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Weddings

Weddings by the Sea Reviews

Weddings by the Sea

Weddings by the Sea

Santa Barbara, CA
4.8 out of 5 rating, 230 Reviews
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Reviews

4.8 out of 5 rating
230 Reviews
  • Quality of service
    4.9 out of 5 rating
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    4.8 out of 5 rating
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    4.8 out of 5 rating
95% Recommended by couples

Awards

230
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2024 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2022 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2021 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2020 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2019 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2014 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2011 Winner
  • Brianna
    Brianna M. Sent on 12/27/2023
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    Weddings By The Sea was the best decision!

    Choosing Weddings By The Sea was the best decision we made for our big day. Their attention to detail, seamless coordination, and creative flair turned our dreams into a stunning reality. From start to finish, they orchestrated a flawless celebration, leaving us with priceless memories of a perfect wedding. If you're looking for a wedding planner who goes above and beyond, Catherine Forester is the one!






    Weddings by the Sea's reply:

    It was so much fun to work with you on planning your wedding!
    You had so many creative and lovely ideas for this special day and I'm happy we were able to make them a reality. Wishing you and your new husband much love and joy.
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    Gaelen Sent on 05/22/2023
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    Great experience

    Catherine was so accommodating and helped to make our day perfect! Everything went so smoothly and she was always responsive/answered any questions we had. The photos also turned out beautifully! Can’t thank the amazing team enough!

    Weddings by the Sea's reply:

    Thank you Gaelen. Your wedding photos are stunning!
    I loved working with you and Jazmine to plan this wonderful event.
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    Kari A. Sent on 06/06/2023
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    Wedding Planner Review for Catherine Forester

    Catherine Forester was absolutely delightful to work with. she returned our inquiry within hours and explained step by step what she was able to do for us, including recommendations on where to get our marriage license the quickest and beautiful recommendations on restaurants and accommodations in the Santa Barbara area. Catherine also works with awesome officiants and photographers that made our day so easy and special. I could not recommend her MORE HIGHLY to assist with making your wedding day a total joy. Thank you Catherine and to your team for being an integral part of our Santa Barbara Wedding!

    Weddings by the Sea's reply:

    Hello Kari,

    It was wonderful to be a part of your wedding day. You were a truly stunning bride and your photos are gorgeous. I will also pass your kind compliments along to my team.
    All my best,
    Catherine
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  • Janet
    Janet D. Sent on 04/16/2023
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    Beautiful Day!

    My sincere thanks to Catherine Forester and Weddings by the Sea for our vow renewal ceremony to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary! It could not have been a more beautiful or perfect day. She and her staff were kind and responsive to all of our needs, especially since we don't live in Santa Barbara. It was nice to have someone do the arranging for us. Thank you again! I highly recommend them for your small wedding needs!

    Weddings by the Sea's reply:

    It was truly an honor to be a part of your 25th year wedding anniversary celebration. I so glad we had such a perfect afternoon at the beach for your ceremony and champagne toast.
    Wishing you both many more happy years together!
  • Amanda
    Amanda M. Sent on 04/03/2023
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    Great company

    Seasoned event planner here and I'd highly recommend this wedding vendor. Made the whole day easy and stress free. The whole day was beautiful and well coordinated.

    Weddings by the Sea's reply:

    Thank you for your kind words. Your compliments and feedback are very meaningful coming from an experienced event planner! I'm so happy to hear that the experience of your wedding day was enjoyable and stress free. All my best to you both!
  • Chaney
    Chaney H. Sent on 10/26/2022
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    Absolute perfection!!

    Catherine and her team were an absolute DREAM to work with! My sisters and I booked her services for my parent’s 30th Anniversary Vowel Renewal. My parents were unable to have a wedding back then, and this vowel renewal was to give them that experience to celebrate. It could not have been more perfect, and Catherine is to thank! There were so many personal touches she included and she was a joy to communicate with. She was quick to answer any questions and was always open to have a quick chat on the phone to go over details. Catherine made a small bouquet for my baby sister with some extra florals she had and even color coordinated her outfit to the color scheme my parent’s picked out! Wendy (officiant), VeeRonna (harpist), and Bex (photographer), were also such a blessing to have on the day with us. They were all so kind and made the whole experience come to life. My mom was able to have the wedding she always dreamed of and it would not have been the same without these ladies. My parents were overwhelmed with how beautiful the ceremony played out and how loving, courteous, attentive, and professional everyone was. Weddings by the Sea is such a beautiful company and Catherine has a wonderful tight knit team that will execute your day with love and care. I will be recommending them to everyone!
  • Isabelle
    Isabelle G. Sent on 10/22/2022
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    A beautiful and perfect experience!

