Hannah Smith Events

One of the best decisions I made for my wedding was hiring Dawn Steel from Hannah Smith Events! I consulted with a couple of event planners and Dawn was the right fit for my style and budget. I felt comfortable with her from the start and am so glad she coordinated my wedding as it was a smooth and seamless day! I wasn’t stressed, I didn’t have to touch any decorations or worry about what the vendors needed to do. Most of all, my family and friends got to enjoy the event as guests, not with me giving them last minute tasks.
I went with the «month of» option which meant that most of the planning was done in the 4 – 6 weeks leading up to the wedding. My advice to brides is to always find a planner that offers unlimited emails/​phone calls/​text messages, regardless of whether they select full service planning or just day of coordinating. I feel that the unlimited contact feature was where I got my money’s worth. I was very hands on with my vendor selection and research so month of services really worked best for me. Dawn referred vendors to me as well and I did end up hiring some of them (and was satisfied with all their services).
Monthly reminders were sent to me so I wouldn’t forget anything. Dawn made good suggestions for my timeline as well as how my ceremony would best be arranged. She always listened to what I wanted and wasn’t afraid to tell me when something could be improved. She took care of distributing my vendor payments and tips so I wouldn’t have to. Her communication was always timely and clear.
My wedding would have not been the success it was (it was perfect!) if I didn’t have Dawn running the show. If there were mishaps I never found out about them which is a great sign! I highly recommend this company and all brides really should hire a planner! Your one special day in your life is totally worth it!

If there was a rating above 5 stars, Hannah Smith would have it. I cannot say enough about the quality of service I received from Hannah Smith Events for our wedding. I am a type A particular individual. At first I thought that I was better off handling the wedding planning solo… but, after much urging from my then fiancé, I decided to interview some wedding planners. After my first couple meetings, I nearly gave up. But, then something gained my attention from Hannah Smith Events. And, after my first meeting with Hannah and her team, I was sold; she saw my overall vision and suggested beautiful ways to make my vision into a reality. The added bonus was that her services were so competitively priced! She was responsive to every email and text. Her taste is impeccable and she was such a resource for vendor referrals and just general questions. She certainly helped me navigate through things probably beyond her contract and I am eternally grateful. She seamlessly handled requests and calls from my mother, my mother-​in-​law and everyone in between. My husband said it best after the wedding, «the greatest thing you did in regards to the wedding, was hiring Hannah; she was on it.» Thanks again Hannah!

Dawn Steel with Hannah Smith Events is the Best!
For our June 20^th wedding I knew that I wanted a day of coordination service. Even though our wedding was on the smaller side, and not really traditional, I knew that I needed someone to help carry out our vision, so I didn’t have to worry on the day of.
Within minutes of meeting Dawn with Hannah Smith Events I knew that we would work well together and after our meeting I canceled all other appointments with other coordinators.
Dawn was so much more than a day of coordinator. She really is amazing! We exchanged so many emails during the whole planning process. She is prompt, personable, very organized and super detail oriented! She was always there to answer any questions I had, give tips and welcome feedback and had good suggestions on vendors as well.
In my family, I am usually the one that plans and hosts all of our family parties and gatherings. Everyone around me on my wedding day remarked on how calm I was leading up to the wedding. I had complete trust in Dawn. She made it possible for my husband and I to really enjoy our day with our family and friends, without having to worry about anything!

Honestly where do I begin? Hiring Dawn from Hannah Smith Events was the greatest decision we made for our entire wedding. Dawn was so much more than a day-​of coordinator. From hiring her a year before the big day, she was constantly in contact, emailing me vendors, ideas, timelines… you name it! She was so organized and alleviated so much stress (especially because I was planning this wedding from 3,000 miles away while finishing my last year of nursing school). Dawn was so sensitive to every need and request we had, and really took the time to listen to what we wanted. There were times when I had an idea that I couldn’t really put into words or find photos to express, Dawn would draw up a picture and send it to me and it was like she read my mind! Finally meeting her in person at the rehearsal was like seeing an old friend. Everyone commented about how sweet and organized she was. She conducted the rehearsal like a pro, organizing our wedding party and families which is not an easy feat. The actual wedding day she was available every minute ensuring everything was set up and asking if we needed anything. We did not have to lift a finger, and it all turned out exactly like we wanted it. During the reception we had a tiny issue with the dance floor lighting and Dawn fixed it before anyone could ever notice. At the end of the night, everything was packed up and placed in our room, and she even returned the cake stand to the bakery for us — something she did not have to do. Dawn went above and beyond in every way and we had zero stress and zero worries the entire process because of her. I cannot recommend hiring a coordinator enough. It was worth every penny (actually worth way more than every penny). I am convinced Dawn at Hannah Smith Events is the best of the best, and if you are lucky enough to have her on your side, your day will be perfect.

