I would give this place 1000000 stars if I could Where do I…read morestart. Cornelia is the owner and is at the front of all inquiries so responsive and in love with her job. The result? You get an amazing product. She employee passionate people to work beside her passion and they even grow their own flowers on their own farm. She has an affinity for the earth and all it's beauty which come across in her arrangements. I order an arrangement weekly which she drops off and nurses before she goes explaining anything I need to know to keep the flowers looking amazing. The arrangements bloom like crazy and evolve over the week. The quality of the flowers is just unparalleled. See photos. Go on her website and input an inquiry or email her at the address listed on the website. She is a beautiful person who will respond promptly and help you understand the arrangement right for you.

The Cornelia McNamara Flowers team created beautiful arrangements for my local Chicago wedding at…read morePromontory Point last July! It was important to me to get flowers that didn't have a huge environmental impact, so finding Cornelia McNamara and her Chicago flower farm was a dream come true! I loved that all the flowers were grown locally and didn't have the huge environmental footprint of flowers that are flown in from warmer climates. Because this is a local business, the process for ordering was less formulaic than it is at other florists. Instead of filling out an online form and picking from a few arrangement options, I emailed and talked with Cornelia directly, shared my inspiration pictures, and trusted her team of professionals to do an amazing job (which they absolutely did!). Thoughtful details like having the boutonnieres use magnetic fasteners and having the corsages on beautiful diamantine bracelets that were easy to take on and off made everything seamless. Even when I made a last minute addition of ten centerpieces two weeks before the wedding, the team was super accommodating and everything turned out beautifully! While these flowers were not the cheapest option available, working with someone who cares deeply about her craft while simultaneously caring for her employees and the environment made picking this vendor a no brainer. I highly recommend Cornelia McNamara Flowers to anyone who is looking for beautiful flowers and wants to feel good about the values and impact of the Chicago flower farm creating them.

We are absolutely obsessed with the flowers Jori and her team did for our June 2025 wedding at 167…read moreGreen Street. I'm attaching some photos but they don't even do it justice - my jaw dropped when I walked into the room and saw the magic they worked. I had a very specific vision in terms of colors and theme, but I left flower selection, shape, etc. all completely up to Jori and she designed and executed it all flawlessly. My husband just kept repeating how incredible the flowers looked as if he was in shock, but after interviewing over 15 other florists before choosing Jori, I was not one bit surprised at how perfect the florals were. Our venue is a lot of dark gray and glass, and can feel a little corporate and cold if the design doesn't intentionally warm it up. I had asked for monochrome blush-mauve-berry, but the actual shades Jori chose made the room feel bright and welcoming and cozy all at the same time. Everything Jori planned worked for both our ceremony during daylight and during the reception when it got dark, which I didn't realize would be so important when I was thinking about wedding planning. We also asked for a hanging installation that I imagine was difficult to create, and it was the perfect scale and design for the space. I can't end my review without also noting how lovely Jori was to work with. She was incredibly responsive throughout the planning process and is just an absolute joy and treasure of a person. There was no better choice of florist for our wedding and I promise that if you go with Romee Willow, you will be in good hands.

I was absolutely floored with how gorgeous our florals came out! Jori matched my inspo and overall…read morevibe I was hoping to achieve - to a tee! She incorporated all of the flowers I asked for in my bouquet and created the shape and effect I was looking for in the venue arrangements. We had a short planning timeline and some unexpected changes and she worked with us on all of it. I wish I had my final photos back to share just how truly gorgeous every single arrangement was. I am truly obsessed with the exquisite designs they created for us and will find any and every excuse to work with them again!

