Ampersand Weddings & Events Reviews
Reviews
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
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![Ben]()
Ben Sent on 06/03/2026Our Wedding Day was Perfect Thanks to Karen & Her Team
Karen was great! She made planning and coordinating with the venue and our vendors so easy! She knew the owners of the Venue very well from working for so many years with them. She was familiar with every vendor that suggested. She had a system for how she kept track of everything, and we on top on making sure we got what we needed and for great prices.
She was great on checking in on us and making sure we were feeling good on being on track for things. The day of, she was both firm in making sure things went off without a hitch, but also a non-anxious presence for us, our families, and the bridal party!
My wife and I still talk about how not only did nothing go wrong, but everything went off splendidly. The Venue looked beautiful, the programming was pretty on time for the most part, and we never felt like we were missing something.
She is great as a professional, and also just a kind and warm person to interact with! Definitely Hire Karen Waldron and her team if you want your wedding to be stress free and perfect! -
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User7819178 Sent on 12/08/2025Excellent!
Karen and Nikki are experienced wedding professionals who significantly improved the process and outcome of our wedding. Having a veteran presence like theirs is a major value-add and stress relief. They came in with ideas and suggestions that we would not have thought of otherwise, and they were extremely helpful on the wedding day. We were very pleased with our decision to retain their services, and we would recommend them highly to anyone else that is considering hiring a wedding planner. -
![Nicole]()
Nicole Sent on 12/03/2025BEST decision for our small airbnb wedding!!!
Working with Karen and Nikki was hands down the best choice we made for our small (65-person) Airbnb wedding in Malibu. At first, we weren’t sure if planners were necessary since we were keeping things small and we were weighing saving money in this area, but their guidance ended up saving us thousands of dollars (probably more!) thanks to their vision, local vendor connections, and irreplaceable years of experience. They know exactly what makes a wedding run smoothly, from what’s worth investing in to what can be skipped entirely. From day one, they were always reachable, encouraging, realistic, and professional, making the process so exciting rather than stressful.
Our wedding simply would not have come together without them. They anticipated every detail and logistical concern we never would have considered, we felt in such good hands with them balancing the operations of it all with creativity, and calmness. Above and beyond. Their passion for what they do made everything feel SO effortless and joyful. I truly believe God led them to us, and I cannot imagine our day without them. For couples looking for southern california/ Malibu wedding planners, I can not recommend Karen and Nikki enough!! -
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![Laura]()
Laura Sent on 11/01/2025the best of the best!!!
Hiring Karen and Nikki was truly one of the best decisions we made for our wedding! From day one, they were organized, thoughtful, and so fun to work with. They listened to what we wanted, offered amazing ideas, and helped us bring our vision to life in a way that felt so personal and “us.”
Throughout the entire planning process, they kept us calm, on track, and actually made planning enjoyable (which we know is not always the case!). On the wedding day, they handled every little detail behind the scenes so we could be fully present and just enjoy every moment. It was seamless, beautiful, and more special than we ever imagined.
Beyond being incredibly talented at what they do, Karen and Nikki are just genuinely wonderful people — kind, patient, and truly invested in making the day perfect for their couples. We are forever grateful for them and couldn’t recommend them more!
If you’re thinking about booking them — don’t hesitate. You’ll be in the best hands! -
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Erin Sent on 10/21/2025
Building lifelong memories can be such a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be, and if you have an event coordinator that you trust, that has your back like I did with Ampersand Entertainment Weddings and Events! They made it such an enjoyable experience! They are so on it! They are so organized they respond almost immediately, and they think of every detail to bring your vision to reality. And the skies the limit, you can imagine whatever your imagination allows and they can bring it to life. I highly recommend Ampersand Weddings & Events.
It was an epic weekend! Every detail was thought of and executed so mindfully. The Ampersand staff is very responsive and professional. We were able to give our budget perimeters and they were very flexible to accommodate our dream vision and our budget.
To be honest, our daughter couldn’t have picked a better wedding planner! -
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![Rena]()
Rena Sent on 09/25/2025Mira & Sawyer wedding
Karen and Nikki were the absolute best resources and guides through the entire process of planning, vetting various vendors, reviewing contracts and making the wedding day amazing for us all, but most importantly, for the bride and groom.
They exceeded all expectations!
Any bride and groom and their families would be fortunate to have them by their side to help plan their wedding.
Can’t recommend them enough!!
We are so very grateful!
