Experienced, Luxury Event Planning Team
Lauren Bowles
OWNER
Typically responds within 24h
AWARD WINNER (5X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Operating out of Chicago, IL, Stunning & Brilliant Events is a professional wedding planning and coordination company. Lauren Bowles, the proud owner of the business, is an accomplished individual who has earned a reputation for crafting original experiences. Her goal is to showcase the style and personality of the occasions’ respective hosts through design and aesthetics.
Founded in 2010, Stunning & Brilliant Events boast a portfolio full of successfully executed celebrations. With more than 600 weddings planned, the company continues to go above and beyond in their pursuit of creative event planning. Through a detail-oriented approach and unrivaled organizational skills, Lauren and her team are prepared to match and exceed all expectations.
Stunning & Brilliant Events offers full-service, partial, and month-of coordination packages to help engaged couples receive the particular guidance they need throughout the planning process. Having worked with some of the industry’s finest vendors, these experts are well placed to offer their prospective clients some of the finest choices available. What’s more, the team can also help to plan honeymoon adventures for the newlywed pair.
Woman-owned Business
Prices & packages
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Details
Destination Weddings
Destination Wedding Packages
Destination Wedding Planning
Planning
A la Carte Wedding Planning
Budgeting
Day-Of Coordination
Destination Wedding Planning
Full Service Wedding Planning
Honeymoon Planning
RSVP Tracking
Wedding Design
Wedding Website
Wedding Activities
Getting Engaged
Engagement Party
Honeymoon
Rehearsals & Parties
After Party
Bachelor Party
Bachelorette Party
Bridal Luncheon
Bridal Shower
Couples Shower
Engagement Party
Rehearsal Dinner
Welcome Party
Wedding
After Party
Ceremony
Cocktail Hour
Day After Brunch
Reception
Rehearsal
Rehearsal Dinner
Awards and Affiliations
Any questions?
Meet the team
Lauren Bowles
Owner
Lauren was born and raised in Chicago, IL and is a Columbia College graduate with a degree in communications. Her background not only includes event planning but also project management and hospitality. Lauren lives in downtown Chicago with her husband, 6-year-old daughter, and energetic cocker spaniel. She loves organizing and her strength is creating systems and procedures that establish order and clear communication. She thinks outside of the box when a solution is needed and always comes to the table ready to collaborate.
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.058 reviews
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Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Stunning & Brilliant Events, led by Lauren, received glowing reviews for their wedding planning services. Brides and grooms praised Lauren for her calm, joyful, and organized demeanor, making the planning process stress-free and enjoyable. The team's attention to detail, seamless coordination, and ability to handle unexpected situations were highlighted by multiple reviewers. Lauren's professionalism, kindness, and dedication to making weddings truly special earned the company high recommendations, showcasing a strong track record of exceeding expectations and ensuring a smooth and magical wedding experience for couples.Review photos
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Kathryn C
5.0
9/28/2024
If you are on the fence about planning services this is your sign to DO IT! It is so worth it and Lauren is the best in the business. She has this calming and joyful presence about her and that is the exact type of energy you want next to you on your big day and leading up to it. Since the day she stepped in for partial planning I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. Her team was seriously amazing on our wedding day and they were on top of everything. I was able to be fully present through the entire day and I owe that to Stunning and Brilliant. THANK YOU! WE LOVE YOU!
Brittany H
5.0
5/12/2024
We decided to go with month of/day of coordination services with S&B Events. From the moment we met Lauren, she knocked it out of the park and made our wedding day so seamless and perfect all with a smile on her face. Her whole team catered to our every need before we even knew we had one! If we had any hiccups on our wedding day, I wouldn’t know it because they handled it all. One moment that stands out for my now-husband was him mentioning to a friend at the reception that he would love an espresso martini because his energy level was waning. He turned around and suddenly the team had one in-hand for him! Please thank the whole team for making our day so magical ✨
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Mary L
5.0
4/04/2024
Lauren did a perfect job with our wedding!! She made our vision come to life while keeping me stress free and relaxed during the entire process! She is so sweet, professional, and super organized!! She exceeded my expectations! Thank you Lauren!
