The time leading up to your wedding celebration is exciting — with ideas and options galore. However making all of those choices can also be stressful. It’s a big day (or weekend, as the case may be); it makes sense to have help.
In addition to taking the stress out of the planning process (think: orchestrating timelines and logistics), a wedding planner sees to the overall aesthetic of the celebration ensuring that the wedding reflects you and your beloved’s one-of-a-kind style and personality. But then choosing the right planner for your nuptials is a task in itself.
That’s where we come in. We’ve culled data and done extensive research to bring you the best wedding planners that San Francisco has to offer. Whether you’re imagining a glamorous celebration in one of The Golden City’s luxurious hotels or saying “I do” with the vines and views of the region’s infamous Wine Country, we have the planner for you.
These 34 San Francisco wedding planners will curate a wow-worthy event that you and your guests will always cherish.
In alphabetical order…
Oakland, CA
What to Know: Chanda Daniels, Founder of A Monique Affair, says, “Our planning team’s approach to planning is educational and collaborative. The firm’s signature wedding day aesthetic is defined as colorful, whimsical, relatable elegance with an epic dance party.”
What to See: Daniels shares of this vibrant and fresh summer wedding, “The couple trusted me to design this wedding based on the experience they wanted their guests to have. Having a healthy design budget and trust was key to creating this amazing wedding design!”
Sonoma, CA
What to Know: Located in California’s Wine Country, A Savvy Event is perfectly positioned to create your dream wedding surrounded by views and vines. With 15 years of planning experience, this team boasts deep vendor connections; and their couples love their positive and responsive manner.
What to See: The team shares of this bright garden wedding, “Caitlin and Andrew wanted a black-tie wedding that felt like home. Comfortable, yet elegant. Colorful, yet understated. With Kelly’s help, they created a ceremony and reception that fit perfectly within the beauty of Annadel Estate Winery, almost as if it was meant to be in that space every single day.”
San Francisco, CA
What to Know: Alexis Alexander, Owner and Principal Planner of Alexis Raine Events, says, “Our style of planning is very wholistic; we consider the couple, the surroundings, the creation of the vendor team, and the guest experience all as key elements to the planning process. Spending time getting to know our couples means we learn exquisite little tidbits about them that can be woven into the event in really unique and wonderful ways!”
What to See: Alexander shares of this intimate wedding, “S+D’s wedding was such a collaborative labor of love; taking inspiration from her Grandmother’s vases, our Frances Lane china was an incredible match and drove the style from the beginning. Meredith Law hand-dyed 300 yards of gauze to dress the tables, and we had a butler-served port moment after dinner in a nod to the couple’s holiday traditions.”
San Francisco, CA
What to Know: Alicia Falango, Owner and Lead Producer of Alicia K Designs, says, “Our powerhouse team brings decades of experience in the hospitality industry to the table. Between our in-house staff and network of partners and vendors, we have all the right connections to create an event that’s uniquely you.”
What to See: Falango shares of this tropical glam wedding, “Due to some family health issues that came up during the planning, I really had to take the complete lead and create an event for this couple and family that was a reflection of them, all while they couldn’t participate in the way that they had originally intended.”
San Mateo, California
What to Know: Heather Ferrai, Founder and Creative Director of All Set Events, says, “We are a dynamic team that has been producing events since 2010. It is our unparalleled custom service and thorough approach to planning that guarantees thoughtful and unforgettable experiences. Cultivating relationships with our clients, vendor partners, and members of the community is at the foundation of All Set Events.”
What to See: Ferrai shares this beautiful classic wedding, saying, “Kathryn and Nolan’s wedding truly was the perfect example of an All Set Events’ wedding: timeless design inclusive of high-level touch points that ensure the client’s vision and personality are experienced and felt by all in attendance. Plus, who doesn’t love a pop of pink?”
