Big City Bride

ry single detail. Our wedding seriously went to plan as we expected, from the ceremony to times of speeches and when dances were to happen it was all perfect and that’s 100% because of Arin! My bustle broke and my dress needing a quick stitch and Arin did it all within seconds. She was so seemless and did her job with grace and ease it made myself, my husband, wedding party and vendors so relaxed! She coordinated everything with our vendors and even our vendors fell in love with Arin! We were able to enjoy every second of the weekend and I give that to Arin for making sure that happened. There are so many tiny details you don’t think of and that’s why Arin and Big City Bride are so resourceful and needed. Love you Arin and thank you for seriously being the best and making our wedding so special!!!

laire reached out and told me she loved all of my ideas and was already full of excitement about helping me map it all out. What started as an introductory phone call sort of turned into a mini therapy session as I told Claire how overwhelmed I had felt since getting engaged about the entire wedding planning process. As someone who has Master’s level training in counseling, I was blown away by Claire’s empathy and understanding. Before our first meeting with her, I already felt sold that I wanted to work with her. I might add that my husband was against the idea of hiring a planner; he felt that we could easily do it all ourselves (ha!). As soon as we walked out of our first meeting with Claire for which she had already constructed an entire timeline of our planning process and wedding day (without us even hiring her yet), my husband immediately turned to me and said that we HAD to hire her. Claire not only helped us plan our wedding, but she also helped my mother-in-law plan the rehearsal dinner. Both events were exceptional in every way. Her foresight and attention to detail made the planning more fun for us. (I will never forget seeing her personally replacing candles on the dinner tables that seemed to be burning out of control... a sight to see!) At times I started to feel stressed by the number of decisions and moving parts (family dynamics, etc... brides will know), Claire seemed to know exactly what to say and made me feel sane again. She is a great listener and was a pleasure to work with. Our friends and family loved her and frequently referred to her as the most bubbly person they have ever met - I could not agree more. Over a month out from our wedding I am still missing and loving the best day of our lives, which I can really thank Claire and our incredible vendors (with whom she had very close relationships) for. On that note, Claire made sure that we had the BEST of the best, from photo to food to venue. We got our first choice on everything. Claire and her team at Big City Bride are the best!

whole day flawlessly. Chrissy was very organized and put together a 14-page minute-by-minute agenda for the day. Day-of, Chrissy and her team executed the day/agenda perfectly. They were all also awesome with all the guests. Big shout out to Claire as well who was very comforting to me (the Bride), as my emotional supportive 'friend' day-of. Claire helped calm me immensely when Chrissy was helping manage the event and guests. If you are looking for a Wedding Planner who will partner with you to think through all the wedding details, pull together a very detailed wedding agenda, work with all your vendors and manage your event day-of, Chrissy is who you should hire.

bride and groom. Anything they needed, she had it done in seconds, not only that, she anticipated their needs and delivered. She managed the day extremely well and everything went off without any issues because of her attention to detail. I've photographed over 350 weddings and I can honestly say Arin is extremely good at her job! Can't wait to work with her again!

we immediately knew we were in good hands. Arin was in constant communication with us and our vendors, and made the both of us so excited for the big day. She was able to keep our stress levels to a minimum and brought a calming presence in helping us plan our day! Arin was on-site for the rehearsal and made everything run smoothly. On our wedding day, Arin was the absolute best! It was the first weekend in October and it 40 degrees. We kept going back and forth as to whether we should still hold the wedding outside. She helped us weigh our decision and make the right one to hold the ceremony inside, saving our guests from the very chilly weather. Additionally, one of the groomsmen split his pants five minutes before the ceremony and Arin was quick to help stitch/tape up the tear as quickly as possible. She helped avert every crisis. Our families raved over how amazing Arin was! I could go on and on about Arin, but just know that you are in the best hands with her! Please pick her to help you with your wedding! She is a lifesaver.

ith a number of planners in the Chicago-area but Arin was the FIRST planner that actually made me EXCITED about the wedding planning process! Not only is she fantastic at her job, but she’s also extremely personable, positive and so SO much fun to work with. Definitely a breath of fresh air! From the get-go, BCB was willing to work with us to customize a package that suit our needs. While we didn’t hire BCB for every aspect of the planning process, Arin was always willing to help or answer any questions I had along the way. I was also a pretty hands-on bride but Arin was incredibly patient, always provided her professional input and collaborated seamlessly with me to ensure all vendor, logistics and venue needs were addressed. I’m extremely grateful for that! On the day of the wedding, rain and thunderstorms required us to switch to our backup plan. The process went so smoothly that our guests didn’t even realize that our ceremony and cocktail hour were supposed to be outdoors--all thanks to Arin! We received tons of compliments from our bridal party about how helpful she was in keeping us on schedule. Behind the scenes, Arin was juggling a number of vendors, a large guest count and poor weather. Everything went wonderfully! We had our dream wedding and it couldn’t have happened without the help of Arin and the BCB team. Thank you all!!

lly takes. Throughout the entire process, from finding our venue to packing up at the end of our reception, Arin was leading the charge. She pointed us toward vendors who fit our budget and style, and all of whom were wonderful and easy to work with. Arin guided us toward choices she knew would create a wedding ceremony and reception that genuinely reflected our style and personality. People repeatedly asked me if I was stressed about planning a wedding, to which I routinely answered "No, we're lucky enough to have an amazing planner". My husband and I were able to relax and enjoy the process, knowing that even the littlest details were being dealt with! If you're thinking about a planner, no need to look further - hire Big City Bride.

a handful of companies, but always felt something was missing. From Day 1 of meeting with Kayla at BCB, I instantly felt at ease and clicked with her. Through every stage of a year of planning, Kayla was always there, took initiative, was my cheerleader, my sounding board, a shoulder to cry on when I needed to vent, and the best partner I could’ve ever asked for. She went above and beyond every step of the way. Everything was flawless from start to finish and my guests still can’t stop talking about how it was the best wedding they’ve ever been to. Now that our wedding is over, I can’t put into words how much I miss our weekly meetings and chats. BCB goes out of their way to ensure their brides not just feel like an important client, but also like part of their family. I’m beyond honored to have worked with such an amazing person and company, but even more honored to now call Kayla a lifelong friend.

