I am struggling to put into words how to thank Lindsay Gaeta and her team and acknowledge every…read moresingle detail she knocked out of the park and executed on our wedding day! Throughout the planning process there were so many little behind the scenes details she saved me time on which I am so appreciative! I will miss seeing her monthly on our planning calls! I don't plan to get married again anytime soon but I do hope our paths cross again! I am speechless about her help from the rehearsal to the very last minute of shutting down the after party!! The top 3 highlights that people mentioned to me on the wedding day were 1. Dad's speech, 2. Florals, 3. How hard she HUSTLED!!! My bridesmaids and close family constantly approached me on the wedding day with sentiments of "wow, she's good!!" She exceeded our expectations and anticipated our every move! I have close family in the hospitality business (who are the harshest critics about everything in the event planning world) and were over the top satisfied with her commitment and follow through to make the day as seamless as possible! I am sure there were many hiccups that day that were not brought to my attention and for that, I give Lindsay full credit! I was able to relax, be present and have a B+ personality that evening instead of my typical A- for all things attention to detail! I felt completely comfortable 'handing Lindsay the reigns' and entrusting she would handle everything as necessary, which she did!!!

We are beyond grateful for Kim Weinberg of LivenUp Events! From the very beginning, Kim was the…read moreultimate professional, so patient, kind, and supportive, even when I, as the bride, was feeling overwhelmed. She has this incredible ability to stay calm, cool, and collected no matter what comes her way, always finding solutions effortlessly and proactively preventing issues before they even arise. Her industry knowledge is unparalleled, and her planning experience truly shines through in every detail. From her amazing vendor connections to her creative, thoughtful ideas, Kim went above and beyond to make our wedding not just beautiful, but absolutely seamless. She kept us organized, on track, and stress-free throughout the entire process. But what really sets Kim apart is her heart. She genuinely cares about her couples, listens with empathy, and makes you feel supported every step of the way. We couldn't have asked for a better wedding planner. She is a true gem, and we feel so lucky to have had her by our side. Kim Weinberg didn't just plan our wedding; she made our dream day a reality, and we will be forever grateful.

amazing experience with Sara!!!! such a fun date night! would do it again for sure. For sure check…read moreit out.

My friend and I were really excited to attend our first ever pottery class. Upon entering we were…read moregreeted by the teachers and they explained the whole process to us. The studio is a bit small but and enough space for you to roam about and do your thing. The first step was to handle the clay then they thought us how to handle the wheel and then we got to choose if we wanted a vase, a cup or a bowl. We were in a small group of 6 due to which the teachers could explain and help us well. We ended up upgrading our class to include paint as well as we got to know that without the paint we won't be able to use the things we made of it involves water. My friend made a cute cup and I made a not so cute vase. I would definitely say that but the end of the class, we were rushing a bit and would have appreciated some help and tips from the teachers but we didn't get any. We had to constantly ask about things and where the brushes were and where the paints were. Since it was our first ever class, we would have appreciated a bit more help from the teachers in managing our time and helpful tips on how to glaze correctly instead of having to ask everything ourselves when we are already rushing. Regardless, we had a lot of fun and can't wait to pick up our pieces soon!

Words literally can't express how impressed we and everyone else was at how organized and smooth…read morethe event was due to Blush and Luxe. I had several people come and say that this was the best wedding they've ever been to and I know it absolutely couldn't have been possible with our wedding planner. Caitlin is passionate, friendly, always flexible, and super understanding of all the last minute things that come up during the planning process. Thanks so much for making our perfect day a dream come true!!