San Jose, CA
What to Know: Kristen Edmunds, Marketing Manager of Amazáe Events, says, “We have a passion for celebrating love and creating curated event experiences for our clients and their guests. We specialize in full-service wedding planning and enjoy collaborating with our clients to create weddings reflective of their aesthetic, style, and values. It is our goal to create lasting and meaningful relationships with our clients.”
What to See: Edmunds shares of this elegant and sophisticated wedding, “Bria & Ryan were friends for years before they started dating and were eager to celebrate their love! With COVID-19 restrictions in place, we created a seating chart for the ceremony as well as the cocktail hour. We designed an intimate lounge experience in the sun garden where guests were served appetizers and drinks in their assigned areas.”
Napa, CA
What we Love: We love how Anaïs Event Planning & Design adds color, creativity, and customization into every wedding they produce. They integrate personality into their planning, so no wedding is like the other — a completely unique experience time after time.
What to Know: Anaïs Event Planning & Design is a northern-California based boutique, full-service company specializing in upscale, highly personalized event planning and production of South Asian celebrations. South Asian weddings, in particular, have so many traditions and related events that it’s important to have a knowledgable team to ensure that everything goes beautifully to plan.
What to See: This glam New Year’s Eve wedding made the entry into a brand-new year even more meaningful as husband and wife. The couple rang in the year with party hats and a confetti drop against the reception’s sparkle of gold sequins and flutter of white feathers.
San Francisco, CA
What to Know: Ashley Smith, Event Planner and Designer of Ashley Smith Events, says, “Our approach to weddings is to have fun. Our goal is to generate a momentous gathering that creates a deeper connection. We love art, architecture, fashion, food, and travel. Allowing all of these elements to create a roadmap of our couples’ events is our approach. We don’t hold on tightly to tradition and let our couples shine.”
What to See: Smith shares of this chic Palm Springs wedding, “The couple, Christy & Brian, own LOHO Bride. This wedding was all about fashion & indie dress designers. The idea was an edgy, modern, minimal, bold wedding with lots of fashion looks (she had 5 dresses). We threw an epic chic-desert wedding.”
San Francisco, CA
What to Know: Sunna Yassin, Owner of Bash Please, says, “The team at Bash Please, a wedding planning and event design firm, specializes in customized multi-day celebrations. Our goal is to blend refinement with originality, but with approachability and strong foundation in the principles of hospitality. Bash Please celebrations reflect our clients fully—their shared history, style, and energy.”
What to See: Yassin says of this elegant and colorful Palm Springs wedding, “This wedding was moved from Sonoma County California to Palm Springs due to the fires. Our approach was swift in changing the design and planning vendors to accommodate. The clients were so happy with all of the details and how we handled the circumstances.”
San Francisco, CA
What we Love: We appreciate Bella Notte Events passion and expertise when planning and producing beautiful and stylish events. Whether you are looking to plan an intimate family dinner, corporate celebration, or large-scale wedding, Bella Notte Events completely and seamlessly produces and brings each client’s vision to life.
What to Know: Cindy Danbom, Owner and Creative Director of Bella Notte Events, says, “We plan each wedding specific to the couple. I don’t do cookie cutter; we believe in bringing out each couple’s favorite things. Our background is in fashion and a love of interior design, so creating tablescapes, lounges, and inviting spaces is a high priority. We love hearing guests gasp when they walk into a space.”
What to See: Danbom shares of this meaningful multicultural wedding, “This wedding was rescheduled 3 times, and ultimately we changed venues and had to start over on many design elements. We secretly arranged for a Russian celebrity to fly in, and we required onsite COVID-19 testing for every guest and vendor to ensure the safety of all. We also partnered with a Russian caterer to provide special authentic delicacies.”
San Francicsco, CA
What to Know: Bustle Events‘ couples are wowed by the personalization of their celebration, how every little detail expressed who they are. In addition to really listening to their clients’ desires, the team is organized, responsive, and authentic.
