About

Kelsey has always gravitated toward grandeur and beauty, a lover of all things design and fashion. She was designing wedding gowns at the age of four and growing up, she was always in charge of holiday parties and special events for her friends and family. As a dancer for 15 years, Kelsey thrives on the adrenaline of a big performance, which she now compares to the thrill of a wedding day. Originally from the East Coast, Kelsey attended Mercyhurst University where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources. She went on to pursue her Masters at the University of South Carolina, which helped her continue to build her robust business repertoire. Directly following graduate school, Kelsey was hired into General Electric’s premier HR Leadership Program which led her to the Bay Area. There she supported some of GE’s top executives and hundreds of employees across the nation. She traveled globally and had the opportunity to design events through work and around the world.

Kelsey’s passion for wedding and event planning ultimately drove her to leave Corporate America and join Downey Street to pursue her dreams. Since then, she has taken on the role of Owner, Creative Director, and Principal Planner & Designer and has the great pleasure of planning and designing the company’s largest and most intricate events. In addition to taking on a full set of clients each season, Kelsey leads the creative process for all events at Downey Street Events. She uses her business background and keen understanding of people, along with her inventiveness and strong eye, to create events that are beautiful and perfectly planned. Kelsey channels her enthusiasm for travel and great design to create unique experiences for each client. Her designs tend to be fashion forward, texturally inspired, and purpose-driven.

Kelsey resides in Marin County with her husband, Jake. On weekends when she isn’t producing an event, Kelsey enjoys heading up to wine country for a tasting, a fabulous meal, and an overnight stay at the newest boutique hotel. You might also catch her attending a comedy show or musical in San Francisco. Grateful to have a career that feels more like pleasure than work (and always on the hunt for the latest and greatest), when the time calls, she’ll be seen happily grabbing her laptop, packing up, and exploring an emerging wedding destination.

Shaley is an event specialist who is consistently driven by imaginative design. A seasoned luxury event professional, Shaley has a diverse background producing events for New York Fashion Week, elegant galas, luxe weddings, and international parties. Shaley has always found herself bringing people together in celebration at dinner tables, through nonprofit campaigns, and in basement movie marathons. Immediately following graduation at Marquette University with a BA in Public Relations & Advertising, she took her professional communication skills into the world of event planning. Shaley kicked off her career by working at a sought after design house in Minneapolis, planning and designing private social events. Her apartment would often overflow with leftover florals from the studio she couldn’t seem to part with. Most recently before joining Downey Street, Shaley produced events in New York City with a world-renowned event firm where she planned bespoke celebrations throughout the United States and beyond.

Shaley’s devotion to creating experiences brought her to Downey Street Events where she brings an unmatched perspective to the planning and design process. Her knack for intricate and elegant design paired with personalization creates a recipe for lasting impressions. Shaley’s clients know her best as someone who is delightfully warm and engaging and makes the planning process enjoyable for all involved. While executing a project, Shaley prides herself on her ability to convey emotions through events and generate a genuine artistic exchange between clients and their guests.

As a lover of all things aesthetically pleasing, Shaley doesn’t often allow her calendar to go unfilled. She spends her free time exploring Northern California sipping natural wine, wandering new neighborhoods with an americano in hand, taking in the sunset at the beach, or sharing a meal with friends and family.

Kristen identifies as a true, lifelong creative. From a young age, she always felt most comfortable in artistic environments, taking several photography, painting, and performing arts courses. Kristen was a dancer for many years and participated in an acting program in San Francisco. A Bay Area native, she decided to stay close to home for schooling, attending Saint Mary’s College of California. It was at Saint Mary’s that her love for event planning began to blossom, and she planned several on-campus events and fundraisers for her academic fraternity and affiliate clubs. After graduation, Kristen moved just across the bridge and worked in the tech world as a Project Manager for many years.

As a former client of Downey Street Events, Kristen was heavily involved in her own wedding planning process, participating in the design of every detail. Her passion for wedding and event planning grew further, and it did not take long for her to realize that this industry is where she was meant to be. Just a few months after her wedding, Kristen happily left her life in tech to begin an exciting career with Downey Street. She now assists with the production of all of the company’s events, leaving no detail untouched.

Kristen absolutely loves life in San Francisco with her husband, Danilo. Her ideal Saturday in the city begins bright and early with an iced americano from Wrecking Ball and a chocolate almond croissant from Arsicault Bakery, followed by a long stroll through the Presidio or a visit to a new exhibit at SFMOMA. Her perfect weekend is never complete without a trip to The Bud Spot to build herself a lavish bouquet of flowers. Kristen dreams to travel around the world to explore and admire as many galleries, museums, and architectural wonders as she can, photographing everything in sight while being fully immersed in new cultures.