Art of Imagination

We had such an amazing experience with Art of Imagination at Stan Mansion! They really made our day look so romantic and exactly what we wanted it to be!

(This is embarrassingly overdue… but please don’t let that take away from the sentiment of our review!!) My husband and I hired Deborah and her team at Art of Imagination for her planning, décor and floral services for our October 2023 wedding. Simply put, there’s a reason everyone in the Chicago wedding industry knows and respects Deborah: she’s a design extraordinaire and the kindest soul. She’s an industry veteran, knows her stuff when it comes to putting together beautiful weddings, and her reputation precedes her. Her passion and creative talent is evident in every wedding she helps put together and she is a wealth of knowledge (i.e. what is worth thinking about for the day of (and investing in) and what could go without depending on our budget priorities). We had multiple planning sessions with Deborah in the lead up to our big day, but one of our favorite experiences was going with Deborah to the local flower market to see what florals would be in season and to help us better visualize what we liked or didn’t like the look of for bouquets and boutonnieres. She took our inspiration images and brought them to life better than we could’ve imagined. We trusted her expertise in helping us decide on décor items that looked nice, and still felt like “us,” without going overboard. When we were hit with a large unexpected budget constraint a few months out from our wedding, Deborah worked with us to make last minute changes to the proposal, making an effort to stay within budget without sacrificing our vision. She had clever ideas for how we could repurpose items from our ceremony into the reception setup to both cut back on costs and waste. Deborah and her team were indispensable on the day of our wedding. From helping steam all bridesmaid dresses, consulting with hotel staff, organizing and communicating with all vendors to the physical setup at the venue, her team thought of everything down to the smallest detail. They were the reason we were ahead of schedule (!!) and could truly relax and enjoy the day. They were the first to arrive and the last to leave. I honestly cannot recommend AOI enough.

Deborah was such a sweetheart to work with, you can tell she really loves the experience Art of Imagination creates. She walked through the venue with me and listed the options they could do, she also provided a pdf of what they offer. When I requested a curtain of globe lights, she made it happen. The lighting was perfect, the drapes were so romantic and the stage was the perfect way to highlight the ceremony. I could not have been happier with AoI as it elevated my wedding and really added an air of romance and warmth to our day!

I truly cannot say enough about the Art of Imagination team, just book them. From the moment we began working with Deborah, she took the time to truly understand our vision and brought it to life in ways that surpassed all our expectations. As someone who is notoriously indecisive, it was so relieving to just let go and fully trust her decisions. She brought everything together in a way we could never have imagined! Every detail, from the floral arrangements and table settings to the lighting and lounge furniture, was executed flawlessly and created the ambiance we were envisioning. Our guests were absolutely in awe of the decor (as were we), and we received countless compliments on how beautiful everything looked. We feel incredibly fortunate to have met and worked with Deborah, and would 100% recommend Art of Imagination to anyone in need of wedding/event production. You will not be disappointed!

I am so happy that we chose AOI Decor for our wedding! Deborah was so great to work with from start to finish. Honestly, she’s a visionary. Deborah and her team did an incredible job - everything was stunning!

Deborah and her team did an incredible job on our flowers and decor. Our guests still have not stopped talking about how beautiful all the lights, greenery, and flowers were. They really made a spacious venue for a large wedding feel very intimate.

Deborah and her team at AOI were amazing! She was one of the first vendors we talked through that really helped us build a vision for what the day could be. They've worked quite a few weddings at our venue, Rockwell on the River, and came with tons of suggestions and options, while also listening to our ideas. They did our draping, lighting, and florals and going with more of a one-stop shop for all of these was the best decision ever because I knew they would make the whole experience cohesive and it meant fewer vendors to work with, which helped keep things stress free. They added lots of small touches that I didn't even know about until the day of the wedding but really brought everything to life. We got tons of compliments on our florals. Also, out of the approved vendors we could use, AOI was the most affordable and we are really happy with the value and quality of everything. Highly recommend!

Deborah and her team created exactly the event that we envisioned - and more. They were a pleasure to work with and our other vendors really appreciated Deborah as a partner on various designs and installations. Deborah knew our venue - the Bridgeport Art Center - like the back of her hand. Art of Imagination delivered and made our day stress-free!

Deborah and the team were super helpful, flexible, responsive and supportive during the creative and planning process. We spoke to many production/decor companies, and no one was as flexible to what we wanted without crazy minimum costs and services as Art of Imagination was. We wanted a simple, natural look to compliment our naturally beautiful space and they did a great job! Definitely check them out!

