Big City Bride

I really don't know how I am supposed sum up such a perfect experience with Johnna in just one review. From the very first day speaking with her, I knew she would understand my exact vision and that she would help me feel comfortable throughout the whole planning process. Her attention to detail is second to none, and I am beyond grateful that I had her quarterbacking our wedding vendor team from start to finish. One of the saddest parts of my wedding being over is that I will no longer have my regular emails and touch points with Johnna - she truly felt like an extension of our family and a trusted friend throughout the whole process. All wedding day, I joked that she was my real-life wedding fairy - she thought of absolutely everything I would need so that I could focus on having the most incredible night of my life (which I absolutely did). BCB - you have a true gem on your hands! I cannot recommend you all enough. THANK YOU for making our dream wedding into a reality.

Johnna was amazing and helpful with helping us plan and organize our wedding! She made herself available to us to navigate our vendors and make sure our vision came alive! We couldn’t have done with without her and would recommend her to anyone getting married!

We had the best experience working with Big City Bride, and in particular our wedding planner, Johnna. Johnna and I clicked from our first call / consult. I did not have a super clear vision of my wedding, and did not know where to start, and she put me right at ease and lead us through the entire experience. Now, a bit over a month after our wedding, I am still gushing about how everything turned out. Everyone says something major always goes awry at your wedding and to just expect that….as of now I can’t think of a single thing that went remotely wrong at our wedding! Everything came together as planned and envisioned, all tied up in a bow. And not for lack of effort! Johnna was so on top of things and knowledgable, and had a great relationship with all of our vendors. Her attention to detail and overall organization were so helpful at keeping us on track. Her recommendations and guidance were always appreciated, and she was incredibly collaborative. And her energy is infectious! Family and guests are still reaching out rehashing what an amazing weekend and beautiful day it was, and how impressed and wowed they were with all of the details. It just all came together even better than I could have envisioned or imagined. Myself, my husbands and my parents cannot stop talking about the day, and are beyond elated and impressed with how everything turned out! Thank you Johnna and Big City Bride!

We had Jena as our wedding planner and could not have asked for anyone better. She was on top of absolutely everything from the start. She would narrow down vendors for us and make suggestions, and she did not lead us astray a single time. Every vendor she suggested was phenomenal. She also attended and helped schedule EVERY vendor meeting with us and asked questions that we didn't even know to ask. When we weren't sure what direction we wanted to go with decor or lighting or something else, she was there to help us. I could tell that she really understood the vision that we had for our wedding day. In the days leading up to the wedding, she was right there helping us keep track of all the last minute things that needed to be done. Our wedding day went off without a hitch thanks to her! Would highly recommend Big City Bride to anyone looking for a wedding planner, their involvement and knowledge is simply unmatched.

When I first discussed whether to hire a wedding planner with my husband for our upcoming wedding, I was initially firm in my stance that we wouldn’t need one. However, due to things getting busy at work for us, we eventually decided to hire a planner for some help. And after going through the wedding preparations with Jena, I came to realize that working with her was one of the best decisions I made during the wedding prep process. She is bright, professional, meticulous, and wise in leading discussions with vendors. As an expert who had planned multiple weddings, she carefully organized everything that needed to be done for us, dividing tasks effectively and ensuring everything progressed smoothly. From working with her, we realized there were far more detailed preparations needed for the wedding than I had anticipated, but because she helped me diligently to check off tasks and make timely decisions, we were able to get through it. Meeting her felt like a true blessing! Whenever we had to negotiate with vendors, she always helped us come to wise conclusions together. She also handled difficult conversations with great sensitivity, guiding everything in a direction everyone desired. Thanks again to meeting Jena and the Big City Bride team! We had a beautiful wedding and if someone were to ask me, I can say with conviction that Jena’s role was essential and I would highly recommend her.

The worst part of our wedding being over is that we miss our planner! We worked with Johnna and the whole experience so surpassed expectations. From our very first conversation, Johnna just understood us. Her attention to detail, follow up, follow through, organization and responsiveness were off the charts. From day one she guided us through the wedding planning process step by step and with ease. I never once felt stressed about the wedding - I just got to have fun and enjoy being the bride. I had time to explore Etsy, order invitations and stationary and tend to those little touches that make an event. I wasn't searching for vendors, doing hours of research or anything like that. And with Johnna was so hands-on not only in the planning but in the actual wedding execution that my bridesmaids were stress free also. So many times friends and family have to jump in to help set up or tend to details. Not with Big City Bride. This meant the time I spent with my bridesmaids was joyous and having fun. They were pampered too and that was so important to me. Johnna guided us through every step, in the correct order and presented top notch vendors for our every need. And she always respected our budget (much to my husband's delight). There was never any pressure. And when something went wrong or something wasn't just right - we just called Johnna. She worked her magic and it was taken care of. Our rehearsal, wedding and post wedding celebration was absolutely everything we had envisioned (and I certainly had a big vision!). It was elegant, beautiful and one heck of a good time. Our guests are still gushing about how wonderful our wedding was and that it was so fun. With both of us working full time with busy travel schedules, there's just no way we could have pulled off such an amazing wedding without Big City Bride and Johnna. Our wedding was absolutely perfect and I can't thank them enough.

