If I could award more than 5 stars, I would! I worked with Ana Valle to plan a Celebration of Life…read morefor my mother--all from over 800 miles away. Ana located several appropriate venues to revue, helped me select the perfect site, and then attended to many of numerous details (set-up, linens, audio-visual requirements, etc.). In addition, Ana recommended a wonderful local florist, who honored my Mother's memory with arrangements that featured Mom's favorite flowers and colors. Not only was her assistance indispensable, but the The Caterist's food was amazing. Ana's recommendations for our luncheon buffet were thoughtful and well-balanced. She seamlessly worked within special dietary requirements. All of the food was great (salad bar, grilled chicken, steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes, sweets table), but especially notable were the beef tenderloin and the sorbets. Guests were still talking about the luncheon weeks later! Finally, Anabel (event captain) and Cristina (event supervisor) ensured our event's success through their conscientious commitment to every detail, as well as their warmth and kindness. I owe so much to the Caterist! Through the dedication of the staff of this company, Our Mother's Celebration of Life was more than I hoped it would be.

My husband and I chose The Caterist as the caterer for our wedding reception and we couldn't be…read moremore pleased. From the very beginning with our tasting, Erin from their team was incredibly responsive to our questions and concerns and so easy to work with. On the day of the wedding, the servers and bartenders were all friendly and helpful. Now the important part: the food was amazing. So many guests at our wedding came up to us raving about the food. Entrees were well seasoned and the portions were generous, and the desserts on our dessert table were also very tasty, with a lot of variety. Overall, would definitely recommend working with the Caterist for your wedding!

The Veranik team is extremely professional and made my daughter's first birthday a HUGE success…read more They are so easy to work with and to communicate with. What I also love is they are so FAST at making the balloons and face painting so the kids are not waiting in line for so long but also do amazing work. For me that was super important. The Veranik team is the best duo. Highly recommend them for any party!

VeraNik was at my daughters birthday party and they were fabulous. They are profession and fast so…read morekids do not wait long for their turn. Highly recommend!

I am struggling to put into words how to thank Lindsay Gaeta and her team and acknowledge every…read moresingle detail she knocked out of the park and executed on our wedding day! Throughout the planning process there were so many little behind the scenes details she saved me time on which I am so appreciative! I will miss seeing her monthly on our planning calls! I don't plan to get married again anytime soon but I do hope our paths cross again! I am speechless about her help from the rehearsal to the very last minute of shutting down the after party!! The top 3 highlights that people mentioned to me on the wedding day were 1. Dad's speech, 2. Florals, 3. How hard she HUSTLED!!! My bridesmaids and close family constantly approached me on the wedding day with sentiments of "wow, she's good!!" She exceeded our expectations and anticipated our every move! I have close family in the hospitality business (who are the harshest critics about everything in the event planning world) and were over the top satisfied with her commitment and follow through to make the day as seamless as possible! I am sure there were many hiccups that day that were not brought to my attention and for that, I give Lindsay full credit! I was able to relax, be present and have a B+ personality that evening instead of my typical A- for all things attention to detail! I felt completely comfortable 'handing Lindsay the reigns' and entrusting she would handle everything as necessary, which she did!!!

We are beyond grateful for Kim Weinberg of LivenUp Events! From the very beginning, Kim was the…read moreultimate professional, so patient, kind, and supportive, even when I, as the bride, was feeling overwhelmed. She has this incredible ability to stay calm, cool, and collected no matter what comes her way, always finding solutions effortlessly and proactively preventing issues before they even arise. Her industry knowledge is unparalleled, and her planning experience truly shines through in every detail. From her amazing vendor connections to her creative, thoughtful ideas, Kim went above and beyond to make our wedding not just beautiful, but absolutely seamless. She kept us organized, on track, and stress-free throughout the entire process. But what really sets Kim apart is her heart. She genuinely cares about her couples, listens with empathy, and makes you feel supported every step of the way. We couldn't have asked for a better wedding planner. She is a true gem, and we feel so lucky to have had her by our side. Kim Weinberg didn't just plan our wedding; she made our dream day a reality, and we will be forever grateful.

Hands done the BEST customer service. The guys at set up and take done were so friendly. They…read moreexplained how to ensure a fun and safe experience for everyone. Cannot wait to utilize their services again.

I paid for a weekend rental of an inflatable water slide in July of 2022. Due to inclement weather…read morewe had to cancel and while they didnt offer a refund, they emailed me a raincheck credit good for one year. First week of April 2023, I forward them the raincheck email to try and redeem and they did not honor it. They took my money and I got literally nothing in return. I just filed a complaint with the BBB.

Every Thanksgiving, my friend usually orders a fully cooked whole turkey from Mariano's for her…read morefamily. This year, she invited me to join them. As we talked about the menu, I told her that my brother randomly met Jenna, a Catering by Michaels culinary analyst, at a restaurant right before the holidays last year. She told him about how fabulous their confit turkey legs are so he ordered them, and now his whole family are addicted. I'm a dark meat lover too so I was sorry I missed out on trying them! I guess my turkey description made an impression on my friend because she kicked Mariano's to the curb. She ordered the turkey breast, two confit turkey legs & the gravy. Let me tell you - everything was FANtastic. "Out of this world" as my friend & her family gushed!! They traditionally make their own sides, but this turkey was so delicious that they are planning to order the whole shebang from here next year. The fully cooked turkey breast & legs were so easy, no messy carving necessary. The leg skin was crispy & both white & dark meat were unbelievably juicy. My brother & now my friend both thank Jenna for her confit turkey legs recommendation! We are all stuffed hahaha!

