I would give 10 Stars if possible! The best decision we made in the entire wedding planning process was having EverAfter Events on our side! When I was searching for a wedding planner, Merilee was the only one I reached out to who actually scheduled an initial in-person meeting rather than a phone call. From our first meeting, I could tell she was the one! We began working together right away (about a year out from the wedding). I really appreciated having her guidance throughout the entire process, rather than just the last 2-3 months like most other planners offer. I wanted to be involved in the planning process as much as possible. I greatly appreciated being able to choose the vendors and create the feel I wanted. Merilee gave great suggestions, recommendations, and feedback on all decisions. Once I made the decisions, that's when Merilee took over: she kept track of the vendor contracts, reminded me when payments were due, and communicated with the vendors throughout the process to ensure everything was prepared and they arrived at the right place and time. Merilee is so organized and detail oriented, which I love. She is very accessible and always responded to emails and texts right away. She also gave us access to an online site to keep track of ideas, guest list, timeline, and budget which was super helpful. The wedding itself went so perfectly! Not a single thing went differently than planned. All of our friends and family had a great time and could not stop talking about how flawless the day was. The day of, Merilee brought two assistants to help throughout the day. They were amazing as well! Special shout out to Megan who was my personal assistant throughout the day, and was there to help with anything I needed. Thank you very much Merilee and team. You are truly the best! read more

Riley at EverAfter Events is absolutely amazing. She is fantastic to work with from start to finish. She is super knowledgeable about all aspects of weddings, from budgeting to venues to vendors to details and so many other things. Our wedding was beautiful and she made it all happen. She made it all easy and I never felt overwhelmed in the process. We planned our wedding in under a year and she was with us the whole time. She is communicative over text and email, has a great way of explaining things along the way and has great advice. We had a Jewish wedding and she already knew everything she needed to know (this was something that was a huge priority for me). She clearly has a great rapport with vendors and made sure everything went smoothly. The vendors she recommended were wonderful. We had a beautiful day and now have the most incredible photos and video to remember it all forever. Riley's eye for detail and really capturing what we were going for was outstanding. I didn't have to try to figure out how to make a table look beautiful or how to place florals, she did it all perfectly. Early in the planning process we talked big picture, and she asked me a couple of more detailed questions. When it was clear I wasn't going to be super helpful with the specific details she took over, showed me what she was planning throughout the process, and I never felt overwhelmed. The day of the wedding she had assistants and all kinds of support. I had the opportunity to spend much of the day with Drew, who was incredibly kind and calming. I felt a little chaotic early in the morning (I didn't organize the items needed for flat lay photos very well). She was really calm about the whole thing and we got it all figured out. I can't imagine how the day would have gone without her. 200 more positive things to say about EverAfter Events. Hire them to plan your wedding. It was the best wedding decision we made. read more

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Ever After Events has to be the most amazing wedding planning team I could have ever imagined. We sadly had to let go of our previous planner from another company 60 days before our wedding. I was absolutely freaking out and started interviewing a few other planners to take on my wedding with little time and little planned. The moment I got on the phone with Merilee I knew she was the perfect fit for us. We hired her based on our call because she was honest with us and forward with expectations. Honestly I don't know how she did it but she pulled off planning my wedding in less than 60 days and my wedding looked like it should be on the cover of a magazine it was so gorgeous. She made my vision come to life and always did what was in our best interest. We literally felt like a priority (which we know she has many clients but she never once made us feel like she was too busy for us). Merilee and her team absolutely exceeded our expectations. She was extremely responsive, detailed, & communication was always clear. Her and her team made my dream wedding come true. The day of our wedding, she brought a team of people to literally treat us like royalty serving us drinks, food, & telling us where we needed to be next. Not once did I have to feel like I needed to ask for anything and this ultimately made it so that I could sit back and live in the moment. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! p.s. Not only did my husband and I get treated like royalty and served all night but they also served both our parents. Now our entire family is obsessed with Merilee and Ever After Events because they made it so we could have the most amazing experience of our lives. read more