Working with Alex and Big City Bride was the best decision we could have made for our big day! Alex helped us source amazing vendors and made it so easy to enjoy the planning process. She is extremely organized, professional, and kind! Our wedding day turned out beautifully and we are so grateful that we chose Big City Bride to be part of it! THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts, Alex and team!!!

There aren't words to show our gratitude toward Johnna, Alex, and the entire team at Big City Bride (BCB). The love, support, guidance, comfort, expertise, and constant check-ins are just a few reasons BCB is the best in the industry. Alex and Johnna went above and beyond to provide us with our dream wedding. Their attention to detail from day one till the wedding day was remarkable. They truly made us feel so confident that everything would go perfectly (and it did!). We cannot recommend this team enough and we will miss working with Alex and Johnna daily. From being their clients to now friends, we could not be more thankful! XOXO, Caitlin & Luke

Johnna & Alex are an amazing team. They were diligent in making sure all of our questions and concerns were answered promptly. They attendion to detail was exceptional. They were very proactive on making sure we staying within our buget and always put the client 1st. They were such a pleasure to work with.. Highly recommend. Annette

We worked with Jena for our wedding and could not be happier with the turnout. From the moment we hired Jena it gradually put my mind at ease. I am a very type A person but I will 100% say that I could not have done this without Jena. From her suggestions to making the timeline perfect and figuring all of the small details out that would have stressed me out beyond belief. Jena was such a joy to work with. She helped make my day so flawless and I was able to relax and take in every moment because I knew she had it under control. If anyone is considering a wedding planner for Chicago please please book with big city bride you will not regret it. They are extremely professional but also have the ability to make you feel so comfortable! I am so so happy with how my day turned out and I owe a lot of that to Jena!!

I worked with Jena at Big City Bride and had the best experience with her and the Big City Bride team. I couldn't have asked for a better wedding planner. Jena was organized, easy to work with, professional and incredibly kind and calm during our planning process. She made our wedding vision come true (and some). I can't recommend Jena and Big City Bride enough!

Thanks to the efforts of Johnna and the BCB team, our wedding was perfect, beyond what we could have imagined. Johnna did a fantastic job streamlining the process, presenting decisions to us on a platter, and then handling innumerable details behind the scenes. She helped us express our vision (helping us think about aspects that we never would have considered ourselves, until maybe the week before when we’d be very stressed!) and then drew on relationships and experience to make it happen. There are so many event planning tips and tricks that Johnna helped us through. Johnna managed to make it feel like we were her only clients with how she generously made herself available often and at short notice. Then on the day of the wedding, she handled coordination of so many vendors and details, solving last-minute problems as needed and letting us focus on enjoying the day. Johnna’s efforts made the whole day perfect for us, and we are so thankful. We’d wholeheartedly recommend her for any future wedding planners, and BCB as a whole consistently exceeded expectations at every step.

We couldn't asked for a better planning team than Arin & Big City Bride! They went above and beyond every step of the way and made our wedding day so special.

We worked with Arin Busch for our Indian fusion wedding and we could not have asked for a better partner for our planning process. Arin is upbeat, super professional, very responsive, and has an eye for detail. She also is familiar with Indian wedding traditions, having planned several Indian weddings before. She had a lot of knowledge and ideas on details we wouldn't have thought of on our own. She also has very strong relationships in the industry and helped us put together an awesome team of vendors to pull off the big day. Everything went super smoothly and according to plan on our wedding day, all thanks to Arin!! We loved working with her, and many many many times said to ourselves 'THANK GOD for Arin'!!! We are SO glad that we found Arin and chose to work with her. She really helped us make smart choices and keep everything on track, there is no way we could have done this without her!! As someone who was initially skeptical of hiring a wedding planner, I can now confidently say Arin is worth her weight in gold!! We are so grateful to her and to Big City Bride. Definitely work with them!!

My mother in law put it best- BCB is their weight in GOLD!!! Arin was absolutely amazing. She responded to correspondence almost immediately. She was willing to help with any request. And organized is an understatement! Our day went perfectly and we were able to relax and enjoy it because of BCB. Thank you so much!

As I reflect on our one year anniversary, I realize my review of Big City Brides is long overdue. Arin Busch was my saving grace during wedding planning. Her and her team are clearly pros in this business and understood what was important to me and my fiancé and helped us execute our dream wedding. Arin is creative, smart, honest, and has the best positive attitude! I was mostly impressed by her strong relationships amongst all the vendors in the business. They all had great things to say about her and BCB and were excited to work with her and us. If you want someone who understands the industry, has the right relationships, and is organized than look no further than Arin and Big City Bride. Now I need another event to plan with Arin!

I don't know how to express how grateful I am to Big City Bride and Arin Busch (and her team) especially. They walked me through every step of this wedding journey. Arin is an absolute gem of a person and a smart, capable, supportive, creative, wedding coordinator! The wedding was beautifully done, beautifully run, and all of the vendor relationships were wonderful. Don't look anywhere else, this is the wedding planner you need!

