If you're looking for a reliable and kind person to handle your elopement with care, then please consider hiring Vanna. She is such a gem, and her services are incredible. I reached out to her as a colleague, and she was so helpful and detail-oriented. I would recommend Vanna 100 times over. Thanks for everything, Vanna! read more

Got married a couple days ago! Everything went perfectly. Vanna was so helpful, kind and accommodating. The photographer, officiant, florist-- everyone was so friendly and kind. Very happy with her services, I couldn't recommend her enough. Such a lovely and intimate experience for my husband and I, just how we wanted it. read more

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Vanna took care of all the details for our special day, and was responsive/communicative all throughout the planning process, and available for questions even after the ceremony! read more

We hired Vanna to officiate our July micro wedding of 12 people. From the beginning, she was communicative, clear, and kind. She had tips and timelines for obtaining a marriage license and a state park permit. The process of developing a ceremony script was so collaborative; I knew she really wanted it to meet our desires and reflect us as a couple. She was very accepting and prompt with our requested edits and additions, like a tribute to my late mom. On the day of the ceremony, she arrived on time and worked with us to make sure we had everything we needed. Her ceremony script was so beautiful; it was filled with personal touches and advice that was meaningful (but not overly sappy). We'll be so happy to carry her words with us into our marriage. It was easy to trust Vanna with the most important day of lives so far, and I'd highly recommend her to anyone needing an officiant in the area! read more

Elope Mendocino - Vanna officiating our wedding at Russian Gulch State Park - Wedding Planning Near Me

My (now) husband found Vanna and Elope Mendocino when researching local options for our elopement and I am so glad he did. It is hard to put into words our gratitude toward Vanna. We eloped to focus on what mattered most to us for our special day - each other. Vanna gave us the gift of a truly perfect wedding that captured our love, and why we wanted to take this important step in our relationship. She made the entire process easy and seamless. She has fantastic relationships with local photographers, florists, hair/makeup artists, and bed and breakfasts. We never had to worry about a thing. Beyond that, she loves what she does and wants to help give couples a beautiful and perfect day. We can't recommend her enough. read more

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My wife and I wanted something special for our wedding. Vanna did a great job giving use the best of the best venders. She stayed in contact with us making sure everything we wanted was going to plain. She truly did try to get to know us and listens to our suggestions to implement what we wanted on our big day. Vanna did a great job, thank you so much for your hard work. read more

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It was an absolute honor and pleasure to work with and have Vanna marry us. She is passionate about what she does, and genuinely gets to know you as a couple. She has the best of the best local vendors working with her, and makes sure you get everything you want on your special day. Thank you Vanna for Marrying Uziel and me. Don't hesitate and book your elopement with Vanna...you won't be disappointed. read more

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What a great experience! Planning an elopement can be stressful, when you want everything to come together. With Vanna, it was not only stress free but fun. I was confident that all the details were in good hands. A couple easy conversations to let her know what we were looking for and a little about our story was all it took to put at ease. Vanna turned our story into vows that were a little traditional with a touch of sweetness and definitely a memorable day! read more

What a pleasure it was working with Vanna! She made every step fun and simple. We chose to exchange vows at Cypress Cove and it was stunning to say the least...even in the fog. Everyone she recommended for make-up and photography were AMAZING and really understood our vision. She works with LR Farm for the bouquet and boutonniere....both were beyond our wildest dreams. Thank you for everything!!!! read more

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Vanna was professional, an excellent communicator, and empathic and kind. She had excellent suggestions and has the very best of Mendocino Co. at her fingertips. I highly recommend her for a no-stress, happy, fun, romantic, and memorable occasion! read more

