Takes SEVERAL days (if you're lucky!) if not weeks to respond to 1 email message even if your wedding is only a few months away. Very hard to reach, practically doesn't respond. Her final email to me (after I emailed her to remind her that she hadn't responded to my email despite several days) was: "I have a really large event today and will reply tomorrow! -Ali Phillips." ... and she never ever responded. Completely unreliable and unprofessional. Nobody should be treated like this nor would want to be treated like this. If your wedding is 3 years away and you can afford to wait possibly several weeks by the time she responds to your single email (if she ever responds), then by all means go ahead and choose her as your event planner. Regarding your response below, you need to interact appropriately -and professionally with all customers who have reached out to you whether or not they have signed the contract yet. I have email proof of these interactions. There is another review on this yelp page who also reported a very similar experience to mine. Please respond to your customers when you say you would within 48 hours - this was absolutely not done in my case. read more

Ali was the best decision for wedding planning! We hired her to be the day of coordinator for our wedding and she made the day seamless. She had everything organized and was highly engaging 2 months leading up to our wedding to help finalize all the details. From getting ready in the morning to helping ensure the venue was ready, the day went off without a hitch due to Ali and her team. read more

Ali is absolutely amazing, and my husband and I can't give her enough praise! We hired Ali for full-service planning about a year out. She planned our multi-day, multi-cultural, fusion wedding, and everything went so smoothly, especially given the complexity of our wedding. In addition to being very personable, kind, and full of positive energy, here are a few highlights that set her above and beyond: - Her cultural competency / knowledge of Indian and Chinese culture: We needed the most help planning 3 days of Indian events, and she was very well versed in all the traditions, down to the details. We were so impressed. For the evening of Chinese events, she brought up cultural considerations that we hadn't even thought of ourselves! Her thoroughness and knowledge was so helpful in making sure the events flowed well down to the details, and maybe even more importantly, making sure both sets of parents were happy, haha. - Her vendor picks: Phenomenal! She helped us find vendors that really fit our personalities well, and in retrospect, we wouldn't change anything! She was able to help us find a Priest (one of the areas where we needed most help), and we are still getting compliments about how thoroughly the Pandit (Indian Priest) explained everything for our guests who were not familiar with Indian ceremonies, among other things. - Her ability to work with all our family members/wedding party seamlessly: We have a lot of big personalities (without throwing anyone under the bus, haha), and from various cultures nonetheless, and she was able to get along and work well with everyone. - Aisle Planner tool: It was a great online tool for making sure everyone was on the same page between my husband, her, and me. It also had a task list and a timeline, which we found really helpful in making sure everything was done and we could track our expenses. - Her attention to detail: I was so impressed that she thought of little things, like coordinating breakfast/brunch/coffee with my bridesmaids while we were getting hair and makeup done to make sure everyone was well fed. - How "us" our wedding felt: When we were interviewing planners, I loved how she said that you wouldn't be able to look at our wedding and say, "That's an 'Ali wedding'" because each wedding she does is personalized to the couple. I can look back on our wedding and say that is absolutely true! I loved and am truly appreciative of how much our wedding reflected my husband's and my personalities and values, and we never felt like we were put into a "standard Indian wedding template." - She was great at planning with us REMOTELY: We lived in Boston at the time we were planning, but were married in Chicago. She was very reliable at communicating through text/phone/email. What really stood out though was when we flew in town, she booked all our appointments for us in such a manner that we could get everything done very efficiently. We were very grateful for that! So I will say, she was pricier than a bulk of the planners we interviewed. HOWEVER, I will be the first to say that she was COMPLETELY worth it. If I had to do it all over again (don't worry, we won't, haha - very hypothetically speaking), we would still hire Ali especially knowing the time and headache we saved. Also, all our vendors loved working with Ali so it made everything pretty seamless. There were a few minor hiccups that I found out about after the fact, but Ali handled them so well that we didn't even notice during the wedding. Overall, we were able to enjoy our wedding weekend without worrying about all the logistics thanks to Ali and her wonderful team! More than 1+ month out, we are still getting many compliments from our guests on how well organized the wedding was. Thank you, Ali!! If you're looking for a reliable planner that executes well AND has a great personality, I would not hesitate to recommend Ali in a heartbeat! read more

