Event Shoppe Chicago

decisions we made! Jennifer is outstanding. She has the perfect personality that you want with you in the weeks leading up to and on the day of your wedding. Prior to our wedding, Jennifer provided us excellent advice, helped us stay on track with the last minute details the month before, gave references to certain vendors we were looking for (a modern photo booth that we LOVED), helped us finalize a day-of timeline, advocated for us to our other vendors on the big picture and small details we wanted, and coordinated with all of our vendors in the final weeks to make sure everyone was ready and on the same page as far as arrival times/set up/etc. The day of the wedding, Jennifer was the point of contact for every vendor that we had, she was in charge of keeping the entire bridal party on track with our timeline, she answered questions that guests had, she set up all of our day-of items such as the place card table/gift table/guest gifts at reception tables/etc., and any problems that arose during the day were taken care of by her without having to bring it to our attention - a major relief. Additionally, we had Margaret as an assistant planner the day-of and she was also fantastic. She helped with set up and managing the reception until the end of the night, gathered all the items we brought and made sure they were put into our hotel room at the end of the night, and she even helped with bustling my dress when it began to fall apart. Your wedding day can be very costly so you might feel on the fence about adding another expense to the big day. I promise that hiring The Event Shoppe for wedding coordination is worth every dollar. They completely take over for you and become everyones point of contact so that your day runs smoothly without you being bothered, which will allow you to actually enjoy the day you’ve been tirelessly planning. HIGHLY recommend!!!!

ard to make sure every booked vendor was up to date on our changes within hours not days! No vendor was left behind for our 2022 wedding a year later. There was never any attitude it always felt warm, genuine, and professional. Whenever we needed anything Jennifer was a call or text away always ready to clarify our confusion. I would recommend having a day of planner as well. I couldn’t have done it without Jennifer. When you have unruly vendors who don’t show or show up late she’ll get them right in order. When you have family members who will not stay away from your room she’ll reroute them for you as well. Ultimately the experience felt like planning a wedding with your mom or a family member, but without the stress of dealing with your mom or family member!

istics (things we knew we needed help with, and more importantly things we didn't even know we needed help with). She created a comprehensive timeline for the day-of, was vigilant in handling most, if not all of the communication with all our vendors, and was an amazing support on the actual day of the wedding. She was with us from the beginning of the day, making sure we had everything we needed, helping manage and bring personal items to the venue, and just being someone we can check in with to make sure everything was okay. On such a chaotic day, it's very reassuring to have someone other than your partner there who knows exactly what is supposed to be going on. Lekia is a professional with great character and a fun sense of humor that helped make our special day what it was. We were honestly a little hesitant on getting a coordinator at first, but we regret absolutely nothing due to her service. P.S. Thanks again for the coffee, Lekia!

could do it. I had a general idea of the vendors I wanted to use for our wedding, and reached out accordingly. But about 6 months out—as I started to get into the thick of the details, vendor coordination and timelines—I realized I had unfortunately girlbossed too close to the sun. 
On a whim, I reached out to a high school friend who’d recently had a beautiful wedding to ask if he’d used a planner…to which he replied with a LONG paragraph singing the praises of Event Shoppe Chicago. This is how we started to work with Event Shoppe’s Lead Wedding Planner Kevlyn Hayes. When I tell you Kevlyn single-handedly lowered both myself and my husband’s blood-pressure, I’m not being dramatic. Kevlyn is detail-oriented, direct, honest, and—above all—incredibly kind. She kept us on track from our first conversation and answered every last question & anxiety we had. When we were sick of making decisions, she knew how to come in with opinions based on years of experience. When I say she handled everything…I mean literally EVERYTHING. Timelines. Vendor coordination of said timelines. Setup and takedown of our details. Last minute, inevitable emergencies (which she handled before we had the time to panic about them). I know that the reason we were able to relax and enjoy our wedding is entirely due to Kevlyn and the entire Event Shoppe team. Weddings are amazing, but they are a LOT. This was without a doubt the best investment we made, full stop.

le to come to the venue with me during planning was also key, she knew all the right things to ask about. Our wedding day was stress free and perfect! Thanks Jennifer!

d for. She helped us work through elements of our day that we needed an added creative touch, and we felt completely confident that everything would go off without a hitch- and it truly did! Even our family and friends commented on how well the Event Shoppe team kept things running smoothly and how lovely they were to interact with. We cannot imagine going into our big day without the support provided by Monica, Jennifer and team and recommend them to any of our newly-engaged friends.

