Elegant Events

My husband & I are so grateful to Diane for turning our dream wedding into a reality. We live in Burbank and were pretty unfamiliar with the Big Sur area before our wedding, and chose Diane as our coordinator because she has so many years of experience, complete knowledge of even the smallest details of the area, and a more affordable price than other planners we got quotes from.

The communication could be a bit spotty in the months leading up, but when I raised concerns, Diane assured me we would be her top priority when our wedding month rolled around, and she sure did get it all done as promised. She connected us with our ceremony site, rentals, bakery, florist, stylist, cocktail hour caterer, and probably a lot more vendors that I'm forgetting!

She was so organized, thorough, and shot it straight with us, which I think is what we appreciated most. When she'd send quotes for vendors that were out of our price range. When she sent quotes for vendors that were out of our price range, we'd tell her so, she'd say got it, then come back soon with a more affordable option. I really can't imagine how we would've gotten through the wedding weekend without her.

The day before, she was running errands all over for us, picking up supplies from us at our hotel, beverages from Bevmo, etc. And on the wedding day, Diane and her team went above and beyond. They were all so professional and wonderful, our family loved chatting with them, and at the end of the night when it was pouring rain and we had an hour long trip in the shuttle back to our hotel in Monterey ahead of us, Diane drove slowly ahead of the shuttle to lead the way and make sure we got there safely, since she knows the roads so well. Infinite thanks to Diane--we love her and can't wait to be back in Big Sur so we can see her again!

Diane is the most unorganized planners and it's mind boggling she's able to do what she does. We went weeks with no returned emails, no transportation booked. It was a nightmare. Go to loma vista instead, speak with Blaise and their in house coordinator! They are THE BEST.

Diane and her business associate, Peter, left us feeling ripped off and taken advantage of. We had planned a small intimate wedding in Big Sur (at Paion Estate), but it was ultimately canceled by forest fires. Diane called to deliver the bad news, and assured us (verbally and in writing) that we would get a refund for the wedding venue. To be clear, we were only expecting a small refund for the cost of the venue that we didn't get to use.

Initially Diane was somewhat responsive to emails, but ultimately stopped responding and leaving us completely in the dark. It's unfortunate, because we initially really enjoyed working with her, but this whole experience has made the two of them look dishonest. We had no idea that would get taken advantage of like this. We can't recommend hers or Peter's services to anyone.

We wish we didn't have to give her even one star. Maybe consider looking for a more honest and professional business when making Big Sur wedding plans, or risk getting rippled off like we did.

I am still waiting on my photos to come back but I have a few to share! Let me just say this.if you are thinking about Hiring Diane. DO.if you need a wedding planner hire Diane! She is ABSOLUTE MAGIC! I live in los angeles so don't have the ability to know the vendors in Big Sur and she handled EVERYTHING! Her recommendations were top notch and everyone gave us the wedding of our dreams!

Truly we were all blown away and all of our guests said it was the best wedding they had ever been to! I will upload more photos as I get them! I don't have photos yet of the reception but it was everything! The food, the dj, the flowers, the drinks, the ceremony.all of it. She is an angel.a magical angel! Super reasonable, super attentive, super helpful! She only wanted us to have exactly what we wanted. I cannot recommend her more highly!

Diane was extremely thorough, patient, and kind in working with me on deciding on the perfect venue for a Big Sur wedding. As a previous native of Monterey, I was well aware of the complications of having a wedding in the area but she is a pro! I booked out 2 years in advance with her and ended up having to cancel a little over a year in advance. Although her contract stated the deposit was nonrefundable, she worked with me to refund my money.

She is very personable and you can tell she truly cares and loves what she does! I was really impressed with her ability to create and facilitate the perfect wedding according to your exact needs. I look forward to using her services in the future!

Please choose another wedding organizer in the area as Diane maybe should rexamine the manner in which she treats people.

My husband and I planned our Big Sur wedding from South Florida and hiring Diane was the best decision we made. We debated about hiring a wedding planner at all to keep costs down. But within a few short days, we knew we made the right decision. I could not imagine planning the day without her. She was easy to communicate with and on top of every detail.

She connected us with other amazing vendors who helped make our day exactly what we wanted, and more. It's obvious that Diane loves what she does, loves Big Sur, and loves her clients. Our day was absolutely perfect and we have Diane to thank for that.

There is a great wedding planner, and then there is Diane Allen. She is an exceptional one, whom both sides of your families would remember forever. She made our wedding into something much more magical and spellbinding beyond my imagination. I chose Diane initially because she had a lot of experience with the Paion estate. Her communication style is direct and straightforward, which made vendor selection incredibly easy.

There is hardly a vendor she has not worked with in the Big Sur area, and she is very candid about the pros and cons for each one. I appreciated that so much, since the amount of vendor information can get overwhelming. Little did I know, what truly separated Diane from a great wedding planner to a truly unforgettable one was something way beyond the tangibles. Tangibles such as her seamless execution, expert knowledge on Big Sur, no bullshit communication and no surprise budget approach.

She fixed my placement cards mistake resourcefully by herself, because she knew how hectic the wedding weekend would be for me. She teared up during my father-daughter dance. She went extra mile to make sure our families were taken care of, and that I didn't have to worry about a thing. She dealt with stubborn guests with grace and poise. She even made sure Andrew & I had some alone time to savor the ceremony.