Hiring Caitlin from Blush and Luxe for Day-of Coordination was by far the best money we spent for…read moreour wedding! I loved that she was able to recommend great vendors, some of which I actually booked (our florist, bakery and hair/makeup). She was also a very diligent and organized liaison, contacting all of our vendors on our behalf to make sure that everything was being executed as planned. Caitlin was always one step ahead of the game, and she even ironed out head-spinning logistics that I didn't even know we needed to plan for! From her extensive experience, she was able to foresee all potential hiccups and already knew how to prepare for EVERYTHING! I must have e-mailed her a million times the day before our wedding, freaking out about what would happen if it rains...and a million other "problems" that had only just occurred to me. Of course, Caitlin already had a contingency plan for the rain and a solution/plan for all my other concerns. Caitlin also helped set-up all our miscellaneous decor and table items that my husband and I brought from home (i.e. not provided by the florist or any other vendor). For example, our wed-libs, card box, escort card display, well-wishing wands, and our unity candle...and more. That was such a HUGE help because I'd otherwise have to rely on the venue coordinator (who was not as knowledgeable of the plan) or assign a family member or member of the bridal party, and I wanted to make sure that my friends and family didn't have to stress about those things. In the end, neither I or my friends/family had to think or stress about any details on the wedding day. we all just sat back and enjoyed the ride!

We chose Chez to be our wedding reception location in June 2018 and booked it during summer of…read more2017. The online scheduler to view the place was super convenient! The place is breathtaking, and ceilings are very high. Additionally, it is located close to Michigan avenue. With majority of our guests being out of town, this was a huge plus! Chez is a like a white canvas, you can make whatever you want of it. Due to the recommendations from our designers, we decided to use lights as our main form of décor, and it worked like a charm. Chez accommodated all of our needs and was one of the few places that was willing to be open till 2am if we needed it (we used it till 1am). The rental also included beautiful ghost chairs and large rectangular tables. The staircase provides a different touch from the rest of the places we saw, and we got to make a grand entrance walking down. The views from up there are also amazing as you can get a bird's eye view of the place. Lauren was of great help. She was very open to our ideas and always open to accommodate anything we needed. She also made herself and the place available whenever we needed to come by and see the place or show the place to our family and friends (which was a few times throughout the year). Her communications were prompt. She helped make our reception go smoothly.

We had a beautiful wedding day that we will cherish forever, but unfortunately, our experience with…read morethe venue and its management team was extremely disappointing. The venue itself is beautiful and has so much potential, but the lack of organization, communication, and professionalism made the planning process unnecessarily stressful. I would not recommend working with this team. Throughout the planning process, we found that the only way to get anything accomplished was to constantly follow up and hound the venue. Even then, things were often delayed, overlooked, or not completed as promised. The two business partners frequently seemed to be on completely different pages, and we received conflicting information depending on who we spoke with. We were specifically told that the room flip would take approximately 45 minutes. In reality, it took about an hour and a half. That delay pushed our entire wedding timeline back and resulted in additional costs because we had to extend the time for our photographer, videographer, and DJ. The space was also far too small for the number of guests we were told it could accommodate. The tables were placed so close together that guests could barely walk through the room, making the reception feel extremely cramped and uncomfortable. There were also issues with our personal wedding items. The venue damaged some of our decorator's decorations and failed to properly store our wedding cake in the refrigerator. These are not minor details when you are trusting a venue with expensive items and one of the most important days of your life. Perhaps most upsetting was how my mom was treated. After spending months having to repeatedly follow up to get things done, the venue coordinator referred to my mom as "PITA" -- "pain in the a**" -- simply because she was advocating for the wedding we were paying thousands of dollars to have. Expecting the venue to deliver what was promised and to execute the details correctly should not make a client a nuisance. To be clear, we had an amazing wedding day and will cherish it forever. Our family, friends, and vendors made sure of that. The venue is beautiful, and the day itself was special because of the people we surrounded ourselves with. But a beautiful space does not make up for poor organization, inconsistent communication, damaged property, mishandled wedding details, and a lack of professionalism. When couples spend thousands of dollars on their wedding venue, they should be able to expect competent coordination, clear communication, and respect. Unfortunately, that was not our experience. I strongly recommend couples considering this venue get every promise, timeline, capacity limit, responsibility, and detail in writing -- and be prepared to follow up repeatedly to ensure things actually happen.