my big day. From the first time we met Chrissy, I knew she would be able to take this vision I had in my head and make it a reality! Chrissy is organized, creative, and was able to handle the wandering minds of both myself and my mom! She was patient, kind, efficient, and enthusiastic. Chrissy was amazing in taking the blank slate of Union Station and created the wedding that dreams are made of! She helped find vendors for lighting, design, music, hair. And I knew these vendors would be amazing because she used some of them for her own wedding. One of the best parts was the desserts. I have a huge sweet tooth and am a baker, and Chrissy not only helped handle the logistics of my many dessert vendors, but she created the dessert table of my dreams! I had never seen a line so long to get to the dessert table! All my guests were saying this was the most organized and elegant wedding that they had attended. If anything went wrong...I had no idea. If you're looking for a wedding planner to create the wedding of your dreams...definitely hire Big City Bride and Chrissy! One of the best decisions I have ever made! I also want to give a shout out to Chrissy's assistant, Christine. She was amazing!! From handling photos and the bridal party to helping to calm my nerves before walking down the aisle. A true testament to Big City Bride that everyone who works there is truly exceptional! Thank you!!

own I would use Claire Weller as my month-of coordinator, but my mom and I ended up bringing her in a few months earlier than planned to help us get all the details in place. And thank goodness we did. There were SO MANY things I had not even thought of. She refined my vision perfectly, and she helped ensure that every detail was thoughtfully planned and exactly what we wanted, while staying in my budget (I actually cried when I saw the room after the flip—it was perfect). Claire has such a clear sense of design and décor. She’s a genius. And that was all in the planning phase (where she also served as an incredible, empathetic sounding board during a crazy time!). On the day of, she was absolutely perfect. I did not have to think about a thing aside from enjoying my wedding—she had everything organized down to the minute (she said nothing strays from her schedule, and she was 100% right!), and if there were any problems with the day, I honestly couldn’t identify them because they never made it to me. She made my husband and I, and my parents, feel at ease on the day and through the whole process. Literally every one of my bridesmaids said they want Claire to plan their wedding after seeing her in action. And aside from all of that professional perfection, she’s an absolute dream of a person and so much fun. And now I can honestly say, even with all of my wedding knowledge that I gained while I was in the industry, my number one piece of advice to anyone getting married would be to hire Claire. SERIOUSLY. Hire Claire! It will take your wedding to the next level.

s, and follow- up post wedding, Arin went above and beyond the entire time we worked with her. Rain has a calm but can do attitude and she did an excellent job communicating with us as well as our guests. I would highly recommend her services to any couple.

cisely when we needed her (even sewing on a button on the groom’s tux when it fell off halfway through the night!). Big thank you to Chrissy and the entire BCB team for making our night beyond magical!

rvous about our wedding because I trusted Arin would handle anything that came up, and she did! I highly recommend Big City Bride!

From day one she traveled around the city with us helping us to find the perfect venue that worked within our budget. Chrissy recommended incredible photographers, florists, and DJ's that helped make our day perfect. We received so many compliments from our guests on how our wedding was one of the most beautiful weddings they had been to and that the food and DJ were incredible. It turned out to be a huge party, just like we wanted. My husband and I had moved to Charlotte, NC last October and Chrissy made sure to keep us on track with everything that needed to be done. We scheduled important meetings when we were back in town; but also had conference calls throughout the process which was nice as well. Chrissy made sure there was no hiccup in the planning process just because we didn't live in Chicago anymore. On the day of our wedding, Chrissy made sure everything went seamless. Peter and I didn't have to worry about anything that day because Chrissy & her assistant at Big City Bride, Christine, had taken care of everything. We will forever be grateful to have worked with Chrissy for our wedding planning. She made the planning process easy & fun and our special day turned out better than we could have ever imagined! Thanks for everything!! We will truly miss working with you!

hard working. She was so great to work with and understood our vision perfectly. She constantly brought great ideas to the table and her vendor recommendations were AMAZING. I left every meeting on cloud nine because of her energy. She took the time to get know us and made it SO FUN. From the first planning meeting to her running around to help pin up my hair on the dance floor, she was hands down the best planner we could have ever asked for. She made the planning process a breeze and I was able to enjoy the entire wedding weekend without a moment of stress or worry because Kayla always had a handle on it. We could not recommend Kayla more. You will not regret it. Our absolutely perfect wedding day would not have happened without her.

h into planning we were way over our heads and I reached out to BCB. Pre-Wedding: Throughout our time planning together, I sat back (so many times) and realized how grateful I was we decided to go with Arin. She is organized, experienced, honest & the kindest person you will ever meet. She helped us pick vendors, served as a liaison between me and basically everyone, & offered her opinion about elements that we had no idea where to start. Arin was truly worth every penny and then some! Wedding Day: It POURED on our wedding day... and the rain started the same time our first look was scheduled. Our cocktail hour was supposed to be outside, we were scheduled to take pictures in what was basically a forest preserve.. and somehow I didn't notice the rain at all. Arin coordinated with all of our vendors to change cocktail hour, find new picture locations, and probably a million other things I didn't even realize was going on that helped our day come to life. I could write on here for hours but I'll end with this. If you are getting married in Chicago, call Big City Bride. They are wonderful, accommodating and will make your wedding day better than you could dream!!

am has impressive relationships with vendors and truly know the best of the best. Relationships and industry knowledge: CHECK. Now, I am an organized person, so Claire’s details from day 1 on budget, timeline, to-dos, and more was so critical. She is ON. TOP. OF. IT. And I mean there were 1MM emails coming at her from myself and my mother at all times. Nothing was missed. Of course, you can now assume our wedding was perfect, and guess what, you’d be right. But the final piece of the entire experience that must be noted is the person Claire (and many others at BCB) is. ENERGY, POSITIVITY, LISTENING... I could go on. I am so grateful I found her and BCB. Go book them now!

ommunication skills are excellent, with quick and thorough responses. She was very helpful in picking fabulous vendors which made our weekend so special. The vendors also like working with Claire because she does such a great job! A wedding planner is a must and Claire will exceed your expectations!

