Melissa Dawn Event Designs

Fantastic experience: Hiring Melissa was the best wedding decision we made! From the very beginning Melissa made us feel comfortable, understood, confident and prioritized. I consider myself to have very little creative and artistic ability and Melissa was able to take my limited examples and make my vision come to life. From the mood board she creates, to the design phase, to the final product, she made our design so much better than I could have ever imagined. She has incredible attention to detail, the ability to execute and control a room and advocate for her clients. She was always available to answer our questions and improvised/worked within our budget. I strongly recommend Melissa and her team for full planning services as she made the process so smooth. She delivered our dream wedding and brought our black&white chic vision to life!

Fantastic experience: We absolutely loved working with Melissa and her team and would recommend her to anyone! Choosing Melissa was one of the best decisions in our planning process! I was a super nervous bride and Melissa and her team were so understanding and easy to work with - they always helped calm my nerves. I changed my mind constantly and they were very flexible and patient and willing to pivot - I really appreciated them being so accommodating to ensure my vision came to life! We received so many compliments from our wedding guests on how much they loved the decor! I loved how Melissa and her team didn’t just regurgitate Pinterest - they took my ideas and vision and made it unique, perfectly capturing my fairytale wedding & creating a whimsical and romantic evening. We also really appreciated their organization and quick responses to emails. This made the planning much easier and also kept us on track on the day, which went by smoothly, on-time and without any bumps. She created an in depth timeline and was a point of contact for all our vendors. She was so professional and a wonderful person to work with. I am so glad we trusted her to plan our wedding!

Fantastic experience: Melissa and her team were incredibly professional and ensured that our wedding was perfect. Melissa's effort truly felt like this was for her own wedding and pulled out all the stops. Excellent to work with and completely present throughout the entire wedding planning process and execution - to ensure a perfect day. Thanks Melissa!

Fantastic experience: Melissa and her team did the design for a wedding I photographed recently (I’m a wedding photographer), and wow her work is beautiful! Not only were all her designs stunning though, she coordinated with me and the rest of the team flawlessly, was a lot of fun to work with, and the couple had amazing things to say about her. If you are getting married and need a planner, I cannot recommend Melissa enough.

Fantastic experience: Working with Melissa and her team is always such a great experience! As wedding videographers, we’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with them on multiple events, and each time we’re blown away by their professionalism and stunning designs. Melissa is impeccably organized, detail-oriented, and fun to be around. She anticipates needs before they arise and ensures every element of the day flows seamlessly. Her calm, positive energy keeps everyone at ease, and her genuine care for her couples shines through in everything she does. She’s a creative problem-solver, an excellent communicator, and truly goes above and beyond to make sure the couple’s vision comes to life beautifully. We can’t recommend her and her team highly enough!

Fantastic experience: Melissa and her team truly gave us the wedding of our dreams! They were so amazing to work with through the entire process. Her entire design blew us away and was even prettier than I could have imagined. The perfect wedding from start to finish!

Fantastic experience: Melissa and her team were absolutely incredible to work with! From the very beginning, they brought kindness, creativity, and an amazing attention to detail to every part of our wedding planning process. What felt daunting at first quickly became fun and exciting, thanks to their calm guidance and expert coordination. Every single recommendation Melissa made—from vendors to décor—was spot-on. The overall appearance and aesthetic of our wedding day was even more beautiful than I had imagined. I was able to fully enjoy every moment of the day because I knew Melissa and her team were behind the scenes making everything run smoothly. If you’re planning a wedding or any large event, I cannot recommend Melissa enough. She’s not only an exceptional planner, but also someone you genuinely enjoy working with. She made our day unforgettable, and we are so grateful!

Fantastic experience: If you need someone to lean on and trust, book Melissa. Everyone says that one of the best things you can invest in for your wedding day is a planner or coordinator - and they are right. We had Melissa as our coordinator this past June, and I cannot sing her praises louder. From the moment I first spoke with her to the end of the wedding night, both her and her team were on top of everything. Every single vendor email, detail, thought, and worry they handled with absolute grace. There were many points during planning that I found myself stressed, but knowing Melissa was in my corner put my mind at ease. The day of was no different - every bit ran smoothly and we were able to fully focus our attention on our guests, the experience, and each other. Melissa, Emily, & Kiera - Thank you all again SO much. Our memory of our wedding will forever be perfect because of the effort each of you made.

