Sam was amazing to work with, she brought our dream wedding to life. Sam’s ability to problem solve and come up with solutions on the spot is one of her super powers. Sam took our list of wants and elevated them to the next level. And she would never give up on an idea we had, she worked tirelessly to make it happen. Sam was an MVP on the day of our wedding making sure everything went smoothly and checking in with us to see how we were doing. She also took BTS pictures and videos that were a great way for us to enjoy all the details of our wedding the day after.

We can’t wait to recommend Sam to future couples!

We could not have asked for a more perfect wedding planner. Sam is clearly an expert and knows how to handle all the tiny details that are part of the process. Throughout the whole process, she gave us peace of mind because we knew she was handling everything while surfacing the right decisions to us and keeping us in the loop as needed. Sam was so helpful to have during the design process because she gave us plenty of suggestions and ideas, while still granting us the flexibility to bring our own vision to life.

The week of the wedding, rain (and even thunderstorms) were forecasted for our wedding day, but truly when the day actually came, Sam was there to put us at ease. She helped come up with a Plan B and C, and coordinated with the vendors so efficiently. Rain showers started 20 mins before our ceremony started, and Sam was able to have our guests redirected to a covered area and started serving champagne and appetizers to them while we waited it out. As soon as the rain stopped, we proceeded as planned. So many of our guests mentioned how organized the process was and how well taken-care of they felt, despite the rain. Knowing Sam was there to orchestrate allowed us to feel entirely in the moment.

On a side note - Sam is such a joy to work with. She is so pleasant to be around. We always looked forward to our calls and in-person meetings with her. She has a knack for making difficult decisions much easier and much less stressful. You can tell she knows what she's doing just by the way she leads conversations. We never felt lost during the process.

We're going to miss her so much!!! Could not recommend her more (I'm crying as I'm writing this).

My daughter got married 2 days ago! We started our wedding planning adventure in April 2024 with Villa Loriana as our gorgeous empty venue that needed to be filled with anything and everything a wedding required! We needed a wedding planner from day one to coordinate every detail from the flowers to the salt and pepper shakers… As soon as our initial interview was over, we knew Sam was the right person for us. She was very knowledgeable, fun, down-to-earth and practical. She was well connected and friendly with all the vendors in the area and she asked us the right questions to match up with the right partners. She was very patient with our questions and easy to communicate with. She responded to emails and texts very quickly. She gave great feedback. When some of our ideas might not have been the best options, she saved us from ourselves 😊, provided gentle feedback and helped us achieve what we were looking for in an even better way.
She was always cost-conscious and ensured we still achieved everything we wanted with the best options for our budget. She even helped us source some great local wines for the reception at a reasonable cost.
Even more impressive was her flexibility and ability to think on her feet!
All weather apps showed rain showers at different times of our wedding day. Our ceremony was planned to be outside with an option to move inside. Sam came up with a Plan A, Plan B AND a Plan C to be decided as the day went on and we watched the dark skies. We did end up with somewhere between Plan A and Plan B and achieved our dream ceremony outside, 30 minutes later than the original plan. To do that Sam and her team had to last minute coordinate with our string quartet, the DJ, and the caterers and gracefully maneuver our guests to dry areas to ensure they were provided with drinks and appetizers while we waited out the rain. They, then, miraculously dried all 150 chairs in record time! When the guests were invited to the ceremony area the sun was shining, everything looked great and no one was aware of Sam’s valiant efforts behind the scenes to get us there!
Similarly, just a few hours before the reception, as Sam and the team were setting up the tables, they realized we were missing half the menus (menus were the one part we did it ourselves, btw 😊). Sam found us immediately, offered an elegant way to setup the tables. Everything looked great!
We also had some very last-minute cancellations, ended up removing a table and re-distributing some of the guests and swapping the names of some tables, which needed a bit of a thinking to have minimal impact on the seating chart. Once again, Sam was thinking on her feet and whipped up a new layout in 10 minutes. When the guests arrived, no one was the wiser.
We had a wonderful day! It was flawless, everything we hoped for and more!!! And I will always be grateful to Sam for the quick reminder to take a moment to look around and make a mental snapshot of the moment just as we started walking down the aisle!
I highly recommend Sam if you are planning a wedding in the area. She will hold your hand, listen, give great feedback, worry about all the details and make sure you actually have fun and enjoy the most beautiful day of your life!