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![Rebecca]()
Rebecca Sent on 08/16/2025Magical April Wedding
We had our wedding at the end of April 2025 and absolutely loved working with Ampersand Wedding Planning! From the very beginning, Karen made us feel reassured and helped us prioritize what really mattered for our day. My budget wasn’t as large as I would have liked, and she guided me through where each dollar would go the farthest and have the biggest impact.
A few days before the wedding, the forecast suddenly turned to rain. Karen calmly walked me through every option and made sure we had the whole event tented, with lighting, heat, and rearranged tables so everything still felt intentional and beautiful. What could have been a disaster turned into one of the most memorable parts of our wedding—our guests even commented on how magical the tent felt.
Her connections and industry knowledge were invaluable. She knew the right questions to ask, had great resources, and secured us excellent pricing we never would have found on our own.
Karen helped make our wedding seamless, personal, and joyful from start to finish. We are so grateful for her and would recommend Ampersand Wedding Planning to anyone looking for a planner who truly cares about their clients.
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Lauren Sent on 08/12/2025
Everything you look for in a wedding planner!
Karen and Nikki are truly the dream team that brought our dream wedding to life. We went into planning unsure of what we wanted, they gave us a blueprint and made it all feel possible without compromising meaningful traditions we wanted included. From our first meeting we felt confident that we were in the right hands with all their years of experience, and they followed through to the end. We planned our wedding in under 6 months, and Karen and Nikki helped us navigate many challenging decisions. They had patience and grace with us as we took our time weighing options and never rushed us.
They are everything you look for in a wedding planner, highly respected, professional and astute. Fast forward to our wedding day, no detail was overlooked. Karen, Nikki and their team were dedicated to making sure we didn’t worry about a thing on our big day. They brought our vision to life and we are so grateful! -
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Garrett Sent on 11/24/2024
Ampersand Weddings and Events
Karen and Nikki were fantastic every step of the way helping us to create our dream wedding. We couldn’t have done it without them! -
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![Catherine]()
Catherine Sent on 11/15/2024Karen and Nikki are so easy to work with!
Nikki and Karen have great vendors and wonderful relationships with vendors. I used them for both of my weddings (my son and daughter). They are so easy going and fun to be around! Loved having them and the staff at our weddings. -
![Lindsay]()
Lindsay Sent on 11/14/2024Dream Wedding Come True: Exceptional Planning by Karen and Nikki!
We couldn’t have asked for better wedding planners than Karen and Nikki! They truly went above and beyond to bring our dream wedding to life. From the very beginning, they were attentive, kind, and genuinely invested in making our day perfect. They introduced us to the most incredible vendors who understood our vision and worked within our budget, a feat we thought would be impossible. Every detail was handled with such care and expertise, allowing us to enjoy the day without a single worry. We felt so supported throughout the entire planning process and are endlessly grateful for Karen and Nikki’s warmth, professionalism, and dedication. Our wedding was magical, and it’s all thanks to them! -
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![Katrina]()
Katrina Sent on 10/28/2024Karen and Nikki planned the wedding of my dreams! They went above and beyond and truly made my vision come to life!
I highly recommend hiring Ampersand Events for your wedding! Karen and Nikki are truly incredible! They made all my wedding dreams come true. My wedding was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. I cried when I saw my ceremony and reception. They were so professional, recommended amazing vendors, and were there for me every step of the way. They were so communicative and planned every detail of my wedding perfectly! I am so happy I chose to work with Ampersand Events because they took away all the stress and took care of everything. On a personal level, they are the kindest and most loving people and were such a pleasure to work with. Nikki and Karen are the kind people you want by your side on your most important day! -
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![Michelle]()
Michelle Sent on 10/28/2024Sweet & Caring Wedding Planners!
Working with Karen & Nikki was such a breath of fresh air amidst the crazy and unexpected journey of wedding planning. From the start, Karen was very responsive and professional - making it easy to schedule calls, meetings, and responding to texts any time we needed. They were able to guide us through several challenges and help give us different perspectives, which I appreciated as it is helpful to consider all options before making big decisions. Our guests all raved about the wedding and said everything was flawless and seamless. Going into wedding planning can be inundating and Karen & Nikki made it feel less so- they handle everything with grace, ease, and reassurance and make you feel like you are working with family. Thank you both for everything! -
Jordan Sent on 07/02/2024
incredible service provided by Ampersand!
We are absolutely thrilled with the incredible service provided by Ampersand! They truly went above and beyond to make our special day unforgettable.