What to See: The team share of this citrus-inspired garden wedding, “This fun-loving, easy-going couple wanted to create an intimate, relaxed garden wedding with touches of bright citrus…Starting will illustrated lemons on envelope liners, we then carried the citrus theme through to the reception…The table design started with the statement eyelet linen, then the centerpieces appeared as if they were growing up from the table with tangerines, oranges, lemons, and limes giving a joyful pop of color.”
Napa, CA
What to Know: By Your Side Events is a Wine Country-based “one-stop-shop” for all of your planning and design and décor needs. The team focuses on creating custom gatherings that fulfill your dream vision, with an attention to every little detail.
What to See: Pale blue provided chic accents against the lush greenery and mirrored elements of this gorgeous garden wedding with a reception dinner under the vines. We love the way soft pastels were worked into details from the light peach cake to the pops of lavender and ballet pink florals.
San Francisco, CA
What to Know: Juliette Kim, Owner and Creative Director of C+W Events, says, “C+W Events is unique in that we specialize in only wedding design and month of coordination. For those couples that need help just with the design component of their wedding or just the month-of, we’re here for you!”
What to See: Kim shares of this intimate wedding, “This micro wedding was held in our client’s backyard, with the reception in their formal dining room. We designed this wedding to feel super special and elevated, yet minimal in its design (especially the tablescape).”
San Francisco, CA
What to Know: Carolyn Wilson, Planner and Designer of Carolyn Wilson Weddings & Events, says, “We are focused on taking the time to understand the couple’s wedding day vision, all while tying in the smaller details that truly tell their unique story. We customize their wedding day to their personal tastes and take the guesswork out of what is needed to be done throughout the entire planning process.”
What to See: Wilson shares of this romantic wedding, “This was originally set to be a 25th anniversary for the couple who originally eloped. Guests in attendance expected just that! During planning, when asked if she ever wore a wedding dress, the bride replied, “No.” I asked, “Do you want to?” I then helped turn this ‘anniversary’ into a “surprise” vow-renewal dream wedding (wedding dress and all)!”
Napa, CA
What to Know: Christine Garrison, Owner of CMG Weddings & Events, says, “At CMG Events we approach every wedding differently. No couple is the same. We prefer to produce and design new events every season instead of recreating the same style every year. That is what keeps us excited and passionate about our work.”
What to See: Garrison shares of this gorgeous Sun Valley wedding, “We pivoted 2 weeks before the wedding due to new regulations and designed a second event tent featuring the greenery entrance, lounges, circular bar, and custom wood chandeliers. We made sure the design stayed seamless with our initial tent design and just brought even more of a wow factor to this destination wedding in Sun Valley, ID.”
Napa, CA
What to Know: Stephanie Cole, Founder of Cole Drake Events, LLC, says, “Cole Drake Events is a planning firm that specializes in luxury weddings and events. We have created a planning foundation based on appealing to the senses, using Honesty, Authenticity, Sensory, Creativity, and (a cr*p ton of) Humor with just a smidge of sarcasm. We tailor events to fit the unique needs of our couples.”
What to See: Cole shares this organic and elegant wedding, and says, “With H + E, we started from inception (finding a site) to completion (clean up) for their wedding day. Designing the wedding to highlight the natural beauty of the space was pivotal to our client (and to us).”
San Francisco, CA
What to Know: Cynthia West, Owner and Creative Director of Creative Flow Company, says, “At Creative Flow Co, we strive to provide an elegant and décor-driven experience featuring touches of modernity, luxury, and inclusivity. Top Bay Area Event and Wedding Planner Cynthia West specializes in creating memorable events that “wow” your guests and are beautifully curated to best represent you.”
What to See: West shares this celestial wedding, saying, “The vision behind this design was inspired by the harmony of the sky, the moon, and the stars. To create a beautiful contrast we combined muted mauves and purple tones with the boldness of black.”
