About - Northern California Wedding Planner
Hi, I am Kristan, a wedding planner in Northern California. I live in Livermore wine country with my husband, Paul, our dog Truffles, and our cat, Kahlua. I love our little town and its wide-open spaces. Most (wedding free) weekends I can be found in downtown Livermore grabbing a bite to eat, having a glass of bubbly, walking Truffles, catching up with friends, and spending quality time with Paul.
Growing up I lived at the barn all summer long with my horse Chewy. I am slightly obsessed with unicorns. I am a foodie through and through and an aspiring bubbly connoisseur.
I am best known for being organized, detailed, and a logistics whiz! Scroll down to learn more and see the Cora Bella Core Values and my Top 10 FAQs.
from our clients
love letters
Catharine & David
Kristan was just fabulous. We loved her personality and how she stayed calm under pressure. The wedding went flawlessly and was absolutely the best day of our lives. Hiring Kristan was one of the best decisions we made throughout the entire wedding planning process.
from our clients
love letters
Kimberly & Jon
Kristan was such a lifesaver when my husband and I threw an intimate brunch for our family after our elopement. We are so grateful to her for taking the weight of planning off our shoulders and just letting us relax! This is what makes Kristan such a great planner – her attention to detail.
from our clients
love letters
Olivia & Ryan
I felt at ease during my wedding I knew that Kristan had it all handled and I didn't have to worry about a thing. The wedding went flawless, Kristan did an amazing job working with my other vendors to produce a perfect wedding day. I am so thankful for her guidance and support through the entire process.
Core Values
are the founding principles of my work. This business is my passion and I uphold these principles above all others.
HONESTY & INTEGRITY
to love is to be human and to be human is to be unique yet equal. It is that simple. I pride myself on building relationships with vendors who believe the same. Together we will provide you with a wonderful, inclusive and supportive planning experience.
inclusivity & Equality
might be my superpowers. I thrive and delight in working out complex logistical challenges. I am uniquely able to see the big picture and the minutia and how one will affect the other. I gladly apply these talents to your event, so you don’t have to.
LOGISTICS & DETAILS
if I had to declare a second superpower this would be it. It might be a touch cliché to declare this, but it’s something I am known for (and I secretly pride myself on–shhh don’t tell anyone). You and your guests will be blissfully unaware of the quiet chaos going on behind the scenes.
CALM, COOL & COLLECTED
Your vision and desires are my priority, and I am here to bring them to life. I will advocate for you and support you every step of the way, but especially in your stead on event day. You can relax and enjoy, knowing I have your back.
ADVOCACY
I am here to give you creative solutions, ideas, design elements, and problem solving, so that we can bring your vision and desires to life in a way that is unique to you.
CREATIVITY
I am here to be your Partner in Planning. I believe I should be here for you between planning meetings. That is why I provide a booking link to schedule touch-base meetings to go over whatever you need to chat about. I have weekday, evening and weekend appointments available for you, no matter which service level you book.
PARTNERSHIP
to be featured on
tickled pink
today's bride sf
the INDEPENDENT
Style me pretty
wedding lovely Blog
glamour & grace
ceremony magazine
To put it simply: you plan a wedding once in your life. I plan weddings every day.
Of course wedding planning isn't simple, so let me expand. The engagement phase of your life is finite. Hiring a planner allows you to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
If you want a partner in planning, someone who has your back, delights in logistics, hundreds of details, many moving parts, with a deep sense of calm, while also laughing and having fun? I am your gal.
WHY HIRE A PLANNER? WHY KRISTAN?
Frequently Asked Questions
As a Northern California wedding planner, my standard service area is San Francisco to Tahoe and Napa to Carmel and Palm Springs / Palm Desert.
With that said, my bags are packed and my passport is current, so let's have some fun and jetset to a new land for your wedding!
WHERE DO YOU PLAN EVENTS? DO YOU TRAVEL?
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, I work best with clients who have a starting budget or $80,000 for a wedding of 100 guests ($800 per guest). On average my clients spend $900 - $1,120+ per guest.
With that said, I love to plan smaller, intimate celebrations, so please do reach out!
IS THERE A MINIMUM EVENT BUDGET YOU WORK WITH?
Frequently Asked Questions
100%. Absolutely.
I wholeheartedly believe to love is to be human and to be human is to be unique, yet equal.
And, P.S. I'd LOVE to do more LBGTQ+ weddings!
DO YOU WORK WITH LGBTQ+ COUPLES?
Frequently Asked Questions
You betcha! California and the SF Bay Area are destination wedding markets. I would say 30 - 45% of my couples are "conferencing-in" from all corners of the country. I am happy to work with time zones, video chats, emailing and all manners of virtual planning and collaboration.
DO YOU WORK WITH COUPLES WHO ARE NOT IN THE AREA?
Frequently Asked Questions
This is my most asked question. The truth is my pricing is fully custom. It is based on season, venue, city, guest count, logistics, scale of the celebration and services provided.
With that said, I strive to send all proposals within one hour of the consultation.
WHAT IS YOUR PRICING?
Frequently Asked Questions
The nuts and bolts of it are this: the venue coordinator is there for the venue. They will supervise things as they pertain to the venue, such as food & beverage, power for DJ, etc.
A planner works with you from the beginning all the way through event day. Their goal is to provide you with an exceptional planning experience, supporting you and guiding you every step of the way. A great wedding planner will team-lead all of your vendors on event day, righting any glitches that pop-up, and allowing each vendor to truly shine and provide their absolute best for you and your guests.
MY VENUE HAS A COORDINATOR. HOW ARE YOU DIFFERENT?
Frequently Asked Questions
What I offer is built on the foundation of day-of/month-of. It is called Wedding Management (WM). I strongly believe in building a partnership with my clients. I want you to feel supported and guided throughout your planning journey. WM clients have access to me via email & phone from the time they book. Plus, they get 2-hour monthly planning meetings. We go over every detail, answer every question, and document it all in Aisle Planner (my wedding planner software), timelines, floor plans, and more. Then I take over 30 - 45 days out, letting them enjoy the last month of engagement.
DO YOU OFFER DAY-OF OR MONTH-OF COORDINATION?
Frequently Asked Questions
For me the planning journey is about trust & chemistry. I genuinely adore my clients and that's because I encourage every inquiry to book a planner that they love and trust. I tell them it's okay if that's not me, because there is a perfect-fit planner out there for them. You will spend hours chatting with your planner in meetings, emails, and phone calls - you better like them! With a foundation of trust and chemistry, I am able to give you my best work and my best self; thereby, knocking your celebration out of the proverbial park and exceeding your (and your guest's) expectations.
WHAT ELSE SHOULD I KNOW BEFORE HIRING YOU?
Frequently Asked Questions
A great place to start is Instagram! If you peep my stories you will get a glimpse into my life behind the brand. I often post stories of my dog Truffles, my cat Kahlua, my hubby Paul and our life in the quaint town of Livermore. You'll also see a fair amount of food, recipe making, wine and bubbles!
Another place to learn more is on the blog. Be sure to check out the Lifestyle section.
