Collectively, our team has over 50 years in the biz....wow that makes us sound old. Owner, Jodi Drysdale, started CES in 2007 and since then, she, along with her amazing team, have served close to 500 couples. Our clients select us because of our skill, experience, and mostly, our relationships. Our focus is on providing high touch, personalized planning for couples who care about their people - most. Many planners can make beautiful events. Our focus is on creating beautiful experiences. From the invitation, to the food, to the space, and the music - we believe your wedding should FEEL like YOU. 

Our Full Service Planning & Design services are provided by Jodi Drysdale. With a lifetime (literally) in the event industry, Jodi loves taking her clients ideas and bringing them to life. Our Associate Planners, Elaine and Jordan, are coordination rockstars and provide our Planning and 3 Month Service Packages. Our Event Assistants round out our crew. All our team members have extensive event experience and have been with CES for 5-11 years. We sure love what we do! 

Nope. What matters more is having a planner who understands how weddings work—not just a specific location.

With over 18 years of experience, we know what questions to ask, what details to confirm, and how to prepare for any space. Whether we’ve worked at your venue before or not, we conduct thorough site visits and coordinate closely with your venue team to ensure everything runs smoothly.

No. Each lead planner and coordination team is dedicated to one wedding per weekend.

This allows us to stay fully focused on your event, your timeline, and your experience—without splitting attention or resources. While we may have multiple teams, your planner is committed solely to you.

That depends on the level of service you choose, but our role is always the same: to simplify the process and guide your decisions.

For full-service planning, we support you from the beginning—starting with vendor selection, then moving into design, logistics, and execution. For partial planning or event management, we step in where you need us most and ensure everything is organized and aligned.

Most clients connect with us regularly throughout the process, with structured check-ins and ongoing support as needed.

It starts with an inquiry and a consultation so we can understand what you’re planning and where you need support.

After the call, we’ll send over a proposal, contract, and payment details. A retainer is required to secure your date, with the remaining balance due closer to your wedding. We’re happy to walk through options and create a plan that works for you.

We don’t require a minimum budget, but we do provide guidance based on what we typically see.

For our Full Service Planning couples, most invest $900 and up per guest all in. So for a wedding of 100 guests, a total event budget begins at around $90-$100k.

For our Event Management clients, it's often closer to $600 and up per guest, or a total event budget that begins at around $60k-$80k for 100 guests.

Again, these are not requirements, but provided to give a little insight and education on budget averages as you begin your planning.

Yes—we’ve built strong relationships with trusted vendors across Napa Valley, Tahoe, Sacramento, and beyond.

We’re happy to recommend vendors we know and trust, but we’re equally comfortable working with any professional team you’ve already selected. Our focus is on building the right team for your specific wedding.

Yes. We regularly plan weddings both locally and internationally.

We have experience coordinating events in a range of locations and can manage the logistics, travel considerations, and vendor coordination needed to bring your wedding together—no matter where it takes place.

We sure do! Not only is this a requirement for most venues, but we believe it should be a standard for any wedding/event professional. All vendors on our preferred lists are also insured.