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WOW!!! is all I can say about the amazing experience that I had with Alesha Ballon! She is a brilliant wedding planner and truly helped me complete the image that I had for my wedding. She refers fantastic vendors, is very responsive, and has a true passion for the work that she is doing. Somehow Alesha had managed to make my special day her number one priority and be completely calm and perfect even though she was getting on a plane for Europe early the next morning - she is that good. I would recommend her services to anyone looking to have a beautiful wedding that they want to remember for the rest of their life! She treats you like you are her only client and sincerely knows how to put on an incredible event! Thank you Alesha!!! read more

EverAfter Events - Ceremony - still can't believe how beautiful it turned out! - Wedding Planning Near Me

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Ever After Events was an amazing company to work with! Everything was well thought out and easy to work with the team. Such a great company! Julep read more

Wow! I cannot say enough about Merilee and EverAfter Events. The 3 things that will stand out for me: 1. The Wedding was absolutely perfect. My wife and I could not have imagined anything better and every one of our guests commented that it was one of the most amazing weddings they had ever attended. 2. Michelle was honestly sad after the wedding because she wasn't going to be spending any more time with Merilee. She is already planning to call Merilee to help organize kids birthdays and other events. 3. I was skeptical and annoyed about spending money on a coordinator at the beginning of the process. I felt like the whole wedding industry is a sham to fleece engaged couples for money and charge 10x market value for everything. Well, after the fact I can honestly say that hiring Merilee was the best decision we made and EverAfter Events was worth every single penny. Merilee is extremely detail oriented. She will walk you through every step of the process, so the engagement and wedding planning can be a fun adventure (instead of a stressful mess). She will connect you with unbelievable vendors who really go the extra mile to make sure your special day is perfect. For example our Stationer, Carol, who Merilee recommended, was amazing. At one point we made a comment that we didn't care about the stamps on our invitation envelopes or hand canceling the letters, but Carol did. She made sure the envelopes were perfect. I can tell you that when those envelopes started arriving at my wife's friends and family members, my wife was really glad that Carol paid attention to those extra details we were ignoring. Carol even re-printed all of our invitations when she found a minor typo that we had missed when we reviewed the proof and that we told her we didn't care about. She insisted on re-printing everything for free. Amazing! During the planning process, when we were interviewing vendors, we shared horror stories about mistakes we'd witnessed at other weddings with other vendors. Every single time the vendors replied, "Oh my God, Merilee would never let that happen." That impressed me. The easy, stock reply would be something like, "I would never do that." But every time they said Merilee would not let that happen at her weddings. Also, guys, do you really want to talk about brides maids dresses, flower girl dresses, or flower arrangements with your fiance? Do you care? Well, she needs someone to talk to about that stuff. She needs someone who cares about that stuff. Merilee does. She'll save you 100 or more conversations that would otherwise bore you to tears and drive you nuts! The day of the wedding Merilee had a schedule for every single minute. It was comical to me and the guys, but my wife loved it. It made her so relaxed and enabled her to really enjoy the day. Maybe that's the ultimate take away. There are so many stories about stressful wedding planning and stressful wedding days. There are so many stories about bridezillas. I can definitely see how the whole process and the big day could easily overwhelm people and spiral out of control. We must have been told 100 times to enjoy the engagement and enjoy the wedding day (OK 1000 times). Well, with Merilee we were honestly able to enjoy the planning process, we were able to enjoy every minute of a magical wedding weekend. Another thing people told us was something will go wrong, just don't worry about it and roll with it. Well, nothing went wrong. Everything was absolutely perfect. Thanks Merilee!!! read more

EverAfter Events and Alesha were amazing!! I could not imagine having planned a wedding without having Alesha by our side! Our wedding day went perfectly and I cannot think of one detail that was missed because of her great follow up and guidance through the process. Being newer to San Diego, it was such a relief having an experienced and professional planner who gave great advice and kept you on a timeline, that resulted in minimal stress leading up to the wedding. She recommended fantastic vendors with whom she had great relationships with, which made it easy. She was such a blessing and I wouldn't change a thing! You'll be so happy with EverAfter and their team! read more