San Francisco, CA
What to Know: Eileen Murphy, Owner and Principal Planner of E Events Co., says, “With a laid back approach to luxury weddings, we are inspired by all the little details that make your wedding totally “you”. Our role is not only to bring together the dreamiest team of vendors, but to listen to you and create a day that truly resonates with you and your families. We are so lucky to be a part of it!”
What to See: Murphy says of this breathtaking vineyard wedding, “Cyndi and Nick were so much fun to work and plan alongside! They had such a fun, cool, and unique style, and it was a blast to help them bring it all together!”
San Francisco, CA
What to Know: Emily Coyne, Founder and Principal Planner of Emily Coyne Events, says, “Our expertise in logistics and operations sets us apart and has come from years of honing our abilities to master any challenge. Our Production Decks are recognized as some of the best in the industry. We never book all planners on the same date or double-book a planner.”
What to See: Coyne shares of this modern and masculine farmhouse wedding, “Justin and John’s summer wedding was layered with personal details to tell their love story. Custom paintings of meaningful places in their lives were used as table numbers, and the ceremony seating was constructed from antique theater benches to represent their love of live theater (they’ve attended over 100 musicals together!).”
Napa, CA
What to Know: Janece Shellooe, Lead Planner and Designer of Every Elegant Detail, says, “We create refined and unique celebrations that reflect each couple’s personality. From planning the details of your engagement party to coordinating the post-wedding day brunch and everything in between, Every Elegant Detail will make sure that you are able to enjoy the day that is all about you and the one you love!”
What to See: Shellooe shares of this country chic wedding, “Bringing together a beautifully and thoughtfully-created wedding day is paramount for us. From the detailed wedding invitations to ensuring that each moment flows perfectly from ceremony to cocktail hour to the last dance requires attention to detail that we brought to this stunning wedding in Newport Beach.”
San Francisco, CA
What to Know: Jenna Lam, Founder and Event Director of Jenna Lam Events, says, “Jenna channels her insatiable love of travel and great design into events that are highly personalized and universally engaging. With an intuitive ability to connect people, places, and things, each Jenna Lam event celebrates being together through unparalleled experiences.”
What to See: Lam shares of this stunning nature-set wedding, “Keri and George exchanged vows amidst 80-acres of untouched meadows, with no cell service for miles. We brought in everything including the flooring, tenting, power, portable restrooms, and roads. We also created an aisle that looked like it had been growing there for years.”
San Francisco, CA
What to Know: Kate Siegel, Owner of Kate Siegel Fine Events, says, “We create celebration you will be proud to host.”
What to See: Siegel shares of this contemporary art-filled wedding, “The overall design featured a bold color palette of marsala, sapphire, gold, smoke, onyx, and plum and kept the overall theme feeling lush, vibrant, and romantic. Key elements included floral canopies, twinkle light hedging, and pillar candles of varying heights placed on gold acrylic pedestals.”
Sonoma, CA
What to Know: Lindsey Relyea, Owner and Creative Director of L’Relyea Events, says, “Design and guest experience is always a priority in my planning. I infuse my design style of elevating natural elements of a space while creating a sensory experience for each guest that attends. This, paired with the authenticity of each couple’s unique vision for their wedding, is a collaboration of my dreams.”
What to See: Relyea shares of this sophisticated California wedding, “We started with venue scouting to select their locale. Then I designed their wedding to encompass both of their families’ rich traditions from Jewish and Russian heritage. Learning about their family traditions and finding creative ways to thread that into a guest experience was so fun!”
San Francisco, CA
What to Know: Lea Stafford, Creative Director and Founder of Lea Stafford Events, says, “LSE is a California-based event planning, production, and design company with a focus on destination events and experiences. As storytellers, we partner with clients who are unwilling to play by the rules. Our passion includes traveling to culturally-rich locations and partnering with artisans who are sustainable and ethical in their practices.”