Fantastic experience: I could not imagine planning our wedding without the help of Melissa and her team. Having her as part of our day meant that we, our families, and our bridal parties could actually enjoy the day without the stress of meeting vendors, decorating, cleaning up, or managing the schedule. That peace of mind was truly priceless. As a bride, all I ever heard was that wedding planning is stressful — but Melissa made my experience the exact opposite. Having her support throughout the entire process allowed me to fully enjoy my wedding planning era. Weddings come with countless logistics, and moving pieces, Melissa and her team handled every detail with professionalism and care — even minor dance floor incident. Like many brides, I had a scattered collection of ideas from Instagram, Pinterest, and beyond. Melissa took all that inspiration and brought it to life more beautifully than I could have imagined. She added a creative and unique flair to every design element, all while staying true to the vision my husband and I had for our day. When searching for a wedding designer and coordinator, I was told it’s essential to find someone who not only makes your day visually stunning but also ensures everything flows seamlessly. Melissa has truly mastered both. We've received countless compliments not only on how beautiful our wedding was but also on how thoughtfully and smoothly the day was scheduled — from both guests and vendors alike. Melissa is creative, reliable, thoughtful, and incredibly talented at what she does. She doesn’t just design beautiful weddings — she creates experiences that reflect who you are as a couple. Working with Melissa Dawn Event Design was one of the best decisions we made, and I wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking for wedding or party design and coordination. You’ll be so glad she’s on your team.

Fantastic experience: We hired Melissa for our wedding in August 2024. Planning a wedding is stressful, but knowing that you have someone who is so experienced, and is there to ensure your exact vision is put to life, makes it less stressful! Melissa and her team were professional, understanding, caring and exactly who you want on your wedding day (and leading up to it) to ensure everything runs smoothly. She responded to all my questions I pestered her with, very promptly (and there were lots!). She ensured I was comfortable each step along the way and made sure our every wish became reality. Our wedding was so beautiful, it was beyond what we imagined. No detail was missed, she ensured we stayed on time, and communicated with us each step of the way. I also loved the checklist she provides of things that we needed to complete behind the scenes (i.e. when to make sure my dress alterations were complete). Melissa communicated with every vendor making sure everyone was on the same page, and so that we did not have to worry about a thing! My husband and I were able to relax, and enjoy our day knowing that each and every detail was expertly cared for.

Fantastic experience: Melissa and her team at Melissa Dawn Event Designs are incredible. They are extremely knowledgeable, creative, supportive and absolutely amazing to work with. They made the wedding planning process fun and stress free for us, and our wedding was absolutely perfect as a result. I would recommend Melissa and her team to anyone looking for a wedding planner. 11/10!

Fantastic experience: Melissa and Emily were amazing! We are so thankful that we had them for our wedding day and would highly recommend :)

Fantastic experience: Melissa Dawn Event Designs was hired for wedding management services for my May 2024 wedding. Anyone who has been to Melissa's website or Instagram would know that she has a phenomenal design sense, but to compliment this, she is professional, responsive, and was great to work without throughout my planning process. I was planning the wedding at a distance, and she was always available to give advice, recommendations, or reassurance, particularly in the weeks and days leading up to the wedding. The wedding was so beautiful, and it couldn't have been executed without the help of Melissa and her team. For anyone considering wedding planning or management services, I would highly recommend working with a professional like Melissa.

Fantastic experience: Melissa and Emily were absolutely brilliant to work with. From the planning to the on the day execution, it was perfect! They were such down to earth people, we felt like planning the weding with friends. Thank you kindly! Jan & Jem

