Anticipation Events

Best decision I made was hiring a wedding coordinator- especially AE. Elizabeth and Heather took all the stress off my plate about 6 weeks out from the wedding and I truly could not have handled the chaos without them. They handled logistics with all my vendors leading up to the day, and handled day-of communication with everyone, including the wedding party and family. It was so necessary and so worth it!! My husband and I were able to enjoy the day without anyone asking us questions!

Our wedding day was absolutely amazing thanks to the team at Anticipation Events and specifically our coordinator Emma. From the moment we met her, we knew we were in the hands of an incredibly organized and detail-oriented professional. Emma's meticulous planning and attention to detail ensured that every aspect of our big day ran smoothly and flawlessly. She effortlessly managed all the logistics, making sure every vendor, guest, and detail was in place, alleviating any stress or worries we had. On the day of our wedding, Emma’s unwavering support and optimism kept us calm and confident, even in the face of any challenges that arose. Emma's dedication and expertise were truly remarkable, and her ability to make us feel at ease made the entire experience so enjoyable. We can't thank Emma and Anticipation Events enough for their exceptional coordination skills, which made our wedding day a seamless affair. If you're searching for a month-of coordinator who will go above and beyond to make your day unforgettable, look no further than Emma and the Anticipation Events team!

Anticipation Events was the best wedding decision that we made. Elizabeth made everything so much simpler for us. Instead of having to research thousands of Chicago vendors, Elizabeth was able to recommend a few for each category for us to choose from. So much easier to pick a florist out of just three options. We were comfortable with all of our choices because we knew Elizabeth had worked with them before and liked their work and professionalism. Elizabeth helped two indecisive and "whatever you want, honey" people figure out what our style was and what we actually wanted for our wedding day. Elizabeth was so organized -- and we had access to all of the information through shared Google documents. On the day-of I forgot about my huge list of stresses because it was all taken care of by Elizabeth and her team -- even things I hadn't thought of. Throughout the reception, Elizabeth was there with my favorite cocktail (and a glass of water for me to drink first). Because of Anticipation Events, I was able to actually enjoy the whole wedding weekend.

Completely objectively speaking, my wedding was the best wedding of all time. As soon as my husband and I picked Thalia Hall as our venue, we knew we needed Elizabeth and Emma's help. We hired them as "month of" coordinators, but the support that we received outside that window was incredibly helpful. And the day-of our wedding went so smoothly, I almost can't believe how calm and collected we were. Every detail was considered. Actually, it is thanks to AE that we are actually married... they caught a mistake on our marriage certificate before sending it in. I can't thank this team enough.

Anticipation Events was the best decision I ever made. Newly engaged brides— the month leading up to your wedding, no matter how organized of a planner you are, you will be SO overwhelmed that having a team to keep everything together will allow you to be 100% present at your wedding. Lets not forget that we were working together throughout Covid-19. I rescheduled twice and AE was so helpful and accommodating. I know it was difficult for them as a small company but they really made the best out of a horrible situation and I don’t know I would have done this without them. Aimee was phenomenal. Every single detail that was important to me was accomplished. She also is a beast at following up with vendors! Many of our friends were part of our vendor team and they commented on how committed Aimee was to making sure everyone had what they needed. They joked about the long email threads but these are creative minded individuals that needed to be kept on their toes and Aimee did just that. Nothing fell through the cracks. It. Was. Flawless. And the best part- she brought all of our decor including boxed meals from the wedding and all the desserts to our condo for us the following day! When you work so hard on the menu, you want to experience it yourself and it Was so amazing to have our wedding dinner with all the desserts the next day.

I would have died without Elizabeth. I have to admit that planning a wedding was one of the worst experiences I've ever had in my life BUT because of Elizabeth I made it through and honestly had THEE most perfect day. Elizabeth was insanely quick to respond to anything I needed, and also there to just be supportive during stressful moments. She was there during breakdowns, fights, etc. On the day of, it felt as though I didn't have to worry about a single thing- she made sure everything was taken care of and told me where to go and what to do. It was perfection - my day was absolutely flawless because of Elizabeth and the team at AE. They are incredible and worth every single penny- trust me!!