    Catherine and her team prepared the most beautiful and perfect wedding ceremony that we could ever imagine. We planned to have a small ceremony just for our close family members, and we hoped to make it an intimate and special experience for them. Catherine gave us just that, and more. Between the gorgeous flower arrangements, the incredible musician, the wonderful officiant, the amazing photographer, and the thoughtful details like parasols and refreshments for our guests, Weddings by the Sea delivered an absolutely beautiful experience that we will cherish forever!
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    Grace S. Sent on 10/26/2022
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    Gorgeous and stress-free ceremony!

    Catherine knows what she's doing, and she does it well! Wedding planning felt nerve-wracking, especially since we live across the country. Our courthouse ceremony and all the details were the least stressful part of our wedding celebration. When we were deciding on our reception restaurant, Catherine tried it out for us since we weren't able to visit before our wedding. She was great at guiding us on any decisions to be made, patient and responsive when we had questions, and always followed up on our concerns. Most importantly, she really delivered on ensuring our wedding ceremony was beautiful, thoughtful, and worry-free. I don't think we could have trusted a more amazing team with our wedding!
  • Greg
    Greg M. Sent on 10/31/2022
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    Superb responsiveness and amazing experience!

    We found Weddings by the Sea through an online search soon after we decided to get married in Santa Barbara, CA. We planned our entire event from our home in Norfolk, VA and were a bit concerned about the distance. As soon as we received our first response from Catherine we knew everything was going to be fabulous. Throughout the 6 months of planning, she was responsive, helpful, kind and friendly. Her personal interest and support kept us from worrying unnecessarily and eased our minds about this monumental occasion. Throughout the planning and the ceremony execution at the Mission Rose Garden on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, everything was amazing! It was the wedding of our dreams and one of the highlights of our lives. We can't recommend Weddings by the Sea and Catherine enough to any couple seeking to get married in Santa Barbara! We are thrilled and so happy together!
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    Kathy U. Sent on 09/07/2022
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    Dream Wedding on the Beach

    We chose Catherine and Weddings by the Sea to coordinate our dream wedding on the beach, and we are very happy that we did! Catherine was amazing - very professional, a good communicator and listener, thorough and detail oriented. The ceremony was beautiful, and everything was perfect! Our officiant, Dusty was great, too! Thank you, Catherine and staff for a wonderful job from start to finish. We will forever remember this special day!
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    Ali Sent on 09/07/2022
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    Wonderful Experience

    We live in Indianapolis and wanted to elope in CA, so we needed help. Catherine's services were invaluable. We explained what we were looking for, and she gave us lots of options to meet our needs. Plus, she gave us lots of helpful information about the area. And the photographer and officiant she partners with were also fabulous. Our special day was truly perfect thanks to Catherine's help!
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    Justine M. Sent on 09/11/2022
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    We had a great experience with Weddings by the Sea. Catherine, Wendy, and Mayra were professional, caring, flexible, and fun.

    My husband and I are so grateful we found Weddings by the Sea. They helped us plan the most beautiful wedding on short notice. Catherine, Wendy, and Mayra were accommodating, knowledgeable, and they were great and communicating back and forth with us. Our special day was perfect thanks to their meticulous planning! Looking back we wouldn’t change a single thing about the day!
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    Rachael Sent on 10/06/2022
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    Just the easiest

    I set out out to have a small wedding that was stress free. While I can’t say I never stressed out, I can say that none of the stress was related to our ceremony. Catherine was so helpful throughout the process and both my husband and I loved our ceremony on the beach.

    Weddings by the Sea's reply:

    Thanks so much! It was a beautiful day for your wedding on East Beach. All my best to both of you.
  • Derek
    Derek Sent on 12/19/2021
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    It was stress free, easy to communicate, and a great value

    Professional, easy to deal with, and amazing people.
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    Sharon L. Sent on 12/16/2021
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    The Perfect Wedding - Beautiful & Easy

    We had a wonderful experience with W.B.T.S. Catherine and her team are professional, fun and they have style and grace AND took great care of us and all the details, it was a lovely experience from begining to end! My brother got married with them 4 years ago, and they too were and are very happy! Our wedding is a beautiful memory now....
  • Rachel
    Rachel G. Sent on 12/20/2021
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    Best Destination Wedding Choice

    Catherine was my wedding planner and florist and wowowow...everything was beautiful! She made planning a Santa Barbara wedding from Virginia easy. Not only did she think of everything for our ceremony, but she gave me advice for every aspect of my weekend. All of our guests were so impressed at how she handled everything and at all of the little details of our special day. I'd Weddings by the Sea to anyone!
  • Gianni
    Gianni C. Sent on 12/13/2021
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    Wedding of our dreams!