Deborah and her team are magical! We were provided a list of approved vendors from our venue--Deborah was the only one who was reasonably priced and understood our vision of simplicity to let the space shine. The curtains and the globe lights were the stars of the decor. Deborah also added a greenery wall so that our guests have a photo area. Deborah hung up neon signs for us, and our guests had a blasts! She gave us a great price with a further discount because we were sharing decorations with a wedding from the night before our wedding! Go with Deborah--you won't be disappointed!

Deborah and her team at Art of Imagination did the décor for our wedding, and we were thrilled with the outcome! She came with great ideas, answered questions that we had, was very familiar with our event space, and even gave us some helpful tips and tricks for our wedding day. Planning was easy, and the results were spectacular.

We love Art of Imagination! They really brought our wedding vision to life! Transforming our venue into the perfect space for our wedding. Everything about it was beautiful and perfect! The team at AOI where incredibly helpful, responsive, and overall great to work with. We cannot thank this team enough! Absolutely recommend working with AOI to make your wedding unforgettable!

Working with Deborah was so easy and enjoyable. Her guidance, recommendations, and years of experience at the venue were invaluable. Deborah and her team created a truly dreamy and beautiful space, exactly what we envisioned!

Art of Imagination did such a wonderful job at my wedding. Gorgeous lighting from the ceiling and candles in the windows - it looked like a fairy tale. Deborah was an absolutely sweetheart

Deborah is a true artist! She was recommended to me by wedding planner who I whole heartily trusted. I wanted to just add a slight flair to the wedding venue and Deborah caught onto my vision very quickly, even after just a few emails and image inspirations. I knew from that moment, I could totally trust her and just let her use her imagination to create the perfect design for our reception. Not only did she stay in line with the style I wanted, but she was also honest and straight forward with pricing and explained to me what was worth the extra costs and what wasn't. I really appreciated that! I was so happy with how everything turned out, it truly looked effortless. Thank you again to the AOI team!

AOI was one of the first vendors we met with after getting engaged since they have done so much previous work at our venue, Room 1520. My husband is a DJ and saw the work Deborah and team did at that venue and he KNEW he had to have the globe lighting that they offer for that space. From the moment we met Deborah, she asked thoughtful questions about our vision and how she could help bring that to life in partnership with our floral and decor team. Even at our walkthrough after Deborah heard about some final details she suggested a small revision on our drapery, and it turned out perfectly! The entire AOI was always kind, responsive and worked well with our other vendors, and we can't thank them enough for being a part of our big day!

Deborah and her team are so fantastic to work with, and we are so happy that we found them! They already came recommended to us from a few friends who had used them for their weddings, and when we met with Deborah we understood why. She has such an incredible attention to detail, and there is no trade-off for all of her years of experience. She knew the entire layout of our venue, and helped us visualize every detail of the day starting from when we walked through the door. We felt so confident in her services after our very first meeting, and she only continued to impress us. She asked a lot of questions to make sure that we had thought of every part of the day, and provided excellent recommendations. She clearly understood what our vision was, and helped us execute on every piece. Deborah was very communicative, always available via phone, and worked wonderfully with the rest of our vendors. The wedding day was so gorgeous, and we are so grateful to her and her team's fantastic work!

Fantastic job on our decor and absolute experts on our venue, Bridgeport Art Center. They were so wonderful to work with, thank you AOI!

We had a great experience working with Deb and Art of Imagination for our wedding on 10/15/22 at the Sculpture Garden at Bridgeport Art Center. Deb has incredible expertise and she is so thoughtful about bringing your vision to life. From the drapery and platform in our ceremony space, to a disco ball installation to hiring a custom neon sign, she helped us make our wedding look chic and stunning! She worked with our florist to pull off the dance floor disco ball installation and we're so grateful for that attention to detail. Deb and her team were responsive during the planning stage and attentive during the walk through. Deb provided suggestions and was incredibly positive to work with. She knows the Sculpture Garden inside and out!

Art of Imagination provided the decor for our wedding at Loft on Lake in Chicago. All of the decor ended up being beautiful including vines along wooden beams on the ceiling, white draping as a ceremony and sweetheart table backdrop, a beautiful white aisle runner, and even two chairs for the horah! Everything looked exactly how we wanted it to look and I am so happy they made our vision become a reality!

We used Art of Imagination for our lighting and draping decor, as well as the stage for our ceremony. It all turned out fantastic! AOI is only one of two preferred decor vendors for our venue (Bridgeport Art Center) and we were lucky enough to book AOI before they filled up. Deborah was super helpful and accommodating with the late additions of the stage and additional lighting needs. We had a great experience and would definitely recommend using Art of Imagination for your wedding or event! Her industry knowledge and experience with our venue really helped create the vision we wanted for our wedding. There is a reason they are rated one of the best on The Knot for the past 3 years!