It's hard to find the words to describe how amazing our wedding was at the Ivy Room on 8/18/18…read more From the moment we met Chrissy Dwyer and she walked us through the venue we knew it was the one. She worked with us over the first few weeks to ensure we felt comfortable with the contract without making us feel rushed. This was a breath of fresh air compared to other venues who are quick to make one sign. The first few weeks were just the beginning! Chrissy and the rest of the team were so open and flexible with allowing us to bring family and friends by to see the space over the months leading up to the date. We joke that I can still stop by in the future just to check in. Chrissy was there throughout every step, including the tasting (which, by the way, the food is AMAZING), putting together our run of show, having all of our vendors set-up, and so much more. We had no worries going into the day and felt at ease. The day of was unforgettable. Chrissy and the full staff were absolutely amazing. They catered not only to our every need, but also our guests. We had many friends and families tell us that it was not only the best wedding meal they have had, but how great the staff was with their quick service and always asking how they can provide them with whatever they need. Everything was absolutely perfect and we cannot thank Chrissy and the Ivy Room staff enough for all they have done to help make our wedding the more amazing day. - Mr. and Mrs. John Kirby

We came here for an event honoring volunteers and achievements by the Respiratory Health…read moreAssociation. I like the outdoor setup, being cradled and surrounded by ivy walls. I wonder if that's the 'Ivy Room' of the namesake? We grabbed some drinks and enjoyed music, speeches and a special award. It's a nice space with seating, not just wicker chairs either but cushions! There were passed drinks and hor-durves, as well as friendly, helpful bartenders for those wanting beer, water or soda. One of us spilled something on a light-colored jacket, and they came to our rescue with seltzer and wipes. There was also a buffet with Spanish themed food (empanadas, paella) and small bite dessert bar. I asked about what had red meat/pork and thankfully I was dutifully informed. The caterers gave me and my party some leftovers! Not sure what prompted that but we appreciated it(we tipped even on free drinks). The missing star has to do with the wine. It was AWFUL! I tried to break it up with beer, but I got so sick the next day, I had to cancel my evening plans. I probably over indulged, but I have had more wine in one sitting with way fewer side effects. I may just stick with beer next time.

My husband and I hired Sonya to work as the day of coordinator for our 11/25 wedding and we were…read morevery pleased. Sonya is extremely organized, knowledgable, and had great suggestions when questions came up during planning. I was really nervous about the wedding since we had our reception at a venue that we basically had to set up from scratch but Sonya made sure that everything looked just right and did everything that she could to ensure that the day ran smoothly. She was extremely on top of things so when the wedding came around, I was confident that I didn't need to worry about it. I actually couldn't believe how smooth the entire day went, and was so happy that I was able to enjoy it instead of worrying about what was coming up next or where I would have to be. She had worked with us to set up an extremely detailed timeline and shared it with all of our vendors in advance of the wedding. Sonya worked closely with our caterer in particular and together they brought our vision to life of having a cocktail style reception with stations. Sonya spent the day prior to the wedding helping with set up and making sure everything looked perfect which it did. She even helped with a couple of decorations and jazzed up our card box. There was some family tension/drama involving my mom that Sonya had to work around (we had some disagreements about some elements of the wedding) but we felt that Sonya was advocating for us throughout the process and maintained her professionalism in some difficult/awkward situations. I also have to commend her on her responsiveness. It put me at ease knowing that she either got back to me right away or would get back to me within a day if she was working another event. I would absolutely recommend her if you want someone to make sure your day goes off without a hitch.

