Swetal and team helped make our fairytale wedding a success! They were incredibly easy to work with…read morethroughout the entire process, inclusive of providing budget friendly recommendations of how to dress up our space for the sangeet, ceremony, and reception. Swetal was also accessible in convenient ways -- I knew if I texted or e-mailed her, I wouldn't have to worry about constantly having to follow up to get an answer. We received numerous compliments on our wedding decor, and I would definitely recommend working with this team!

Swetal and her team did an amazing job for a last minute engagement party! She was helpful and…read moreworked within our budget to create this beautiful stage within 1 week.

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.

I had the pleasure of working with Cindy Shanholtz of Effortless Events for our company's 100th…read moreanniversary 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.

This is my 2nd posting for Cindy and her team at Effortless events. I recently hired them for…read moreanother 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!

**A Flawless, Magical Day Thanks to Egle Karpova!**…read more If you are looking for a wedding planner who is organized, visionary, and a complete lifeline on your wedding day, look no further than Egle Karpova. Hiring her was, without a doubt, the single best decision we made during the entire planning process. From the beginning, Egle effortlessly grasped the exact vision and aesthetic we were hoping for. She took our scattered ideas and turned them into a cohesive, breathtaking reality, which immediately reduced our stress and allowed us to actually enjoy our our special day. The true magic, however, was on the wedding day itself. Egle operated with such calm efficiency that we didn't have to worry about a single detail. When a minor hiccup occurred with the floral delivery, she had it resolved before we ever knew there was an problem ensuring the ceremony started on time, the transitions were seamless, and every guest felt cared for. Because of her expertise and tireless effort, we were able to be fully present and enjoy every minute of our wedding--it was truly the most stress-free day we could have imagined. We received countless compliments from guests on the impeccable organization and stunning atmosphere. We cannot recommend Egle highly enough. She is professional, passionate, and genuinely cares about making your wedding dreams come true. Thank you, Egle, for giving us the wedding of our dreams! Linda

WARNING: DO NOT TRUST SONYA I hired Sonya in May 2020 as a…read morefull-time planner to help me plan a wedding for Aug 2022. I worked with Sonya for 4 months before I terminated the contract. In the 4 months, Sonya did not do anything except e-mail some venue options. I found Sonya to be highly unprofessional and dishonest. Sonya does not communicate and kept making excuses for not being able to accomplish any tasks. I got frustrated with her lack of progress and started planning my own wedding. It took me only 3 weeks to tour multiple venues and book one. Sonya would send me venue options via e-mail but never followed up or scheduled tours. She blamed the venues and claimed they were not responding to her. Weeks would go by and I would hear nothing from her. I checked up on her every 2-3 weeks to even get any information. After 3 months, she calls me saying she found a venue. She tells me it is within my budget and allows outside catering. She askes me to send me my availability to schedule a in-person tour. I send her my schedule and don't hear anything back. Two weeks later I call her and ask what happened. She again makes excuses that the venue isn't responding, etc. A few days later she e-mails me a contract for the venue with no information except the attached contract. The contract did NOT match anything Sonya told me over the phone. It was double the cost and did not allow for outside catering. I asked Sonya and she said it was just an "example" of a contract for me to see (what?) and that she will work it out with the vendor. Guess what? Never heard from Sonya again about this venue. We communicated to Sonya about our concerns with her work she never addressed them. I got frustrated and decided to contact venues on my own. In two weeks, I set MULTIPLE in-person venue tours and within 3 weeks I secured a venue that was within my budget and had flexible catering options. I fired Sonya after that. I did not have any issues contacting venues or hearing back from them. Sonya was being dishonest. I asked her to refund my deposit and she has not. I have filed a formal complaint to the BBB. Because of Sonya wasting 4 months, I was not able to secure the date I wanted. TLDR - Sonya took our deposit and accomplished nothing for 4 months. She barely communicated and she did, it was constant empty excuses and lies. She has refused to refund us. Because of her negligence I was not able to get the date I wanted at my venue.

I only wish I had hired Sonya earlier; my husband and I would have enjoyed our wedding prep and…read moremaybe even our wedding day a lot more. Who knew that was even possible? Sonya was kind, understanding, helped me find vendors, created my wedding timeline, ran errands, and so much more. Everything was so easy from the beginning. It starts with an initial consultation and she lays out all the details of her services. She was direct and genuinely does all that she can so the bride and groom can enjoy their day. She is also incredibly creative, energetic, and will go out of her way for you. I don't know what we would have done without her!

We worked with Kerrie from Citygirl to plan our fall wedding. I was super worried about planning a…read morewedding while living in a different state and time zone. You can easily get overwhelmed when planning a wedding in a big city as there are so many great vendors and venues to choose from. Citygirl has an incredible network of vendors that they work with all the time. I loved that I was able to send Kerrie a few photos of say floral or stationary, and she was able to give me a list of 3-4 spot on vendors in different price ranges. It was such a relief to know that the vendors were reliable, professional and had experience working with Kerrie. I am super indecisive so I can't tell you how much time this saved me. The end product was beautiful, classy, and more stunning than I could have imagined. Everything flowed perfectly so that our families could just enjoy the day without worrying about any of the behind the scenes details. My parents said they were bombarded with calls, texts, and letters for days and days after the wedding from guests saying how it was the most beautiful event they had ever been to. Thanks ladies!

I cannot recommend Shar and citygirl enough!! Seriously, I would give her 100 stars if I could…read more From start to finish, Shar left no stone unturned when it came to planning the wedding of my dreams. She truly gets to know who you are as a bride, like what stresses you out or what is especially important to you, and she tailors her approach to each wedding she plans. Shar made sure everything went PERFECTLY on our wedding day so I was truly able to enjoy the day and not worry about the small details or something going wrong. Not only is she a fantastic wedding planner, she is also a genuinely kind and thoughtful person overall. I consider myself extremely lucky to have met her almost five years ago as my wedding planner and to now also consider her a friend.

I love Kerrie Gallagher. Kerrie was a fantastic wedding planner for our event this…read morepast September. She was cool, calm and collected throughout the entire process, even when I had my bride 'moments'. Kerrie has amazing intuition, she knows how to manage multiple vendors and help you get the outcome you are striving for, even when you are too frazzled to see the forest for the trees! She was always there whenever I called to help me think through my ideas and decide what would be the best way to approach details for my wedding. She has the patience of a saint, and a heart of gold. I highly recommend Kerrie for her energy, her love of what she does, and her contagious excitement for your big day!

Two Become One is a great planning service in Downers Grove for all events. Samantha is a "down to…read moreearth" consultant that helped me tremendously with my wedding! I used her to plan my rehearsal dinner and on the day of my wedding to oversee things and she did more that I could have ever expected. Things that I hadn't thought of she took care of. Seamlessly! I would recommend Sam and Two Become One to any bride or family looking to plan an event. No too expensive either.