My wife and I chose to do a simple and affordable elopement in Mendocino and couldn't have been more pleased with Vanna. While chose her because we wanted a cost conscience ceremony, Vanna helped us coordinate our special day, which felt priceless. She assisted in the creation of our vows, was the officiant, and suggested two excellent local restaurants for dining. Her flower, cake and photography vendors were kind, attentive, and professional. The first thing I said to my bride about the ceremony was - "I feel like we just got a $10,000 ceremony for a 1/10 of the price". There was nothing "cheap" about it - rather it was all professional and worth much more. The bouquet was stunning and custom, the cake was delicious and tailored to our request, and the photographer stayed late to get a shot of the sunset with us - she was just as giddy as my bride and I. If you are looking for an elopement that is simple yet exceptional, affordable yet majestic, and modest yet delightful, then Vanna is your go to professional. read more

Elope Mendocino - My bride and I just before Sunset at Russian Gulch. - Wedding Planning Near Me

We were all very happy with Elope Mendocino. Vanna gave us excellent referrals for the bouquet, wedding cake, photographer, and beautician. She did a great job of coordinating the vendors with our family. The vows she wrote up for my daughter, Sasha, and her fiance Andrew were sweet, spiritual, and absolutely perfect. If you would like a competent, well-organized, officiant to coordinate your elopement, call Vanna Freeeburfg! read more

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Amazing amazing amazing!!!! Vanna made our elopement a breeze. She was kind, caring and knew everything we would need. We chose the simplicity package and it was perfect. Vanna has really figured out what her bride and grooms will need. I cannot recommend her services enough! read more

Vanna is the best! She wrote a beautiful ceremony for our vow renewal which far surpassed our original wedding. She was easy to work with and communication was a breeze even though we didn't live near Mendocino and had to completely rely on her for everything. The vendors she recommended were top notch and we cannot wait to see our wedding pictures when they arrive. But even the ones we took ourselves show what a beautiful place it was to have a ceremony and how well everything came together! read more

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Vanna created a perfect, stress free wedding day for us. My spouse and I had no desire to plan a wedding. Vanna took care of everything. She wrote beautiful, custom vows, and she coordinated an amazing florist and our favorite photographer for our big day. It is obvious that Vanna truly loves her job, she was so kind and sincere. When we told her that we had found "the spot" and that it would be somewhat of a muddy hike, she gladly accepted the challenge and agreed to wear her hiking shoes. We really enjoyed working with Vanna and would highly recommend her! read more

My husband and I exchanged vows at The Switzer Farm in Westport, CA and we had Vanna officiate our wedding. Vanna was quick to answer all of our questions and offer up suggestions regarding our ceremony. It is obvious how passionate Vanna is about her job and it is truly important to her that each couple exchange vows unique to them and their relationship, as it should be. Not only was Vanna flexible and understanding, but she was a pleasure to communicate with and exceeded all of our expectations. Vanna, you are truly wonderful. Thank you for going above and beyond. Christina read more

Elope Mendocino had the best wedding elopement packages that we could find. Not only was the package great, but Vanna helped us with our wedding vows after listening about the journey it took for us both to get here. Our day was beautiful. Vanna married us on the ocean, at The Agate Cove Inn. The ceremony, photography, flowers, and cake all turned out absolutely perfect. We couldn't have planned this any better on our own. It really did make things stress free. Thanks again, Jeff and Robin Smallwood Dec. 12-12-13 read more

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Chris and I live in Dallas, TX and were looking for a simple stress free elopement package in California when we came across Elope Mendocino. We had never been to Mendocino, or anywhere close to that area before our wedding day. Vanna was helpful and quickly responded to all of our emails, which eased any worry we had about planning a wedding 2,000 miles from home. At first, Chris and I were planning on coming to Mendocino alone, but literally a week from our wedding day our parents surprised us and said were able to come! I was really excited, but I was also nervous to tell Vanna about the additional guests because it was such late notice. She responded to me within the hour and said she had already made the changes to accommodate our parents and to relax and savor every moment of our trip because it will all be perfect. She was right. Vanna listened to what Chris and I envisioned for our wedding and did all the work to make it happen. I did not have to stress about ANYTHING! She recommended a wonderful photographer and sent me photos of his work leading up to our trip. Our florist was an absolute artist, and the flower arrangements she made for us were stunning. She spoke with different wedding cake makers so we could have the cake we wanted and made sure it stayed in our budget. The bed and breakfast she recommended was perfect. I walked down the steps of our room, through a beautiful garden and was married between two huge cypress tress that overlooked the ocean. The vows she wrote for Chris and I were beautiful and tailored specifically to us. We are so grateful Vanna helped make our day perfect! read more