Laura Hayes made our wedding day as stress free as I could ever imagine a wedding day being. She helped with my sister’s wedding as well and we had to call her as soon as I had a date set. During the whole planning process, I had her to bounce ideas off and to break everything down so it wasn’t so overwhelming. She even calmed me down if I ever got too anxious. She made wedding planning enjoyable from start to finish. Laura made sure there was nothing we had to worry about the day of and even worked with all our vendors. She was the ring leader to our circus and I could not have asked for a better planner.

Hiring Elizabeth was one of the best decisions that we made in the months leading up to our wedding. She was incredibly organized, thoughtful, and fun. She worked with us to create the wedding of our dreams. She went above and beyond in the month leading up to our wedding, contacting our vendors on our behalf and working with us to make sure every detail was what we wanted. The day went perfectly and it was in large part due to everything Elizabeth did. We can't thank the Anticipation Events team enough! It was so great working with Elizabeth and she really helped make the day special for us and made sure everything went smoothly. We highly recommend Elizabeth and the Anticipation Events team!

Choose Anticipation Events! You will not regret it. We worked with Laura, and while we hired her as a month-of coordinator, she was there to support us and answer questions throughout the entire planning process. She was responsive, beyond competent, and professional in all areas. She took so much stress away, especially as we approached our wedding day - coordinating our other vendors, taking care of last-minute details, and keeping everything under control. On the day of our wedding, we had some unexpected situations - a few inches of blowing snow, some issues at our venue, and a fire alarm that went off during the reception. She got everyone where they needed to be, took care of every potential issue without us even knowing, and made sure that we all remained calm and happy. I recommend Anticipation Events, and Laura in particular, to anyone and everyone that is looking to be taken care of and supported for their event.

We scheduled a meeting with Elizabeth to discuss our needs and expectations and one thing that stood out during the meeting which was that the services and value that her and her team offered is “an investment in the wedding”. She offered us different types of packages and she stressed that they do not overbook themselves, which ensured us that she would be able to give us the focus and allow her to execute throughout the planning and when the day came. What we liked about her was her down to earth spirit, experience and creativity while still being a professional in all sense. Wedding planning does have its stressful areas and Elizabeth was always available to provide her input when we were unsure about something or wanted her opinion on it. She gave us a lot of comfort at times when we felt like it was the end of the world in regards to planning. Elizabeth became more invaluable as the days came close to the wedding. One thing that she made sure happen was to schedule a walk through at the reception with the reception director a couple of weeks prior. Having her plan and do this was so vital to formalize the details of where things were placed, where items were to be at certain times of the night and where other things ended up. Having Elizabeth and Anticipation Events working with us on our wedding day gave us (as bride and groom) the ability to really enjoy the day and take the wedding day for what it is. Even though you can prepare as much as you can, having her and Journey (her team member) there on the day of the wedding was a major game changer. There were so many things that Elizabeth on the day of the wedding and below is just a short list of things that she did: - Elizabeth was at the ceremony to help us there while Journey was at the reception hall working with the vendors and venue in ensuring that everything was set up o At the ceremony – we had a large wedding party and Elizabeth was there to ensure that all people were lined up and were where they were supposed to be. We started on time. - Transportation of items from hotel room to ceremony and reception and moving things back to the hotel room after they were done at the reception - Ensuring the flow of guest - Coordination among DJ/MC to planned program for the night We had larger size wedding with about 340 people in attendance and her and Journey did a great job. While Elizabeth was working behind the scenes per say even my guests recognized her work during the evening as after the wedding, many of them told me that they saw her running around the venue, doing all the little things that made it easier. Our guest really complimented on how smooth and efficient the reception flowed from start to end. In hindsight, I honestly cannot think of anything that went amiss that evening. Even the slightest detail that Elizabeth did will remain in my memory from such things as leaving some of the wedding cake for us up in our room was a beautiful touch to an unforgettable day/night. Overall, Elizabeth and Anticipation Events went above and beyond what we ever expected and we are 100% more than happy with all that they did for us. If anyone ever asks about wedding or event planners, I would recommend Elizabeth and Anticipation Events for any major/important events. Even our guests at the wedding would recommend her as well 

