If you're looking for a planner this is the place to hire. We did the month of which included the day of; completely fair prices and worth it. Sandy has such a kind soul and she is so organized! We got so many compliments from our wedding day and it honestly wouldn't have been so smooth without her. She created a timeline of events, helped organize our rehearsal, made sure I had a completely GF accommodated meal, and so much more. I couldn't imagine having any other future event without her. Thank you so much Sandy! read more

Splendid Weddings and Events - Wedding Planning Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I would give Sandy 10 starts out of 5. That's how amazing she was. Let me dive into everything she did for us! First of all, we live in Oakland, California and our wedding was in Chicago (home for us). We knew we wanted to have our wedding where we met and where our families are for convenience for them, but it was a real inconvenience for us. Our wedding, for us, basically became a destination wedding, and we couldn't have done any of it without Sandy. It was a logistical nightmare, but having someone in Chicago to handle aspects of the planning for us was amazing. From our first consultation with Sandy, we knew she was definitely the right fit. Sandy listened to us, our vision, and our budget. We did not want a cookie cutter wedding by any means. From the ceremony, venue, coloring and timeline, we wanted things different. We wanted things "us". Our wedding was 100% ours and us. She was detail oriented. When we would go through invites, ceremony handouts, menus, signage, our wedding website, etc. Sandy would notice every little detail. I only noticed a few typos here and there that MAYBE occurred, but she was in the details about changing things to be aesthetically pleasing, to fit better, be more centered, etc. She was way more in the details of my wedding than I was! She's incredibly detail oriented and wants everything to have an organic and nice flow to it. Something I love about Sandy is her honesty. She would not just blindly agree with me to make me happy. She definitely put in her opinion and always had a reason why that she was suggesting something different (and it wasn't suggestions to make it hers, just things that made sense from a wedding professional!). She would alert me if something would look off, or if what I had in mind didn't work or would work, but needed tweaking to make it happen. She also had amazing suggestions for our vendors. With those vendors, because of the relationship she has built with them over time, we would actually get discounts from them (she basically paid for herself with this feature!). On the same token as vendors- she organized EVERYTHING WITH THEM. From walkthroughs of the venue the week of, to communicating with them, sending them the timeline, letting them know what we wanted and our vision, EVERYTHING. After our vendors were hired (we hired many before we realized we needed her) she would have us intro her via email, and then communicate with them separately if she did not need anything else from us, which was so nice. Some nitty gritty details you just do not need to be a part of, and she recognized when it was appropriate to cut us out. The day itself went off without a hitch. If there was an issue day of, we did not know about it at all. She handled everything and was on point the entire time. Timeline, vendors, our families, everyone knew who Sandy was and where to ask questions, which is great because the bride and groom are a bit overwhelmed that day! I highly highly recommend Sandy. She is worth the stress she cuts out during the planning process and day of wedding. A lot goes into a wedding and she is an absolute professional about everything. She is an amazing communicator (via whatever method you prefer, we would chat on instagram, text, email, phone, FaceTime... the works!). She made everything so easy and our wedding was a dream. Thank you does not come close to enough for what she did for us. Do not look anywhere else for your Chicago Wedding Planner than here with Splendid Weddings. XOXO, we love you, Sandy! read more

Sandy is a TRUE professional! She has incredible attention to detail and calming energy. Right when you meet her you know she is the real deal. She's flexible in her approach, but very organized and simplified the wedding planning process. She has a creative vision and amazing heart! She will make your wedding even better than you can imagine, as she helps to create and bring your vision to life one detail at a time! read more

I'm Michelle N's husband (she just left the review below), and I needed to second everything she said. We could not have had the amazing event we did without these ladies. They were wonderful and indeed even fielded a frantic call from my Mother, if full freak-out mode, with ease. Of everything we spent money on during the process, hiring Sandra and Adriana was by far the best money spent. Also, as Michelle mentioned, they know not only how to run events in general, but intimately know how to MANAGE serving and food staff (keeping them motivated and happy), and do it with grace and flair -- a very hard skill to master. Please know, I am an UBER picky - hard customer. Wedding planners in general freak me out a bit, because you always see them stomping around barking orders, but in truth, Sandra and Adriana were the most relaxed people there (except for us). Totally different than others I have seen at friend's weddings, with a much different and really wonderful style. They managed the staff and the event quietly and with a smile - making everyone WANT to work together perfectly. Quite an enviable skill, and their grace certainly rubbed off on us and the rest of the wedding - wedding party, guests and all. Thank you both and so happy to review you here on Yelp! We're super excited to get the #1 and #2 reviews, and are so happy we randomly found you!!!! read more

