I am a wedding planner in Santa Barbara and have worked with Top Shelf before and been pleased and impressed. But with the long break in our work due to Covid, I got a great refresher in just how awesome they are yesterday. I can't say enough about how amazing the bartenders and staffers that worked my Carpinteria event were! Incredibly hard workers, flexible, pleasant, going out of their way, you name it, they did it. Thanks to Jude who runs the show for tying it all together. Best- Toby the SB Wedding Coordinator read more

Fantastic experience!!! Jude was amazing to work with. His staff was friendly, professional, communicative, looked ahead to see what needed to be done, all around a great group to work alongside. I highly recommend Top Shelf Services! read more

If you want your event to run with military-precision smoothness, Top Shelf will come through to ensure a worry-free and enjoyable event! There are no amount of recommendations that would be sufficient for the amount of stress that Jude and his crew alleviate. They've seen and done it all. We definitely leaned on their expertise to get us through the planning and event. We hired them for our day-of wedding coordination as well as rehearsal the day prior to make sure details were buttoned up. From coming up with a graceful solution to reuse our ceremony chairs as reception seating to help meet our budget, to making sure no homeless people interrupted the celebration, and even as far as providing props for the photo booth, Jude was there every step of the way to make sure our day was perfect. And it was. Even my type-A wife wasn't allowed to check-in every 15 minutes to make sure we were on schedule! Thank you a MILLION times over, Jude and staff! Please check out the photos of the incredible scene they help set. read more

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Jude is amazing. We hired him to be our wedding coordinator and it was the best decision we could have made. It was like having a second maid of honor. He checked in on me to make sure i was ok, took all of my random phone calls when i wanted to run ideas by him, he got me through those moments of panic, especially the night before. My dress has a train and i didn't realize it till very late that i didn't have anyone to help me straighten it out after making the turn into the chapel. Jude told me not to worry, that he would be honored to help "fluff my train and keep it beautiful." Then reminded me that he had everything all under control and to get some sleep. Truly like working with my best friend. He made sure we were taken care of, and that all details were executed to perfection. We had a day of the dead themed wedding that included an altar. The altar meant so much to me, i showed him exactly how I wanted it to be prepared and he nailed it. I sneakily went to check on it before the ceremony, since it was right around the corner from our reception, and i expected to maybe have to make an adjustment or two, but nope. He nailed every photo and detail exactly the way I wanted. He also provided our photobooth!! Not only did his team decorate it to our theme so beautifully, but the lovely woman he left in charge of it was so sweet and professional. She was a joy to work with and helped our guests easily navigate through the photobooth and photo guestbook. My husband says that he never felt so supported by someone who wasn't a part of his wedding party, and that meant a lot to him. I would never trust anyone else for any of my event planning needs. Thank you, Jude!! read more

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We hired Top Shelf for our wedding at Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm this last October. The first thing that comes to mind is the energy Jude and his team at Top Shelf brought to our wedding-- they were all super friendly and attentive. We heard a lot of great feedback from our guest about them. Jude, the owner was extremely helpful in the weeks leading up to the event! He very easy to reach and always thorough. It's very clear he knows what he's doing and can definitely be trusted with your wedding. We had a number of different vendors and he did a wonderful job of making the night run smoothly! read more

Top Shelf Event Services - Bartenders Near Me

I was really disappointed with the servers Jude provided for a holiday party, especially given the good review here. It was an open bar, mainly wine and beer, and buffet with food we that provided. Jude provided 2 waitstaff. The bartender had 2 hours to set up the bar area, but was extremely slow and unorganized as the party got under way. The food server was to keep food moving from the kitchen to the buffet and to keep the buffet area clean and organized. This person was a disaster - I couldn't tell if he was high or was having a medical issue, but guests told me he was finishing drinks from the glasses as he was cleaning up. People complained that some of the food in the hot dishes was cold - he had filled the pans with cold water and didn't light the fuel underneath. I ended up filling in as staff at my own party. Unfortunately Jude didn't follow up afterwards to see how they performed and I was too busy to bother calling. I'm posting this late, as I just happened to run across their Yelp listing as I was looking for waitstaff for another event I'm hosting. Jude just sent you an email with details from the event. read more

