We LOVE MaryMonica and the talented DJ Chris! MaryMonica is the very wonderful and understanding president of MaryMonica Music & Entertainment, Inc. We were like many couples, being impacted by the pandemic and needing to reschedule... three times. MaryMonica was our point of contact as we ventured through the unknown territory of planning a wedding through COVID. She truly is committed to making sure her clients are able to have the day they envision for entertainment! I can't express my gratitude to how kind and flexible she was as we changed dates quickly and made sure we got our favorite DJ Chris to be part of this big day! We hope one day we can meet in person to truly express our gratitude. Our DJ was Chris! He met in person as well as had a conference call to get to know me and my fiancé as a couple as well as understand what sort of vibe we wanted for the evening. We really appreciated the random texts we would send in the off-work hours, in the evenings or on the weekends, where we never felt like a bother. Rather, you could feel DJ Chris' enthusiasm and excitement to work with us and provide us with his expert feedback! Through the evening, I would often use his DJ booth as a place to catch a breath and regroup :)he is a calming presence in a very whirl-winded day! I would wholeheartedly recommend DJ Chris. You will not regret having him be part of your wedding dream team! read more

After being recommended DJ Chris for our wedding by a friend, we decided to book him through MaryMonica Music. He was BEYOND wonderful. He listened to all of our requests, played all the right parts of the songs, and his transitions were excellent. Our number one goal was for everyone to be out on the dance floor all night, and with DJ Chris spinning, our guests never left the dance floor. We recently attended another wedding of a couple who also used DJ Chris. He once again did not disappoint! Transitions were spot on and the dance floor was super fun. We would recommend DJ Chris to anybody who is planning a wedding and wants to make sure the dance floor is packed all night! Thanks Chris for making our day so special and fun! read more

We worked with DJ Chris Socha for our wedding on 8.10.18 and he was AWESOME. In the weeks prior to the wedding Chris was extremely accommodating with talking to us over the phone, going over the timeline of the wedding day, and talking with us about our music requests. My husband absolutely loves Chicago House music and DJ Chris did a great job at mixing it and keeping everyone on the dance floor all night. MaryMonica was also wonderful throughout the whole planning process, she was available at anytime to answer questions we had. We highly recommend working with them! read more

I can't believe I never reviewed MaryMonica! We got married at Salvage One 5/23/09, and thank god my day-of coordinator talked us out of using an I-Pod and talked me into MaryMonica. Our DJ's name was Julian, and we told him what we liked/didn't like and everyone said that it was the best music they ever heard at a wedding before. And, it was affordable. Totally recommend them! Sorry MaryMonica it took me so long to review! read more

We hired MaryMonica to entertain our wedding on 9/28 in Chicago. They were flexible and awesome. We hired a hype man by the name of CJ and the guy was out of this world. From the very minute that the dinner was done, he had the entire wedding on the dance floor. He kept everyone dancing until the venue said the party was over. He would improvise a bride/groom game since we didn't have a guarder. CJ was high energy and the guest loved it. Couldn't have asked for more! It was well worth the extra investment and I can't say enough good things about them. read more

DJ Richie Rich was absolutely the best DJ we could have asked for at our wedding. All we truly wanted was an amazing dance floor and he kept everyone dancing all night long. He also had great music for our cocktail hour and kept the evening moving smoothly. After our wedding, everyone was saying it was the best dance floor they had seen at a wedding. Thank you so much for a wonderful time!!! read more

We hired two dancers for our wedding day on June 23rd. We wanted to have Brazilian dancers during our "Hora Loca" time to get the party revved up! It was difficult to find Brazilian dancers in Chicago, but I was so glad we were able to find Mary Monica. The guests loved the dancers, and we had so much fun. Thank you, Mary Monica! My guests loved your dancers! read more

MaryMonica Music helped to make my recent birthday party event a HUGE success and a lot of fun. We contacted MaryMonica about 1 week prior to the event as we decided last minute to have a DJ. She was a breeze to work with and immediately let us know that she and her team would help us to have a great time. DJ Richie was at the restaurant and set up right on time. He did a fabulous job. The music was fantastic and the party was a lot of fun. Guests were still talking about the music the next day! At the party, there was a wedding reception going on in a room above us. During the evening they heard the great music and how much fun we were having and came down and crashed our party! Everyone danced and had a great time. MaryMonica and DJ Richie, thank you soooo much for helping me celebrate my special day! I will definitiely keep you in mind for future events and referrals! read more