I think I drunk-hugged her multiple times throughout the night. It's this intangible quality that distinguishes Diane from other planners. Diane is Khaleesi of weddings: cool, calm, collected and ever so competent even in crisis. Hiring Diane was hands down the best decision I've made in the entire planning process, and I hope you also have the pleasure of working with Diane. Diane, thank you for giving us one of the best nights of our lives.

We will remember you forever. Vendors: Classic Catering, Winsome & Wright, Christine Cater Flowers, Chic Event Rentals, Kiyomi Sanada, Kindlewood Films, DNA Entertainment, AITS

Elegant Events made our wedding come to life at a private estate in Big Sur. They did such a remarkable job coordinating our event that all anyone could say was that it was "magical." Diane Allen knows the area so well and was able to suggest vendors and physically set up a beautiful and seamless wedding in the wilds of Big Sur. It was our dream wedding and we could not have done it without Elegant Events!

We worked with Diane Allen and Elegant Events for our Big Sur wedding @ Wind & Sea July 26, 2014. It was truly the best day we could have imagined! From the beginning Diane was extremely knowledgeable with Big Sur & Monterey vendors and we really appreciated how up front and honest she was every step of the way. Everyone she recommended to us was beyond reliable. That's what you get with someone who has worked in Big Sur for YEARS.

She will not recommend anyone that won't deliver 150%. I really appreciated Diane's "no surprises" approach to the budget as well. She's so easy to get along with and I was happy to have someone I could no-nonsense banter with and crack jokes while being able to totally depend on her. She's hilarious. Diane made our day run so smoothly that neither of us had to worry about a thing.

I am a planner to a fault and it was really nice to just relax and enjoy our wedding day. I cannot recommend Diane and her team enough! Jennifer we loved working with you too!

Diane Allen is quite simply the best person a couple, and everyone else who helps that couple to plan a wedding, can have next to them on their wedding day. Diane helped me plan and completely coordinated my May 31, 2014 wedding at Paion--a gorgeous, private location that gave us the aesthetic, flexibility, and seclusion we wanted for our wedding.

Not only did she guide me through every step of the process, she also frequently knew what I wanted when I didn't know how to articulate it, and handled the many aspects of coordinating a wedding that I could never (law school does not prepare a person for logistics in Big Sur, I'll tell you that!) I absolutely recommend that anyone considering a wedding in the Carmel-Big Sur area work with Diane.

She knows everyone, she knows how things work in Big Sur, and if you trust her she will deliver the wedding beyond your wildest dreams. She is also a genuine, wonderful woman who I plan to send a holiday card to every year. Thank you, Diane. We are lucky to have had you!

I can't express how wonderful our wedding day was because of the hard work and efforts of Diane and her team. From day one, Diane was super responsive and very candid about all the details necessary in planning a wedding. Her recommendations were always spot on and she always took a personal stake in ensuring that we were happy and satisfied with the planning.

Her sense of humor and enthusiasm made the whole planning process easy and enjoyable. After all of our planning, the actual wedding day turned out even better than I had expected. Diane definitely knows Big Sur like the back of her hand and any bride wanting to get married in the absolutely gorgeous Big Sur should definitely give her a call!

We rolled the dice by booking our destination wedding in Big Sur without meeting Diane or visiting any of our locations. Diane not only delivered, but exceeded our expectations in every wedding planning category. Her knowledge of the area is second to none and she was very capable of meeting our budget requirements without cutting corners. Diane's professionalism combined with her southern charm made it a fun an relaxing experience. You will not be disappointed going with this planner.

My company was hired to provide an elegant espresso bar for their daughters wedding. They hired Elegant Events to be the wedding planner and introduced us via email. From the very start Diane was a great communicator. She was detailed and very easy to work with. Her planning made our role very smooth. We provided an espresso bar and needed to move in during the wedding. Diane had everything necessary for us to be successful for our service.

The weddings elegance was like I've never seen before. She created an amazing ambiance and energy among the cliffs and big trees Big Sur offers at Paion. I highly recommend Elegant Events as your coordinator. I hope we will meet up with them at other events.

Wow! Where to begin with my appreciation and admiration of Diane Allen & her whole Elegant Events team. Diane was our wonderful wedding planner for my wedding last month at Paion in Big Sur - I can't even begin to express with words how efficient, eloquent and proficient Diane is with her Event Planning - she made the whole process seamless and streamlined, and we couldn't be more appreciative! (And, as you know, wedding planning is no simple task!) In addition, just as a character reference - Diane might just be the most personable, down-to-earth and good-spirited women that you will ever have the pleasure of meeting - my entire family adores her and are actually planning a return trip next year to beautiful Big Sur to reunion with Diane and her fabulous team.

I couldn't recommend her more highly to facilitate your Event Planning! She was seriously the hero of our magical wedding weekend - thank you so much, Diane! :) -Kate G. *Please feel free to message me if I can provide you with any additional information about Diane & her amazing team!

Diane Allen is one of the top wedding and event planners here on the Monterey Peninsula. We have now worked with her for over twelve months and all of the events and wedding go smoothly and apart seamless. She would be one of the people we would contact for any event we were planning here on the Peninsula. We are careful to chose who we partner with and we would not hesitate to partner with Elegant Events. All of us at La Coiffure here in downtown Carmel.