ts and it also included our message center, helpful tips, planning checklist, and so much more! Before the wedding, Monica read through all of my contracts, contacted vendors, created a timeline, came to my final walk-through, and met with me via phone call or zoom anytime I felt overwhlemed or wanted to make sure everything was set for our big day. Leading up to the big day, I knew everything would be perfect because of how organized and detailed Monica was in creating our timeline and taking the time to understand my vision. I also had other vendors express how easy the timeline was, saying they often receive 10 page timelines from planners, but the one they received from Monica had tabs with information only pertaining to them, so it was a lot easier for them to follow. My wedding party and parents also received a condensed version of the timeline to help make sure that everyone knew what was going on. Monica told me to CC her on any emails with other vendors, and chimed in when she could to offer suggestions or help. Toward the end, Monica had taken over all communication with vendors to make sure they had all the information they needed. On our actual wedding day, Monica was there to meet us at the hotel where we got ready and make sure everything was going well- that hair and makeup were on schedule, that photogoraphy/video was there, helped in receiving our florals, made sure we were on time, and even took some things to the venue for me that were a last minute gift. She headed to our venue and made sure that all of the vendors were there and set up was going as planned. Like I said, she took the time to really understand my vision, and really helped to make that vision a reality in setting up personal items, signage, etc.. During the ceremony, she made sure that we were lined up in order, told us when to walk, and made sure other vendors were there in case we needed help with things like mic/sound. We all know it takes what feels like forever to get professional pictures back, but Monica snuck the most perfect picture of our ceremony outside the Adler at golden hour and sent it to me the next day. She went above and beyond in making sure everything was perfect. She made sure we stuck to the timeline, got our reception reveal in, passed out vendor tip envelopes, and made sure everyone was dancing the night away when she left (she even came to say bye to me on the dance floor :) ). We had her assistant, Brittany, with us until the end to make sure that vendors cleaned up on time, got everything out, packed up our personal items, and make sure transportation was there at the end of the night. I can't express enough how smoothly our day went because of the team we had from Event Shoppe. Like I said, Monica went above and beyond, and even texted me the next day to check in and send along a beautiful picture she captured, emailed me with well wishes and truly just made my day magical! I would recomend everyone planning a wedding to get a planner/coordinator, there is so much more that goes in to it than you realize and Event Shoppe Chicago did an amazing job in helping me thorughout the process- before, during, and after my wedding! I highly, highly highly recommend, Monica was amazing!

rom our wedding. Right off the bat, she made us feel comfortable and welcomed. Given where we were in the planning process, she recommended the coordination package and we appreciated that she didn’t try to upsell us with services we didn’t need. We were assigned Monica two months out from the wedding. Before meeting, we filled out a few forms/questionnaires so she could get a better idea about where we were in planning. Monica came to our first meeting so prepared. It was clear she read through all the forms and documents we filled out and even had an initial timeline ready for us. We really cannot say enough good things about Monica. She went above and beyond in every way. When she says she is going to take care of something or reach out to a vendor, we never had to worry if an email would be sent or a task would get done. Some things that we really appreciated from Monica: 1. Thorough final venue walkthrough. Made sure our DJ was there as well and talked through the floor plan 2. Managed the rehearsal walkthrough. She was immensely helpful in last minute layout changes and making sure everyone in the wedding party knew timing for things 3. Picked up all our decor and miscellaneous items from our home two days before the wedding so we would not have to worry about transporting things ourselves 4. Contacted vendors on our behalf so we did not have to make calls/emails ourselves. For example, we had to move up our transportation 15 minutes and before we could even tell Monica, she already reached out to the vendor to make it happen The list goes on and on. Our big day would not have been a success without Monica and her associate Lekia. We can’t recommend them enough!

beneficial to setting up our ideal way, and she was usually right! Kevlyn was so helpful the day of the wedding and was quickly attentive to any situations that came up. I strongly recommend Event Shoppe Chicago and Kevlyn to anyone who is planning a wedding, whether it is a small or large gathering.

