The 45 Best Wedding Planners in the United States

Jen Fariello Photography
Get recommendations, by region, for the best event designers and coordinators around.
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Jen Fariello Photography
20 Questions That Make Planning a Wedding So. Much. Easier.

A smart way to stay stress-free when planning your wedding? Turn to a professional! By that we mean, hire a great wedding planner. There are so many reasons why it's so worth it to bring one of these pros onto your team, but the main one is that they've done this all before. Sure, you love pouring over the details of your big day, but do you really understand the difference between the types of linens you're considering, know how to set up a day-of timeline, and feel ready to negotiate with each and every vendor? There's so much that goes into bringing your wedding vision to life, and a planner, who has years (and maybe even decades) of experience, will ensure the entire process goes smoothly.

If you're thinking about tapping a wedding planner to help you make your dream wedding a reality, we're here to help. To make your search easy, we've compiled a list our favorite wedding planners by region. Don't fret if you've fallen in love with one who isn't based in your hometown—you'll find that many of these pros will travel.

Here, find out why we love each of them, get some of their best wedding-planning advice (for free!), and see photos of events they have planned.

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Alison Events

Elizabeth Messina Photography

Region: In the West

Where: San Francisco, California

The Details: Multiple office locations; provides design services; 30 percent of the jobs are destination weddings

Sweet Stat: Alison Hotchkiss Rinderknecht has planned some 300 events, including her own.

To Book: Visit alisonevents.com

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Jenna Lam Events

Meg Smith

Region: In the West

Where: St. Helena, California

The Details: Provides design services; 30 percent of jobs are destination weddings

Top Tip: "Don't get overwhelmed by the big picture," says Lam, who gives couples a month-by-month schedule to make the process more manageable.

To Book: Visit jennalamevents.com

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Laurie Arons Special Events

Joel Serrato

Region: In the West

Where: San Francisco, California

The Details: Provides design services

What We Love: Good planners listen to clients. But great ones, like Arons (who's been at it since 1994), know how to guide them if an idea isn't workable.

To Book: Visit lauriearons.com

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Rosemary Events

Jose Villa

Region: In the West

Where: Mill Valley, California

The Details: Provides design services

What We Love: Rosemary Hattenbach focuses on every detail of a wedding: not just the setting and the sights but also the smells, sounds, and tastes.

To Book: Visit rosemaryevents.com

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Shannon Leahy Events

Weddings by Sasha Gulish

Region: In the West

Where: San Francisco, California

The Details: Provides design services; 30 percent of the jobs are destination weddings

Top Tip: "Using buzzwords like laid-back or formal can help dictate the mood you want to set and answer most planning questions," Leahy says.

To Book: Visit shannonleahy.com

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Shelter Co.

Sabine Scherer

Region: In the West

Where: San Francisco, California

The Details: Offers design services; 30 percent of the jobs are destination weddings; has been featured in Martha Stewart Weddings

What We Love: This company specializes in outdoor events at far-flung locales (and provides pop-up lodging via its luxe canvas tents).

To Book: Visit shelter-co.com

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Bash Please

A Fist Full of Bolts

Region: In the West

Where: Los Angeles and San Francisco, California

The Details: Provides design services; 30 percent of jobs are destination weddings

What We Love: Creative directors Sunna Yassin and Mollie Jones Hennes offer full-service planning, designing, and production for anything they dream up, anywhere.

To Book: Visit bashplease.com

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Beth Helmstetter Events

Steve Steinhardt

Region: In the West

Where: Los Angeles, California

The Details: Offers design services; 30 percent of the jobs are destination weddings

Bio Bit: Santa Barbara, CA, Aspen, CO, and Maui, HI, are Helmstetter's top booked locales.

To Book: Visit bethhelmstetter.com

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Duet Weddings

Elizabeth Messina Photography

Region: In the West

Where: Los Angeles, California

The Details: Provides design services

Their Style: Rebecca Stone and Cathleen Stern love pretty touches and flawless execution but feel the emotions of the couple are what truly make a wedding.

