Say I Do by Karisa

4 months after writing my initial review, Karisa refunded my deposit. She asked me to update my Yelp review today.

Once I got engaged, I knew I had to get a wedding planner. I live on the mainland but my dream was to come home to Hawaii and have a wedding at Ko Olina. The hunt was on: I asked about half a dozen brides who had gotten married recently in Hawaii and one name kept coming up over and over again: Say I Do by Karisa. Then I saw her last name and I was like...wait a minute. That name sounds SO FAMILIAR. So I called my Mom and she's like, "yeah, you had dinner with her and her sister when you were really small". Sorry, that was a tangent. But see, she's so memorable that I remembered her from over 20 years ago!She is responsive, caring, and once she's understood what your dream is (or for me, lack of a vision so she helped me figure it out), will execute it. Our plans for a March wedding were slightly altered; we decided to have a small ceremony within a two week period instead. I promptly freaked out. Karisa, on the other hand, literally texted me after I stopped texting a flurry of words that probably made little sense, "I got you". And she did. She executed the most beautiful wedding in two weeks. I didn't have to do much, just choose what I liked better, paid the vendors, and she handled the rest (which included calming me down, so she's like a therapist too). Some of my friends and family caught wind that we were doing this impromptu ceremony and were stunned when they saw the pictures because, I quote, "oh I thought you were just doing this small thing". The day was perfect. My husband I were floored with how beautiful and amazing the day was. We are still using Karisa for our wedding in March as well (Say I Do, PART TWO) and I rely on Karisa for any event I have. Because she is amazing. Contact her if you would like your stress level to come down to a manageable level when planning and executing your event, and also interact with one of the sweetest, fun people I've ever met.

You know how people say that good things come in small packages? Well, KARISA is one of them. She may be on the tiny side, but don't let her small stature influence you - Karisa is the ABSOLUTE BEST at what she does. I could go on and on about her professionalism, ideas, response rate - which are ALL AMAZING. Short time frame to plan a wedding? Crazy idea? Not to worry - Karisa can handle it all. She's almost like the equivalent of Superwoman of the Wedding Planner World. But, what I appreciated the most about her was that she is honest. If you want something, she is upfront with you from the start of what it is going to cost? Is it in your budget? And, any concerns that she may have (for example, weather, logistics, etc). This isn't to deter you from having what you want on your special day - but, it's so that you know upfront and Karisa knows what she can do to make what you want happen. It also helps that Karisa literally knows EVERYONE. Not even joking, she literally knows EVERYONE. Words cannot express how grateful we are for all that she did for husband and I. In our case, we needed to plan a wedding in a little over three and a half months. Karisa's response, "No problem!" From start to finish, Karisa had everything handled like the BOSS LADY that she is. I did not worry about one thing! Even when I was having dress nightmare/problems and I was ready to just walk down the aisle in a paper bag, Karisa swooped in to save the day with an amazing seamstress. She even came with me to the appointments to make sure everything worked out the way I wanted. I could go on and on and on about the AMAZINGNESS that is Karisa. Do yourself a favor. Do your fiancé a favor. Call Karisa. Email her. Just contact her. You won't regret it!

CALL HER! You will not regret it for a second. Whether you're getting married on the mainland or Hawaii, Karisa is the BEST one for the job. I am from Los Angeles and got married in LA too. Karisa flew from Hawaii to have a consultation with me and my venue 5 months before the wedding. About a week before the wedding, she flew out to LA and was by my side from that moment on. Karisa's eye for detail is what made our wedding perfect! Since I was a DIY bride, Karisa made sure she knew what everything I made was and where it was supposed to go. I was able to squeeze away from hair and makeup to see how she was doing and it was as if I was setting up myself! Even when the wind picked up, Karisa solved all of the DAY-OF problems. I didn't notice anything...For those of you who are on the fence about hiring a wedding coordinator or at least a DAY-OF planner, call or email Karisa. She will not rip you off and she will give you everything you need. And did I mention, she knows everyone so she will have all the connections in Hawaii or on the mainland. No need for Bridezilla with Say I Do by Karisa!! I promise.

Best event planner by far. She is completely trustworthy and has lots of experience. She puts on the best events and parties! She has a great team and amazing relationships with all of the vendors. Highly recommend Say I Do by Karisa for any event small or large!

SHE IS THE BEST! Karisa made my day the best day of my life! She was there from the beginning, from helping picking our venue, our vendors to vent to when I was having a panic attack. She is seriously the best! The day of I thought it was a perfect day, I didn't hear about how crazy our guests got until the next day. THAT is what you need and want in your coordinator, someone that puts out a fire before you even knew it happened. Call her!

If you're looking to hire a wedding planner, my husband & I would definitely recommend Karisa. Not only is Karisa super down to earth & easy to get a long with, but she's also creative, efficient, organized, has all the right connections, and is willing to go the extra mile to make your wedding day special. As a bride that had her "bridezilla" moments, Karisa helped ease the pressure and stress by meeting with us at our convenience, responding to emails/phone calls right away, and getting the vendors organized & on track. She's constantly thinking of her clients (she carried home a TON of salt water taffy from Trader Joe's in LA for our candy bar because she realized that would be cheaper for us) and is a great problem solver (which is a must when things don't go as planned, which is bound to happen). You will not be disappointed if you hire Karisa as your wedding planner. She will do everything possible to make your wedding day the happiest day of your life!

Book Karisa if .... 1) You're rich and plan to do a high profile wedding 2) if you're a major influencer on social media Don't book Karisa 1) if you want a small wedding2) if you're on a tight budget 2) if you're not popular on social media3) if you don't like to be ghostedKarisa please have more respect with your aquaintances. Be more transparent and upfront if they don't fit with your agenda, instead of leaving them hanging for weeks and completely disappearing. Just be upfront and honest.

Karisa planned my wedding in May 2012 and went above and beyond what I had hoped for. Her attention to detail, reliability, and network of resources allowed me to be a carefree bride who could enjoy the days leading up to the big day. I really appreciated her availability and work ethic. The vendors she referred where nothing but the best. She was great at coordinating everyone involved in the wedding- including my family which is a pretty difficult task! The day of she was attentive and organized. I recommend her to any bride who wants to be stress free and happy walking down the isle. P.S. I still get compliments on my wedding.

She is one of the worst coordinators ever. No where to be found and misses a lot of details. Just beware and search for other coordinators who have the experience and knowledge of coordinating events.