The magic of our wedding weekend was only possible with Kara. She is an absolute gem. From her…read moreexpert design eye and logistical skills in the months leading up to the big day, to her adept coordination of dozens of vendors and team members on the day-of, Kara handled everything with accuracy, patience, and grace. She's a wonderful person and a joy of a collaborator. We don't typically write reviews, but Kara deserves the world and all the public praise in it. If you're looking for the best wedding planner in Chicago, Kara's it!

Brides and grooms to-be,…read more My husband and I worked with Kara to plan our December 2015 wedding. I truly cannot say enough good things about Kara and I would recommend her to everyone and anyone. Having Kara as our planner was worth every penny. Kara was always a professional, offering us creative ideas, wonderful, cost-effective vendors and a beyond helpful wedding timeline. Kara's attention to detail is extraordinary. She is always responsive to email, on top of the budget and sensitive to her client's desires. She was truly our partner in creating our magical wedding weekend. Attending vendor meetings, dress fittings and anything we requested along the way. Kara is fabulous and I miss her already! Her on site team on wedding day was top notch with every staffer having answers to any and all questions. I work in the event industry and I'm sure I had some extra challenging and unique requests and questions due to my day job. Kara handled it all flawlessly. Hands down, Kara is the best. Sincerely, Mrs. B

Wow! My first time with a professional photographer. I was nervous, uncomfortable, and anxious. But…read moreworking with Gary took care of that. He welcomed me into his home, gave me great tips for my pictures, and at the end let me cuddle his dog. Gary is hospitable, professional, and an all around nice guy. Admitedlly, the service was a little pricey. But you get what you pay for. If I need head shots again, I'll be calling Gary. He's worth every cent.

Gary is extremely easy to work with, professional but friendly, and flexible. I've hired him over…read morethe past two-years to shoot various special events. Prior to each event, we had phone conversations about how the organization was using the photographs (marketing, social media, annual report, etc.). I felt totally confident in his ability and talent and was thrilled with the results: he expertly captured so many of the details of Vital Bridges and Howard Brown Health Center's events that we wouldn't have otherwise. Gary is the unobtrusive, always present photographer that captures the right moment. He is also adept at the posed shot, too. The digital negatives and requested resolutions were delivered promptly. I feel very confident that each organization's investment in its event photography was worth it. I would definitely recommend Gary's services!

Me and a group of friends needed jerseys for a basketball tournament, but unfortunately such things…read morecan be costly at times. A friend of mine had gone to Signs 360 for some printing work for his business, so I checked to see if they did shirts as well. We got a great price on some great shirts, made just the way we wanted them!

I talked with Paul about setting up a friend's wedding photography. Unfortunately this event didn't…read morematerialize but he was definitely great to deal with. I would love to use him for future events. Paul is very professional and genuine.

Paul did a spectacular job taking senior high school pictures of our son. Multiple shots in…read moremultiple locations. It was really hard to create a memory book as all of the images were great!!

I recently was in a pinch for save the dates and through minted.com chose a Float Paperie design. I…read moream SO glad I went with this company, the design was flawless, my proof was delivered quickly and my invites were here in Atlanta by the end of the week. They look even more amazing than in the proof. Sadly I don't live in Chicago or I'd be quite tempted to order my invites here as well! Great service and beautiful designs, what more can a customer ask for! Hope to work with this great company again in the future!

This place is open by appointment only which I did not know - I made the trek up here last weekend…read moreonly to be confused by a locked door and signage so small I didn't even know if I was at the right place. No one answered the door, and when I called it went to voicemail. Can't be bothered to come all the way back here when there are so many other stores that have regular hours and sample books to look through.

We had such an amazing experience working with Jill! Highly recommend her!!…read more Wedding planning is stressful, and trying to get married during a pandemic definitely doesn't make things easier. Jill was so understanding and flexible, she worked with us and our changing timelines. She helped calm our nerves, and made it really fun and easy to be in front of the camera. She has a great eye and we loved how our Engagement and Wedding photos turned out.

Jill!!! Jill and her team made our wedding photo + video SO much fun. We were able to do our…read moreengagement shoot with her and got comfortable in front of the camera, and she captured our wedding and loved ones absolutely beautifully. She and her team were so communicative, on top of every detail, and so proactive!! We had so much fun working with them!!!

These people will hire you and not pay you. They do not pull permits for any of the work that they…read moredo they will leave you where you have to remove the sign and hire somebody else because they did not permit their work

I Hire Magic Sign Design, to make our Banquet Sign, I had the pleasure to work with Syed, and the…read moreimpression and Experience that I got from him were Excellent, He is Professional, his communications and Responsiveness were Great, and he explained the process and provide pictures of the work along the way, He did service as well another Sign for Our Diamond Garden Banquet Location, which was Great as Well! I highly recommend this Company!

If I could give ZERO stars, I would. Sonya Tisdel took my deposit, left town, did NOT perform the…read moreservices I contracted her to perform, and has refused to return my calls and e-mails. Sonya Tisdel of The Face Designer, and now, apparently, The Bridal Studio is a make-up artist that almost ruined my wedding in October 2008 in California (where she was previously working). I had a contract with her to perform make-up and hair styling services for me and my wedding party. She was also supposed to do a run-through on me. She never did the run-through. She moved out of state and ignored and refused to return my many calls, e-mails and letters. I had to scramble to find another make-up and hair team at over the price Sonya charged. Sonya took my $200 deposit , left town, and has refused to return my deposit. I can understand if life events change such that a move is necessary before a contract can be fulfilled, HOWEVER, there is NO excuse to run off with a client's deposit and not return phone calls or e-mails. I feel sorry for Sonya because she must be doing very poorly to have to abscond with a client's $200 deposit rather than return it. But, with her flakey attitude and unprofessional behavoir, I can see why she would be doing poorly in the first place. IN SUM: BEWARE BEWARE BEWARE. You do NOT need the added stress of dealing with someone as flakey and unprofessional as Sonya Tisdel on your wedding day. I only hope my experience will save someone else some pain and heart ache. UPDATE: After filing a Better Business Bureau complaint, Sonya has finally agreed to return my deposit. It only took 10 months and multiple attempts to contact her, but I guess better late than never.

Sonya is a brilliant artist! She did my makeup for my wedding recently and I felt like the most…read morebeautiful woman in the world! It didn't feel heavy or look unnatural, but Sonya made it so that the colors and tone fit me perfectly. She took her time and made sure I felt comfortable with how I looked and I received tons of compliments. Plus, the bridal makeup kit she gave me was also great! Thanks Sonya, you brought out a beauty in me I didn't even know was there and you made my day happen. : )