EverAfter Events

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!

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!

Alesha and her team made my life so much easier in the couple months leading up to my wedding, and helped to make the day-​of flawless! I highly recommend… my only regret was not bringing them on from the very beginning!

Merilee and her team are simply amazing.
Throughout the entire wedding planning process Merilee recommended great vendors and ideas that made our wedding unique.
Merilee is incredibly organized, which I love, and had a minute by minute timeline for the rehearsal and day of the wedding. This made my life much easier because I could just forward it to the bridal party. She will coordinate timing with vendors and even assisted with some last minute changes and assembly.
I highly recommend EverAfter Events, you are guaranteed an unforgettable event and much less stress.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hiring Merilee Hennings to be our wedding planner was the best decision that we made in the wedding process! We had her help us starting a few months before our wedding and she was spot-​on. Not only is Merilee extremely organized and very responsive but she knows her stuff. She has so much experience that you can rest easy knowing that she is handling everything.
At our wedding, we didn’t have to worry about anything. Merilee was right there everytime we needed her, made sure everything ran smoothly and was a joy to work with.
Merilee is phenomenal. We highly recommend her and her team.
Thank you, Merilee!

A family friend of ours referred us to Merilee Hennings after the bride told us Merilee was the best vendor she booked for her wedding. We booked Merilee a year before the wedding to coordinate our wedding day, but I must say she went above and beyond the job description! She is incredibly organized, knowledgeable of the San Diego wedding community, and always quick to respond. Every month she gave us a time line for tasks we needed to complete. She responded to every query I had about the planning process, etiquette, and vendors. She was an invaluable resource, especially since I was planning my wedding from afar. She always made it a point to meet when I was in town, and over the course of the planning process, we would occasionally talk over the phone.
Merilee went on two vendor visits with us and I am so glad she did! She asked all the right questions about logistics and was extraordinarily detail-​oriented. She made wedding day time lines tailored for each wedding role and at the rehearsal answered every question. By the time the wedding day came, we all felt assured and carefree. We knew we were in good hands!
Aside from doing a wonderful job and keeping me on the tasks, Merilee was very even-​keeled. She was unshakable and was receptive to my concerns. She was always great at keeping things in perspective and made a seemingly large and insurmountable endeavor enjoyable. Many people told us that our wedding was one of the best that they had ever been to, and we attribute that to our stellar wedding planner!

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.

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 décor 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.

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!

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!

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 fiancé? 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!!!