We knew when we met Krys that we wanted to work with her to plan our wedding at the Woman's Club of…read moreEvanston. She had a creative and energetic vibe and we instantly felt like she understood our vision and would help bring it to life. She really delivered - and was a pleasure to work with. Having her made all the difference in knowing that our event would run smoothly. It did of course, thanks to her, but along the way she provided so many great resources and suggestions, emotional support, and even items for the event (like table number holders). She's just a great, warm person who is fantastic at her job and cares about making your event special. She's an excellent day of planner, but she was so much more for us - helping us every step of the way. I can't recommend her highly enough!

We were referred by another Officiant that was booked for our wedding date, and couldn't have been…read morehappier how this worked out. Jill was very responsive, and she just got my husband's humor and our personalities. She was able to pick up on things from just a phone call and a few emails exchanged. She could have provided a very standard ceremony and vows for us, but she went above and beyond making something customized and personalized incorporating both of our cultures. It was a very thoughtful and much appreciated thing when you are planning a wedding that she can think of something that we didn't even think of, especially when you are in the thick of planning and thinking of so many other things for the wedding and other events going on in your life. She was on time and laid out expectations, easy to communicate with, and made everything simple. I must have also gotten quotes from more than 10 others and they were such ridiculously exorbitant prices for what in actuality might have been a half an hours worth of time that was spent in person. I feel like some people just capitalize on someone else's happiness and take advantage by charging a high fee or cost because you are getting married. This was not the case with Jill, as she was very reasonable in price and her personality really set her apart. We would highly recommend her.

I was lucky enough to get some referrals that led me to Jill, and I'm so thrilled that she was the…read moreofficiant for our wedding. Finding the right officiant isn't exactly easy -- we put a lot of effort towards creating a celebration that felt true to us as a couple, and we didn't want to necessarily follow the normal flow or traditions of a wedding ceremony. Jill was a perfect partner in helping us create something uniquely meaningful to our relationship. She was warm, personable and inquisitive during each of our meetings. I was impressed on her skill at picking up all the small details of our relationship and crafting them into a compelling story for our wedding guests. She was so excited to help us craft the right type of unity ritual -- she was a great creative partner and balanced our ideas with her sense of what would be most impactful for our event. I am so thrilled that the universe brought us together with Jill. Our wedding was a perfectly memorable event, and she played a huge role in making it so magical.

I couldn't recommend Bride & Joy more highly. Kim is the consummate wedding person. She was so much…read morefun to talk with! She was always so quick to get back to me on any of my little questions and never made me feel anything but special. She's got great taste and really understands every aspect of the whole "Wedding Biz." We managed to stay on time, which is unheard of for a wedding! She was a pleasure to work with in the days leading up and totally crushed it the day of. We were free to just have the Time Of Our Lives and I can't imagine our special day without her!

I highly recommend Kim for month-of planning! We used Bride and Joy for our September 2018 wedding…read moreat Salvage One. Working with Kim was a dream-- she is so calm and professional-- Kim helped me organize the chaos and enjoy the process. Kim previously worked at Salvage One, so coordination was a breeze. I had many vendors and had a lot of DIY aspects to my wedding-- Kim was able and willing to help me coordinate all the vendors and went above and beyond, helping us organize and set up the whole room. I would work with Kim again in a heartbeat!

If you're a working woman and don't have time to plan your wedding, this is the wedding planner you…read moreHAVE to hire. There is no detail that she doesn't take care of. It's amazingly hassle free and they makes the whole process 10000% fun. All her vendors that she recommends are fantastic. They take what you envision and really just step it up a notch. Yes, it is an expense added to your wedding but if you really want a hands off experience and just to enjoy your engagement, this is the planner to get, you truly won't regret it.

