This review is much overdue (sorry Manikas Designs!). My wedding would not have been the…read morephenonmenal wedding it was without Tom and his team - guaranteed. I got married in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida which neither myself nor my husband were familar (nor Tom) - we felt overwhelmed but Tom didn't. Tom and his team quickly discovered the best of the best vendors that fit our vision. Tom built great working relationship with these folks - so much so that my wedding florist and Tom keep in touch, she loved working with him. We knew not to worry because we've seen Tom in action. He had already planned my bridal shower in Chicago, my sister's baby shower in Miami and children's christenings in Jacksonville. The budgets ranged from low to high on all these events and each time Tom overdelivered. He's simply amazing. Just like everyone says, he's the first to arrive and the very last leave. This surprised us and won us over because when interviewing other planners we discovered most planners leave after the main course is served. Tom also did my hair, my maid of honor's hair and my flower girl's hair too. We searched high and low and after 5 practice runs we had no luck. Tom stepped in and my hair was amazing. Tom also designed my custom wedding gown along with making my headpiece and veils (I wanted something specific and I couldn't find it anywhere). I've heard the phrase 'Jack of all trades and master of none'..but, in this case it's master of ALL! Tom thank you for everything - you rock!

As many brides can attest to, wedding planning is a stressful and overwhelming time. I started my…read moreplanning on my own and realized fairly quickly I needed some extra help. I received Tom's name from a family member who had used him and had sang his praises. As I asked around further, everyone that had used Manikas Designs had been over the moon with what Tom and his team could do. Looking back now, I have to say that this (hiring Manikas Designs) was the BEST decision I made and subsequently allowed every encounter with every vendor after hiring Tom to run smoothly due to his professionalism, vision and attention to detail. Tom is not just an event planner but an interior designer which allows him to create amazing spaces which will transport your guests to the event of your dreams. I cannot begin to praise Manikas Designs for everything they did for me. From helping me pick out from the smallest to the biggest details with absolute patience, to making my family feel comfortable, to choosing the right shade of white for my husbands tie, and to even sewing up my dress at the end of the night. No detail was too small and nothing was overlooked. Tom and his team not only were professional but made me feel that my event was the most important one to them. My wedding day was beautiful, calm, and absolutely stress-free and this could not have been possible without Manikas Designs. If you are looking for wedding planning seek no further, it will be the best decision you make!

I have volunteered for the Square Roots Festival for many years now. I love doing it, but the time…read morewasted waiting to be taken to your assignment is not fun. There is a chaotic vibe running through the people handling the volunteers. They need to get much more organized to earn a 5 star rating. My last assignment had 3 people on cash payment for tickets and only 1 for credit card, and you guessed it, the credit card line was ridiculously long, which the rest of us sat like mopes! What is needed here is organization, organization, organazation! And it would be nice if the head of the volunteer group didn't get so stressed that she borders on being rude. Just saying!

Big Buzz Idea Group creates and produces many of Chicago's most beloved summer festivals, as well…read moreas many other wonderful events around the year! I've interacted with the Big Buzz staff at several events over the past few years. They are professional, courteous of the neighborhoods/residents and respectful of everyone involved from staff to volunteers and event patrons. Most of all, Big Buzz Idea Group takes on events/festivals with the goal of leaving the neighborhood better than how they found it. This is accomplished through a volunteer grant program (which Big Buzz developed) that has funneled millions of dollars into local NPOs, schools, churches and other organizations. Big Buzz Idea Group are good people crafting great events for the betterment of others.

Jarrod's work would make Charles Dickens proud! Incredibly meticulous with details and delivers…read moreeverything on time. I would recommend his services for every holiday occasion

I worked very closely with Jeff making sure that my vision for my event was exactly how I wanted…read moreit. Jeff is very educated and seems like he has much experience in many different events. My event wasn't large but he made it feel like I was the most important customer he's ever had. The process from beginning to end was smooth and easy. Don't Stop the Music Entertainment will be used again and I'm recommending to everyone I know.

Highly recommend. Easy to work with, all requests met. Very fair pricing. If your looking for a fun…read moreevent give them a call.

We were very pleased with their vision and creativity to form the perfect image for our business…read more The lady who took care of us (Basia), she met all our needs and the result was very productive. We definitely recommend Rendex Design to anyone who wants the highest satisfaction in design services, and we will hire them again for our next project.

Millennium Decorations provided staffing and bartending for our wedding…read more On the plus side, I think their prices were reasonable, and they did most everything we asked them to, and came through and delivered services as expected on the day of. A few guests said one of the bartenders didn't know how to make our signature drink, but ya know, big deal. The biggest issue that I have with Millennium Decorations was communication: I had to routinely follow up on emails in order to get an answer, and I always felt like my phone calls were really rushed. It took them a long time to get us a contract, and then didn't send us a counter-signed contract for 2 months. We also ended up spending $8/person for soda and ice at our wedding, which, ya know, kinda our fault or agreeing to that (very high) price. But still, we feel kind of swindled by that. Not to mention that I still had to order ice to the venue in order to chill the beer ahead of time. So, kind of a lackluster experience with this vendor. On the one hand, most (important) things were right on the day of the event. On the other hand, since most of the time you're working with a vendor is NOT the day of, it's important to take that into consideration.

Went for a tasting today and the food was really good. We had the opportunity to taste over 20…read moredishes. The price is so low that we almost missed out on the tasting. We were thinking for a price that low the food had to be awful. We were pleasantly surprised. The food was fresh, succulent and quite honestly impressive.

Andy Bossov is a FANTASTIC pianist, entertainer and acompianist. Highly Recommended. Best, Sandra…read moreBogan performer, Second City

We hired Record-a-hit for their photo booth services for our wedding at Salvage One in July 2022…read more They were easy to work with and responsive about questions ahead of time. The photo booth came with props and they also were happy to set out some extra props that we had purchased. The photo booth attendant, Jovani, was great and the photo booth was a hit with our guests. We loved that we got a physical copy of each photo at the end of the night in addition to digital copies later so we could see the fun our guests had. If you're looking for a photo booth for your wedding, we highly recommend Record-a-hit!

Whenever I have a need for event entertainment, I turn to Record a Hit. Over the years, whether it…read morehas been a Money Booth, a Balloon Artist, or a Rain Tent, Rob and Dipesh have been so responsive and accommodating. Maybe even more importantly, the staff they use to set up the equipment have been prompt, knowledgeable and flexible. I had one year where the rain tent was not working as I wanted and the guy who set it up ran out to hardware store and provided a great solution and was done fixing it before the event even started. I never hesitate to contact Record a Hit for my needs.