Why should you hire Amy & Carolyn as your wedding coordinators? I'll tell you why. When my daughter became engaged and decided that instead of coming to her hometown to get married, she and her fiance wanted to get married in Chicago, I had no idea how in the world we were going to get this accomplished. With so many options to choose from in regards to vendors and as to whether we would be getting a good deal or taken advantage of I knew we needed some help. We hired Carolyn and Amy to be our coordinators on the day we met with them! They put so many of our fears to rest that day and it was a huge relief to know that they would be there with us every step of the way. We explained the vision of the wedding to them and our budget and they then gave us several option to choose from. They never persuade us in anyway what so ever regarding a particular vendor. I could call or email them any day with any concern and they responded to me with either an anwer to my concern or just encouragement not to worry about something, they were there to take care of it for us. On the day of the wedding, Amy was not able to be with us but Carolyn and her assistant were there and took care of EVERYTHING!!! They coordinated the vendors and deliveries. Decorated the venue to our vision (which they did above and beyond what we had imagined), made sure things were running as scheduled and made sure everyone had everything they needed. As far as we know there was not one problem with anything, Carolyn took care of it so that we could enjoy the day! As the mother of the bride I would recommend these wonderful ladies with no reservations at all. They go above and beyond to make sure your daughter's special day is just as she dreamed! Thank you so much Carolyn and Amy!! You truly did make Katie and Nick's day the day that they dreamed of! read more

We couldn't have asked for better coordinators while we were planning our wedding from overseas. We had them help with every aspect and it was such a relief to know that I wasn't in charge of making the event a success. They were supportive and reassuring every step of the way. At least once a month I'd have a minor breakdown and feel like things were never going to come together. They would calm me down and make me feel like everything was great and we were right on schedule. And we were. Our wedding was the best and I wouldn't change anything about it! In the week leading up to the planning Amy was available for me every step of the way in wrapping up last minute details. We didn't make things easy on them what with less than stellar internet connections from Africa, with my ever-changing indecisiveness and on top of that the fact that our wedding was happening 200 miles from Chicago. But they rolled with everything and it was all a great success. By the end we felt like old friends... We can't send their praises enough. Good luck and happy wedding! read more

We went with AELO for our day-of coordinating and they were great to work with! We ended up adding on an additional service to help us find a wedding block when that was harder than expected, and adding that service to our contract was easy. Our coordinator, Rachel, was friendly and professional! She took care of things throughout the entire day of our wedding, including helping my mom with the custom centerpieces/seating chart and managing all of our vendors. My husband and I both barely saw her the whole night, which is exactly what we wanted -- since that meant she was handling everything for us! read more

I hired AELO as day-of coordinators for my July 2012 wedding, and I'm grateful I did. Even if you're super-organized (like I was), there are things you just can't do yourself the day of your wedding (not to mention things you'd just rather not do). I worked primarily with Amy, who brought an assistant for the day. Both were uber-professional and helpful. In the planning stages, Amy was very responsive over email, and had great answers to my questions. While I was at my wedding, I knew I didn't have to worry about a thing - AELO would take care of it! Thanks to Amy (and Carolyn) for making my wedding day a relaxed, enjoyable day. read more

Where to start with how much I love and adore Amy & Carolyn from AELO? Let's start back in December of 2008, when my wonderful fiancee proposed to me at 7pm on a snowy day. By 8pm I had lined up meetings for locations, and by 9pm I thought, "Oh, this is easy, I can plan a wedding no problem-o!" Fast forward to November of 2009, where the panic starts to set in as my wedding date of less than 3 months away looms over me like a black Chicago rain cloud. Yeah, I had pretty much ordered everything but...who was going to control everything for my rehearsal and wedding day? So I take to trolling Craigslist for wedding coordinators, perhaps some that will do it for free as I'm flat-a** broke from this wedding. While they aren't free, AELO is LITERALLY the best decision I made with regards to my wedding. They saved me. They are awesome. I don't know how many more adjectives I can come up with, but seriously. They were extremely reasonably priced, and so so SO energetic and organized. They put together all of my centerpieces (31 to be exact) exactly the way I envisioned them, I got so many compliments on them it was crazy! They laid out my ceremony decorations beautifully, they organized our crazy bridal party during both the rehearsal and actual wedding, they even drove me and my inebriated husband back to our hotel after the wedding was over (I don't think that's part of their package, I'm pretty sure there were no cabs and they felt sorry for me). However, my favorite story is still the glue pen. I had a photo booth at my wedding, and the strips of pics were going into our guest book for people to sign next to. The photo booth guy comes up to me at some point and says he ran out of glue sticks (I mean, come on dude!). So I run up to either Amy or Carolyn and squeak out something in a mildly bridezilla-ish manner...they must have heard something about glue, because before I know it, they go into their magical-mystery wedding bag on wheels and pull out a zip lock bag chock-full of every kind of glue you could ever want. It was a beautiful thing, and it saved my wedding book. And that magic wedding bag? Holy batman. It was like Mary Poppins bag, but covered in pink polka dots and had things in there I've never even heard of. Awesomeness. What else? They are so friendly and nice, yet so incredibly capable of getting everybody to do what they want them to do. It's a form of art, really, the way they handled everybody from me, to my crazy martini-swilling mother, to all my other vendors swirling around the wedding in some capacity or another. I turn around one minute, and there's Amy holding up my lipstick saying "you should refresh" and then I turn around another minute looking for a drink and there's Carolyn holding up my champagne glass saying "only clear liquids for you, my dear, you don't want red wine on that dress." Everybody, please, take my advice and hire AELO. If not for coordinating your entire wedding (which I would have done had they been in business when I got engaged!)..then for sure at least for day-of wedding coordination. I cannot recommend them enough, and I cannot begin to tell every bride that she needs a professional team like AELO on the day of their wedding to handle everything. I enjoyed my wedding because of them, and had zero worries the entire day (except how drunk my husband was getting by the end of the night). I've never smiled so much while signing and handing over a check, as I did with AELO..because it was so totally worth it. And they rock. I love you guys! read more

