Effortless Events

Cindy was absolutely amazing to work with! Cindy is the definition of detail oriented which resulted in a truly flawless wedding. Our wedding day had very little stress and zero hiccups which was due to the planning and coordinating that Cindy provided. She kept us on schedule to the minute! She created a perfect timeline after our first meeting that was personalized to our wishes. Not only did she assist with timelines and all the small details but was also great with coordinating all of the vendors. I couldn't even imagine our wedding without Effortless Events. She was always there when we needed her (even before we knew that we needed her) Effortless Events is a MUST as they truly do make it effortless!

I cannot say enough about Effortless Events! Cindy and Tiffany created an extremely organized plan of exactly how my wedding would go which was so helpful when dealing with vendors! Then, when all of my original wedding plans got changed due to the pandemic, they were so helpful and frankly, kind and patient, with my ever changing wedding plans. They are exactly who you want in your corner during these crazy times. After two wedding plans that were both unfortunately thwarted due to COVID-19 concerns, my husband and I decided to opt for a much more intimate ceremony than originally planned. While we did not use Effortless Events for this smaller wedding plan, I do regret this, because I have no doubt that their care and organization would have made the day go much smoother. We had an absolutely beautiful day regardless, but we did still use the timeline for the original wedding that we had planned for the smaller event, and it was absolutely perfect! Even though we didn’t get to work with one another as much as I wish we could have, THANK YOU Cindy and Tiffany for your help during this very stressful time. I would highly recommend Effortless Events to anyone who needs help with planning an event - big or small!

I've never written a review before but I just have to praise Cindy Shanholtz of Effortless Events and her able assistants Tiffany and Alex to the rafters. I wanted a Day of Planner for my son's wedding and asked Stacey Combrzyinski, of Catering by Michael's who I was working with, for a recommendation. Stacey was a dream to collaborate with, and I had the utmost confidence in her advice. She only had one name for me, and it was Cindy. It took one conversation on the phone with Cindy, and one look at her 8 page sample timeline, and I was sold. Cindy immediately set up a 3 hour meeting with my husband, our son, his fiancée and me, and the wedding was over 8 months away! Though based in Naperville, she and Tiffany came to our home in Glenview for the first meeting. (Even though she is in Naperville, she knows all the North Shore vendors, so don't be put off by that, if you are a North Suburbanite). I had no idea that her "Day of Services" would encompass so much more than just being present the day of the wedding. I also did not expect that she would have 3 people present at the wedding to make sure everything was executed flawlessly. Cindy gave excellent advice and direction on both the big picture and the smallest detail. While I had booked the venue, the caterer and the band before I hired her, I needed a recommendation for the florist/decor company. She gave me one name, and I didn't look elsewhere, because by then, I had complete trust in her recommendation – she was the consummate professional. Atmosphere Events Group did an amazing job with the flowers and lighting. And, it was such a reasonable price, I couldn't believe it. I never would have found them on my own, and would have spent thousands of dollars more, hiring another company. No detail was too small for Cindy's input; she even advised on the color of the beverages on the bridal party bus – only clear liquids like water and Sprite, because Coca Cola could stain! Planning the wedding was extremely stressful for me; the kids are an interfaith couple and the ceremony was in a church, which was a foreign concept to me. Additionally, I am the mother of the groom, not the bride. Cindy prepared me for the very strict rules of the church, which was a godsend...no pun intended. She became my confidant, and I valued her straightforward, candid advice and opinions. She constantly asked me what she could do to make everything less stressful, and what she could do to take things off my plate. I have to acknowledge Tiffany Beales, her right hand woman, who was incredibly organized and very responsive to my numerous questions (she gave excellent advice, too), as well as Alex Contreras, who was Johnny on the Spot, in making sure the grandmothers had their favorite drinks in hand and appetizer plates filled. I am very thankful to both of them also. You can't hire a better team than Effortless-Events for a wedding, Bar Mitzvah or corporate event, and I am so grateful that I did!

Cindy and Alex are AMAZING! They both were such a pleasure to work with and helped make our wedding an easy, organized and wonderful event! I can't thank them enough for all the perfect suggestions and for making this bride feel like there was absolutely nothing to worry about! Every detail was exactly as we wanted and the wedding went off without a hitch. Thank you both for such a wonderful, beautiful wedding!

Cindy and her team were awesome from the beginning of the process to the end of the night. They worked together as a team and were great with all hired vendors. Cindy was prompt, professional, yet fun. Cindy stayed in constant communication as to what was next. I can remember hearing Cindy say...what else can I do....with grace and sincerity. Best money spent......