If you're considering booking Anticipation Events for your wedding, DO IT! Hiring Laura as our day of coordinator was hands down the best wedding decision we made. Day of Coordinator is a bit of a misnomer, because Laura gave us so much help and advice long before our actual wedding day. She was an absolute delight to work with - knowledgeable, helpful, accessible, responsive, calm, and kind. It was WONDERFUL having an event expert we could reach out to with all our many questions during the planning process. Laura made sure we were on top of the million decisions we needed to make leading up to the wedding, and she put together an amazingly detailed minute-by-minute schedule for our day and wrangled all of our vendors so they knew exactly where to go and when to be there. When our wedding day came, we didn't need to worry about a thing. Laura and her team handled all of the day of logistics and made sure all our vendors were doing their thing. They also decorated our 100% DIY venue - I basically gave her a dozen boxes of decor and said "make it pretty," and WOW. They did an amazing job - our venue looked absolutely perfect and we got so many compliments from our guests. Bottom line, all we had to do the day of our wedding was show up, and everything was taken care of. My husband and I both agree that hiring AE was the best money we spent on the whole wedding. I promise you, the peace of mind you'll feel knowing someone has your back and is dealing with all of the issues that inevitably come up will make it worth every penny.

Anticipation Events was recommended to me by a family member who is part of the wedding community in Chicago, they did not disappoint! Laura was our month of planner who provided us with great advice, was extremely organized, and took care of everything on the day of the wedding. My husband and I did not have much experience with weddings and Laura was there to answer all of our "dumb" questions, providing us with options and her recommendation based on our vision. I have a tendency to over think the little things and Laura brought me back on track. I would highly recommend their month of planning services, or just the day of coordination depending on your need!

Working with Aimee Webster and Anticipation Events was one of the BEST decisions we made during our wedding planning experience!!! They helped make the wedding beautiful and the day run smoothly. Aimee was phenomenal to work with as well!!! She is detail oriented, has great style and taste, and is just a wonderful person. Without hesitation I would recommend using Aimee and Anticipation Events to any bride/groom out there.

Elizabeth and Laura were actual angels from heaven. They worked miracles, many of which we will never even know about. I never thought I would spend extra money on a planner or coordinator but my brother said it was the best money he spent when he got married. He was right. These triumphant, resourceful, gracious and funny women made it possible for my husband and I to be fully present with our loved ones in the days leading up to our wedding and on our wedding day — not sweating details or hustling candles and matchbooks around. We were able to really be there with each other and our people. And that is the greatest gift. I wish that for every couple. Be there with your partner. Be there with your people. Anticipation Events can help you be there.

If we could give more stars we would!! From our first meeting, to the last hug goodbye, working with Elizabeth was awesome!! Elizabeth was organized and kept us on track and helped us realize our vision. She would push back and would reel us in when we went too far and she helped us make the right decisions to maintain the look and experience we wanted. We were told many times that "it was one of the best weddings"... There was not a glitch during the entire evening and Elizabeth's minute by minute schedule was on point!!! She really took what was in our head and made it all happen. We would recommend her time and time again!!!