Elope Mendocino - Randy Lutge Photography - Wedding Planning Near Me

Vanna is incredible. She has such a lovely spirit. I can't imagine having anyone else help with our special day. Everything was perfect. She was beyond helpful, supportive and loving from the very beginning and throughout the entire process. Her elopement package was exactly what we needed and it took so much planning and pressure off of us. The vendors that she uses for cake, flowers and photos were amazing. The cake was one of the best I have tasted, my bouquet was sooooo dreamy and the photographer was super outgoing and fun. Thank you Vanna!!! Xoxo read more

Vanna is amazing! We purchased an elopement package and got married last December 2016 at the Albion River Inn. She was very helpful during the planning process and always available for questions when I wanted to talk to her on the phone. We are so happy she was our officiant and made the experience very relaxing and stress-free. I wasn't nervous before or during our ceremony and I definitely feel she had a big part in why I felt so calm. :) Highly recommend Vanna!! read more

We used one of the elopement packages provided by Vanna with Elope Mendocino. The best decision we have ever made! We were married on September 23, 2015 at Cypress Grove. Vanna was wonderful to work with and was constantly in contact with us through email and phone calls. We live 4 hours area (Sacramento area). The vendors she provides are fantastic. Our cake was absolutely beautiful, our vows were custom and fit us perfectly as a couple. The photographer was amazing and provided outstanding photographs. If any couple is thinking of eloping in Mendocino you will not be disappointed! Vanna is great at her job and will provide you with a wedding that you will always treasure! read more

Elope Mendocino - Wedding Planning Near Me

I cannot recommend Vanna enough! She was wonderful to work with since the beginning & has such a positive attitude and kind soul. The vows she wrote were beautiful & tailored to my husband, our kids, & I. The vendors she provides are top notch! The entire experience was beautiful, romantic, & forever memorable! Thank you, thank you, thank you Vanna!!!! read more

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We loved working with Vanna to plan our 'elopement' to Mendocino, and the day itself went off much better than we imagined. So much so that I am writing my first review EVER on Yelp. My now husband found her website on Google a few weeks before we wanted to get married and right from the start every contact we had with Vanna was helpful & prompt - she really is a sweetie. I think her manner perfectly suits dealing with the elevated expectations of the soon-to-be-married! We didn't have a whole lot of money to spend and Vanna was great at helping keep our costs down. She found us a talented new photographer and we were beyond happy with the results. My husband doesn't usually like having his photo taken but I think he enjoyed our time with the photographer more than me :-) Elope Mendocino's rate was very reasonable especially considering how much time & effort Vanna spent with us, not just on the wedding day but before and after as well. She did everything she said she was going to do. Actually she did a number of extra things for us as well that were not in our package. What I will treasure the most are the vows she wrote us. Truly amazing! Every time I think about them - and how I felt when we were saying them to each other - it makes me well up a little. A very precious gift indeed. P.s. I love being married!! read more

I found Elope Mendocino searching in the web... I was looking for a package that included from the flowers to the photographer but with Vanna's help it was way more than that ... When we arrived to Westport it was the most beautiful place ever... Although it was foggy the weather was beautiful. Thanks to Vanna we stayed at the Westport hotel, a very peaceful, beautiful,attentive hotel and did I mentioned the food it was so fresh and delicious... All the stuff was wonderful. On our arrival they had a beautiful flower arrangement in our room along with a bottle of champagne and fresh fruit platter. The day of the wedding 30 min. Before the ceremony the sun came out and it was absolutely gorgeous. Vanna was there right on time ready to greet me she was just as sweet as she was all along through the phone planning every detail... Vanna picked this gorgeous spot and recommended an awesome and funny photographer ... Every vendor she recommends is just wonderful... Vanna helped us make our wedding day the most beautiful, stress free and unforgettable day of our lives... read more

