I found that disappointing, as I wanted to be involved. I wanted to make choices, and I wanted our wedding to be something that reflected us as a couple. Debbie listened. And Debbie delivered.
My husband and I will never forget her dedication – right from the beginning. We did not want our wedding to be generic, and we were not going to be staying at a hotel or tourist-type place. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a villa in a small town you’ve never been to?!

Debbie lives in Mexico for half of the year. She has resources, and let me tell you – if she doesn’t already have what you want – she will get it! She scoured the area looking for the perfect villa for us. We wanted a place that was beautiful, beachfront, and capable of housing our entire wedding party. She took care of every detail for us and traipsed all over Mexico in search of our perfect location. In the months leading up to the wedding, Debbie was so good about keeping me updated and making sure I was pleased with how everything was progressing.

I could go on and on about Debbie and what her work meant to us. We arrived in Bucerias and met with her about 3-4 days before the wedding. Everything had already been arranged for services, vendors, basic décor, etc. Once we were there, however, she took care of so many other little details. She noticed the villa’s landscape needed more greenery and color, so she arranged to “borrow” some flowers from a local vendor. She put finishing touches on all of the beautiful decorations – no detail was too small. In the end, we had a breathtaking, beautiful, sunset wedding that we could never have had with another planner.

The vendors she recommended could not have been better. By the end of the wedding, we felt like family with Franky – our amazing photographer, and Carlos our wonderful DJ. Trust her judgment on these things, please. The wedding video put together by Luis exceeded any and all expectations we had! It was professional, moving, artistic, and something we will treasure for the rest of our lives, as were Franky’s photos. Hector, the solo guitarist, was such an integral part of the event. Our family will always have a special place for him in our hearts. Please feel free to contact me for recommendations or testimonials for these people as well. And of course – I am always here to rave about Debbie and Down the Isle!

Debbie, from the bottom of our hearts, Mike and I just want you to know how very much we appreciate you. We could not imagine a better beginning to our lives. You are a wonderful person and we will never forget you.

Mike and Hilary Forrester

Debbie

Sorry it has been so long since I have followed up with you!

Thank you again for all your help! Karen and I could not be happier with the way our wedding turned out! The entire trip went off without a hitch. When I say this, I mean it. I expected we would forget something, something would fall through the cracks, or something would have gone wrong. Not the case. Absolutely everything worked out beautifully!

We both had dreams and expectations of our wedding. I was scared we may have had our expectations way too high. In reality, our wedding was beyond our wildest dreams! It was absolutely perfect.

We are eternally grateful to you. If ever we can help you out in any way, please do not hesitate to ask. If ever you need a referral, let us know, we would be honored. If you find yourself in Seattle, please look us up - we will do the same!

Debbie,
I have attached a few pictures, so you to can see how beautiful everything turned out!

Muchas Gracias!

Sus Amigos,
Karen and Paul

Nikki and Eric Christiansen December 18, 2004
Hawaii.
Dear Debbie:
My husband and I wanted to sit down and tell you how wonderful everything was. When we first started planning this wedding our nerves were everywhere. Having never been to Mexico myself, as a bride, I was very nervous. Your sweet disposition and confidence with your vendors calmed me and made me feel very comfortable. Even with our tight budget you made it look like it was a $40,000 wedding.

Then there was the day. From the moment that we got there, everything went smoothly. Everyone told me not to have my honeymoon along with my wedding because I would not be able to enjoy myself and relax. However, they did not know what I had. Debbie, the people that you set me up with were some of the most amazing people I have ever met, from the hair salon to the videographer. The minister and photographer were also so wonderful.

They took us in as if we were family, answered any questions that we had, even helped us to hail cabs if we needed it. They were not afraid to work extra hard to make our day EVERYTHING we dreamed it would be.

So bottom line is, we're thankful everyday that we ran into your website. We will never regret one thing on our wedding day, which is something I believe not many brides can say. Send whomever you like over for a reference from us. We will gladly tell them that they are crazy not to go with you. Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing. Once again THANK YOU! You made our special day possible.

With all our love,
Nikki and Eric Christiansen

To any bride or groom looking for help with a wedding,

I have been struggling to find the appropriate words to truly express my appreciation of Debbie and all that she did for us in planning our wedding. Both my husband and I have been to Sayulita more than once in past years so we knew that Sayulita would be the perfect place for our wedding. However I was not a typical bride, having never thought of details such as colors, flowers, bridesmaids and such, essentially giving Debbie nothing to work with. The end result was a fabulously beautiful, fun-filled demonstration of Debbie’s abilities as not only a wedding planner but also a compassionate and exciting woman who truly loves what she does. After many exchanges over the phone and through e-mails (that were always extremely prompt and information-filled), I became increasingly sure that choosing her as my wedding planner was the best choice I ever could have made.
In choosing to have a destination wedding, I knew I could not possibly connect with the necessary people to make “the big day” happen by myself. Debbie had a well-qualified person for everything imaginable, all of whom were just as compassionate and caring as Debbie herself. From the minister to the hair stylist, to the baker, to the photographer, I felt cared for and in good hands (especially considering our wedding was 2 days after Christmas). Debbie goes above and beyond the call of duty (like finding club soda and helping me get red wine off my dress after a toast) and truly makes her brides feel like a million dollars. Both my husband and I were attending graduate programs throughout the planning process, and because of Debbie, we were able to focus on school, and, regarding the wedding, worry only about invitations getting sent out to relatives. As I said at the beginning, I struggle to accurately (and concisely) describe how helpful, thoughtful, caring, compassionate, and kindhearted Debbie is. So in conclusion, as you are doing the all-important search for a wedding planner to help you make your special day truly what you want it be, look no further because you cannot possibly find any better than here at Down The Isle with Debbie Barran.

Signed with most sincerity and honesty,
Meghann and Aaron Sandone
February 5, 2006
San Francisco, California

Dear Debbie,

Thank you so much for all of your help with our wedding. We had such a spectacular time and have heard many comments from our guests saying it was "one of the best weddings ever". It was such a pleasure working with you. I was so glad to have the benefit of your connections and experience as well as your impeccable taste. Without you, I know our wedding would not have been the same. Your attention to detail and desire to make everything beautiful was of great help to us. I wish you the best of luck with your business and would gladly provide a recommendation for your services to any future brides.

Best Regards,
Paige Morgan