Out of everything we spent money on for our wedding, the ‘day-of’ coordinator from Anticipation Events was –by far- our best investment! I am the type of person who has a very clear vision of what I want and I also made a ton of the décor for our wedding. This is why I knew that I didn’t need a full planner. BUT leading up to the wedding, I had this moment where I was like “how are all of these things I am making actually going to be implemented while I’m busy getting married?!” This is about the time I contacted Anticipation Events. From the very first phone conversation I felt instantly reassured and supported. Elizabeth and I talked on the phone for a full hour. She was cheerful and very generous with advice and information. It turns out that the ‘day-of’ coordinator package is really a MONTH-OF coordinator. This is the most perfect situation I could have asked for. Having an extra person on your team during this time, that you can lean on for anything and everything, is just plain ESSENTIAL. I can’t imagine how I would have pulled it all together without working with Anticipation Events. Our coordinator was Aimee. She spent a massive amount of time learning about everything that I had already put together and everything that I still needed to tackle. We even met for coffee and discussed my vision for the day and looked over vendor contracts together. Aimee was incredible. Simply incredible. For the entire month she was totally available for me- via phone, email, and text. She always replied quickly with the most helpful information and was totally lovely while doing so. She took so many overwhelming coordinating details off my plate. Several things came up during this month with our venue and transportation situation that she handled quickly and efficiently. On our wedding day, Aimee worked so hard to look after all of those details that I worked so hard on. She made sure everything was exactly how I wanted them. Having someone CARE about those things as much as I did was refreshing. Aimee and the Anticipation Events team also helped to add a styled, finishing touch on setting everything up for our reception. Aimee revealed the reception tent to my husband and I right before the reception started. (I felt like I was on one of those bridal shows!) And when I walked into the tent, I instantly burst into tears. It was beyond magical. If that wasn’t enough already- One of the biggest things that she took care of was making sure the timeline for the day went smoothly. I was able to let go of all the event logistics and just ENJOY the day!! I didn’t worry once about anything because I trusted her completely. She made sure everything went exactly as we discussed. Then when I was flooded with talking to guests all night, she would float in like an angel, checking in with me and asking if I needed anything. One of the most comforting things I remember is Aimee bring me water multiple times during the evening. This may sound strange now, but when you are exhausted and unable to take more than 5 steps without another guest intercepting you- having someone bring you water and checking in IS HUGE. I literally could go on and on. Working with Aimee was such a dream come true. I honestly believe that my wedding wouldn’t have been half as amazing without her. She was so sweet and so easy to work with. She was also prompt, efficient, and a total wedding super hero. Do yourself a massive favor and hire Anticipation Events!

I wasn't sure if I needed a wedding planner as I started this process. I thought that I would be able to figure it all out on my own, but decided to look into it just in case. We went with day of coordination with AE after meeting with Elizabeth one-on-one. She has done weddings at our venue, Camp Wandawega, before which was a huge relief as it's unique in some ways. She was very knowledgeable and reassuring, as well as good at alerting us to areas in which we have been overlooking or thinking we could all on our own. We were later connected with Aimee who was our go-to person as we neared the wedding day. She was professional, delightfully full of energy and positive, while also being assertive in getting things moving, which is so incredibly necessary for a wedding day/weekend to happen smoothly. It was so reassuring to know we had this team with us. As with most weddings, we hit some unexpected bumps (e.g., 95 in late September anybody?) and they were on it before I could even ask. I had some issues with my mother the day of the wedding and both Aimee and Elizabeth took my hands and said tell me what you need and I'll take care of it, one of those things was making a last-minute bouquet. You really can't imagine the amount of work and thoughtfulness they put into these weddings...and when I say work, I mean WORK. I will never forget the image of Aimee slamming giant ice bags onto the concrete ground trying to make ice for cocktails while also coordinating the next part of the event. I was in awe. Listen, bottom line: If you're thinking you don't need a wedding planner, or at the very least a day of coordinator, you're wrong...and if you think you have someone else in mind, dont. AE is where it's at. Forever grateful for their help. I would have been lost without them.