After getting engaged the panic started to set it. I was flipping through a bridal magazine and…read morefound one of Heather's recent weddings and gave her a call. After meeting with a few planners, I picked Heather because she was calm, personable and I knew we would work well together. I also knew I did not want a long engagement. People kept telling me that I was crazy for wanting to get married in less than 6 months. When would I have the time, and all of the good locations and vendors were sure to be booked with such short notice. With the help of Heather and Katherine we pulled the whole thing off in just over 5 months. From the beginning Heather was professional, organized and my go to for just about every wedding/vendor related question I had. She allowed me to customize my services and she helped me find the location and was my day of coordinator. Although I relied on her heavily throughout the planning process. She had lots of great vendor recommendations and was super pleasant to work with. She helped me find the most unique location and really understood what me and my fiance were looking for. I had at least a dozen people come up to me at the end of the night and tell me that our wedding was the most beautiful and fun wedding they had ever attended. It was so nice to have the both of them to rely on. I felt like I could actually unwind and enjoy the night without having to worry about anything going wrong. I would recommend Greatest Expectations to anyone looking for a truly unique and customized wedding experience. We really could not have done it without them.

I hired Ashley a year and a half before my wedding, actually the week after my sister's wedding…read morewhen I saw her work first hand. She impressed me that much. "Do I need a wedding planner?" a bride (or groom) may ask. Surely it is an added expense but the best way I can describe Ashley's services is that she allows the bride and groom to feel like a guest at their own wedding. We had a meeting about a month before wedding when she went over EVERYTHING. She then followed up with all vendors to make sure everything was addressed and made a timeline (which is a lot harder than it seems). I had a lot of decorations planned and knew I was going to need someone to move them. A budgeting technique of mine was to reuse the ceremony decorations again in the ballroom. Ashley set up the ceremony and then moved it all to the ballroom. And not only was she spot on with decorations, she made sure the rest of the wedding went without problems. Once the wedding was over and guests were transitioning to cocktail hour, she was there asking us if we needed anything. She showed up during professional pictures outside of just the groom and I with waters (almost on que when photographer asked us if we had plenty of water during the day). She brought me appetizers and wine while my hair and make up got touched up. She came running into the ballroom to inform us of an unique photo opportunity (a rainbow). She was really there for EVERYTHING and I was almost stress free thanks to her and her team. Trust me brides (and grooms), her service is something that is worth it- I promise. Also, I commend her for her response to COVID and the postponement of our wedding. She allowed a change date without added charges or headache.

Ashley is w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l! I used her as our day of planner and don't know what I would have done…read morewithout her. I met with Ashley many months before my wedding, where she clearly presented how she would function as our planner and I was sold. She is organized, knowledgeable, and was able to communicate well with all of my vendors as the big day drew near. My wedding day was awesome and I knew I had nothing to worry about with Ashley running the show. During wedding weekend she kept my stess level at a zero (much lower than my normal level), managed/facilitated the reception set-up, made an emergency liquor run during our reception, and ensured all guest and items safely left at the end of the night. Thanks for everything Ashley :)

I got married in 2016 which was the first year that Maria opened her business. I am super delayed…read morein writing my reviews, but I kept putting it off since I didn't want to shortchange her. She was an indispensable part of wedding planning for us. I interviewed with a few wedding planners, but Maria was the most personable and helpful among those that I met. She was enthusiastic and even offered free advice at the consultation before I even hired her! For the most part, I planned my wedding remotely. We got married in Chicago but by the time most of the planning was happening we had moved out of state. Maria found the best vendors for us and was able to maximize our visits to Chicago. She wrote thorough and timely emails in response to my (admittedly neurotic) queries. She also knows a TON of people in the business. She found out that our caterer WENT OUT OF BUSINESS almost a full month before the caterer sent a notification to clients. She called us, explained the situation and already had plans of how to fix everything to make our day perfect. We turned a disaster into a minor inconvenience. A few days before the wedding, we moved the location of the ceremony due to rain. Maria handled ALL of the communication with vendors, reconfigured the schedule of events and handled the new last minute decorations. It was seamless and NOT stressful at all. That's not something many brides can say during the wedding week. On the day of my event, I felt like Maria was everywhere at once. It was amazing! She had previously mentioned (in passing) that she had another wedding that day - and you would have never known. Everything went smoothly (and if it didn't, I never heard about it!) If I ever plan another event in the Chicago area, I will reach out to Maria. She was a pleasure to work with and I am glad that her business seems to be doing so well.