MaryMonica Music was recommended to us by our wedding coordinator for our May 2013 wedding. She suggested DJ Chris by name (he plays her holiday party every year), so we trusted her personal experience with the DJ and the company. We met MM once at our coordinator's studio, but didn't feel the need to have a face-to-face with DJ Chris prior to the wedding - we just sent our list of songs and music tastes. And then the wedding day came... The first "win" for DJ Chris was the first group dance song of the night. My best friend and Man of Honor mentioned in his speech that our friendship began over the lyrics to "I've Had the Time of my Life", and he buttoned his toast with another reference to the song. When the first group dancing song came on, it was "I've Had the Time of my Life" - my best friend, my husband and I had an incredibly special moment on the dance floor before being joined by the rest of the guests. DJ Chris had been listening. Once the dance floor opened, it was packed until they kicked us out. Our music styles are a little old school - I like 50's and 60's R&R, which doesn't exactly lend itself to dance parties beyond Sock Hops and Socials. But DJ Chris created the most incredible mash ups with Motown and Funk (my husband's faves) and more modern crowd pleasers. It was truly incredible. At one point I was dancing to some good old rock & roll, thinking "I'm dancing to music I actually know the words too! And so is everyone else!" It was such a special day, and DJ Chris exceeded all expectations. Thank you! read more

Our wedding planner suggested we work with MaryMonica Music to hire a DJ for our wedding day - specifically, she had worked with DJ Chris previously. We met with DJ Chris at a coffee shop and shared our Spotify playlist we put together with a few of our favorite songs (plus processional, father-daughter, recessional, etc). He asked a few questions about type of music we listened to, with examples. We left feeling comforted that DJ Chris listened to our ideas and desires for the wedding, however, DJ Chris went above and beyond what we expected for the wedding reception. EVERYBODY went to the dance floor. He read the crowd and played the right music every time! It was non-stop fun. Friends would come up to me in the following days saying that DJ Chris was the best wedding DJ they had ever seen. Keep up the good work MaryMonica read more

I worked with MaryMonica Music for my wedding and could not have been happier with that choice. With cost effective pricing, many entertainment options and a great team to work with, what more could you ask for? I selected Chris Somera as my DJ and he was incredibly professional and fun to work with. He made sure his time with us would be exactly what my husband and I wanted. He was a great addition to the wedding festivities and one that I would suggest to anyone looking for great entertainment! read more

If you need a DJ who is going to work with you than MaryMonica is the place to go. I had a tight budget and they worked around what I needed! Mary was very attentive and enthusiastic from the very beginning. The day of Chris took care of my music needs and fullfiled any request that I had. When my family asked for the chicken dance he made sure to get approval from me before playing it. Look no further for your DJ needs because they will take care of you. Thank you Mary and thank you Cris for the music for my wedding! read more

MM provided the DJ services at my daughter's wedding at the Notebaert Museum, and the dance floor rocked for 4 solid hours.....great vibes from MM ! Dennis G. read more

MaryMonica was extraordinarily helpful. We were referred to her by a bandleader whose band was unavailable on our wedding date. She set us up with a band similar to the one we'd wanted and it turned out very, very well. Our band was the Orpheus Trio. We had them play our ceremony, cocktail hour and dinner. I couldn't believe how many of our guests commented on how great they were. They were professional, polite and very easy to work with. And they played all of the songs that we had requested they play. We would never have known about them if it weren't for MaryMonica. We dealt with her exclusively in setting up the details before the date and then as the date drew nearer, she put us in contact with Gabriel, the Orpheus Trio's bandleader. Payments were easy, communication was great and the whole experience was seamless and painless. Which is great, because we had enough to worry about. Having MaryMonica take care of the music was a real treat. read more

Mary Monica helped arrange the band and DJ for my June wedding. I hired her through Lori at LOLA, my wedding planner. I wanted a bluegrass band or something similar for the ceremony and then a DJ for the reception. I immediately booked Kris for the DJ and he was great. I sent him a list of must play/don't play music and I'm pretty sure it was followed to a T, though honestly the music was too good and I was having too much fun to notice. He was super nice and professional and just played the music without any lame announcements etc., just like I asked. The ceremony band was a harder nut to crack but after a couple misses, Mary Monica hooked us up with a bluegrass band she knew (Rick Pickren). They were awesome and despite being a little older and potentially set in their ways, they happily learned songs we wanted for our ceremony (Black Keys, Wilco, Outkast) for a very reasonable price. Everyone loved their music during the cocktail hour. We didn't shop around too much but the pricing seemed great and I feel like if Mary Monica could find me an old school bluegrass band, she can find what you need for your event. :) read more

MaryMonica recently provided the entertainment for our wedding at Salvatore's in Lincoln Park and it was the best decision I have made in the wedding planning process. Her array of artists and performers is supreme and very diverse. I wish my wedding was longer so I could have different artists, lol. Her choices for us (Pianist Samuel del Real and DJ Chris) couldn't have been a better match and guests can't stop talking about them. Samuel played beautiful ceremony music, as well as jazzy and classy tunes during cocktail hour. DJ Chris was very attentive of our music preferences and a wonderful MC. Even the Salvatore's wedding coordinators mentioned they haven't met such an organized and professional DJ. His equipment was state of the art, yet not intrusive. EVERYONE at our wedding was on the dance floor all night long (including myself!). I highly recommend MaryMonica Music for any wedding or special event. She is the best, no wonder she's the prefer entertainment provider for the fancy dinner cruiseships at Navy Pier. She is an artists and performer herself so she really knows the music and entertainment industry and select only top talent. Rest assured that she only selects the best. Entertaining is an art and MaryMonica has mastered it. Thanks for making our wedding day such a special day MaryMonica! ~ Fanny Camargo (Chicago) read more

