that role. Kristan also set up the flow of our day and timeline in a way that went magically! She even re-worked our planned sparkler exit to be a bubble exit since our postponement moved our wedding to fire season. The pictures were incredible, and it meant the world to us that we had someone on our side who cared so much about making our day perfect! We can't thank Kristan enough, and we feel incredibly lucky that she came into our lives at such a stressful time, to help us breathe a little easier. Thank you so very much! read more

Kristan and her team were, without a doubt, the best planning choice my husband and I made. Kristan is professional, kind, and organized. Through our planning meetings, her extensive knowledge, and her stellar personality, Kristan made sure our day ran as smoothly as possible. This team navigated an enormous (and opinionated) family, every tiny blip, and even a power outage with complete professionalism and efficiency. This day would not have been the wonderful experience it turned out to be if it weren't for Kristan and her team. I would highly recommend her to my family, my friends, and any stranger willing to listen. Cora Bella is definitely the right choice. read more

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Kristan is the epitome of everything an incredible wedding planner should be. She is highly organized, professional, efficient, dedicated, responsive, and delightful to work with. We hired Cora Bella Wedding & Events to assist us with decor design and coordination for our big day. During our wedding planning process we felt completely relieved with Kristan at the wheel. She made herself available at times that worked for us and she met with us more than enough times to give us full confidence that our wedding day was completely under control all at a very reasonable rate. Kristan and the Cora Bella team executed our wedding day perfectly and went above and beyond to add additional design aspects that added even more beauty to our ceremony and reception spaces. I would highly recommend Kristan for any of your wedding planning and management needs. She is truly a gem and we are so thankful to have had her expertise. read more

Cora Bella Weddings & Events is a true gem of a Bay Area wedding planner! I have worked with Kristan at a Gardener Ranch wedding in Carmel Valley, California and she made the day flow so smoothly. Her attention to detail far exceeds any that I have experienced before. The care she provides to her clients and vendors alike is incomparable. Kristan truly makes the Cora Bella Weddings & Events experience unforgettable by bringing your dream wedding to fruition. I look forward to working with her later this year for a Livermore wedding at The Club at Ruby Hill. Do yourself a favor and contact Kristan NOW. I guarantee it will be the best decision you make for your wedding day! read more

I, as a blissfully retired professional wedding planner, offer one bit of advice to anyone involved in planning a wedding (or any event where emotions are involved)....hire a professional! Better yet, hire Kristan, to handle the details. Even though I had been in the industry myself for many years, when my son proposed, I knew two things...it was going to be a fun yet stressed filled year and that even though all of us were completely capable of choosing the venue and hiring vendors, I knew there would be the time to hand all the details over to someone I trust. I remember first meeting Kristan at the ACPWC (Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants) and thinking to myself....when the time comes, she will be my choice! Kristan is on it! No "i" was left without a dot, no "t" was left uncrossed. Not only did she keep us organized, she also offered solutions to some of our vendor relationship issues. We did have to substitute out both our caterer and our florist close to the wedding day and she guided us beautifully to more appropriate (for us) professionals. But her true talent made its appearance the month of...keeping us on track! Kristan also managed the "excited" group of bridesmaids and groomsmen perfectly during the rehearsal and wedding day. It's only been one week since the wedding and I'm still not firmly planted back on Earth, but as the photos are making their way to social media, I am reminded that none of that "perfection" would have been possible without the help of the incomparable Kristan Shamus. She's my pick!! read more

Kristan was just fabulous. Love her personality and how she stayed calm under pressure. The wedding went flawlessly and was absolutely the best day of our lives. One of the BEST decisions we made throughout the entire wedding planning process. Looking back, I'm frightened to think that we had once thought we could do it without a wedding planner -- ha! She was absolutely critical and we would have had a VERY different, nowhere near as magical wedding as we did without her help. One of the best parts was that Kristan was a top quality wedding planner but offered packages with a whole lot more value than other wedding planners we interviewed. I feel like we got a ton of value before Kristan is discovered as one of the top wedding planners or coordinators in the Bay Area! Highly recommend! read more

It is hard to know where to begin with Kristan - She is just simply the best! I had planned a wedding for May of 2020 which of course got postponed by Covid. Kristan was with me every step of the way through our planning, re-planning, venue change, 2 date changes etc. She was so knowledgeable and organized throughout the entire process even with all the roadblocks we hit. She has an eye for pretty and helped me make so many decisions. She knows all the answers to all things wedding. But it went beyond wedding knowledge. Kristan went above and beyond when it came to keeping me updated with all county restrictions / Covid requirements when it came to gatherings / weddings. She was 100% my go to person. She is cool, calm and collected and kept me the same. I ended up having my wedding in the mountains an cut my guest list by 75%, and unfortunately could not have Kristan be there for our special day. She still did not give up on my day. She continued to support me in any way she could. A true wedding planner hero!! I cannot recommend Kristan enough to be your wedding planner. read more