I am lacking the bride gene. So when it came time for me to plan my "dream wedding" (whatever that was), I knew I was going to need some help. Enter Ali Phillips. She helped us decide on a venue (Crystal Garden at Navy Pier), found us our photographer (Becky Hill), our musicians (Laksar Reese and Su Orquestra, as well as FunTimes DJs), our flowers (Asrai Garden) - everything. We didn't have to do much searching or thinking. She kept us on time and in line throughout the entire process. Then - on our wedding day, she made sure that we had nothing to worry about. My husband and I (and our families) could just relax and enjoy! Seriously, we couldn't have done it without her. It was the best money we spent on our wedding and she would've been a bargain at twice the price. read more

As a wedding vendor I always love it when I have a bride who has a jack rabbit of a wedding planner to help with the day. Ali Phillips is that jack rabbit. She is always on top of things, pleasant to work with and always maintains complete professionalism with her bride and the couples guests. I always breathe a sigh of relief when I know Ali is going to be doing my brides wedding. Ali has all the experience in the world compared to some of these planners who plan their weddings and then think they can make a living out of it. Her experience and passion for her job truly set her apart from any other planner out there. I hired Ali when I got engaged and she helped me plan my international wedding. She was always on top of things and made sure things went smoothly. Despite her not speaking Italian, she had my Italian wedding all planned out. I didn't have to do a thing but keep working on my business. She told me when to do something and I did it. It was wonderful. Ali is worth every cent in my opinion and I believe brides should be brides and let the planners handle the party. Ali is quality folks, and experience is priceless. If you are looking for someone that you don't have to worry about, hire Ali. She has your best interests at heart and will be sure your day goes smooth. xoxo Sonia read more

Ali is the BEST wedding planner out there. Let's start by how she is the coolest person on the planet. Ali is always concerned about the BRIDE. Takes into consideration everyone involved and always comes back to what the bride wants. She is so genuine, sweet, and authentic. Ali is the type of planner who is super organized but not crazy. She will never come off as stressed, even though there are some things going on on the day of.... she won't let it be known! She is super calm and extremely personable. She gives great advice, and I can not recommend Ali more. You'd be sorry for not having her as a planner :) love her! read more

Ali is amazing. Her personality and demeanor make her a joy to work with. She is a professional that gets the job done without stress. Ali is experienced and knowledgeable, worth every penny. I highly recommend her for your big day. read more

Ali was awesome! Our wedding was amazing and we couldn't have done it without her. She kept me calm throughout the process and was so much fun to work with. We had interviewed a few planners before we chose Ali - she was the one we clicked with the most and I knew her upbeat personality would be just what we needed. Her vendor recommendations were fantastic - I would have never found my perfect florist and invitation designer without her. As an example of how it doesn't get any better then Ali - the night of our rehearsal dinner Ali showed up at the hotel a bit early and came up to our room to check on us. We needed to be out the door in just a few minutes and neither of us was near ready and I was starting to panic a bit. Ali asked what we needed and proceeded to iron my husband's shirt. Seriously! I calmed down immediately and we made it out on time...and everything else that weekend was like that, exactly on time! read more

