Katie Sent on 06/28/2023

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Wedding Planner

Armando was such a fantastic planner! From the very beginning he was organized, responsive and professional and that never changed. Together, we created a vision that came to life and was simply jaw dropping on the actual wedding day. His calm demeanor throughout the entirety of the planning process and on the wedding day was so greatly appreciated! I would recommend Armando to anybody getting married. Such a great experience!!!

+3 photos

Kate Sent on 11/17/2022

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

The Amazing Armando

Armando was absolutely amazing, patient, and supportive. Never having been to a wedding, I had no idea what I was doing or getting myself into. Armando was so helpful and guided me in all the right directions with such kindness. The ceremony and dinner for the wedding were at Hotel Californian, which Armando recommended. It was absolutely stunning, intimate, and beautiful. Armando picked up everything that would be used to decorate the day before the wedding and walked us through everything. Come the wedding day, Armando was so wonderful to my family. Everyone commented on how calm, friendly, and professional he was. It was clear that Armando has excellent relationships with the people he works with. My family all mentioned how nicely he treated the venue staff. The venue, hair and makeup, photographer, and florist were all so sweet and knew each other, which allowed the day to run even more smoothly. Armando truly made the entire experience so easy and special. Again, Armando, thank you for your patience, hard work, and expertise!

+4 photos

Brian Sent on 08/25/2022

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Stoic, Steady and Immensely Effective

Armando helped us plan our wedding in Santa Barbara while we live in Chicago

We started with a budget and some basic ideas. From there, Armando called upon his design skills/experience as well as his peerless breadth/depth of relationships with local vendors to extrapolate our initial concept into a beautifully presented and executed wedding day.

His capability for aesthetics aside, he is extremely organized, detail-oriented and responsive
For all the legwork required to go from initial concept to the final day, Armando capably bore that burden and greatly simplified what was needed from us. Overall, the workload and stress we experienced in pulling off our wedding was way less than what we expected due to Armando’s ability to effectively communicate and capably execute/delegate towards the final goal.

Our wedding day was an expected realization of nerves but Armando was a steady and stoic presence –guiding us and keeping us to our scheduled timeline and events. It truly felt like nothing went wrong on our wedding day. Moreover, Armando helped us ensure a truly memorable celebration for us and our family/friends.

For anyone looking to plan a wedding in the Santa Barbara area, we cannot recommend Armando (and Alegria Design) enough!

Keani Sent on 05/11/2022

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

A Beautiful Day

Words can’t describe how beautiful our wedding day was and Armando played no small part. During planning Armando was responsive, organized, and a true expert. The wedding day itself went off without a hitch the design which Armando curates from your vision was exquisite. Our guests were absolutely blown away. My dad was so nervous and told me that Armando made him feel at ease. I could go on and on but I will remember this day for the rest of my life and I’ll be forever grateful we chose Algeria by Design to plan our wedding! It was out of this world beautiful!!!

Matthew Sent on 10/08/2021

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Best Wedding Planner

Our wedding was over a month ago, and we are still in awe by Armando's work. He exceeded our wildest dreams. He handled everything on the day of the event, so we could focus on spending time with our guests. In the months leading up to the event, he was also very responsive to our emails and always provided great guidance. Third, he has great personal relationships with vendors in the industry, and he was able to steer us to the best ones given our price point. (This would've been very difficult to do on our own.) Lastly, he is a very friendly person and easy to work with. We cannot recommend him enough.

Elana Sent on 09/13/2021

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

The best of the best!

We wanted an intimate, elegant wedding that would be beautiful without feeling over the top. Armando delivered on every level — bringing our attention to the details that count while honoring our wishes to keep things stress-free and streamlined. Not only does he know how to get the job done with precision and efficiency, but he has a keen creative eye. He knows how to bring your vision to life… but better! Throughout the big event, Armando was a kind and calming presence. He is a true professional that knows how to work with hotels, vendors, etc and make everything run like clockwork. You can trust Alegria Design with your special day, and I am so glad we did!