d always addressed our concerns. Jennifer is so personable, thoughtful and compassionate. As a nervous bride, she reassured me that no question or detail is too small. Jennifer and her team made sure we had everything we needed. She also managed all of our vendors, the bridal party, problem solved and ensured a seamless delivery of services on our big day! Jennifer’s communication with vendors, our family, and with my husband and I, was phenomenal. We felt a sense of trust and ease knowing that she would take care of us. She made us her first priority for our special day! On the big day, Jennifer was by my side, anticipating needs that I didn’t even know that I had and doing it all with grace and a smile. Everything went so smoothly and we had THE BEST TIME EVER! Thanks again Jennifer and The Event Shoppe Chicago!

e month of/day of wedding planning. Our goal for our wedding was to make sure our family members, friends, and loved ones could truly enjoy our wedding and not feel like they had to work or manage it. Margaret at Event Shoppe Chicago made that goal a reality and ensured the whole day went off without a hitch! She went above and beyond the month of the wedding - coordinating all of our vendors, putting together the timeline for the weekend, doing a final walkthrough with our venue/caterer, helping set up the day before the wedding/taking down the night of and the Monday after, being with us for the rehearsal, being with me on the wedding day to make sure we stayed on track and that things went exactly as I had envisioned, taking care of any hiccups that happened the day of our wedding(tons of stuff happened, but my husband and I were none the wiser on the day of our wedding). Margaret also had an assistant that day, Sergei, and he was just as lovely as she was - cannot thank them enough for what they did for us the day of our wedding. We truly felt like we were able to soak in every moment of our wedding and I know that wouldn't have been possible without all of their help. If you're thinking of hiring Event Shoppe Chicago, stop and just do it, not just for your sanity, but to make your dream wedding come true.

s, helped us feel confident in our design direction, and kept my husband and I on-track with planning tasks. We had a major disruption midway through planning when our intended venue unexpectedly closed. Jennifer was a big help in finding a new reception venue with less than 3 months til our planned date. She is certainly the person you want on your side when a crisis hits! In the weeks leading up to our wedding, Jennifer was an absolute godsend. She was sending TONS of emails to coordinate vendors, creating detailed, bespoke timelines for vendors/family/my husband and I, and facilitating set up of gift bags and decor. There are so many small details that go into making a wedding great, and without Jennifer, I don't think we could have ever planned for all of them. I cannot recommend her and her team at Event Shoppe Chicago enough.

that kind of gap, restarting the process was daunting, but Margaret made us feel at ease from start to finish. She helped with all of the scheduling and day of logistics and helped put out so many small fires along the way. My now husband and I had a few meetings as our wedding day approached where she would help up organize our next steps and answer any questions we had. Some of our vendors were proving difficult to contact and Margaret chased them down for us, going so far as to even set up three way calls so that we felt much more at ease. During the rehearsal Margaret made sure we knew what to expect on the wedding day and communicated very well with our family and friends. On our wedding day things went off without a hitch and she made sure we had some time to ourselves and that we actually got to enjoy the food we selected from our caterer. I don't know how we could have done this without her.

ing the pandemic, and you have a recipe for being incredibly overwhelmed. However, Jennifer and Margaret were incredibly kind, generous, communicative, organized, and helpful throughout the whole wedding planning process. They truly want you to have a wonderful wedding experience, and will go above and beyond to make sure you feel overwhelmed as little as possible. We went with the Final Details package (which was ESC's day-of-coordination package), but Jennifer and Margaret helped with so much more than the final details. Early on in the planning process, Jennifer helped us think through exactly what we wanted for our wedding, set us up on the ESC planning portal with a variety of tools for the planning process, and then recommended a plethora of vendors that were in/near our budget (who were also great to work with). Once we did reach the final details phase (in the 6-8 weeks before the wedding), Margaret helped us through the barrage of decisions that we needed to make and helped us make sure everything was as organized as possible. And then she made sure everything was perfect on our big day! If anything did go wrong, we still have no idea (and are happier for it ;D). Thank you both for everything!

epped in and hit the ground running right away. She started working with us 2 months out and was so helpful in helping give vendor recommendations, coordinating with all our vendors so they were all organized and on the same page, and also creating a detailed day of timeline which allowed the day to be peaceful and run so smoothly. We had a stressful last minute issue with our venue which she stepped in and really helped take the stress off of us which was huge. On the day of she helped with set up of our decor, made sure we were following the timeline and answered everyone's questions so I didn't have to. We wouldn't have been able to do it without Monica. I would 10/10 recommend her to help pull off your dream wedding!