To be honest… I was on the fence about needing someone for day of coordination, and I really wasn’t sure if the added expense was necessary. As a bride, you think you can do it all and that you have every detail planned out so what’s the use. Well looking back on my wedding a couple weeks ago, I am so glad I had Laura from Anticipation Events there with me that day. Leading up to the wedding, she was there to answer any questions I had, she drafted a timeline down to the minute, she came with to our final walkthrough at the venue, and she helped out tremendously at the rehearsal. The week of the wedding she confirmed everything with my vendors, and really eased the majority of the stress that I was feeling. I was able to give her everything that had to be set up in advance, as well as all of the payments and tips for the vendors. I didn’t have to think about anything the day of which was so nice. When it came time for the ceremony, Laura had everything under control. I’m pretty sure the priest was 15 minutes late, but I had no idea because Laura handled it all. When we got to the reception venue, everything was set up exactly how I had planned it. Laura made sure everyone knew what they were doing and when. At the end of the night, I was expecting to have to help gather centerpieces or the other items we had brought into the venue. It was so nice… Laura sent me and my husband back to the hotel and took care of everything. If any of you brides haven’t considered or are on the fence about using a day of coordinator DO IT! It will be the best money you spend for your day. They say you can’t plan for the random mishaps that might occur that day… but if you hire Laura and Anticipation Events I wouldn’t be worried at all.

It's hard to put into words just how much love I have for Anticipation Events. My mom and I initially met Laura at Indie Wed about a year before my wedding and instantly knew that this was a woman we wanted to work with. She was so warm, engaging and overall just down to earth. She's someone you want by your side during the stressful weeks leading up to the wedding and running things like a boss day of (cue a Beyoncé playlist). Let's face it, planning a wedding is hard... especially when you've never done it before. Laura is so well immersed in the industry and always had awesome solutions and recommendations that helped us throughout the planning process. We're so grateful for Laura and her willingness to go above and beyond to make our day extra special. And to Elizabeth... you are a true badass and an inspiration to business owners, interior designers and dog moms everywhere. Thank you for staying true to yourself and what your company stands for. Fangirl out.

Our wedding was in Chicago, we live in New York. There were only two ways we could have successfully planned a wedding from such a long distance: 1. Hold it at a generic “wedding factory” where we picked from cookie-cutter packages. OR 2. Work with someone like Elizabeth at Anticipation Events who is so professional, knowledgeable and easy to work with that we could plan and pull-off a wedding full of personal touches at the perfect location for us. Elizabeth was our scout, our sounding board, our calming voice and our shield from all the stress big weddings can provide. When we first contacted Elizabeth we had a lot of ideas: photographers, food, transportation, décor… She helped us turn these ideas into a concrete plan that was executed better than we could have imagined. No detail was too small for her attention and no big task was too daunting for her to take on. It is clear that Elizabeth has successfully coordinated weddings and events for hundreds of people, but we never felt like we were on the backburner or just another one of her clients. She approached planning our wedding with the same care that we would expect of a trusted friend. Anticipation Events is one of the most respected planning companies in Chicago and we can see why. We would highly recommend them to anyone we meet!

Elizabeth is like someone else said "the best friend you never had". I wanted to work with Elizabeth years ago when I started seeing her work -- unlike so many other coordinators, the range of her work is so eclectic! She does DIY barn weddings, glamorous ballroom weddings, cool city-vibe loft weddings and so much more. As a wannabe wedding planner, I planned my wedding top to bottom but knew I needed someone to bounce questions and ideas off of, as well as fully execute my vision the day of the actual celebration, so we hired Elizabeth as our day-of coordinator. Elizabeth made it happen for me, she truly made my dreams come true. It was such a thrill being my own wedding planner and stylist, but that could have never happened if I didn't have Elizabeth as my "boots on the ground". She is the best. When you're getting married, you have more important things to be worrying about then making sure the easels are set up and the place cards are where they are supposed to be. Let Elizabeth help you -- she's a total pro and will faithfully execute your vision just as you would (or better!). One of the best decisions we ever made was having Elizabeth around on our wedding day, we are truly grateful for all the time and energy she put in to make our day absolutely perfect. Thank you for coordinating our day, dear Elizabeth!