Deborah from Art of Imagination was an absolute dream to work with. She and her team provided the gorgeous drapery and lighting for our wedding at the Rookery and we could not have been happier with how beautiful the space turned out! Some of my bridesmaids even commented on how big of an impact the drapery made on the space after seeing it without the drapery the night before for our rehearsal. Deborah is such a kind individual and was absolutely delightful to work with throughout the entire planning process. We are so grateful to have chosen Art of Imagination for our lighting and drapery wedding needs and cannot not recommend them enough!

Thank you to Deb and the team over at Art of Imagination for working with Matt & I on adding drapery and lights for the big day at Bridgeport Art Center - it was perfect! We would work with you again in a heartbeat.

Save yourself the stress of shopping around and just hire the AOI team. Their ideas are amazing, they are so communicative and even though we didn't use them for florals still helped us brainstorm ideas. The entire team is so kind and was just a dream to work with. If you're having a Chicago wedding, this is the team for you. They set up a lot of the decor the day before the wedding so we got a sneak preview during our rehearsal. It was just magical.

Deborah from Art of Imagination provided services that exceeded my expectations. She is kind-hearted, and understands a bride's needs and the rollercoaster of planning a wedding. Her patience meant the world to me and will not soon be forgotten. l Deborah has a vision, and will work with to help your wedding vision come alive, in a very beautiful way. Art of Imagination made sure that I felt that I was being heard, which set my nerves at ease. Deborah's creativity and overall patience helped make our day both beautiful, special, and with this, ultimately filled the venue with love. Thank you!

Art of Imagination did a beautiful job at Stan Mansion for our wedding! Deborah and team were wonderful to work with throughout the entire process. They have plenty of pictures of what they've done in the past and for Stan Mansion, they have special packages even. The day of the wedding, the draping and lighting looked absolutely phenomenal and we got so many compliments from our guests! We are really happy that we went with Art of Imagination for our wedding as they made our wedding day so special. Thank you, AOI!

Deborah and the team at Art of Imagination were a pleasure to work with for our wedding at the Bridgeport Art Center. Our relationship with Deborah spanned nearly two years from initial introduction to the day of our wedding due to the pandemic and a wedding reschedule. Throughout this time, Deborah and her team were professional, responsive, friendly, and invested in our vision for how everything would look. As we navigated a wedding reschedule and various changes, Deborah seamlessly went with the flow and provided valuable suggestions and also guidance. Her experience and familiarity with the space put us greatly at ease that the decor would turn out fantastic. Every time we spoke with Deborah, whether for a walk-through, a quick call about the plans, sudden changes, she was always enthusiastic and personable and attentive. The process felt collaborative and she was present during our wedding to ensure all went smoothly. The wedding decor, lighting, and the atmosphere truly was wonderful and we have Art of Imagination to thank for that.

The team at Art of Imagination made our wedding at The Rookery even more magical and intimate. Deborah and her team were really easy to work with, very professional and on top of their communication. They made us feel like we were their only clients! I would highly recommend using Art of Imagination.

It was such a great experience working with Deborah from Art of Imagination. She had a long history of working with our venue, and knew the place inside and out. She gave us tips for the day of that were little details that only someone who had been doing this for years would know. The drapery that AOI did on the day of was impeccable, and we needed little other decor bc of their elegant work. Thank you, AOI!

Our wedding was absolutely stunning and we have Deborah and her team to thank! She knows the business better than anyone and her vision and ideas made our venue gorgeous. Guests are still talking about how beautiful the venue was! She knew what was going to work best for our wedding day and she was spot on. We can't recommend enough!

Deborah from Art of Imagination came highly recommended from my planner and our venue team at Bridgeport Art Center, so I definitely had high expectations! During our first meeting, she immediately exceeded my expectations and I knew she was the right choice for our florals and decor. When I explained my specific vision, I felt like she completely understood it - within seconds! Not only did she just 'get it' right away but she was so enthusiastic about it and offered many unique and creative ideas and suggestions while still respecting our budget. The day of my wedding, I actually cried happy tears when my bridesmaids bouquets were delivered to my suite... they were THAT beautiful! I can't even describe the feeling of seeing everything we planned come to life at the venue - it was one of my favorite memories from that day - the drapes, chandeliers, lighting, table pieces, florals, all of the little details. I will never ever get over it!! I can't thank Deborah and her team enough for creating the most beautiful space for us that went above and beyond anything we could've imagined. Deborah has such a warm, genuine personality and she was truly such a pleasure to get to know and work with. Thank you for making my fairytale dream come true!!!