I highly recommend Cindy & Tiffany they are extremely professional and put the clients needs above all else. I work with many Event Planners and Effortless Events stands out from the rest. They will make sure that everything on your list is taken care of and they do this with class and style. You will be extremely happy that you have them on your team when it comes to planning the perfect wedding.

When looking for a planner, we had a pretty strong idea of what we wanted. Having a background in Stage Management, I am very detail orientated and love organization. We started our search by asking planners for a sample of a timeline they’ve created in the past. So many were one page, very basic and felt like something I could honestly do better myself. I was starting to doubt even needing a coordinator. That’s when Cindy and Tiffany came into the picture. Let me tell you, that timeline was a thing of beauty. Absolutely no detail was left out. As soon as I saw it, I wanted to meet with them. That’s really what sealed the deal. We instantly felt comfortable with the two of them. We left that meeting saying “I can’t believe we thought we could do this by ourselves.” There were so many things we hadn’t even thought of until they asked us. We enjoyed their company so much, one of the meetings was having them to our place for dinner. They never felt like just coordinators to us. They were a crucial part of our wedding. They stayed on top of everything the entire process. They guided us with our own “homework”, and answer any all questions we had in record timing. Unfortunately, both my partner and I got sick a week before the wedding. Then our dog was attacked requiring an emergency vet trip. Both Cindy and Tiffany were continuously asking, “What can we do?” “What can we take off your plate?” “What can we cross of your to-do list?” From the very start, we knew they were going to be some of our favorite vendors. I truly can not write enough about these ladies. If you are looking for a wedding planner or day-of coordinator, I promise you that you will not find anyone like them. They LOVE what they do and it shows in every aspect of their work. We nick named them our “sanity-savers”. So, so, so much love to these ladies and all the gratitude in the world for giving us the ability to really enjoy a stress free wedding.

I can’t even begin to explain how amazing both Tiffany and Cindy were to work with. They put my mind at ease from the very beginning. Our day was absolutely perfect down to the little details! I don’t think our day would have been what it was without Tiffany! I would highly recommend them, they were easy to communicate with and quick at responding to any and every question that I had! We received several compliments about our day and I owe it to them! Their vendor recommendations were outstanding as well! I can’t thank them enough!

Cindy and her team worked so hard to make our reception party a major success! They helped us from start to finish to make the entire process as easy and stress free as it could be when planning outdoor reception party for October. Effortless Events made sure that despite 8 inches of rain, the party went off without a major hitch. We enjoyed working with Cindy, Tiffany, and Danielle. Highly recommend!

Cindy and her team were truly the BEST decision I made for my wedding. I spoke with Cindy before hiring her and explained my budget and what I needed and she was able to accommodate me very reasonably so that I could get everything I needed and wanted. EE (Effortless Events) had fantastic vendor recommendations, I highly suggest working with only EE recommended vendors, those who weren't fell far short of the standard her vendors set. The EE Team met with me, my mother and the groom to go over the wedding sometime before the wedding, and the knowledge they showed was astounding, the epitome of event professionals. Now for my event, my wedding was PERFECT, and it is all due to Cindy and her team, our venue lost power, they were lighting lanterns and creating ambient mood lighting so good, that by the time the power came on, I asked them to dim it! My florist did not build the arbor correctly and it fell, Cindy's team fixed it. I had a vendor (non-EE recommended) that turned out to be a no-show/scam, Cindy was able to find a replacement for my wedding with barely 48 hours notice. Not only did Cindy and her team solve all these issues discreetly (I don't think our guests ever knew anything went wrong!) but they still took the time to go above and beyond! With such things like our venue being pepsi (oh no!) and her team finding me (the bride) coca-cola to have at my wedding! Cindy and her team were truly an island of sanity for me throughout the planning process, I was able to call and email her regarding any concerns I had and they were always fully prepared with resolutions. As long as Effortless Events is available, I will use them for any event I ever put on, no question. I will be recommending them to everybody I know. Thank you Cindy and Team for making my wedding perfect!!

Words cannot describe how grateful I am for the work that Cindy and Danielle put into my wedding. These ladies work incredibly hard to make your day perfect and stress-free for you, and they are such wonderful people to be around. Not to mention, if you're stuck on where to look or who to book for vendors, they have amazing insight on great companies to work with and suggestions on how to make your day as smooth as possible. Hiring Effortless Events is SOO worth the money, and I could not have imagined this process without them.

