I had the pleasure of working with Cindy Shanholtz of Effortless Events for our company's 100th anniversary dinner and celebration, and I cannot recommend her highly enough! From the moment we began planning, Cindy's attention to detail, professionalism, and creativity shone through at every step. Cindy took the time to truly understand our vision for the event and worked tirelessly to bring it to life in a way that exceeded all expectations. She seamlessly coordinated every aspect, from the venue selection and decor to the catering and entertainment. Her recommendations were spot-on, and her organizational skills ensured everything ran smoothly on the day of the event. The 100th anniversary dinner itself was nothing short of spectacular! The atmosphere Cindy created was elegant and celebratory, perfectly reflecting our company's history while looking forward to its future. Our guests were wowed by the thoughtful touches, from the custom table settings to the beautifully designed timeline of our company's milestones. What really set Cindy apart was her ability to handle every challenge with grace and poise. Despite the complexities of planning such a significant event, she kept everything stress-free for our team, managing all logistics and vendors without missing a beat. It was clear that Cindy and her team truly cared about making this milestone event unforgettable. If you're looking for an event planner who can turn your vision into a flawless reality, Cindy Shanholtz and Effortless Events are the way to go. She made our 100th anniversary celebration an extraordinary experience, and I can't wait to work with her again in the future! Holly Both VP Sales & Marketing, Plymouth Tube Co. read more

This is my 2nd posting for Cindy and her team at Effortless events. I recently hired them for another wedding celebration in Chicago for my daughter who got married in DC. Again, they did not disappoint. Cindy's attention to detail is remarkable. She recommended the venue and took the reigns. From the flowers, decor and layout it was perfect. She suggested so many fun things...like a s'mores bar for dessert where guests assembled and "cooked" their own! We had mini individual cast iron skillets with fresh chocolate chip cookies and guests could top them with ice cream. Everyone raved about it and EE did it all...I just showed up and enjoyed it. Thanks Cindy + team! read more

Cindy is the best! Without her and Alex, we had been lost in this pandemic period. Our original venue refused us having wedding in last minute but Cindy found better place just after 2 hours. We will never forget our wedding with effortless events. Highly recommend!!!! read more

Effortless Events - Bride - Wedding Planning Near Me - Naperville, Illinois

Absolutely hands down the best event planner ever. We hired Cindy from the get-go...engagement on! Because she is an industry insider, she not only knows all the top-notch vendors ( as she is!), she is repeat business for vendors. In other words, I have one wedding, she does many and if the vendors are not up to her standards, she will not recommend them. In addition, this gives her negotiating leverage that the average consumer does not have. Basically hire Cindy...and her negotiating skills more than pay for EE fee. Talk about a win-win! My daughter's wedding was flawless and the day of schedule seamless because Cindy is so incredible organized and detail oriented. Guests said it was, bar none, the most beautiful wedding they had been to, and trust me, my friends and I go to a lot! If you are considering using Cindy for a 'day of' planner, please consider having her do the entire event from start to finish. Her services are fantastic and they will more than pay for themselves. Effortless Events is a Perfect 10! read more

Okay so here is why I so think a wedding planner is needed. My husband and I were trying to figure out the perfect spot to get married. We chose his parents property in Lake Geneva and it was such a great decision. The only issue was, we had no idea how difficult it was to plan on outdoor wedding. The details and pre planning was something I would have never imagined. When the families came together we knew we were over our heads and needed someone who was knowledgeable in this field. My husband and I went to an unforgettable outdoor wedding 2 years prior. I remember that night I spoke to Cindy to ask for a card and tell her how impressed I was. I have worked in the restaurant/catering industry for almost 10 years and was blown away and felt she should know all the details were noticed. Now it was 2 years later and I was planning my outdoor wedding. I called my girlfriend for Cindy's number and that was when the planning started... It's my pleasure to write a letter of recommendation for Cindy Shanholtz, with Effortless Events. My husband and I worked with Cindy and her team for a little over a year and her work is amazing and unforgettable. During the entire wedding process, Cindy was there willing and ready to assist. She helped us with every detail imaginable. Everything from budget, catering and tent set up, etc....Cindy was on top of things every time I spoke with her. Our wedding being a bit of destination, she would travel more than anticipated to make sure everything was going smoothly. The details of our wedding were complicated and stressful but Cindy took away the stress with her organization and attention to detail. I'm not really sure how we could have done it without her. Prior to our wedding, Cindy negotiated contracts with each vendor that saved us a tremendous amount of money. Thanks Cindy!! Especially the catering and tent company. These examples are one of many in which Cindy not only saved us money but introduced us to people that made our special day 'special'. Every bride and groom worry about the stress on their day, this was not the case for Matt and I. Thanks to Cindy we had no worries and were very confident that Cindy and her team could handle any problem that came that day. It was 100% stress free and very well orchestrated. To me it was picture perfect and I miss it everyday! read more

