Event By Dawn

Service levels: Partial planning

Team size: 1 – 3

About Event By Dawn

Event By Dawn

Head Planner

At Event by Dawn, I’ve spent over 10 years helping couples bring their wedding dreams to life. I’m here to guide you through the planning process, making it as stress-free and enjoyable as possible. I love working closely with you to create a day that reflects your unique vision, and I’m happy to tailor my packages to fit your budget and needs. From start to finish, I’ll ensure your wedding day is seamless, personal, and unforgettable.

I pride myself on being easy-going and down-to-earth, making your wedding planning stress-free and focused entirely on your vision. I love helping couples save money where it matters. Having worked alongside many amazing wedding vendors, I can help guide you to the perfect match for your day. I stay calm under pressure and I'm very detail-oriented, my passion is bringing your dream wedding to life, the way you’ve envisioned it.

In three words: Calm, Confident, Honest

Services by planning level

Service included in starting price
Service available for an extra cost
Partial planningDay-of coordination / wedding management
Description

At I am with you every step of the way, ensuring your event is beautifully planned and seamlessly executed.

Planning begins12 Months out3 Months out
Contract Review
Timeline Creation & Management
Onsite Event Management
Event Styling & Design
Budget Planning
Venue Recommendations
Vendor Management
Rentals & Linens
PricingStarts at $3,700Starts at $3,500

Reviews

Write a review
Rating: 5.0

5.0 out of 5

14 reviews

  • SB

    Sam B.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Oct 16

    Perfect Santa Cruz Wedding

    We’re grateful that we had Dawn as our wedding coordinator! She was capable, communicative, and professional. We had an unusual vision for our wedding, with multiple moving parts, and Dawn was willing to take it on from the start. She really proved herself when it mattered most, on our wedding day, making sure everything ran smoothly. We had an incredible time, and our wedding could not have gone better. Thank you, Dawn and team!

  • A

    Adeline

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Aug 22, 2026

    Great Coordinator for Waterfall Lodge!

    Dawn was great to work with for our Waterfall Lodge wedding, and we she was the reason that everything ran smoothly on the day! From her recommendations of vendors, to her deep knowledge of the venue and space, to setting up decor and ensuring that everyone was sticking to our timeline, she was a huge help in our wedding planning process. On top of all these larger things, there were so many subtle things that Dawn thought of or helped with. As an example, we asked if Dawn could make sure that our names were pronounced correctly during the ceremony and any big announcements. We were happily surprised to find that every single staff member and vendor had the correct pronunciations, and we knew that it was because of Dawn. There were all these little touches that put us at ease throughout the weekend and really made it feel like we could relax and enjoy our wedding. We would highly recommend Dawn for any wedding planning or coordination needs! We could not have imagined our wedding day being any better, and a lot of it was thanks to her!

  • MK

    Melissa K.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Jul 28, 2026

    Dawn is the best!

    We are so happy that we hired Dawn to be our wedding coordinator! It was clear from our first phone call that she was the right person for the job. When it comes to weddings at Waterfall Lodge, there is nobody with more experience and insight than Dawn. She provided us numerous resources and recommendations while going through our plans. She was extremely easy to talk to and reach via email or phone call in the months leading up to our wedding, and left no detail unplanned. On the day of our wedding she had everything under control and made it all stress-free for us, including perfectly packing up our decor at the end of the night. Her bright personality and confidence reassured us that we were in good hands from the moment we met. We cannot recommend Dawn enough as a wedding coordinator, she is amazing!

  • CC

    Caitlin C.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Nov 24, 2025

    This is your sign to book Dawn.

    Dawn was so incredibly wonderful for our 10-23-2025 wedding at Waterfall Lodge! We booked her a year and a half in advance and from the moment we booked with her, she was available and responsive. She worked with our schedules and took some of the wedding planning stress off of us. She even helped with recommendations on ways to save some money and utilize all vendors to our full potential. That’s just the planning part of it. Let’s get to the wedding day. From the very start of the rehearsal to the very end of the wedding day, Dawn was incredible. We had a crazy amount of extra people show up to the rehearsal itself who were not needed, but she guided everyone on where they needed to be despite all the extra commotion of extra family members wanting to be involved. The night before the wedding I went through all of my decorations and things that I had spent a lot of time crafting and creating with her and I just kind of spouted everything out all at once. Was I a little worried that she was just committing it all to memory and that my vision might not come to life? Yep. Should I have been worried? Not at all. She executed the vision I had with every little detail included to a tee. Seriously, she kept everything going smoothly. It all looked better than I had pictured it and I was in awe of her ability to keep things running so smoothly with so many different vendors. If there were things that went wrong, I have no idea because she not once gave me an inkling of any stress or anything. We even had a guest comment on how seamlessly she worked into the event. My favorite part of the day with Dawn comes to when we finally made it into dinner. We had ordered Chilis chips and salsa for cocktail hour as that’s where we met. At one point, Dawn came over with one whole bowl of chips and salsa (and sour cream because that’s my favorite) and plopped it onto our sweethearts table. It’s just all the small details that she took care of. It was one of my favorite parts of the day because it was so us. She was absolutely crucial in the best day of our lives and I cannot recommend her more. Thanks again for everything Dawn!

  • MH

    MJ H.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Oct 12, 2025

    A true professional!

    I am so glad we had Dawn as our coordinator. She is on top of things and clearly has so much experience! Leading up to our wedding, she answered all our questions, gave vendor recommendations, and helped create a timeline which included two outfit changes. She is very familiar with vendors in the area, including our venue, which was extremely helpful. She was also so patient throughout the process, which I very much appreciated as an extremely indecisive person. But the best part about Dawn is her flexibility and adaptability. When MUAH unexpectedly ran long, she assured me that this happens all the time and somehow still made everything happen on time. Or when we decided in real time to take our time with table touches, instead of rushing us, she simply talked with the DJ and caterers about the “schedule change” and, once again, somehow made everything run seamlessly. I would highly recommend Dawn to anyone who is looking for a coordinator, especially in the Santa Cruz/Monterey area!

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