I've known Merilee Hennings for almost 5yrs now and am so thankful for all the incredible business opportunities that have developed since I took her Wedding Planning Course. The entire team at Ever After Events puts on such a personal and professional course; I left there feeling totally confident in my abilities and how to move forward in the industry. They take the time to cover every single aspect of the business, pushing you to find your passion and educating you on all the fine details that can be easily missed. I was honored to be a part of the second course, shadowing Merilee on 2 of her incredible weddings. To be able to then be a part of the physical event was the best part! Taking everything we has just learned in the course and seeing it come to life, applying all the information and seeing an event form start to finish was one of the most educational parts of the experience. Ever After Events produces only the most elegant and high-class events, and to be a part of that was an eye opening experience to show me where I want to work towards in life. 5 years later, thanks to the Wedding Planning Course from Ever After Events, I have now started my own successful company in the wedding industry. And the best part? I still keep in touch with Merilee because of the personal relationship we made during the course. I feel so lucky to have her as a resource and mentor to go to if I ever have questions along the way! read more

Alesha Ballon is the best wedding planner ever! Because of Alesha, I tell all my friends who are getting married that an awesome wedding planner is a must. My husband and I live in LA and we originally signed up for a "day of" planner because we had all our vendors and venues set. Little did I know, my husband who told me I could have whatever I want ended up turning into groomzilla. We ended up hiring Alesha as a consultant and she was AMAZING! Hiring Alesha eased my husband's mind and made wedding planning so much easier. There were so many details outside of hiring the vendors and venues I did not know about that I was happy to have Alesha point this out to me so I would be prepared for whatever the wedding day brings. My wedding was such a great event where everyone was able to enjoy themselves. Some of my family still talk about our wedding and remember it as if it was yesterday. I see weddings as a big celebration and no guest should be in charge of anything. Everyone should be able to party and drink the night away...as every single one of my guests did! I love Ever After Events for giving me Alesha and wished I hired her as soon as I got engaged! I felt Alesha was the most professional wedding planner who was laid back, yet very attentive to details. I wouldn't have changed anything about my wedding day. read more

I could not have chosen a better wedding planner for our La Jolla wedding! I planned my entire wedding from Colorado, so it was very important for me to find someone who could handle the long distance aspect. From the start, Merilee was on her game to support me. She was wonderfully organized, professional, and was hands on in every aspect from start to finish. She attended every meeting I had when I was in town and had great instinct in understanding my vision and conveying that when I wasn't available. She has great contacts for people to work with-- from flowers to invitations to table rentals-- everyone Merilee works with is as reliable as she is! She also provided us with many resources to help us stay organized-- the Aisleplanner website is a wonderful tool for keeping track of guests and timelines leading up to the event, as well as the day of itinerary she provided me with. Anytime I had a question, it was answered and resolved as promptly as humanly possible. The day of support was also outstanding. I didn't have to worry about a thing. Merilee was there all night-- to refill my wine glass, make sure I had someone to help me bustle my dress, and support with any last minute problems that came up (although I really don't think any did, she's that good). We had the most wonderful wedding, and I know that truly would not have been the case without the help of Merilee and her amazing team! Could not recommend them any more!! read more

We were referred to Merilee by a friend who had her for her wedding and having Merilee and EverAfter Events coordinate and plan our wedding was the best decision we could have ever made. Our wedding day was more amazing than we could have imagined and it was because of Merilee and her team. Everything was flawless and our day was completely stress free. If there were any hiccups along the way, we didn't know about them, nor did any of our guests. The day before our wedding we realized that we never got easels to display our seating plans. Without hesitation, Merilee told us not to worry about it and she took care of getting the easels, as well as all the other last minute items we inevitably forgot. Also, Merilee was extremely responsive to all the emails I sent and had a suggestion or solution to every problem or concern I had. Wedding planning can be very stressful and overwhelming, however I never felt stressed or overwhelmed once Merilee came on to start coordinating because she was always there to support whatever I needed. I would highly recommend Merilee and EverAfter Events for whatever function you are planning. read more