My husband and I got married on New Years Eve in Chicago at Union League Club. We had the most positive and enjoyable experience working with Big City Bride. Arin Busch was our wedding planner and I cannot even begin to rave about her enough. She made the entire planning process so smooth from picking vendors to day of coordination, she was truly amazing. She always gave us multiple vendor options and her recommendations were all so good. She was so responsive to my millions of questions and kept us on track with updated timeline sheets with items to be completed. She nailed every single detail and our wedding turned out so beautiful. It was truly the best day of our lives and the wedding of our dreams. Arin made that all possible! On the day of, she was so beyond organized and on top of it. She was willing to do every single task for me including running back up to my hotel room multiple times for me to get my slippers and makeup, bustling my dress, and even lint rolling the floor to make my pictures even better! I cannot recommend Big City Bride and Arin enough. We couldn't be more grateful for our experience.

Perfection! Jena & Big City Bride provide a 5-star wedding planning experience. Jena helped us to plan a perfect wedding day! We are still in awe of how perfectly the day went from preparations in the morning to the final dance at midnight. Her advice was fantastic and planning was exceptional. Along the way, we kept saying that we didn’t know how we could have done it without her and the wedding day proved to be the same sentiment! It was so wonderful to see how all of the pieces fell in place to create a magical wedding day! Our family and friends were in awe of all of the carefully planned details. Jena is truly exceptional! Her planning and vendor expertise along with her positive approach make her the perfect wedding planner! Thanks, Jena and BCB!

I had an amazing experience with our wedding planner, Johnna! She dedicated time to understand our vision, and was not only friendly and easy to work with but also incredibly organized and hands-on. From securing vendor contacts to ensuring a flawless day, she was always responsive and went above and beyond. Her attention to detail and years of experience turned what could have been stressful into an enjoyable and fun process. Johnna was instrumental in making our wedding a dream come true, and we couldn’t be happier with our day. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a top-tier wedding planner. Thank you, Johnna, for making our special day perfect!!

We do not know where to even begin on describing our experience with Alex – we are honestly speechless. We were in a bind and Alex came in on short notice. When we say short notice; we parted ways with our previous coordinator due to several issues at 3PM. Our walk through was at 5pm! We hired Alex at 3:45p and she was at the venue by 4:45p, 15 mins early! Not to mention she already had a binder with our names and a picture of our venue! From that moment on, she was on top of everything. She literally took over all communication with our vendors, came up with creative solutions to potential issues, was EXTREMELY organized throughout the entire process, and professional as can be . Not to mention Alex is one of the sweetest, kindest, patient, and intelligent human beings we have ever met. We could go on and on but point being, we were beyond blessed that Alex was our coordinator, and know that our day wouldn’t have been as perfect as it was without her. Wedding planning was beyond stressful, and Alex made the process 1000x more enjoyable once we brought her on board. She is truly the best. We recommend Alex at Big City Bride to everyone we know! Thank you to Alex and Big City Bride!!!!

Johnna is the GOAT! Honestly, there is no way we could have planned this wedding without losing it on a daily. People would constantly ask us "how is wedding planning going?" Expecting us to stressfully answer the question and include colorful language. This was never the case as Johnna took care of literally everything. I HIGHLY recommend working with Johnna & BCB for all the newly engaged individuals! We love you, Johnna!

Words cannot describe how thankful I am for making the investment into Big City Bride and our fantastic planner, Johnna. From day 1, I knew they were the firm to make our wedding dreams come true after speaking to some competitors. Johnna made it a point to understand our wants, needs, and desires and she brought them to life. She was incredibly mindful of our budget, which was a breath of fresh air. She was organized, supportive, and a confidante every step of the way. Our wedding exceeded every single dream and expectation we had, and we attribute that to Johnna and the BCB team. I can not recommend them enough. We love you, Johnna!

The best decision I made was working with Big City Bride for my wedding. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had Johnna Metcalf as our planner for our wedding and accompanying wedding weekend events (rehearsal dinner & day after brunch). I spent the first months of my available wedding planning time waiting to hear back from another planner who was recommended by a friend. I woke up in the middle of the night in a panic from a wedding nightmare and realized this was a sign that I needed a different route for wedding planning. I reached out to Big City Bride and heard back immediately from Johnna. I had clarity about the process, available options and had a detailed proposal about 24 hours after our first call. The degree of professionalism and attention to detail from Johnna and BCB is outstanding! While I knew I did not have the luxury of time, Johnna never made me feel like we were in a time crunch or panic mode. She took over the wedding planning process and assured me everything would be okay. Boy, was she right! Not only was it okay, it was stress free and so much fun! Johnna was reliable at all times. I found her level of expertise to be top notch, both in experience and content knowledge. She was communicative and responsive always. If there was ever a detail that I needed adjusted she took care of it immediately. Her responsiveness was simply unbelievable. She is organized, calm, detailed oriented, warm, caring and friendly. The list continues for miles. Johnna is one of a kind and I hit the jackpot with her! Not only did she execute the vision for our wedding weekend perfectly, she also had so many creative ideas that I loved! She made our wedding better than I could have ever imagined. The weekend of the wedding, Johnna was there every step of the way taking care of each and every single detail. We sat back and enjoyed each moment. Our wedding day and accompanying wedding events were FLAWLESS. My husband and our families feel like Johnna is a new member of the family. She is simply the best!