Natalie G
5.0
3/31/2024
Lauren did an amazing job with our wedding!! She made our vision come to life while keeping everything organized. She is so sweet, professional, and a joy to work with! Lauren truly has a passion and love for wedding and event planning, and it was more than we could have ever imagined. We will forever be clients of Stunning & Brilliant Events - We HIGHLY recommend!
Bella L
5.0
3/30/2024
Lauren is the best to work with. She makes everything run smoothly - from vendor communication to the timeline! If you're looking for a wedding planner, do yourself a favor and hire Lauren!
Cheyenne K
5.0
2/05/2024
I don't have words, honestly. Lauren was SUCH a rockstar for the entire planning process. I don't know many people that can somehow be that chipper and still calming at the same time. She helped me every step of the way and I couldn't imagine doing it with another team. She also happened to be the most affordable of any of the vendors I considered, so there really are no downsides to working with the S&B team!
Kelli C
5.0
1/25/2024
Lauren Bowles with Stunning & Brilliant Events is absolutely amazing! We hired her for partial planning as we had already selected our venue for the ceremony and reception. Our daughter had her ceremony and reception at Artifact Events in early December and it went off without a hitch! Lauren helped to make the planning process completely stress-free and seamless. We had some last-minute corrections to our ceremony programs and she jumped through hoops to have them re-printed and delivered at no additional cost. From the moment we engaged in her services she was thorough, understood and helped us create our wedding vision, and had a list of fantastic resources for us to explore. Lauren is super sweet, extremely talented, and very organized (not to mention beautiful). Luckily, I have a younger daughter so God willing, we will have the opportunity to work with her again soon! She was the coordinator extraordinaire!
Jake M
5.0
12/17/2023
Lauren from Stunning & Brilliant Events in Chicago was everything we hoped for in a wedding planner. Having never planned a wedding before, we had no idea where to start. Lauren guided us through every part of the process and was immensely helpful on our actual wedding day. She made it so we didn't have a single worry and our wedding process and day would not have been as seemless and carefree without her.
If you're in the Chicago area and don't use Lauren as your planner, you're missing out!
Emily F
5.0
12/05/2023
We are so grateful for everything Lauren and her team did as our month of coordinator for our wedding. Her team went above and beyond leading up to and on the day of the wedding. We couldn't stop saying how thankful we were to have Lauren during the last month of planning. She was on top of everything we needed and every question we needed to answer. We stayed on schedule all day long and everything was handled perfectly.
Breanne R
5.0
11/29/2023
Lauren was THE BEST!! Highly recommend getting a planner and having Lauren specifically as a planner! The last few weeks before wedding everything comes at you really fast with last minute details and emails and Lauren was essential in helping with EVERYTHING both big and small. Her calm demeanor day of also allowed everything to run smoothly and organized! She’s also just generally a super nice and warm person to be around. Thank you so much!!
Mary P
5.0
11/27/2023
Lauren and her team are the best, she knows what she’s doing, is highly organized, and is great at coordinating and communicating with everyone. She went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect.
Kelly R
5.0
11/16/2023
Lauren is incredible and she made our wedding day absolutely perfect! She was so easy to work with and made sure our visions and priorities were respected every step of the way. She expertly handled unexpected situations and honestly made wedding planning and the wedding day itself so smooth. This was easily the best money we spent on the entire wedding!
Kathy G
5.0
10/24/2023
My daughter, son in law and I were beyond thrilled with the service, expertise and care we received from Lauren. Lauren is extremely energetic, positive, professional, organized and truly a lovely person. From contracts review to vendor meetings, timelines and small details to the Big Day, Lauren handled everything with grace and brilliance.
She was unflappable when our timeline was delayed due to traffic issues around our venue. Lauren kept a smile on her face and a “can do” attitude until the very end of a 12 hour day.
Our photographer told me she was a delight and one of the better planners he’d worked with.
Bottom line, you won’t be disappointed with Lauren! You will just be disappointed when it’s time to say goodbye to her.
Amy W
5.0
9/22/2023
I cannot recommend Lauren at Stunning & Brilliant Events enough! Lauren is professional, on top of it, and is over the top kind. At first, I wasn't sure if we needed a month of wedding planner but thinking back I couldn't have imagined our day without her on our team. She helped us come up with a timeline, coordinate last-minute details with all the vendors, she was at both our rehearsal and final walkthrough and lastly, she made sure everything ran smoothly the day of. We felt so lucky to not have to worry about anything besides having fun since we trusted that Lauren was on it....and she was! If you are contemplating a wedding planner or booking with Stunning & Brilliant Events - do it! You will not regret it!!