I knew long before my husband proposed that I had to have Bree as my wedding planner! Luckily for me she was available on our date! Bree is amazing and so naturally gifted at all she does! Bree met with us on several occasions to make our dream wedding come true (which was no small task)! Bree transformed my parents backyard into a beautiful wedding reception! She was amazing at laying out how our backyard would work and where everything would go. It was perfect, normally venues that aren't made for wedding are confined and there's not enough room for everyone, but Bree made it great! She had so many great vendor recommendations, who we used! She truly has an eye for detail and helped with all the areas I had never even considered! There were certain items (pictures/signs) that I wanted incorporated at our wedding and she used them perfectly! Bree truly listened to what we wanted at our wedding and she was so very patient with me! From counting out the seconds of when I wanted to start walking down the isle to how I wanted my wedding to flow and be relaxed! I was very picky on how I wanted the bride and groom table to be and how the guest tables should look. I remember walking into the reception and being blown away, it was more than I could have ever imagined! The entire morning and day of my wedding I was more relaxed than I ever thought I would be! I was not stressed or worried about anything and that's all because I had Bree! I loved my wedding and enjoyed every minute of it! We have had several friends say this was their favorite wedding and one they had the best time at and that's all thanks to Bree! I have and will continue to HIGHLY recommend BREE! read more

Merilee Hennings is amazing. Her staff is amazing. I want to plan and have another wedding just so I can do this again with Merilee. She was a breath of fresh air every time we met with her or I spoke with her on the phone. She is so calm and kind and yet gets everything done that needs to be done, plus some. She was a joy to work with. My husband, who is not easily impressed, was VERY impressed. Our wedding could not have been any better and I owe it to Merilee and the wonderful vendors she helped me pick out. My husband and I got engaged Sept. 4, 2014 and I was on the phone with Merilee on Sept. 5, 2014 at 4:30 on Friday afternoon/evening. We went over so many details and planned the wedding for the upcoming November 28. Less than 3 months makes it somewhat difficult to do exactly what one may want for their wedding. Because of Merilee, that was never even a problem. We had the best photographers, the most wonderful florist and our venue was breathtaking. Our cake was outstanding and our DJ was so much fun. We are so grateful to Merilee and her staff as our wedding will be one day we will look back on with fabulous memories. It was stress-free, fairytale-like and one of the best days we have ever had. read more

Carlos and I got married in La Jolla, CA on September 30, 2017. Our wedding weekend was PERFECT thanks to Alesha at EverAfter. Alesha coordinated every single planning item and all of our vendors so that the most beautiful weekend could be pulled off without even one minute of stress for me or my family. During the planning process, Alesha was always available and helpful to assist us with our "vision", suggesting the right vendors, considering costs, and working with vendors for us too. There wasn't a single detail that Alesha didn't have in mind or help to arrange before the big weekend. My vision was somewhat larger than life, including a big welcome party for out of town guests and an outdoor reception (dinner & dancing), but I think Alesha could probably plan the super bowl, so it was easy peasy for her. read more

Merilee at Everafter Events was a wonderful coordinator! She is very organized, detailed, and has great experience for wedding planning. Merilee is professional and was incredibly helpful throughout my wedding planning process. She answered emails thoroughly and very timely (even while she was on vacation!). She was always happy to answer questions and remind me of important details such as payments to vendors and key moments throughout the wedding day. Merilee was incredibly patient and I appreciated how she took over communication with my vendors and hotel in La Jolla. She gave me her honest opinion when I had questions and gave helpful suggestions when requested. My wedding day was perfect and I could not have asked for a better experience than with Everafter Events!! read more

I can't say enough good things about Merilee Hennings and EverAfter Events. To echo the sentiments of others: Merilee truly is well-organized, responsive and detail oriented. Thanks to Merilee, our wedding far exceeded our expectations. The entire day went so smoothly, and I didn't have to worry about a thing. The reception space was incredible - more beautiful than I could have imagined. Merilee's suggestions regarding decor and details were spot-on, and each of the vendors she recommended was wonderful. Her assistant Alesha was also invaluable. Anything I needed that day, she was right there. We received so many compliments from friends and family, a true testament to Merilee and her team's work. I would absolutely recommend EverAfter Events to anyone. read more