Elope Mendocino - Wedding Planning Near Me

Vanna truly helps to transform your dreams into reality! She is such an amazing woman and I feel so honored to have had her marry my husband and I! From the moment my husband and I started wedding planning, we weren't sure what to do but we knew that we wanted an intimate wedding in a beautiful outdoor setting. Through some internet research we found Vanna and gave her a call. Once we spoke to her, we knew it was the best choice to get married by Vanna in Mendocino! Vanna is kind, caring, compassionate, reassuring (because I literally planned everything via internet, phone calls and e-mailing photos ...and that can be a bit concerning!). You can absolutely hear and feel passion and love for what she does just by talking with her. During the planning process, she is very responsive, always making sure that all small details are taken care of. She is clear in her communications and you feel all her love and sweetness in every correspondence with her! Vanna coordinates everything! From the cake, to the flowers and provides suggestions for dining, lodging and hair/makeup, etc. She has her preferred vendors, and let me tell you, they truly will transform your vision into reality just as Vanna told me! We used Lucille Lawrence (http://www.lucillelawrencephotography.com/) for our beautiful photography, LR Farms (Rosa - http://www.lrfarm.com/) for the gorgeous flowers and Mendocakes (Sharon - http://mendocakes.com/) for our delicious and beautiful cake. Amazing, glamorous hair and makeup was provided by Marianella Brey (http://www.msalonmendo.com/). We had a once in a lifetime, delicious, amazing dinner at MacCallum House also (http://www.maccallumhouse.com/). We stayed at and were married at the Agate Cove Inn - A beautiful, lovely, quaint bed and breakfast (http://www.agatecove.com/). Each person (vendor - although they don't feel like a vendor at all because of the first class, one-on-one treatment I received) was so kind, responsive, so sweet and helpful. Once my group arrived in Mendocino and met each person, I felt like I already knew them and everything was so stress-free! I wish I could re-live this weekend over and over. Vanna is a blessing! I couldn't ask for a more amazing intimate destination wedding weekend. If I could give Vanna 1 million stars, I would. That's how amazing everything was. Thank you so much Vanna! We love you! read more

If I could give extra stars to this review I would. Vanna of Elope Mendocino did a phenomenal job on our wedding. She was so kind and helpful every step of the way - even when we had to overnight our rings to her home at the last minute. Every aspect of the weekend exceeded our expectations. The flowers were breathtaking, cake delicious, hotel amazing and we loved our photographer! We were married on a presidio overlooking the ocean at sunset. If you are looking for a beautiful simple elopement in one of the most gorgeous places on earth, I would highly recommend. And if you do have any doubts reach out to Vanna! She is readily available and easy to talk to. I know she works very hard to make sure you are happy and have the wedding of your dreams. read more

I can't say enough how wonderful Vanna is! She absolutely goes above, and way beyond to deliver an incredible wedding day! Every communication was a joy, and you could really tell she cares so much, not just about the wedding, but about you as an individual. She's very understanding, and flexible when needed, she's very much willing to work with you to create the best possible wedding day. Her vendors are wonderful to choose from, they're all so lovely! Everyone really gives you a wonderful experience. Eloping with Vanna is a true blessing, and you're sure to have a beautiful eloping, at a very reasonable rate! Vanna is just a kind soul, who truly wants to deliver an exceptional wedding :) read more

Finding and working with Vanna to plan our elopement was a real blessing. After deciding against the stresses of planning a big wedding we decided to just make things all about us and run off to somewhere we love to get married. Vanna made everything very stress free. She touched bases with us on everything along the way, offered suggestions on where to stay, etc. The custom vows she wrote us are beautiful and needed no editing whatsoever. The agate cove inn, which she recommended, was over the top awesome. The vendors she coordinated with for our cake and flowers delivered stunning results. The photographer she chose for us was very pleasant to work with on our special day. And speaking of that special day - everything went down without a single hitch. Everything was wonderful and working with Vanna helped us have a joyous and memorable special day. read more