We honestly can say that we don't know what we would have done without Cindy helping us plan our wedding. She is extremely detail oriented, and goes above and beyond to make sure that your wedding is the absolute best. She brought vendors to us that we would have never found, and really helped us bring our vision to a reality. She was quick to reply, and very open throughout the entire process. On the day of, we did not worry about a thing. She helped sort things out with the hotel to make sure everyone was where they needed to be, and made sure that we did not stress one bit. Cindy even helped us get last minute upgrades to our cocktail reception area thrown in the night before the wedding. Who does that?!? If you are not sure if you need a planner, you need one. Talk to Cindy, you will never look back! read more

How in the world am I the first person to review Effortless Events? Before you read my review, please keep in mind that I am a guy, and like most guys, I am very clueless about doilies, crystal, pink champagne and the 1000 other things that apparently make an event "classy." So, I have zero authority when I say that our wedding was beautiful and perfect in every way, all the way down to the bread plates. But I can say this, as a guy who values efficiency, good communication and tact: Cindy and her staff are amazing. They worked non-stop to handle all of the little details that made our wedding day seem . . . effortless. (Yes, that is cheesy, but it's true). What Effortless Events is really selling is the ability to pull off something magical. If that's what you're after, give them a call. read more

Cindy and her team worked so hard to make our reception party a major success! They helped us from start to finish to make the entire process as easy and stress free as it could be when planning outdoor reception party for October. Effortless Events made sure that despite 8 inches of rain, the party went off without a major hitch. We enjoyed working with Cindy, Tiffany, and Danielle. Highly recommend! read more

I am the father of the bride for an extraordinary wedding last weekend at Moonlight Studios in Chicago. We worked with Cindy Shanholtz, owner of Effortless Events Chicago. This was Cindy's 358th wedding. Her expertise was evident. Cindy is thoughtful, cordial, accessible, approachable, communicative, informed, and importantly, well known and respected by the various vendors that have a hand in weddings and receptions. It's a challenge to negotiate directly with event vendors because they know they will never see you again. But they know Cindy and understand she has influence over their selection. So they listen to her about how things will be done and what charges are unreasonable. Cindy is a phenomenal producer, organizer, scheduler and strategic thinker, who used her experience to anticipate what could go wrong and made sure nothing did. Our wedding party knew exactly when and where they needed to be, and what the big picture looked like during the week of the wedding, for the rehearsal and dinner, and for the big day itself. Cindy was readily accessible if a question came up. No one likes eating dinner at 10 p.m. at a wedding reception when it's supposed to be served at 7:30. I don't know how she did it, but Cindy kept our reception to within 10 minutes of the minute-by-minute "day-of" schedule. She would have been right on target had I given a shorter welcome speech! If you want to lower your stress in the wedding planning process, and partner with a talented professional who is easy to work with and can help make your family wedding a huge success, I cannot give a strong enough endorsement of Cindy and Effortless Events Chicago. Cindy, Caroline, Danielle and Kelsey - you were fabulous. I would give Effortless Events Chicago 10 stars if I could! We can't thank you enough for making an extraordinary day even better. Thank you! Thank you! Have anyone contact me directly if they want to hear more. -John Kula read more