My husband and I picked MaryMonica Music to provide the entertainment at our wedding this August and we were so happy that we did. Working with her and the entertainers was easy and fun. During the initial consultation, MaryMonica asked us what kind of music we like, the age demographic of the guests, and a lot of other questions that we had not even considered. Based upon our responses, she recommended DJ Wes. In giving her recommendation, she explained Wes' qualifications and why she thought his background would best fit our needs. A few weeks before the wedding we met with both MaryMonica and Wes to discuss music and logistics. They were so attentive and genuinely interested in making sure they understood what we wanted while also making great suggestions along the way. It was a great meeting. Our wedding was in a tented courtyard. Naturally, it poured cats and dogs that day. DJ Wes called us just to let us know that he was bringing a pop up tent in case we needed it for any part of the wedding or reception. So great. At the reception it was clear that he had taken notes during our final meeting because he worked in the artists that we had mentioned to him. And, most important, all of our guests danced. I thank MaryMonica and Wes for working to make our day so special. I definitely recommend this vendor. read more

knowing the quality of marymonica's team, i knew i was going to receive a superior product for my wedding. but chris goes the extra mile. though he was not needed for ceremony (we had a harpist), he showed up extra early to be prepared for set-up. my ipod was needed during one point in ceremony for my flash mob surprise for my husband. unfortunately, the venue's sound system was not working properly, and chris walked in the room and swung into action, immediately fixing the problem. chris has a quiet sophistication, an under-the-radar humbleness and gentle demeanor that is calming for any frazzled or nervous bride. i was both. plenty of things will go wrong on the wedding day. with marymonica music as your entertainment vendor, you know you've got the celebration completely under control. thanks, MM and chris. my love to you both. read more

WOW! MaryMonica is OUTSTANDING, AWESOME BEST BAND EVER! My wedding was this past Saturday and I am still in awe with how beautiful everything came out and how well the band mixed Spanish and English tunes for our crowd! EVERYONE was dancing, the dance floor was packed the whole night, so much that guests are asking me for their information. When we started planning our wedding my now husband and I were in love with the idea of having a band, but with research we found we would never be able to afford a band. We were financing the whole wedding ourselves and were on a tight strict budget. :( But low and behold, I didn't give up and found Mary Monica on Yelp.com and read reviews, checked out the site and got in touch with Julian, who by the way was awesome at communicating! Their website provides detailed schedule of live performances and we went to two, and wow! We were floored! We heard Mary Monica live and Cherry, we knew we had found the perfect blend of top hits, oldies, funk and Spanish! Thank you for making my dreams come true and being so sweet! My night was memorable because of the awesome music you guys played! If you are like me and want Awesome music, allowing your guests to dance the night away, strict with reviews CONTACT Mary Monica ASAP for an awesome night to remember! P.s they are open to learning new songs, I mean seriously what are you waiting for!? read more

We hired Chris from MaryMonica to DJ our wedding a couple of months back. Music was a TOP THREE priority for me on our wedding day - I feel like it has the single biggest impact on the mood in the room and it was so important to me that we had a full dance floor all night long. Chris came highly recommended by our amazing wedding planner but even her glowing recommendation didn't prepare me for how incredible he was! He played all the songs I had put on my "must play" list at the perfect time and was able to read the room to deliver exactly the kind of song we needed whether it was a slow song to catch our breaths or a showstopper to get the room pumped up. If I could give anyone a recommendation that will have the single biggest impact on the vibe of their wedding, it would be to hire Chris. Highly recommend! read more

MaryMonica Music really is as good as it gets!!! Aside from being reliable, responsive, easy to talk to and fun, MaryMonica has alllllll the right connections for any event and style you're looking for! We hired MaryMonica for our wedding on 4/8/17, and booked a fantastic DJ (DJ Chas!) who was a crowd pleaser, but also organized and kept our night on task. We also book Ethan Bulter who payed acoustic guitar at cocktail hour and dinner, and he was amazing!! He totally set the tone we were looking for: classy and fun! My husband and I enjoyed the music and entertainment at our wedding as much as the guests - and I spend the night on the dance floor!!! For a great experience, top of the line, professional entertainment for any occasion, look no further and contact MM today!! read more

We hired MaryMonica for our daughter's wedding at the Adler Planetarium on 5-20-16. She was great to work with and had many ideas. She hooked us up with an amazing DJ, Chris, who was able to also play the Greek music that we wanted. Fantastic DJ, great tunes and kept the dancing hopping at all times. He even pronounced the difficult Greek names during introductions. We also wanted a "flash mob" led by Matt with four other dancers. This was amazing! It was a surprise for all at the wedding, even the bride and groom with the dancers pretending to be waiters and all dropping their trays and then moving into the Zorba the Greek dance. MaryMonica and her staff were great to work with, true professionals. You won't go wrong! read more