We chose to elope in Mendocino in October and it was the best decision we could have made! Vanna took care of absolutely everything. We live about 8 hours away and all the arrangements were made with a few phone calls and e-mails. The entire experience could not have been more stress free or easy going. The ceremony was perfect and Vanna did a beautiful job incorporating our kids into the ceremony and making it feel like a true joining of two families, not just two people. The cake, flowers, and photography were amazing and the Agate Cove Inn was beyond lovely; all the elements were pulled together so well. Marianella at M Salon was also recommended by Vanna and did a fantastic job on my hair and makeup. Anyone who chooses to get married in Mendocino, or renew their vows, would do well to have Vanna at the helm of their ceremony. read more

If you are even looking into an elopement or small wedding in Mendocino, I highly recommend! We could not have asked for a more beautiful, easy and romantic wedding! Vanna is absolutely wonderful. From the custom vows(so us!), the flowers(Wow!), the cake(exactly what we asked for, delicious), and the pictures by Tammie Gilchrist(perfect!), Vanna had it down. She made the whole process super easy. Even taking the time to call/email me immediately when there was a small snag in our conversation with the bakery. She wanted me to not worry about a thing, it showed, and I didn't. So happy I trusted Vanna to handle our special day! I should say with the low cost, I was a bit concerned about quality... well her vendors and her are so professional and eloquent, down to the details classy. We both keep reliving it again and again in our beautiful photos. Thank you Elope Mendocino! Vanna you are so Awesome! read more

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Oh my gosh!!!!!! It was perfect. I wanted a wedding on the beach, my fiancé wanted it on the Mendocino coast. We both wanted it small and intimate. We got everything we wanted and more. Vanna made it so stress free for me. I was always able to get a hold of her by phone and/or email. Vanna handled it all. From the writing of the vows (you can write your own, or give Vanna your ideas, tell her about yourself n partner and let her write for you. I had Vanna write ours and I was in tears, good tears) to the photographer, to the flowers. I work a lot of hours and didn't have a lot of time to plan, but I still wanted it to be special and beautiful. It was that and more. Thank u Vanna, you are awesome. Also a big thank u to Rosa at LRFarms for my flowers, and Chelsie for the photos. Breathtaking. read more

My husband and I chose Elope Mendocino for our wedding day, and it was the best decision we could have made! From our very first phone call with Vanna we could tell that she genuinely cares about each elopement she puts together. She kept everything simple through the planning stages, for which we were very thankful. On the day of our elopement, everything was perfect. All the elegant details of the day made us feel so special, even though it was just the two of us. The hotel Vanna suggested was perfect, the flowers she arranged were lush and incredible, the cake was beautiful and delicious, our personal vows were touching, and the photographer was so kind and talented. We cannot say enough good things about how everything came together. If you are looking for a stress-free, elegant, personal wedding, we highly, wholeheartedly recommend Vanna and Elope Mendocino! read more

Vanna is quick to respond, full of inspirational ideas, extremely supportive and charismatic. I loved all of her tips, suggestions and support! Super recommend her! read more