I hired Kristan to help me plan and implement my daughter's 1st birthday party in December. Initially I had a kitschy kid-centric party mapped out in my head, but then felt overwhelmed when it came time to put the plan in action. I had purchased some items for the party, hired the taco cart, and rented the toddler gym equipment. Beyond that I was stumped. One meeting with Kristan helped me tweak my plan so it would be a fun party for kids AND adults- some of whom don't have children. She really listened to what I had in mind and what I really wanted the party to feel like for my guests. She gave some suggestions on tweaks to my plan and other ideas and things to think about. Two days before the party the weather was going to be below 50 and we had to move the playground equipment from the backyard into the garage. Kristan's quick thinking of installing some plastic sheeting to cover the clutter in one part of the garage really made the play area pop. The day before and day of the event she was instrumental in setting up the party space and running everything. I could focus on being with my guests and knew I did not have to worry about the behind the scenes stuff. She even cleaned up the birthday girl and redressed her after the smash cake (she was a disaster). The day of the party and weeks afterwards I received so many compliments on the party and décor- most of which were Kristan's contributions. My daughter's 1st birthday party was the smashing success I dreamed of and it wouldn't have been half as good without her invaluable assistance. We will be hiring her for future important events. read more

Kristan was a lifesaver! We hired her late in the process just for the ceremony coordination (only 3 months left til the wedding) and she was so helpful in taking so much off our plates. She took care of all the decor and set up at the ceremony on the day of and during the planning process, she was very available and willing to answer any wedding related questions even about the reception (even though we only hired her for the ceremony). Kristan is very friendly and encouraging as well and put us at ease very early on. She will help you have the perfect wedding that encapsulates your vision and style. Thank you Kristan! read more

Hiring Kristan as our day of wedding coordinator was the BEST decision my husband and I made during our wedding planning process. Kristan's professionalism, passion and dedication to making our wedding day exactly what we wanted made all the difference in the world. I knew there was no need to stress over anything the day of our wedding because Kristan was there behind the scenes making it all happen. During the planning process, I really felt Kristan did a great job of listening to exactly what we wanted and expected for our big day. She is VERY organized and she made sure all the vendors were on the same page throughout the whole process. We also had some weather issues that brought some unique challenges but she had a plan B already mapped out for a worse case scenario. Luckily, the weather cooperated an hour before our outdoor ceremony so she didn't need to go to plan B (but at least she had one :) It was truly a wonderful feeling knowing we had someone at the venue in our corner calling all the shots. We really loved working with Kristan and we would highly recommend her to any bride looking for a day of coordinator!! read more

Kristan is the best Event Planner I have ever worked with! As a professional photographer, I work with hundreds of event planners, and they have never been as well organized, calm, and genuinely kind and thoughtful as Kristan! read more

Recently we hired Kristan as the event planner for my Daughter's First Birthday. We attended a wedding that Kristan was the event planner for and was impressed by her talents. Planning or a wedding or a child's first birthday party, you can't go wrong in hiring Kristan. Everything went smooth and our guests said it was one of the best parties they have ever attended. Every detail from planning, decor, food & beverages, party favors to invites were executed upon perfectly. I look forward to working with her again! read more

We hired Kristan to help Coordinate our backyard wedding this June. Kristan was great, she was highly organized and had many of questions that helped me process all the steps that needed to be done in planning our wedding. I felt at ease during my wedding I knew that Kristan had it all handled and I didn't have to worry about a thing. The wedding went flawless, Kristan did an amazing job working with my other vendors to produce a perfect wedding day. I am so thankful for her guidance and support through the entire process. read more

We hired Kristan Shamus to be our wedding coordinator in order to lessen the stress of planning our wedding. Our initial two meetings went well. Kristan was pleasant, asked appropriate questions and appeared organized. She then worked promptly on looking for a venue. However we found it extremely frustrating that she would not reply to our emails on the weekend, which is when we had time to work on it, and said later that it was her policy to not reply to work emails on the weekend and that she would respond by Tuesdays. It would have been helpful to know that was her policy up front as we would not have waited for her replies all weekend or else we would not have hired her. Due to working with her increasing our stress, we chose to stop working with her. We chalked it up as an expensive lesson. We recommend to ask up front regarding Kristan's email/communication policy. (We ended up finding our venue on our own and hired only a day of coordinator. It worked out great in the end due to the communication we had directly with the venue owner.) read more