My husband and I hired Merilee for our wedding in June and she was INCREDIBLE. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Merilee and her team at EverAfter Events. My husband and I hired Merilee as a partial planner to start two months prior to our wedding date but she was available and extremely responsive by phone or email in case we had any questions during the whole process. Once she started two months before the wedding, she was on top of every detail and handled all of the logistics, so much so that we barely needed to speak to our vendors and could just focus on what we needed to do. On the weekend of the wedding, she was extremely professional, detailed, thorough and reliable, and even helped get my rowdy wedding party in line during the rehearsal and before the ceremony. During the day of the wedding during setup and the ceremony and reception, her and her team had every step covered and my husband and I simply just enjoyed our day. It would not have been the same without Merilee and EverAfter Events - thank you! read more

WOW, WOW, WOW! Alesha Ballon is absolutely the BEST planner! Being a long distance bride from South Florida, I knew how important it would be to select the perfect planner for our wedding at Estancia in La Jolla, California on 3/26/16. Alesha was so sweet, thoughtful, and always went the extra mile to ensure we were happy in every phase of the planning/ wedding. She is very experienced in the profession and wow does it show. I really appreciate that Alesha is always "Team Bride & Groom" as she looks out for your best interests and over the years has built wonderful relationships with many of the vendors in the SD/La Jolla area. Our wedding was absolutely flawless...my husband and I believe Alesha deserves all the credit! Our family and friends even fell in love with her as she found little moments throughout the reception to ensure everyone in our party was happy and comfortable. When it's all said and done...and the dress goes back on the hanger....it's a great feeling knowing that not only do we have wonderful wedding memories to look back on, but I also walked away with a lifelong friend. Words cannot express how grateful we feel for Alesha. Thank you EverAfter Events! My husband said it was such a great experience, he wants us to renew our vows in 5 years ha!...Alesha I will be booking you in advance! I know how important it is to feel confident in your vendor selections. I was beyond pleased with all of the following and would highly recommend them to anyone looking to get married in the SD/ La Jolla area: EverAfter Events- ALESHA BALLON Estancia Resort & Spa- Brenna M. (Amazing venue!) True Photography- Dustin H.& Alaxandra R. Reverend Powers Organic Elements- Sharon Quixotic-Scott & Jenny Vario Productions- Effren Sweet Cheeks Bakery- Lauren Farm Tables & More- Natasha ChiavariChairRentals- Karen Hope this helps! They were all amazing to work with! read more

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You worry on your wedding day that something will fall through the cracks or not everything will work perfectly. None of that was an issue for us on the big day. And it was all thanks to Merilee, Lauren and EAE. THE BEST. Can't recommend more highly. Responsive. Know all the vendors. On top of everything. Book them now. read more

Merilee Hennings and her staff were simply AMAZING with helping my husband and I plan for, and put on our daughter's wedding. Merilee was extremely helpful in guiding us to the right vendors and she handled all the coordination between them so that everyone was on the same page and knew what was expected of them. Her very detailed timeline on the wedding weekend that was handed out to the whole bridal party was so appreciated by everyone. Her assistants were indispensable on the wedding day with helping the wedding party get ready, guiding them along, and doing whatever needed to be done, including fixing a wardrobe malfunction. Merilee, herself, was always there for us during the planning year, putting up with my 1000 questions and anxieties. She always returned phone calls, emails, etc the same day, if possible. As the reader can tell, we highly recommend Merilee Hennings and EverAfter Events for your special occasion. read more