Irina S
5.0
9/19/2023
We had our wedding on 9.9.2023 and absolutely LOVED every moment spent alongside with our friends and families, everything went smoother than I could have imagined and the reason for that is Lauren & Martha from Stunning & Brilliant Events. I knew I wanted to get a month of coordinator and I instantly knew Lauren was the right choice, I had a feeling and I loved that she was very down to earth, actually listening to what I was saying and willing to help with anything I needed.
The month of, Lauren was on top of every question, every request and everything in general. I felt very supported as she was eliminating every bump along the way and also making sure I wasn't stressed. I genuinely think she cares about her clients. She handled all the conversations with our venue managers, which weren't always the most pleasant (we've had some minor issues) and all of the other vendors, I honestly didn't have to worry about any of that.
My favorite thing about Lauren is her sense of urgency :) and that means she values my time and I truly felt important for her.
Martha was a God sent during our wedding day, I think she might have hit 20k steps that day, she was everywhere she needed to be. Martha was kind, empathetic and very very helpful during our wedding, she helped me with absolutely everything I needed.
I think every bride and groom absolutely needs help on their special day. I would HIGHLY recommend Lauren and her team, they are going to provide the support every couple needs and go above and beyond in making sure the couple and their guests have an amazing experience. Thank you for all the hard work and dedication!
Shani S
5.0
9/05/2023
Wow, where do I begin? Lauren was my lifesaver for the wedding and the planning. She was so professional, caring, energetic, and very creative! She was super easy to work with, and I always felt calm after I discuss some of the concerns that I had with her. She was the best coordinator that I could have asked for. What I thought would be the most overwhelming process flowed so smoothly because of the hard work and dedication she delivered from the moment we contacted Lauren. We, like many couples out there, had no clue where to start and had a lot of trouble deciding what we wanted. Lauren possess such incredible style, creativity and attention to detail that we were able to trust her completely with every element of our wedding. We know without a doubt that Lauren is the reason we can look back and remember how amazing and unforgettable our wedding day was!
Kristen V
5.0
8/28/2023
I am not exaggerating when I say Lauren and her team were a godsend!! We got married in Chicago and had a very large out of town guest list, as well as a huge bridal party. Having Lauren as our month of/day of coordinator for our wedding was the best thing we did for our wedding. There are so many details to organize the month of - details that we never would have thought of it it weren’t for her experience. Having her organization and communication to our vendors was integral to the day running smoothly. It also made it much easier on our families the day of so they could enjoy the wedding, rather than feel like they were working at it. Not only is Lauren unbelievably talented and organized, she is SO kind and fun to be around. I was so relaxed and calm on our wedding day because Lauren and her team handled everything, so I really felt like I could just enjoy the day. I wish we would have hired her earlier in the wedding planning process! We highly recommend her services, if not for the entire wedding process, at the very least hire her for the month of/day of!
Weronika S
5.0
8/09/2023
Lauren and her team are absolutely amazing! She stepped in to help with my wedding a few weeks prior and was super responsive, provided insightful recommendations on the timeline, and worked with my vendors to ensure the day went smoothly. As a type A bride this was beyond appreciated. My wedding day was relaxed, seamless, and stress-free thanks to all her (and her team’s) hard work behind the scenes. On top of that she is so kind and sweet!
Tabitha M
5.0
6/30/2023
Lauren was more than we could have ever asked for. We hired her for month-of-coordination, and after our first meeting, I was instantly less stressed! (and we all know weddings are stressful). She was professional, communicative, and super easy to work with. She went out of her way to make our day perfect, and I couldn't be more thankful. Thank you, Lauren!!
Maggie G
5.0
6/15/2023
I used Lauren B from S&B for my Chicago wedding just a few weeks ago and I cannot recommend her enough! Lauren and her assistant Martha ensured my day went 110% smoothly. From the rehearsal to the end of the Wedding, Lauren was there to ensure all of my wants and needs were being met. I received multiple comments about my planning team, one of them coming from my married friends who said "I wish I had someone like her at my wedding." Lauren was able to easily command a room and gave amazing direction to my bridal party. She was at my side at all times throughout the wedding day checking on me to make sure I had everything I needed and I knew what was happening next. On top of her talent, she has the sweetest personality and made me feel like a friend rather than a client. I would recommend Lauren and the rest of the S&B team today, tomorrow and the next day! Thank you for everything.