Hiring Courtney as my day of coordinator was easily one of the best decisions (out of the hundreds)…read moreI made for this wedding. I don't even want to think about how things would have gone without her. From our first phone consultation I knew she would be perfect. She was so helpful and detailed without being overbearing like so many other seemed to be. As soon as we chose her, Courtney sent us this spreadsheet that organizes EVERYTHING. Every little detail gets accounted for in this thing, including a complete timeline, info for all the vendors, and everyone else involved. She brought up all these different details and moving parts that I never would have thought about and planned for. When the wedding got closer (like 1.5 months away) we met up and she also became my therapist! The wedding stress was REAL. We stayed in close contact from then until the wedding week, with her helping me coordinate all the little details and giving me advice on how to make everything as easy as possible. She also became the point of contact for all my vendors so I did not have to worry about anything or talk to anyone that final week. When it came to the day before, Courtney came to our rehearsal and made sure everything was organized and good to go, meeting all the parents, grandparents, wedding party, etc and letting everyone know that she was the point of contact for everything. On the wedding day she was a SAINT. She came to our hotel where all the gals got ready, steamed our dresses, coordinated delivery of flowers, kept us on schedule, etc. She also was going to to our reception venue to help set everything up! I gave her instructions of how everything should be set up (a lot of it I brought in myself so the venue doesn't set it up) and it looked so amazing beyond everything I had pictured. Somehow between the hours of her helping us get ready, getting us to the church, and the ceremony she managed to put together dozens of floral arrangements, set up signs, and light hundreds of candles. She helped manage everything throughout the night, making sure I was able to eat (she had saved a whole tray of appetizers for the wedding party since we came later than everyone else from photos), she adjusted our timeline when I needed to make updates, she set up all of our favors (100 of them!) while everyone was eating, and she was basically just a flawless angel there to save the day. I did not have one hiccup or issue with the wedding (that I know of!) because Courtney handled and took care of any issue. She was the best decision ever and I can't thank her enough. My day was absolutely perfect and I know it would not have been if it weren't for her. Thank you so much!!!!!!!

We hired Courtney as our day-of wedding coordinator for our wedding this past Saturday, and she…read moredefinitely delivered to our expectations. One thing that I really appreciated about her was how responsive she was to communications. It angers me when I email or text someone that I'm doing business with and I don't hear from them for days on end. Courtney was very prompt with her responses, and that helped me to trust that she would also be responsive to my needs at the wedding. Also, don't let the term Day-Of coordinator fool you. From the day we signed the contract, she was there to answer questions and give advice and feedback on what steps we should be taking with our wedding planning. When the wedding day came, she was at our disposal for the entire day. She helped decorate the venue, she made sure everything went smoothly throughout the night, made sure the vendors were doing their jobs correctly, and overall acted as a liaison between us, our vendors, and our guests. We didn't have to do anything except enjoy the night! I would definitely recommend Bollo Hollow for day-of wedding coordination services.

Floraison has become my #1 go-to for all things floral! No matter what the job is, Amy always…read morecreates beautiful, unique works of art that can brighten a room and bring a smile to anyone's face! Everything from weddings, to bouquets to flower crowns - always executed with so much thoughtfulness and care!

Amy was a dream to work with during our wedding last month. Her depth of knowledge and easy-going…read moreattitude proved to be a perfect combo for this bride. Upon meeting for the first time, I felt she truly got the aesthetic we were aiming for right out of the gate. Amy was also super detailed and straightforward in her proposal. She was also flexible with changes and updates as we got closer to our date. The day of, with our wedding being pretty DIY, she rolled with a tight setup schedule and really helped take the pressure off of my mom and other family members in the stressful few hours leading up to our ceremony. On top of all of that, everything was absolutely stunning - from our bouquets and boutonnieres to the beautiful altar and centerpieces. Thank you for everything, Amy!