Jude and his crew were incredible. In the months leading up to the wedding, Jude answered all of our questions in a timely and kind manner. We had some last minute issues pop up with our venue which he helped us navigate successfully. Throughout the evening Jude and Heather were on top of everything - making sure we ate, bringing us champagne/desserts and managing shuttle buses back to the hotel for guests, etc. Honestly, if anything went wrong, we didn't know! Jude and his team are very experienced, professional and they know everything and everyone in the Santa Barbara wedding scene. Lastly, if the above isn't enough to convince you to go with Top Shelf - they handled everything for us - coordinating, catering, bar service, dining rentals, etc. They are a one stop shop which was especially helpful for us planning our Santa Barbara Wedding from LA. There's enough to plan and worry about - let Jude and his team take care of as much as possible! read more

Jude and his team did an amazing job! Very well organized and took a lot of stress/organization away from myself and my bride. I would highly recommend the Top Shelf Team! read more

Jude and his team provided absolutely amazing service at our wedding of about 130 guests. He came through with less than 6weeks notice after we had to switch caterers.They were all very professional and provided great service to all our guests. All of our guests commented on how great the tacos were. Everything was beautifully presented and provided options for every guest. Jude's team also provided our signature cocktail, blood orange margaritas - that were beautifully presented and delicious. They were a huge hit! I would recommend Top Shelf to anybody planning an event that needs bar tending or complete catering needs. Everything was truly top notch! read more

Jude is so knowledgeable in his industry! He knows all the other vendors in Santa Barbara area, he knows all the venues, and he gives great advice! I highly recommend choosing him in general, but especially if you are having a Santa Barbara wedding because it is ideal to hire a wedding planner who is familiar with your venue. He will know how much space there is for things and he will be realistic with you about what will/will not work. Although he is technically a partial service wedding planner, he will do some full-service things for you because he goes above-and-beyond to make sure his brides are happy. He even fought for a refund for us from a vendor that we ended up needing a refund from. It was great that he had a lot of "pull" with that vendor when they were trying to be difficult. I highly recommend hiring Jude as your wedding planner! read more

Thank goodness for Jude and the Top Shelf team! I was one of those naive brides who thought I could plan a wedding by myself. I don't think it would have gone as well as it did without Top Shelf's help. Some of the things that stood out to me: Jude was incredibly responsive. He either picked up when I called or called me back within minutes. I called him the day before the wedding while I was roaming around Costco trying to remember what I was supposed to buy. He picked up and reminded me exactly what I would need. That brings us to his experience. I would have some idea or question and Jude would be honest and tell me if he's seen it work out or not, then suggest a better way of doing something. He made things simple and streamlined. It's so handy that Top Shelf also provides rentals for plates, utensils, water glasses, etc. The rental packages are affordable, better than I saw elsewhere, and that made for one less vendor to coordinate. Friendly and professional staff. Heather, the event captain, checked in on me and my husband and made sure we had anything we needed - drinks, food, you know, the things you ignore when you're running around talking to people. I never had to go looking for her, she just anticipated what I needed. Two of the staff came up to me before they left to say congratulations and that they enjoyed working our wedding. What manners! I also found a card from the Top Shelf staff as I was opening gifts. They've got service right down to these thoughtful little details, I really feel they went above and beyond. Their website gives you pricing and a heads up that 20% gratuity is automatically added to the bill. This is probably the one time in life that I didn't mind having an automatic tip added. The team absolutely deserved it, and, as it said on the website, it makes everything easier and I didn't have to think about it again. Thank you so much, Top Shelf! I know working with me had its challenges but I had the best time at my wedding because I didn't have to worry about a thing when it came to the bar, service, or clean up. You guys are amazing! read more

Top Shelf was such a big part of helping my wedding of 130+ people in Montecito go so smoothly and successfully. They were so professional, and did such an excellent job helping us be able to enjoy the evening while they took care of everything! Everyone at the wedding loved them, and I cannot thank Top Shelf enough for helping my wedding to be such a fun event!!! I can't imagine what the wedding would have been like without hiring them to help throughout the entire night read more

