About this vendor
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Alena Swanson, Wedding & Event Planning, is a wedding planner and coordinator located in the stunning Missouri Ozarks and beautiful New Mexico desert.
Falling in love and getting married is life’s greatest adventure! I’m Alena, an acclaimed wedding planner who specializes in alleviating your stress and overseeing all the details, so you can savor this once-in-a-lifetime event!
My journey into wedding planning began in 2009, and my numerous 5-star reviews showcase my passion and dedication to my craft. Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of orchestrating an array of weddings, from intimate gatherings to lavish affairs. Each event is a canvas, and I take pride in assisting you in painting your unique love story with creativity, professionalism, and personal touches that draw your guests into that narrative.
My portfolio boasts planning hundreds of weddings, including published events in the Rocky Mountains and along Route 66. I particularly relish collaborating with couples nationwide to arrange destination weddings in the landscapes I call home. My team of planners and I are based in two picturesque locations: the stunning state of New Mexico and the Ozark Mountains near Branson, Missouri. Whether you opt for my services or one of my colleagues, I am confident you will be in some of the best hands in the industry.
I firmly believe every couple deserves a wedding as extraordinary as their love. That's why we take the time to understand your vision, get to know you, and bring your dream to life through meticulous planning and flawless execution. We do not take over and plan for you. We hold your hand and plan WITH you. This is your wedding, not ours.
Every couple books our base package for day-of coordination and can add on tailored planning time (partial or full service) at an hourly rate. Once you hire us for the day of, we are “on the bench and ready to be called into the game” for extra planning at any time. If life takes an unexpected turn or planning is consuming your life more than you’d like, just call or text. We are here to listen, advise, and accompany you through every aspect of the planning journey.
As your wedding planner, I vow to be your confidant, your advocate, and your greatest support. Whether you dream of a rustic countryside wedding, a glamorous city celebration, or a 3-day, non-stop wedding weekend to remember, let’s start planning the event of your dreams today! Reach out to schedule a complimentary Zoom consultation & let's embark on this beautiful journey together!
Details
Business Attributes
- Woman-owned Business
Destination Weddings
- Destination Wedding Packages
- Destination Wedding Planning
Planning
- Day-Of Coordination
- Destination Wedding Planning
- Full Service Wedding Planning
Wedding Activities
- Rehearsals & Parties
- After Party
- Rehearsal Dinner
- Welcome Party
- Wedding
- After Party
Awards and Affiliations
Pricing
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Reviews
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5
out of 5.029 reviews
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Alena is the reason our wedding was absolutely perfect. She is incredibly knowledgeable and is very highly regarded by her peers, as all of our vendors were very excited to work with her as well! We relied on her so much for suggestions and she always knew exactly what to do at each step in the process. Alena truly cares about the couples she works with and she really worked hard to make our special day exactly as we imagined. You can clearly see that Alena loves what she does, and she is fantastic at it! Working with her was the first and best decision we made, and I would highly recommend her to anyone in need of a wedding planner.
For context we were not only based out of State we were based outside the US which is why we looked for a coordinator/planner who would provide month of service. Alena was incredibly flexible in finding ways to speak to us factoring in the time difference. From our initial conversation we had a strong feeling that this was a professional who had a strong understanding of what we wanted, matched with her understanding of what we neeed and what we should consider (often thinking of things we hadn't thought of). Hiring her the best decision we made, she was able to talk to vendors far more easily (particularly ones we found awkward to get hold of) and present us information in clear, informative way with clear guidance on things she needed to know to get on with her role. We arrived in Albuquerque 9 days before the wedding. Alena was ready with a timeline and all the outstanding tasks we needed to think of, she offered solutions, she took responsibility for certain tasks off our hands and came back to us with fixes. She attended a venue runthrough which was invaluable in focusing the wedding parties minds on the details that you don't think of but are essential, like where are you when the guests arrive, how do you leave this location to get to that location etc etc. She also attended the rehearsal and kept everybody focused and on track. The day itself she was invaluable in ensuring everything happened as we wanted it. Alena has an incredibly calm nature and a brilliant mind for retaining huge amounts of information which is what you need. Your planner has to be someone who can tie together all the different vendors, have a handle on all the logistics, keep everything to time and do it in such a way that it's invisible to your guests. That person is Alena. She works hard to ensure your day goes as planned. She will help make that day special to you, her packages are tailored for your needs and in no way feel "off the shelf". The end result is the best day of your life, a fun time for the guests, and everything happening as you wanted it to. Cannot recommend highly enough.