Carolyn and AELO were hired to be our day-of coordinator, and it was easily one of the best choices we made for our wedding. She helped turn an unconventional venue into more than we could have imagined, and took care of so many things so that we didn't have to. She acted as architect, expert advisor, and cheerleader all without skipping a beat. We all know how inflated prices are for weddings, but after the event, I flat out told Carolyn that her help, enthusiasm, and positive vibes were worth much more than we paid. And I mean that. read more

My daughter's wedding was July 15, 2015. We were so thankful the day of the wedding that we chose An Event Less Ordinary to be our day of planner. I spoke to a lot of wedding planners and Amy, unlike others, nailed every issue that I had regarding the wedding. My main concerns were transportation and a timeline; she immediately offered solutions to best handle the situation. Weddings can be a bit chaotic and ours was no exception. There were little issues, like my ornate shoe becoming entangled in my gown.....Sam quickly resolved it with a piece of tape that she had in her "magic bag." And bigger issues, like the Palmer House losing the bride's sweet little adorable dog, Lilly. Once again Sam resolved it by being able to contact the hair stylist. Sam was absolutely, incredibly amazing. She is a little ball of fire!! Sam is professional and able to handle ANY problem that arises. Snippy, uncooperative limo driver? No worries, he was no match for Sam!! They helped to decorate the ballroom and they were available whenever we had the slightest issue that needed addressing. The day would have been so stressful without AELO. It truly is worth the investment. read more

We hired Amy for partial and day-of coordinating, and we are so glad we did! She helped us find a venue, a photographer, and hair and makeup stylists. Her advice made the process so much easier, especially since we were planning long-distance. She also answered the fifty gazillion questions that we had along the way. Day-of, she and her two assistants (Sam and Rachel) were absolute godsends. They made the day flow so smoothly, and we had absolutely nothing to worry about because we were in expert hands. They set up all of our decorations, made sure we had alone time together right after the ceremony, corralled various wedding party and family members as needed, and made sure everything happened on time and smoothly. We would highly recommend An Event Less Ordinary! read more

I was so happy that I had Amy & Carolyn there on my wedding day to make sure everything ran smoothly! As a planner myself, a good day of coordinator was very high on my priority list, because I know how much goes into making sure every little detail is perfect. They did a flawless job setting everything up and ensuring the day was as I had envisioned. I didn't have to worry about a single thing and that piece of mind I had is just priceless, especially being a control freak-planner. I had one stress on the day of the wedding due to a really important item being left on the trolley (my own fault). They got it back for me within the hour! I can't imagine having to deal with that myself and was so happy they were there to take care of it so I could continue enjoying my day. It is clear that both Amy & Carolyn love weddings and being a part of people's big days, and their work shines because of it. They are kind, professional and just flat out fun to be around :-) I'd recommend them to anyone! read more

Fantastic planners. Very quick on email correspondence and very eager to assist in creating my vision.

Amy and Carolyn were awesome as day of coordinators! They managed the timeline so well considering it was their first Indian Wedding and there was a lot going on! Not to mention, they worked great with all of our vendors and all the events ran very smooth. My parents and I sat down with Amy and Carolyn a few weekends before explaining them all the major steps of the Hindu ceremony, the timeline of events from the Sangeet to the Reception, and they were very receptive and patient. We could not have been happier! read more

Our wedding weekend was absolutely perfect and it was mainly because of these two lovely ladies. Not only did they help keep me organized and stress-free, they helped take my vision for the entire day and make it a reality. We interviewed about 7 companies to hire because I knew I needed someone that I trusted as much as myself. We hired AELO knowing that we were in the best hands. You cannot ask for a better combination than Carolyn and Amy- they are the sweetest, most patient, helpful, charming, brilliant event wedding coordinators that I could ever imagine. I had guests raving to me about them! We got married on 9/21/13 in Chicago. We used their services as weekend of and they truly completed the entire package. They were easy to work with from the second we met. This little text box is not enough to express my gratitude and appreciation for the massive role that they played for us. read more