I hired Effortless Events to help me with a retirement party for my husband. I travel a lot for work and didn't have the time or experience with a party like this. We had the party in our backyard for 30 people. Cindy and Tiffany helped me make all the right decisions! They organized the discussions. Food. Tent. Linens. Flowers. Decorations. Service. Music. We ended up with limelight caterers. They were the best! Professional. And the food was amazing! Cindy hired a guitarist and he made the mood! When you walked in our backyard,it immediately felt like an event. Eddie Bartley was our guitarist. He was awesome. The flowers were amazing and so perfect. Cindy met with the florist at my house. And steered me in the right direction. The backyard was transformed! Ok. Limelight was awesome! Professional and so caring to all of my guests. They took care of everyone personally. Getting to know my guests. And making sure everyone got their drinks and felt special. Tiffany was at my party along w the four limelight caterers. Everyone made the event so special. Would 100% use effortless events again!! Thank you!!!! They made my event awesome. Couldn't have done it without them!!! read more

See all

When looking for a planner, we had a pretty strong idea of what we wanted. Having a background in Stage Management, I am very detail orientated and love organization. We started our search by asking planners for a sample of a timeline they've created in the past. So many were one page, very basic and felt like something I could honestly do better myself. I was starting to doubt even needing a coordinator. That's when Cindy and Tiffany came into the picture. Let me tell you, that timeline was a thing of beauty. Absolutely no detail was left out. As soon as I saw it, I wanted to meet with them. That's really what sealed the deal. We instantly felt comfortable with the two of them. We left that meeting saying "I can't believe we thought we could do this by ourselves." There were so many things we hadn't even thought of until they asked us. We enjoyed their company so much, one of the meetings was having them to our place for dinner. They never felt like just coordinators to us. They were a crucial part of our wedding. They stayed on top of everything the entire process. They guided us with our own "homework", and answer any all questions we had in record timing. Unfortunately, both my partner and I got sick a week before the wedding. Then our dog was attacked requiring an emergency vet trip. Both Cindy and Tiffany were continuously asking, "What can we do?" "What can we take off your plate?" "What can we cross of your to-do list?" From the very start, we knew they were going to be some of our favorite vendors. I truly can not write enough about these ladies. If you are looking for a wedding planner or day-of coordinator, I promise you that you will not find anyone like them. They LOVE what they do and it shows in every aspect of their work. We nick named them our "sanity-savers". So, so, so much love to these ladies and all the gratitude in the world for giving us the ability to really enjoy a stress free wedding. read more

One month before my wife's Birthday I called Cindy and told her I wanted to throw a surprise party for my wife with 60 plus guests. I told her up front that I was not good at this kind of thing and I desperately needed her help. She was definitely up to the challenge. In one week she had met with me, created and emailed a great invitation to all of the guests, created a theme for the party, confirmed a venue and found a band. The party was perfect. Words cannot express my gratitude to Cindy. She is professional, knowledgeable and has great contacts in this industry. If you need someone to help you plan a party or any other event, go no further. Call Cindy at Effortless Events. read more

Love love love Cindy and Danielle. I wanted my hands in the majority of the wedding but since we were not getting married at a church, I wanted someone to help with the flow of the wedding. Once hired, though, I realized I had two women who really knew their stuff and took a lot of the stress off of us and the planning. Their vendor recommendations were always great, they reviewed contracts so I didn't have to worry about missing something and they were able to answer all the wedding questions I could think of. I honestly could not have had such a beautiful well put together wedding without them. I recommend them most out of everyone I used for the wedding and would definitely use them again for a large event. read more