If you're looking for an amazing wedding/event planner, look no further. Cindy is, hands down, the most knowledgeable planner in this area and her team is amazing (Danielle and Nicole). I am so incredibly glad that we hired her. Even though I had a 20-month engagement, I knew I wasn't an event planner -- especially when it came to weddings. Cindy, on the other hand, has planned well over 400 weddings (many of them at my venue) and she's an expert. She knows all the best vendors -- officiants, florists, DJs, hair, makeup, photography, videography, transportation -- and will not settle for anything less than the best for you. That is one of my favorite things about her. Cindy will be your champion when it comes to vendor interactions, making sure that your day is *your* day and that you get what you asked for. As for my wedding, I got exactly what I wanted. I could not have imagined that day coming together any better than it did. Leading up to the wedding, I didn't need to feel anxious about anything because Cindy took care of everything -- vendor emails, receiving contracts/invoices, keeping us on track. I didn't feel worried about the schedule on the day of, because Cindy was there with her amazing team, keeping everything moving as smoothly as it was supposed to. We didn't have any confused family members or wedding party folks walking around, everybody knew where they had to be, and I attribute that to Cindy's fantastic planning. Even better, I had so many of our guests come up to me to tell me that my wedding was the best they'd ever been to. I know that Cindy played a huge role in creating a wonderful experience for our guests. While she offers large and small packages, I highly recommend you at least get her partial planning services. You won't regret it. She will help you with vendor appointments if need be, and she will be there for you every step of the way. I have no idea how everything would have come together without her guidance and expertise. She knows everyone in the industry because she has done so many events. The contacts she has in various areas will work to your advantage, and you will have access to a world of wedding planning knowledge you never even knew existed. I can neither recommend her highly enough nor thank her enough. She made my wedding day the best day of my life, and I will be eternally grateful to her for that. She is a rockstar, and a fabulous planner to boot. Don't wait to decide -- I can promise you won't regret working with her.

Cindy and Danielle are phenomenal. They helped me through the entire process, from making decisions on linens, to giving me advice on vendors (which by the way, my flowers, pictures and music were all amazing - could not have been more satisfied), to being there with me on the big day - making sure I always had a drink in hand :) They made whole wedding process so much better on me and my mom and because of their help, I had the best wedding weekend.

We had an amazing wedding in downtown Chicago at The Langham thanks to Cindy and the entire Effortless Events team. From coordinating with all of our vendors to printing out a "cheat sheet" that was at the head table so we stayed on time, I cannot imagine my wedding without Cindy. She looked at every part of our event and made sure it was exactly as we wanted it. Our "day of document" was unbelievably organized (down to the minute) and helped what could have been a stressful day run so smoothly. She took care of every small detail with precision and poise and I'm so happy that we used EE for our wedding.

Where do I even begin with Effortless Events? When I met Cindy, Danielle, Nicole and Dana, I thought these women would just be there to help me plan my wedding. Instead, they became every "person" a bride could ever need on her wedding day and during the time leading up to it. They were friends to share ideas with, sisters to complain to and laugh with, crutches to lean on when you're feeling overwhelmed, and experts who take on a motherly role to advise you in moments of uncertainty. From the planning stages, to the end result, Effortless Events completely exceeded my expectations, and did everything in their power to ensure I had the wedding of my dreams. The moment we started working with Cindy and her team, I was finally able to enjoy planning my wedding. The first time we met with the team, my mom and I instantly felt a sense of relief. They knew exactly what they were doing, what we wanted, and what needed to be done in order to make it happen. My only regret in hiring Effortless Events was that we didn't hire them sooner than 60 days out. My main reason for hiring a wedding planner/coordinator was to ensure that my mom would be able to enjoy herself on my wedding day. I didn't want her to have to run around and keep everything organized. Cindy went above and beyond in every possible way to make sure my day was absolutely perfect. More importantly, she made sure that my mom and I were able to enjoy ourselves stress-free on the big day. Cindy and her team kept every single vendor in check. The day of the wedding, there were several vendors (venue management, photographer, dj) who were not doing what they were supposed to be doing at the correct time. I didn't even have a chance to notice because Cindy and her team had already taken care of it. They made sure that everything was exactly the way I wanted before I even arrived to the reception site. Here's just an example of how amazing Cindy was in making sure my wedding was incredible. 30-days before the wedding, we had a showing with our florist to approve our centerpieces and bouquets. We showed up, and what the florist created wasn't even close to what I asked for. We gave them three days to try again... and they completely missed the mark yet again. We walked out, and within 10 minutes, we had one of the best florists in Chicago (Revel Decor) hired for my wedding. To Cindy and all the girls at Effortless Events, thank you for making my day more incredible than I ever could have imagined. Cindy, you are truly amazing at what you do. Your knowledge and passion for this industry puts you a step above every other planner in the area. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you have done for us.