Choosing Dawn Steel from Hannah Smith Events was the absolute best decision I could make! Before the official wedding planning even began, I was debating if I even needed a coordinator. I am so glad that I chose to have one and better yet I am fortunate enough that I stumbled across Dawn. Literally 5 minutes into our initial conversation I knew without a doubt that not only did I want her to be my coordinator, I definitely NEEDED her! She completely understood the challenges I had planning a wedding in San Diego while I was living in Vegas. She put me at ease and took it upon herself to ensure me that she would help me in any and every way she could. Sure there was a list of coordinator duties, but let me tell you… she went above and beyond those duties! Professional, courteous and always in a positive state of mind, she ALWAYS responded to my emails and texts promptly – and even when it was in the middle of the night and a thought had popped in my head, sure enough I would get a response first thing in the morning.
The outdoor venue I chose was particularly challenging because there was nothing to work with but the lawn. I had to build everything from the ground up; everything ranging from chairs, tables, utensils, tents, and so forth. Even though there were many times I was overwhelmed, Dawn continuously followed up with my progress sending me multiple helpful checklists and providing wonderful suggestions as well as reliable vendors that I ultimately ended up using on my big day. As Dawn finalized every little detail before the wedding, I was confident that the day would be successful. As the day came and went Dawn made sure everything was on point. This woman can work! From directing the bridal party through the procession, to photos, and activities in between… to even helping the staff clean up and making sure everything went back to where it belonged. Nothing, I mean nothing went wrong. And if it did, I surely did not know about it. I wanted nothing more to have a stress free day and she made that happen with such ease. Dawn truly brought my vision to life making sure everything I wanted came true on our special day. Thank you for everything Dawn!

Hannah Smith Events coordinated my wedding day and I just have to say that it wouldn’t have been as amazing as it was without Sarah and her team!
Sarah is perfection!!! I trusted her with the layout of my center pieces and it came out great! She and her team even cut all of my flowers and arranged them in the mason jars!
I would recommend Hannah Smith Events to anyone who is looking for hardworking, dedicated and thoughtful coordinators for their wedding day!
I wanted to apologize to Sarah and her team though for completely lagging on this review. They deserve all the praise in the world and I can’t believe it took me this long to express my appreciation!

The amount of gratitude I have and level of impressed I am with Dawn at Hannah Smith Events can not be expressed in this tiny box, and I’m not even sure I have the words for it! Dawn went above and beyond with everything she did and her personality shines even brighter! I wholeheartedly recommend her and would advise every bride to do what I did, and that’s give yourself the gift of a wedding coordinator! I can’t imagine what I would have been like without her! The cost is very reasonable and Dawn is worth every single penny!

I worked with Dawn for my wedding on ⁴⁄₂₅ at The Prado. I would recommend her in a heart beat. I knew from the moment we met that she was a good fit for me and never looked back! She is great to work with, without being overbearing and is absolutely on top of everything. Everything about the experience was top notch, I wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you Dawn for helping to make our wedding perfect!

Hands down our favorite Wedding Planners! We know we can be at ease when HSE is on the job with us!!! 5 Stars all around from Injoy Entertainment!

We loved working with Dawn because she was very helpful and experienced. We got along well and she got things done. We couldn’t have done it without her. The only thing we didn’t like was the web service used and we did well without it.
Our day was memorable and we had so many compliments on what a wonderful celebration it was from the ceremony to the reception and everything in between. Thanks Dawn and Hannah Smith Events!

I honestly don’t know how to describe how thankful we are to have hired Dawn Steel with Hannah Smith Events for our wedding last week (3−13−15). I loved Dawn after just 5 minutes of meeting her! She was friendly, upbeat and had such a positive outlook on all the planning that was yet to come. It was so refreshing and gave me a huge since of relief to be able to work with her. She never disappointed! She was so responsive and organized. I could email or text her anytime and she would get back to me promptly. During my whole planning process she was a great resource. She went with me to meet my caterer and venue manager and asked a lot of great questions that I didn’t even think of! Her previous experience as a coordinator really came in handy.
After a couple walk-​thrus of the venue and some discussions on what I had envisioned for our space, she knew exactly what I wanted and MADE IT HAPPEN! Our decorations she put up for us were perfection and she really made sure to pay attention to all the little details. Our wedding was perfect and I owe a lot of how smoothly it went to Dawn.
During our wedding Dawn was constantly walking around, making sure everything and everyone was taken care of. She treated all of our guests with respect and offered amazing hospitality. She was calm, collected and remained a constant source of support for us, even with a few hiccups that popped up. We were so pleased with her upbeat attitude and knew we could ask her for anything and she would get it done.
From the months prior to our wedding to even now, a week after our wedding, Dawn has been and still is a tremendous addition to our special event. She really made it an enjoyable and fun experience and we will always be thankful for all of her efforts, support and enthusiasm she had for us and our wedding. I feel like I hired a coordinator but also gained a new friend.
We recommend Dawn and Hannah Smith Events with the highest level of praise.