What to See: Stafford shares of this classic outdoor wedding, “Planning this Napa Valley destination wedding, we focused on bringing family and friends together from around the world and sharing the couple’s favorites with them. Highlighting the love of citrus, modern fashion, partying, camaraderie, wine and food was at the forefront of this day. All while never losing sight of the venue’s natural beauty.”
San Francisco, CA
What to Know: Lindsay Lauren Events is a boutique, full-service event planning and design company that draws raves for their attentive service and deep vendor network who loves to work with their responsible planning team.
What to See: This romantic spring vineyard wedding featured a lush neutral palette and greenery galore. We especially appreciate the sweet details like the custom cocktail menu and the eye-catching glass bottles of Topo Chico on display as creative place cards (also don’t miss the adorable attendants).
San Francisco, CA
What we Love: We adore Kaella, Owner and Creative Director of Madix & Co., and her natural creative talents in planning and producing seamless weddings. We appreciate Kaella’s perfection in producing a meaningful and highly-curated celebration with no detail left behind.
What to Know: Kaella Madix, Owner & Creative Director of Madix & Co., says, “Our productions are the result of incredible diligence. Each decision from design through logistics is chosen intentionally to foster an ambiance for profound connection, community, and a damn good party. The devil is in the details.”
What to See: Madix shares of this stunning black and white wedding, “In lending a thoughtful ear, we created several meaningful touches. For example, wrapped bound journals displayed on a bookshelf as escort cards represented the couple’s home library collection. Adjacent was a school board sign in honor of the groom’s career as an educator. Many more touches like this created an intimate and festive celebration.”
San Francisco, CA
What to Know: Marilyn Ambra, Founder and Lead Designer of Marilyn Ambra Weddings and Events, says, “As event designers, we create each bespoke wedding by collaboratively designing it with our couples. Our approach is to tell our couples’ storiesthrough their wedding day. We want all of our couples and their guests to have a fabulous time, and to leave the wedding feeling really connected with the bride and groom.”
What to See: Ambra shares this bespoke destination wedding, saying, “Our couple had selected their venue before reaching out to partner with us. When that venue fell through, we quickly sourced this stunning private estate which perfectly aligned with their vision. We designed their wedding to enhance the natural beauty of the surroundings and exceeded their expectations while wowing their guests.”
San Francisco, CA
What to Know: Melissa Fancy, Owner and Creative Director of Melissa Fancy Weddings and Events, says, “From the mountains, to wine country and beyond, I specialize in creating effortlessly dreamy celebrations that truly reflect the personality and style of each couple. I create unforgettable weddings that are personal, timeless, and fun.”
What to See: Fancy shares this dreamy Park City wedding, saying, “From the custom neon sign to the abundant use of layered shades of blush and mauve baby’s breath, everything was personalized to the bride’s relaxed boho, yet elegant, mountain vibe.”
San Francisco, CA
What to Know: Morgan Events is a full-service event planning and production company that creates truly stress-free gatherings for hosts that are as memorable as they are seamless. We appreciate that this team only accepts a limited number of events per year, ensuring that each gets their full attention.
What to See: This Hawaiian beachfront destination wedding wows with an elegant all-white palette accented by the lush tropical greenery that the island is known for. We adore the ways the couple’s chic monogram is utilized everywhere from the programs and menus to the unique square-tiered cake.
San Francisco, CA
What to Know: Sealed With A Kiss is a San Fransisco-based planner that plans weddings all over, being the kind of friend, advocate, and expert you need to fulfill your dream vision. This planning team stands out for their ability to make even the most complicated day feel effortless and joyful. They offer hourly consultations or full planning and design to meet your needs.
What to See: This farm-to-table wedding featured a beautiful love story: The couple met in 7th grade when he was a foreign exchange student from France. According to their planner, “Unfortunately, the bride’s father had passed away about a year before the wedding, and the groom surprised her with a bench dedicated to the memory of him on the very lawn at the park where they said “I do.”