Beanie M
5.0
5/30/2023
There should be an option for 6 stars so I can go above and beyond for Lauren like she does for her clients. Truly the most organized, professional, detail-oriented person, while also being so thoughtful, conscientious, and having such wonderful taste! Literally nothing that Lauren touched related my wedding went wrong, or could even have been improved upon. If I could give the gift of Lauren to all future brides I would. We did the middle package (between month of and full planning) but I can’t even imagine what more she could’ve done if we’d gotten full planning! No one should have a wedding without Lauren
Laura Y
5.0
5/17/2023
Lauren from Stunning and Brilliant Events is an amazing day-of-wedding planner! She kept me, the bridal party, and all our vendors informed with the wedding day plan, was organized, detailed and overall delightful to work with! Upon meeting her at our reception venue after communicating for a couple weeks via email, I knew everything would go smoothly on wedding day and just as I envisioned it, and it very much did! We had an incredible day! Lauren helped make our wedding the beautiful success that is was and my husband and I really appreciate all the work she put into our special day. I highly recommend Lauren!
Caroline H
5.0
3/14/2023
Lauren and Martha took over planning for the month before our big day and we could not have been happier. They followed up with all of our vendors, made sure all the last minute details were in order, and on the day of the wedding were by our side through it all. We have no idea if anything went wrong on our big day because Lauren and Martha made sure to take care of it. They reminded us of timing throughout the day too which was so needed because we didn’t have any sense of time and the day flew by. Truly the best team for our big day and we will be forever thankful for them.
Adina F
5.0
12/25/2022
Lauren was so amazing to work with! she made our big day so easy and took all the stress off of us. highly recommend!!
Nora I
5.0
12/22/2022
Lauren Bowles and her team, Hannah & Martha, knocked our wedding out of the park. Our whole family loved meeting them and working with them from start to finish! Lauren remembered every little detail, helped me put my veil on (it did not budge), Hannah and Martha fixed my bridesmaid’s dress, and all three seemed so genuinely happy for us.
We love S & B events!
-Nora and Giancarlo
Irena T
5.0
12/21/2022
Lauren was INCREDIBLE! We loved working with her. She was very responsive and organized. She gave great advice and she also connected us to a wonderful florist. Everything from the beginning to the very end went smoothly. Our wedding day was a dream! Lauren and her assistants made sure that everything was taken care of. We cannot thank her enough. She's the best :)
Steven S
5.0
11/04/2022
Lauren should run for president. I’d trust her with my life.
Antonia P
5.0
10/04/2022
Working with Lauren B was one of my favorite parts of wedding planning, and truly the best money we could have spent. My only regret is not hiring her for full service. This woman really went above and beyond. Every tiny detail, every worry or concern in my mind, Lauren was already 10 steps ahead of me!! Her enthusiasm for helping brides and weddings in general is so clear and she made me feel so comfortable and honestly regenerated my excitement for my wedding after a few hard months of planning solo before she took over for month of coordinating. Even on the day of, there were definitely things that went wrong that were out of anyone’s control but I never got stressed about it because when Lauren is on your team you simply do not have to worry. Every phone call and vendor meeting left me feeling reassured. I don’t even have enough words to explain how wonderful she is, but if you are in the market for a planner do yourself a favor and hire Lauren!!!!
Karoline K
5.0
9/14/2022
Lauren and here team are a literal DREAM! They made everything run so smoothly on our wedding day. They were organized, prompt, kind, and so calm all day. They made sure all the little details were included while not overwhelming us with questions. If you’re on the fence about getting a coordinator, this is your sign to DO IT! And do it with Lauren!!