ow each other, to thorough checklists, timeline calls, and helpful notes, we felt like we were being taken care of every step of the way up until the wedding day. Even though we had planned a lot on our own and didn't hire ESC until later in the process, we feel so thankful that we did. Even the most organized will have their hands full with end-of-the-line wedding planning, and being able to hand off all of our vendors and communication over to the Event Shoppe team was truly amazing. And the day of the wedding itself? Couldn't have asked for a more smooth, magical, and easy day. Major shout-out to all of the assistants helping our main coordinator--you all rocked! We had a lot of logistics and moving parts going between two different venues, and the ESC team handled it all like pros, and even had our favorite cocktails waiting for us at our reception table after we entered. If you are debating on getting a wedding planner or day-of coordinator -- definitely do it! And look no further Event Shoppe Chicago - we absolutely loved them!

to day of coordination. We HIGHLY recommend booking their full service package. There are so many considerations when planning and executing a wedding. ESC guided us through every decision and it resulted in a wedding that was beyond our greatest expectations. Jennifer met with us in beginning to understand and craft our wedding vision, as well as breakdown all things to consider when deciding and allocating your wedding budget. From there, everything went seamlessly. Jennifer streamlined the venue selection process by curating a list of venues that matched our vision and budget, as well as coordinated and attended all venue visits. From there, she provided at least 3 recommendations for each type of vendor (i.e. Florist, Photography, DJ, etc.). We did not need to look beyond any of the initial recommendations she made, as each vendor recommended provided exceptional services. Jennifer also coordinated and setup meetings with our vendors throughout the entire planning process to ensure everything stayed on tracked and no detail would be missed. We knew we made the right decision selecting ESC very early in the planning process, as each vendor could not stress enough how much they loved working with Jennifer and her team. Besides putting together the dream vendor team, the assistance with budget allocation and guidance in determining our priorities was truly invaluable. We genuinely believe choosing the full service package saved us a lot money, and certainly a ton of hours and stress, in the end. Now having seen the full process, we realized we would have underestimated the costs of many of the smaller things you have to consider later on (i.e. tips, transportation, uplighting, etc.). We would have spent too much early on and ended up way over budget or deciding to go without some things that were important in making our wedding so special. As a bride, I walked into my wedding day completely relaxed and stress free because I knew Jennifer was on top of everything and would resolve any issues that may arise. And that’s exactly what she did. My husband and I were able to fully enjoy our wedding without worrying about directing guests, cueing the DJ, and making sure things are running on time because Jennifer handled EVERYTHING. The guests at our wedding could not rave enough about how beautiful, elegant, fun, and organized our wedding was. Many of our guest say it was hands down the best wedding they have ever been to. ESC is a premiere wedding planning organization that we recommend without hesitation. Our wedding was the best day of our lives and we cannot thank Jennifer and ESC enough!

nized, communicative, and super easy to get along with. We felt very confident going into our wedding day largely in part due to Margaret’s expertise. On the day of, she made sure all went off without a hitch: she made sure all the vendors had what they needed, had bobby pins to save hair, and tracked down our limo that was running late. Everything went smoothly and we had the best time. We can’t recommend Event Shoppe Chicago enough!

g ran smoothly and according to schedule. The minute we hired Event Shoppe Chicago for Day of Coordination, all of those worries started to disappear. On the day of the wedding, everything went exactly as it was scheduled to go. I never knew (or worried about) what time it was or if everything was coming together like it should because I knew and trusted that Jennifer and her team had everything under control. They worked wonderfully with all of our vendors—we truly had the best team ever—and if there were hiccups of any kind, we had no idea because everything was handled. The people of Event Shoppe Chicago are professional, detail-oriented and will absolutely ensure that your wedding runs as smoothly as possible. Maintain your sanity by handing them the reins for the day, and just sit back and enjoy the best day of your life!

