Karissa Paxton Events -

Guinevere Espinoza-Krebs CA-Santa Cruz

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Karissa Paxton Events numerous times over the last two years, and each experience has been nothing short of amazing. Karissa and her incredible team make every step of the process feel seamless, enjoyable, and truly exciting. They’re not only professionals but also genuinely fun to work with, bringing an infectious energy and creativity to each event.

Karissa has a fantastic eye for design, transforming every space she touches into something memorable, stylish, and inviting. No matter the venue, she has a way of making it feel both elegant and fun, with thoughtful touches that show her attention to detail. Every event I've collaborated on has felt fresh and unique, a true testament to her design skills.

One of the best parts of working with Karissa Paxton Events is how flawlessly organized they are. They handle every detail with precision, allowing me to fully enjoy the event without a single worry. No mess, no stress—just an outstanding experience from start to finish. If you're looking for a team that can make your vision come to life effortlessly, I wholeheartedly recommend Karissa Paxton Events. After two years of incredible events, I can confidently say they never disappoint!

Oscar Sánchez

I truly enjoyed working with Karissa and her team. From the very beginning, Karissa and her team showed professionalism, creativity, and a keen attention to detail that truly elevated our event. Our guests had a wonderful time, and we were able to relax and enjoy ourselves knowing everything was in great hands.

K. Klaes

I came across Karissa Paxton Events when I first started planning a destination wedding and needed an expert in the area to help bring my wedding day dreams to reality. I immediately "clicked" with Karissa as a planner and person - she just "got me." I knew she understood my vision and would do everything in her power to bring it to life. I have a very creative imagination, and Karissa met every quirky, colorful challenge with a smile on her face. She wonderfully brought my ideas to life, and the biggest compliment I keep receiving about the wedding over and over again is that it was perfectly "us."
I hired Karissa over a year before the wedding and commenced weekly calls to discuss our big, four-day weekend of events. Our interaction was not limited to calls. I frequently emailed her and the wonderful Kayla on the KPE team and always received prompt answers. Karissa also made herself available via text, and I don't think I will ever stop sending her cute inspiration photos on Instagram.
I love organizing and planning, and Karissa allowed me to be involved where I wanted to be and take away the responsibilities and stress that no bride should have to deal with.
Hiring a planner is an investment not only in the quality of your wedding but also in your own sanity as things pile up, and I am so thankful I had Karissa with me every step of the way.
Throughout the weekend her team was in a million places at once and pulled off our dream day. Karissa was there to not only ensure the weekend went off without a hitch but also to bustle my dress, help me change, and to tell me when it was time to leave the dancefloor for our exit (try as I might to make the night last forever.) I don't know what I am going to do without my weekly calls with Karissa! I will miss her and her team dearly.

Taylor Poncetta

My husband and I can't say enough good things about Karissa and her amazing team. The age old saying "the day goes by way too fast" is the truth but Karissa took care of EVERY detail with grace. Our only job was to say I do and fully focus on our day of love. She listened to what our vision was and delivered an even more beautiful day than we could have imagined. From the first phone call we had with her to the good-bye at the end of our wedding night, she left us with a positive energy the whole way through. She introduced us to vendors that we wouldn't have found without her strong connections and we can confidently say that our wedding wouldn't have been the same without them. She is pure magic!

Allison Sommer

Karissa and her team made the joy of the wedding last a full year, not just the one day. The planning itself was so much fun, which I Know most people don't say. Now that we're post-wedding, I wouldn't mind keeping up our Thursday calls just to hang out. Karissa is patient, creative, and thorough, and she made sure that everything I had in my head somehow got translated to real life. Everyone in the business knows her and loves working with her (so they want to work with you). She stepped in to do as much or as little as I wanted. Her team (hi Kayla!) is so detail oriented. The result was a weekend that felt one-of-a-kind, fun, and (basically) stress-free! When we arrived at the venue, my (then-)fiance said "oh I get it now." We could have never had the event we envisioned without her help. I can't recommend Karissa Paxton Events enough. Hire her!

Brittany Maffia

There are so many amazing things I would love to share about Karissa. We have worked together for over five years on multiple gorgeous weddings. I could talk about how beautiful the weddings are that she produces, how they are chic and stunning. You can see that in all the pictures of past events ( and Martha Stewart, ok ?!)  I would rather give a review on Karissa herself. She is one of the most lovable people I have ever met in my life. That is saying a lot seeing as I've been in the hospitality industry for close to 25 years. She is happy, she is heartfelt, she is funny, she is simply the BEST ! Karissa brings a love of life and positive energy into any situation- even stressful moments that always seem to peak into a wedding . I would hire her a million times over if I was a bride. Just wait and you will see - hire her. Because she's the best and you will forever have a friend in Karissa.

Kellie Stevens

There are infinite amazing things I can say about Karissa, but to keep things short(ish), here are the Cliff's Notes: If you're looking for a wedding/event planner, you should hire Karissa immediately!!! Simply put, the wedding of our dreams would not have happened if she wasn't involved.

When our initial wedding planner bailed on us with little over a month until our date, we knew our unfortunate situation was not the most attractive to a prospective planner. Karissa agreed to step-in, however, and totally resurrected our special day right from the get-go.

We had lots of ideas for our wedding day venue and festivities, and had been repeatedly told that something had never been done before or wasn’t possible, but Karissa genuinely did everything she could to give us what we wanted, even if it meant working around the clock (late-night emails proved that!). If one of our ideas was truly unfeasible or less likely, she never gave us a flat "No," but rather came up with alternative options to make us happy.

Losing our first wedding planner ended up being a complete blessing in disguise, because it led us to Karissa! We genuinely loved working with her and could not have asked for a better person to have by our sides on our special day. Karissa was an absolute godsend, and we are forever grateful for the amazing work she did to make our wedding an incredible, unforgettable experience.

Elana McCart

Where do you even begin on how wonderful the wedding experience can be with Karissa. When you get engaged it's the most exciting time but the thought of a wedding is very overwhelming. Working with Karissa it not only felt like the wedding of my dreams just magically appeared but she is also the kindest, sweetest human to work with.

The entire experience was so seamless from start to finish. I had an idea of having muscles line one long table that would seat 80 people. Karissa did not only help forge these muscles but also hand cleaned each one making them shine beautifully on my table settings.

Thank you Karissa and the team at Karissa Paxton Events for making the wedding of a lifetime! ❤️