Deborah and Nicole are the dream team. They worked with us to get the perfect decor and squeezed every single penny to stay within budget. Not only are they responsive, but also very patient and have photos of almost anything you might want to see; they've done it in the past and can tell you how it went and how to improve upon it!

Using AOI for our wedding reception was one of the best decisions we made! We got married at the Bridgeport Art Center - Skyline Loft and they referred us to the AOI team. At our first consultation, Deborah sat down with us for an hour to understand our vision and suggested a handful of different things that would make it come to life. We utilized lighting, drapery and the curato tubs and all I can say is WOW. Everything turned out absolutely stunning and really enhanced the space. The entire team was helpful, responsive and attentive to all our inquiries. We are so grateful that they were part of our wedding vendor team and would highly recommend their services!!!

We had a great experience working with Deborah and everyone from Art of Imagination for our wedding. They were a preferred vendor for our venue, and our caterer also recommended AOI having worked with Deb previously. We used AOI for decor and florals, and the process of choosing everything was seamless despite not being local to Chicago and having to postpone a year wide to Covid. The results were beautiful - would recommend Art of Imagination for any wedding/event!

Deborah and her team at Art of Imagination were incredible to work with! They saw our vision of creating a crescent moon floral arch and made it come to life. We originally booked in 2019 for our wedding, and finally had our celebration in Nov 2021. Throughout the entire process, the team at AoI was patient and kind, and helped us adjust as we moved from a summer to an autumn wedding. Deborah also helped connect me to a garland company (The Garland Guy) for our table garlands, which I greatly appreciated due to constraints in our wedding budget!! Overall, we had a great experience with AoI and highly recommend them for wedding floral, decor, and design.

AOI, Deborah, and Nicole were an absolute dream to work with! Our venue space came to life with the perfect draping and lighting to make the space absolutely gorgeous. We cannot thank AOI enough for working with us over the past 2 years.

Art of Imagination created our picture perfect reception venue with beautiful drapery and up lighting! They were SO easy to work with, and created a perfect design for us quickly. We would recommend them to everyone!

We really enjoyed working with Deb and the entire Art of Imagination team. Our venue (Bridgeport Art Center) connected us to the team as one of their preferred lighting & décor and we now know why - they're professional, responsive, knowledgeable, and creative. Deb and team knew the venue inside and out and gave wonderful suggestions that looked perfect for how we imagined our wedding. They were even able to help us get even more value for our money by including additional options since another couple at our venue (the same weekend) had a similar set-up to ours - rather than charge both couples the standard cost, they lowered the rates for both of us! With so many wedding vendors to choose from, I'm so glad that we chose AoI. They helped our wedding day look and feel beautiful for us and our guests.

Deborah and her team at the Art of Imagination went above and beyond to ensure that our entire day was special. Her attention to detail and thoughtfulness in ensuring that we were happy was so incredible. All of our flowers were beautiful, the decor was perfect and her team had everything running absolutely smoothly on the day of the event. We are so grateful to Deborah for making everything so perfect!

Art of Imagination provided a breathtaking backdrop for our wedding ceremony and reception... the elegant ivory and greenery setting was gorgeous as it pulled together our flower arrangements perfectly. Additionally, they hung string lights above our dance floor and they were so beautiful for our first dance. They have several other decoration options to fit any wedding vibe. I would highly recommend working with their fantastic team!!!

Deborah, Nicole, Maggie and team are AMAZING! First, they did our lighting and decor at the Bridgeport Art Center, which was absolutely MAGICAL. The drapery and lighting elevated the space to another level. Everyone cannot stop raving about how gorgeous the Skyline Loft looked. Second, we hired the AOI team as our wedding planners and we cannot recommend them enough! They will be your right-hand women all day, extremely thorough and detailed at every step and throughout the day. The fact that Deborah and her crew know so many vendors in the wedding industry makes AOI an essential part of your team! Thank you Deborah, Nicole, Maggie, and the whole AOI staff for making our day so perfect!

Deborah and her team were wonderful. We used AOI for our wedding at the Sculpture Garden at Bridgeport Art Center in August 2021. They were attentive, creative, and informative. Their decor ideas brightened up the space and made it truly beautiful. They respected our budget and worked with us to make it perfect. I would hire them again in an instant!