When I was planning my wedding, I didn’t think I would need a wedding planner but after speaking with a friend who recently got married; not hiring a planner was her biggest regret and now I see why. I was so fortunate that I found Alena; hiring a wedding planner is a must, but picking Alena was probably the best decision I made when it came to picking vendors. Alena’s sweet nature and incredible organizational skills were a huge part of our wedding’s success, I honestly don’t know what I would have done without her! There's a reason she is the best!!
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Alena deserves 6 stars for her amazing skills and wonderful work!
Putting a destination wedding together in Taos when we were in LA seemed like a daunting task until Alena stepped in and made it a pleasure. She picked an A list team that made our dream wedding a reality. The last thing anyone wants on their wedding day is stress. We were able to truly enjoy every tender moment with Alena taking care of us. Do yourself a favor and go with a pro. Thank you Alena❤️
I can't speak highly enough of Alena and how invaluable her help was. I wanted to hire a coordinator for the day of the wedding to run everything. At first my husband (then fiancée) thought hiring a wedding planner was unnecessary and he was skeptical. I, however, insisted because I was planning most of the wedding myself and I knew I wanted someone to take over so I could enjoy my wedding. Alena was so helpful from the first time I met with her. Throughout the planning process, as questions came up, she was very responsive and full of advice. On the day of the wedding, we didn't have to worry about anything. Alena took over and made sure everything got done and ran smoothly. After our wedding, my once skeptical husband said he was really glad we hired Alena and he realized just how much she had done. Our wedding day was perfect and Alena was a huge part of things running smoothly and my husband and I not being stressed at all.
Alena is absolutely incredible. She is organized, focused, kind and passionate about planning weddings! I was planning our Albuquerque wedding from Minneapolis and Alena made it a breeze. She was organized, focused and made sure we stayed on track throughout the year. Alena had wonderful vendor recommendations and helped me choose vendors based on my specific preferences. She organized a week of vendor meetings I could fly in for a few months after the engagement, ensuring all my requests were heard and all my needs were met. As the wedding approached, I became increasingly busy at work and started to get worried about plans/accomplishing everything but Alena had every base covered. On the day of the wedding, my mind was clear and 100% focused on marrying my best friend because I knew Alena had every little detail taken care of. Throughout the day, I honestly cannot think of a time that I was anything but happy and living in the moment. Alena helped us plan and carry out the BEST DAY of our lives! I cannot express how incredible it was working with Alena -- If I could give more than 5 stars I would!
I cannot recommend Alena and her services enough. I had many worries g0ing through the last 3 months leading up to the wedding due to major miscommunication issues with my venue who had recently had a major change in their leadership roles. After a few months of stressing over my venue and overall wedding Alena came in and took over. I had gotten to the point of not believing that my "special day' would be anything like I envisioned and I owe it to Alena for fully making my day possible. During the last few months Alena communicated with vendors, made sure we were all on the same page and ensured that each and every of my wishes was fulfilled. Everyone around me told me there would be "hiccups" on the wedding day that I would have to let go of and I can honestly say I don't think a single bump occurred or at least Alena made it so I did not notice. I had the wedding of my dreams and my husband and I did not have to worry about anything aside from showing up and being in the moment. If you are thinking of hiring a wedding planner or at least day of planner, do it and hire Alena. She is poised, knowledgable and incredibly friendly. I cannot thank her enough.
We planned our August 19 wedding with Alena and we cannot recommend her enough. We had no idea what we were doing and Alena guided us through the entire process with grace and confidence. There are so many moving parts to a wedding and they all can together seamlessly thanks to Alena!