To Book: Visit duet-weddings.com

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Geller Events

Heather Kincaid Photographer

Region: In the West

Where: Los Angeles, California

The Details: Provides design services

Sweet Stat: Debbie Geller's boutique firm has spent more than two years planning some weddings but taken others from beginning to end in less than two months.

To Book: Visit gellerevents.com

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Lisa Vorce Co.

When He Found Her

Region: In the West

Where: Santa Ana, California

The Details: Provides design services; 30 percent or more of jobs are destination weddings

Her Style: Vorce teases her clients that she's interviewing them as much as they are her to make sure they are able to place full trust in her team.

To Book: Visit lisavorce.com

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Mindy Weiss Party Consultants

Elizabeth Messina Photography

Region: In the West

Where: Beverly Hills, California

The Details: Provides design services

Bio Bit: Best known for working with high-profile brides like Jessica Simpson, Weiss and her team plan up to 60 weddings each year.

To Book: Visit mindyweiss.com

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Bluebird Productions

Leila Brewster Photography

Region: In the West

Where: Aspen, Colorado

The Details: Provides design services

Their Style: "We emphasize that planning is about the bride and groom, not what we want," says founder Virginia Edelson. "Our role is to be their best advocate."

To Book: Visit bluebirdproductions.com

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Sinclair & Moore

Michèle M. Waite Photography

Region: In the West

Where: Seattle, Washington

The Details: Provides design services; offers partial planning, month-of help, or consulting

What We Love: This husband-and-wife team is passionate about producing beautiful events; we featured their own wedding three years ago.

To Book: Visit sinclairandmoore.com

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The Nouveau Romantics

The Nichols

Region: In the Southwest

Where: Austin, Texas [plus New York City, New York and Los Angeles, California]

The Details: Provides design services; multiple office locations

What We Love: Along with planning, they offer event, stationery, and floral design to create a consistent aesthetic.

To Book: Visit thenouveauromantics.com

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A Day in May Events

Studio 6.23

Region: In the Midwest

Where: Traverse City, Michigan, with a secondary office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

The Details: Full-service planning and design services

Sweet Stat: Alicia Fritz uses her expertise to pull off beautiful tented parties in unusual locations; most (80%) are destination events.

To Book: Visit adayinmayevents.com

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Ginny Au

Region: In the South

Where: Birmingham, Alabama

The Details: Provides design services; offers partial planning, month-of help, or consulting; 30 percent or more of jobs are destination weddings

Sweet Stat: Sixty percent of Au's business is international; she travels an average of 2,500 miles to work a wedding.

To Book: Visit ginnyau.com

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Anna Lucia Events

KT Merry

Region: In the South

Where: Tampa, Florida

The Details: Provides design services; offers partial planning, month-of help, or consulting; 30 percent or more of jobs are destination weddings

Bio Bit: Unlike companies in other parts of the country, this team plans most of its events in November, April, and May.

To Book: Visit annaluciaevents.com

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Jacin Fitzgerald Events

Tanja Lippert Photography

Region: In the South

Where: Johns Creek, Georgia [and Napa Valley, California]

The Details: Multiple office locations; provides design services

Bio Bit: After an earthquake hit Napa, Jacin Fitzgerald had four days to move 110 guests to another location.

To Book: Visit jacinfitzgerald.com

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Toast Events

Harwell Photography

Region: In the South

Where: Atlanta, Georgia

The Details: Provides design services; 30 percent or more of jobs are destination weddings

Top Tip: "The guest list is the hardest part, between deciding whom to invite and dealing with several people's input. It's a necessary evil, but after that, everything gets much easier," says owner Lindsay Pitt.

To Book: Visit toast-events.com

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Calder Clark

Region: In the South

Where: Charleston, South Carolina

The Details: Provides design services; 30 percent or more of jobs are destination weddings

Top Tip: Clark says the cornerstone of any great planner-client relationship is trust, and that's why she cultivates it from day one.