Chivon Sent on 05/06/2021

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Made our wedding dreams come true!

We hired Algeria to plan our April 24th wedding. Armando was so wonderful to work with. He personally knows so many vendors in the area. This made it so much easier for us to plan our wedding, as we live across the country. Armando worked diligently to plan our wedding and did everything he could to make it happen. Our venue cancelled on us 40 days before our date and he replanned the whole thing in less than 24 hours! It turned out to be even better than our original plan and was truly a fairy tale wedding. He cares about his clients and creates nothing short of perfection.

+2 photos

Annalise Sent on 09/10/2020

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Exceptional!

Shauna was phenomenal! She helped us plan a beautiful elopement in Santa Barbara in less than two weeks! She helped us secure the lower lawn at the Ritz Carlton, Bacara with a dinner at Angel Oak restaurant to follow. She helped us find an amazing ceremony musician, Conner Cherland, and fabulous hair and makeup artist. She planned our timeline, walked the event space, and coordinated set up and timeline with all our vendors. She was there with us the day of to ensure everything went off without a hitch, which it definitely did. We can’t thank Shauna enough for all she did to make our wedding memorable and beautiful!

Patrice Sent on 08/27/2020

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing amazing amazing five star

Armando made our wedding so so special at Sunstone Winery!! We loved him and he was soo professional and nice and handled each member of the bridal party as well as the staff and crew with such professionalism. He recommended all of our outside vendors and each one was spot on! We HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend Armando and his team!

Jessica Sent on 09/29/2019

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Shauna is amazing!

We hired Shauna as our month/day of coordinator for our backyard wedding earlier this month. Shauna was FANTASTIC. We were doing a very DIY wedding and she was honest with me in our initial conversations regarding what she thought might be tricky with some of my initial ideas (ie, how a spotifiy playlist instead of a DJ might be challenging and how to navigate not hiring a full service catering team since we were trying to save money there) . I am so glad I listened and had her running the show on our wedding day because everything turned out absolutely PERFECT. My vision was executed to a T and if there were any hiccups I certainly didn't know it. On the day of, she was extremely helpful in getting all of the DIY projects I had done set out where they were supposed to go and coordinating with all of the vendors that were coming and going. ++ her vendor recommendations for our DJ and Bartender/Service Staff were also absolutely perfect. We can't thank Shauna and her assistant enough, and we would recommend her to any of our friends getting married in the Santa Barbara area!

Keith Sent on 08/16/2019

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Thank you Armando!

Armando and his team were just so helpful in helping us pull off our beautiful wedding. Neither of us are particularly knowledgeable about a lot of wedding details, and are not the flashiest of people, and he was able to quickly pick up on this and adjust his recommendations for vendors, colors, designs, etc.
He had a great rapport with what seemed like every possible venue and vendor in Santa Barbara. Seriously, he must be the most social guy to know so many people there.
He helped plan the overall timeline and execution of the wedding, and everything fell in to place so well! The day of the wedding itself I was expecting to be stressed out and running in a bunch of different directions, but it was just a really fun experience and he made sure we were able to enjoy ourselves while he handled all the details. On the day of the wedding every time I approached him with a question or concern he was extremely quick to calm us down and remove any stress, and managed to get involved without any issues whatsoever.
He was very pleasant and fun to work with, and I would absolutely recommend him to anyone else looking for a wedding planner to remove any of the stress or questions that go along with weddings.

Nicole Sent on 02/11/2019

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Perfection!

Hiring Armando has to be one of the best decisions we have ever made. He is organized, professional, and - most importantly - he listens and seemed to understand what we wanted better than even we did! Every single vendor he recommended was excellent, and months later my guests are still commenting on how it was the most beautiful wedding they had ever been to. Looking back, I wouldn't have changed a thing, and I am so grateful for all of the hard work Armando put in to make our day perfect.