If you're looking for an amazing wedding/event planner, look no further. Cindy is, hands down, the most knowledgeable planner in this area and her team is amazing (Danielle and Nicole). I am so incredibly glad that we hired her. Even though I had a 20-month engagement, I knew I wasn't an event planner -- especially when it came to weddings. Cindy, on the other hand, has planned well over 400 weddings (many of them at my venue) and she's an expert. She knows all the best vendors -- officiants, florists, DJs, hair, makeup, photography, videography, transportation -- and will not settle for anything less than the best for you. That is one of my favorite things about her. Cindy will be your champion when it comes to vendor interactions, making sure that your day is *your* day and that you get what you asked for. As for my wedding, I got exactly what I wanted. I could not have imagined that day coming together any better than it did. Leading up to the wedding, I didn't need to feel anxious about anything because Cindy took care of everything -- vendor emails, receiving contracts/invoices, keeping us on track. I didn't feel worried about the schedule on the day of, because Cindy was there with her amazing team, keeping everything moving as smoothly as it was supposed to. We didn't have any confused family members or wedding party folks walking around, everybody knew where they had to be, and I attribute that to Cindy's fantastic planning. Even better, I had so many of our guests come up to me to tell me that my wedding was the best they'd ever been to. I know that Cindy played a huge role in creating a wonderful experience for our guests. While she offers large and small packages, I highly recommend you at least get her partial planning services. You won't regret it. She will help you with vendor appointments if need be, and she will be there for you every step of the way. I have no idea how everything would have come together without her guidance and expertise. She knows everyone in the industry because she has done so many events. The contacts she has in various areas will work to your advantage, and you will have access to a world of wedding planning knowledge you never even knew existed. I can neither recommend her highly enough nor thank her enough. She made my wedding day the best day of my life, and I will be eternally grateful to her for that. She is a rockstar, and a fabulous planner to boot. Don't wait to decide -- I can promise you won't regret working with her. read more

Where do I even begin with Effortless Events? When I met Cindy, Danielle, Nicole and Dana, I thought these women would just be there to help me plan my wedding. Instead, they became every "person" a bride could ever need on her wedding day and during the time leading up to it. They were friends to share ideas with, sisters to complain to and laugh with, crutches to lean on when you're feeling overwhelmed, and experts who take on a motherly role to advise you in moments of uncertainty. From the planning stages, to the end result, Effortless Events completely exceeded my expectations, and did everything in their power to ensure I had the wedding of my dreams. The moment we started working with Cindy and her team, I was finally able to enjoy planning my wedding. The first time we met with the team, my mom and I instantly felt a sense of relief. They knew exactly what they were doing, what we wanted, and what needed to be done in order to make it happen. My only regret in hiring Effortless Events was that we didn't hire them sooner than 60 days out. My main reason for hiring a wedding planner/coordinator was to ensure that my mom would be able to enjoy herself on my wedding day. I didn't want her to have to run around and keep everything organized. Cindy went above and beyond in every possible way to make sure my day was absolutely perfect. More importantly, she made sure that my mom and I were able to enjoy ourselves stress-free on the big day. Cindy and her team kept every single vendor in check. The day of the wedding, there were several vendors (venue management, photographer, dj) who were not doing what they were supposed to be doing at the correct time. I didn't even have a chance to notice because Cindy and her team had already taken care of it. They made sure that everything was exactly the way I wanted before I even arrived to the reception site. Here's just an example of how amazing Cindy was in making sure my wedding was incredible. 30-days before the wedding, we had a showing with our florist to approve our centerpieces and bouquets. We showed up, and what the florist created wasn't even close to what I asked for. We gave them three days to try again... and they completely missed the mark yet again. We walked out, and within 10 minutes, we had one of the best florists in Chicago (Revel Decor) hired for my wedding. To Cindy and all the girls at Effortless Events, thank you for making my day more incredible than I ever could have imagined. Cindy, you are truly amazing at what you do. Your knowledge and passion for this industry puts you a step above every other planner in the area. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you have done for us. read more

When searching for a wedding planner, we had little information of what we needed and wanted. As a gay couple, it was very important to find a planner that was experienced, flexible and was the right fit. After interviewing several planners, we met Cindy and Danielle and seemed to click right away. We purchased the "six weeks out" package and felt that it was a good value for the money. Both Cindy and Danielle were available before the six weeks to answer the many questions that came up and were happy to offer advice on vendors via e-mail. Overall, they are very professional and were very flexible in helping us find more non-traditional elements to make our wedding more personalized to our tastes. Cindy and Danielle have a great knowledge of the industry and a long list of vendors that were willing to work within our budget. Cindy and Danielle work wonderfully as a team. Cindy brings an enormous amount of industry knowledge and Danielle adds a wonderful personality and super friendly attitude. Leading up to the wedding, they were very attentive and extremely detail oriented. The day of the wedding, they added an extra person to help coordinate everything correctly. Overall, the wedding ran smoothly and we never had to worry about a thing. It's important to note, that since we purchased the six week package, a lot of the vendor selection had to be done on our own. I believe that since we started with the vendors, we also did a lot of the work finalizing with them as well. However, Danielle and Cindy were both available when we had questions or needed assistance. Overall, we were very pleased with the services provided from Effortless Events. I believe it was a good value for the money (especially based on the other planners we interviewed). Both Cindy and Danielle have wonderful personalities and work well as a team. I would definitely recommend them and was happy they helped create one of the best days of my life. read more

