After extensive research, we chose to work with Allana and hired her for partial wedding planning…read moreservices for our December 2024 wedding. During our initial meeting, she came across as kind, professional, and fairly priced. We planned to use both her planning and floral services, and we signed our contract in December 2023/January 2024. However, as a very organized, detail-oriented bride, I quickly became concerned with the quality of service provided. Communication was inconsistent and often unprofessional. Emails would go unanswered for several days or even weeks, and only after following up via text did she tell me that texting was her preferred method. This left me feeling that our wedding was not a priority. The few meetings we did have were inefficient--typically focused on a basic checklist easily found online--and often conducted via Bluetooth in her car, without note-taking. She frequently forgot details from prior conversations, which created frustration and resulted in me doing extra work to keep her updated. On several occasions, she also ended calls early for various reasons. While I understood that summer is a busy wedding season and she needed to prioritize weddings taking place sooner than ours, the level of support still felt inadequate. At the four-month mark, we reached out to begin floral planning as originally intended. The quote she provided was significantly above the budget we had previously discussed. When I requested a revised proposal within budget, she said she could not do it and instead sent two alternative florist names. With only four months to go, I suddenly found myself searching for a new florist entirely on my own. I had four separate meetings with new vendors--a stressful and unnecessary burden that should not have fallen on me, especially given that floral services were part of what Allana was originally supposed to handle. As we approached the 60-day mark, coordination issues continued. Allana missed a scheduled meeting without acknowledgement, and we still had no sense of a wedding-day timeline. With final vendor meetings approaching, I asked to meet and express my concerns and request additional support. To my surprise, she acknowledged her lack of involvement and offered to find someone else to take over, stating she wanted to avoid any "awkward or uncomfortable" feelings. I had hoped to resolve the issues and move forward together, not to have her withdraw from assisting so close to the wedding. With only 45 days remaining, this was alarming, and we ultimately accepted her offer to transition the planning to someone else, recognizing this as a sign she would not be reliable or trustworthy in the final stretch. I am giving two stars because, in the end, Allana connected us with Barbara Vanni of B Weddings, who stepped in on short notice and handled everything with exceptional professionalism, organization, and care. We are truly grateful for Barbara's support, and I will be leaving her a positive review separately.

Allana was incredible from the very beginning for our clients large corporate HQ Grand Opening. Not…read moreonly was she flexible but she brought valuable ideas and visions to the table to elevate things even further. Her team was wonderful and handled all of the last minute changes and requests with grace. We can't wait to work with this team again! - Scout Hospitality

Worked together multiple times. They are friendly, nice people who always deliver beautiful…read morelighting and a great experience at far less than some other lighting companies. Check them out!

It was such a pleasure working with Elegant Event Lighting for our wedding in December! Jay was…read morereally helpful and easily accessible during the planning phase. I was initially reluctant to pay the extra money for special lighting, but we are so happy that we did; it made all of the difference. We used patterned lighting of flowers in our ceremonial space at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, and it made the room look absolutely breathtaking. Also Jay suggested to me that we use chuppah lighting, and my photographer was greatly relieved about this. When she initially saw the space without the lighting, she was concerned how she was going to capture our faces. She made a point to tell me about how important it was that we had this lighting. We also rented three chandeliers for the dance floor (also suggested by Jay), and it gave the room such an elegant appeal. I also was really impressed by EEL's set up team. I didn't realize how many people were required to set up these lights. They were running around busily and efficiently for hours. Our wedding coordinator said, "We've got the A team working here!" We're so happy to have hired EEL for our wedding!

My experience with A/V Chicago has been extraordinary. Image Zone creates and produces corporate…read moreevents worldwide. Perhaps nothing is more important than staging. For many years A/V Chicago has been our staging partner. They are true team players with the best equipment, the most professional technical support staff and the management & supervision to deliver flawless on site execution for each and every Image Zone production. It starts with direct access to their key decision makers in the planning, equipment spec and labor required. Pricing is key and having the flexibility to deliver within our budgets and still exceed our staging expectations is why Image Zone has been working with the A/V Chicago for 10+ years!