Sara Sent on 11/20/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Armando is Fantastic

I met with the Alegria team at our venue and didn't even want to meet any other coordinators after that. Armando was a pleasure to work with and was fun to interact with, as he has a lot of personality.

We hired Alegria By Design for event design and month of/day of coordination. This was a tremendous help to us since we live in San Francisco. With Armando's experience, eye for design, and solid vendor relationships, we had a wedding that was like a dream. He is very thorough and is also straight forward with you in providing advice. All the details and timeline were communicated prior to the big day. I must admit that I wasn't even nervous on the day-of because I knew we were in good hands. I have had several guests comment saying that the flow of the wedding was seamless, and I completely agree. Armando was very professional and I highly recommend him.

Rob G. Sent on 10/30/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

The Incredible Service of Alegria By Design

Armando has a soothing / calming way about him that initially impressed us, especially in the planning for the wedding of our daughter which did have some inevitable tensions as is normal we suspect. Armando managed beautifully any tension for ALL aspects of the wedding. His vendors all performed to the maximum heights of professionalism and the quality of what was provided for us was incomparable. His style of wedding management fit beautifully with the Belmond El Encanto, Santa Barbara and their staff and he accomplished a FLAWLESS wedding for our family. We cannot thank him enough and we highly, highly recommend his wedding services.

Cindy Sent on 08/24/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We couldn't be happier with Armando and his vendors. They were all very professional and wonderful to work with! Very personalized service. We are very appreciative!

Emily Sent on 08/05/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Shauna was an absolute dream to work with! The wedding planning process was a little harder for me than I thought it would be but I had Shauna to save the day. She is has such a calm about her that makes everything easy. The day of our wedding was a breeze because she was on top of everything. I truly believe our wedding would have not been as spectacular as it was without Shauna!!

Mark Sent on 08/05/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Hiring Shauna was the best decision that we made in our wedding planning process. She helped us find other excellent vendors (DJ, Photographer, Celebrant, etc.), coordinated our ceremony and reception with a minute by minute timeline, and ensured that the events ran smoothly. She was detail-oriented, organized, efficient, and friendly. We had our wedding at the Riviera Mansion and Shauna was crucial in ensuring that our big day was perfect. Thank you!

David Sent on 05/06/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Cannot say enough about the service provided by Alegria by Design in Planning and supervising Our Daughters Wedding
Shauna and her staff were truly professional and were attentive to every detail. Her interaction with the vendors was exceptional and truly made our event magical.

Kelly Sent on 01/11/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Armando was amazing to work with. He was very accommodating, professional, and was always able to give us ideas to work around potential issues we had. Our guests raved about how the day went so smoothly and how beautiful everything was. The entire day was so well organized. He put together the wedding of our dreams.

Christina Sent on 01/04/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We found Armando through a preferred vendor list from our venue. He has a few packages to choose from and we ended up choosing the Dream Planning package which included event design, vendor referrals, in person meetings, month of, and day of coordination, etc. Let me preface this by saying that I'm a corporate event planner by trade so I came in with a fairly high bar for hiring a local event planner. From the beginning I knew Armando was our guy - he was quick to understand what our wedding vision was and he gave us a full proposal including ceremony vision, attire for our bridal party, florals, linens, furniture, dance floor, etc! He connected us with local vendors, exchanged countless emails/texts/and phone calls and he made sure every detail and question I had was answered. He also helped us put together a day of agenda and helped us organize our seating assignments. By the time the actual wedding rolled around, I was completely at ease and I completely trusted Armando and his team to execute and make any executive decisions that needed to be made. I was able to enjoy the day with my husband, family, and friends and didn't need to think even once about any of the wedding details. Highly recommended!

Kayla Sent on 10/18/2017

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Shauna was a dream come true to work with! All of the details for my wedding really started to come together once I booked her and her team. She referred the BEST wedding vendors for Kyle and I and worked tirelessly to ensure our wedding day was perfect in every way. She was timely, detailed and most importantly, she cared for me and my family during the whole process. I will absolutely recommend Alegria by Design to anyone planning a wedding in Santa Barbara! Thank you, Shauna! I truly love and respect you for your hard work and dedication to us!