Big City Bride made our wedding day visions come true! Please, please hire them for yours! You will not regret this. We brought them on for the last month/day of - their “petite package” and my only regret was not hiring them on sooner!! If you are on the fence about hiring a planner for the last month, TRUST ME…Big City Bride was worth their weight in gold. I had no idea how insane the last month before your wedding is. I honestly could NOT have done it without our wedding planner. We had the absolute pleasure of working with Johnna Metcalf as our planner. From the moment we connected with her I knew she was a very special person. She possess the highest level of professionalism, industry knowledge and connections, patience, organizational skills, and a calming nature and presence that can ease the worries of even the most nervous of brides. This is truly a gift. She is beyond talented and a truly exceptional wedding planner. All of my friends and family adored her on the wedding day. She went above and beyond from day one to ensure that our Big Day not only ran smoothly, but that it was perfect in every way. She even packed up all of our late night bites (that we didn’t even have a chance to eat at our wedding) and had them sent to our hotel suite! Amazing. This is just one example of all the personal touches that Big City Bride does to go above and beyond to make your day special. Our expectations were not only met, they were exceeded beyond our dreams!

Having Johnna and the Big City Bride team there to plan our big day was one of the best decisions we made when it came to our wedding. Johnna was there from day one helping us with everything from venue selection, print materials, linen, to all the nitty gritty details that make a wedding day so special. She gave us her honest opinion, provided so much industry knowledge, and helped us select truly the best vendors to fit our vision. She was communicative, professional, sweet, easy and fun to work with! The week leading up to our wedding when everyone was asking us if we were stressed the honest answer was “no!” We felt stress free in Johnna’s hands and knew that every detail was taken care of. When my husband and I walked into our venue, we were just absolutely stunned at the how everything had come together. Every guest we spoke to during and after the wedding kept commenting on how it was the most beautiful and well executed wedding they’d ever attended. They always say something may go wrong on your wedding day but in our case, everything was done to perfection. I can confidently say that is because of Johnna!

I will never be able to find the exact words to describe how thankful I am for having Susan Cordogan and Madison Hansen as our wedding planners. Shortly after we got engaged, we connected with a few wedding planners but Susan and her team shined significantly brighter than everyone else. Susan and Madison went up to bat for us, held our hand throughout the entire planning process making it completely stress free, and we had SO MUCH FUN along the way. Needless to say with their dedication, fantastic work ethic and extensive knowledge of the industry, they curated a dream sequence of a wedding weekend for us that felt like magic. We simply cannot thank Susan and Madison enough for bringing our wildest dreams into reality. We will forever be grateful for this amazing experience and cannot recommend the BCB team highly enough!

My first wedding vendor review has to be about Johnna Metcalf. Where do I even begin? Johnna is one of the most brilliant, kind, organized, warm, friendly and calm people I have ever met. She’s one of those people where you immediately feel at ease when you’re around her. Hiring her was by far our greatest wedding investment and I would hire her over and over again if I could. She made our day absolutely flawless - if ANYTHING was sliiightly off or wrong, she caught it immediately, calmly, and handled it with poise - always reassuring us she’s got it covered. I felt 100% at ease, all day, because of her. The DETAILS of what she does for you is unmatched. She cared about our family and we all felt it. We are obviously still on cloud 9 from the wedding, and haven’t stopped talking about it - but our most frequent compliment by far (from our bridal party and family) is how wonderful Johnna was. Thank you Johnna for the greatest weekend of our lives ❤️

I had the absolute pleasure of working with the wonderful Johnna Metcalf for my wedding coordination! When I began the "planning process" it was clear to me that there were so many parts that went into the planning process, and initially I thought I would do it on my own because I was enjoying it so much. Our wedding was at a hotel, with a coordinator and assumed we would be fine. I spent a lot of time inquiring about different planning services, and was drawn to Big City Bride from the beginning. Johnna was the coordinator who responded to my inquiry and it was evident I wanted to work with her from our initial conversation. She not only is an expert in her field, but she has the personality and special touch you would find in a life-long friend. I immediately trusted her and knew I wanted to work with her. Although we only used Big City for their "petite service" Johnna was always available and there to help with any questions I had along the way. Fast forward to the week leading up to the wedding...OMG everyone needs a coordinator- and if you're lucky enough it would be Johnna! I cannot even begin to express how much she did to organize everything from a timeline, to collecting personals, to helping with dress changes... The list goes on and on! Our wedding day was the most special day of our lives. We had the most magical wedding and everything ran so smoothly thanks to my dream team, which included Johnna. She was there from early in the day until the very end of the night. Her energy was professional, upbeat, and efficient. I knew I did not have to worry about anything. I cannot thank her enough for all of her work! I would give my highest recommendation as her for your wedding coordinator! Thank you for everything, Johnna. <3 Eleni and Elias Koliopoulos