Top Shelf was outstanding. We used Jude and Top Shelf for our wedding at Chase Palm Park Recreation Center in Santa Barbara and we couldn't be happier. We rented their lighted bar and the bartender they sent along was fantastic. Jude was our "day of" coordinator and he made our special day run so smoothly. We would recommend jude and Top Shelf SB to anyone in the market for a day of planner, bar and bartender. Jude made the usually stressful day stress free and worked his butt off all day. We couldn't have picked a more perfect person to help out. If you are in the market for a day of coordinator, an awesome light up bar or a bartender with flare and personality... HIRE TOP SHELF SB ASAP!!! They are affordable, easy to work with and just the nicest guys. thanks again Jude and the Top Shelf crew. read more

Oh my goodness!!! We have nothing but amazing things to say about Top Shelf & Crew. They provided bartending services at our ranch wedding on 9/28/19 and were professional, easy to work with, personable and always remembered everyone's drinks!! I never had to ask, they had it ready as I was walking to the bar. Now that's service! Our guests were still talking about how amazing the crew was into the following days. We will always use Top Shelf for party's from here on out- THANK YOU TOP SHELF!!! read more

Without a doubt, Jude is the best guy to work with around town. I'm an event producer based in NYC and LA, and never worked in SB before, so I looked to yelp and decided to trust the reviews on here for Top Shelf. BEST DECISION I EVER MADE! Jude was so accommodating and quick with responses from when I got in touch to post-event wrap. His pricing is fabulous. He is very helpful and provided an experience security doorman as well for us for a better price than his competitors in SB. He is also just a great all-around dude who is very easy to talk to, definitely adding to the service aspect of the event. He goes above and beyond. I only wish I could use him in NYC and LA for future events! read more

Top shelf is the best! They helped me coordinate my sister's bridal shower. Jude helped me organize my event, gave me tips, and helped me save money. Also he made the most delish bloody Mary's and mimosas. Top shelf helped make the shower a memorable, stress free day. Thank you! read more

Jude and his staff are top notch! They have an incredible energy about them that is contagious and I love having them on my vendor team. I always refer Top Shelf to my clients for waiters and bartenders. They take care of every detail and truly care! If you want to make sure that all goes smooth with service for your wedding guests then I would hire them for all of your event staffing needs! read more

Hiring Jude and his team for our wedding was literally the best decision EVER. I was doubtful at first - since we were splitting up the food from the service and I wasn't sure if the reception would still flow smoothly and everyone would know where to go. His team was INCREDIBLE - from our servers passing out hot apps, to dishing out wine to individual guests, to our lovely, super friendly bartenders, to Jude making sure the bride/groom were well fed and watered the entire night - couldn't thank him and his team enough. I've really never seen a party run so smoothly as ours and I know it was because of Jude and his incredible team! 100 percent recommended - go with Jude - he'll highly exceed your expectations. Thanks again Jude - loved having you guys handle our wedding!!! I wish we could have it every year :) read more

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Jude and his team did an amazing job with our wedding! He met with me multiple times to work on things while working hard to keep things under our budget. Always in communication and making sure nothing fell through the cracks, The day of, my bride didn't have to worry about a thing. Jude and his team showed up early and got everything taken care of. Then during the reception Jude made sure everything flowed smoothly the entire night. Hiring Top Shelf made planning our wedding easy, anyone who has actually planned a wedding will tell you it's anything but that without great help! read more

Jude and his team, James and Travis were the bartenders at my wedding last month (Sept. 16th) and our experience was exceptional! James and Travis went above and beyond what we could have imagined. My husband and I could not praise Jude, James, and Travis enough for their excellent service. James and Travis arrived on time and set up for our cocktail hour before the ceremony, and when the ceremony was done, the second my husband and I set foot on the floor of the cocktail hour area, Travis was there to ask us what we wanted to drink. My father gave James and Travis a special bottle of tequila he wanted to be served during the reception in honour and memory of my great-uncle, and they served it to our guests, and even thought to set the empty bottle aside. Our guests all had a wonderful time, and it's in large part due to the extraordinary work of James and Travis. They were both incredibly accommodating to us, and our guests the entire night. In addition, they stayed after the party and helped with clean up: picking up all glasses, got them organized, and nicely put away. Wow, what a team of outstanding. In addition to service, the quality of the drinks was exceptional. I and my husband are big fans of margaritas, and they were very well made. Because we had an open bar, our guests enjoyed other cocktails, and I can certainly say, by the looks of our guests having drinks in hand most of the night (when they weren't dancing, of course) the flow of drinks attested to the quality of cocktails being enjoyed Thank you, Jude, James, and Travis -- you are all incredible!!! :) read more