Gloria Sent on 10/17/2017

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

My daughter had a most memorable wedding at the ritz Carlton- Bacara resort. Armando was very instrumental in helping us secure vendors and guide us through the whole wedding process. He made sure we were always on track and on the same page. He guided us from the beginning to the day of the wedding.

Stacey Sent on 10/08/2017

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Shauna was our month-of planner for our wedding at Firestone Vineyard a week ago. She was the best money we spent on our wedding -- hands down. Our venue required us to book a planner, and I'm so grateful they did; it made ALL the difference.

Shauna identified little details and gaps that we would never have thought of -- things like who was responsible for getting the ice for white wine and beer, and making sure we had umbrellas ordered for ceremony musicians. She was quick to hop on calls when needed, and incredibly responsive with my millions of questions leading up to the wedding.

She was incredibly helpful in recommending vendors that matched our style and budget in the lead-up to our wedding month, had an extremely detailed day-of timeline to us before our month even kicked off, and was a complete godsend day-of. I didn't have to lift a finger on my wedding day thanks to Shauna and her assistant Giani handling all of the logistics -- from making sure our vendors knew where to be and when, to ensuring setup looked like it should, to keeping our emcee on track and getting our marriage license filled out correctly. She even made time to hop on a call with a vendor after the wedding to discuss some hiccups we had.

I had people coming up to me throughout the wedding saying Shauna was amazing. My biggest piece of wedding planning advice is to get a planner -- and if you're in the SB area, GET SHAUNA!

Elizabeth Sent on 08/31/2017

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We received an outstanding service from Algeria By Design. We opted for the month of package. Shauna's knowledge and know how really allowed us to relax in the final lead up to the wedding. She coordinated with all our vendors and the hotel seamlessly and we were very happy with her attention to detail and hands on help every step of the way. Thanks Shauna - you were fantastic!

Melinda Sent on 07/02/2017

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Shauna at Alegria did a phenomenal job with our wedding. I knew after our first phone consultation she was the planner for us! She was professional, relaxed and always thinking one step ahead - she brought details to our attention we never would have thought of (i.e. how to make sure we had speakers at our garden ceremony, etc) - and a lot of things experienced planners know not to overlook. We hired her for month-of planning services with a basic design package, but she was there from the beginning helping us line up all of our vendors and offering design guidance. She is from Santa Barbara and has worked with almost everyone in the area. Having a planner with great relationships with our vendors helped make our planning process and the day flow very smoothly! Everyone loves working with her! She even helped take some of the final little details off my hands the last week when I think she realized I was getting overwhelmed, which I seriously appreciated. On the day-of she was busy ensuring everything was just right behind the scenes. I had so many guests tell me this was one of the best planned, most efficiently run weddings they had been to in a LONG time! It was amazing to see everything come together the day-of - it was perfect!! I would recommend Shauna to any of my friends thinking of planning a wedding in Santa Barbara! She kept us on schedule and as stress free as possible so we could really enjoy every moment!

Morgan Sent on 10/28/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I could not recommend Armando of Alegria by Design enough to any bride looking for a wedding planner and or designer. He was truly amazing to work with. I am not the type to write reviews, and in fact never have before for anything or anyone, but felt I must, so that future couples would not miss out on the opportunity to have such a wonderful person on their team and in their corner on the most important day of their lives. He would be an asset to anyone who needs help coordinating their wedding and bringing their vision to life. He helped to find great vendors for everything from invites to florals to rentals to escort cards to lighting and the list goes on. Armando coordinated all of my vendors into a flawless wedding day where nothing went wrong and no detail was missed. Because of him I got to enjoy my day and didn't have to think about a thing! Furthermore, Armando created a breathtaking, magical and beautiful design for the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. Personally, he kept me from meltdowns, was fun, responded to emails within minutes, really listened to me and understood me and who I was and who I was trying to become, all while getting my vision for my wedding just perfect. He took my words and inspiration photos and created the wedding of my dreams all while staying on budget. In him you will find a friend and confidant and someone who can execute your event with precision and perfection. I could not recommend someone more to anyone who wants to have a flawless wedding experience.