Kristy D
5.0
9/05/2022
I promise you will not regret booking Stunning & Brilliant! Lauren was sweet, calming, helpful, and everything in between. We felt so prepared heading into our wedding day. Her assistants Erin and Martha were also wonderful! Erin came to the rehearsal without us even requesting, just to make sure they had all of the details to make the ceremony ran smoothly. They took care of everything for us on the day of so we never had to worry. The little details meant so much to us, like when we realized they packed desserts to go for us because we both had forgotten to eat any, packed up the disposable cameras for us that we thought had been left behind, etc. Trust me when I say they will make your wedding day perfect :)
Maya Z
5.0
9/04/2022
I could not have asked for a better team of woman to coordinate my day and be there to make sure everything went beautifully. Lauren was quick and efficient in every single communication we had leading up to the big day, and just as stellar on the day of. Whether it was making sure we always had drinks, running the rehearsal, preparing the bridal suite, managing first looks etc, It was done by Lauren and her team with absolute perfection. Besides the marrying my husband, this team was the next best decision I could have made.
Kristine G
5.0
8/19/2022
I cannot say enough good things about Lauren and Stunning & Brilliant Events. If you are looking to hire an event planner and you've found Lauren, stop looking. I have a 1 year old son and trying to balance planning our wedding and raising my son was difficult. I knew I needed help and that is how I found Lauren! Immediately after talking to her I knew she was going to be a god sent in this whole process! From months before the wedding to the day of she made everything so smooth and stress free. Lauren is the reason I got to relax and truly enjoy our wedding day and help my whole image come alive! Thank you Lauren for your support and making our day so magical!
Maria R
5.0
8/18/2022
When looking for a planner, our venue recommended Lauren Bowles and several other planners that they frequently worked with. After speaking with all of them, it was an easy decision to choose Lauren because of her attention to detail, eagerness to help, excellent sense of professionalism, and can-do attitude.
While planning our wedding, Lauren always replied to emails promptly and made sure our questions and concerns were addressed clearly. Lauren also coordinated with all our vendors, created a bridal party itinerary for our weekend, led our wedding ceremony rehearsal, and attended meetings with venue staff. Lauren went above and beyond to ensure every wedding detail was perfect, no matter how small.
Roughly an hour before our ceremony began, we had unexpected rain that resulted in moving our ceremony inside. While this decision wasn't easy to make, Lauren had suggestions and plans for either option and helped execute the plan quickly and calmly. While monitoring the move, she was excellent in communicating progress and any logistical updates. Even with a rainstorm, no detail was left behind!
Several times throughout the wedding planning process (and the wedding itself) we found ourselves saying, "we could never have done all this without Lauren!" We're so happy we chose her as a planner!!
Alena T
5.0
8/10/2022
Lauren was an absolute pleasure to work with, I hired her when I needed help the most and she made everything so much easier and I was left able to actually enjoy not only the process of planning but the actual day! Being able to trust her on the day of and know that she was taking care of everything without me having to worry was exactly what I needed. I hope to have another event in the future that I can work with her!
Maria S
5.0
6/03/2022
I would recommend Lauren to ANY engaged couple planning their wedding. My fiance and I hired Lauren for month of services, and when we met in-person for the first time about 6 weeks prior, I knew the investment was already worth it. We had a large wedding, with a Catholic ceremony separate from the reception, with lots of logistics to consider and Lauren made it seem like a complete breeze! Lauren listens to what YOU want, and she gives you her confident opinion/guidance when you ask for it. She is extremely professional yet also relatable, kind and friendly. And she makes miracles happen on the wedding day - I found myself on the day forgetting things or feeling panicked, and Lauren was always in sight - ready to solve the problem, and she did it with grace. My mother and mother-in-law also had just the best things to say about Lauren! HIRE Lauren if you can! Erin, the assistant was also lovely on the day-of - the perfect combo!
Jennifer C
5.0
5/16/2022
Lauren is the best investment we could have made towards our wedding. We both thought she did an amazing job on everything related to our wedding, planning, keeping in contact, showing her promptness and professionalism throughout working with her, Lauren's support during the rehearsal dinner and the day of our wedding was just exceptional. Best decision we made (other than choosing each other haha) was having Lauren be a part of our wedding team! Thank you so much Lauren, from the bottom of our hearts please know that you made such a difference and made my wedding day a lovely, positive, cherished memory. Everyone around us made comments to both of us in regards to how calm yet still genuinely happy and excited to be sharing our day with us, how on top of things you were and ran everything on time! Wishing you all the best, Mr. and Mrs. Cruz
Alyssa A
5.0
5/10/2022
Lauren was INCREDIBLE to work with. She was extremely organized and on top of even the smallest details. She really made our day perfect in every way and completely stress free. We were able to enjoy our whole day without us or our families having to worry about anything! The entire event was more than we had hoped for. We highly recommend S&B Events!!!!