So I learned a very important lesson with my initial review for Elope Mendocino - I learned that one should never write a Yelp review until 'the dishes are done'. I found Vanna's company, Elope Mendocino after searching Google and after a telephone conversation or two and a couple e-mails with Vanna, my husband and I hired Vanna to marry us - an elopement package on the Mendocino coast - sounds dreamy, doesn't it? Once we paid our deposit (half of the cost of the package we chose) Vanna put us in touch with the vendors for our wedding cake and flowers (bouquet & boutonniere). The cake and flowers were perfect. Truly perfect. Coordinating everything via telephone and e-mail with each of the vendors was a breeze - and they both delivered exactly what we discussed. I will write separate reviews for both of those businesses. Vanna was very sweet on the phone and her e-mails promised exactly what I was looking for. What she delivered, was not exactly that. I live in a suburb of Sacramento. Elope Mendocino is based in well, Mendocino, CA, which is nearly 4 hours away. All of the coordinating was done via e-mail and/or telephone. I basically bought something sight unseen, which could have and should have been what was described, and what I paid for. My husband and I both work a ridiculous amount of hours and time off coupled with time off at the same time is not a luxury we often enjoy. Neither my husband or I had been married before and while it may have been naive of me to expect to receive what was promised, I did believe it and I was disappointed when it was not delivered. The day prior to our wedding we drove to the site we were going to get married at - we were staying 45 minutes away and wanted to make sure we knew exactly where we were going and wanted to ensure we knew how long it would take to get there. The ceremony site was beautiful, breathtaking, stunning, gorgeous. I had been slightly nervous because coastal weather can be unpredictable but when Vanna suggested this site via e-mail she sent a photo of a couple marrying here in foggy weather and despite the fog, their wedding pictures were absolutely phenomenal. With the pictures provided, I 'knew' that regardless of the weather, our wedding would be the fairytale I imagined. The day of the wedding! Its finally here and my husband jokes that the seagull (Steve) he befriended on the beach swept away the fog and clouds - the sun is warm and shining - the weather could not have been more perfect. We arrive at the wedding site about 30 minutes early - to our dismay there was a party going on at the site we were supposed to get married at. Not just a few people hanging out but a fully catered, costumed (Mad Hatter themed!) party. I secretly started panicking. I had no cell phone service on the coast (part of the reason I love the coast - being able to disconnect from everything) so I wasn't able to call Vanna. When she arrived she was rather stoic when we told her there was a party at the site of our wedding. Vanna said the site couldn't be reserved and that there were no guarantees. WHAT?!?! WHY WOULD I EVER PAY ANYONE TO HALF-ASSEDLY COORDINATE SOMETHING?! I MEAN, ISN'T THAT WHAT SHE PROMISED? WHAT I PAID FOR? Well, she acted like it wasn't a big deal. She seemed like she was hurried and didn't really care. She said we could go out a ways and get married there. Well. Hmm. The photographer was there, we only had an hour with him, she was there. I could freak out, but really, what good would that do? So we walked out to the cliffs and were married, we had our time with the photographer, who took pictures at "Plan B" as well as in the town of Mendocino and that was that. I think Vanna has a great business idea but I think she has some homework to do before offering services that don't exactly coincide with the product she delivers. I did a little fact checking and found that one can, absolutely, reserve the agreed upon ceremony site... read more

If I could give Vanna 100 stars I would, this woman made our dream come true and didn't forget any details. Not only did she make it feel like we personally knew each other and care immensely but, she took away any stress planning a destination wedding. She has a great deal of patience and tolerance of my indecisiveness and 1000 detailed questions I had via email and on the telephone. On the wedding day when we met her she didn't disappoint, she is so calming and such a pleasure to be around. She goes above and beyond for everything to work out just perfectly. We can never thank you enough Vanna all we can do is highly suggest you to anybody planning an elopement or small wedding in the Mendocino area. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!! You're an angel read more

My daughter got married this weekend and Vanna did an amazing job. The vows that she customized for them were perfect, her vendors are amazing...the most beautiful bouquet I have ever seen...the cake was delicious and so pretty...the photographer was so professional and took so many pictures. He was great at making everyone comfortable and keeping things moving and capturing all the special moments. You can't go wrong with such an amazing team. read more

We selected Elope Mendocino to assist with our wedding in April after emailing and interviewing Vanna by phone. We decided to get married in the Mendocino area on our 25th anniversary together. Vanna helped us in writing our vows, and put us in touch with the ladies that did our wedding cake and flowers. On our wedding day she arrived with the photographer, the wedding cake and flowers. We got married at sunset at the house we rented on a cliff over the Pacific Ocean. Everything was done elegantly, and nothing could have been better. It was a pleasure working with her and the folks she selected to assist with the other details. read more