Hiring Sandra was hands down one of the best ideas I had for my wedding. I thought I had a million ideas for great details (screw you pinterest), but I'm among the first of my friends and family to get married so I really had no idea what I was getting into. Plus, I considered myself a low-key bride, only focusing on the details that really mattered to my now-husband and I. From a ceremony that ballooned from 55 to 90 people (seemingly overnight!) to having my wedding in an unairconditioned space on the only hot weekend this summer, there were SO MANY opportunities for things to go wrong. But with Sandra's forethought and intimate wedding know-how I ended up with the wedding of my dreams. Even though we hired her as our "day of coordinator" she really did so much more. From her incredibly helpful and detailed worksheets for planning your own wedding to her day of problem solving, I managed to survive the planning process and my wedding day without having a single freakout. I would highly recommend Sandra and Splendid to anyone planning their own wedding. She made it possible for me to sit back, enjoy and really remember my whole wonderful wedding day. read more

I highly recommend Splendid Weddings and Events to any Bride looking for a wedding planner! I hired Splendid for day-of planning and design, I didn't know where to start with my planning so I decided to contact Sandy as she was referred to me by a friend, as soon as I spoke to her I was relieved that I've found someone knowledgeable and professional. During our consultation she truly listened to our needs and made the appropriate suggestions and recommendations to get our planning organized and came out with creative ideas for our design. Within a week Sandy presented a beautiful design with everything we needed, I love that she took the time to deliver exactly what we were looking for. She was always responsive, answering my emails right away and available when we needed help. On the day of my event the room looked BEAUTIFUL and even better than what I had envisioned. I was really worried because the venue only gave us 2 hours to set-up! Thankfully, Sandy came up with a detailed itinerary and everything we planned was perfectly executed and on time, I still can't believe how they were able to setup within 2 hours! The fact that I didn't have to worry about anything and truly enjoy my day was priceless. Sandy is the most organized person I know, many of my friends asked me for her contact info and keep raving about her work. I'm already planning on hiring her again for a family event. I just want to take this opportunity to thank Sandy for all the hard work she put into our event and I recommend her services 100% read more

Wow! What an amazing wedding weekend. Sandy was on point from the time we spoke 6 months before to the actual wedding. She is very professional and knowledgeable in the wedding field. She handed out her advice to us and also let us tell her what we wanted. Anytime we had a question months prior to wedding, she responded almost immediately. The day of went perfect And I believe she had much to do with it. Also a side note , my husband and I had a candy bar at our wedding and Sandy set it up and made it look amazing. She was a pro at everything and highly recommend her for wedding planning or any party planning. Thank you Sandy for helping in making our special day perfect!! read more

Sandra was recommended to us by a recent bride that we had randomly met. It was a very serendipitous meeting, but we are very grateful. Our wedding day (as well as details leading up to it) would not have been the success it was without Sandra. Sandra went above and beyond in every aspect. She put out fires we were not even aware of until later, which made our wedding day perfect and stress free. We can't image how different it would have been without her there running the show from behind the scenes. Easy to work with, accommodating, knowledge, friendly, courteous and a born leader, Sandra played a huge role in making our wedding the most amazing day ever. Sandra and Adriana did all of the following (some are part of her job description and many were above and beyond): - made multiple drafts of our day-of timeline, and patiently made changes as we needed them - intercepted ALL day-before and day-of issues that came up with vendors, guests, decoration, food - kept our event running on time, seeming seamless and smooth (this is actually a HUGE thing, as we have noticed at other weddings where there isn't a coordinator) - picked up all of our flowers the day-of - arranged last minute roses we got into about two dozen small vases - ushered guests to where they were supposed to be for various "moments" during the day (receiving line, exiting the church, cocktail hour, etc.) - coached and guided our photographer as needed - intervened and came up with a game plan when it turned out our cake was not enough for our guests. Our only vendor complaint was our bakery. We ordered a cake for 100 servings, had about 90 guests, but it was so pitifully small that we couldn't serve the cake to people without it being the smallest sliver. She figured this out, worked out the details and came to us briefly during the reception to give us the option of what to do. - there was a last minute seating arrangement issue due to the caterer over-estimating the size of the venue, Sandra worked diligently (and unexpectedly) with the groom and groomsmen to come us with an alternative seating chart - gave us countless advice. Some we used (florist recommendations, decoration options on a budget, etc.) and some we didn't use (regretfully we should have started our ceremony 15-20 minutes after our invitations' listed time, per her recommendation - she was right! Many people showed up late!) There are countless other things she did that were helpful along the way. People never know how many details go into a wedding until you've lived in the planning process. Everything from when do we know to cut the cake to who lights all of the candles to what order the meal should be served if there is a timing issue, etc. etc. Sandra made our wedding day one we could enjoy instead of manage. She did the managing and directing, the troubleshooting and the coordinating. And we got to just live it and experience it. read more