l and involved groom with an event planning mom and lots of unique opinions. Despite all of that, we decided to use a planner because there were so many items to manage, a bit of refereeing required, and we wanted us and our guests to be able to focus on enjoying the moment and not have to execute all the important details when we got to the big day – BEST DECISION EVER. Jennifer was wonderful to work with throughout the process. Of course, she killed it on the day of. We didn’t even realize until a month afterwards that several of our guests re-arranged their own seats, the whole program was over an hour behind schedule, and we had a few crashers show up! But it was working with her through the whole planning period that was truly above and beyond our expectations, removing tons of stress and anxiety from the lead-up to our wedding day. One thing I can promise about planning any event – things will happen that you can’t anticipate. When we started our monthly check-in calls with Jennifer, she suggested going over the full detailed timeline beginning a whole year before our wedding. We smiled and rolled our eyes a little bit, joking about how perhaps she was a bit over-zealous but we were going to get it all done- no problem. Joke was on us! Despite all our best research and communication with the various vendors, when we got to the month & week before there were several items that didn’t play out according to plan. These ran small and large, from not having the correct number of boutonnieres, to deciding last minute that everyone needed to covid test on-site, to our lead venue contact switching three times- the last one being the weekend before our event! But Jennifer had been with us every step of the way as we’d made all these decisions, and she quickly and easily adapted for the changes in stride, without stressing one bit or compromising any of our standards, which she understood very well. Jennifer and her team truly went above and beyond. She is a breath of excitement in every meeting, has a wonderful network of talented vendors she can recommend, and is highly attentive & respectful to all of the little specific things that may not matter in general but matter to you. In addition to all of that, she can handle any opinionated family member or friend with ease, making them feel valued and happy while also keeping their last-minute suggestions from messing with your plans. We can’t recommend her enough, and would happily be a client reference at any time!

ds out like a shinning star. Here's why: she set up a zoom meeting ahead of our couples wedding in order to get to know us and ensure we were on the same page for every portion of the timeline. She did this for every single vendor involved with the wedding. On the day of, she and Margaret brought such upbeat energy to everyone around them. They were on.top.of.it. Jennifer continually kept everyone on track and the day rolling seamlessly while keeping things light and fun. If there was something we saw that needed to happen, she was already on her way to address it. How do we give ten stars is what i'm wondering?!? Whether you're in Illinois, Wisconsin (or honestly anywhere in nation), Jennifer and her team are the absolute BEST decision you will ever make.

us several times to nail down a timeline, coordinate all logistics with our vendors and venues, and filled in all gaps we didn’t even know we had in our plan. I initially didn’t think I needed a planner/ day of help, but I would hire Event Shoppe over and over again. On the day of the wedding everything was so seamless. She really helped bring my vision to life and made sure everything went as panned. Her team is so genuine and lovely to work with and brought extra added energy to our big day. We can’t thank Jennifer and her team enough! If you are on the fence about hiring a day of coordinator or spending a little extra at the end of your wedding budget, I can attest this team was completely worth it. I can’t imagine finishing the planning process without them!

nding, and enthusiastic through it all including two date changes, a venue change, and our spontaneous decision to elope. Two years later, our celebration was still everything we dreamed about and more. Working with Margaret was our key to success. She was a rockstar - helping us develop a realistic timeline, conduct a smooth rehearsal, and get us (and our 11 bridesmaids/groomsmen) to the altar. She showed up for our morning wedding like sunshine with a plan and a sense of peace about her, and her enthusiasm and attentiveness continued through the day. Margaret and Pierre were not only intentional about checking in with me and my groom but centering our wants and needs and reminding us to soak in the excitement. I appreciated little reminders to look at my bouquet and enjoy a drink – to really savor everything we worked hard to bring to life. There were zero delays in our day-of schedule and I didn’t have to worry about a thing aside from enjoying the day. At one point, I had trouble seeing through my contact lenses. Pierre made it a point to leave the venue and find eye drops for me – and when that didn’t work, he went all the way back to the hotel to grab my glasses so that my loved ones didn’t have to miss out on the action. The way that this team went above and beyond at every stage of our partnership was unforgettable. I highly recommend ESC for your planning and day-of needs.

And Margaret was so supportive with the final details and was there to handle everything big and small - from vendor coordination, to fixing my hair. I couldn't imagine my wedding without them and would highly recommend this team!

ty - from larger items (vendor recommendations) to smaller details (welcome bags, etc.). She ensured we stuck to a timeline that allowed us to feel comfortable and prepared when the big day arrived. On the day of, Alyse went above and beyond to take care of everything behind the scenes so that we could enjoy our wedding. Working with Event Shoppe Chicago was one of the best decisions we made.