Fantastic experience: If you are at all questioning whether or not to hire a wedding planner, let me give you some advice – higher Melissa Dawn events. It will make a world of difference on your big day. Melissa and her team are absolutely amazing, I cannot say enough great things about them. I was a very involved bride who had a particular vision and wanted a say in all of the decisions, no matter how big or small. Melissa handled my demands like a pro. I had already selected many of my major vendors, but she knew exactly which questions to ask to make sure that I got the most out of them, and because of her talent, our wedding day was the best day of both mine and my husbands' lives. With any wedding, no matter how meticulous you are in the planning, there are always little hiccoughs and Melissa was incredible at handling these. She had a very precise schedule, she knew exactly how to rearrange things, and the best part is, I didn’t even know half of the behind-the-scenes mishaps until long after the day was over. As a bride, you just want your mind to be at ease, so you can truly relax into the day, be present and enjoy such an incredible event. Melissa and her team knew exactly how to make that happen for me and my husband. She was also an incredible advocate for us, especially when it came to our venue. There were certain things we wanted that our venue told us were not possible, but somehow she got them done! I will be forever grateful to Melissa and her team for all of their hard work and support throughout the process. I cannot say enough good things about this woman, the process and Melissa Dawn Events!

Fantastic experience: Melissa is a party planning genius! She has repeatedly taken a vague idea I’ve given her for my children’s birthday parties and totally gone above and beyond to make it super special for them. She always thinks of the most special details to really pull the theme together and make the day a great memory. She works hard to stick to your budget and manages all the stress that comes with these big events, so you can just focus on the fun! Highly recommend and can’t wait for our next event together!

Fantastic experience: Melissa is a godsend. She did the day-of coordinating for our wedding in Lethbridge in October 2023 . :) My now-husband and I love planning, but we’re also the kind of people that would be very stressed if we still kept going up to our wedding day. I spoke with lots of coordinators and Melissa was the easiest to speak with. She has so much experience, and the fact that she has planned multiple weddings in our venue was a huge factor for me. Melissa is based in Calgary, so all our communication was through email and FaceTime. She has an assistant planner, Allaine, who was also wonderful to work with. They took majority of the stress off of our chests. Being the bride and groom, we still had some stress leading up to the day, but not as much as we would’ve had without Melissa and Allaine for sure. Melissa is very organized. Once we booked with her, she had a welcome package ready to go, plus a lot of organization and planning tools to help with the whole process. I had a couple extensive video calls with her, one when we were looking for a coordinator and one more extensive call a month before our wedding to really iron out all the details. She crafted precise timelines and coordinated with the vendors and us. She also helped our emcee, who was our best man, with what to say. With her as our day-of coordinator, it also included a ceremony rehearsal. Since my husband and I live north of Edmonton, we couldn’t have our rehearsal at the venue with the time we were given by the venue, so Melissa and I planned to do it in Calgary a couple days before the wedding because we already had wedding events planned there for then anyway. They organized it so well and each time we would run through it, she always asked my husband and I after if we felt good with it. Only one member of our 14 - member bridal party had ever been in a wedding of this size before, so Melissa’s instructions were clear, concise, and easy to follow for the rest of us. The day of the wedding, it was easy to redirect everyone to Melissa for their questions. Again, she took the stress off of me which is exactly why we wanted to work with her. We wanted to feel like we could enjoy our day and not have to manage everyone. She brought our vision to life. Everything we wanted for our day, we got. Everything was executed perfectly. We highly recommend Melissa and Allaine for wedding coordination. If we had more money and didn’t have time to plan or enjoy doing it, we would’ve hired them for full planning for sure!

Fantastic experience: Highly recommend for wedding design, planning and coordination. Melissa helped design and coordinate our perfect day in less than 6 months. Not only did she pull our vision together beyond words but she elevated it. The planning was a seamless process and the coordination day off was like magic. She also had much needed Fanny pack full of snacks to help the toddlers stay in line ;-) Melissa’s recommended vendors were also top notch. I’d recommend everyone of them and hope to use them again for future parties! We were able to relax and have Melissa make a lot of decisions for us. Worth every penny.

Fantastic experience: I cannot express how grateful we are to have had Melissa as our wedding planner. From the moment we began working together, it was evident that we were in expert hands. Melissa Dawn Event Designs exhibited an unparalleled level of professionalism and a remarkable eye for detail throughout the entire planning process. On our wedding day, we even received positive comments from our other vendors applauding Melissa clear and detailed production schedule. Melissa certainly listened attentively to our vision and transformed it into a reality that surpassed our wildest dreams. Every aspect of our special day, from the venue selection to the decor, was executed flawlessly. Our wedding day was an absolute dream come true!