Alena is THE BEST wedding planner you could hire. She works to make sure your day is perfect. I showed up and had zero worries. She is in a word, amazing.
For lack of better words, Alena was absolutely amazing and wonderful! She was approachable, actually heard my wedding dream and made it possible! Alena asked right away what our budget was and immediately started power planning! Alena's goal was to always keep "Adam and Chloe" present in every aspect of the wedding. She never pushed for something that she knew we didn't want. Alena was a great advocate for us when communicating with our parents and vendors. I was a bride who didn't have a lot of motivation to start planning my wedding because I felt like I was doing it "alone." Alena picked me up and became my cheerleader to make the wedding happen! I would not of made it to the day if Alena hadn't been there to support my wedding dream. Thank you Alena!
Alena
Was fantastic! Guest said this was the best wedding they've ever been too. Alena is good at remembering details. Very helpful in every way! Thank you for making sure I enjoyed my daughters wedding! Jamie
Hiring Alena was the BEST decision we made. We planned our wedding from out of state and we wanted someone who we could trust to recommend the best vendors. Every meeting with alena she made me feel at ease and always had a great suggestion for everything. Alena is amazing at what she does and thanks to her our wedding was a dream come true.
Response from the Vendor on 06/25/2017
Thank you so much! It was so much fun to plan with you! The wedding was so lovely and I am blessed to be part of your memories!
Alena was hands down the absolute best! The best money we spent was spent on Alena. We planned our wedding from another state and she was there every step of the way. Alena had never ending advice and tips and was always willing to offer her opinion. On the day of the wedding I was not worried at all because I knew Alena had covered all the bases; She kept me informed throughout the day and made sure everything that happened happened correctly, on time, and the way we wanted it to. An issue arose at dinner during the event and Alena helped take care of it so we, as bride and groom, didn't have to get involved. Now, just because you have a venue coordinator does not dismiss the fact that you need Alena. Alena makes the show run. Alena is the reason why my wedding was so perfect.
Alena was really fantastic. We were a little unusual in that we started planning our wedding 2 years out, due to scheduling concerns, and she was perfectly accommodating. Her experience and expertise really shined when it came to making decisions. She made us feel like her suggestions were already tried and true, no reason to second guess. She knew exactly where the sticking points would come up and did an excellent job of dissuading me that my worries were based on fictional issues, haha. She was really diligent in meeting us, taking notes, and getting to know us; that made those suggestions that much more perfect. Her pièce de résistance was her planning and coordination leading up to and the day of. She handled all the vendors and made sure our vision of our day was being executed faithfully.
If you're ever able to find a more honest, hardworking planner, be suspicious, because they're probably a figment of your imagination!
Alena was so amazing!! She went above and beyond to make sure our wedding ran smoothly. I am so happy that I had Alena by my side so that I could completley enjoy our big day. She was also very helpful with picking decor for the wedding and all of the vendors she recommended were great. I am so happy to have had her help out with our wedding.
Alena was seriously the best money we spent on the entire wedding! She is kind and caring and helped our day run so smooth. Her value is priceless, but it's her that is so incredible. A lot of people can help run the wedding, but she made us feel so taken care of. We love her and recommend her to everyone!
Alena is so worth it, straight up! She kept us in line, on budget, and assisted me greatly with her opinions and suggestions. She wasn't daunted by our ranch wedding location and she made planning less stressful and more fun. She is incredibly genuine and cared about every detail we wanted to incorporate. We may have paid for a wedding planner but we're so blessed to say we gained a new friendship - in both Alena AND Jeff! :)
Alena was absolutely fantastic. She has the expertise, organization, and truly cares about making your day fantastic. I used her for day of coordination which came with some preplanning advice and time as well. Alena was easy to work with and get a hold of even though I was planning from another state. She had great ideas and advice for the planning process. The wedding day was absolutely amazing. If there were any problems, I didn't know about them. Everything went according to plan, was beautiful, stayed on time and I couldn't have asked for more. She even had blister block for my shoes and Shout wipes for when I had wine and food on my dress. She was an integral part of my wedding day and I couldn't have asked for more.
We're so glad we hired Alena!