Katie S
5.0
3/11/2022
Lauren & Erin are AMAZING! We originally were not planning on hiring a planner for our wedding, however we quickly how beneficial it would be to have one once we got into the thick of planning. Once we came across S&B and spoke with Lauren, the decision was made. Lauren & Erin were incredible to work with and truly helped take the stress of planning off our plate. Our venue allowed us to bring in our own vendors, and Lauren & Erin handled all of the coordinating and communication between them all- truly SO helpful! If I were to give anyone any wedding advice, it would be to hire a coordinator or planner- the value they bring is worth every penny. We are forever grateful to the S&B team for being so easy to work with and for going above and beyond to make our day everything it was!
Kristyn R
5.0
1/31/2022
We had Lauren as our planner for our wedding and she was incredible. She went above and beyond our expectations and delivered an incredible wedding. We could not have had our dream wedding without Lauren by our side. We are so happy we went with Lauren and her team at Stunning & Brilliant Events!
Kristen D
5.0
1/21/2022
I cannot say enough positive things about my experience with Lauren. Early on in the planning did not think I needed a wedding planner at all and as things progressed I realized I could have a much easier time and experience if I did have one. I met with 5 wedding planners and Lauren was by far my perfect choice. She is enthusiastic, professional and accommodating. She immediately answers emails, calls and tests. Her attention to detail is impeccable. She creates an online mood board so you can see your wedding come to life. She was amazing to work with and goes far above and beyond what I think her role consists of. 5 star all the way. If I ever have another event I will also use her!
Christopher B
5.0
11/19/2021
Lauren was truly amazing. We were a little iffy on hiring a wedding planner, thinking we could do things ourselves. But if there was 1 piece of advice I would give to people planning their wedding…it’s to hire a wedding planner.. And make sure it’s Lauren!!! You don’t think of all the details in planning a wedding. From giving suggestions for a rehearsal venue, helping bring our entire vision to life, floral arrangements, helping with every detail, coordinating with all the vendors from the day we hired her until our wedding day, etc…Lauren did everything and was always offering more. She was such a pleasure to work with, easy to communicate with, very detail oriented, super knowledgeable and on top of everything that needed to be done. If we ever have to plan another event, we definitely will hire Lauren!!! She is Chicago’s best for sure.
Joel S
5.0
11/18/2021
Lauren and her team were amazing, on top of every little detail, ran the day like clock work, even held my phone during the wedding, and tied a bow tie on my grandson prior to. They had mints, they had tissue, the worked like a well oiled machine. They made the day great, and insured my daughter (the bride) did not have to worry about a thing! Excellent!!
Kate F
5.0
10/28/2021
I really love and I am a fan of Lauren’s work! She combines an exquisite artistic taste for every detail with all the practical skills and knowledge of how to handle all wedding aspects, so professional always! She is a gifted wedding planner and deeply loves and enjoys what she does. Lauren knows how to make sure a bride feels taken care of and trust me I am a bit of a control freak and perfectionist. She went above and beyond! I feel that must be what makes the big magic of her weddings. Lauren is just amazing to work with!! I would recommend Lauren from S&B events for all your events
Julie K
5.0
10/27/2021
Lauren was amazing!! She had everything and anything you needed and was very helpful with our two kids. She did an amazing job!!!
Jasmin A
5.0
10/27/2021
5 stars doesn’t do Lauren and her team justice. Lauren ensured that every single detail we had in place for our wedding was executed flawlessly and exactly how we wanted. Her work absolutely exceeded our expectations and I would highly recommend her to anyone, seriously. Our wedding was the wedding of our dreams and everything was taken care of. Lauren is very professional and made sure that everything on our to do list was completed in a timely manner, and made sure we were satisfied with everything. She was there for us and made us feel so at ease throughout the wedding planning, which is exactly what we needed. She’s a great person and I highly recommend her to anyone who is in search for a wedding coordinator who will make sure your wedding is stunning!! I’m still getting compliments from our guests on how flawless everything was! Thank you Lauren!! - Jasmin and Talib
Ryan K
5.0
9/27/2021
Note: we had to cut the review to fit the limit.
