Stephanie, Makela and Courtney were the absolute best. We planned a large wedding at Stanly Ranch in less than 8 months. Every aspect was perfect; the vendors, the planning and the timing. As mother of the bride, there wasn't one aspect that I thought about or worried about for the entire weekend.

Stephanie Cole from ColeDrake events was our wedding planner for our May 2019 wedding in Napa, CA and we recommend her with the highest regard. Stephanie is a true subject matter expert in wine country wedding planning. Working with her for over one year, Stephanie exhibited the following qualities that truly make her the best:

Personable - Stephanie’s gregarious personality is contagious. She loves what she does and that made working with her all the more enjoyable. You will spend a lot of time with your wedding planner. Whether it’s corresponding over hundreds of emails or discussing details over hour long calls. With Stephanie’s can-do energetic attitude I don’t know how you can’t not love her.

Meticulous - As to be expected, Stephanie pays attention to every detail. On your big day, her goal is for you to be stress free and that was truly the case with Stephanie. As my own mother said to me (who is extremely hard to please), “your wedding planner is incredible, she is always where she needs to be exactly when she needs to be there.” In addition, With her deep experience comes an intimate knowledge of every possible outcome and how to plan for it. Stephanie’s attention to detail and ability to plan for any mishap (i.e. rain) was incredible. Two thirds of our wedding was planned to be outdoors. When our wedding week rolled around, heavy rain was in the forecast for our big day. Within 5 days Stephanie put together an entire plan B that was executed without mishap. Our guests were none the wiser that the entire flow and the location of our wedding had changed 5 days before they arrived.

Connected - Napa is a luxury destination wedding location filled with vendors that are difficult to navigate. As someone that lives and plans weddings in the Napa region, Stephanie is connected to the best of the best of wedding vendors. From florists to photographers Stephanie will ensure that you have an ample selection of the most talented people to bring your big day to life (within your budget).

Honesty - We think one of the best qualities of Stephanie is her honesty. She will give you her true opinion and tell you what you need to hear, even when you don’t want to hear it. From telling you that those farm tables you want won’t add much and are not in budget, to delivering the tough news that we need to plan for rain, Stephanie ensures that her honesty is delivered with your best interest in mind. She really cares about her couples and this honesty is sometimes the thing you need the most.

If you are planning a wedding or event in Wine Country (Napa/Sonoma), then we could not recommend more that you use Stephnie or ColeDrake events for your special day.

Planning a Yountville, CA wedding from Chicago, IL was a breeze! Alexis was incredibly helpful, knowledgeable, and accessible throughout the entire process. As a bride that really did not want to be involved in the planning process, Alexis planned an amazing "surprise wedding" for us, and it was everything we had hoped it to be and beyond. The vendors and the details were all perfect. Thank you!