Weddings by the Sea

I began speaking with Catherine about my wedding after reviewing her website and decided this was a great fit for the size and budget of our wedding. During the whole process, as I bombarded her with emails weekly regarding my small wedding, she was always quick to respond with a professional and positive reply. There was never anything that could not be done. She was open to adjusting and customizing our package in every detail we needed. I was constantly changing my mind about things and she was always happy to make the changes, never felt irritated with me. Everytime I felt nervous about something, she calmed me down. The flowers I visioned for the arch arbor post were better than I could have dreamt of myself and matched my bouquet perfectly! Our beach wedding had rain in the forecast leading up and Catherine went out of her way to try to find different indoor locations for us (with less than a week to go!) and was amazing in finding an alternative for the rain. Luckily it did not rain during the wedding so we got to keep the beach location! Overall my experience was great with Weddings by the Sea and I would recommend her to anyone. I have not seen my photos yet but very excited for them! The photographer was super down to earth and made it easy for us. The only thing I would suggest is to do a rehearsal (even if the wedding is small). It will help things run smoother and ease the mind of the bride. :) More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Can’t say enough good things. We planned a wedding less than two months out and everything went very smoothly. Catherine was easy to communicate with and had great suggestions for locations. We had our ceremony at Manning Park and it was perfect. Would recommend Weddings By The Sea to anyone looking to plan a ceremony in the Santa Barbara area. Thank you for helping us with our big day! More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

I highly recommend Catherine and her team! After a year and half of being engaged and overwhelmed trying to plan a wedding I came across Weddings by the Sea. After putting in my information, Catherine responded the next day and told me the date I had hoped for was available. She suggested a few locations and we loved Manning park. She met me there to look over the park and was very kind and comforting. She responded timely to all emails and concerns. She listened to my views of how I would like my ceremony and handled everything. Wendy was an amazing officiant, she called to discuss the wedding vows and listen my vision and was very accommodating. Alex the photographer made taking pictures a fun and exciting experience! My wedding day was nothing of amazing, and I am so grateful to Catherine and her team! More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

We were extremely delighted to work with Catherine Forester and Weddings by the Sea.
Catherine made our wedding day at the Four Seasons Biltmore a warm, beautiful, and memorable experience for us, and for our family and friends.
Catherine and her team created an absolutely stunning and elegant Chuppah in the Mariposa Gardens for our Ceremony.
We were all amazed at the exquisite florals Catherine and her team created which adorned the Chuppah as well as the reception tables, and the gorgeous bridal bouquet.
Catherine attended to each and every detail for us. She provided us with top notch vendors, and collaborated with the hotel event staff which made everything more than perfect all around. Her warm and caring service brought us much comfort and ease well before, and following, our special day.
After our wedding day, Catherine went above and beyond to assure that our marriage certificate was expedited through Santa Barbara County.
We highly recommend Catherine and Weddings by the Sea to anyone who is looking to have all the best in a Santa Barbara wedding. More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

After going back and forth a million times on the timing and sizing of our wedding with our families, my now husband and I decided to go with what we had envisioned for our wedding. With such a short turnaround (4 months from the decision date), we immediately started looking for help and I was so lucky to have found Catherine and her amazing expertise. Catherine was extremely responsive and helpful from initial contact to the day of our wedding. We live in Huntington Beach so planning a Santa Barbara wedding ourselves would’ve taken much more time and effort than we had for our jam packed schedules. Catherine provided us with a suite of services and made our day so beautiful. She took care of seating, decor, florals, the officiant, photographer, and a was with us with any other details or questions we needed to address. The day of our wedding the ceremony went off without a hitch, and received so much praise from our families. She truly pulled off our vision of an intimate wedding ceremony. If I could do it all over again, without hesitation, Catherine would still be a part of it. Our reception and dinner was even a recommendation from her! She’s such a great partner to have if you’re needing someone to support coordinations for your wedding ceremony. More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

After going back and forth a million times on the timing and sizing of our wedding with our families, my now husband and I decided to go with what we had envisioned for our wedding. With such a short turnaround (4 months from the decision date), we immediately started looking for help and I was so lucky to have found Catherine and her amazing expertise. Catherine was extremely responsive and helpful from initial contact to the day of our wedding. We live in Huntington Beach so planning a Santa Barbara wedding ourselves would’ve taken much more time and effort than we had for our jam packed schedules. Catherine provided us with a suite of services and made our day so beautiful. She took care of seating, decor, florals, the officiant, photographer, and a was with us with any other details or questions we needed to address. The day of our wedding the ceremony went off without a hitch, and received so much praise from our families. She truly pulled off our vision of an intimate wedding ceremony. If I could do it all over again, without hesitation, Catherine would still be a part of it. Our reception and dinner was even a recommendation from her! She’s such a great partner to have if you’re needing someone to support coordinations for your wedding ceremony. More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Catherine did an amazing job with our ceremony, we wanted a very small and intimate elopement. She was very accommodating and flexible. She helped us find the perfect spot on the beach, and we were married on a beautiful September morning. The flowers she picked were also lovely, they were light pinks and yellows and matched my dress wonderfully. The entire team were wonderful and they made our big day possible and one to remember. I recommend Weddings by the Sea to anyone looking for a beach ceremony that is both affordable and professional. 10/10 More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Catherine and Wendy were absolutely amazing!!! So flexible and accomodating for all of the ‘off track’ things we wanted to do. .. in a ridiculously short amount of time. I gave them ideas and they went with it.... I was able to completely let go and enjoy our special day!!!! Thanks to Bex too for the incredibly gorgeous photos!!! Best day ever made SIMPLE by these wonderful ladies! Thank you so much!!!!! Would HIGHLY recommend! More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