Kelsey Sent on 09/16/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We had a FANTASTIC experience working with Shauna and the Alegria team for our wedding. They ensured that everything before, during, and after the wedding--the food, the layout, the vendors, the details the day of--were to our liking, and we could not be happier with how our wedding turned out! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Celeste Sent on 08/28/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Shauna was THE BEST. I’d highly recommend for her for any wedding or special event. She’s easy to work with, incredibly organized, prepared, personable, and went above and beyond to make my day memorable and stress-free. I can’t rave about her enough!

Joanne Sent on 08/22/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Our family and friends cannot express enough how amazing Shauna was in helping plan our daughters wedding. From the first meeting to the last detail, it was one of the most beautiful and fun nights of our lives. We used all the vendors that were recommended to us by Allegria, and each and every one did their job to perfection. We were able to sit back and enjoy every moment of this extraordinary day.

Chelsi Sent on 07/31/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I can't even begin to express how grateful we are that we had Armando for our wedding/event planner!
From the moment I first got into contact with him, he said and did all the right things to put my mind at ease!
When my husband and I first decided to elope to california we were beyond excited, however the task of planning it all the way from Canada seemed extremely daunting.... Until Armando!
He went through absolutely every thing with me, we worked out a budget together, that I thought was very reasonable. He also kept me in the loop at all times, whether it was sending me a budget spreadsheet from vision boards and ideas.
All the vendors he recommended were so talented, easy to work with, and so flexible.
When the day of our wedding finally arrived i was blown out of the water. Even though I had already seen and gone through all the design plans with Armando seeing it in person was so much more the I could have ever asked for. Armando went above and beyond with everything, the place was picture perfect and there were so many personal touches incorporated. The day ran so smoothly and Armando was there for it all, whether it was fixing my hair for pictures or making my family laugh at dinner.

Our day was Beyond perfect and I wish every bride could be as lucky as me. I felt incredibly lucky to have had such a stress free day and not have to worry about a single thing. It made it so much easier to focus on all the wonderful things and let us create memories we will always cherish.

Brenda Sent on 12/21/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I've known Armando for years from living in Santa Barbara and when it came down to planning my wedding he was the only person I could think of hiring to help keep me organized and help my fiance and I plan our special day. Armando's extraordinary attention to detail, knowledge of the wedding industry, flawless design and style expertise and overall professionalism makes him an excellent choice for wedding planning services. We hired Armando mostly of Day of Coordination for our October 10th wedding however he was always available for questions and offered a lot of guidance along the way whenever we needed something. He made time to meet with us on more than one occasion to talk about the wedding, help us come up with ideas and understand what was important to us about the wedding so he could execute our vision. On the wedding day I didn't have to worry about anything! He was there earlier than expected to start setting things up, meet with the venue staff and other vendors to make sure everything was going as planned on running on time. He checked in on me and my wedding party to keep us informed on what was going on as guests started to arrive and to make sure I was ok and to see if I needed anything and be there to calm my nerves. He is very professional and personable and we were very happy with the services we received. We highly recommend Armando from Alegria by Design for your wedding needs!

Sharon Sent on 11/24/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We highly recommend Armando and Alegria By Design to be anyone's wedding planner. Armando was awesome. We had our wedding reception in our backyard, and his ideas totally transformed the space into a gorgeous and magical venue. He took the time to get to know us and what our thoughts and ideas were, and then matched us with the best caterer, photographer, florist, lighting people, rental company and sound company for our needs. We loved everyone and it was an incredible wedding and reception. He was easy to work with and flexible with all of our last minute changes. We couldn't give a better recommendation for anyone!