she was able to understand what I wanted, more than I did by the end. Chrissy asked the right questions. The way she approached the wedding planning process made every aspect relaxed and exciting.  Chrissy has amazing communication skills and follow up.  She goes the extra mile without even having to be asked.  I had heard that the wedding planning process can be hard and stressful, but with Chrissy it wasn’t.  The entire team at Big City Brides really goes above and beyond, even after the wedding, to help answer questions.  The day of, Chrissy and her team made sure everything ran smoothly and was what I hoped it would be and more. Without the help of Chrissy and the Big City Brides team, I do not think that we would have been able to achieve the most perfect day ever.

aged communication and kept everything organized and on track so we never had to worry that we were forgetting something. For day of, everything went super smoothly and we were able to completely enjoy the day while Kayla and the BCB team took care of all the details and our guests. I appreciated Kayla's calm but positive manner. I don't like some of the more traditional fussy stuff, and Kayla got that immediately and focused on the things we actually care about. Would 100% recommend.

m week to week, and helped us remain on budget. Our wedding was absolutely stunning and exceeded every expectation we had. We find ourselves gushing about that weekend, special touches, and how wonderful the day was on a daily basis. I highly recommend Claire and BCB!!

ayla was phenomenal, and we felt so taken care of. No detail went missed, and she was a phenomenal sounding board throughout the process to help us with our vision. If you've never planned a wedding before, there are far more details to be sorted out that you would think. Kayla kept us on schedule, was conscious of our budget, and we were never left in the lurch. Our wedding was also on a holiday, so it meant the world to us to have her, Arin, and Chrissy give up their time with their friends and family to work our wedding. If I got the chance to do it over again, I would 1000% pick the BCB team to be our planners.

ry detail and allowed me to actually enjoy my daughter's big day in a city far from home. Thank you to Kayla and her team for giving my daughter and her groom their dream wedding. You are the best!

super organized. She was able to book all our important meetings on the few weekends I was able to come back home and made an easy timeline for us to stick to. We were also very happy with all of her vendor suggestions. If there were any issues on our wedding day, we were completely unaware which is a testament to how amazing of a planner she really is. Thank you so much Kayla and BCB!

etails to make the endless decisions we needed to make a breeze. We got so many compliments from friends and family about how amazing she was during the process and the day of. She has a contagious spirit that makes her a joy to work with and we are so glad we had her and the BCB team by our side. I could not recommend Clarie more highly.

Everyone loved her, and we were very lucky to have her as our wedding planner!

iends and family who interacted with her that day about how amazing and kind she was. She was by far and away the absolute best decision we made in all of our wedding planning, hands down. I would pick her a million times over. I was unbelievably calm the entire day, knowing she was in control. Not only was she an incredible asset, but she was an amazing friend to me! She was such a huge and intimate part of the most special day of my life, and with me every step of the way. By the end of the process, I truly felt like I had a new friend. If you do one thing while planning your wedding, PLEASE go with Kayla. I would do it over and over and over again.

ire process was seamless, our wedding included. The day of our wedding was an absolute dream. Kayla was right by my side from start to finish. We knew we could count on her for anything and everything. Our perfect day wouldn’t have been possible without Kayla, Chrissy, and Anna. I would without a doubt recommend Big City Bride to all brides!!! We love you Kayla!!!

. Her communication throughout our six month planning process was consistent and she was quickly able to pinpoint the look and feel we wanted for our day. She has great relationships with high quality vendors in the city, which contributed further to our confidence level in her ability and experience. Chrissy and the BCB team are some of the most positive people we've met; they're team work and coordination is flawless. They truly brought our wedding day vision to life and made our day unforgettable! We will absolutely use Chrissy again for all future events!

ed to our vision by recommending little details we would never have considered but loved, and ultimately made our wedding day even more special! Throughout the planning process, we were so appreciative of how willingly she accommodated our busy schedules. Lastly, Kayla and the BCB team ensured that we could truly enjoy our wedding on the day-of without having to worry about a single thing. These ladies are true experts, and you won't regret working with them!

highest praise for the team at BCB and highly, highly recommend them.

s care of every detail. I heard a saying that "three things will go wrong" on every wedding day. I can confidently say that we had zero due to Arin's care! She took care of coordinating all of the vendors, helping us stick to the exact schedule, and helping with all of the little details the day of. Her calm and collected demeanor was so appreciated to be the support we needed on our wedding day! She went out of her way to think of all of the little above and beyond things such as keeping aside a plate of hors d'oeuvres for us since we did pictures during cocktail hour, had a literal bag of tricks for anything we could need the day of, brought our reception tennis shoes to my mom and I to change into before we even realized our feet hurt, and took care of bringing all of the "stuff" up to the family suite after the wedding so we didn't have to lift a finger. I highly recommend using Big City Bride - and ask for Arin! It was truly the best money we spent on the wedding!

ability with work and other commitments to really dive into planning. But thankfully, my mom stalked Claire online, agreed to sign her up for the wedding immediately after speaking with her for the first time behind my back, and we are so glad she did. Picking almost all details for the wedding was as easy as selecting from a list of options Claire provided, which included detailed descriptions of each vendor/choice, costs, and expectations. If we had suggestions of our own or wanted to see more options, she was more than willing to look into it or provide a quickly updated list of alternatives. It not only made the selection process relatively easy, but we felt confident that all of her suggestions were legit, and that we really couldn’t go wrong with anything. We also had a few specialized touches that we wanted for the wedding, some of which were easier to pull off than others, and she made everything work no matter what it was! She pulled off amazing whiskey and margarita bars for our cocktail hour, allowed us to cut out some of the standard wedding stuff we had no interest in, insta cameras/after party Mardi Gras bash, and more. The day of was a total success, and we didn’t have to worry about a single thing. She coordinated every detail from getting ready -> the photo tour -> guests from ceremony to cocktails -> guests to dinner -> guests to after party -> to packing up a box of orchids from the table decorations for me, in addition to everything else I needed, and sending me with the world’s biggest to go box on the bus home. She helped us secure the right band, design team, and the perfect look and atmosphere for our day! And, most importantly, she did it all with the world’s best attitude. She was a true pleasure to work with and couldn’t have pulled it off without her and BCB!