Fantastic experience: Melissa and her team are incredible. We hired her for day of coordination which included coordination 1 month ahead of our wedding. In a busy wedding season she made ours feel unique and just as important as the rest of her portfolio. She was an absolute MUST for the day to run smoothly. As the bride, I was able to be present and not worry about a thing! She was so kind to all of our guests and even helped the kids who were present build glow stick toys. I highly recommend, our day would not have been the same without her. Thank you!

Fantastic experience: I cannot recommend Melissa and her team enough - they were our day-of-coordinators at our Aug. 5 wedding. Their calm and confident demeanor made me feel like nothing was too big of an obstacle. We genuinely felt like they were on our team and wanted us to have the best day possible. They surpassed every expectation and I honestly still can't get over the heavy lift that they managed on our day... everything was literally perfect - how I imagined/ wanted it but also better because they just get it. They kept everyone and everything in line so seamlessly and to the point where I literally didn't have to lift a finger on the wedding day. They truly allowed me to fully relax and be present and just have the best time. Not to mention the fact that they were onsite until the wee hours of the morning cleaning everything up and sorting it all. It made our lives so easy the next day when we came to pick our things up. Every bride NEEDS Melissa & team in their life - it is beyond worth it.

Fantastic experience: best wedding planner ever! Melissa is kind, passionate about her job, patient and will understand your event vision and deliver it exactly as you’ve imagined. I can not recommend Melissa enough for any event/wedding planning! She gave me the wedding of my dreams and she understood exactly what I pictured. We couldn’t have done it without her! We keep getting so many compliments from guests on the wedding. She went above and beyond for us and we will forever be grateful for it.

Fantastic experience: One of our absolute favourite planners to work with here in the city! We have worked with Melissa on several occasions for weddings and other catered events and we always have such a great time. We even catered with Melissa out of province which takes a lot of specialized coordination and the end results were amazing. We highly recommend Melissa Dawn event designs wholeheartedly to our clients.

Fantastic experience: Hiring Melissa as our wedding coordinator was one of the best decisions we made. It is 100% worth spending the money on a coordinator and we can't recommend Melissa more. We felt so relaxed the weekend of our wedding and leading up to the wedding Melissa helped us make sure we weren't forgetting any important items. On the weekend of the wedding we were able to fully relax knowing she had it covered and on the day of she perfectly executed every detail. I almost cried seeing how the room came together! She fully understood my vision and thought of things and placements that I hadn't thought of to make it even more beautiful. She helped keep our day moving without me having to look at my phone or watch once. All of our friends and family commented on how stress free our day was and that is because we had Melissa! Thank you for everything, Melissa!

Fantastic experience: I can't say enough good things about Melissa! We recently got married at the Banff Springs and it was everything we dreamed of and more. From design to organization, she's got it all. Throughout the entire process, from start to finish, she always made us feel confident that our day would be come together perfect and it left us stress free! She offered the perfect balance of keeping us in the loop all while dealing with a million details behind the scene. The wedding day went so smooth and she was able to turn our vision into reality. We also had a lot of moving pieces like +15 kids attending and she was so patient and organized with them (even offered late evening phone calls to accommodate our schedule with a little one). We had multiple guest say that it was the nicest wedding they have ever been to and I give all the credit to Melissa for that. She was so lovely to be around and we enjoyed spending time with her over the wedding weekend. We couldn't be happier! Highly recommend <3

Fantastic experience: We were so happy with hiring Melissa as our wedding planner. She didn’t miss any details we communicated to her. She was organized, thorough, and made our dream day of a formal, timeless event come to life. It definitely made the planning experience more enjoyable/less stressful and allowed us to soak in the day … it goes by too fast but we could trust all the logistics and details were taken care of. Would highly recommend her services to be able to make the most of your event :)

Fantastic experience: Working with Melissa and her team is always a treat! She is absolutely amazing and puts so much care into her weddings. She takes care of clients but also advocates for other wedding vendors ensuring a smooth day and that we are well taken care of. Their designs are beautiful and they communicate really well which makes my job as a photographer so so much easier!