Alby Sent on 11/18/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Armando was magic! We recently got married 08/29 at Bacara Resort and Armando (along with Shauna) were an integral part of our dream wedding! Armando was a pleasure to work with along the whole process and offered so much advice that was truly KEY in executing our vision. Armando worked well with us and was a true professional. He is very well known in Santa Barbara and it was always reassuring to hear that he was great to work with! His recommendations and sage advice kept us in line and on target with what we wanted. We were very particular about A LOT of aspects of the wedding and he really was amazing at negotiating and compromising with our goals in mind. Shauna and Armando really were very organized and on-point come wedding day! We couldn't have asked for a better experience! Thanks!

Plus, Armando can get down on the dance floor! ;)

Blair Sent on 09/02/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

If you are getting married in Santa Barbara, Armando Martinez and Alegria by Design are the ONLY option for your wedding planner! We live in Texas and were referred to Armando by Bacara (where we got married). He was professional, talented, punctual, fun and overall AWESOME!!! He made the whole process seamless from beginning to end. He went above and beyond to make our wedding the most fun and beautiful weekend of our life!!! He totally got me! He gave guidance in areas I knew nothing about and supported my overall vision. Planning a destination wedding can be very stressful, but I never worried knowing Armando was in my corner. He made me feel like I was the only wedding he was planning over the course of our engagement, while he had other weddings and events almost every weekend. He has mastered the art of wedding planning! We love you Armando and Alegria!!!

Alexandra Sent on 05/25/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Shauna is amazing! From the moment we hired her as our month-of-coordinator, she was fantastic with vendor recommendations and logistical suggestions as we planned our wedding from out-of-town. Then, the month before the wedding, just as we were starting to get really overwhelmed with all the little details, she took over all of the logistics and provided support we didn't even know we needed. It is due to Shauna (and her awesome assistant) that we were so incredibly relaxed at our wedding, and able to completely enjoy every moment of it without worrying about anything at all. I know several little minor crises came up, and I don't even remember what they were because they were handled before I had to think about them! I would (and will) recommend her and Alegria to anyone getting married in the Central Coast area!!!

Linda Sent on 05/20/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Shauna at Alegria By Design was the coordinator for my daughter's wedding and reception at Firestone Vineyard in Los Olivos - her work was incredible! Her professionalism, organizational skills, attention to detail, knowledge of the venue, and timely communication with both the family and the vendors kept everything running smoothly and allowed us to relax and enjoy the celebration with our guests. Shauna's supervision of the set-up for both the ceremony and reception ensured that everything looked spectacular - and she continued working hard throughout the evening to make sure everything was in order at the end, as well! The event was a complete success!

Reina Sent on 04/03/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Armando is amazing! I unfortunately was totally MIA in terms of the planning process being in the first year of my residency but Armando made it happen for me. I was often unavailable because of an erratic on-call schedule but nonetheless had BIG ideas and specific tastes for my wedding that I wouldn't have been able to put in motion without him. He is hip and in the know so I didn't have to describe what I liked and didn't like ad nauseum. He is totally intuitive and could take my hodgepodge of ideas and create something totally realistic and fantastic. My wedding was magical. Armando not only aced the presentation he kept the party's flow with his funloving personality and incredible management skills. I hope to keep in touch with him for years to come as he has become a close friend through such an important milestone in my life.

Ofelia Sent on 11/14/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Armando was just absolutley amazing. Always easy to contact and quick on responding. He made sure my Weding was just what we dreamed of and more.

User1734697 Sent on 07/27/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Shauna went above and beyond for us. I cannot began, nor shall I try to say how easy she made the whole experience.

Ana Sent on 07/24/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

There are not enough great things I can say about Shauna Timmons, our wedding coordinator. Shauna was my dream come true for our wedding! From the first moment I spoke to her I knew she could be trusted and was very good at what she does. We hired her for a month of coordinator and I have no clue what we would have done with out her. She handled everything so seamlessly. Contracts, coordination, timelines, every little detail Shauna was proactive and took care of. She was so professional and enjoyable to work with. I would absolutely recommend her to anyone!

