The Wisconsin and Minnesota wedding planning team here to be your
(*says literally every client ever)
*and THE BEST WEDDING DECISION YOU’LL MAKE
Logistical Wizards
Creative Minds
Tissue Holders
Fiercest Advocates
Dress Fluffers
Boutonniere Pinners
Miracle Workers
Unofficial Therapists
∞
6 +
166 +
5
TEARS SHED OVER HEARTFELT MOMENTS
YEARS IN
The BUSINESS
HAPPY COUPLES
SERVED
WEDDING PLANNERS AND DESIGNERS
02 - meet deanna
Hey! I’m Deanna, And I’m the mama of the wedding planning team (and a mama to two boys in real life)
And that’s because my team and I are never so focused on execution that we don’t take the time to get freaking excited and celebrate with you. We’ll giggle with your bridesmaids, banter with your family, choke up when you say your “I dos,” and pat your dog on the head for a very long while. From start to finish, we are in this thing with you.
By the end of our time together, you’ll have married your person, had a wonderful wedding to remember forever, and have made some new lifelong friends (us!).
I’m a Leo to a T, I hate naps (personal, not kid naps—those are a godsend), and I’ve never been introduced to a deadline I didn’t absolutely crush.
And there’s nothing I love more than hospitality - whether that’s hosting at home — because we love forced family fun ;) — or helping couples like you plan an amazing wedding.
While I’m ridiculously good at planning, my favorite thing I hear from our clients is that we don’t just excel at the planning part, but we make the whole experience joyful and fun.
My official title, if we’re trying to be fancy:
Founder + Lead Planner
My wardrobe is minimalist, my aesthetic is earthy/organic, but my personality is warm, vibrant, and bold. Can’t put me in a box.
I have a B.S. in Event Management from Iowa State University (Go Cyclones!) Putting that degree to actual use, wooot.
2nd place winner in the regional spelling bee…in the 8th grade. Attention to detail has always been my jam even then and still comes in handy.
I once had a ukulele named Boris! And I spent one semester of college as a DJ for an indie radio station. Let's just say that gig was short-lived.
Best food (hands down)
Guilty Pleasure
The reason my husband fell in love with me
What I’m doing when I’m not in wedding planner mode…
Pho is my favorite food. I love BTS and K-Dramas (if you know you know). Romantasy books are my guilty pleasure (Sarah J Maas!). And I LOVE thrifting!
03 - the og love story
I Fell in love WITH MY HUSBAND IN A PIZZA LINE…
IT WAS LITERALLY LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT (WITH THE HUSBAND, NOT THE PIZZA, ALTHOUGH THE PIZZA DESERVES SOME CREDIT, TOO).
Right then and there, I turned to my friend and said out loud (maybe a little too loudly), “That’s going to be my husband” and 1.5 years later we tied the knot.
It has been 9 years since and we’re still going strong.
Sounds great
My wedding planning experience wasn’t so great.
Unconventional? Yes. Way too much DIY? Yes. Regrets? …Yes.
First things first, I didn’t know what the heck I was doing, but also I had to ask our friends and family to help out with so many things. And, I was so stressed the night before that I barely slept.
Not only did I end up giving up on having a wedding for ME, but we also weren’t able to enjoy every second of the day because there was too much for us to do.
And that’s the exact opposite of what I want for you because your wedding planning process should be free of headaches, your celebration should include everything that makes it unmistakably you two, and you should have a team that does it all—from setup to tear down—so you can sit back and soak it in.
And to unapologetically toot our own horns, the OBEC wedding plan team is 10/10 at all that.
But while our wedding day turned out great…
04 - what’s in a name?
THE STORY BEHIND THE NAME:
Olive Branch
THE SECOND MY FRIEND TEXTED ME “OLIVE BRANCH” AS A NAME IDEA, I KNEW IT WAS THE ONE
And once I dug deeper into the meaning, I realized it was ABSOLUTELY perfect since olive branches have been used in weddings for centuries. Because, just like a sturdy olive tree withstands storms, a strong marriage can weather any challenge with care and nurturing.