If you are looking for a day of coordinator, Ur Event Ur Planner is a top choice! I worked with Sandra and Adriana recently for my wedding at the Adler Planetarium. They were extremely helpful all the way through. We met with them early in the planning process for an introduction and could tell that they were extremely organized. After doing most of the planning ourselves, about 3 weeks before the wedding the ladies stepped in and started really working their magic. They collected all of the information that I had planned myself and called and introduced themselves to all of our vendors. They make sure that everyone that had an important job had a timeline. They were on time for everything and completely dependable. My family LOVED working with them at the rehearsal. They were also very helpful in getting us out of a few sticky situations, including interceding politely when guests overstepped their boundaries on invitations that did not include +1s, and during the rehearsal when the priest needed some help understanding what I was asking for. They insisted on figuring out all the details and took care of everything, even making me remember to stand up straight before I walked down the aisle. Their assistance at my reception was tremendous. I felt like I really had a great team, and I don't think my wedding would have run as smoothly as it did without them. And, at the end of my wedding, they came to hug me and tell me how much they enjoyed working with me. They always suggested but never insisted, they had excellent knowledge of etiquette and planning, and were ALWAYS available whenever I needed them. I cannot say enough good things about these ladies. If you have the option of hiring a wedding coordinator, I highly recommend them without reservation. I am really going to miss them! Thank you so much, ladies! read more

Expert Day of Coordination for Your Wedding: Worth Every Penny We were married on 9.24.11 in Wilmette, IL. We planned our wedding ourselves and hired Sandra and Adriana from Ur Event Ur Planner as our Day of Coordinators. Of all of the decisions we made for our wedding, this is the one we still talk about as the absolute smartest decision we made. From our very first conversation with Sandra and Adriana about two months out before the wedding, they listened carefully to our vision for the day and helped us execute that vision throughout the process. They are extremely knowledgeable about the inner-workings of events in general and weddings in particular. It shows in everything they do. They were professional and friendly throughout, so much so, that many of our guests, both in and out of the wedding party commented to us on how impressed they were with these two. They were a pleasure to work with and thought of even the smallest of details such as moving vases of flowers to line the aisles when the baskets of mums that were supposed to be there didn't arrive. Sandra and Adriana provide a great value for their services. It was worth every and I repeat every penny to hire their services. It changed our ENTIRE wedding experience and gave us more time and energy to focus on the important stuff. They even expertly fielded a call from a very worried mother-in-law about the rain and hail which were threatening our outdoor ceremony plans (and in so doing, ensured that our ceremony site was ready to go when the sun did in fact come out later!) On my wedding day, I as the bride had the luxury of a stress-free day (despite even the rain and hail) because I knew that everything was being expertly handled. We highly highly highly recommend Sandra and Adriana of Ur Event Ur Planner. It doesn't seem like it should be necessary to hire someone for ONE day (well, and the rehearsal the day before), but weddings have a ridiculous amount of moving parts and someone needs to be in charge of them and be able to field the troubles that will no doubt come up. Even the least expensive of weddings is still not inexpensive, so why bother investing any amount in the big day unless you ensure it's going to come off as seamless as possible? read more

We hired Sandy from Splendid weddings to coordinate our daughter Ayline's Quinceañera and to tell you the truth, since the moment I met her I was confident that I was not going to worry about anything, we were running a few minutes late to our first meeting and when we got home she had already spoken with our daughter Ayline, by then she knew her favorite colors and the expectations she had for her party. She really handled everything well from the beginning to end, she negotiated with the vendors scheduled our food and cake tastings according to our budget and expectations. All the vendors she suggested where as professional as her and her staff. I highly recommend Sandy and I can wait to hire her for our future events, she made our backyard look fabulous and our guests cannot stop taking about the transformation and they really were not expecting a backyard party to look as amazing as ours did. Thank you Sandy for making our daughters dream become true! read more