Planning a Chicago wedding while living in California was a challenge - especially for choosing a…read morecaterer. Shannon from Catering by Michaels was so helpful and responsive and very accommodating of our limited availability in Chicago. The food was delicious. The appetizers were unique and delicious and easy for guests to eat while standing around mingling. The dessert bar was so much fun and so tasty, too! The entrees were to die for. The beef tenderloin was actually what sealed the deal for us - my husband said that was the meal he wanted to eat at the wedding! We didn't originally love the salad options we first tried at our tasting but Shannon and the team were so open and responsive and crafted a chopped beet salad that was exactly what we were hoping for. Shannon was also super helpful as we figured out options for kids' meals and guided us to the most economical option. Throughout the entire process, Shannon and her team were super responsive and kind and we ended up with a delicious meal and wonderful experience. We definitely recommend Catering by Michaels for your Chicago wedding!

I recently had a party here. The place is very nice inside but the owner is rude and the place is…read moreover priced for the service that was received. First I had to ask the staff to provide water to all of my guest. Some of my guest asked for extra bread and they were told that they ran out of it. The food was horrible. Half of my guest received raw chicken, the beef was tough, the mashed potatoes were very dry there was no gravy for them and when I asked the staff for a knife for the meat they said they didn't have any. When I mentioned to the owner that I hope my guest didn't get sick because of the raw chicken all he said was that he hoped that they didn't get sick either. I wouldn't recommend this anyone. This was an awful overall experience!

I had my wedding reception here on Nov 15, 2015. It was a great experience. All my guests said WOW…read moreI love this place! Mark was a very good person to work with to make my reception a success.

Stacey knows how to put together an amazing event . I hired her for my son's recent bar mitzvah and…read moream so glad I did. She has impeccable taste and her attention to detail is remarkable. She is creative, organized, fun and easy to work with. She helped orchestrate the whole night and helped with service set up ( even designed and created our floral arrangements!) and helped with every detail of our celebration. While I knew we would have a fun party, Stacey's ideas and execution from start to finish made our event spectacular. Highly recommend!!!!

I call Stacey Moe the Energizer Bunny - she is unstoppable on the longest of days, never flagging…read morein energy, effort or creativity. We most recently hired Stacey for our daughter's bat mitzvah. From the very first meeting, she was creative, resourceful, and on top of all aspects of the party. Nothing was halfway. Even when I, long since tired of the planning process, declared something "good enough," Stacey came up with something better, a wow-factor that didn't stretch the budget. On the evening of the event, I didn't do a thing. Stacey never stopped moving, never missed a thing, and when it did occur to me to check on things, Stacey beat me to it by showing up with an update. What sets Stacey apart from the myriad event planners on the north shore is her range, adaptability and accessibility. She can do a lovely, refined bridal shower at the country club just as meticulously as a loud, techno party in a loft space. She never makes you feel like you need to spend more or do more than you'd planned. She doesn't push ideas. Stacey's so very fun and easy to work with, such an authentic person, it feels like planning a party with your best girlfriend, the one who knows all the best places and picks out the best centerpieces and has an amazing little source for favors that no one else has used - and is just as excited as you are about making it a great event.

The company was stuck in a rut when it came to ordering food for meetings. I found Showthyme…read morethrough Thumbtack. I was a little nervous about using a caterer with whom I was not familiar. Showthyme was exceedingly responsive. The prices were reasonable. They showed up on time for the event. Most importantly the food was wonderful. There were a large variety of sandwiches. The salads each had a little unique twist. Everything was fresh and delicious. I received only positive comments on the food. I will use them again.

Everyone loved the menu Showthyme created for our 4th of July BBQ. Everyone raved about the…read moreincredible dips, fresh made tortilla chips, brisket, Mac n cheese, chicken, incredible rolls....I can go on and on. Quick to respond and so easy to work with, I would recommend for any event and will use Showthyme again.

We had such a great experience working with David at A Posh Production for our wedding at RPM…read moreEvents. From start to finish, David was kind, professional, and incredibly easy to work with. He helped us with pipe & drape for our happy hour space as well as a custom gobo projector for our dance floor. Both turned out perfectly and added such a polished, elegant touch to the overall atmosphere. Everything went flawlessly on the day of, and their team handled everything seamlessly behind the scenes so we didn't have to worry about a thing. If you're looking for reliable, high-quality event production with top-notch service, we highly recommend David and the team at A Posh Production!

We hired A Posh Production for our Chicago wedding on 9/2/23. They handled our dance floor,…read moreuplighting, and draping. The space looked absolutely beautiful. They were easy to work with. Their set-up and tear-down was fast. Although they primarily communicated with our planning team, we felt in the loop. I would recommend them!