After hiring Ali (or "Als" as I liked to refer to her as) to manage and help plan my big wedding, she immediately became more than just a "wedding planner"...she became a good friend! She is incredibly talented, hard working, and confident. She has so many great ideas and really knows how to stay focused on what the bride & groom wants and has in mind. Even if I wasn't, she made me feel like I was the only bride in this world. She is up to speed on all of the latest and greatest in the wedding world, and she had a million amazing contacts/connections....everyone seems to know ALI from engaging events:) Ali was available 24/7 (literally) when I needed her. She was by my side through out all of the planning and on my special weekend. She made wedding planning fun and easy, and she was always one step ahead of the game. Ali is one of those people that you feel comfortable with instantly. She pulled off the most magical wedding weekend for my husband and I (and family). I would never think of planning a wedding without her... Now that our wedding is over....everyone keeps asking, "so tell me, nothing seemed to go wrong but was there one thing that did go wrong or something you would change?" I can honestly say, no! With Ali and her team by our side...everything worked out perfectly!! It was a weekend I will never forget and Ali and her work is something we will never forget. Thanks my Als:) We will be living off the memories forever. read more

Ali is amazing. She got us through the process without any outstanding bridezilla moments and made it the most beautiful wedding that we, or any of our guests, had ever been to. She is warm, knowledgeable, prompt, open to ideas and able to work them into magic. I am not sure how she did what she did, but we had a flawless multi-day fest (welcoming party, rehearsal dinner, wedding, after party, after-after party), that was arranged in less than 6 months AND we were out of town for four of those months. She really took time to listen to what we wanted, which is important to us as we did not want a standard wedding. We wanted something unique and she provided us with the vendors and the ideas to do that. I cannot express how much gratitude I have for her, the process could have a nightmare, instead it was intense, but manageable, no major fires, no breakdowns, and my guests and my partner and myself, all went away feeling happy. I should add that everyone loved her. She is the kind of lady that you want to hang out with after everything is done and are kind of sad because the event is over. read more

As I approach my first wedding anniversary I realize now more than ever how valuable Ali's help was with our wedding. I look back on our photos and our video and my husband I chat about the day. It was seamless, perfect, beautiful, relaxed, elegant, totally organized and most importantly FUN! This is how the entire year leading up to our wedding and the entire planning process was with Ali! FUN! There were mistakes made by vendors (it is inevitable) but before I even knew Ali had it handled and smoothed over so never ever did she say on my wedding day oh there is a problem, it was just hey this happened its handled but i thought you should know. My husband and I had a blast on our wedding day and we had no worries because we knew we were in good hands with Ali. Ali is amazing, organized, creative, classy, calm, fun, enthusiastic and treats every wedding with the kind of detail and passion as if it were her own. If I could give Engaging Events and Ali Phillips more stars I would! She is amazing! read more

We hired Ali to be the "day of" planner for our daughter's wedding at the Museum of Science and Industry. I had done all the planning and just wanted someone to "have my back" wedding day. What more can I say - Ali had my back! I consider that a high compliment. We were worry free on the wedding day because Ali took care of everything. Thanks Ali. read more

Ali is amazing. She was wonderful throughout our planning process, helping me, an indecisive and not wedding focused bride, by recommending great vendors, helping with ideas and keeping us on track, on budget and on time. While I would not trade any of her help in the planning process, Ali truly became a life saver on the day of our wedding. I ended up being sick and she moved heaven and earth to make sure that I was as comfortable as could be, helped keep the evening flowing, and even had her assistant run back to my hotel room to get a change of clothes for me. Because of her and her assistant's efforts, I was able to stay, feel better, and enjoy my wedding day with my new husband, family and friends. If you are looking for a planner, you could not find a better person to help with the expected and fix the unexpected. read more

Organized, Thorough, Personable, Creative, and knows her craft! This woman is serious about wedding planning and the business of making wedding dreams come true. My now husband and I chose Ali after interviewing a few wedding planners in the Chicago area. After our first meeting with her, we knew she was the wedding planner for us! It's been a year since our wedding, and our family and friends are still talking about our wonderful our ceremony, cocktail, and reception. Ali kept us (well Me the bride) on track, stress free, and allowed me what I wanted most...to enjoy my journey into marriage without the stress and drama of organizing a wedding. Personally, I appreciated working with someone who took their job seriously and executed it with focused passion and joy! She had amazing vendors for us to select, resulting in AMAZING food, pictures, video, DJ! Our parents are still talking about how great Ali is! Our wedding was smooth and my husband and I had so much fun..we want to have that kind of party again! Hands down Engaging Events by Ali is PHENOMENAL and any couple is fortunate to have her by their side! ~Alfred and Landria Green read more