I cannot say enough about Effortless Events! Cindy and Tiffany created an extremely organized plan of exactly how my wedding would go which was so helpful when dealing with vendors! Then, when all of my original wedding plans got changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they were so helpful and frankly, kind and patient, with my ever changing wedding plans. They are exactly who you want in your corner during these crazy times. After two wedding plans that were both unfortunately thwarted due to COVID-19 concerns, my husband and I decided to opt for a much more intimate ceremony than originally planned. While we did not use Effortless Events for this smaller wedding plan, I do regret this, because I have no doubt that their care and organization would have made the day go much smoother. We had an absolutely beautiful day regardless, but we did still use the timeline for the original wedding that we had planned for the smaller event, and it was absolutely perfect! Even though we didn't get to work with one another as much as I wish we could have, THANK YOU Cindy and Tiffany for your help during this very stressful time. I would highly recommend Effortless Events to anyone who needs help with planning an event - big or small! read more

I hired Cindy as my day-of coordinator for our June 2018 wedding at The Langham in Chicago based on recommendations from the venue. Cindy was ultra responsive and organized from the beginning. She came into the city early on so we could meet to walk through every detail about the wedding weekend, which helped me identify all the little things I hadn't even thought about yet. Cindy would check in every so often in the months leading up to the wedding and was always responsive on text or email if I needed to run something by her. She was much more than a day-of coordinator, she was a resource in picking florists, favors, and even saved us a few hundred dollars by coordinating a limo through a company cheaper than what I had found. She reviewed all of our vendor contracts to make sure we were getting a fair deal and provided a guide to help me figure our appropriate gratuity amounts for our vendors. On the actual wedding day, Cindy had 2 assistants with her to help manage everything. Someone was always present but never in the way. She made the day easy and stress free to me, my family, and my bridal party. As Cindy will tell you, her style is no-nonsense. She isn't afraid to tell you what she thinks while still respecting your opinion. She gave me great, candid feedback on certain vendors when I was making my selections which I found really helpful. She is professional and polite but straight forward. I love her style, especially in the wedding scene where everyone seems to sugar coat everything. Would highly recommend. read more

I got married on July 26th, 2009 and cannot imagine how my wedding would have been without Cindy's help. At first, my main priority was finding a "day of" coordinator, but once I met up with Cindy and discussed what I had done, concerns and what still needed to be done...I realized that I needed more help than just on the day of the wedding. As soon as we left our first meeting, she was already doing her magic! I was having some problems with the venue before meeting Cindy, but as soon as she came in the picture...all those problems disappeared and my wedding turned out exactly how I had imagined. Cindy is extremely organized and professional. She makes sure that every detail of the wedding is correct and let's you know if there is anything that still needs to be taken care of. She made my planning so much easier and made my wedding day completely stress free! read more

I wrote and updated a couple reviews before for Effortless Events but now that our wedding had come and gone maybe this one will stick. I had the best experience with Cindy from Effortless Events. I should have booked her sooner! She helped with everything from start to finish and made our wedding day absolutely stunning! From the day I met Cindy I knew that she was the kind of planner who looked out for her brides and really listened to what I wanted. She was so great to work with, very talented, very much gets the job done. Her staff was amazing also that helped coordinate the actual day. I learned so much from Cindy and can't tell you how happy we were that she planned our wedding with us, not for us but with us. She is so great and I would recommend her to any other bride that is looking for a wedding planner to help them straighten out their ideas and put it all into action. Love Cindy and her staff, amazing, amazing, amazing!!!!! read more

