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About Us

Meet Brooke Gustafson – Lead Planner & Owner

Brooke has over 25 years of hospitality experience, with the last 20+ years of her career spent focusing specifically on event planning.  After graduating college with a degree in Communications and Media, Brooke decided to move from her home state of Connecticut to the Bay Area.  She was drawn to all of the natural beauty that Northern California has to offer, from the dramatic coastline and beaches to the vineyards and mountains. “The scenery here is like no other place in this country.”  She started her hospitality career in Connecticut as a restaurant manager and working for a local wine distributor, representing many of the well-known Californian wineries.  It was her passion for fine dining and wine that also made Northern California the perfect place to live and work for her.  After moving to San Francisco and working for a catering company for 3 years, she really got to experience working on weddings and events in all different parts of the Bay Area.  “There was really no doubt in my mind that wine country is where I wanted to be”.  Brooke decided to leave San Francisco and was hired as the Director of Events for Viansa Winery in Sonoma, where she spent almost 9 years planning weddings and marketing events.  “Viansa was a unique set up, as we included full-service planning within the venue fee.  I worked alongside 4 other planners in our events department and personally planned between 30 – 40 events per year, while overseeing another 70+ weddings and events managed by the event coordinators at the winery.  We were a very busy property!”.  After 9 years at Viansa, Brooke decided to pursue her dreams of having her own event planning business and Orchard Avenue events was launched in 2014.  “I always wanted to have my own business and get the chance to really get to know my clients well.  After planning hundreds of events at Viansa, I realized that I wanted to dive even deeper into event planning and really form a connection with my clients.  It’s crucial to get to know your clients well, so you can help create a wedding that truly reflects who they are as a couple. Now with Orchard Avenue Events, I plan 8-10 weddings per year, in addition to planning a few non-profit events, allowing me to focus and spend time on creating the perfect experience, unique to each of my clients.”  Brooke is very passionate about everything that wine country has to offer out-of-town guests. “I love showing off why I choose to call this place home!”. In addition to Napa and Sonoma, Brooke also loves the Mendocino Coast and is very proud to offer wedding planning services in this area as well. “My husband and I are currently splitting our time between Sonoma and Fort Bragg. We just love both areas and think both settings offer a picture-perfect wedding backdrop!” In her spare time, when she’s not planning weddings and events, Brooke loves to hike with her two border collies, kayak, go camping, cook and garden. She could spend all day wandering a secluded beach, if you let her. This is when her best ideas come to light!

Meet Sara Sugrue – Event Planner

Sara Sugrue was born in San Francisco and raised in the beautiful Wine Country.  She has always been a planner by nature with ninja style organizational skills.  Growing up in a large family, she was and continues to be the sibling who is called upon to help with showers, birthdays, weddings, and more.

Spending four years working at a Sonoma County winery, Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, only intensified Sara’s love for events.  From there Sara moved on to the event industry where she has spent the past twenty years.  Utilizing her interior design and management training, Sara has worked on numerous events ranging from large productions, to back yard events and everything in between.  Sara successfully managed multiple event consultants who were responsible for hundreds of events per month.

When Sara is not planning events, she loves spending quality time with her family.  Sara is grateful for the time she gets to spend volunteering as room mom for both of her boys, planning school events, and chaperoning their field trips.  You may run into her and her family around town in one of the many great local restaurants or at one of their boys’ basketball, t-ball, or flag football games.

Meet Sarah Aylward – Event Planner

Sarah Aylward (yes, another Sarah!) is a Midwestern transplant that has been in the Bay Area for over 18 years. With a deep love of cooking and a Le Cordon Bleu culinary degree, Sarah began her west coast career in catering kitchens, but her top notch organizational & people skills pulled her into event planning where she has remained ever since. Sarah and Brooke started wedding planning on the very same day at the very same place, Viansa Winery, where Sarah stayed for two years (and helped coordinate 80+ weddings) before branching out to consult with various planners in San Francisco and Wine Country. During this time, Sarah also managed events for Sage Catering which allowed her to work at lots of different venues on various types of events. However, her one true (professional) love has always been wedding planning. “I have coordinated A LOT of events in my career, and there is a special energy that surrounds weddings that you just can’t get anywhere else. Being a part of two people gathering all their loved ones together to watch them take this leap of faith is an honor I take very seriously.” When she is not carrying a clipboard, Sarah loves hiking, biking, camping, and traveling with her two children & husband, cooking big meals for family and friends, or sipping wine at any one of her many favorite wineries. Sarah is a very experienced and detail-oriented planner that would be thrilled and honored to be a part of your special day!

Meet Emily Jones-Robledo – Event Assistant

Meet Emily, the super positive and smiley face at Orchard Avenue Events who assists on wedding days to help bring your vision to life! No matter who she is working with on the Orchard Avenue Events team, Emily loves greeting your guests and making sure you have everything little thing you need on your wedding day. Joining Orchard Avenue Events in 2021, Emily initially expected a one summer stint, but the outstanding planning team and their inspiring dedication keeps her hooked. Emily is passionate about contributing to the success of each special day, ensuring a flawless and magical experience. Beyond her role at Orchard Avenue Events, she channels her creativity into freelance graphic design for local clients and works at Mayo Family Winery. Juggling professional commitments, Emily treasures time with her husband and two sons and frequent visits to Santa Cruz, where she grew up. Emily has a diverse professional background that include an array of experiences, including a television spot with Rachael Ray and helping unload evacuated animals from airplanes after Hurricane Irma with players from the Golden State Warriors. Her dedication to her weekly ceramics class is equally as unwavering to her bringing her large Stanley mug everywhere (hydration is important). She looks forward to making your day extra special!
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