Stop searching; AV Chicago is the sound. light, etc. vendor that you need! Quality equipment. They…read moreunderstand your needs and never oversell. Complete pros. Their onsite people are always enthusiastic and willing to lend an extra hand, even outside of their contracted duties. Hire Them!!!!

I chose this venue because of its historic charm and unique character, and while it is beautiful,…read morethe amount of stress, anxiety, and sleepless nights it caused was honestly not worth it. To start, they are extremely rigid with their list of "preferred vendors," and despite claiming to have great relationships with them, it quickly became clear those relationships are more about kickbacks than quality coordination. The tent vendor situation was particularly frustrating. I was pushed to use their recommended provider, only to find out -- too late -- that the venue had no clue about that vendor's logistical requirements. Despite repeatedly telling them that I was planning an outdoor reception, they gave me a laughably short two-hour setup window, expecting a tent, full décor, catering, and everything else to be ready in that time. Totally unrealistic. They eventually allowed just the tent to be set up earlier. Worse, the staff seemed to have no shared understanding of the venue's rules. I have emails where different team members contradict each other -- on major things like setup times and allowed equipment. And don't get me started on the DJ and music restrictions. They stressed everything had to be battery-operated, yet still managed to ban battery-operated sparklers for being a fire hazard? It just didn't make any sense. Communication was also a nightmare. I called multiple times about different issues such as renting heaters -- no answer. I would try to call during work hours. Emails are the only form of communication they respond to. Then on the day of the wedding, they emailed me saying they turned the heaters away. During the event, things only got worse. We had a mariachi singer (not a full band) performing at 6 p.m. on Memorial Day weekend, and were repeatedly harassed by staff about noise complaints -- even during speeches. Yes, the manager literally came up to me, the bride, mid-speech, to tell me neighbors were threatening to call the police. I kept wondering, is this their first wedding ever? The mic wasn't even loud. The venue could be great -- but only for small, intimate weddings, maybe under 60 guests. Anything larger becomes way too complicated. The interior lacks a proper dance floor, and their "ideal flow" of food inside/dancing outside doesn't really work. You'll spend the whole night shuffling people and plates. Constructive feedback: Train your staff consistently so they all understand -- and communicate -- the same rules. Be upfront about what's feasible for outdoor events. And if you're going to force couples into using preferred vendors, at least be informed about what those vendors need. In short: gorgeous place, but unless your wedding is small and you're okay following their every (often unclear) rule, be prepared for a bumpy ride. I did love my wedding, but be mindful it costs me way more (outside vendors, additional hours) to put it together. I lost lots of items in their lightning speed clean up requirement.

I very recently had my wedding at the Cheney Mansion and we had an amazing experience. What a…read morebeautiful place to host a wedding ceremony and reception. We were lucky with the weather and were able to use their outdoor spaces for both ceremony and reception. Our guests enjoyed exploring the indoor space which we used for dinner and the bar. The staff were friendly and helpful. I would recommend this wedding venue to anyone looking for a magical venue with lots of vintage charm.

My experience with Ziaire Studio Loft was excellent! The business and staff are very professional,…read moreresponsible, and friendly. I wasn't exactly sure of my vision at first, but with their guidance, everything turned out exactly how I pictured and wanted. Everyone had an amazing and unforgettable time. Their team is experienced, accommodating, and reasonably priced--even for event planning services. I would gladly use them again and again. Thank you!