Effortless Events - Wedding Planning Near Me - Naperville, Illinois

Although my wedding is still a month away, I am absolutely confident it will be an amazing event that my guests (as well as myself) will remember the rest of our lives. The owner, Cindy Shanholtz, is so professional, organized and easy to get along with. She is willing to do anything to make your event a night to remember. Her creative ideas are also fabulous....she leaves no detail overlooked! I also do not know when this woman sleeps, as she always answers my emails within hours. She's not afraid to ask vendors the tough questions either in order to get you the best deal possible. She also has a group of vendors that she works with on a regular basis. My fiance and I have been pleased with every single person she has recommended to us....they all have a high standard of quality. I love working with her and would highly recommend her to anyone thinking of using a wedding planner. read more

My wife and I just got married and used Emerson Creek wedding venue in Oswego, IL and there is where we met the AMAZING Cindy Shanholtz!!! Cindy worked with us on our wedding planning and I can not say enough good things about her!! Cindy is truly an amazing woman and went ABOVE AND BEYOND for us with our wedding planning all the way to after the wedding issues!!! She was our wedding ANGEL and made sure our day was perfect for us and stress free!!! Cindy worked so hard to make sure our day was memorable and went smoothly!! We highly recommend using Cindy and her resources!!!! WE LOVE YOU CINDY!!!! read more

We love Cindy Shanholtz (owner of Effortless Events)! Our daughter was married on May 24th, 2013 at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois. We heard from so many guests: "This is the most beautiful wedding we have ever been to!" I can honestly say that I don't know how this wedding would have happened without Cindy...and I'm being quite serious. Thank goodness I picked up the phone to call Cindy in January of 2013. My husband and I live 9 hours away from Chicago. But whether you live within the Chicago metro area or in another city as we do, you will want to have Cindy working on your behalf! Cindy has tremendous expertise, outstanding attention to detail, a wonderful sense of humor, and excellent taste. Though we ourselves had already chosen the wedding venue and several key vendors, Cindy helped us fill in all the other blanks. She made very good recommendations as to some additional vendors. She also gave us many excellent suggestions and tips about the wedding. And we appreciate the fact that she never made us feel bad if we chose not to follow a particular suggestion (however, there are a couple of suggestions that I WISH I HAD followed!). In conclusion, Cindy went "above and beyond" to make our daughter's wedding a terrific event. Her "Day Of" schedule is an amazing guide, given all the details involved in today's weddings. The guide ensured that everything ran smoothly. Cindy promptly and patiently answered our endless emails and inquiries in the months prior to the wedding. She also met with us on several key occasions. We had 160 guests at our wedding, some of whom travelled to Chicago from as far away as New York and California....and Cindy's involvement ensured a great wedding experience for all our guests (she is very fair in her pricing and we think of Cindy as having protected our wedding "investment!"). And on top of everything else, Cindy is simply a delightful person to work with! read more

As a band that performed at a wedding put together by Danielle Kuhn of Effortless Events, here are our thoughts. Bare in mind that we have performed at many weddings, so we have seen a bit of it all, both good and not so good. What a beautiful event, and Danielle made our job easy. In the world of weddings, this was one of the smoothest we've ever experienced. So often we arrive to find major complications in set up....ranging from the stage being fully in use with no space left for us to no aisles being available to move our gear through. It can be crazy. But she had everything well planned....it was super easy. Also impressive, the event stayed on schedule. We are used to weddings running severely behind. So kudos to Danielle's planning skills! And the details of the event were equally impressive, in particular the transformation of the a barn/mess hall at a summer camp into a setting worthy of the top celebrity weddings. It would be our pleasure to work with Danielle again in the future. read more

Cindy, Tiffany and the Effortless Events team are truly a dream team. We hired them to help orchestrate a private charity event and everything about their work was flawless. From the very beginning they took over setting up contracts with all vendors, which saved us a ton of money might I add. They remained the point of contact throughout the whole experience via phone, text and email alleviating a great deal of stress from us. There was not a single detail untouched or forgotten and their recommendations were on point. The event went off without a hitch and our guests have been raving about how great everything was since the party (they'll definitely get more business from other guests). If you're looking to make your life easy and just show up to your next event with the only task being to enjoy your night, then hands down hire these ladies. I will, without a doubt, be hiring them again and referring them to friends, family and others without hesitation. read more