ave us a million ideas, and never missed a detail. Everything couldn’t have been more perfect and I truly owe it to the big city bride team and their incredible work!! Shout out to Chrissy for her perfectionism because she nailed it!!!! Much love for you ladies and your fabulous taste!

e ball that came our way so easily and in the most calm and confident manner. No one is more perfectly suited to be an event planner than Chrissy! We really appreciated her great ideas and opinions when we didn’t know which direction to go with food, decor and everything else. She has fantastic relationships with the venders, so we knew they were doing their best work for us. We highly recommend her and the rest of the big city bride team!

ing Kayla there. They are very knowledgeable and know the industry well which came in handy when choosing vendors . Also, since my husband and I are very busy, it was nice not having to deal with the contracts and communicating with the vendors. Overall, having a wedding planner by our side meant we stayed on budget, having a timeline always let us know where we stood, and most importantly made the wedding planning experience less stressful!

sible, intelligent and most importantly, extremely calming and confident. At the wedding, she provided additional staff who were also professional and accommodating to help with the flow of the day. (Which at times were a logistics nightmare given the church and reception were opposite ends of the city) We were always part of the process and rarely part of obstacles. She was a born troubleshooter and possessed every quality a bride and her family need to get through the planning as well as the entire day. Moreover, she did it effortlessly and behind the scenes. I know my daughter’s special day would not have gone so smoothly and beautifully without the efforts of Chrissy. We will always be grateful to Big City Brides for making positive and special memories on this once in a lifetime event.

rpassed that title in every way. We met Arin about a month before our wedding date and she was so thorough - walking us through the whole process, all of the paperwork, timelines and final things to consider. She was so sweet, caring and kind. She answered every question in our initial meeting - and that night sent over every item of follow up. We couldn't believe how thorough she was and easy to work with. It was a blessing to have someone working so fast with so much care, as we had a quick engagement - so time was of the essence. All of our communication was quick, precise and helpful. She was incredibly organized and held our hand through every step making the whole process super smooth! 5 days before our planned wedding date, my father passed away. We had no idea how to proceed - or if it was even possible. Arin, incredibly, moved our entire wedding and every detail to the following day. We have no idea how she was able to do this, but she made sure all catering, every vendor, hotels, everything was secured and moved our wedding from a Friday to a Saturday, in the city, on a holiday weekend. UNBELIEVABLE. She also made sure that all guests knew of the changes and offered to help in any way she could - apart from just the wedding planning. It was so wonderful to work with someone who was not only an insanely talented and organized planner, but someone with a heart and soul that made this day so special for us. She was exceptional - and will undoubtedly overdeliver on every event she oversees. We are so blessed to have worked with her and so grateful for all that she did to make our wedding day a beautiful reality <3

ys 5 steps ahead. She brought things to our attention and thought of scenarios that we didn’t even think about, and she had a lot of great ideas and helpful tips. Professional, extremely organized, and prompt, she got back to us very quickly and made sure we stayed calm, cool, and collected throughout the entire process, especially the day of the wedding. Friendly, creative, energetic, enthusiastic, charismatic, and very reliable all describe her perfectly. Claire and Big City Bride was very flexible when it came to pricing and budget, and Claire still helped as much as she could, even if it wasn’t included in the services we got. For example, she came and helped during the rehearsal, even though we hired her for the day-of wedding (above and beyond). She was a point person with all our vendors and kept everyone (us included) on time in a very professional and respectful manner. We even heard back from vendors how polite yet prompt she was throughout the night. She was very familiar with our venue and took care of everything throughout the night while remaining very responsive. In the end, we felt it was definitely worth having a wedding planner, otherwise, things would have easily fallen apart, forgotten, and the stress would have been overwhelming. We got to focus 100% on each other, our wedding, and the fun wedding reception with absolutely no worry. We’re so happy to have had Claire with us throughout the process.

experience an ounce of stress throughout the whole planning process (a rarity in wedding planning I am told) thanks to Claire's creativity, organization, professionalism and enthusiasm for her work. The décor in particular is an area in which I have little interest in and am not particularly gifted with, and Claire knocked it completely out of the park! I was so wowed when we walked into our reception venue, I'm still going back and staring at the photos. Look no further than BCB and Claire Weller for the absolutely perfect wedding experience!

t day. We had a bit of a delay with our stationary so Arin took care of accepting that delivery and bringing it all to the venue which was great. Arin made sure everything went smoothly on my wedding day, I didn’t have to worry about any vendors or logistics. I would definitely recommend big city bridal and especially Arin!

g planners and Chrissy stood out as someone who seemed very experienced – this was particularly important as, while we had a high level vision of our wedding, we had no clue about all the other details that comes with planning a wedding. We came out of our first meeting with her with full confidence that she will be a great advisor to us, will take our vision and guide us along the way and will have great input given her experience. Chrissy kept us on track throughout the planning process. She had a very positive attitude and bubbly personality, which was very helpful to keep us engaged especially when meeting with her after a long day of work. She was diligent about following up and was patient with us as we took time to make decisions on certain things. The day of the wedding, we didn’t worry about a single thing! I woke up that day with no stress (maybe except for the weather cooperating) and thinking, I’m just going to do what Chrissy tells me to do! It was a stress-free day and we really just took everything in and enjoyed ourselves with family and friends. The DJ, music and dancing were important elements of our wedding (we wanted to make sure it was a big party!) and Chrissy helped us execute the way we wanted everything to play out. We received a lot of compliments that our wedding was beautiful and was so much fun! Up to this day, we have friends commenting what a big dance party our wedding was. We actually went back to BCB a few days after our wedding and added more to the tip for Chrissy’s assistants. We just felt the need to do so after having some time to reflect on how great things turned out. I didn’t shed a tear during my wedding but I did when I said goodbye to Chrissy in person a few days after. Totally didn’t expect it but it just happened – I’m usually not emotional in public! I think I felt like we were letting go of a really good friend who we relied on a lot in the last few months and, although we knew it was coming, it felt so sudden at the time while we were still on a wedding high. Overall a really great experience for us. We look back to that day as the biggest party of our lives. Thanks to Chrissy and the BCB Team!