Fantastic experience: Melissa is fantastic to work with! I was completely blown away when I entered our wedding reception and saw all the little extra touches she brought to pull everything together. Throughout the planning process and on the day of the wedding we felt very taken care of by all the big and small efforts of Melissa and her team. Choosing Melissa to plan our wedding was hands down one of the best decisions we made during wedding planning. She is a true professional and will make your event fantastic.

Fantastic experience: I cannot say enough about Melissa Dawn Events. Melissa and Alex made our wedding day absolutely seamless. Everything little detail was taken care of and we were able to enjoy our day with absolutely no stress. Melissa and her team are super communicative and made sure we were comfortable leading up to the wedding. They communicated with all our vendors and made sure everyone was on the same page with the day's timeline. We cannot thank Melissa and her team enough for everything they did!!!

Fantastic experience: An amazing team from start to finish. Allowed us to enjoy every moment of the day! As the mother-of-the bride I am so happy that Melissa's team made her day exactly how she envisioned it. Thank you!

Fantastic experience: We could not be happier choosing Melissa to oversee and coordinate our wedding this past July. As a couple, we were looking someone to take all of the hard work we put into planning our wedding and be able to bring our vision to life as well as ultimately take over the reigns to allow us to be in the moment and enjoy our special . Not only did Melissa do just that, her and the team went above and beyond, ensuring that everyone was well taken care of and that no details were missed. Melissa is an absolute pleasure to work with. In addition to having a penchant for what she does, she also possesses an eye for design and can assist you throughout the planning process to ensure you achieve what you are looking for; she is able to think on the go, is well prepared, and as she has shown us: is fully committed to her clients. We could not have asked for a better coordinator for our special day and highly recommend her for other couples looking for someone to help them on their special day!

Fantastic experience: Melissa and her team were absolutely incredible! She exceeded all of my expectations and made sure our wedding day went seamlessly! She truly made all of our wedding visions come to life! We are forever grateful!

Fantastic experience: We adore Melissa! Hiring her was hands down the best decision we made for our wedding! From our first meeting, she helped us feel assured that our day would come together perfectly. She guided us from start to finish, helping bring together the most perfect vendor team and brining our design vision to life! Melissa consistently kept us looped in while taking care of so many behind-the-scenes details so we didn’t have to worry about almost anything. I couldn’t have imagined our day without her, and we’re so so grateful that we were able to just sit back and truly enjoy our wedding day instead of stressing about details and logistics. 10/10 would recommend

Fantastic experience: I can’t say enough good things about Melissa!!!! She is worth every penny & more, and has made my life of planning a wedding so much less stressful, and actually organized. I highly recommend her services to everyone - you will never be disappointed! Oh and not to mention she is extremely kind on top of being extremely talented :)

Fantastic experience: Melissa was so awesome to work with!! She planned and designed my wedding to perfection. I was so unsure of where to even start and she made sure everything was going smoothly. She also made my job easy as the bride! I got to share my input and she handled everything else. A few days before the wedding I was a little nervous of how everything was going to go because there were so many things I didn’t think of and then of course I show up to the wedding and every single thing is taken care of. What a dream!! It was magical and the best day of my life! Also just look at this ceremony set up. Amazing!!

Fantastic experience: The wedding Melissa planned was magical!! Melissa offers a good combination of excellent taste and organization. She has the experience to know what can go wrong and how to prevent it. She is well connected with vendors and knows the best people to work with. Today, even weeks after the wedding our office staff was talking about how good the DJ was. Lol. She sources creative and unique items, and is considerate of budgets. She works hard and puts in the time, making the bride and groom her top priority. You can give her the reigns, sit back and trust what she will do!

Fantastic experience: One of the best decisions we made for our wedding was to work with Melissa! She was extremely prompt and professional in all communications and we felt supported leading up to the big day. We truly were able to relax and just enjoy our wedding because Melissa was there. She also helped us with design and when we saw everything come together it was truly magical, exceeding all expectations. Thank you!!!

Fantastic experience: Melissa was amazing! She stepped in at the 11th hour after our original planner ran into some unforeseen circumstances and was not able to provide her services. From the first conversation, Melissa made us feel very comfortable and confident that she could execute our vision and aesthetic for our wedding. I wish we had signed on with her right from the beginning and utilized her design services as well as her attention to detail is unmatched. Thank you again for everything!!