I’m fairly certain I will never be able to find the words to describe how grateful I am for having Arin Busch as our wedding planner. After getting engaged and prior to kicking-off planning in any capacity, I connected with a few different planners and Arin was the standout – by far. We fell in love with her and her energy, sincerity, timeliness, organization, and so much more. We shared our vision and she immediately understood what we were looking for – and delivered beyond our wildest dreams. Because of Arin, the planning process was entirely stress-free due to her incredible expertise (the best in the biz); her relationships with so many different vendors and venues across Chicago (+ beyond); and her meticulous attention to detail (truly unmatched). Arin quickly became like a best friend / voice of reason / someone to lean on while planning – and she was always a phone call, text, meeting, or email away. She made sure I was 110% happy with every single decision and did everything she could to make our wedding day the best day of our lives. That said, from start to finish, our wedding day WAS the best day of our lives and BEYOND perfect in every single way. We still have family and friends talking about it weeks and weeks later.. I can wholeheartedly say that none of it would have been possible without Arin & BCB – and we truly cannot thank them enough for creating the best experience we could have ever imagined. Cannot recommend them enough to anyone and everyone!

There are many talented wedding planners. There is ONLY one Arin Busch. Arin curated a wedding beyond our dreams. Every single vendor she suggested completely nailed the vision of the day. Arin has exceptional taste and her attention to detail was what made the difference between Seen It Before and Pretty to “Spectacular “ and “Stunning”. The whole process of planning with Arin and BCB was fun - yes I said it - easy and stress free. The meetings at BCB’s office had the same feeling. ALL the girls were happy, helpful and so sweet. Arin’s Assistant, Grace, was a dream! She was organized, calm and always smiling. They truly are a team. Our friends and family are still talking about the wedding. It was magical! We wish we could plan 10 more weddings with Arin and BCB. She is that good!

Chrissy from Big City Bride was one of the first people we reached out to after getting engaged, and it was the best decision we made throughout the wedding planning process. Chrissy jumped in right away with her incredible energy and enthusiasm, and made the whole journey stress-free and fun! Her incredible vendor recommendations, constant communication, detailed timelines and impeccable execution made our wedding dreams come to life. We were able to go into the wedding weekend knowing every detail would be taken care of, and by the end of it we were lucky enough to have had wonderful experiences with nearly the entire BCB team. The words "thank you" will never be enough to Chrissy and everyone at Big City Bride! We will look forward to working with you for family events and celebrations for years to come. xoxo Molly and Matt

It is impossible to overstate my gratitude for having hired Big City Bride for my wedding I was fortunate to be paired with Jena, who was a perfect planner in every way. Working with Jena was a breeze. She is extremely organized, communicative, and friendly. Nothing phased her! I was planning my wedding remotely from LA, so I relied heavily on Jena's suggestions, especially for floral and decor. (It all turned out beautifully, by the way!) She set up virtual meetings with vendors, which was super helpful. Jena was great at having my back when it came to getting what I wanted and also providing context for pricing. I never felt like she was pushing for something I didn't want or wasn't comfortable with. In fact, she would often remind me that it's ok to change my mind or ask for adjustments when needed! I am a very anxious person, but when the wedding day came around I was sooo calm because I was sure that Jena — and Grace, who joined for the wedding day as an assistant — had everything under control. Jena and team thought of absolutely everything, and even had backup plans in case we needed them. Of course, there were some unavoidable hiccups on the day of, but they were able to problem-solve with us in real time so we could focus on enjoying the company of our guests and not worrying about minor things! I was so grateful for that. My family and bridal party loved working with Jena too. I had so much fun at my wedding and received so many compliments. I'm 100% sure that so much of that was due to BCB's diligent work. Hire BCB for your wedding!

Arin (Calamari) Busch, Grace Brennan and the BCB team are amazing! Our family has relied on their expertise for two weddings, and we couldn't imagine choosing anyone else. They helped take a lot of stress out of the planning process and took care of every single detail on the actual day. It was a breeze working with them – they recommended the best vendors, set up meetings, and made sure everything was done well ahead of time. We were married in Grand Rapids Michigan & despite being out of their core geography, the team made it so easy to find & choose vendors. On the wedding day, she was there, making sure everything went off without a hitch, and we can't recommend Arin, Grace and BCB enough! If you're looking for a wedding planner who will create a stress-free experience, execute flawlessly, and feel like a friend along the way, BCB is the perfect choice.

We were so incredibly impressed with Big City Bride and specifically our wedding planner, Claire Weller. She was amazing from beginning to end. Claire really listened to our vision and brought all of our ideas to life. She is incredibly creative and added special touches to the wedding/reception that I never would have considered. She was so friendly and many people complimented us on her demeanor throughout the event. We could not have pulled off our wedding without Claire. I highly, highly recommend Claire and Big City Bride for your wedding or event.