never being pushy! She was always punctual and was one step ahead of everything when it came to the planning process. She even had a sewing kit on hand at my reception when my strap broke off! If you are looking for help planning your big day, please ask for Arin, you won’t be sorry!

the vendors, as well as manage the entire day of the wedding. Speaking as someone with a Type A personality, I was nervous about letting someone else take control of the day, but thank God I did. I don't know what I would have done without her. Not once was I nervous or paranoid about whether or not something was set-up or put in to place. Everything was PERFECT. She did not skip a beat. My husband and I both know our day was absolutely perfect and it was in huge part, due to Arin, My parents adore her and you will too!

fted us the help of BCB and Chrissy a few months before our wedding, and it was the greatest gift we could have ever received. Balancing work & wedding tasks leading up the big day became quite challenging and stressful, and Chrissy was a huge part in alleviating a lot of the pressure. She was immaculately organized and responsive to all our questions & carefully listened to our wants and needs. Our wedding day ended up being a smashing success and the best day of our lives. I had zero things to worry about the day of because of Chrissy. We can't recommended BCB enough - thank you BCB and Chrissy for all your help!

dations for all of the vendors we used, and we were extremely impressed with each one of them. It is obvious that Claire is passionate about her job, and she does it very well. She was fun to work with, while also being professional and great at communicating. Using Big City Bride was the best decision we could have made!

nd she was extremely flexible. It made meeting with vendors very easy. The whole process was actually fun and not stressful at all! My parents were very involved with the planning as well and she was very accommodating to make sure they could be involved in the important aspects. I know that both my parents and I sent her so many emails, especially toward the end. She was so prompt with her responses and always made sure our questions were answered and issues were dealt with. The actual wedding was so perfect. I honestly don't know if anything even went wrong! It was more beautiful than we could have ever imagined. So many of our guests said it was the most beautiful wedding they had ever been to. We had such a fantastic weekend and it could not have been done without Chrissy and others at Big City Bride. Thank you for giving us the wedding of our dreams!

w months before the big day having me send her all my contracts and info and when we had our first meeting she was already on top of everything! She made me the most beautiful day of timeline as well as contacted ALL of my vendors and family members/ bridal party to make sure everyone was in the loop on where to be and when. Having her the day of the wedding gave me the biggest sense of ease knowing someone else was on top of everything. She helped so much that I am sure there are things she did that I will never know about. Seriously having (at least) a day of coordinator will be the best decision you'll make when planning your wedding. You can't do it all alone!! You need help and having an outside eyes and ears (not a family member because they are trying to enjoy the day too) as well as someone who will take charge where you might not want to ie: getting family members to listen when trying to take those group family photos, your day of coordinator is your wedding super hero! Thank you Kayla and big city bride!!

r services and she made our wedding the most magical, perfect, stress-free day of our entire lives. If you’re reading this you are probably thinking of whether or not to hire BCB or do it yourself. You’re thinking wedding planners cost money & that you could use that extra cash on flowers, church programs, transportation, a bigger cake.. but that’s not the rationale you should be using. That’s not how wedding planning works! For example, you go to go to a florist and explain to them your vision, they charge you $10k. Because why not? They’ll never see you again after your big day. But if Susan goes with you to that florist – they will treat you guys like royalty and charge her $7k. Susan is a repeat customer of theirs, her company plans weddings all the time, they want to work with her and they want her to come back. And that is just one example. I can think of so many more places where you save money by working with BCB: Your venue is going to charge you for “chair removal” or your caterer is going to charge you for “cake cutting” or the hotel is going to charge you for “welcome-box delivery”. Because again, why not? You’re a one-time customer. All of those small charges that add up very quickly, won’t happen when you’re with Susan. If you tell Susan your all in budget, she will work within her services to fit in that budget and your planning process will be infinitely less stressful, happier, more organized and the day itself will be flawless. I can’t thank Susan and her team enough – they are really the best.

ould do it on my own (as an organized person); however, shortly after the planning began, I realized for the wedding I aspired to have, I needed help from a professional who had the wedding planning process down to a tee and who could confidently help me manifest and design the wedding of my dreams. Well, I had THE MOST BEAUTIFUL wedding and reception at The Art Institute, truly spectacular. Employees of AI kept commenting on how organized and beautiful our wedding was. Everything was as I wanted and perfectly planned out with Susan. I couldn't have been happier -- and my husband and guests were also blown away. Susan, made us feel like we were a part of her family and was so personable, upbeat (and fun) to be around. Her team was also big time attentive and friendly. Just a 5 star experience and I am the happiest bride (well, wife now) on the planet, right now. Truly!

ting down with Chrissy for the first time I was so much more at ease. Chrissy has an unbelievable contagious positive attitude, outstanding work ethic, impressive organizational skills and a continuous smile on her face even after dealing with my 1000 emails likely full of dumb questions! Chrissy helps you to seamlessly navigate the venue/vendor selection and budget process with ease. The service at Big City is top notch and worth every penny. We had a fluke incident with a vendor (which was made more than right in the end!) and Chrissy and one of the owners of Big City called me within 15 minutes of the incident and gave me the reassurance they would personally handle it, and they sure did! Our wedding went off without one glitch and it was even more beautiful and fun than we could have even ever imagined. We are so grateful for Chrissy and the entire team over at Big City! Katie & Sean Fox