When my husband and I first started planning my wedding, all of the details and logistics quickly piled up. I was trying to keep my budget very small, and was very hesitant to spend so much to hire someone just to take care of that stuff. It was SO worth it. Alena helped keep the planning process on track. She provided encouragement when we felt behind, resources when we got stuck, and a clear list of things we hadn't even thought of. She was perfectly responsive and always willing to work around whatever worked best for us.
On the day of the wedding, Alena handled everything: set-up, organizing vendors and deliveries, etc. I was able to focus on just enjoying my wedding; getting made up, being married, and partying with friends and family. Because of Alena, everything went so smoothly; I cannot recommend her enough!
Alena is simply amazing at her job. She made planning for the wedding so easy, especially with all of her connections within the industry. It was so nice to be able to let go of the stress on my wedding day. But what will stand out most to me are the intangibles ... She was ready with a solution when the bustle on my dress broke, she helped calm my fiancé's anxiety the day of with a peppermint oil remedy, she relayed any message I requested to any of the vendors there, she worked with our reception vendor when a potentially huge space crisis could've occurred and came back to me with a stress relieving solution that brought me to (happy) tears. I truly can't thank her enough for everything she has done for us, both leading up to the wedding day and the day of. Even if you are just thinking about getting a wedding planner, reach out to Alena. I don't trust easily (especially with my wedding) and it just came natural to trust her - I'm so glad I did! Our wedding day was ... The best day ever, mostly thanks to Alena!
Alena is a blessing! She helped plan our wedding and was an amazing resource to have. She was always available and responsive for questions. Her is fee is affordable and was well worth the money. She kept us on track with our timeline and gave us great vendor recommendations that fit our budget. She is absolutely the best!
I tried to do all the wedding planning myself until I became so overwhelmed my fiance was about to kill me. We started looking for a wedding planner but were discouraged by the price. Hiring Alena to coordinate our wedding took a load off my shoulders. She was so affordable and thought of so many things that would have fallen through the cracks. Alena was an invaluable asset to our wedding; she worked wonders for us!
My now-husband and I made a lot of decisions, both big and small, during our wedding planning process. Hiring Alena was the best decision we made.
During the planning process, Alena saved us time, money, and anxiety. She saved us time by helping us identify vendors that fit our style and desires. She saved us money by helping us prioritize and avoid unnecessary expenditures. She saved us anxiety by keeping us on track and helping us deal with a problem that came up with one of our vendors. In all areas, she went above and beyond to make sure our day was special.
On the day of the wedding, Alena made sure everything ran like clockwork. My now-husband and I did not need to worry about logistics, instead we could focus on getting married and spending time with our loved ones. We also did not have to ask friends or family to spend the day working. It was wonderful.
Alena is professional, organized, and a pleasure to work with. You won't regret hiring her.
Alena is a wonderful wedding planner! She is great at making you feel comfortable and organizing your wants and needs for your big day. I would recommend her a thousands times to anyone!
Alena not only helped out with my oldest daughter's wedding in Albuquerque, but 2 months later she helped with my youngest daughter's wedding 750 miles away! Alena was always professional and gave her honest opinion about every aspect of the weddings, which by the way were total opposites in style. I was able to focus on the girls and enjoy the weddings!!! Highly recommend Alena for any event!
I cannot say enough wonderful things about Alena and the amazing job she did planning our wedding. I started planning a year before our big day and there are so many little details that I didn't think about that Alena helped me coordinate. She kept me on schedule, and during meetings with vendors she knew all the right questions to ask. She is the most organized person I know. Guests even came up to my husband and I during the wedding to tell us how amazing it was, and we knew it wouldn't have been possible without Alena. My wedding was amazing and I didn't have to worry about anything because I knew I was in great hands. Alena sheltered us from a lot of coordination and venue drama the day of, too. All in all, we can't imagine having gotten through the planning or the wedding without her expert guidance.