As with most Wedding Planners and Event Managers - we are very focused on finding the ideal venue,…read morewhich will help us to deliver a beautiful and memorable event for our clients. Our first impression upon arriving at The Cotillion Banquets in Palatine, IL - for an upcoming wedding venue selection visit, was the grand and opulent exterior and ample parking lot. Our team from Luxe Décors and Events, LLC, was greeted by George, the director and information specialist on everything you hoped for, wanted and envisioned to happen, at The Cotillion Banquets in Palatine, IL. George is beyond warm, pleasant, professional, knowledgeable, charming, gracious, efficient, and oh so very skilled at listening to what you would like to accomplish for the event, that you have been hired to do. We hit it off with George IMMEDIATELY upon meeting him. He took us on a guided tour of The Cotillion Banquets, explaining to us in measured detail, what was at our disposal, to ensure that we would be able to do everything that we had planned, and be able to provide our clients - the wedding of their dreams, with regards to their décor and wedding theme. The staff at The Cotillion, under George's dedicated, experienced and genuine love and pride for what he has been doing for so many, many years - also reflects the outstanding service provided by everyone at The Cotillion Banquets. The kitchen staff, is beyond kind, truly professional and obviously loves what they do. The table settings were impeccable. The food - all freshly prepared by The Cotillion staff - is simply AMAZING !!! When we first arrived to meet with George and get to see what The Cotillion had to offer - we had already been informed about the superb level of service and the first class menu selections. The Cotillion DID NOT DISAPPOINT. We were also introduced to the owners of The Cotillion, who were also so genuinely kind and considerate, obviously wanting to also ensure, that we knew they were available, should we have any additional concerns. The Cotillion Banquets in Palatine will forever be Number One on our recommendation list for any and all events, which we are privileged to manage. We cannot say enough about ALL that George did to make this wedding event so beautiful, memorable, classy and successful. No matter how skilled, talented, or experienced an Event Planner is - without directors such as George at the venue site - who can offer their kindness, experience and support - an event will not be as successful and seamless as you may have envisioned. We at Luxe Décors and Events, LLC, are eternally grateful to you George, your staff and the owners - at The Cotillion Banquets in Palatine - for your genuine friendship, guidance and assistance, in helping to make the wedding event on November 22, 2024, the elegant success that it was. THANK YOU GEORGE, FOR MAKING OUR JOB SEAMLESSLY SUCCESSFUL!! Bravo to you George and a special toast as well to you and Everyone at The Cotillion Banquets.

Beautiful Banquet hall in Palatine ideally located just off the highway with plenty of parking and…read morean inviting entryway. The chandelier and lighting make the hall ideal for a wedding venue. Adding on the hall decorator with the smoky mist and abundance of flowers made the evening fairytale like.

Food was fabulous, table service and servers were excellent. Only complaint was the chairs were…read moreuncomfortable. Noisy crowd in the room next door. Not conducive to wedding vows.

Have more than one entrance to your banquet hall so when a family member is ducking out for the…read morewelfare of another family member they can get back in to see the marriage ceremony.

Paul Mabin and his band was recommended to us by a friend of Marcy owner of Here Comes the Party…read more(though we did not use her, but heard she is great!!). I took a chance, called Paul and immediately did not feel like interviewing other bands. We met, talked about what my visions were (and I had none--so Paul helped shed some light =). and the rest was history. Paul (and his band) performed at our May '11 wedding reception at the Peninsula hotel and they were just incredible!! Friends/families still compliments us on how great the band was which made our reception even more amazing. For our first dance, Paul did his rendition of Ray LaMontagne's You're the Best Thing, and it was just, really, the best thing ever!! The band sounded incredible and his voice is just unbelievable. (and now that I'm re-watching my wedding video--I couldn't be happier with my decision!) He was able to "read" the crowd and kept our dance floor packed--as experienced by the another reviewer. The band did everything from Sinatra classics to Journey, to Bruno Mars for my friends who love top40s! Per my request, Paul also announced and sang Happy Birthday to a handful of friends and family who had their birthday that weekend! And he also MC'd the rest of our reception and he was just charming! Stop looking, this is your band!!!

This is my first Yelp review, and frankly, I was compelled to join just so that I could spread the…read moreword about how fantastic The Paul Mabin Band is. After considering several bands in the Chicago area, I finally went with Paul because one of my best friends heard him play at another wedding and swore I wouldn't be sorry. I wasn't. The Paul Mabin Band made our wedding such a blast. From the second they started playing, the dance floor was packed. No fewer than ten people made it a point to tell me that The Paul Mabin Band was the best wedding band they had ever seen. They are awesome at oldies and motown, but are also great at contemporary music. And, Paul is just a great guy. The band graciously learned a new song when my Father/Daughter song was not on the playlist. I HIGHLY recommend them. Book them now because the word is spreading. Every single person at our wedding plans to book them when they get married!