ar more important to me. I apologize in advance about how passionate this review is going to be, but I mean every single word. For people that know me, I'm Type A and pride myself on being at least five steps ahead of everyone else, so I had told myself that when I got engaged, I would NOT need a planner or coordinator. I googled checklists and thought I had everything under control and that I could do everything! On a whim, I contacted a handful of wedding planners, okay, by handful I mean 18 of them, to see about what they would do, how much they would cost, and for them to keep it real- I had already booked the venue and figured out everything I thought I needed to put a wedding together, so what was the point right? Well, let me make something VERY clear- if you wondering if you need or want a coordinator, the answer is YES. From the very first response back to the day we parted ways, our guardian angel, Arin Calamari made sure my dreams came true. She put my mind at ease and allowed me to actually enjoy being a bride. She had my back and I mean that in the most honest way possible. If I had any frustration, complaint, concern, or hesitation, she fixed it and worked through everything so that I could breathe a sigh of relief. My husband and I gleefully refer to her as our "fixer". She made things happen. There are a lot of places and people out there that will say they will do everything she did, but I can tell you, from experience, she did that, and then some. Arin was ALWAYS available even at weird hours in the night when I had bridal nightmares and all I really needed for her to do was to tell me that my wedding day would be perfect. To be honest, as I'm writing this, I'm crying my eyes out. She is really and truly one of the best. She was honest and so helpful. Every single one of my bridesmaids, his groomsmen, my family, and all of the guests walked away saying the exact same thing: "I need an Arin in my life." Even my four-year old nephew, our ring bearer, asked on Sunday morning, "Where is Arin? Can I see Arin?" She made vendor conversations seamless, took care of EVERYTHING (I mean, everything- like, boxed up everything I needed at the end of the night so I didn't have to worry about it...) without me knowing it. She was a magician, an angel, and who I know will be in my life forever. Big City Bride, I hope you read this and you can feel the love I have for you, but in all seriousness, this is my love letter to Arin. Thank you Arin for making my dreams come to life, for allowing me to live in the moment, and to enjoy the special day. You allowed this Type A person with major control issues to let go and to just LIVE. We really and truly could not have enjoyed the day without you Arin. Your insane positivity, problem-solving skills, knowledge, and most of all, your whatever-it-takes attitude have no competition. You are the absolute best of the best. From the bottom of my heart Big City Bride, I am forever grateful for allowing me the opportunity to meet and work with Arin. She is forever etched in our hearts. With love, Michelle, Dan, & Dart (plus all of the bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girl, ring bearer, etc...)

t can inspire and provide guidance. So I went into the process thinking, “I got this – surely I can plan a wedding in Chicago – from Dallas.” Wrong. After nearly a month of me initiating web-based inquiries to different venues while pouring through websites and magazines, I realized that I was “sinking”. I was lost in the barrage of photos, concepts, list of “do’s and don’ts”, and countless idea boards. I was feeling overwhelmed. There were decisions that needed to be made, but I had no idea as to where to even “start.” My friend recommended that I contact Chrissy Magliano at Big City Bride. Chrissy received my call on the day that I reached out. She took some basic information and then she began to ask me a ton of questions about our “vision” and our personality styles. From there she outlined a gameplan with key dates and deliverables. Within 2-months of working with Chrissy, we had a date, a venue, florist, and photographer. She was certain to infuse every detail of the wedding with touches of our personality style. She coordinated with the vendors, helped negotiate contracts, and she just "handled" everything! With Chrissy’s leadership, we were able to experience the wedding of our dreams in just 6-months of planning! Our friends and family are still talking about how wonderful the experience was. Here are some of the things that I loved about the process: · Listens attentively and incorporates your input/feedback · Budget management · Site & venue selection process · Vendor selection and contract management · Organization across all fronts – from the wording on our invitations to on-site support on the day of our wedding · weekly or bi-weekly calls to check in · Attention to detail · Professionalism · Coordination Chrissy has a wonderful style and energy – we are blessed that she was a part of our special day!!!!

ociated with hiring a planner. How hard can this be? I guess you could say that I knew your price, but I did not understand your value. As the process unfolded, you proved yourself time and time again. My (now) wife was having fun planning and making decisions. We weren’t experiencing “stress & conflict” in our relationship in the way that other couples have shared during their wedding planning process. You made the process so easy and inviting for us – our family and our guests. We would love to do it again – maybe for our 10th anniversary? J Here are some of the things that I loved about the process: · Listens attentively and incorporates your input/feedback · Budget management · Site & venue selection process · Vendor selection and contract management · Organization across all fronts – from the wording on our invitations to on-site support on the day of our wedding · Timeliness and follow-up of communication · Attention to detail · Professionalism · Coordination We weren’t concerned about anything – if there were problems, we didn’t know about it, because you handled it. We truly appreciate everything that you did for us in making our day “amazing.” To anyone in need of guidance through this process – call Chrissy! She is second to none and has proven herself to be invaluable in making your wedding experience a beautiful, enjoyable, and stress free experience.

ough! She is beyond friendly, very knowledgeable, organized, accommodating and extremely approachable (with anything!). Throughout our entire professional planning process, I feel as if I gained a new friend at the end. I initially located BCB merely by a quick Google search. Their company had a 5 star rating, and I organized a consultation to learn a bit more about the process. At this time, I was still deciding if I was going to tackle the wedding planning process myself or hire a professional. After a brief initial meeting with Kayla, I was absolutely sold! She was so attentive during the entire 1.5 years of planning. I will begin by stating that I am very particular when it comes to style and details, and Kayla truly made my winter wedding dreams come to life. From her vendor recommendations to her personal touch suggestions, I couldn't be any more happier with the outcome. She even welcomed all of my far-fetched ideas along the way to make every single vision a reality. As any bride would agree, wedding planning is extremely stressful. My now husband and I were also tackling several other life changes last year in addition to wedding preparations, so to say we were under quite a bit of stress is an understatement. Knowing this, Kayla took the reigns and really stepped up to the plate. Once the wedding day arrived, I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY! The entire day was a dream! From the flawless timeline to the stunning display, my husband and I cannot stop gushing about the day. Kayla and her assistant Erin ensured that the day ran perfectly. As a result, I was able to actually enjoy my wedding day, which is a piece that I will be able to cherish forever! I truly felt as if I was a guest since all of the details were already handled. Even if there was a minute problem, I'm still not aware of it. :) Brad and I made a point to constantly stop, look around, and soak all of the bliss in as often as possible. This is something that likely would not have been possible without the help of Kayla and BCB. Thank you SO much for making my bridal dreams come true! If you are even considering hiring a wedding planner, book BCB now! :)

ing. She is a doll and her enthusiasm is infectious. I would definitely recommend her or someone else from Big City Bride.

uck, etc. Our wedding planner, Chrissy Magliano, is THE BEST! Absolutely wonderful to work with and is so on top of everything - we didn't have a worry at all! I wouldn't have been able to plan such an event without her - she is a must have when planning your big day!