I read somewhere that premarital counseling is positively correlated to successful marriages. My…read moreown opinion of marriage was dubious after witnessing seemingly unhappy marriages and happy divorces all around me. I surveyed many married people about the secrets to their success and always cringed when they responded in a sarcastic manner indicating that their relationship was no longer as glowing as it once was and it was merely a habitual status quo of ennui. I wanted none of that for myself! Finding a premarital counselor proved harder than expected. I asked the Unitarian Temple in Oak Park and the Congregational Church across the street. Neither of them provided the services I sought nor did they offer up any referrals. I found a non-religious organization online that offered something like five sessions and a workbook outlining specific lessons; however, they never returned my calls. That's when I found Celebrate Love Chicago and Jeffrey. Jeffrey and I played a fine game of phone tag that resulted in our first contact being way too exuberant and familiar on my part than his want. I definitely caught him off guard and he seemed skeptical of me. We scheduled our first consultation. I learned from his website that his first consultation was free and also that he had a premarital counseling deal that's $450 for five sessions. We told him we wanted to take advantage of that deal and he agreed. At our second meeting I was disappointed that he sprang on us that our first meeting (the consultation) was included in those five sessions. I quickly learned that Celebrate Love Chicago is a small operation. Although it definitely has it's charm being in Andersonville, having free drinks, samples, and literature in the waiting area, and a therapy dog... Well. I think that Jeffrey runs it all by himself which explains all the phone tag, occasional lost emails, and no formal billing process. It's a lot to handle and I am pretty sympathetic about it all even though I was initially annoyed. We learned a lot about how to format the framework of our relationship from Jeffrey. I won't disclose the points that he taught us but I will say that sometimes our tempers flared when he poked into certain problems. Our relationship is rosy and our disagreements are small. We didn't like it when we would dwell on one of our hiccups when we already considered it resolved. Now we understand Jeffrey's method and we know he was simply using those problem points as an example for his framework. We have found his framework to be extremely helpful and now we observe other couples and think that they need a little Jeffrey in their lives too. Fortunately he gave us plenty of cards to distribute and I've already handed out four!

So, the fiance and I hired Jeffrey Sumber to be our officiant and part of the costs require three…read morepre-marital sessions. Since we wanted ours to be non-religious/secular, Jeffrey had asked us to come in so he could get to know us better and help us shape our ceremony to be befitting of us - what a great concept! Our first intro session was FREE (yes, some things in life are free which is very very nice, especially if you're paying for a wedding anyway) and then, he also gave us a 50% discount after four pre-marital sessions with him - we've found his pre-marital sessions are extremely helpful - it's nice to have things laid out in a different manner. He's helping us see past the present and really help us lay out the foundation for our 'culture' together and for our lives together as one. He's also helping overcome little obstacles and something as silly as "why we fight over the center of the bed" - we're very confident in his abilities and look forward to having a beautiful ceremony that is catered to our personalities and our relationship. I highly recommend him as an officiant (if you're going the non-religious route) and a counselor. Plus his office is right next door to Hopleaf and La Donna - another bonus right there, too! With less than three weeks away for the wedding, we're very pleased with the outline of the ceremony and how it's turning out exactly what we could have imagined - it's very personalized to the two of our personality and relationship. I'll edit this after the wedding. EDIT: Our ceremony was fabulous and Jeffrey definitely added quite a bit of personalization and flair to our wedding. He even made a little slipup which was actually really endearing because you could tell that he's spent quite a bit of time with us! Thank you again, Jeffrey!!

My wedding was called off over a year ago and I still did not receive my promised refund. Horrible…read morecommunication and customer service. Would not recommend at all.