After choosing my venue and looking at photos of other weddings that had taken place there, I began to see the name "EverAfter Events" quite a bit. I asked my venue about the company, and I was told how wonderful Merilee and her staff were, as well as that they do many weddings at the venue. How perfect, because then they already know the staff of the venue, the layout, and what does and doesn't work. We met with Merilee and Bree as soon as we could, and they were so wonderful. I opted to have Bree start helping 2 months prior to the wedding for peace of mind, as well as paying a little extra to be able to ask questions before then. We were also given access to the Aisle Planner website, which I cannot even imagine living without now. I was able to track guests, RSVPs, contracts, gifts, etc all in one place without a million spreadsheets! When the wedding began approaching quickly, Bree was there every step. She even attended my final meeting with the florist to be sure everything made sense. Bree is organized and precise. She ran our rehearsal, and made the most beautifully organized day-of schedule I have ever seen. I never would have been able to do that on my own. Everything ran smoothly and on schedule, if not AHEAD. Bree is kind, bubbly, optimistic, and wonderful to work with. I am so sad that our time together is over! WE LOVE EVERAFTER EVENTS! read more

EverAfter Events - Wedding Planning Near Me

My family and I worked with Alesha as our wedding coordinator, and we could not have been happier. My mother was originally nervous about using a wedding coordinator (the wedding was at her house/backyard), but Alehsa's professionalism and warmth soon made my mom feel very comfortable. All Alesha's help, ideas, organization, and knowledge prior to the day of the wedding was great, but where she really shined was on the day of the wedding. No one expected it to rain in August, but that is exactly what happened. Alesha quickly helped create a plan b to deal with the rain and was instrumental in calming down my entire family and making the whole day work. Our wedding ended up being absolutely magical. Alesha was calm in the eye of the storm and because of that I would recommend her wholeheartedly. read more

We used Alehsa Ballon as our wedding planner and she was AMAZING! I could not have asked for a better wedding planner. Alesha was very calm during the whole planning process, which allowed me to feel no stress at all. Alesha provided us with many vendor options and was great with communicating with all the vendors for us. She also used the aisle planner website, which helped both my husband and I with our budget, as well as a month by month timeline. On the actual wedding day at the Estancia La Jolla, Alesha and her assistants took care of everything! Everything went perfect and we could not have asked for a more perfect day. If anything did go wrong, her team took care of it and we never knew! Thank you again to Alesha and her team! read more

Our wedding was completely seamless and totally perfect -- and so much of that was thanks to all the behind the scenes work from Alesha Ballon and her team at Ever After Events. She is so warm and calming -- which was so helpful throughout the process. Her experience in the industry is priceless. We trusted her vendor recommendations (which is really the best advice I can give future couples, since all of her vendor recommendations were 100% spot-on). This helped make the wedding planning process so much less stressful and overwhelming -- without question, she knows the perfect people. We are so appreciative for everything that she did to make our wedding day the most perfect, stress-free day that we could have ever imagined....she is absolutely amazing! read more

Alesha and her team at EverAfter Events are seriously magical. She has that ability to get a feel for your own personal vision of your big day and actually make it happen...on budget! Her time, resource and calm demeanor made her planning services worth every penny!!! read more

Just SO wonderful!! From the moment I first spoke with Merilee on the phone it was apparent she was not only extremely experienced, but also professional, courteous, and highly organized. Not living in San Diego at the time, I remember hanging up and just had a feeling that working with her just felt right. These qualities continued to shine throughout the entire wedding planning process, and my wedding day was beyond anything I could have imagined because of Merilee and her team at EverAfter Events. During the planning process she offered opinions when asked, kept us on track with our budget offering various vendors that were within our means, and let us stay involved in the planning process right by her side. I wanted to stay as involved in the wedding as possible and she made me feel like part of the "team" letting us lead the way, but keeping us focused using the Aisle Planner site. She kept track of all of the vendors (which is a huge job on its own) and sent the most beautiful and detailed hour by hour timeline for the day of and rehearsal which was perfect to keep everyone on the same page. Any questions or concerns we had throughout the entire process were answered promptly, she was extremely accessible and attentive at all times. There were no such things as "dumb questions" or any requests we had were addressed effortlessly. The day of my wedding was the most calm I had ever been during the whole planning process because I trusted Merilee and her team and knew it was just going to be perfect. There is truly no better feeling than being confident in your vendors and Merilee gave me that exact feeling, just the best! I feel extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to work with her, it is a day I will remember forever thanks to EverAfter Events :) read more