e as our wedding planner for our September wedding. One of the first things she did was to help us find a venue. She collected all of the information from each venue, what their available dates were, and then went with us to check them out. Claire also assists the bride and groom with establishing vendors for their big day (photographer, videographer, music, etc.). If you haven't established your vendors, she has an amazing list of extremely talented and professional individuals. Claire communicates with all vendors throughout the whole process and does most of the back and forth communication that can take up a lot of time. This is especially helpful for people who are busy or work full-time like my husband and I were. Claire addressed all questions and concerns in a timely manner. Even when she was on vacation or had to leave town, she would either remain available via text or email OR she made one of the other Big City Bride staff available to us. We were never left hanging or left with unanswered questions or concerns. Claire is very sweet, energetic, determined, and gets along with everyone! She remained professional and patient during the whole process. For brides like me who aren't always sure what they want or have trouble picturing things, Claire provides creativity and so many different ideas to help you figure out what you want and be confident that it will look great! Claire has been doing this work for many years so she knows what she is doing! It was easy to trust in the process with her as our wedding planner. Arin was also wonderful and assisted Claire with details during our engagement, as well as on the actual wedding day. Claire and Arin are truly two of the sweetest people I have ever met. But don't get me wrong....they will strongly advocate and negotiate for you when needed! They work very hard and always remain considerate of what you want. On the wedding day, they help with setting up and they also make sure that everything is packed up at the end of the night. This is really important to have because as the bride and groom, you don't want to have to worry about these things. And you also want your friends and family to enjoy and take everything in as well. I don't know what I would have done without them that day and night! Claire and Arin assisted with the rehearsal the day before and provided the bridal party and our families with all of the information on where they needed to be and when. Claire was on her feet all day and still managed to calm my nerves and touch up my hair after the ceremony! And it doesn't end on the wedding night. Claire provided excellent follow up after the wedding and even sent instructions on how to change my last name. I can't thank Claire enough for everything she did for us and I could go on and on. If you would like to see pictures of recent weddings by Big City Bride, follow their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigcitybride/ We would recommend Big City Bride for wedding and any other party planning needs!

rs and worries completely went away once Big City Bride came into the picture. They guided us through the entire experience and helped us find the BEST vendors in the city. I was super swamped at work and honestly don't know what I would have done without Kayla mapping out every detail. On the day of our wedding, it was pouring down rain and behind the scenes Kayla and Arin effortlessly worked to make sure our wedding party and guests had the same experience as planned. Any bride who chooses this crew of women will not be disappointed - they far exceeded our expectations and most importantly made our day one that we will never forget!

d, and wonderful with getting everything done that we needed help with. Hiring Kayla was one of the best decisions we made in planning our wedding. Very, very highly recommended!

- "why not? I'm creative!" Little did I know that when it came down to crunch time in the last month that I would need so much help. Arin was quick to call and save the day, and once she had all the details she literally ran the whole of everything with such grace, poise and excellence. Throughout the whole night of our wedding we kept getting asked about our planner and who she was and how amazing everything had come together! Just thinking about all of it still brings tears to my eyes. I don't know what I would have done without her, and our parents were so beyond amazed with her work as well. She is the sole reason why my best day ever was just that, the BEST day ever. Thank you to Arin for your hard work and patience with me and our giant wedding group (23!!) We are forever grateful and can't wait to give your name to everyone for when they get married and hopefully to see you again soon <3

would be perfect. Claire helps to make the entire planning process enjoyable, fun and completely stress free. She is very diligent and meticulous, and above all, so friendly. Our wedding was held at The Drake Hotel in Chicago and from the biggest detail to the smallest, and everything in between, Claire made sure the event was flawless. She gave my son and daughter in law the wedding of their dreams. It was above and beyond anything we could have imagined. Simply magical!! Thank you Claire and Big City Bride. You're the best!!! Mary Capotosto

e went through to make every moment flawless in execution. Not to mention, she was tons of fun! Every person has come up to me asking who she was and what company she worked for to help coordinate our day. I cannot imagine our weekend without Kayla. She started working with us about 3-4 weeks away from our wedding. At that point, stress and excitement is high and to have someone completely take care of last minute finalizations and details was a godsend. I did not worry about a single thing. Absolute best money we spent! I recommend Kayla and Big City Bride to every Bride and Groom!

planner - I was in your shoes: I am type A, organized, and meticulous, and thought I would be able to handle a wedding on my own. But what I know now is that throwing a wedding is more than just coordinating a lot of vendors; 100 little things come up along the way, and Kayla is the difference between simply surviving your wedding planning process, and actually enjoying it. She takes the time to get to know both the bride and the groom, their personalities, their styles, and you truly feel as though you are talking to a friend who is 100% committed to executing the wedding of your dreams. To the point that, as a bride, you often times will turn to her for advice even before asking your groom! Her advice is always authentic, sincere, and thoughtful - she will tell you the things you need to make your vision come true, and the things you can cut out. You never once get the impression that her relationship with any vendors or other parties drives any of the decisions in your process; and she truly advocates for everything she can on your behalf. From the bottom of my heart, I can say that working with Kayla truly made the process more seamless and enjoyable. If you have the chance, you MUST work with Kayla for your event - you will not find someone whose personality is more charming, advice is more helpful, or whose execution is more flawless! Truly the best decision we made!! Kayla, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for all that you did to make our day so special!! Amee & Sunny

g overwhelming in the month leading up to the wedding. She ensured we had all boxes checked, particularly with items I had not previously thought of, making me especially grateful to have someone who knows the ins and outs of weddings as a resource. Arin's extremely detailed timeline, which are a staple of Big City Bride's operations, was phenomenal-- kept everyone calm, organized, and ensured perfect execution. Lastly, she was so sweet and encouraging. I cannot say enough about Arin or the BCB team. They were a dream!

imagine our wedding without her there through the whole process. She was attentive, creative, thorough, a good listener, and just everything we were hoping for. I had a lot of anxiety leading up to the day and Claire was able to keep me calm from the moment she walked in the door. Her calmness was palpable and I would've been a mess without her. Our wedding was an absolute success. Our wedding was months ago and friends and family are still talking about it. We owe it all to Claire! WE LOVE CLAIRE!