I coordinated with Jude initially to provide bar tenders for a Taco Party in the Funk Zone. I was so impressed with his knowledge and willingness to help in all areas, I also hired him to be the Event Captain for our event. We met at the venue months prior to the event and Jude helped me think through the layout and details. On the day of, Jude and his crew were so friendly, hard working and made the party fun and relaxing for us as host and hostess! Thanks to Jude and the bartenders, everyone at the party had a great time - including us! read more

I am so very grateful for Top Shelf Event Production Company. From the very beginning of our event planning for the wedding I knew we had made the right decision to hire Jude's team. Jude helped walk me through all of my questions and made excellent suggestions. Every time I contacted him he responded back to me very promptly. The team arrived on site on time and ready to work and upon meeting them I could tell they were "Top" of the line with experience and professionalism. Throughout the entire wedding their expertise and compassion carried through. I noticed several moments where the staff went above and beyond for our guests. These special touches were greatly appreciated. Thank you for making our event so special. read more

I wish I could give Jude and his excellent staff 10 stars. These are real pros, our guests were served as if they were at the San Ysidro Ranch. Our event for 50 guests couldn't have been run better. Thanks Top Shelf!! read more

First of all from the first call to our day of, Jude was quick to answer all our questions and make us feel at ease. We got married at the end of August and we were amazed at the great service provided by Jude and his staff. They were on it, attentive and made the reception run smoothly. One of the best investments we made for our wedding. Thank you for making our day that much better!! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!! Totally recommend them for any type of event. read more

As a chef I really depend on my staff. It's always difficult to be in a trying location, off site, working with people you have never met before. I found myself in this situation when meeting Jude and his team a few weeks ago. They saved me! They were professional, hard working, helpful, and Jude is a definite problem solver. I would gladly hire Top Shelf again. Top Shelf is top notch! - Chef, Elaine Dakessian read more

Just finished coordinating a wedding in Santa Barbara where Jude and his Top Shelf staff were hired. Jude was level headed, quick to any call of action, and incredibly resourceful. One of the best investments the bride and groom made in my opinion. There is no doubt in my mind that this wedding went incredibly smooth because of Jude and his team. Great team, Great service, Great job, absolutely Top Shelf! read more

Jude at Top Shelf offered the best rate for a server/kitchen helper for a dinner party we had a vacation rental villa Buellton. He and especially Heather, the server, was a pleasure to deal with and so extremely helpful. She saw the work needed and didn't shy away from scrubbing tables that were outside for a long time, came up with a beautiful table setting that I didn't have to get involved with and cleaned vigorously after the dinner till it was time for her to leave. We missed her the next morning when we had to get the house cleaned out! read more

I worked with Jude and his staff for over 2 years as an Event Producer at Deckers Brands. Whether the guest list was 20 or 800, Top Shelf helped to make sure many of our events went off without any issues from the bar/serving staff and I never had to worry about it during an event. Jude is very friendly, professional and knowledgeable of bar service. I am always comfortable reaching out to him for advice on how to best staff my events. Sometimes (or often if you ask Jude :)) my events changed more than once but Jude always tried his best to accommodate any last minute requests I had. His staff is always friendly and willing to help during an event, whether it is their job or not. I couldn't recommend Top Shelf more! read more

We hired Top Shelf for our wedding this last May and all of our guests raved about the superb service. All of the servers and bartenders were attentive, friendly, and went out of their way to make our guests feel special. They paid attention to every detail even moving our umbrella at our table as the sun moved and making sure that the cake was in the shade as well. This really was one of the best decisions we could have made for our wedding. read more

Best ever!!! Hired Top Shelf to staff my husbands 70th birthday party so I could also enjoy our friends and family. It was crazy when Jude and his staff walked in and totally took over my kitchen. They cooked all the food, served it and cleaned up - I didn't have to do a thing. It was the best decision I have ever made. Wouldn't hesitate to call on them again...Thank you!!! read more

