Wedding Planners Who Make Magic
Even the best venue, florist, and caterer need someone to pull it all together. Here are five DC-area wedding planners worth a look, from boutique full-service studios to a caterer that also plans.
The Coordinated Collective
Founded by Ja'el Mendez and based in Arlington, VA, The Coordinated Collective specializes in month-of and day-of coordination for couples who plan their own weddings but want an experienced team to execute on the day itself. Couples get unlimited email support throughout planning, with hands-on coordination kicking in about eight weeks out to finalize logistics, confirm vendors, and run the rehearsal. The team — nearly 30 coordinators strong — has deep familiarity with popular DMV venues like Meridian House, Rust Manor House, and the National Arboretum, and reviewers consistently praise their calm, organized presence on the wedding day itself. It's a strong fit for couples who've handled the planning legwork themselves and just need someone trustworthy to take the reins on the big day.
Allore Events & Design
Led by founder and lead planner Lisseth Orellana, Allore Events & Design is a boutique planning studio serving DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. Lisseth intentionally limits the number of clients she takes on each year so she can give full attention to every detail, offering full-service planning, partial planning, month-of coordination, and custom event planning. Reviewers consistently point to her calm, organized presence on the wedding day itself — handling everything from decor setup and breakdown to last-minute fixes — as a standout part of the experience.
Wand & Bash Events
Based in Falling Waters, WV (about an hour from DC and Baltimore) and led by planner Katy, Wand & Bash brings a self-described "fairy godmother" approach to wedding planning and day-of coordination, serving the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, Western Maryland, and the wider DMV. The team is known for organized planning tools (including shared Google Drives for vendor and decor tracking), creative problem-solving when timelines go sideways, and a willingness to lean into a couple's specific theme — from Disney-inspired weddings to large multicultural celebrations.
Angelica & Co.
Founded by Angelica Laws and based in Kensington, MD, Angelica & Co. offers full planning, partial planning, and management-and-design packages for couples across DC, Northern Virginia, Charlottesville, Maryland, and beyond. The team is known for a highly personalized, design-forward approach — Angelica got her start interning with a wedding planner in 2012 before moving through assistant planning, catering sales, and venue management roles — and reviewers frequently mention her team's ability to keep a wedding day free of visible hiccups, even when things go wrong behind the scenes.
Madison Avenue Events
Led by owner Madison Hummel, a certified wedding planner and designer through the Event Leadership Institute, Madison Avenue Events serves DC, Maryland, and Virginia with a design style described as minimalist yet elegant. The company produces more than $1 million in weddings annually and offers full-service and partial-planning packages, with an emphasis on cohesive design — linens, florals, food, and music layered together intentionally rather than treated as separate decisions. Madison has been featured in Southern Living, The Knot, and Washingtonian for her planning expertise.
Whether you want a boutique design-focused planner or a caterer who also handles the logistics, these five give a good sense of the range of planning support available across the DMV.