From the moment we started working with them, they made us feel completely comfortable and supported. They joined our meetings with all of our vendors and even traveled to Palm Springs to meet us at our in person appointments, ensuring we asked the right questions and made informed decisions. Their guidance was invaluable.
On the day of the wedding, the venue was transformed into a glamorous, beautiful space that surpassed our wildest dreams. The attention to detail and the seamless execution were nothing short of magical. Everything went off without a hitch, allowing us to fully enjoy every moment of our celebration. All of our guests can’t stop talking about how perfect the wedding was & how they had the best time.
We were a little picky choosing some of our vendors but Karen and Nikki patiently helped us find the perfect vendors for all of our services.
Ampersand is a very family oriented team. Karen even met with both of our mothers and families to listen to their needs and make them feel heard and included.
We couldn't have asked for a better team to help us plan our wedding. Their professionalism, dedication, and creativity made all the difference. We wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone looking for exceptional wedding planners!
Thank you for making our day perfect!
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![Suzanne]()
Suzanne Sent on 05/20/2024Seamless, professional, responsive, creative, punctual, great communication, supportive, fun
Karen and Nikki are the BEST!! From start to finish the level of professionalism and excellence were top notch! They listened to what our daughter’s vision for her wedding was, recommended a fabulous variety of vendors, arranged meetings, walked us step by step through the details offering good insight and support, all from a great distance. The bride and groom live in NYC, my husband and I are in the process of relocating and remodeling a property in Florida, and the wedding was in Santa Barbara, so their role in the wedding was absolutely vital to creating a successful and stress free wedding! Cannot recommend them enough, highest praise possible. They are lovely humans, and you could feel the love and respect they held for us throughout this process. For me, as MOB, the highest compliment I can give is to say that I didn’t have to worry about ANYTHING all day, and could be fully present and enjoy every second with peace of mind. Karen and Nikki are excellent at what they do, they love their jobs and it is obvious! -
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![Caroline]()
Caroline Sent on 12/27/2023Karen and Nikki are the best.
Karen and Nikki are the best. They are exactly who you want by your side while planning a wedding. Karen goes above and beyond and made my wedding day more spectacular than I could have ever imagined! -
![Olivia]()
Olivia Sent on 09/18/2023Perfect planners for the perfect day!
Karen and Nikki made our wedding dreams come true - and then some!
I knew as soon as we had our intro call that Karen was the event planner I needed. We talked about my vision and budget and she made me confident in moving forward, knowing I’d have the most amazing wedding while still staying within my budget. She is knowledgeable, experienced, thoughtful, and so caring - I could tell Karen wanted my day to be perfect even as much as I did!
Karen went above and beyond - scheduling and attending my appointments, sharing pictures and examples so I could visualize as I made decisions (with her expert help!), and drawing on her endless connections to ensure I would have everything I could want. She took away all of my stress and anxiety about making my special weekend happen.
She went out of her way to deliver gorgeous bouquet centerpieces to my rehearsal dinner (and getting us the best table in the place!), stayed at the venue all day on my wedding day from 8am for setup until late into the night when we moved the party inside. Nikki and Karen quickly felt like part of the family, all while professionally keeping everything flowing on time, and making sure every detail was taken care of and perfect. The whole experience with Ampersand was special, exciting, and professional, never transactional.
My husband and I had the best weekend of our lives thanks to Ampersand, and I cannot wait to work with them again on our next event. -
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![Shannon]()
Shannon Sent on 09/14/2023Look No Further!!
LA area brides & grooms look no further, if you're in need of a planner Ampersand entertainment is the way to go! From my initial zoom meeting with Karen we immediately connected & through our year and a half of planning she became like family.
Wedding planning can be tiring, stressful, and downright difficult. Karen helped with every detail along the way, any time we felt unsure or needed an opinion on anything we had confidence and trust in her and her recommendations. Karens knowledge, hustle, creative eye, & amazing energy made hiring her as a planner worth EVERY penny (although after realizing how much effort, expertise, and love she puts into her work I'm not sure she and her team get paid even nearly what they deserve)
I could go on and on about how amazing she was/is BUT the bottom line is if you and your future husband/wife want to actually sit back and ENJOY your wedding day I suggest hiring Karen. All of our guests & family members are still raving about how stunning & special our wedding ceremony & reception were, we continue to respond with "thank you, but we truly couldn't have done it without Karen as our planner" She is an absolute GEM of a human & beyond talented!