Samantha in one of the best in the business. As a wedding floral designer, I have worked with Zest it Up for over a decade (countless events together!) and always have a smooth and supported experience. I appreciate the team's upbeat demeanor, stressless get it done attitude, keen design eye and professionalism. Samantha's energy is infectious; her events have an elevated style and feel seamless from start to finish. She is grounded, quick on her toes, highly organized and does everything with a smile. I'm always amazed with how she handles a full plate gracefully and joyfully. She's top shelf!!

As a wedding vendor, having a good wedding planner is gold, but Samantha and her team at Zest it Up are not just good—they're the best! Her organizational skills and hard work are only matched by her warmth and ease at creating a seamless, stress-free experience for both her couples and vendors. Every wedding we’ve worked on together has been beautifully executed, with thoughtful attention to detail and an incredible atmosphere for everyone involved. We always look forward to collaborating with Samantha and her team at Zest it Up and would absolutely recommend them!

I have had the pleasure of working with Samantha numerous times at both of our wedding venues. As a venue manager, I appreciate getting to work with talented professionals like Samantha that plan and execute an event to perfection! I know that when Samantha and her team are managing an event, everything will run seamlessly. She is professional, has a great eye for design, and is simply a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend Samantha to any couple planning a wedding!

As a fellow vendor in the wedding and event industry, we love working with Zest It Up! They’re true professionals and know how to create a flawless experience for clients. Every event we’ve collaborated on in San Luis Obispo County has been expertly planned and beautifully executed, whether it's a wedding, corporate event, or special celebration. Their team’s attention to detail, creativity, and seamless coordination make our job easier and the events truly memorable. If you're looking for a top wedding and event coordinator on the Central Coast, Zest It Up is an amazing choice!

In the beginning of the wedding planning, I debated hiring a planner, because I had a clear vision of what I wanted. Having Zest It Up be our wedding coordinator was the BEST choice we could have made! From start to finish, Sam was absolutely incredible. She is extremely knowledgeable about what goes into planning a wedding, paying attention to even the smallest details, and has great connections to vendors on the Central Coast. She was very easy to communicate with and quick to respond. She took all of the worry, fear, and stress out of not only the planning but also the wedding day. Even with a last minute venue change and power outage on the wedding day, I did not feel like we skipped a beat and no stone was left unturned throughout the whole process. Not to mention she managed all of this while having her THIRD baby. It truly felt like we planned this wedding with someone who was a friend and really knew us - not someone we had only met 12 months prior. If you are looking for a coordinator who will be there not just the day of, but during the entire process, hire Sam and her team. You will not regret it!!

Sam was my fairy godmother! Before her, I didn’t have a cohesive plan or vision for my wedding. Sam held my hand through it all and helped develop my dream wedding! Not only that but her calming presence was also what I need in those frantic moments of vendors not getting back to us or option overload. She was always available over text and email whenever a random question popped into my brain, no question too small or silly! We had quite a long engagement, and Sam was with us for the entire time. I was grateful that she kept track of everything, made sure we were on time with booking our vendors, and made sure no detail fell through the cracks. She worked with my whole family, including my in-laws and made sure everyone was happy and on the same page. Our wedding was beautiful, fun and everything we wanted and that was all thanks to Sam!

We were mid-stride in our wedding planning when we realized we needed professional assistance. We feel very lucky to have found Sam and Zest It Up! Sam stepped right in to handle all the details and pulled off a fantastic event with ease. If you are looking for someone who knows everything about the process, and can turn your day into a dream come true, Sam and her team will remove the stress and bring back the joy!