I have tried writing this review multiple times and started over because I felt my words wouldn’t do Big City Bride and Arin (Calamari) Busch justice. Big City Bride was amazing and Arin was fantastic. We couldn’t have done it without them. We got engaged during COVID and had a 2+ year engagement. Arin and team were fabulous and navigated us through a difficult time (COVID) and stuck with us for 2 years while we planned our special day! Not only did they help plan, prepare, and organize, but they also took things off our plate when we were overwhelmed. Our vendor team LOVED Arin and Big City Bride and gushed about how easy they made the process (for them and for us). Having Arin with us really alleviated any concerns we had. Just her energy alone was extremely calming. We knew she had everything under control. Arin killed it! We are about ~6 months post wedding and we still have guests complimenting the planning, food, and music! We are so happy with how it turned out and wouldn’t change a thing. We wish we could do it all over again. Thank you Arin and team for making our dreams come true. We love you so much!!! Xo The Justs

My husband and I had the pleasure of working with Kayla and Arin in 2022 for our wedding at The Drake. Simply put, these two are the best in the biz! Our overall experience was terrific, thanks to the highly attentive and dedicated team over at Big City Bride. During the planning process, so many big and small details were either simplified for us or taken off our plates altogether. Kayla and Arin made the process seamless and stress-free. We were also impressed by the team's vast vendor connections. It was reassuring to know that Big City Bride could secure us with the best vendors in Chicago based on our criteria. Kayla and her assistant Liz were incredible on the day of our wedding. The two managed every detail of the day so we could enjoy quality time spent with family and friends and not have to worry about the schedule, vendors, or any other nuance that comes with wedding day logistics. We could not have done it without the team at Big City Bride, and Kayla and Arin will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Arin (Calamari) Busch was amazing to work with! She was on top of every detail and provided the best vendor recommendations! She made sure all vendor meeting were set up and we had everything done in a timely manor to not be overly stressed closer to our wedding date. The day of our wedding she was attentive and made sure everything went perfect and flawless. I can't recommend Arin and BCB enough, they were truly the perfect people to work with!

My (now) wife and I worked with Claire from BCB and could not be more grateful to her for everything that she did for us. We chose Claire originally because she seemed the most interested in listening to our thoughts about the wedding, rather than having a small set of venues, vendors, etc., that the other planners would foist on all their clients. Our initial impression of Claire was exactly right. She listened to us throughout the process, on issues large and small, and ultimately became able to channel our thoughts and preferences flawlessly. That's not to say that Claire just implemented our thoughts -- on the contrary, she had incredible ideas that we absolutely loved and that are among our favorite details of the wedding ceremony and reception. Most important, though, was really Claire's warmth, personal attention, and professionalism every step of the way. Even when some of those steps (and the wedding) were immediately after the birth of her (super-cute) son. Claire was an incredible planner. Her organizational skills were out of this world -- no detail was lost and we did not feel overburdened in any way. In addition, we all discussed and agreed on an overall and itemized budget at the beginning, and she kept us on track throughout. Claire also gave us the confidence to implement our vision for our wedding. We are just incredibly grateful to have worked with her.

Working with Johnna and her team for a wedding was a 100% gift to all involved. Johnna is unflappable, and in the crazy heat of an outdoor wedding she kept her cool and everyone else's. She is calm, organized, and so very helpful, and communicated with me as the couple's officiant thoroughly from the very beginning. I highly recommend Johnna and Big City Bride! --Pastor Jane at FabWeddings

I highly recommend Johnna and her team from Big City Bride!!!! I was nothing but pleased with the outcome of our wedding day. Johnna was very professional and “on point” in every way possible. She was also very patient with me and my A.D.D./ “squirrel” moments I had often throughout the planning. I was renovating two homes in which one we were living in throughout the duration of our wedding planning. Johnna and her team not only took a lot of unnecessary stress off my plate but put me in good hands with the most reputable professional/vendors for our special day. I have five children in their early and mid 20’s now and look forward in using both Johnna and her team at Big City Bride in the near future!!!

Claire Weller from Big City Bride was the wedding planner for my daughter's wedding on 8/20/22. There are simply not enough words to thank Claire for making Alexa and Phil's wedding so beautiful and perfect. Claire handled every detail, managed every vendor and coordinated everything that went on behind the scenes. She did it all while smiling, and being beyond patient and organized. Claire has so much enthusiasm for both the overall vision of a wedding as well as the details that make everything come together. She loves findings ways to be creative and to showcase the personalities of the couple. Claire was always available to answer an email or get on a call. I cannot imagine an event going more smoothly and I was able to enjoy every minute of the wedding without worrying about anything going wrong. It was an incredible night for our family and I could not imaging doing it without her. We are so appreciative of all the hard work that went into making this wedding special. After 18 months of planning we will miss her smiling face.