I knew I was going to need help planning our wedding early on, so I found Alena and met with her. I knew immediately that she was going to be perfect to help plan our special day. She catered her services to our particular needs, which I really liked. I had an idea of what I wanted for our wedding and still wanted to be actively involved in the planning, but I needed help with finding trusted vendors, staying within budget as much as possible, and most importantly, I didn't want to have to lift a finger on the day of the wedding!
Alena worked diligently with me every step of the way, and she made me feel more like a friend than a client. I was at ease throughout the entire planning process because of her. She set up all of the meetings with vendors, and attended any of the ones I didn't feel comfortable going to alone or with just my husband. I literally felt no stress about our wedding until the week leading up to it, and only because of all the family that was in town and last minute details. As I'd hoped though, I felt completely calm when I woke up on the morning of the wedding. I knew everything was in Alena's hands and she knew exactly what I wanted. She checked on me periodically throughout the day and kept me informed about progress. When I walked into the ceremony and reception site, I was in awe. Everything was exactly how I'd imagined it to be, and more. The night went off without a hitch, even with a change in plans due to weather, and it couldn't have turned out more perfect. My husband and I were able to enjoy ourselves and our time with our guests without a single worry. I cannot imagine our day without Alena, she turned our dreams into reality. I absolutely recommend contacting Alena to anyone who is even slightly considering the possibility of hiring a wedding planner, you will not regret it!
Alena is amazing! My husband and I didn’t really think we would need a wedding planner, but now that we’ve had time to reflect on our wedding day and the months leading up to it, I can’t imagine that time without Alena.
This is a great time in your life and you’re probably both excited and stressed out! Maybe you’ve decided you need help, or maybe you’re not sure yet. One of the great things about Alena is that she will help as much or as little as you want so you still feel in control of your special day. We chose to hire Alena for her day-of services as well as several meetings prior to the wedding. Along the way, she kept us on task, on schedule and on budget. She fought battles when we needed help with vendors and listened when we had concerns. She gave us suggestions for vendors and worked with the ones we hired to make sure our wedding day would go smoothly. Her calm demeanor and genuine presence were greatly appreciated throughout the whole process.
On the day of our wedding, Alena took care of everything. She made sure that the venue was set up, decorations were in place, vendors arrived on time and that we were happy. My family, who were mostly from out of town, were also grateful that they didn’t have to worry about anything or do any work on our wedding day.
Weddings are notorious for glitches and ours was no exception. I would not have made it through with my sanity if Alena had not been there to make adjustments, take charge and provide support. Even once I thought things were going smoothly, a guest spilled red wine all over the front of me. Seriously – I would have freaked out of if Alena (and my photographer) had not jumped into action scrubbing my dress with stain wipes!
So, even if you don’t think you need a wedding planner/coordinator, you do! And, if you don’t think you can afford Alena, you can! Hiring Alena is the easiest wedding decision to make, and once you’ve hired her, you can take a deep breath and know that you’re in good hands!
Alena is the absolute best!! I was lucky enough to find her early in the process. I was 100% set on having her be a part of our day but my mom was a little skeptical. I had her meet with us at one of first meetings and from then on she was a believer. She was so happy to sit back and relax on my wedding day and she was able to enjoy every minute of it! Alena helped me find vendors and save time (and money!) during a crazy time with work and wedding planning. She was a shoulder to cry on when I was overwhelmed and would talk to me in the middle of the night sometimes just to make sure the day was going to be everything I had imagined. My wedding was more than I could have imagined and it is due in huge part to Alena. I couldn't have asked for a better wedding planner and I am lucky enough to now call her a friend. She is simply fantastic!!
Response from the Vendor on 06/19/2015
Nicole, it was my absolute pleasure to make your day perfect, and reading this makes my heart glow! You are such a kindred spirit & I'm blessed by you too! -Alena
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We serve the Ozark Mountains & NM Desert
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Alena Van Dyke
Owner
Alena is an award winning wedding planner and ordained minister, plus a podcast hostess, author, speaker, and spiritual director. She's described as confident, calming, and classy, professional and poised, which creates a personal, high quality, and meaningful experience: exactly what you want in a person you trust with such an important day.
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Alena Van Dyke
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Alena Swanson, Wedding & Event Planning
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