As a Caterer, I work with many other vendors on a daily basis. Most of the time they are about average to say the least. Either because they lack in commitment, talent, intelligence, enthusiasm, or overall presentation and product knowledge. Not Jude and his team. It was a true pleasure to finally work with someone professional, driven, attentive, team-spirited and knowledgeable about food as well, even though that is not necessarily his primary business focus of course. I am excited for my next event and teaming up with Top-Shelf if they are available. read more

As the owner of an event space in Santa Barbara, I have had the pleasure of working with Jude and his team on many occasions and they have always exceeded my expectations! I've always said the true test of a person is how they act when they think no ones watching and I've seen Jude go above and beyond for clients, just to help make it a great event. They have always been efficient and professional and I would recommend them to anyone hosting an event! read more

Hiring Jude and Top Shelf was one of the best decisions we could have made for our wedding! We extensively researched all of our vendors for our wedding and we kept hearing the name "Top Shelf" being thrown around. There is a reason why Jude and his team come HIGHLY recommended from all those who work in the wedding industry in Santa Barbara - they are top notch and the best in their industry! Jude and his team completely exceeded our expectations. All of our guests complimented us on how amazing the bartenders were. Additionally, Jude and his team made sure everything ran smooth on our wedding. I saw him truly going above and beyond during our wedding and making sure everything was out for our guests - including cookies for dessert and setting an amazing rustic bar. There's really no words to describe how happy we were with Jude and Top Shelf. As me and my husband were opening presents, we even found a hand written note congratulating us from his entire team - we were so touched and grateful for Top Shelf to be apart of our big day. I recommend Top Shelf without a doubt or hesitation! So grateful we followed everyone's advice and picked Top Shelf. Thank you Jude and Top Shelf for helping us to execute the wedding of our dreams! It was beyond perfect - if there's even a word for that. :) - Kimberly & Brandon 07.28.18 read more

Incredible service! We used them for our wedding bar service and can't speak highly enough about Jude and his staff. Real professionals and would highly recommend them! read more

Top Shelf bartended for my recent wedding, and they did an amazing job! I would absolutely recommend hiring them for your upcoming event. Jude was extremely responsive (even when on vacation in Jamaica), and made preparing for the event so easy. We had 200 guests, and everything went seamlessly. There was never a line for a drink, and they also made sure my husband and I had a special stash of champagne throughout the night, and for that we are extremely grateful! I will definitely hire Jude and his team the next time I host an event in Santa Barbara! read more

Jude and his team were amazing in helping to plan and run our wedding. I was confident that my bride and I could leave all the stress to him and just enjoy our day -- which we did! I highly recommend them. read more

Jude and team were fantastic before, during and after! We needed a bartender for our holiday party and I found Top Shelf to be responsive and able to adjust to my specific needs. Due to the Santa Barbara fires Jude called to check to make sure the event was still happening. We did our party and John was our bartender - John was fantastic. He was very attentive to our guests and he knew how to make every drink requested of him. Our friends can drink and they had John busy! He kept up and was so kind, polite, fun and fit right in with our guests. I hope we get John at our next event! Thank you Jude & John for making our party so fun! read more

Jude is the best! Reliable, flexible, professional and responsible. Highly recommend Top Shelf for event staffing.

Best decision I've ever made was to hire Top Shelf to service my wedding. They handled the catering, DJ, bartending, serving, day of coordinating and provided tables, chairs and linens! They were extremely affordable and the wedding was absolutely perfect. It was more than I ever expected. Jude and his team were very helpful and went above and beyond. 10/10 hands down. You will not regret hiring them. read more

My best friend got married at Chase Park in Santa Barbara yesterday. She had asked me and another family friend to help set everything up. She had also hired Top Shelf to assist and work the event. They were so on point, helpful, quick to act and ready to do anything that was needed. At one point we had something that broke, the jockey box, to be able to serve the beer. They immediately left and brought a personal one back to help us out. They were completely on top of service and anticipating the needs of all the guests. Later in the evening the sun was shining so bright and it was really hot for our table, without having to ask, they pulled an umbrella from a table that didn't need it anymore and brought it up to us. I can't say enough good things about them. They really helped make the event successful and for that I'm so appreciative. read more