I echo all the reviews already on the page for AE. Elizabeth and Laura were fantastic to work with throughout the planning of my wedding. They were always ready with answers to my random questions and their day-of coordination took a huge weight off my shoulders. They made sure everything was perfect down to the last detail. When she found out I was planning to stamp and organize all of my place cards the night before my wedding, Laura was quick to take that responsibility off my plate which allowed me to fully enjoy my welcome reception with my family & friends . I can't say enough about AE. If you haven't hired them yet, what are you waiting for?

Anticipation Events was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. They helped with the day-of coordination, and Aimee and Elizabeth made our wedding come together perfectly. They implemented all of the details that I had coordinated and were on top of everything. They also thought of all the questions to ask that I didn't. They took a huge weight off my shoulders and helped make everything go smoothly. It was so nice to take the day-of stress and coordination off me and my family so we could just enjoy everything. I can't recommend them highly enough! They were seriously the best!!

Anticipation Events helped me through day-of coordination, and more. I requested additional support from the AE team because my venue coordinator was extremely difficult and I needed someone in my corner to get things done the way I wanted to see them. Not only did AE do all the right things, but I felt like I had a friend backing me up. I worked with Elizabeth, and I could trust her style to make decisions on the day of the wedding that I really couldn't do, not being on site during set up. Her taste for design is gorgeous so I could also ask her to just lay things out and knew she'd do a better job than I would. The wedding was three weeks ago and compliments have been streaming in about how wonderful AE was. My mother was particularly impressed, and told me how Elizabeth manned all the important tables, having to stand up all my escort cards each time the door opened and knocked them over-- about 10 times. I had a couple vendors that I thought may actually not show up, because my conversations with them had been so limited. And sure enough, when I arrived I had such a sense of relief when AE told me everyone was there, on time, and they had been coordinating the game plan all week together. Plus, my husband thought she was pretty cool and it's hard to get a husband on-board with extra wedding spending. Win-Win. It was stereotypically the best night of my life and I feel so lucky to have just enjoyed it like a love-struck idiot and not worry about a single detail. AE is worth every penny and more. I would recommend to any bride to get at least a day-of coordinator. You have no idea how many details start flying in the last few weeks that you'll wish someone else was helping to keep track of with you.

My now husband and I used Anticipation Events for our wedding. Absolutely would recommend. They were extremely helpful in recommendations as well as preparations and handling all of our vendors. I could not believe how much they took care of from the timelines down to handing out tips for our vendors at the end of the evening. Would recommend to anyone!

I would highly recommend Anticipation Events to anyone. I loved working with Elizabeth and Jenna--my day of coordinator. They were completely organized, yet laid back and calm (which is nice for a bride!), and complete professionals. I was so grateful to have them and they made sure our wedding was flawless!

Elizabeth Tulipana of Anticipation Events was an incredibly calming problem solver who has the experience and personality to ensure your wedding goes off with a hitch. We used Elizabeth as a "same day" coordinator because we had a destination wedding in Chicago and needed her guidance on urban issues as well as to coordinate the wedding ceremony at the Art Institute of Chicago which has onerous loading and use rules as well as our Reception at the Chicago Park Hyatt. Elizabeth was professional, used timelines and excel charts to nail down every detail and coordinate all the vendors as well as guided us on the Rehearsal dinner issues and Sunday brunch we also held. She was a true pro, always offering to solve any issues and smooth over a problem without muss or fuss. She ensured the decor was spot on and also made suggestions if asked for vendors who were reasonably priced and entirely reliable. We feel so lucky to have worked with this gem of a coordinator and highly recommend her. We--the bride and groom--are in our fifties and know what we wanted so we had high expectations and Elizabeth exceeded them. SHE IS A FIND!! BOOK HER NOW for a stressfree event.

From the beginning Elizabeth was super helpful with everything. On the day of everything was taken care of and I wasn't worried about anything because I knew she would handle it. Other than being great at her job she is a wonderful person! Thank you!