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As a type-A bride, hiring a coordinator made me fear that I would lose all control over my wedding. However, once I started working with ALESHA, I knew that would never happen. Alesha was highly knowledgeable about every step of the process, and always had referrals and recommendations at her fingertips for anything, even random things, on which I sought her assistance and opinion. Alesha always made me make the final decision, but whenever I sought her personal opinion, she always had one =) I value anyone who has an opinion about anything, and I can choose to agree/disagree with them. I think a coordinator's personal opinion is helpful for brides, who are often surrounded by family who all want different things. Alesha very quickly learned my style and taste (mostly over email since I was planning my wedding long distance), understood and adopted my vision, never tried to change it, and always fought for it. My experience with EAE was highly positive and professional. Alesha was an expert, advisor, emotional support, devil's advocate (upon request), confidante, and friend. She was strictly professional and always accommodating when I would drop in to La Jolla for a weekend at the last minute. She is full of energy, passion, and spirit. Alesha is highly detail oriented, organized, motivated, and remembered every word I ever spoke or wrote over email. Alesha also went above and beyond in many things she did for me, every time without hesitation or question. Most importantly, Alesha became a person I could trust. I knew she would seek my final approval on everything, but I also knew and trusted that she knew me well enough to make a decision for me if I asked her to (but she never would... ;)). I woke up at 5am on my wedding day and looked out the window to see gray skies and rain. I began to panic as the venue called to tell me that we would have to think about moving the ceremony and reception indoors. I called Alesha and tears started rolling down my face. She had already talked to all of my vendors and told me not to worry about a thing. I was so stressed and heartbroken that after 8 months of planning every little detail, it was all going to change. My wedding day was definitely different than I had planned and imagined for so long - it was even better. I will never know what Alesha and the EAE team did behind the scenes that day - moving things from outside to inside, upstairs to downstairs, after to before, and making it all seem like that was exactly the way it was supposed to happen - Alesha made my day perfect. read more

Merilee from EverAfter is amazing. She made the entire wedding planning process enjoyable and stress free. She handled every situation with professionalism and confidence (even the sticky ones!). Having Merilee handling things meant that I was relaxed and at ease on my wedding day. The wedding so far exceeded our expectations and it went off without a hitch! I would recommend her to anyone. read more

Thanks to Alesha at EverAfter Events, our wedding was PERFECTION! Her attention to detail, impeccable taste and organization made my life so easy during the wedding planning stages and the day of. If you spend money on anything during your wedding, HIRE ALESHA! She will make certain that every tiny detail is looked at with a microscope! She will refer you to the best vendors in San Diego (this alone, should make you hire her) who are fair and professional and just as organized as she is. I have heard horror stories from people who hired inexperienced wedding planners because they were cheap! Don't waste your time. Hire a Alesha, a seasoned pro who will work to make your special day truly memorable. read more

Merilee, Merilee, Merilee synonymous with Amazing, Incredible and Wow! She is hands down the most incredible planner that I have ever met. Absolutely knowledgeable and detailed to perfection. Early on I had my doubts on needing a planner, but within days of hiring Merilee I realized that there is so much to do to have a successful wedding. She always was accessible, understanding, never conflicting, and so considerate of our feelings and choices. I'm extremely busy at my work making it difficult to find and chose vendors, but Merilee made it flawlessly easy by forwarding me 3 vendors and giving me the option on design and pricing which allowed me to continue my business. Her allowing me to continue my business saved me the time and money to spend more on wedding and ultimately save thousands more by keeping my energy and mind on my work. Thank you Merilee, I wish you all the success for years and years to come. You truly deserve everything good that happens to you and your family. read more

We found Merilee 2 months before our wedding after having a bad experience with another wedding planner. She was so easy to get a hold of and handled everything so professionally! She is so sweet and easy to work with and made the rest of our wedding planning experience so easy and fun. She was really on top of things and made us totally confident that she would make sure everything went perfectly, which it did! Our wedding was beautiful and amazing and we couldn't have done it without her help! I would absolutely recommend her to anyone planning a wedding. read more