Fantastic experience: When we first started planning our wedding (back in 2019) we had briefly considered hiring a Day of Coordinator but eventually decided we would do well without one. Fast forward almost 2 years and the COVID-19 Pandemic had us faced with feeling very overwhelmed and stressed. By the time we hired Melissa we had already postponed from our original date in August 2020 to June 2021 then add in constantly changing restrictions set by the Province and the climbing case numbers I was at my wits end and truth be told no longer excited about the Wedding. After just one phone call with Melissa I felt a little lighter and positive about our upcoming wedding. We hired her without speaking to anyone else and I am so grateful we did. She was so helpful with coordinating our vendors it was something that we didn't have to deal with at all and I am so grateful for that, we were able to focus on the other important details and trying to make the most of our "COVID Wedding". She was also exceptionally helpful in running our rehearsal as we had decided less than a month out to make my brother our officiant given the low guest count per the provincial restrictions at the time. Melissa was always very professional and positive, she was great at taking initiative and I am looking forward to having her help us plan our reception party taking place in October.

Fantastic experience: Melissa would be an incredible asset to your event planning and design! From the planning to the creation of a design, Melissa makes sure every detail is perfect! She is so easy to work with!

Fantastic experience: Melissa was amazing to work with every step of the way. From the initial party planning to the final execution, she brought our vision to life and made the evening so special! Would highly recommend!

Fantastic experience: Melissa is amazing in her work. Very helpful and does everything asked for. Highly recommend her.She made by backyard party magical.

Fantastic experience: The smartest thing we did was bring on Melissa Dawn Event Design. We were actually able to enjoy our party and not stress out about the details. The event went off perfect and I loved the vision that came to life.

Fantastic experience: Melissa was amazing for my sister’s wedding. She was friendly, professional and made sure everything was perfect for my sister and brother in-law’s special day. I would recommend her in a heartbeat! She made it seem effortless.

Fantastic experience: Melissa was a huge help for our wedding day! I honestly couldn't have managed without her. She ensured our day went seamlessly and our vision really came together with her help. I would highly recommend her for any event!

Fantastic experience: Melissa is truly a gem and I loved working with her. She is very easy to talk to and makes herself available to her clients when needed, via phone, text or email. She has a great list of preferred vendors for you to choose from and even takes care of all the organizing with them. To see it all come together at the event was amazing, she took an idea and in the end made our small (birthday) gathering more magical that I could have ever imagined. Her styling is on point. I would for sure work with Melissa again!

Fantastic experience: It was an absolute pleasure to work with Melissa. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. She understood my vision even better than I did! Every detail was considered, she was professional, efficient, and so patient with me! I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to throw my own event again.

Fantastic experience: Melissa planned my daughters first birthday party and she went above and beyond! Every detail was taken care of and she exceeded my expectations. It was so great to be able to relax and enjoy the day without worrying about anything. I will definitely be using her for future events!

Fantastic experience: Melissa was amazing. She made my little girls birthday party so magical. She truly saw my vision for having a secret garden themed birthday party and helped make it come to life. She was so wonderful to work with and made my job so easy, I was able to enjoy it and watch the magical moments between my daughter and her friends.

Fantastic experience: Wonderful experience working with Melissa for a recent baby shower. She was helpful, friendly, and went above and beyond. Every detail was accounted for; my guests loved everything! Employing a planner makes hosting an event way less stressful.

Fantastic experience: Melissa is amazing and always organized with events! I've had the pleasure working with Melissa a couple of times already and I always loved the ideas she created. Looking forward to working with you next time!

Fantastic experience: I had Melissa plan my son’s 2nd birthday party. I loved working with her from the beginning. She began the process by giving me different options to choose from because I didn’t know what theme I wanted. She not only gave me lots of different ideas but she sent me a ton of pictures to really help me decide what I wanted.⠀ ⠀ Once we picked the theme she really ran with it. Her ideas and creativity was far more than I could have ever imagined. We picked a camp theme and she had every detail covered from decorations to games to the party favours, and even the drinks.⠀ ⠀ She was organized and all ready to go. I was so impressed with her and she saved me so much time. It was so worth it.