To Book: Visit calderclark.com

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Easton Events

Jose Villa

Region: In the South

Where: Charleston, South Carolina [and Charlottesville, Virginia]

The Details: Multiple office locations; 30 percent or more of jobs are destination weddings; provides design services

What We Love: Lynn Easton and her team are very clear about what can be achieved within a certain budget and will help facilitate Plan B if Plan A isn't feasible.

To Book: Visit eastonevents.com

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Kristin Newman Designs

Gayle Brooker

Region: In the South

Where: Charleston, South Carolina

The Details: Provides design services; 30 percent or more of jobs are destination weddings

Her Style: Newman strives to soak up the couple's sense of style and listen to their priorities to help the pair make choices that are "so them."

To Book: Visit kristinnewmandesigns.com

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Tara Guérard Soirée

Corbin Gurkin

Region: In the South

Where: Charleston, South Carolina [and New York City, New York]

The Details: Multiple office locations, provides design services

Sweet Stat: Her weddings have ranged from 15 people to 1,200 attendees, but on average, she plans for 250.

To Book: Visit taraguerardsoiree.com

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Jessica Sloane Event Styling and Design

Jessica Lorren

Region: In the South

Where: Nashville, Tennessee

The Details: Multiple office locations; provides design services; offers partial planning, month-of help, or consulting

Top Tip: "The biggest mistake is booking vendors or a venue prematurely," says Sloane. "Make sure you're 100 percent happy before signing contracts and paying deposits; many are nonrefundable."

To Book: Visit jessicasloane.com

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Courtney Spencer Weddings

Jen Fariello Photography

Region: In the South

Where: Richmond, Virginia

The Details: Provides design services

Her Style: Virginia is for lovers, which may be why most of Courtney Spencer's weddings are planned within state lines.

To Book: Visit merrimentevents.com

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Rafanelli Events

Genevieve de Manio Photography

Region: In the East

Where: Boston, Massachusetts [and New York City, New York; Washington, D.C.; and Palm Beach, Florida]

The Details: Multiple office locations; 30 percent or more of jobs are destination weddings; provides design services

Bio Bit: Bryan Rafanelli planned Chelsea Clinton's nuptials and once built a barge in Boston Harbor for another wedding.

To Book: Visit rafanellievents.com

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AaB Creates

Dave Robbins Photography

Region: In the East

Where: Brooklyn, New York

The Details: Provides design services; offers partial planning, month-of help, or consulting; 30 percent or more of jobs are destination weddings

What We Love: Kait Rovnyak mixes things up culturally to honor a bride or groom's roots—for example, incorporating a fusion menu or a Chinese lion dance.

To Book: Visit aabcreates.com

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Ang Weddings and Events

Jillian Mitchell Photography

Region: In the East

Where: New York City, New York

The Details: Provides design services; offers partial planning, month-of help, or consulting

Bio Bit: Tzo Ai Ang has lived in four countries located on four continents, allowing her to work well with clients from unique places and with diverse backgrounds.

To Book: Visit angweddingsandevents.com

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David Reinhard Events

Daria Bishop and Johnny Miller

Region: In the East

Where: New York City, New York

The Details: 30 percent or more of jobs are destination weddings

Their Style: Frequent fliers Ann David and Nicky Reinhard will plan and execute an unforgettable wedding wherever their clients take them.

To Book: Visit davidreinhard.com

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David Stark Design and Production

Region: In the East

Where: Brooklyn, New York

The Details: Provides design services

Bio Bit: Stark's work as a designer and event planner stems from his roots as a fine artist. His studio approaches an event as a three-dimensional art piece customized to the clients.

To Book: Visit davidstarkdesign.com

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JZ Events

Brian Dorsey Studios

Region: In the East

Where: New York City, New York

The Details: Provides design services; offers partial planning, month-of help, or consulting

Bio Bit: With a background in hospitality, Jennifer Zabinski uses her knowledge of all things service-oriented, from food to staffing, to plan seamless events.

To Book: Visit jzevents.com

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