I can't even begin to say how awesome Cindy and Tiffany are! They think of EVERYTHING!! I am a very detailed person, so I truly thought that I would just hire them for my daughter's wedding using their "day of" package. My main goal was to have them there during the wedding & reception, so that I could enjoy myself on the big day. Well...once we met with them and they started asking questions and going over details, it was clear to me that we needed them for much more than just the day of! They are so professional, have all the resources, can solve problems as they come up, and are truly the answer to your prayers when it comes to putting on a wedding and reception exquisitely! There is NO WAY we could have done what we did without them. Not only are they extremely organized, they are so much fun to work with and be around! They are amazing, and your wedding/event will be so much better with them as the leaders!! read more

I haven't gotten married yet but I couldn't wait to write my review about Cindy. I started medical school last year and planning the wedding of my dreams from 3000 miles away (I live in CA, the wedding is in Chicago) while trying to memorize all the veins, arteries and nerves in the neck seemed like an impossible task. But here I am, 3 months away from my wedding, totally calm and completely sure that my wedding will be amazing. And that is almost completely thanks to Cindy. I have to echo the previous reviews in saying that I don't know what I would do without Cindy. We are having our reception at the Morton Arboretum and they suggested her when we asked about hiring an event planner. She is the most organized, detail oriented person I've ever met, and has made planning this wedding so much fun. As an earlier reviewer said her rates are very competitive and organized in a way that makes sense. Some wedding coordinators charge a certain percentage of total wedding costs as their commission, and that never made sense to me. I never have to worry about whether Cindy is finding the best vendors for me or simply the vendors that will bring in the greatest commission. Her experience with vendors allowed her to select the ones she thought I would fit best with. And she was completely right on. This saved so much time considering I could only return to Chicago on school breaks. Also, on a more personal note, Cindy is a joy to be around. She always makes herself available to me --she even checks in on how school is going! I'm so grateful that I found her and I know that my fiance and I are going to have the most amazing wedding we could imagine. I'll write an update after the wedding to let everyone know how it went but I'm not worried at all. Cindy will handle everything. Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions about Cindy and Effortless Events. I'll do my best to get back to you as soon as possible! read more

I would highly recommend Effortless events. I worked with Cindy to plan my son's first birthday party and it was a complete success! She gave me such wonderful ideas and delivered on them. She was really good about getting back to me as soon as possible with questions. She also did a great job in watching our back when it came to mistakes made by our venue. We are absolutely pleased with her work and would encourage everyone to meet with her at least once before planning a big event! It will be worth it! read more

Cindy is it! Cindy was my day of wedding planner/coordinator and confidant. Cindy with Effortless Events was professional, prompt, responsive, personable, and most of all hands on with all vendors as needed to execute the best event ever. If there was a problem....I did not hear about it until the end of the night. Cindy was everything...she was always concerned if I needed anything..."what else can I do for you" was not only throughout the event but even before hand. I felt as though her staff knew me personally as they smiled and made sure that I was happy and most importantly able to eat...because us brides can forget to eat. Now if a vendor was not what she considered as professional to deliver upon what we wanted....X on the list. Cindy has done enough events and worked with enough vendors to know whom were top quality and not up to standards. If you want A+ service....look no further! Effortless Events is it. Thanks for bringing sun out on my wedding day. It was unbelievable. Everyone are still talking about how Cindy executed on the perfect day. read more

Effortless Events is a PREMIER wedding planning company in the Chicago suburbs. We found Cindy and her company by googling wedding planners in Naperville, IL after a day of outrageously expensive planners in Chicago. When we asked about her pricing and what the full package included, she said she'd do anything we needed, period, no questions asked. Cindy joined us for meetings with vendors, orchestrated contracts with vendors, advised on design and handled any task that was too stressful or time consuming for my mom and I. She answered emails and phone calls at all hours of the night. And most importantly, she made sure we had the wedding of our dreams and every detail was exactly what we asked for. In the industry, so many vendors like to do things a certain way "because they know best" or "because that's the way it's always been done." We wanted a wedding unlike any other, and that's exactly what we had. Because Cindy made sure every vendor understood this was our wedding, not theirs. Our wedding was at the Medinah Country Club and because of Cindy's advice and expertise, the manager told us, it was the most beautiful event they have ever hosted. We love Cindy, she is part of the family now, and days after the wedding, we're still laughing and sharing stories about the perfect day! read more