If you're looking for a wedding planner and you've found Lauren, stop looking. You're done with your search. Lauren is the absolute best to work with and if she's available, you have nothing else to worry about.
My wife and I got married September 2021 after pushing back one year due to COVID. There were so many things up in the air and neither of us had time to bring the planning process together. Our anxiety was dialed up to 11 and we felt lost.
In comes Lauren, like a breath of fresh air. After speaking with over 20 potential wedding planners, we knew the moment we got on Zoom with Lauren that she was the one to make our wedding happen. Unlike the others we spoke to, she took careful note of our progress and actually adjusted her proposal to fit the work we'd already done and what we had left. She was super friendly and it felt like we were working with a friend we had known for a long time.
In terms of contacts, approach to planning, tools of the trade, number of vendor contacts etc. we believe she stands among the best of Chicago wedding planners. We'd rather focus on what makes Lauren even better than anyone else.
To expand on Lauren's detail-oriented nature… when we visited our venue with her for the first time, we started talking about what the best time to start the ceremony was. My mother-in-law brought up the question of sunset on day of as a factor and without missing a beat, Lauren told us exactly what time sunset was on that day. She had already looked it up in preparation for our walkthrough. This was not an isolated event.
Lauren is also someone that goes above and beyond for her clients. There are too many examples of this to list and we don't want to name all of them lest some people take advantage of her (which we're not really worried about since she handles her business like no other). On the wedding day, our dog sitter could not get into our condo because of an issue with our lock. As I was trying to deal with it, Lauren calmly told me she would take care of it, all while balancing the entire wedding at the same time, and made sure our dog and the sitter were well taken care of. She helped plan our rehearsal dinner and after everything with the venue had been settled, she came back and told us she found a way to save us money via renegotiation.
Lauren is also an incredibly creative force. It was clear that she had a great eye for design and fun ideas to offer that best fit our vibe as a couple. She came up with so many little creative solutions to make our wedding special and beautiful. She even came up with the idea of getting caricatures drawn of our guests to replace the normal placecards. It was a huge success and all of our guests gushed over the idea. She managed to do all of this at an extremely reasonable price as well so it never impacted our budget!
Beyond all of the tangible work examples we can't fit in this review, the most important thing was that Lauren was exactly the support we needed to enjoy the wedding planning process and know we were taken care of. She exudes confidence and keeps her clients calm in the most stressful situations. She served her role not only as a planner, but also as a confidante to my wife and a part time counselor to us as we navigated the COVID situation.
Stop looking and go with Lauren because you will not find anyone better!
Sarah M
5.0
9/21/2021
Lauren was amazing during the whole process. She really listened to what we were looking for In out wedding and recommended amazing vendors to execute our vision! I episode definitely use her again for future events!
Jim B
5.0
9/07/2021
Best coordinator experience I could imagine. Lauren and Hannah came into our planning late in the process. While they did not plan with us from the beginning, they took complete ownership of our wedding. They were attentive, supportive and most importantly flawless in their execution. There is no way we could have pulled off our wedding day without them.
I would highly recommend them to anyone who needs assistance.
Lauren D
5.0
9/02/2021
Cassie- your expertise and creative flair is second to none. It's clear to see that you love what you do and it just comes so naturally to you. I can literally articulate what I wanted from you and without even seeing an example, you can come up with the exact thing I am looking for. You are truly talented at what you do and I am so happy I selected you to style my wedding along with being my advisor and moral compass etc. etc. Love your work!
Diana B
5.0
8/06/2021
I cannot say enough good things about Lauren and Stunning & Beautiful events. Lauren is single-handedly responsible for the fact that our wedding came together perfectly and was the best day we could’ve imagined. She was so professional and organized, but even more importantly she was SO kind and enthusiastic, I genuinely felt like she was deeply invested in our experience as the bride and groom. She went above and beyond in so many little ways. My husband and I worked with Lauren towards the end of our planning, through her month-of package, and it was honestly the best decision we made in all of the planning. If you are considering a wedding planner at all a) definitely do it, and b) hire Lauren!!!!