We are forever in debt to Ampersand Entertainment for seamlessly executing the wedding day of our dreams and for allowing us to be as worry free as humanly possible & soak in all the beauty and love that we were surrounded by on the most unforgettable day of our lives!
If you're looking for a passionate, professional, organized, have your back kind of planner -- Ampersand Entertainment is the one!!
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Annie Sent on 07/26/2023
Flawless Event Design
I had the pleasure of partnering with Karen and the Ampersand Ent. team at a gorgeous wedding in Santa Ynez last weekend. As supervisor and event planner of the catering team, I was thoroughly impressed. Karen's eye for design and detail, quick email correspondence, professional layouts, and her careful and calm demeanor on the day of ( in 97 degree weather at that) were greatly appreciated by myself and my team. I would recommend Karen to any of my future brides looking for a fabulous event planner who creates stunning events. Thank you for everything Karen, til next time! -
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Marcie Sent on 07/26/2023
Malibu Expertise
If you are looking to have a Malibu wedding, Karen is THE subject matter expert! It's not a straightforward process with septic issues, parking, and permits, and I was so grateful to have Karen making sure our wedding day was a success. -
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Fran Sent on 07/16/2023
The Very Best!
Karen was phenomenal to work with in planning our wedding. She was great about creating and making recommendations to our timeline and details that would make sense logistically and exceed our vision. Karen was our lifesaver for the wedding. She was very professional, caring, energetic, and extremely creative! She was super easy to work with, and we always felt calm after we discussed the many questions we had about planning our event. She was the best coordinator that we could have asked for. Karen covered every detail, and took full responsibility for the organization of our vendors. Prior to the wedding, a full agenda breakdown of the day was provided to us that explained in great detail who needed to be where and when. During the day itself, we didn’t have to worry about anything, as Karen coordinated the entire day. We cannot thank Karen enough for everything she did to make our special day perfect.
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![Raquel]()
Raquel Sent on 05/20/2023Karen at Ampersand Entertainment
Karen was the most incredible wedding planner we could have ever asked for. She is so experienced and knowledgeable and connected to all the best vendors, I don’t know what we would have done without her. Our wedding ended up being perfect in every way and I know it could not have been possible without her amazing attention to detail and genuine care about providing me and my husband with everything we wanted for our special day. Karen, we could never thank you enough. -
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Carrie Sent on 11/18/2022
Kind, wonderful, truly caring and highly professional planner
Hire Karen if you want to work with a genuinely good person and caring planner who will listen to all your wedding visions, dreams and worries at any hour of any given day, and magically make everything be alright no matter what. Karen is always available, goes above and beyond and executes like the highly experienced event planner she is. Her vendor recommendations were spot on, she handled all communication and coordination for both our welcome event and wedding day in Malibu, and one can easily tell that she has earned the respect and friendship of many top notch event professionals in the area. Due to some major road blocks, we almost called off our wedding twice - and we surely wouldn't have had our special day if it wasn't for Karen. She made sure we kept going, spent hours and hours finding alternatives and back-up plans all while moving forward with our original vision. We ended up having the most wonderful wedding and everything came together beautifully. Karen has become a real friend and I even cried when we parted ways the next day! Post event she even got us a partial refund from a vendor who wasn't up to her high standards for her clients. Karen is a real sweetheart and I recommend you hire her too for your wedding or event -
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Sarah-Jayne Sent on 10/25/2022
10/10 recommend!