About two months out we planned a one month out meeting with all of our vendors and needed to have a pretty close draft of the day of. Reaching out to Cindy I did not get a quick response and the reasoning behind it was that I bought the six week package. She ended up working with me on it but with what seemed like hesitation. What she did do - update the wedding day of; try to get final pricing from the caterer, didn't get there; run the rehersal; get the bride who wed in our location prior to us out; get the venue to change the chairs; start the ceremony on time; get us a few minutes alone after the ceremony and get us and our guests to the first dance close to on time. What she did not do - plan the details of the wedding (not previously agreed to but made her job all about rehersal and day of); show up to meet the guys and send them to the wedding venue; meet the girls and send the to the wedding venue; make sure what came out of the kitchen was acceptable; make sure food was in correct locations - cider and late night snacks were in the wrong spots so no one knew they were there = wasted money; make sure 4 vegetarians got the correct meal; make sure groom got both meals; make sure we got a piece of each cake; gather the wedding things at the end of the night and get them to the hotel. All of these were agreed to; all in the wedding plan. At the end of the amazing night as we, our wedding party and friends were leaving to go to the hotel she stopped my groom and I and said we need to gather all the wedding stuff. Instead of ruining a perfect night we did and handed things to our wedding party and guests. This company has the right idea - make things stressfree and give the couple their perfect day. For me they fell very short o execution. I did not get what I paid for or I severely overpaid. read more

My daughter got married at Salvage One a month ago...it was a truly magical and stress-free day, with the wedding and reception capturing the essence of the bride's and groom's personalities and their hopes for this most important day. I credit Cindy Shanholtz with a huge part of why the day went so smoothly and everything turned out so beautifully. Cindy is creative, professional, very organized and has years of experience in event planning to draw upon. She is fun to work with and is a great negotiator with vendors--and clearly has great relationships with those she was worked with because she treats them respectfully and appreciatively (when it is earned). While she will be honest and direct when you ask for advice, she never forgets that it is your event not hers. And you can see that what she loves to do is to help YOU realize YOUR vision for an event--and with HER knowledge, creativity and expertise, you will do it! We cannot recommend Cindy strongly enough...she saved us more money than we paid her and I am sure saved us from problems and situations that would have caused us stress on the wedding day. You will love working with her! read more

Where do I begin? I'll start with our original plan to marry in California...then Colorado....then Charleston, SC....then, finally, Mexico! The common denominator along the way, was Cindy. We've said it time and time again, there is no way, not a chance, we could have pulled off our wedding without her. Whether we did local or destination, we needed her. We met her through my friend, who also hired Cindy for her Chicago wedding, and we're beyond grateful we made the decision to do business with her and trust her with our big day. She took care of every single detail and listened to my ideas. She has our wedding day binder to prove it. Not to mention how fun it was to plan the wedding with her. She's fun, has the best sense of humor, knows what's she's doing and doesn't take any you know what from anyone. She's in charge and that's exactly what we were looking for. Planning our Mexico beachy wedding from Chicago was not the easiest task, but Cindy did what she did best and planned it perfectly. I felt so comfortable with her. She knows what works, what doesn't and how to use my ideas. Here's the deal, if you're doing a destination wedding, you NEED a planner. You want to enjoy your time with the friends and family who have spent time and money to come out and celebrate you. If we didn't have our girl Cindy, we would have been inside the hotel going over details, stressing, making welcome bags, everything but being with our guests. She took all of our worries away and we were able to enjoy ourselves. We are forever thankful for her hard work and diligence. If you're planning a wedding (congrats, btw) set up a meeting with Cindy. She is eager, ready to help plan the best party of your life and will help ease the stress. I highly recommend her services, she made planning our wedding so much fun and took the immense pressure off, basically she rocks the wedding planner industry! Oh, did I mention we came in way under budget because of her? :) read more