Rosella Sent on 07/23/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I used Shauna for my day of coordinator and she was great!! She was so helpful from the very beginning of our contract and always answered all my questions I had. She communicated with every vendor prior to my wedding to make sure everything was fine. The day of the wedding i felt no stress in dealing with my vendors, Shauna made sure that everything was running as planned. Hiring Shauna made my wedding planning run smoothly.

Rylan Sent on 07/13/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Shauna is an incredible wedding planner and day-of coordinator. She helped with everything from finding vendors to staying on top of the venue/caterers to helping us set up before the ceremony/reception. She is incredibly friendly but also has a keen eye for detail. Most importantly her demeanor is fantastic - she gets people motivated with a warm and friendly way to keep the mood right.

I would absolutely recommend Shauna for any wedding!

Kirra Sent on 02/24/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

My husband and I had a non-flexible date planned for our wedding - all of our important days always fall on the 19th of the month! With that said, the last 19th of the year to fall on a Saturday gave us 3 months to plan a wedding. Enthusiasts of love we are. Planners of large events we are not. I met with Shauna soon after getting engaged with a few details in place but needing of much guidance in organizing the day of - lists, vendors, scheduling etc. Before the day of our wedding the help I received from Shauna that I appreciated most was the sample Week before/Day before/Day of schedule. With such a short period of time to arrange everything, all things needed to take place efficiently and orderly - and with very little confusion. It was so valuable to have someone show me the things I need to think about to stay organized and orderly. Shauna helped me think! The day before our wedding like most other weddings, we had a rehearsal. In my memory there were at least 17 people at this rehearsal, not including Shauna and her assistant Tasha. 17 people present: bride and groom, bridal party, and family. None of us had the brain to be swift or objective. The day before a wedding you need someone with experience and a very particular presence to help keep everyone calm and for everything to make sense. Shauna did this for us. Having her the day before the wedding helped make the following day beautiful and stress free (she even sent her husband to get my bouquet that had been left in the fridge at my house!) Shauna is a pro. Shauna knows what to do. Shauna knows how to plan/guide/structure a wedding - her experience is evident in all aspects of her support.

Sheila Sent on 02/24/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Armando and his team had a hand in every single part of our wedding. He helped us to pull together a cohesive look while staying on budget and leading us to the best vendors. He even helped me with my dress fittings. The week of my wedding I was relaxed knowing that everything was taken care of and that Armando had it covered. I would highly recomend Alegria by design!

Barbara Sent on 02/17/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Shauna Timmons was an absolutely fabulous choice as a wedding planner. She was without question 5 star in each category.
As a highly skilled and dedicated professional, I see Shauna moving quickly into the front ranks here in Santa Barbara as a leader in her industry. She is on time with everything , and lets nothing interfere with getting the job done. Seriously , she was recommended to us by a meticulous professional, and I recommend her to any one who wants a synchronized and stress free wedding day full of style and beauty.
Thank You Shauna for giving us your best and making my daughter's day extraordinary. You are absolutely wonderful!

Laura Sent on 09/03/2012

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Armando was amazing! He worked with our budget and made our wedding day beautiful! It was more than we could have asked for! He was personable and fun but always professional! He definitely knows his business!