Whatever you pay to engage Ali's services, it isn't enough. Ali is fantastic. Personable, perky, easy to work with and she handles all the details you really don't want to. Ali helped my husband and me plan our destination castle wedding (yes! castle!) and everything went perfectly. Really. I was ready for something to go wrong, and nothing did. I didn't worry about any of the details leading up to the big day and I really didn't need to. Ali took care of every finishing touch and made it a stress-free, fun celebration for my husband, me, and all of our guests. read more

Called her. A week later she called me back. At least she was apologetic that it took a week. She left a message. I called her back. Never heard from her again. You're supposed to be a planner but can't keep phone calls organized. Not a good sign. However, this seems to be par for the course with wedding planners. It makes no sense. read more

Ali is the most amazing woman ever! She made our wedding perfect (within her control). I could not ask for a better partner in planning my wedding. I owe the entire day to her! read more

Ali was indispensable in planning our long, complicated wedding. We had 2 ceremonies (a Civil and a Hindu), lunch, dinner, cocktail hour, and countless details. Ali was always prepared, always keeping us on track and on schedule (the whole point of a wedding planner), and always fun and charming. She understood the different cultural aspects of our wedding and sensitive to the different needs. She made excellent recommendations for food, music, and flowers. She even ran to get extra wine when we ran out during the reception - no one was the wiser! If you are planning on a wedding of any scale, consider a wedding planner, and we could not have asked for a better one than Ali. Bravo! read more

Awesome. Great personality and a joy to work with. My wife and I never had anything to worry about. Ali took care of everything for us. Could not have asked for a better wedding planner. THANKS ALI!! read more

There are wedding coordinators, and then there is Ali Phillips of Engaging Events by Ali!! When my (now) husband and I got engaged a year ago here in Chicago I was instantly overwhelmed with choices, and knowing that we were on a budget we knew that we needed help. I found Ali online and immediately booked an appointment with her. Needless to say my husband, myself and my mother all loved her from the start! Ali made us feel like our wedding would be her number one priority and didn't even flinch when we mentioned that our dream was to have a beautiful wedding in the city...on a budget! Ali was honest,and professional with us every step of the way. We booked the platimum package with Ali, which I strongly reccommend, it was worth EVERY penny! Ali literally walked us through every step of the way! My now husband and I absolutely loved all of our vendors, not only were they incredibly professional, but they were all great people. We had, fun times DJ, Glen Abog Photogrophy, Flora for flowers, and Poetic Productions for Videogrophy, and Palmer House Hilton for our reception, ALL were simply amazing!!! My wedding was a week ago and everyone is still raving to us about it...It was hands down the wedding of our dreams and within our budget as well!!! Ali made sure that everything ran as expected the day of the wedding,not only did I get to enjoy my day but my family did as well without the burden of any responsibilities. I honestly can not say enough great things about Ali, she is a terriffic person who happens to be a terriffic wedding coordinator! read more

Not enough space to write all of the wonderful things I have to say about Ali Phillips. From the beginning Ali got us and our "off the wall ideas" :) We knew she was the planner/designer for us when we saw her Twilight Photo shoot. It was amazing and intrigued me. When we met, she was very excited to help us plan our dark, magical and haunted wedding day! She was with us every step of the way and during it all, we became friends. Ali has to be one of the most energetic and optimistic people I have ever met and it really comes in handy during all of the planning. On the actual day of the wedding there were some hiccups and Ali took care of them instantly so I could enjoy the day. I trusted her 100% so I was so comfortable letting her take charge. Our day turned out to be the most beautiful wedding I have ever seen, It was dark, romantic and truly magical. We could not have done it without Ali and her fantastic team.!!! A huge thank you to Britney as well! She was so helpful and sweet :) AND...to top everything off, Ali booked our Honeymoon for us! She got us the most amazing "Millionaires Suite" at Sandals St. Lucia! Because of Ali we got an amazing wedding and beautiful honeymoon. To our new friend, thank you for everything you gave us :) read more