I was lucky enough to be referred by a friend to An Event Less Ordinary. I knew that having help on the day of my wedding was going to be important. AELO provides this type of service and beyond - I worked with Carolyn and she was present throughout the planning process, offering to take over vendor communications, solidify timelines, help run the rehearsal and more. She had a friendly, positive attitude and was professional and responsive. Her and her assistant on our wedding day truly helped make it a flawless evening and I cannot thank them enough for the exceptional service that they provided! read more

I can't say enough about Carolyn and Nicole at AELO!!! If you are thinking of hiring a day of coordinator, or more, DO IT! its worth it, from someone who just got married, June 19th, 2015, I can tell you, that having Carolyn on board was a lifesaver. Coordinating a wedding is a tough job, any assistance you can get is worth it:) Carolyn was so incredibly helpful leading up to our big day, easily accessible by email, text or call for any questions we had leading up to the wedding. Carolyn even came to our house to meet with us and go over plans and "to do's" months and weeks leading up to our big day. For the "day of" coordination, Carolyn contacted each of our vendors and ensured that everyone was on board and on the same page for the day of. Carolyn assisted my husband and I with creating a wedding day timeline, and then sharing that with all of the vendors This took a lot of stress away from my husband and I, we didn't want to be contacting and coordinating with vendors on the day of or even night before the ceremony. It was so easy to turn everything over to her and trust her with coordinating our vendors at the venue. Carolyn attended our rehearsal dinner and was the first face i saw once arriving at the venue on the wedding day. She was vital in setting up the ceremony, making sure all of our vendors were there and getting set up, as well as coordinating our wedding party and ensuring they were where they were supposed to be. The second the ceremony was over, Carolyn made sure we had a drink in our hands and 10 minutes alone to soak in what had just occurred. Carolyn and Nicole also made sure that our family photos went off without a hitch and that my husband and I got to see our venue space before all of our guests. The rest of the night Carolyn and Nicole both, organized, coordinated and made sure the night went perfectly! If there was anything that didn't go smoothly, i never would've known it. Having Carolyn and Nicole made our wedding stress free and allowed for my husband and i to truly kick back and enjoy our party! Carolyn's assistant, Nicole, even graciously offered to take all of our remaining items at the venue once the night was over, saving us our one of our family members from having to do it. Although there was a small charge for this, we didn't mind at all, well worth the cost. I would highly highly recommend An Event Less Ordinary, specifically Carolyn, as your day of coordination for your wedding. read more

We hired AELO as our day of coordinators and were extremely pleased with the quality of their work and their professionalism. Carolyn and Amy are energetic, detailed oriented, and a pleasure to work with. We felt very comfortable leaving things in their capable hands so we could enjoy our day worry-free. We also found them to be more reasonably priced than other wedding coordinators in Chicago. We would definitely recommend them to other couples. read more

Carolyn and her staff was amazing during our wedding. The day couldn't have gone as smooth without her help. She followed up with everything, and if there was any type of glitch we haven't heard about it yet. The day as far as we know was perfect! She handled everything that night down to packing my dad's vehicle which I'm not even sure how she was able to fit everything. She was right there if we had any questions about anything. The day of coordinator was for sure one of the best things that we spent our money on that day and we couldn't have been happier to have Carolyn as our coordinator. read more

It's a shame there's no 6-star option, because 5 stars simply aren't sufficient to express how wonderful Carolyn and Samantha were on our wedding day. We booked Carolyn to be our day-of coordinator, and she worked tirelessly, with incredible kindness and aplomb, to make sure that our wedding was the best day of our lives. Admittedly, things were somewhat of an unorganized mess until Carolyn came along, but she immediately put us at ease and assured us that there wouldn't be any problems. And for all we know, maybe there were some problems--it was a DIY wedding, and there were a million opportunities for things to go wrong--but even if there were, Carolyn completely shielded us from all the chaos so that we could focus entirely on enjoying the day. She was also unbelievably attentive. At one point in the night, my wife's shoe started bothering her, and while she didn't tell anyone, Carolyn noticed her fidgeting with the straps and brought her some sort of magical tape that immediately alleviated the pain. We're so incredibly thankful for her efforts, and we couldn't recommend her more highly. Don't think twice--book her now! read more

We can not say enough great things about AELO. We just had our wedding the first weekend in December 2016, and everything was amazing. We used AELO for the full wedding planning and it was a fantastic decision. They made the planning a breeze and without stress. The entire process was well coordinated, organized and clear. They provided us a clear schedule and calmly made sure that we were sticking to it. They communicated clearly with us, as well as my mother who was out of state, making this experience even more enjoyable. Further, they answered all questions and emails promptly. Every vendor suggested by AELO and used was professional, easy to work and a complete pleasure. It made the wedding planning and weekend a fun and stress free experience. The weekend of the wedding itself, Carolyn and her assistant coordinated all of the details with smiles and allowed us to completely enjoy the day. They even took the time to tidy up the suite from the morning make up and hair sessions, the cards from the wedding were safely stored in the safe and a thoughtful note was left with well wishes. If there were any hiccups we didn't know a thing about it and even my mom was stress free all night. We can't say enough great things about AELO and would recommend them without any reservations. read more