Mayra Sent on 08/18/2012

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Armando is great in organizing events. He was the wedding coordinator and he did a great job in planning it in a very short time without leaving out quality and most important making the event a success. I highly recommend his services.
Mayra Riel

Katrinna Sent on 07/03/2012

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Armando was my trusted Genie! He made our weekend wedding sooo perfect! He worked with me for almost a year, and he was really patient and dedicated about everything. All our family and friends were very impressed with all of his work and speak very highly of him. He went over and beyond to offer his services me, my husband, and my family. Exceptional! Thanks so much, Armando! I’ve truly found a friend in you :)

Courtney Sent on 07/13/2011

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Armando with Alegria came highly recommended by my sister in law to be and I really can’t thank her enough for suggesting him. THANK YOU so much Armando! You did such a beautiful job designing and planning our wedding day. Everything looked so romantic and really fit well with our venue. Armando took so much of the stress of planning a wedding away so I really got to enjoy the whole process. Knowing that you were there really helped me to relax. We received so many compliments on our wedding day about how beautiful everything was and how smoothly everything ran and we continue to get compliments to this day! Our day was more than I could have ever asked for.

Thank you for helping to make my and Neil’s day that much more special and being so supportive, I am so proud to be a Alegria Bride!

Rosana Sent on 04/07/2011

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Armando is a very talented individual. He has so many fabulous ideas to make your day special and unique. I knew from the day we first met him that I could trust Armando with everything related to my wedding day and that he would be very professional and helpful. Our experience with him was that he was prepared for EVERYTHING and always had a solution for any hiccup. My husband and I are very happy with Armando and could not have asked for anything more on our wedding day! I must say that I am proud to be an Alegria bride!

Christiana Sent on 06/30/2018

4.9 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4.5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We needed a month of and day of coordinator for our wedding and Shauna definitely delivered! She was communicative from the beginning, guiding us on what vendors we needed and helping us look over vendor contracts. She helped create site maps and a thorough timeline that really helped keep the wedding organized. Shauna has so much wedding planning experience and she gives great advice on what you will and will not need depending on the venue. On wedding day, she was our absolute savior! We had so many moving parts but the wedding went without a hiccup. I would definitely recommend Alegria and Shauna!

Nicole Sent on 10/09/2016

4.9 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4.5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We hired Shauna as our day-of & month-of wedding coordinator for our wedding at the Riviera Mansion and it was the most well spent money of the entire wedding!! She was worth every penny! Shauna was incredibly professional and she really knows her stuff. We hired her approximately a year before the wedding and right away she began helping us plan and stay on track. Her vendor recommendations were very helpful for narrowing down the large number of potential vendors in Santa Barbara. For every question we asked along the way Shauna had a thoughtful and reasonable response- she always treated our questions and concerns as if they were completely valid even though I'm sure some of them were a bit silly :) Shauna made sure that every detail of our wedding was perfect. All of the vendors knew exactly when and where to arrive- it was perfectly orchestrated! Right before I walked down the aisle I ended up with a few minutes to take in all of my wedding decor inside the Riviera Mansion and it was all set up exactly as I had wanted it. Shauna's ability to bring my wedding vision to life was truly amazing! And Shauna herself is an absolute pleasure. I highly recommend working with Alegria by Design for your Santa Barbara wedding!

Thank you, Shauna! We are so very grateful for all of your help and guidance over the last year! Our wedding was absolute perfection :)

Rebekah Sent on 09/15/2014

4.9 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
4.5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We had the absolute pleasure of working with Shauna Timmons as our day-of-coordinator. Our wedding was like a dream, with zero 'surprises' or regrets, and we owe this in large part to Shauna. At first, planning our wedding from 3,000 miles away seemed like a daunting task, but Shauna was able to make the process not only manageable but actually enjoyable for us. She was incredibly friendly, professional, helpful, had wonderful insight and recommendations for other local vendors as well. We are both so thankful to have had her involved in our wedding day and all the work and effort that went into it. I would absolutely recommend her to any bride or groom looking for exceptional planning help!

Christina Sent on 03/17/2011

4.9 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4.5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Armando was AMAZING. Worked within our budget and provided the most beautiful, hip, amazing arangements and decor! He was worth every penny! Dont look any further....he will do it right!

User2382125 Sent on 10/21/2015

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4 out of 5 rating

Armando was awesome in helping me plan my daughter's wedding. He was always available in answering any questions and very hands on the day of the wedding.

Alegria by Design Reviews

Reviews

Alegria by Design