Johnna Metcalf from Big City Brides deserves a million stars and more than I can ever express into words. I knew having a busy career at the hospital that I needed to hire a wedding planner but never did I imagine that wedding planner being so on top of everything! It’s been 3 months since our big day and it still doesn’t feel like enough time to fully put into words how important and valuable Johnna was to the entire 1.5 years of planning our wedding and rehearsal dinner. She responds to every call, email, text so quickly which makes you feel like a VIP! My hours are long at the hospital so my emails were often not business hours and Johnna understood that and worked around our schedule. She could always tell through my email if I was panicking even a little bit and she would text me right away if it was okay for her to call, she instantly took away any of my worries and I realized very quickly I could trust her 100% with the wedding weekend from the start. Any issue I would make up in my head she already had 3 plans to squash it so it wasn’t even an issue to start with. This isn’t just a job for Johnna this is a lifestyle, she is truly so passionate about her role in making YOUR wedding weekend perfect that I often forgot she even had other brides she was dealing with because I mean come on it’s just my wedding that’s the best right!? Now after the wedding we talk about Johnna because we can’t believe how much she helped in every detail to manage and organize everything. Johnna, we can’t thank you enough.. no words will truly express how much you did over those 1.5 years to make it all come together with your team. The best decision we made was hiring Johnna. Everyone still calls/texts us that our wedding was the BEST wedding they have ever been to (and our people go to some fanccyyyy weddings)! Every detail was there, no hiccups or delays, and everyone had one of the “best nights” of their lives! There were some decisions big or small we just didn’t know what the right choice would be and we didn’t need to stress about those decisions because Johnna was right there helping us along the way. Johnna is the expert in weddings!! Our friends and family keep asking about her and how she truly was there with every detail and question answered. Thank you Johnna!! Steph and Connor

In short, Johnna and Big City Bride made our big day and absolute DREAM. We (and our family and friends) cannot stop raving about how beautiful and FUN our wedding was. We owe it all to Johnna! Working with BCB allowed us access to the best vendors in Chicago. We have enjoyed every single vendor we worked with, and they all went above and beyond. Every detail was thought of, and Johnna did an amazing job being the liaison between us and the vendors. She made sure that we were getting the best bang for our buck, and make sure that no money of ours was being put into something that wasn’t necessary. This allowed us to add additional fun things to our vendor packages, without going over our budget. All of the stressful and generally not “fun” things to deal with in a wedding (such as contracts and the fine print details) were dealt with ease because of Johnna. Specifically, we had our initial wedding planned for 2021, when we decided to push it back to 2022 due to restrictions on international travel (we have a lot of family and friends abroad). Johnna beautifully navigated contracts and vendors so we didn’t lose any money/deposits when we changed our date. Having Johnna took so much pressure off of us to deal with this process. When it came to the big day, Johnna was the most incredible planner you could imagine. She and her team made sure everything was done perfectly so my husband and I didn’t have to worry about anything and we could just enjoy the day. Some of the small things she did that made such a difference to us were, 1) carrying around my wedding heels and flip flops and making sure I switched between them when needed to keep my feet fresh (by my request!), 2) fixing a bridesmaid dress BEAUTIFULLY when it broke before the ceremony 3) coordinating all of the vendors so none of them had to bother my husband or I during the day 4) making sure we had staff that reminded us to eat and drink throughout the day. In all, she was an absolute delight to work with. She was incredibly professional, friendly, caring, and made us feel so special throughout the process. We would HIGHLY recommend Johnna and BCB to anyone who is planning a wedding. They plan the best weddings!

I will never have enough words to describe the incredible experience I had working with Arin Busch at Big City Bride! I can promise you that each and every glaringly positive review of Arin and the entire BCB team is 100% true. From the initial phone consultation to post-wedding follow up, Arin poured her heart and soul into making all of my wedding dreams come true. She has spent many years becoming an absolute expert in the wedding and event industry, while simultaneously maintaining a fun, positive and innovative approach to planning a wedding that will be perfect for you! Not only could I rely on Arin's well-informed professional opinion, but I could also trust that she would joyfully encourage, support and ensure that any vision I had for the wedding was brought to life. Her communication skills are unmatched-prompt, respectful and comforting. She is patient, thoughtful, reliable and extremely smart. Weddings come with many emotions; Arin graciously helped my family navigate through each and every complex situation with ease. On our wedding day, the mesh material of my "backless dress" completely ripped, while we were leaving our photos-requiring multiple people to hold it together! Never once did I panic or even cry, because immediately, I had my entire bridal party calling Arin. I knew I could trust her to find a solution, no matter what challenge the day presented. She kept me calm, smiling and even bustled my dress while it was being sewn back together. To this day, only a handful of wedding guests even know it happened-A MIRACLE- that I attribute to Arin and her incredible team of assistants!!! If you are getting married in Chicago-truly, look no further than Big City Bride. They are the BEST of the BEST! I feel lucky to call Arin much more than my wedding planner, but now a very dear friend.

I cannot speak highly enough of Johnna Metcalf and Arin Busch at Big City Brides!!! They are the BEST of the BEST, and ensured every single detail of our big day went smoothly. They took care of EVERYTHING, which allowed me, my husband, our families, and all of our guests to have an amazing time without a worry in the world. From the months leading up to the wedding they were incredibly attentive and helpful with bringing all of my dreams to life. All of my friends and family were shocked at how relaxed and calm I was leading up to the wedding day, and that was 100% because of Johnna and Arin. I felt like all I needed to focus on was getting excited because all of the logistics were completely taken care of. Come the big day, Johnna was a superhero - I didn't worry about a single thing all day long and she took care of absolutely everything with the biggest smile on her face and the kindest attitude the whole time. I am forever grateful to them for all of their hard work, and would one million percent recommend them to anyone planning a wedding. They are hands down the best (and sweetest!!) in the business!!!