We had an absolutely amazing experience working with Alesha and her team! She was so professional and a very calming influence throughout the whole process of planning our wedding and the day of. Everything went smoothly, and just as we had hoped. I'd recommend her to anyone. read more

If i could give Merilee and her team 6 stars, I would do just that! she is absolutely flawless and the perfect wedding planner....she truly is a calm source that is kind, flexible, but always gets the job done. it was such an honor to have her there on our wedding day and i felt so lucky to have such support...everything from the planning before hand to the day itself, she was an absolute pleasure to work with and i can't say enough great things about her. read more

Alesha was very professional, organized, and knowledgable of all the vendors we worked with. Our experience with her was very positive, and We would recommend her for anyone planning a wedding here in San Diego. She's very responsive, and had great tips for us for the day of the wedding. read more

Alesha was an absolutely wonderful wedding planner! She was incredibly organized, personable, had great contacts, and handled everything with professionalism and grace. She was very familiar with our venue (Rancho Valencia), gave us great advice on every question that we had, and handled the wedding day logistics perfectly. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a wedding planner. read more

Merilee and Alesha are awesome! We got married at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe and I am brand new to the area so Alesha not only kept everything on track for the wedding but helped me find some personal contacts as well. She went above and beyond and kept cool under pressure. She has beautiful taste, great relationships with vendors and is exactly who you want in a wedding coordinator. I am a total control freak and knowing she was on top of things allowed me to relax (as much as a bride can) and enjoy the weekend. Five stars! read more

Merilee and her team are fantastic. Detail oriented and professional up to the very end. She has a great team of vendors, all of whom do fantastic work. She is a true team player and will be a great asset for your wedding. read more

As a meeting planner I know all too well what goes into planning an event and running it onsite- hence me knowing that I needed help for my wedding planning and running the show the day-of. Merilee guided us through the last bits of the wedding planning process and I am so grateful she was there to suggest the little details that I would never have thought about on my own, Even more importantly, my family, friends, fiance, and I were able to totally relax and enjoy our wedding weekend with full trust in Merilee to run the show and make everything flawless. Bottom line: I would recommend her as a necessity to any future bride! read more

We had the very good fortune to hire Merilee Hennings, EverAfter Events as our wedding consultant and she handled all aspects of coordinating our wedding in Rancho Santa Fe; as the bride and groom live in Los Angeles and we are located in Minneapolis. Her vendor recommendations were excellent and she put together a fine working team on our behalf. She had excellent communication and business skills and she was tactful, calm, ethical, trustworthy, and professional. She showed great initiative and resourcefulness in handling minutia as well as all the important preparations and she continually provided detailed schedules to guide us and keep us focused. Personally we found Merilee to be positive, sensitive, warm and optimistic; and over the course of the year we worked together she became a friend as well as our consultant. She is a consummate skilled businesswoman who genuinely loves her profession of planning perfect weddings and we highly recommend her. read more

If you are getting married in San Diego, you HAVE to get Merilee from EverAfter Events on your team! She is the perfect mix of professional and personal and she has impeccable taste! My husband and I planned our wedding from New York over the course of a year with only three trips to San Diego and it worked out more spectacular than we ever imagined! Merilee was incredibly organized and responsive (sometimes emailing 20 times a day with me when I had questions). It was so comforting knowing that every time we discussed an idea that she would take care of everything and get back to us quickly with a list of my options and her recommendation. She made the process so easy and fun for us! And we had a lot of vendors... 2 bands, a gospel choir, a photo booth, furniture rentals, linen rentals, a florist, a custom dance floor creation, a lighting specialist, photographers, etc! My family and wedding party were all so amazed at how relaxed we all were on the wedding day because Merilee had all of the vendors working in concert and she took care of everything! The day after the wedding my maid of honor, who is an event planner for a large financial institution, told me that she has never seen an event with so many moving pieces go off so smoothly - a true testament to Merilee! read more