This review is coming 2 years after our wedding but to this day I am so happy we chose to hire Hannah to do our day-​of planning! It was such a load off our shoulders to be able to enjoy our wedding and trust that she had a handle on all the logistics. Hannah was organized and on point. She was the calm in what otherwise could have been a very hectic day and that was invaluable! During the rehearsal even my grandfather commented to me how she really knew what she was doing and what a great find she was.
We wanted our grandparents to have A+ treatment at the wedding and Hannah made sure they did. When we realized in the 11^th hour that we didn’t have a plan for how we would get all the centerpieces and decorations home — Hannah graciously volunteered to pack them up and drive them to our hotel after the wedding — complete lifesaver and way above and beyond her duties! Also, Sarah did my makeup and it was impeccable, natural looking and stayed in place all day.
Best advice I could give to those planning a wedding would be to get a day-​of coordinator — and hire Hannah to do it — it will be the best money you spend for your wedding!

Hannah was such a pleasure to work with for our wedding! She listened to everything that we wanted, offered suggestions to improve our ideas, and executed everything flawlessly. We were on a tight budget and she did everything she could to find us the best deals without sacrificing quality. When she hadn’t worked with a particular vendor, she was upfront about it, did her research on the vendor, and shared her honest opinion with us. This allowed us to make informed choices about everything we did and we loved all of our vendors. The day of went off without a hitch and she was extremely attentive throughout the event. She was right there when my husband and I needed a break or a moment to ourselves and she made sure we were able to get it. I highly recommend using Hannah for your wedding or any other event. Everything was absolutely beautiful!

Amazing! Dedicated! Exceeds expectations! The list goes on and on! We just had our wedding July 19 at RBI and Hannah made it seem effortless! She truly made the year long planning so easy and walked us through every step of the journey. Her style and communication are superb! She completely understood what we were trying to achieve and accomplished it within the budget we gave her. Her vendor recommendations were spot on! She is an excellent choice for any wedding, party, or event you may be planning! Several guests commented on her efficiency and her ability to make the evening flawless! She went above and beyond and at the end we felt we had made a friend in the process. Thank you Hannah!

I first started working with Hannah the early part of this year to plan the food and rental portion of a wedding at Heritage Park in Old Town. It wasn’t until a month or so before the actual wedding that Shelly and I met Hannah (and Sarah) to do a walk through at the park. It was at that time we learned that Sara would be handling the day of event coordinating as Hannah would be out of town. Although Sara seemed EXTREMELY knowledgeable about the rules of the park (she had worked there many times), I was a little nervous about working with her. Not only because I hadn’t worked with her before, but because I hadn’t dealt with her at all in previous planning. In the end there was absolutely no reason for worry! My assistant Shelly actually worked the wedding not me, and Shelly came back raving about how wonderful Sara was to work with! Very organized, knowledgeable and such a great person! Thank you Hannah and Sarah for reaching out to us to cater this wedding! We enjoyed working with the both of you so much and look forward to working with you in the future!
Lisa Mo’okini and Shelly Ott — Ohana Catering and Events