My husband and I were extremely happy with how beautiful our wedding ceremony turned out. Our guest loved it as well and couldn’t stop complimenting how amazing it was. We got married right before sunset late August and our photographer (that Catherine set up) was incrediable our pictures are beyond gorgeous! My husband an I are stationed across the country and she did everything over the phone and via email and I couldn’t be more greatful with how amazing she made sure everything turned out without even meeting us before. Cathrine thank you so much. You are amazing, so sweet and extremely talented!!! More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

What can you say, weddings bye the sea made our dreams come true.

Reviewed on WeddingWire

A little unorganized at times and wish there was some sort of rehearsal but overall beautiful wedding and effort put into it

Reviewed on WeddingWire

I live in the Midwest so my main communication with Catherine was via phone and email. She always responded quickly and was super flexible with our wants and needs. We needed our license shipped and she worked with the county clerk to get it expedideted. I am so happy we found her! More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Hi everyone,

We're from Europe, and I proposed my wife in Los Angeles, beforehand I arranged everithing with Catherine. I just wanted a beautiful wedding, without any difficulty or big planing, and it worked out pretty well :)
Catherine helped me arrange every important things. Her reaction time was excellent, so overall it was a great service. More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Catherine Forrester of Weddings by the Sea was phenomenal. She met my expectations and helped keep me calm and confident so that my wedding day would be beautiful. She is a kind, efficient, knowledgeable professional who knows her business. I am so grateful to have been blesses by her outstanding service. I highly recommend her to any bride to be! More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Weddings by the Sea and Catherine put together my wedding about a month ago and it was fabulous! I had contacted Catherine about 9 months prior. I was nervous doing a small destination wedding, coming from Ohio and having never been to Santa Barbara before, but right from the start communication with Catherine was great. Catherine organized everything from the flowers to the guitarist that played, and if I had any questions along the way she was quick to respond within 24-48 hours. The officiant for our wedding, Wendy, was also great and helped to make our ceremony more personal for us. Santa Barbara, the weather, the beach.. It was all gorgeous! Our wedding ceremony was beautiful, fun, and stress free. I would highly recommend Weddings by the Sea, Catherine, and all of the staff! I cannot thank you enough for making our wedding day so perfect! More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

It was a bit scary to send thousands of dollars, to someone I didn't know, and trust her with my daughter's wedding. Let me say, Weddings by the Sea EXCEEDED my very exacting expectations. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING was just as Catherine had indicated it would be. She, and her team, are amazing. AMAZING! If you have any apprehension, relax, and put all your worries, and concerns in the hands of Weddings by the Sea! More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Catherine and her team are absolutely amazing. We started planning our wedding 16 months in advance and when we found Weddings by the Sea website I knew this was the company I’d want to work with. Planning was very simple and Catherine took care of everything. When it came down to the day before the wedding and the beach we had picked was full of debris Catherine suggested moving beaches, I had no hesitation and she recommended Butterfly Beach. (Which was beautiful) I trusted her completely. The wedding itself was more then I could hope for and I am so grateful for her and the entire team that helped make our day special. This company is simply great and if choose it again anytime. Thank you all again it was a pleasure working with you!

Alyssa & Ben More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Catherine and her team were fantastic. I gave her 3 weeks to get my small wedding together and she was amazing! I have no regrets and would recommend her in a heartbeat. She has tons of resources in the Santa Barbara area and will make sure your day is exactly how you want it. Thanks Catherine!! More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Our day was stress free and exactly how I wanted it to be. We were able to customize our package to add a table for our cake and cider to serve to our guest while we had our first dance, we were able to have our own officiant, and the flower arrangements were perfect.