Personally, olive branches are symbolic because of their presence in the Bible—they represent peace and the beginning of a new life—and extending an olive branch to couples as an invitation to an enjoyable wedding experience is exactly what we do.
05 - the team
No way I could do this without my ridiculously talented wedding planning team.
We bring expertise without ego, are so passionate about what we do, and definitely have a feisty fierce side.
But feisty fierce in a way like—you don’t mess with the people we love kinda way. We have high standards kinda way. We’ll advocate for YOUR wishes kinda way.
And we’ll get the job done while making sure the whole experience is as joyful as can be.
Ellie
Sarah
Casey
Drink Of Choice:
Hobbies:
Find Me:
Go-To Outfit:
Branch Manager aka Deanna's right hand woman
The type of person who puts everyone at ease—and is a guaranteed hit with your friends and grandparents.
She’s encouraging, kind, and makes it obvious in every interaction she has with our couples just how much she cares about them and their day.
(Plus, she has amazing design skills. Like seriously, her design boards are unparalleled!)
Old Navy Jeans + tee
Wine
DIY, Baking, cooking, gardening, going outside, my dog
Hyping Deanna up
Meet Ellie
She's cool, calm, and collected. Laid-back (in the best way) but don't let that fool you - she is always one step ahead and amazing at anticipating needs (Need your dress bustled? Need a drink? She's gotchu). Before you ask, things are done and it all comes so naturally to Sarah! But I mean, she also used to plan weddings in the mountains (no biggie).
my go to is usually biker shorts and a big comfy sweatshirt or tshirt and my latest favorite pair of tennis shoes.
gin + tonic
cooking, creating recipes, hosting friends+ family
If I’m not making a fun charcuterie board, you’ll find me on a patio at a local brewery.
Lead Planner
Meet Sarah
Barketing Manager
She sleeps most of the day, always has her nose in all the business and is way more interested in barking even though we've got some really professional meetings going on...
She is 100% the laziest employee we’ve ever had, but she’s also had better days. Pre-kids, Casey was her mama’s everything. She has since stepped aside and reluctantly taken on the big sister role. Casey's claim to fame is she's the first “client” OBEC has ever had. All jokes aside, we do love Casey! She's been with us through all the highs and lows of entrepreneurship!
Floral collar with crazy eyebrows and a long beard
toilet water
sleeping, going on walks, eating food off the counter
being a social butterfly, like my mama
Meet Casey
“It was like having your closest friends also be really good at wedding planning.
It just felt so easy—like we had known you for a long time. With both of us working full-time jobs or in grad school, we felt so relaxed knowing that you were in charge and helping us get things organized during the daytime hours. There's no way we could have done this and stayed sane without you.”
Kim + Tim
“We’re so sad the wedding is over because we won’t get to work with Ellie anymore.
Throughout the process from initial planning to execution, she was a pleasure to work with and she worked SO hard to make everything absolutely perfect. She was totally our rock through everything, not one single thing went even slightly awry and we had a blast.
Thank you so much for everything... It has been so much fun working with you and your team."
Charlie + Jonathan
“The day of our wedding, we got to sit back and truly ENJOY our best day because Natalie and the team had everything fully handled.
I was looking forward to planning my wedding for as long as I can remember. When the time finally came, I found myself wondering am I doing this right? Am I missing something important??? Then, we had our first call with Deanna to see if day of coordination is something we needed. IMMEDIATELY we knew we did and it was the best decision we made.
WE LOVE [OLIVE BRANCH EVENTS CO.] SO MUCH. "
Lexi + Dylan
Our #1 CLAIM TO FAME?
Being the best wedding decisions our couples made.
But a close second is planning the best wedding anyone’s ever been to.
So, what do you say? Ready to make the best wedding decision and have the best wedding ever?