I hired Cindy and Danielle as Day-of Coordinators for my August wedding and I am so glad. The planning process was seamless and it was such a weight lifted to not have to worry about planning or set up or anything on the day of the wedding - or having to ask a friend or family to take time out of their day to run around doing 50 things when we all just want to enjoy the day. Everyone always tells brides to plan on something going unexpectedly on the wedding day, and I am lucky enough to say everything went perfectly (or, Cindy and Danielle took care of it before my husband and I knew about it). We were able to just enjoy the day!

We worked with Danielle Kuhn at Effortless Events in connection with our April 2016 wedding at the Thornhill Education Center at the Morton Arboretum and were thrilled and delighted with their services! I knew I needed someone for "Day Of" coordination because I wanted my family and loved ones to just sit back and enjoy the day without needing to worry about how all the moving parts would come together. I came across Effortless Efforts because they were a recommended vendor of our venue. After an initial inquiry they told me about the "Essentials" package which was really everything we needed, at a lower price point within our budget. But even with the Essentials package, we received a lot more than just Danielle's help on the actual day. Danielle's advice and familiarity with the venue was so valuable to us and we are so grateful to her. Danielle's philosophy is to make sure we are aware of all our options (and potential pitfalls) so that we can make fully informed choices. So she pointed out certain things to us that we might want to consider adding, but then was completely respectful and not pushy at all if we decided against her recommendation. But in many cases we took her recommendations because they were grounded in experience and wisdom (i.e., she recommended we add more appetizers and late night snacks and we were so glad we did because they were gobbled up by hungry guests). Danielle met with me two times in downtown Chicago (close to my office) to help me with planning (and she offered to meet more frequently if I needed it); she provided us with a detailed Day Of Schedule that I never would have thought to do, and would have needed to do a lot of Googling to put together on my own. She made sure I thought about things that I otherwise would not have known to think about, but it's those little things that made the day come together so beautifully on the actual whirlwind day of the wedding (i.e., order meals delivered to the hotel when getting ready). On the wedding day, both Danielle and her colleague Cindy were there to help, and I didn't realize we'd have the luxury of both of them! One very important thing to us was to have extended family sit for photographs with us immediately after the ceremony. True to form, Danielle was there taking roll call to make sure no one was missed! What a dream, honestly. Highly recommend this experienced and professional shop. Thank you!!

Effortless Events is a PREMIER wedding planning company in the Chicago suburbs. We found Cindy and her company by googling wedding planners in Naperville, IL after a day of outrageously expensive planners in Chicago. When we asked about her pricing and what the full package included, she said she'd do anything we needed, period, no questions asked. Cindy joined us for meetings with vendors, orchestrated contracts with vendors, advised on design and handled any task that was too stressful or time consuming for my mom and I. She answered emails and phone calls at all hours of the night. And most importantly, she made sure we had the wedding of our dreams and every detail was exactly what we asked for. In the industry, so many vendors like to do things a certain way "because they know best" or "because that's the way it's always been done." We wanted a wedding unlike any other, and that's exactly what we had. Because Cindy made sure every vendor understood this was our wedding, not theirs. Our wedding was at the Medinah Country Club and because of Cindy's advice and expertise, the manager told us, it was the most beautiful event they have ever hosted. We love Cindy, she is part of the family now, and days after the wedding, we're still laughing and sharing stories about the perfect day!

This wedding coordinator was provided by my venue and I would have been better off on my own without her. The only thing she was helpful with was providing me with a name of a judge to use. She did come day of and everything went smoothly so I guess that's what counts. I had a hard time contacting her even through email. Glad we didn't pay anything extra for her.

Cindy (and her staff) allowed me to be carefree and happy on my wedding day - priceless! She was great in the weeks leading up to the wedding, she saved us a ton of money in re-negotiating contracts and using her connections, and she gave us good perspective. During our wedding, she made sure that everything was perfect, and screened me from anything that was not. We could not have pulled off our wedding without her!

I can not rave enough about Cindy and her staff. I got them through my friends wedding. Totally worth the money to not pull out your hair, argue with your momzilla or groomzilla, and sit in a sea of bridal planning. I got them for a 6 week package. Cindy's assistants did my day of and Cindy my planning. A few hiccups during the night and her girls were on it. Needless to say my night went smoothly and without interuption. Thanks again girls :)