I first have to say thank you to Maria and her team for making our wedding day more than perfect…read more We wouldn't have changed a thing. We were totally clueless going into wedding planning and Maria guided us perfectly. She has all the answers! She is so creative and came up with solutions to fit our budgets for different aspects of the wedding which was exactly what we needed. Without her we know that our wedding day would not have run as smoothly and perfectly as it did. She is extremely patient and organized. Let me say it again, organized. Somehow she managed everyone's expectations and requests. When it comes to making everyone happy she truly excelled especially with my parents. She was very attentive, professional and knowledgeable. Thank you for the best and most beautiful day of our lives. - Bryan and Allison

I met with Marcia from An Urban Affair about 6 weeks before my wedding. At this point I had…read moremajority of the planning completled. Or at least I knew what I wanted. I knew I needed somebody the day of my wedding to tell us where we had to be when and if I didn't this job would fall upon our parents, which we did not want. Upon my meeting with Marcia, she already had a tentative schedule set up. She asked about our family and really tried to understand us as a couple. While working with Marcia she took so much stress iff of my shoulders I began to enjoy the process. She was always available to answer questions no matter what time of night or day of the week. The week f the wedding she was there to coordinate all my vendors and make sure everything was running smoothly. She gave me checklists and made sure I did them so nothing would be forgotten and I didn't have a worry the day of. She comes with 4 people the day of. One with the groom, one with the bride, one at the venue(s) and then she floats. Her assistants were all so nice and helpful. Ellen was with me at my parents house and she had a solution to a problem before my bridesmaids could finish their sentences telling her what was wrong. They told my bridal party when to line up and what to do when. I didn't look at a clock all day. It was amazing. They made me feel at ease. It was pouring the day of, and they showed up with a trunk full of golf size umbrellas. I got mud on my dress, they pulled out chalk. They are unbelievable. So caring. The amount of hours, and time put in by An Urban Affair was worth every dollar. They are so reasonable. My husband and I were amazed at the quality service for the price. It's hard to describe what they really do until it's your wedding week. Every bride needs An Urban Affair.

Marcia at An Urban Affair is Awesome! She has a great attention to detail and makes sure you are…read morecomfortable and on task with all of your wedding plans. Her team for the day of service really makes you relax and gives brides a sense that everything is "taken care of." I am very happy with her work and I would recommend her time and time again.