Reviewed on WeddingWire

The service was so perfect exactly how we wanted it. The wedding planner, Catherine, was very flexible and understanding of how we wanted to get married in Santa Barbara.
Catherine recommended a photographer to us, so we took some pictures the day before wedding. Alex, the photographer, was the best ever. He understood how we wanted our pictures, and he did really great job. It was fun experience with Alex to take pictures.
Catherine did fantastic job for us. We will never regret going with her. More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Our experience with Catherine of Weddings By The Sea was nothing short of wonderful!!! We called her approximately two months in advance of our wedding date at the Santa Barbara Courthouse, and she immediately assured us not to worry – that she would be able to help us plan and execute our small wedding. We met with her several times, and it was clear that her attention to detail was keen. Not only did she interpret our creative ideas (wedding layout, flowers, arbor, etc….) exactly as we envisioned, but her execution was flawless. We emailed her some photos of flowers and a color scheme, and she pulled it off to perfection. When we arrived at the Courthouse for our ceremony - the layout, the way the arbor was decorated and the overall flowers in general were as if she knew EXACTLY what we wanted as a theme. In addition, she put together a team consisting of the Officiant and the Photographer that were also top notch in every respect. She was very responsive and a pleasure to deal with throughout the process. We give her our strongest recommendation!!!!! More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

I can't begin to describe how wonderful Catherine and her team at Weddings by the Sea are! We contacted Catherine a month out from our wedding date (12/8/17) to help us plan and coordinate our wedding. We were so impressed with her knowledge, skill, vast network, and professionalism. She is very detail oriented and was able to take our vague ideas of what we wanted and turn them into a fabulous vision of our dream wedding. She does the most amazing flower design as well - I showed her a few photos I liked on Pinterest and she created the most perfect synthesis of all the best elements for our flowers. Additionally, she is a notary republic so you do your license with her as well, which is so convenient :) But best of all is how flexible and adaptable she and her team are in dealing with crisis, which in our case was a natural disaster that postponed and moved our wedding. The Thomas Fire was raging and growing in Ventura just south of Santa Barbara the week of our wedding. Catherine was so responsive and was in constant communication with us to update us about conditions (we live in LA) and helped us make the tough call to reschedule everything from Friday to Sunday. She worked with our vendors and was able to get everything smoothly transferred with no additional vendor costs with only 48 hours notice. Then, when the fire got worse and started to cause SB County evacuations on Sunday, she worked with Officiant Wendy (who is also FANTASTIC) to get our License and Flowers down to LA where we decided to hold the ceremony instead due to the fire risk. Wendy evacuated south to us and brought these critical items, which was so kind! We ended up being able to have the most beautiful ceremony at a local hotel with Wendy on Sunday, which was a miracle. I know 100% that we would not have been able to have our wedding that weekend without all the hard work, compassion, and professionalism of Catherine and Wendy. They are truly the best and we cannot recommend them higher!! More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

My new husband Zack and I could not have been happier working with Weddings by the Sea for our special day! Catherine helped us plan our beach ceremony in Santa Barbara, and she was a joy to work with. Everything went smoothly from beginning to end, and it was an amazing day thanks to her. Amy designed the most beautiful arrangements for the ceremony and reception that I've ever seen, and were even more beautiful than I imagined. Weddings by the Sea kept us within a great budget, and put together the day of our dreams. Thank you, for everything :) More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Catherine and her team made our day absolutely perfect! We had a tiny beach wedding that Catherine helped us arrange. From the cake to the photographer to the licensing process, Catherine did an outstanding job of coordinating. Our fabulous day was stress free and filled with everything we wanted. Catherine handled every detail with a much appreciated calm demeanor so that we could focus on enjoying every moment. More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Catherine Forester - the wedding planner instantly became one of the members my family. We live 3 hours away from Santa Barbara that it was difficult to plan the wedding but not when you have Catherine! ! She will take care of what is needed to be taken care of. I was thrilled that she accepted my invite to also join us for our wedding reception. My family and I just love her, and her staff and of course our wedding officiant is also one of the greatest!!! More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Catherine and her team were amazing! If I had to do all over again I wouldn’t change a thing.

Reviewed on WeddingWire

We chose a very simple ceremony which was lovely and sweet in a beautiful setting in Santa Barbara. Everything was easy, without stress. Accommodating, with a feeling that they just wanted our day to be perfect. More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Cathrine was great. Our wedding was everything we wanted it to Be plus more. She made it very easy for us since it was our destination wedding.

Reviewed on WeddingWire

My husband and I absolutely loved our elopement with Weddings by the Sea!
It was a stress-free, fun experience which made our day perfect.
Planning our wedding from New Zealand was a breeze and we just turned up on the day in Santa Barbara relaxed and relieved at how everything went. Highly recommended :) More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Catherine was incredibly accommodating, thoughtful and wonderful to work with. She answered all of our questions regarding elopement with ease during the process. we even switched locations on her last minute and she made it happen flawlessly. We would highly recommend her for your wedding day!! More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Kim did a fantastic job. We had our perfect wedding at the beach. Romantic, intimate just great. Kim did the ceremony and also took photos later on. Both perfect. She is a very nice warm and open person, she makes you feel special. She definitely adds the certain something to your Wedding. And she is a great photographer. I love the pictures! Such good memories. More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Catherine and her team were great to work with, we highly recommend them.

