mayamo's reviews

My husband and I hired Marisa Holmes to photograph our wedding after inquiring with almost every wedding photographer in Los Angeles and Orange County. It was a laborious process, but in the end, Marisa's incredible style, artistic eye, and professionalism won out.

On the day of the wedding, Marisa was calm and discreet-- she was seemingly everywhere and nowhere at once. She made my husband and I so comfortable and she had some incredibly creative ideas about backdrops and posing. She's also gifted at snapping shots when you're not expecting it-- some of my favorite shots of the day were ones we didn't even know she was taking.

I could not be happier with how our photos turned out--- there are so many beautiful shots and I think our album is going to be a cherished keepsake. I could not recommend a photographer more!

The true angel of our wedding day was Angel Swanson of Events of Love and Splendor. Angel was hired after our original wedding coordinator deeply disappointed me and I was feeling a little disillusioned about wedding professionals in general. But I couldn't shake the positive vibe I got from Angel when we communicated and I had a strong feeling she wouldn't let me down. It turns out hiring her was the best wedding decision I made.

We chose Angel's smallest package, but it genuinely felt as though I had a full-time coordinator. She always made me feel like her highest priority and it was such a treat to have someone I could go to with any wedding question, concern, or general paranoia :) I must have emailed her hundreds of times over the course of my engagement and she always responded promptly, with the kindest of words and most creative of suggestions. She was incredibly organized-- she had all our wedding details at the tip of her fingertips and she was always thinking of unique ways to take our wedding to the next level. She enthusiastically designed our Indian fusion dinner menu, which was delicious and a hit among our family and friends. She also came up with the wonderful idea of using saris as cocktail table overlays and moroccan lanterns as centerpieces. It really made our cocktail hour visually stunning and I think our guests appreciated all the little details. She even created gorgeous programs and table stationery for us that perfectly evoked the style of our day.

And there were so many times Angel went above and beyond the call of duty. When my mom's back problems prevented her from driving to a vendor appointment, Angel picked her up, even though it was completely out of her way. And when I visited LA, Angel was stuck in horrible traffic and was late to our florist appointment. When I called and told her not to worry about coming, she insisted on visiting the florist anyway, to make sure our centerpieces were just as they were supposed to be--and this is after sitting in awful LA traffic for hours. It's that sort of special care and attention that makes Angel so amazing.

On the day of the wedding, Angel was a calm, serene presence. She took care of every detail, smoothed over any potential snafus, and encouraged me every moment I became anxious or nervous. Her adorable sister Anna, who serves as her assistant, was just as efficient, organized, and detail-oriented. I truly felt blessed to sit back and relax on the big day without worrying about vendors: I completely trusted Angel to take care of everything and she succeeded beautifully.

I could not recommend someone more and southern California brides are lucky to have Angel Swanson as an option among wedding coordinators. She is truly the best!