There are not enough characters or words in the world to explain how absolutely BEYOND INCREDIBLE…read moreSweetchic Events, specifically our wedding planner, Courtney is!!! I originally thought that I could plan a wedding on my own and just hire a day of coordinator. When I realized I just didn't have the capacity to do that, I knew I needed to hire a wedding planner. I didn't want just any wedding planner though- I wanted someone who had a similar personality to mine, who could match my energy and really elevate my ideas and execute the vision I had for our big day. My now husband and I met with several planners. I am a huge 'vibes' person, and all of the planners I met with just didn't seem like the right fit. I felt like I was just another wedding to them and didn't feel like the attention to us would be individualized or prioritized. That is, until we found and met with Courtney from Sweetchic Events!! From the very start, it felt like I was catching up with an old friend. Courtney is so kind, super knowledgeable in what she does, and is honestly one of the coolest people I have ever met. At our initial meeting, we joked and laughed as my husband and I shared our ideas, and she immediately had some incredible ones of her own! Courtney was a calming presence to my chaotic mind, and immediately made my husband and I both feel at ease. We knew we had to have her on our team- she was the PERFECT fit and we both were so excited to start working with her! Courtney is a true professional in her work. She has connections with some incredible vendors, who like herself, have insanely creative minds. Together, we were able to turn our wedding into more than I ever thought possible! Courtney is also EXTREMELY organized, detail oriented and always prompt. She is also one of the most reliable people that I have ever met!Throughout the wedding planning process, there was never a time that I felt like Courtney wasn't there for me. In fact it was truly the opposite- she continuously went above and beyond for me, making sure I felt comfortable and ready for the big day in any capacity she could. She constantly checked in, listened to my crazy ideas while keeping me grounded, connected us with some of the absolute BEST vendors, reminded us of due dates and deadlines, and made sure that both my husband and I were feeling good throughout the whole process. On my wedding day I was jumping out of my skin because I was so ready to see Courtney and watch the magic we created together unfold! She of course brought such calm, positive vibes and joined in my excitement for the day that was to come!! I had been so impressed with her and her work thus far that I didn't think it could possibly get any better. When I tell you she CRUSHED the entire day, she honestly CRUSHED IT!!! From the second she walked in the door to the second she (sadly, haha) left, she was a well oiled machine. Literally. A machine! She never stopped- she was so prepared, like a level of preparedness I'd never witnessed in anyone and I was really just completely blown away by her and her assistant, Mia throughout the entire day! Everything was ACTUALLY PERFECT (from my eyes and that's why she is so good at what she does) because I never knew about any little mishaps or minor issues, because there weren't any by the time Courtney arrived to the scene! Mia was also SO great!! She was always there when I needed something, and was also such a calming presence for me which was so appreciated! One of the most memorable parts of the day was my entrance to walk down the aisle. I had chosen a Taylor Swift orchestral mash-up and wanted to enter at a VERY specific time. Courtney had already explained to me that timing these things can be very very difficult, and that it might not happen at the exact moment I wanted it to. I went forward with the plan because in my mind, I had no doubts- I knew she would do whatever she possibly could to make it happen and that it would look amazing regardless. Times like these are the reason why we leave things up to Courtney, because it was literally SPOT ON!! It was so incredible! I am still getting text messages from friends about how awesome the timing of the entrance was! It is a feeling I will never forget and I owe it all to Courtney. I honestly didn't want the day to end, and Sweetchic Events made it all possible!! It truly says something that I was always SO excited to see Courtney. Planning meeting days, tastings and walk throughs were always something I looked forward to because I got to spend more time with her! I feel like it is rare to find someone like Courtney not just in the wedding industry but just in life in general. She truly feels like a best friend to me now, and I am so beyond grateful for her, Sweetchic, and everyone who she brought on to help us make this day so memorable. Thank you Courtney, to you and your team! If you need a wedding planner RUN don't walk to Sweetchic's inbox!

As a guest at a wedding coordinated by Courtney of Sweet Chic, I was surprised by the level of…read moreunprofessionalism I witnessed throughout the event. The coordinator came across as condescending and dismissive when interacting with both guests and vendors. Rather than helping create a welcoming and organized atmosphere, her attitude often felt rude and unnecessarily abrasive. There also appeared to be significant communication issues with vendors. Several moments throughout the day seemed disorganized, and it was evident that vendors were not always clear on their specific responsibilities. This led to confusion and delays that could have easily been avoided with proper coordination. Courtney's response when asked for clarification of duties was " It was not her job." And "I have a contract in writing if you need to see it." Perhaps most concerning was that the Courtney left the event before the evening was over, leaving others to manage issues that arose later in the celebration. For a service that is meant to ensure a seamless experience from start to finish, this was disappointing to witness. The guests were left helping the vendors clean up the event so that the happy couple could enjoy their evening. The bride and groom deserved a coordinator who would help make their special day stress-free and enjoyable. Unfortunately, based on what I observed as a guest, Sweet Chic Wedding Coordinators did not deliver the level of professionalism, communication, or customer service that I would expect.