I really wish I could recommend Ryan the owner of Stemline. Me and my fiancee had a really good…read moremeeting with him to discuss flowers for our wedding. He had some great ideas and listened to ours. We left with a good feeling and thought he would be the best choice as a florist for our wedding. It was a little difficult at first to get a hold of him afterwards but he apologized and he sent a proposal with very good pricing. My fiancée reviewed his proposal and had a few questions. So she tried to get a hold of Ryan. But no response after emails and phone calls. So I tried and no response. We were actually worried that something might have happened to him. So we asked our wedding planner (who recommended him) to contact him. When we met with her two weeks later, she said he never called her back. Because of the lack of response to any of us, of course we decided not to go with Ryan. I know that artists are not always the best business people but not to respond to potential clients or an established wedding planner is just self sabotage and poor business practice. As of today, months later, we still haven't heard from Ryan. Obviously we found a great florist who actually met us at the venue and responds immediately. Planning a wedding is anxiety provoking enough, but not to have a florist who was recommended not respond to emails or phone calls is just unacceptable. Even if he did respond eventually, we couldn't use him because we wouldn't even be sure if he would show up for the wedding. Based on other reviews, this has only happened a few times so we truly hope he is ok.

I have an upcoming wedding in August and i was looking for florists in the area. I came across…read moreKensington and enjoyed my experience there. Victoria is the owner of the shop and she is great to work with. Victoria has a cheery personality, is friendly, accommodating and most of all willing to work within your budget. I showed her a picture of a bouquet centerpiece i wanted for my reception and she was able to name every single flower in the centerpiece! Very knowledgeable in her craft. She also does event planning if you need it as well. I give it 5 stars for a 5 star experience

I can not begin to describe how amazing Victoria was both professionally and personally. I went to…read moreVictoria for my wedding flowers and prior to meeting with Victoria I thought knew it all, I even considered doing my flowers myself. Victoria not only showed me she was the true professional but also did it in an amazing way. By the time my wedding was quickly approaching it was only Victoria I trusted with the distinct details of my special day. Victoria met with me several times to confirm the details of my wedding. She created a mock up of what my aisle would look like and remained patient as I went over and over the details and changed many details. As a bride you want your day not to be perfect but you want it to be your perfect envision, i assure you Victoria will make sure that happens. She will communicate via phone, email and text to make sure she is doing her job. If anything goes wrong and Victoria is your florist I would say it is at the fault of the bride. One of my biggest frustrations with all my vendors minus Victoria was their lack of contact communication. I would say I talked to Victoria as often as I talked to my bridesmaids. Throughout the planning of my wedding I found myself reaching out to Victoria just to tell her where i was with the planning. One example of Victoria going above and beyond, I told her I had a meeting with my day of coordinator and she asked if she could attend the meeting. During the meeting Victoria asked more questions than the other 3 vendors in attendance. She asked questions a first time bride would never even consider. As my soon to be husband and I drove home we raved about Victoria, I sent her a message to thank her for asking me so many questions and bringing things to my attention I would have never even considered. In terms of price, I told Victoria my budget and she worked everything out to fit my budget, looking back at what we paid her and what we paid others, I wish I could take money from other vendors and just give it to her. I can rant and rave about Victoria pre-wedding but I guess what really matters is day of Victoria. My wedding would not have been as stunning without her. She got every details down pact and there was not one mishap I knew of. Now it is a month after my special day and Victoria and I still keep in contact. She went above and beyond for me, and she is definitely someone I want to remain friends with not only because she is an awesome florist and knows her stuff!, but because she is an awesome person all around Thank you Victoria from the Thomas family we truly appreciate you! :)

A Chicago gem. Pollen is the cutest store with an array on amazing gifts for yourself or a best…read morefriend.

Spotted this new plant shop in the neighborhood and just had to stop in!…read more Lynn, the owner, kindly took the time to walk me through her selection and guide me to the right decision for a low-light plant for my bedroom. The selection is stellar and I think they have something for everyone! Plus, their pretty pottery, books, and other accessories mean you can walk out with a cute plant AND a cute home for it. They're closed Sunday-Tuesday, so just make sure to check the hours before dropping by. They also seem to have a robust website & post new plants there, so that's another option if you're not comfortable with in-person shopping. As for covid, only 3 shoppers are allowed in at any time, masks must be worn at all times, hand sanitizer is provided at the door, and you can only touch what you intend to purchase. I can't wait to return!!