Is there an option better than "Great"? Well, I could not have imagined a planner as amazing as Kayla Mousser (Big City Bride). She was beyond perfection and I feel like I gained a really great friend through the whole process. Everyone called me such a "chill bride" the month leading up to the wedding. That is all thanks to Kayla. She made everything seamless, and took so much off of my plate. My wedding day was absolute perfection. She was there at every turn to make sure everything happened at the exact time it was supposed to and in the exact way it was supposed to happen. She dealt with all the vendors, the last minute details, and just was so amazing to work with. I'm so sad my wedding is over because I don't get to talk to her everyday. Do not walk, RUN to Big City Bride and have all of your wedding dreams come true with ZERO stress. Cannot recommend this company enough. Ugh, I'm going to have another wedding just so I can work with them, and Kayla, again. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

We worked with Claire and she was nothing but fantastic! She was always enthusiastic about her job, she came with so much information and vendors when it came time choosing the venue/photo/video/added touches. She listened to our needs and wants, and also gave her opinion on how to get something done. Our wedding could not have gone more perfect with her coordinating everything. We were at the Drake Hotel downtown where both the ceremony and reception were held in the Gold Coast Ballroom. She was a dream come true and couldn't have asked for a better wedding planner. I highly recommend Big City Brides because I felt like they have worked with so many venues and vendors to put together a great wedding! I wish our wedding could have lasted longer but knowing i was in good hands with Claire made it more enjoyable and not stressful. Thank you Claire for everything :)

Big City Bride and Arin Busch made all our wedding dreams come true. Arin was so incredibly helpful and knowledgeable about weddings in Chicago. She made wedding planning fun and not stressful. It is definitely worth the money to have a planner, so that you can just enjoy the wedding weekend. There are so many more details than you could ever imagine, but Arin / Big City Bride are pros and will make sure everything runs smoothly. Arin is so positive, upbeat, and patient. She has great relationships with so many vendors around Chicago, which is invaluable. They are definitely the best in the business!

“Honey, we don’t need a planner. I’m sure I can do it all myself.” Boy, was I wrong. To say Johnna from Big City Bride was the MVP of our wedding might be an understatement. About six months before the wedding, I joined a conference call with my then-fiancé and Johnna. Happy Wife, Happy Life. The call proved to be extremely helpful. We explained where we were in the planning process, which vendors we had secured, what big picture items remained, what style and ‘feel’ we wanted our wedding to capture, etc. Then came Johnna’s expertise with a slew of excellent questioning on details we hadn’t thought of. Clearly very important items that she had been through a time or two, but ones we totally would have missed without her insight. Johnna went on to explain which planning package she felt would work best given our current situation. No pushy gold-plated sales act. She laid out a realistic package that she felt we would benefit from, which we immediately appreciated knowing full well everything in the wedding world seems to cost 2X what ‘normal’ might be. It was from that point forward our wedding was in fantastic hands. Fast forward to the night of our rehearsal. Without Johnna, I can assure you we would have had about 30 people just standing around not knowing what to do. Johnna immediately took charge, introduced herself and got the ball rolling. Who goes where, when to walk, how to hold your flowers, how to not look stupid (directed at the guys), etc. etc. etc. The process was made so much easier and completed in about 40 minutes. At the conclusion, she distributed a schedule to each member of the bridal party. Everyone felt much more comfortable about the plan and the events of the following day. Now keep in mind, our wedding was scheduled for 12/31/21, which (lucky us) turned out to be peak covid-variant-raging-through-the-world times. Not much we could do at that point, so we just rolled with the punches. Constant guest drops, table seating changes and meal-tracking nightmares were just a few of the perks due to the times. Stress levels were high on our side of the table, but Johnna was cool as a cucumber. She took the changes like a champ and worked with our venue and vendors to address. Never once phased by the craziness. Cue our Wedding Day. Johnna was full of energy and kept the wild animals (bridal party) in line. Whether it was due to stress, lack of food and water, a surprise stomach bug, or a combination of all three, my bride-to-be was a bit under the weather much of the day. This is when Johnna stepped in and truly went above and beyond. Our bridal party photos and first look ended about 2 hours prior to the ceremony, so we came back to a quiet bridal suite tucked in a secret room within the venue. It was there where Johnna had laid out some ginger ale, water, chips, bread; anything to help the fearless bride tackle this bug. She continually asked what more she could do or obtain to help her feel better. In the end, the ceremony and reception went off without a hitch. Johnna kept to our schedule for additional photo ops and NYE gear distribution, which was much appreciated as the night flew by! We could not be more appreciative of the support Johnna provided during the initial planning stages, days leading up to the wedding, the wedding itself, and speedbumps along the way. The comfort she provided made the entire process so much easier and we would highly recommend her services to anyone!