Darelyn C
5.0
7/19/2021
If you are thinking about hiring a wedding planner for your day, I can’t recommend Lauren enough. I decided at the last minute to look into a wedding planner to coordinate the day of my wedding. Looking back, there is no way I could have done it without her. Throughout the day, she took care of every detail and ensured that the schedule and day went according to plan. On top of this, she answered any questions I had and made sure all of my planning came to fruition the way I had envisioned. The deciding factor to choose Lauren, however, was her personality and demeanor. She was always so calm and patient throughout the day and answered not only my questions but any questions the wedding party or guests had about the wedding. The ladies in my wedding party commented on how she even made them feel calmer when they had questions or concerns about something. We had the peace of mind that Lauren and her assistant were taking care of the details behind the scene which allowed us to sit back and really enjoy the day without worrying about the schedule, details or mishaps. If you are looking for a wedding planner, we cannot recommend her enough.
Daniela P
5.0
7/08/2021
Lauren was amazing to work with! She went above and beyond to make my wedding day exactly what I wanted! Lauren is very knowledgeable and precise with her organizational skills. I couldn’t have done it with out her! Highly recommend
Serra O
5.0
6/20/2021
Lauren has been amazing! She goes out of her way to help with anything that goes into making sure your wedding is the way you imagined it. She is very responsive, resourceful, kind, hardworking, and thoughtful. From the moment we hired her, she lifted a major burden off our shoulders and diligently took care of our wedding items. She was so good at solving problems that her name has become a joke among us. When we encounter a problem we say "Let's call Lauren!" because she'll take care of it. We are so happy that we worked with her. She made our wedding day very special, enjoyable, and fun and made sure we, as the bride and groom, enjoyed it. Do yourself a favor and hire her!
Danielle P
5.0
11/25/2020
I cannot say enough wonderful things about Lauren and her team. They made our wedding day an absolute dream! They had every detail planned perfectly and they were absolutely wonderful to work with, I would highly recommended Lauren and her S&B team for any event you would need!
Catherine L
5.0
11/18/2020
Lauren and her team were an absolute God-send! We had no idea how much work really went in to planning a wedding, Lauren made sure it was stress free and took care of all of the details. We cannot thank her enough for how professional she was. If you are looking for a great coordinator, S&B is hands down the best!
Allison W
5.0
11/18/2020
Lauren and her team at S&B were AMAZING! My fiancé and I spent such a long time searching through local planners to hire for our big day but S&B stood out from the rest. From the photos on their Instagram to the incredible response rate for anything we needed - they were there. I cannot thank Lauren enough for making what could have been such a stressful experience, an easy one. We chose to book Lauren for full planning and it was such a great decision. Every small detail was handled when it needed to be! The planning process started as soon as we booked and it was such a weight off of me. Lauren was in charge of course, but we always got to have our input as well, so I always felt involved with my day and the planning ahead of it. I cannot express this enough: hire a planner! Especially Lauren and her team. Whether it’s full, partial, or month-of: these girls work pure magic. Thank you so much Lauren! I cannot day enough!
Katie B
5.0
11/18/2020
Lauren was amazing!! I have no idea how I thought I could plan my wedding on my own until I met Lauren! She walked me through the entire process and made the entire planning so fun! I wasn't sure how much help I needed until I booked Lauren and her team! We did the partial planning package and are so grateful for all of her help and guidance along the way. The day of, our wedding was completely seamless and went off without a hitch! I never had to worry once and I was able to enjoy every minute without stress!
Ashley S
5.0
11/18/2020
Lauren and her team at S&B events are the real deal! We did their "month of coordination" package, but we received so much more guidance than just the month/day of. Planning a wedding is crazy enough and planning a destination wedding during a global pandemic felt nearly impossible at times, but Lauren always had a plan and never let us get too stressed over anything. She also never seemed to be too busy for a phone call, which really meant a lot to us. My husband actually mentioned after the wedding that he was going to miss working with Lauren and her team because of how collaborative and personal the entire experience was. I couldn't agree more. The team at S&B Events made it feel like we were planning our dream wedding with good friends and not just wedding planners. If you are planning a wedding anywhere, I promise you that letting S&B Events help plan your special day will be the best decision you make.
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