San Francisco, CA
What to Know: Shannon Leahy Rosenbaum, Owner of Shannon Leahy Events, says, “In addition to soup-to-nuts planning services, we are a full-service design and décor company with our own in-house floral department. This comprehensive approach streamlines the planning process for our clients and guarantees that we have a cohesive, beautiful, and creative final product.“
What to See: Leahy Rosenbaum says of this intimate and glamorous wedding, “We specialize in creating venues from the ground up and overhauling spaces. This wedding in our clients backyard started as an empty field that we transformed into this dinner. This event is a great example of the blend of styles our company is known for; classic, timeless East Coast weddings with laid-back, approachable California style.
San Rafael, CA
What to Know: Sheryl Denker, Owner of Sheryl Denker Events + Design, says, “We listen to our clients and make sure we capture the vision they have for their event. Every detail is important. The resources we provide bring the best vendors into the mix and allow our clients to enjoy the planning process and more importantly, enjoy their special celebration.”
What to See: Denker shares of this beautiful postponed wedding (that was worth waiting for), “Everything about this couple’s wedding was even more special, as they had to postpone due to COVID-19, move to a new venue, and change so many aspects from their initial plan. Through it all, they were wonderful to work with, and it was a joy watching their wedding day unfold with friends and family from around the globe.”
Napa, CA
What we Love: We love how this San Francisco-based husband-and-wife event planning duo combines their collective passions to deliver stunning events for their clients. Ybarra Events offers decades of experience in the event planning industry and impeccable customer service and creativity.
What to Know: The planning team at Ybarra Events is lauded for their care and creativity, as well as their deep vendor connections. Many clients note that they felt that they made a new friend during the planning process — a very capable and calm friend who made their wedding a dreamy celebration.
What to See: California’s Wine Country was the setting for this gorgeous wedding among the vines. It’s hard to follow nuptials against the backdrop of lush rolling hills, but this reception featuring greenery and floral installations suspended from the towering rafters wows too.
Walnut Creek, CA
What to Know: Your Event by Erin is known for having a good eye and an even better demeanor, whether it’s hand holding or advice you need. This team produces weddings with creativity and flair minus the stress a wedding can undoubtedly bring.
What to See: This stunning outdoor wedding makes beautiful use of nature with lush greenery and white florals nestled in the great outdoors. We especially love the dreamy nighttime scene accented with string lights and floating candles.
PartySlate’s editorial team takes great care when curating reliable lists to help you plan any type of event, from weddings and birthday parties to corporate events and galas.
We create our “Best” lists utilizing proprietary PartySlate data, as well as reviews, honors, professional speaking engagements, and more. It’s a combination of art and science designed to help you hire the best team and create your perfect celebration.
Next Steps on PartySlate…
Is it really helpful to hire a planner for a wedding?
Whether you’re envisioning an intimate affair in your own backyard or a weekend-long celebration for hundreds at a renowned San Francisco hotel, a skilled wedding planner will ensure that it goes smoothly so that you’re free to enjoy every wonderful moment. Additionally, a planner will offer advice based on years of experience as well as a list of trusted vendors for everything from your caterer to your photographer.
Your planner will guide you through who to book first and when as well as help you side-step potentially difficult situations. We truly believe that having the assistance of a wedding planner is imperative (and the earlier in your process, the better).
Also see our article on 6 Common Wedding Planning Dilemmas Solved.
What’s next?
In addition to finding the best San Francisco wedding planner for your celebration, PartySlate is here to help you find your entire team of SanFran wedding vendors. Head to our curated directory to find everything from florists and photographers to caterers and entertainment companies. You can also click on the following San Francisco wedding vendors:
You can also discover the perfect San Francisco venue for your celebration — be it a wedding, milestone celebration, gala, or corporate event — here.
Lastly, you can use PartySlate to discover top inspiration and creative ideas for your wedding. Browse real wedding albums or head to the Idea Gallery to find stunning ideas for everything from wedding florals and dance floors to invitations and catering.
Your dream San Francisco wedding awaits…