Deborah and her team were a pleasure to work with! They took the time to meet and talk with us to figure out exactly how we wanted everything to look. When we needed to cover up an ugly sign, they threw in additional decor at no cost. You can tell Deborah truly enjoys providing joy to her couples and ensuring it is just the most perfect day!

Deborah and her team were great to work with! They listened to our ideas and helped provide direction when we needed it. They were very flexible with rescheduling in a difficult year and ultimately brought our vision to life!

We had such a great experience with Deborah and her team! She was very familiar with the venue we were having our reception at so she had a lot of ideas. She understood exactly the look we were going for and created such a romantic vibe! We did uplighting around the venue, a beautiful sweetheart table with a wall of lights behind it, and a few other things to enhance the room. It all came out better than we imagined! They were also very responsive and understanding throughout rescheduling due to covid.

Very responsive and friendly team!

I am so glad I worked with Art of Imagination for our wedding at Bridgeport Art Center. Deborah’s intimate knowledge of the Skyline Loft was so helpful and her creativity made our wedding reception so special. It was her idea to have a live musician stationed in the elevator, who serenaded wedding guests as they rode up to the 5th floor/the Skyline Loft. This was one of the most talked about parts of our wedding! AOI also has beautiful pieces to rent like copper bath tubs to hold beer. Deborah met with my parents and I multiple times, both at her studio and Bridgeport, which allowed me the time to refine my vision and decide what I exactly wanted. It was clear to me that Deborah and the AOI team truly cares about her clients! I am so thankful to AOI!

AOI was a great vendor for our wedding! They added light and sparkle to our venue that was beautiful and effective, and their service was outstanding.

Deborah knows the Bridgeport Art Center like the back of her hand. When we met her at her office in Pilsen, she had floor schemes all ready to go but didn’t even need to use them since it’s apparently etched in her head. She also appreciated right away that I’m a visual person, so when she’d make a suggestion unique to a space or a type of light, she’d come prepared with a picture. I also never felt like she was upselling anything – she’d often even suggest something that would be cheaper and just as beautiful. The lights were one of our favorite parts of the décor as the really complemented the wooden beams and high ceilings of BAC beautifully. Walking into our reception space for the first time was one of our favorite moments and Deborah made that happen!

Working with Deborah, Sandra and their team was literally the best thing my husband and I could have done!!! They completely transformed our wedding venue, Room 1520, into something out of a dream! They really listened to what our vision was and then amped it up to something even more incredible and magical. The first time I got a chance to see their creativity come to life at the venue left me completely speechless. Also, during the process leading up to the big day, they made me feel completely at ease and always had a "can-do, do not worry about anything" attitude. I cannot recommend them enough!!! I will miss working with them as they made it so much fun!

From start to finish, the whole team at Art of Imagination was an absolute pleasure to work with. Our first meeting with Deborah was very early in our planning process, and it was SO helpful to be able to discuss (and get amazing ideas) about so many key elements about the day. She was insightful and clearly so passionate about what she was. Our ceremony and reception were in the same space which was changed over during the cocktail hour, and thanks in huge part to the beautiful draping and lighting done by AOI it truly transformed from one to the other in the exact way we had envisioned. Their work is stunning, and everyone there is so professional and friendly.

Deborah and her team were excellent to work with and significantly helped with the beauty of our wedding venue. They are pleasant to talk with, are experts in their field and were able to help guide me in the right direction with design decisions. I would highly recommend Art of Imagination to anyone I know who is planning a wedding in the Chicago area.

Art of Imagination was a dream to work with and helped make our space so beautiful!! The flow of our wedding was so flawless due to the beautiful draping provided by the team! The lighting was soft and romantic - perfect on a rainy night in Chicago! The team was transparent about costs, helpful in design and helped make our dream wedding come to life!

Deborah and her team created the most beautiful vibe for our wedding day, going over and beyond our expectations! We're super grateful for her guidance and great ideas throughout the planning process, we cannot thank you enough!!

I don’t know where to begin with this amazing company. If you want to go with someone who genuinely cares about understanding and capturing the vibe and hopes you have for your dream day, please have one conversation with Deborah and you’ll look no further. She was kind, curious, thoughtful, and understood the goal my now-husband and I had for our big day and did everything needed to make it perfect. At our venue walkthrough, we met Sandra from AOI who we ended us asking to be our day of coordinator and our day wouldn’t have nearly been the same without her. She’s a true gem. The whole team, from start to finish, was so thoughtful, in the big details and especially the small, and I can’t say enough great things about them. I would recommend Art of Imagination above all others over and over and over again. Thank you AOI! You are all the best <3