Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriella Maenza.
Gabriella, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My love for events started when I was ten years old and appointed myself “Official Family Talent Show Planner.”
My family still talks about that show — and looking back, it was the first sign of what I’d end up doing with my life.
I pursued it properly at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality, where I earned my degree in hospitality and event management. From there I learned the industry from every angle: I was mentored by one of South Florida’s finest luxury wedding planners, worked as the Event and Social Marketing Manager for Perfect Wedding Guide South Florida, and spent years in the non-profit world managing galas and fundraising walks for the National MS Society. Every one of those chapters taught me something I still use today.
I founded Ella Events in 2015, and over the last decade it’s grown from just me into a full team — planning weddings and celebrations across the U.S. and abroad. But my philosophy hasn’t changed since that talent show: do it with passion, or not at all. More than anything, I want my clients to feel completely at ease, so that on the most important day of their life, all they have to do is be fully present in it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been perfectly smooth and I don’t think I’d trust it if it had been. Early on, the challenge was simply earning trust in the luxury space; you build that reputation one event at a time before the referrals start carrying you.
The bigger growth curve was learning to stand confidently in the value of what I do.
A planner is an investment, and helping couples understand the difference it makes takes intention. Anyone can hand someone a checklist. What we actually do is carry the weight of an entire celebration so the people living it never feel it, and learning to communicate that took time.
Add in building a team I’d trust with my clients’ biggest day and managing destination weddings across cities and countries, and every challenge has only strengthened how I show up for my clients — looking back, each one was really just preparing me for the next chapter.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Ella Events is a luxury wedding and event planning boutique based in South Florida, with planning services across the U.S. and internationally. We’re full-service by design. Clients come to us with a vision (or sometimes just a venue and a feeling) and we handle everything from design and vendor curation to budget, logistics, and flawless day-of execution.
I specialize in the kind of full-weekend celebrations where every moment is considered — welcome parties, the wedding day, farewell brunches — and in destination weddings or events, which I genuinely love for the challenge and the artistry they demand.
Aesthetically, my work lives in a warm, timeless world: espresso, ivory, champagne, and gold, elevated but never cold.
What I’m known for, more than anything, is presence. My clients tell me they never felt stressed, that they could be fully in their own day because they trusted everything was handled.
One client’s father said I was “everywhere” at his daughter’s wedding — that’s exactly the goal. But what means the most to me is what happens after: so many of my couples tell me they miss talking to me once the wedding is over. The relationships I build are real, and they outlast the last dance. That, to me, is everything. I think of myself as the woman behind the wedding, and I’m proudest when a couple looks back and remembers only how it felt — not a single thing they had to worry about.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
The best place to start is my website, ellaeventsbygm.com, or to find me on Instagram @ellaeventsbygm — that’s where you’ll get a real feel for our work and our world. Everything begins with a conversation; I always want to make sure we’re the right fit for each other before anything else, because the relationship matters as much as the day itself.
We’re currently booking weddings and events into 2027 – 2028, including a few destination celebrations, so couples planning ahead are exactly who I love to hear from. And if you’re a fellow vendor or venue who shares the same standard of care and creativity, I’m always open to building relationships with people who do beautiful work — the best celebrations come from a team that’s truly aligned.
The simplest way to support Ella Events is the way this whole business has grown: word of mouth. A referral, a tag, sharing our work with someone you love who’s about to plan something meaningful — that means the world to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ellaeventsbygm.com
- Instagram: @ellaeventsbygm
- Facebook: @ellaeventsbygm