We contracted with Ali around January 2012 for our daughter's May 2013 wedding. We initially chose her because of her education and experience in design but ultimately what won us over these 16 months was her consistent kindness, unflappable temperament and a sincere heart. There are numerous decisions in planning a blended Indian-American wedding in grand style. We needed a wedding planner to navigate through many complex choices. Our unorthodox budgeting style with endless attempts at optimization was an additional challenge. There were many places where we disagreed with Ali and it was exactly in these places that her personality was a big asset. She was extremely graceful in going along with our vision and our choices and yet directing us appropriately. Her implementation on the day of the wedding was impeccable. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors. read more

Thanks to Ali Phillips our daughter's wedding celebrations turned out to be absolutely spectacular. She worked with us for almost a year and was invaluable in bringing to reality our daughter's dream wedding. She took care of so many aspects big and small and was always unflappable and upbeat! She brought us great vendor suggestions. Both the Sangeet and wedding days were perfectly executed and the best part was that we all got to enjoy the events as we knew Ali was taking care of everything behind the scenes! Our guests continue to rave about the wedding and how much they enjoyed themselves. So to our wedding planner extraordinaire and my ongoing friend, a huge thank you. We couldn't have done it without you :-)) read more

Ali is amazing! I have now past my first wedding anniversary and have a number of friends attempting to plan a wedding without a wedding planner. I would never have survived my wedding planning if it wasn't for Ali. She helped me find all my vendors (who were all great), but more than that, she helped keep me calm and on track with everything. When I was stressed out about something, she was there to calm me down and make sure everything was okay. I would never have made it through my wedding if it wasn't for her help and sanity! read more

I started stalking Ali's work long before I was engaged (but had already begun secretly reading wedding magazines) when I saw an article about her in Chicago magazine - she was listed as the "BFF" of Chicago wedding planners. As soon as I was engaged I set up a meeting and she lived up to the article - my now husband and I adored her - she was the BFF described - personal, energetic, down to earth and every bit professional. The first thing Ali did with us was come up with what we wanted people to walk away from our wedding saying - we wanted it to be magical, a fairy tale come to life. We started working and were so impressed with what she was able to accomplish for us. Her organizational timeline and information binder and worksheets she provided kept us on track of our budget, our payments, and what we had to get done; her relationship with the other vendors was priceless - they expressed to us they loved working with her and seemed to want to bend over backwards and go above and beyond to get things right as we were Ali's clients; her knowledge of etiquette and tradition was invaluable; her attention to detail and organizational skills enabled us to trust her to be on top of every last thing while we tended to our busy work schedules. Ali made what seemed like a stressful and overwhelming task fun from beginning to end. On the day of the wedding, I had not a stress in the world as I knew Ali was all over everything. It truly was the best day of my life - the vision we had from the beginning had truly come to life with not one thing overlooked. As we interacted with the guests I heard the words "fairy tale" and "magical" from just about everyone. We could not have possibly gotten this done without Ali. I would highly recommend Ali to any bride; she was truly essential and irreplaceable in turning our wedding vision into reality. read more

If you want to have the wedding of your dreams, then there is no better planner then Ali! We have been working with her for over two years on our wedding, and believe me when I say that we never could have had such an amazing night without her. Wedding planning is stressful and time consuming enough, so Ali makes the whole process as easy and as enjoyable as it can possibly be while also working with your schedule. She knows just about every vendor in the business, and helps you choose just the right ones for your particular wedding. As a bride who had no idea where to even start or which type of colors, vendors, or theme to use, Ali was always right there with me with helpful suggestions to point me in the right direction.What's even more wonderful is that she also has great assistants who just make the big day go even more smoothly. We could not imagine working with anyone else but Ali, and we HIGHLY recommend you choose her for your special day! read more