Reviewed on WeddingWire

We were so happy with everything.
Perfect!!! Simply!!! Beautiful!!!

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Communication was great, services were explained in detail and were exactly as explained . We decided on sandy cove and is was nicer than expected . We would highly recommend Cathrine . More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Where do I even begin... From first contact -to-our beautiful wedding day, all was FABULOUSLY executed by Catherine & Weddings by the Sea. The Groom & I walked away feeling absolutely pleased and unbelievably HAPPY about how gorgeous our ceremony was; the decor, floral, harpist, officiant, photographer, videographer, & the list goes on about how wonderful all were to work with and pleasing to the eye.
Catherine was more than pleasant to work with and she went above & beyond to make our destination dream wedding come to life.
I would definitely, hands down, recommend them to everyone wanting a beach wedding!!
FROM VERY SATISFIED NEWLYWEDS•
THANKS A TON WEDDINGS BY THE SEA!! More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Fabulous services by all vendors

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Catherine performed a wonderful service. She's professional and reliable.

Reviewed on WeddingWire

I need to take a moment to RAVE about Catherine from Weddings By the Sea!! My husband and I decided to elope to Santa Barbara & found her business from a google search. After I read many amazing reviews about her and her wedding services I decided to contact her! She answered the phone and immediately began to answer all of my questions. She was very personable, sweet, professional & informative. We chatted back and forth through e-mails and texts in which she responded almost instantly to every last silly question I had & we set our date for June 25, 2017. This was only about a month away from when I first reached out to her and she was able to accommodate me without hesitation. Catherine even gave me information about great local restaurants and hotels, fun things to do & sites I must see! She became not only my coordinator, but my friend as well! On our wedding day she made sure to help me feel beautiful and special and saw to it that my flowers had the beautiful purple color I requested too! If anyone is looking for a wonderful wedding service coordinator who is affordable .. this is your gal! Thanks Catherine for making mine and Sebastian's wedding day the elopement we had hoped for! :-) More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

My husband and I decided to elope at the last minute and Catherine helped us with all the details and made it happen for us in less than 2 days. It was a great experience and she was wonderful to work with! More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Catherine did our ceremony and she did a great and beautiful job ..even if our ceremony was out of the ordinary she was very understanding about our situation . ... I was able to marry the man I love and want to spend the rest of my life with we will b recommending her to our friends and family Thank you Catherine More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Catherine delivered as promised. She knows the area and what to expect. We planned our beach wedding just a few weeks in advance and it was beautiful with the ocean, weather, wind, and visitors all coming together perfectly. Catherine took care of the set up and take down which isn't easy on a beautiful beach day when visitors all flock to Butterfly beach! Thank you Catherine More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Catherine and her staff did an amazing job at our wedding ceremony. We had a small ceremony with 20 guest and it all came out even better than I had imagined. My husband and I received so many compliments from our family who attended. More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

We decided to elope, called Weddings By The Sea in the morning and they arranged a wonderful officiant for that same afternoon. We had the spontaneous beach wedding of our dreams and couldn't be happier! More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire

I AM SO PLEASED WITH EVERYTHING. I WILL RECOMMEND THEM TO MY FRIENDS FOR SURE.

Reviewed on WeddingWire

Weddings by the Sea was a huge help in making our last minute wedding day perfect! My husband and I originally planned on getting married in 2018 but after a really bad car accident, our priorities were changed and we decided once I healed to get married sooner (within 1 month! ). We knew that we wanted something more special than the courthouse but still simple and intimate. I wanted the ordinary to become extraordinary. After searching what seemed like forever online, we stumbled upon Weddings by the Sea and fell in love. Everything we wanted was offered and all by the same company. I sent Catherine an email asking a lot of questions including if she could plan a wedding in just a month. Catherine got back to me in like an hour!! The entire communication process with Weddings by the Sea was wonderful. My husband and I are long distance due to school and I live in the Central Valley so being able to have that active communication was huge for me. Everything was planned in just a few emails and I didn't have to stress because everything came out perfectly. The beach was decorated with rose petals and our initials in the sand. Catherine made the beautiful bouquet and boutonniere. Kim was our officiant and did a great job for the ceremony. Our pictures turned out gorgeous and better than I expected (we're not a photogenic couple by any means). Even getting everything done for a license was incredibly easy! I expected such a hassle but everything turned out so well. Catherine even helped us find hotels and restaurants in the area! I would definitely recommend Weddings by the Sea for anyone's special day. They are inexpensive, effecient, and know how to make a wedding day extraordinary. More...

Reviewed on WeddingWire