Update: Having Hannah help has been great! We are so thankful to have her help us find vendors, communicate our desires and find good deals for us. It is also great to have someone to bounce ideas off of. She is very easy to get ahold of and has sent us a lot of emails with great information. I’ve taken on a lot of work this past month and work 50 hour weeks on average so the last thing I actually want to do when I come home is do research and call vendors. Even my fiancé who has a normal/​lax work schedule finds that having Hannah helps a lot! Hannah has even met us at our house for our convenience to fine tune things and meet a DJ with us. Having her there was great and keeps us focused and not get swallowed by all the details and extras that vendors try to sell us. We do not regret going with Hannah Smith Events! 4 ½ more months to go!
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This is a review for those overwhelmed newly engaged couples who are still just deciding/​looking for a wedding planner/​coordinator and have yet to experience meeting one (much like ourselves this past month). No wedding details yet but this review will be updated after our big day comes!
I’m a procrastinator at heart so when it came to planning a wedding, I knew I couldn’t let everything wait till the last minute. If anything, I have learned that vendors get booked far in advance! My fiancé and I started the process of reviewing vendors and looking up wedding ideas and all that jazz. It became apparent to me, and him, that there were just too many little details we were unaware of and that we definitely needed someone to be there the day of to take care of the logistics. We wanted our family and friends to enjoy our wedding and not worry about arrangements. My biggest fear has also been that we spend all this money on décor and vendors but the wedding would feel disjointed, lack luster and overall a bust. We originally wanted to do everything ourselves, for financial purposes, but we also didn’t want the wedding to fall short and what could it hurt to just talk to someone and see what their services would provide. We found Hannah Smith Events on Unilocal and decided to contact her.
Hannah responded promptly to us and was willing to meet us after hours on a weekday to discuss our wedding and also what services she provided. We both felt at ease and definitely felt no pressure to go with her. She was very thorough in this initial meeting and asked questions we hadn’t even thought about. She also discussed a long list of services she would provide (things you wouldn’t think about). Just talking to her made me feel reassured that hiring a wedding planner is needed even though we have a small budget to work with. Hannah didn’t mind our small budget but even talked about finding other vendors that can be more affordable for us than the one we have been considering for our ceremony site (last minute venue since most places are booked). I let her know about my fears and she took note of any extra little details we would want to incorporate.
We just met with her last night and without looking into any other Wedding Coordinator/​Planner, we decided we wanted to go with her the moment we left her office. She had told us to take our time deciding but there was no question that we wanted to work with her. She has already set up a planner to view ceremony venues with us this Saturday and has been easy to reach and communicate with.
We look forward to working with Hannah and her team in the upcoming months! So if you are wondering if you should go with Hannah Smith Events or not, my advice is to just set up that meeting and talk to her. You’ll see if she’s great to work with or not yourself! You won’t feel pressured but more knowledgeable by the end of the night. It is much better than getting lost in Unilocal reviews (which we were when we were looking around).
P. S. I’m sure everyone usually reads reviews to know one thing, are they affordable? I definitely think so (and I’m a rookie couponer). My fiancé and I are paying for our own wedding so Hannah was very aware of that and her number put us at ease that we went all in for the Full Package Service!

Hannah is amazing! I needed a wedding planner who would help me navigate the hell that is wedding planning. I had all these crazy ideas like buying the flowers from a Farmer’s Market the day of the event and switching my table assignment from rows to tables 2 hours before the ceremony. Hannah hones the crazy, irrational, emotional bride in and handles business.
Not only does she help finalize all the details of the event from timelines to loading up cars at the end of the night, she acts as a medium for family members who may otherwise kill one another. That is priceless!
I can say that my wedding day went off without a hitch and I owe it to the grace, patience and professionalism of Hannah.

Where do I start?! I decided to plan a wedding in 5 months and knew I needed a wedding planner since I lived in the bay area but my wedding was going to be in SD. I searched dozens of sites and read countless reviews. After narrowing down to a handful of coordinators I called Hannah Smith Events.
Hannah was the first planner I spoke to and after our initial conversation I felt really good about her (call it a woman’s intuition?! lol) She was warm, smart and was very confident she could pull this off & on top of that her rate was very competitive!
Of course my fiancé wasn’t going to let me hire the first person I talked to but I knew all along it would be Hannah. I did my due diligence and spoke to a few other wedding planners and I just didn’t get the same feeling and some were either priced way too high or a bit low which made me nervous.
I ended up hiring Hannah for my Aug 10^th wedding to handle my entire wedding planning and she immediately got to work. I am a very picky person and very much into every little detail. Hannah took it in stride — she didn’t mind the countless emails, texts & phone calls. My wedding came out even better than I could have ever dreamed! She knows so many vendors (many family run or small businesses which I loved) and provided me with multiple options for most things.
I hate long reviews but Hannah was just so incredibly professional, sweet, creative, and the list goes on & on. If you are looking for a wedding planner in the San Diego area you will not regret hiring Hannah and her team. No way could I have pulled off the wedding I had without her!

Hannah is a fantastic planner with a calm demeanor on the day-​of. I had the chance to work with her this December on a wedding in Carlsbad. It had been raining for days and was an outdoor wedding. The sun finally came through and Hannah was on-​top of everything and was so calm about it all (though anyone would be stressed about the potential weather)! The details of the event were amazing and spot on for the brides vision. As a makeup artist, having the bride not have to worry about the details, allows for a stress-​free «getting ready» time. Hannah is 5 Stars!
–Ashley Fierro, Makeup Artist

We used Hannah Smith Events as our wedding coordinator for our wedding on May 20, 2012. From the moment we met her, Hannah was professional, personable and assuring. She was by far the best vendor we worked with. I work in corporate event planning and I have seen some terrible planners. Hannah is definitely one of the best and so affordable. No matter what your budget is, you should hire her. You will be so happy you did when you have a blissful, stress free wedding day due to Hannah’s efficiency. :)
Hannah handled alot of issues with grace and professionalism (and a sense of humor) with our wedding including figuring out how to set-​up all of our DIY projects and decorating an interesting venue to dealing with a terrible caterer and site manager. She was truly a lifesaver and I would hire her again in a second. Thanks Hannah!