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I used Sandy for my 30th birthday party which took place in a hotel ballroom with a 1920's theme and Sandy took care of all the decorations, including center pieces, flowers, and music which included a 7 piece brass band. She made having a party so effortless I was able to just deal with Sandy on my own time and she took care of all of my needs and wishes at the same time keeping everything within my budget! She also set up the photo booth, photographer, and met with hotel staff on the menu and other serving details. Without Sandy I would've been stressed out because she took the time to make sure where to cut and where to spend so that everything turned out perfect. read more

I hired Sandy from Splendid weddings for the day of coordinator for my daughters wedding. From the moment I contacted Sandy she was always there for any questions I may have had. She is a professional and very detailed. Sandy truly made our wedding run smoothly .I would recommend Sandy to anyone who is looking for someone you can depend on and trust for your special Weddings and Events. read more

I hired Splendid Weddings & Events for my wedding in May and was severely disappointed. I do not feel they delivered on our agreement including not resolving day-of requests, not delivering to the timeline and not ensuring my guests were taken care of. I found the staff to be unhelpful and unprofessional and would definitely not recommend to a personal friend. A few brief examples are not accommodating wedding day adjustments due to bad weather, skipping key events in the timeline, not ensuring guests had seats during the ceremony and not coordinating the bridal party for introductions. read more

I had the pleasure of working with Sandy on my recent wedding. I am a planner myself so it was hard for me to let go and put my vision and hard work into the hands of someone else. It was the right choice as Sandy was the perfect day-of coordinator. She was very thorough and made sure that all of my little details were perfectly setup. Her timeline and attention to myself and family was perfect and allowed me to really relax on the day of and enjoy the party and my guests, rather than worrying about the logistics and behind the scenes. What I love most about Sandy is her passion for what she does. I could tell how much she cared that my big day went off without a hitch and that is what is most important of all. Having someone there by your side and to help you with anything means a lot, and that was Sandy. I recommend any bride talk to her and see if it's a good fit, which I'm sure it will be! read more

Sandra was the day-of coordinator (she actually worked with us throughout the planning process) for my daughter's wedding. Since the wedding was not in the state where I lived and since I was matron of honor, I knew I would not be available to supervise the many details and issues that would arise on the wedding day. Thankfully, Sandra was there to handle it all, putting my daughter and me at ease and allowing us to enjoy the day worry free. Because the wedding was on Navy Pier during the 4th of July weekend, there were an unbelievable amount of issues to be dealt with...vendors, parking, surrounding noise, wind, etc. Sandra handled everything with calm, professionalism, and a smile. We feel so fortunate to have had her help on such an important day. Sandra went above and beyond and I would highly recommend her and hire her again!!!! read more

Splendid Weddings and Events was a god-send to our family. Planning a wedding for the first time can be an overwhelming process, but from the moment we hired Sandra and her team, we could feel them take the weight off. I was blown away by Sandra's ability to truly listen to the details of the bride's vision and patiently offer suggestions as to how to make them happen within the budget. Sandra and her team invested not only their time, but their whole selves into our special day, and were really looking out for our best interests. I cannot imagine what our day would have been like without Splendid Weddings and will always be grateful. Sandra and her team's overall desire to make your wedding everything YOU ever dreamed of shows in every step of the journey with warmth and professionalism. Don't waste your time with any other company, Sandy and Adriana are the best because they truly care! read more

i have no words to thank sandy and her team for everything that they did for us i will give her 100 starts if i could. she goes above and beyond she has a passion for what she does! my wedding on july 22 2017 was perfect because of her, having a wedding coordinador like sandy is a dream come true and every bride deserves to have that! for those people who are planning a wedding or anything else , a wedding coordinador is a MUST( but sandy :))!! honestly a wedding coordinador was the last thing we budget for but i am soo happy we made the decision to do so and we found sandy and for me that was the most worth expense we did for our wedding, we honestly paid nothing compare to everything that she did for us! plus she is bilingual that for us that was a blessing.. Sandy you are amazing and not only you do an amazing job but you personality and your generosity is what make you soo perfect! read more