not adequately express our gratitude. Thank you Kayla for thinking of everything. From the reminder that our meals were getting cold to ushering in and out every item for display, for keeping us on schedule with such subtle style. We felt we could relax the entire event because we knew your watchful eye and expert mind were anticipating every possible scenario. I can't tell you how many times we heard the phrase...."Who is your wedding planner.....she is amazing!" We highly recommend Big City Brides. Clearly the best money we spent on this event. Thank you so much! With gratitude, Ann Wyant

art of making that happen. From the minute we first spoke on the phone, Kayla made every effort to get to know us as a couple and to make sure that she understood what about the day was most important to us. She kept these priorities in mind at every stage, carrying out our ideas and making suggestions that enhanced our vision. Because we planned an Indian wedding spanning multiple days, we had many atypical (and last-minute) requests for Kayla that she executed perfectly. We had numerous long meetings where Kayla patiently waited as we figured out what exactly it was that we wanted and then she ran with it. We never felt rushed – Kayla listened and took all the time that was necessary to make sure that we were comfortable. Whether we needed a horse, a drummer, last-minute favors, or very specific ceremony decorations, Kayla researched vendor options, kept track of where we were at every stage in the process, and personally oversaw everything on the day of. She made countless checklists that proved essential and kept us all on track, reminding us of the things we had not thought of and keeping us from trying to tackle too many decisions at once. She really lightened our load and made the whole process more enjoyable. The end result: not a single thing went wrong on the day of our wedding (seriously). We never even worried that something might go wrong, because we knew Kayla would be there to handle it exactly as we would want it handled. She stayed with us from (very early) start to (very late) finish. She brought along multiple additional staff members to coordinate at all the different locations, distributed tips among the vendors, communicated with the photographer, the venue, the DJ, our families. We didn't have to think about anything on our wedding day other than spending time with each other and our families, and the day was absolutely perfect. Kayla is incredible and worth every penny!

stay on top of everything throughout the whole year. We were never stressed while planning our HUGE wedding because Susan was so on top of everything and constantly would send us check-lists and reminders. She picked out all of our vendors (videographer, photographer, florist, lighting, band, etc.) and each one was the perfect choice. Susan has been in the industry for so long that she knows what works and what doesn't- I highly suggest using her for your next wedding. She comes up with small details that most people wouldn't come up with (ex. confetti during the reception while dancing). Even though she is located in Chicago, she was still able to make my wedding in South Bend, IN come to a perfect reality.

most amazing day. She is professional and warm, handling my parents' 1000000 emails with grace and our logistics with precision and ease. Additionally, as an out of town bride, I could not be more grateful for Chrissy's excellence in structuring my three Chicago visits. She ensured that I saw venues and vendors, so I knew I was making informed choices. I cannot be complimentary enough about Chrissy's services and cannot thank her enough for creating the perfect day.

azing. She helped bring my vision to life, even though I wasn't really able to articulate that vision in the beginning! On the day of the wedding, I can't even count how many times I thought, "Thank God for Chrissy". Literally every part of the wedding weekend went completely smooth without even a little hiccup. The vendors that Chrissy and BCB work with are out of this world and we could not have been happier. I recommend BCB to anyone I know who has recently gotten engaged in the Chicago area. I cannot say enough wonderful things about them, they truly made the whole experience stress-free and FUN! I'm so shocked I can say I actually truly enjoyed planning my wedding, and I have BCB to thank for that.

and move it from the West Coast to Chicago and with the help of Kayla you would have never known we planned it in such short notice. Kayla thought of everything I would have never even began to think about and then some. My heel broke before the ceremony and she fixed it. She taped my dress for me when needed. She made sure I was fed and hydrated. :) She was there for every question, and supplied me with multiple options when I asked. She also handled the little things that I did not have the time to worry about. It is amazing what she pulled off for us in 6 weeks. She was my sounding board and never appeared to get annoyed with me. :) My husband I could not have done this without her. We even had random family members and guests comment on what a great job she did running the show. She went way above and beyond what she needed to do. By the end of it, Kayla seemed more like this amazing superhero friend than a wedding planner. We will forever be grateful for what she did for us. Love you Kayla!!

totally abandoned my wedding. I didn't trust anyone with my wedding after such a poor experience with the previous company. The venue I selected recommended Kayla of Big city bride and im soooooo glad they did. Kayla was such a joy to work with, I miss her already. She was able to deal with my dysfunctional family, my limited budget (that my previous planner put me at the top of) and still my day was more magical than I could have imagined. She was there for every tear, every meltdown and every moment beautiful moment of my wedding. I didn't have to do anything! I love how she was willing to take all of my stresses away and also keep us on track for the wedding and the planning. She returned every call, text, email and she was willing to work with me living in Texas!! Every idea I had she was able to incorporate and she was afraid to realistically tell me what we were able To accomplish. The office is so beautiful and clean and it is in a great Lincoln park community. Every question I had Kayla was able to answer and relay information to me, while considering I had never been to a wedding before. Everytime a guest or bridal party member dropped out of my wedding or an unexpected change occurred, Kayla was able to improvise in a way that my wedding wouldn't be impacted. Kayla's research is so through and she is so great at what she does it's like she knows what you need before you ask. My chicago wedding was everything I could hope For and I wish I could do it all over just to start with Kayla and Big city Bride!! I will see you 10 years from now at the anniversary destination vow renewal! Please post how many pics you want of us! I don't even know what to say my wedding was like magic and a dream all in one! I will never forget this !

ing that made our day... Magical. From choosing the PERFECT venue, the most delicious food, best music, and photographer, it was seamless and best of all, it was “US”. It goes without saying that - BIG CITY BRIDE met every expectation 10 times over, our wedding has been exactly a month from this review and we are still on wedding cloud nine! Yury and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts; we couldn’t have done it without you!!

ons), the band (Greenlight - people are still talking about the band!), and the flowers...WOW ...Platinum Events outdid themselves with the flower arrangements. Chrissy created a schedule for the rehearsal and the wedding day (March 25, 2017) that kept us all on task but let us enjoy every aspect of the weekend. Our daughter was totally relaxed for her wedding. The photographs (Riverbend Photo Studio) definitely reflect the happiness and love felt throughout the event. Thanks Chrissy and Big City Bride for helping us create a wedding that we will always remember. We would not have changed one thing.