Ampersand Entertainment did both my gender reveal and baby shower! I cannot recommend Karen and her team’s services enough! They made me feel comfortable and heard while bringing my vision to life. Each step of the process was handled with kindness and care. I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better team of professionals to make my special days even better. Karen is so sweet, down to earth and personable. I recommend her highly! -
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![Kimberly]()
Kimberly Sent on 01/02/2022Invaluable Wedding Expertise
Karen is experienced, knowledgeable, and practical. She was a fantastic partner on our journey and provided thoughtful suggestions but allowed our event to be fully ours too. Our event went from feeling big and overwhelming to feeling handled almost overnight. I also really appreciated how much she cared...and not just about the details but about me. It was support I didn't know I needed. Thank you, Karen, for helping us create the wedding events of our dreams. -
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![Josh]()
Josh Sent on 11/25/2021Magic on short notice
We had a very short time frame and restrictive schedule to hold our wedding but Karen was able to pull off a truly magical celebration anyway. From the venue to the settings and decor, the event was splendid and full of pleasant surprises. Highly recommended! -
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![Juliana]()
Juliana Sent on 10/14/2021Incredible
Ten thousand stars! I don’t even know where to begin. Karen is an absolute angel, incredible at what she does, and has the highest degree of taste, kindness, patience, and integrity imaginable. She began as our wedding planner and by the end of our wedding, she was our friend. We planned our dream wedding for 70 of our closest friends and family at our home and had to put everything together from A-to-Z. It would simply not have been possible without Karen and Ampersand Entertainment. From finding, organizing and contacting vendors, to designing a floor plan for our space, to helping us choose linen colors, to creating and reminding us of timelines, to fixing loose dress seams, to reminding us to just be present with each other and enjoy the day, Karen went above and beyond, and did it all with a smile and an impressive amount of serenity. Her assistant, Christian, is equally incredible. When our bartender was late, Christian jumped behind the bar and served all of our guests. He took our dogs out to go potty, fed them dinner, and did dishes. He fixed the sleeve of my dress and got us more toilet paper when we were running low. I have literally never seen service like this in my life. If you are considering hiring Ampersand entertainment for your event, don’t think twice, do it now! It would be the best decision you could possibly make. Our wedding was the best day of our lives, and stress-free thanks to this incredible company. Cannot wait to hire them again. -
![Robert]()
Robert Sent on 09/07/2021Seamless, stress free and super organized
Karen was a critical component to the success of our wedding. She was able to work seamlessly with vendors to achieve our vision for the ceremonies. She offered insightful suggestions that were helpful in cutting costs while elevating the wedding and rehearsal experiences for us, and all our guests. Widely referred to as one of the best weddings many of our guests have attended, it couldn't have been achieved without Karen's experience, expertise, and collaborative help. She takes charge where needed yet showed a genuine interest in helping us see our own vision through. Karen was the perfect choice for our entire wedding experience. -
![David]()
David Sent on 01/31/2020Karen was able to bring our dream wedding to life!
Karen went above and beyond. She is patient, professional and an amazing communicator. Having a wedding planner who is willing to buy into your vision and make it happen is a game changer. She found us the perfect vendors in our price range, negotiating on our behalf when necessary. She thought of the details that would have otherwise slipped our mind. We don't know what we would have done without her day of. She made everything go off without a hitch and we were able to be fully present and just enjoy! -
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![Kaylee]()
Kaylee Sent on 09/28/2019Our Dream Day
Karen and her team are nothing short of incredible––if you are looking for an experienced, connected team, someone that will help bring your dreams and visions to life, and someone to share in the often-chaotic season that is engagement, look no further. My husband and I are both detail-oriented, intentional creatives so naturally, our wedding day reflected that. Karen was a dream to work with. After an initial venue fell through, she worked with us to secure what became our dream wedding location, and worked tirelessly to produce a wedding that was entirely "us". Her relationships with vendors speak volumes of her experience and reputation in the industry and made the business-like aspects of planning a wedding so manageable. She sat with us through our dreams, concerns, ideas, and emotions, fought for us, kept our best interest in mind, and became a dear friend. Wedding days are not meant to be perfect, but they are indeed meant to be extraordinary. Because of Ampersand Entertainment, our day was just that. I cannot thank or give praise to her and her team enough: they're experts in their field, and more than that, they're incredibly kind and wonderful to work with. -
Hanna Sent on 02/09/2019
The Perfect Wedding!
Every bride dreams of having the perfect wedding, and our daughter Hanna’s came pretty darn close! We just can’t say enough about Karen. Nothing but five stars all the way. We knew immediately that we were in the right hands the moment she began introducing us to her contacts. Everyone from the caterers, lighting, DJ, rentals and flowers, all loved her and treated her with tremendous respect, not to mention bending over backwards on the wedding day. She created a magical setting that almost felt too good to be true. Our daughter had such a vision and Karen pulled it off! Not once did we feel any stress, and the whole event went without flaw. To this day, some guests have told us it was the best wedding they had ever been to, and those are the memories you want.
Being in the entertainment business, we can’t wait to employ her in future events!
Hats off to Ampersand Entertainment!
Chad & Diedre Hayes
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Keith Sent on 01/30/2019
Ampersand Entertainment
Karen and her company Ampersand Entertainment were fantastic and went above and beyond to make our wedding special. She was easy to work with, open, honest and available for all our needs. Karen did all the little things to make our day special and unique. I would absolutely use Ampersand Entertainment to plan and create my next event.
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