    Catherine was amazing! She truly knew how to make our wedding day everything we dreamt of! Thank you so much!

    Weddings by the Sea's reply:

    I'm so glad we were a part of this beautiful wedding on Butterfly Beach! It was truly a pleasure to work with you to create this special day.
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    Norma W. Sent on 04/17/2020
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    Everything we hoped for, and more!

    Catherine, our wedding planner, was so amazing! She stayed right on top of everything and always had a plan B at the ready, which was very useful when we had rain on our big day without warning. Yet, our ceremony went super smoothly thanks to her! We highly recommend!

    Weddings by the Sea's reply:

    It was a beautiful wedding at Alice Keck Gardens! I'm so glad the rain held off during the ceremony :) The photos are gorgeous.
  • L
    Lady Sent on 04/09/2020
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    Memorable day was worth every penny...

    My boyfriend and I wanted to elope in Santa Barbara. I needed to figure out how to do that. I had a specific date in mind and a time. But, since I do not live in Santa Barbara I needed help. Catherine could not have been more professional, more kind, more caring and more knowledgeable. She has been doing this for a long time and her vast experience and honest advice helped me to make the right decisions. Catherine was always available to answer my questions and she suggested options that I did not think of. In short, Catherine was absolutely the reason that our wedding day was a huge success. I highly recommend this Catherine and her super professional team to make your wedding day memorable and happy. My photo's are so much better than I could have imagined. This is one satisfied customer.

    Weddings by the Sea's reply:

    Thank Lady J. ! It was truly a pleasure to work with you and make this special day happen for you and your fiancee. Wishing you both all the best :)
  • Samantha
    Samantha L. Sent on 09/15/2021
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    Wonderful experience!

    I recently was married in Santa Barbara at East Beach and I can not recommend Catherine and her team enough! From my first phone call with Catherine I knew I was making the right choice. She is so calm and easy to speak with. She listened to all my ideas about flowers, music, venue choice and went above and beyond. She even hand delivered my bouquet and flowers for my hair the morning of the wedding. Her officiant was so sweet and helpful. The photographer was fantastic and our photos are gorgeous...not to mention they were delivered only two weeks after our ceremony. Don't hesitate to hire Catherine, you will not be disappointed!
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    Kara M. Sent on 08/19/2021
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    My wedding day

    Catherine with Weddings By The Sea provided the absolute perfect beach wedding for me! She took care of everything so i had nothing to worry about. The set up was beautiful and everything went smoothly. I’m so happy i chose this company for my most special day ever!
  • Nicole
    Nicole Sent on 08/20/2021
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    Easy, no fuss

    This made our day fun to think about and plan. There was little planning on our part. We had a few ideas and just wanted simple and elegant. She was responsive to any question I had prior and on the day of I just had to show up and everything was beautiful and ready to be enjoyed.
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    Jessica Sent on 08/20/2021
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    July 2021 wedding

    My wedding was even more beautiful and amazing than I could have imagined! Catherine and her team created such a magical moment for me and my family! I would highly recommend to anyone! Perfect location, decorated beautifully, and all the little details were handled so I didn’t have to stress. I am so happy with the memories I have now! Thank you Catherine and all involved in making it truly an amazing event that I will never forget!
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    Laine T. Sent on 09/22/2021
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    Wonderful Wedding Experience

    We had a great experience planning our wedding with Weddings by the Sea. Catherine is an excellent wedding coordinator and was helpful, kind, thoughtful, and organized throughout preparing for our wedding. She offers a variety of packages from elopements to larger beach weddings and offered just what we were looking for. We had a beautiful and intimate beach wedding ceremony that was perfect for what we wanted. I loved that our package included both photography and a wedding officiant for a great price. We already had an officiant, so we received a discount off of our package. Catherine also gave us great recommendations for restaurants and a bakery for dinner and dessert after our ceremony. If you are interested in having a stress-free, beautiful beach wedding, I highly recommend Weddings by the Sea!
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