WARNING: DO NOT TRUST SONYA I hired Sonya in May 2020 as a…read morefull-time planner to help me plan a wedding for Aug 2022. I worked with Sonya for 4 months before I terminated the contract. In the 4 months, Sonya did not do anything except e-mail some venue options. I found Sonya to be highly unprofessional and dishonest. Sonya does not communicate and kept making excuses for not being able to accomplish any tasks. I got frustrated with her lack of progress and started planning my own wedding. It took me only 3 weeks to tour multiple venues and book one. Sonya would send me venue options via e-mail but never followed up or scheduled tours. She blamed the venues and claimed they were not responding to her. Weeks would go by and I would hear nothing from her. I checked up on her every 2-3 weeks to even get any information. After 3 months, she calls me saying she found a venue. She tells me it is within my budget and allows outside catering. She askes me to send me my availability to schedule a in-person tour. I send her my schedule and don't hear anything back. Two weeks later I call her and ask what happened. She again makes excuses that the venue isn't responding, etc. A few days later she e-mails me a contract for the venue with no information except the attached contract. The contract did NOT match anything Sonya told me over the phone. It was double the cost and did not allow for outside catering. I asked Sonya and she said it was just an "example" of a contract for me to see (what?) and that she will work it out with the vendor. Guess what? Never heard from Sonya again about this venue. We communicated to Sonya about our concerns with her work she never addressed them. I got frustrated and decided to contact venues on my own. In two weeks, I set MULTIPLE in-person venue tours and within 3 weeks I secured a venue that was within my budget and had flexible catering options. I fired Sonya after that. I did not have any issues contacting venues or hearing back from them. Sonya was being dishonest. I asked her to refund my deposit and she has not. I have filed a formal complaint to the BBB. Because of Sonya wasting 4 months, I was not able to secure the date I wanted. TLDR - Sonya took our deposit and accomplished nothing for 4 months. She barely communicated and she did, it was constant empty excuses and lies. She has refused to refund us. Because of her negligence I was not able to get the date I wanted at my venue.

There are not enough characters or words in the world to explain how absolutely BEYOND INCREDIBLE…read moreSweetchic Events, specifically our wedding planner, Courtney is!!! I originally thought that I could plan a wedding on my own and just hire a day of coordinator. When I realized I just didn't have the capacity to do that, I knew I needed to hire a wedding planner. I didn't want just any wedding planner though- I wanted someone who had a similar personality to mine, who could match my energy and really elevate my ideas and execute the vision I had for our big day. My now husband and I met with several planners. I am a huge 'vibes' person, and all of the planners I met with just didn't seem like the right fit. I felt like I was just another wedding to them and didn't feel like the attention to us would be individualized or prioritized. That is, until we found and met with Courtney from Sweetchic Events!! From the very start, it felt like I was catching up with an old friend. Courtney is so kind, super knowledgeable in what she does, and is honestly one of the coolest people I have ever met. At our initial meeting, we joked and laughed as my husband and I shared our ideas, and she immediately had some incredible ones of her own! Courtney was a calming presence to my chaotic mind, and immediately made my husband and I both feel at ease. We knew we had to have her on our team- she was the PERFECT fit and we both were so excited to start working with her! Courtney is a true professional in her work. She has connections with some incredible vendors, who like herself, have insanely creative minds. Together, we were able to turn our wedding into more than I ever thought possible! Courtney is also EXTREMELY organized, detail oriented and always prompt. She is also one of the most reliable people that I have ever met!Throughout the wedding planning process, there was never a time that I felt like Courtney wasn't there for me. In fact it was truly the opposite- she continuously went above and beyond for me, making sure I felt comfortable and ready for the big day in any capacity she could. She constantly checked in, listened to my crazy ideas while keeping me grounded, connected us with some of the absolute BEST vendors, reminded us of due dates and deadlines, and made sure that both my husband and I were feeling good throughout the whole process. On my wedding day I was jumping out of my skin because I was so ready to see Courtney and watch the magic we created together unfold! She of course brought such calm, positive vibes and joined in my excitement for the day that was to come!! I had been so impressed with her and her work thus far that I didn't think it could possibly get any better. When I tell you she CRUSHED the entire day, she honestly CRUSHED IT!!! From the second she walked in the door to the second she (sadly, haha) left, she was a well oiled machine. Literally. A machine! She never stopped- she was so prepared, like a level of preparedness I'd never witnessed in anyone and I was really just completely blown away by her and her assistant, Mia throughout the entire day! Everything was ACTUALLY PERFECT (from my eyes and that's why she is so good at what she does) because I never knew about any little mishaps or minor issues, because there weren't any by the time Courtney arrived to the scene! Mia was also SO great!! She was always there when I needed something, and was also such a calming presence for me which was so appreciated! One of the most memorable parts of the day was my entrance to walk down the aisle. I had chosen a Taylor Swift orchestral mash-up and wanted to enter at a VERY specific time. Courtney had already explained to me that timing these things can be very very difficult, and that it might not happen at the exact moment I wanted it to. I went forward with the plan because in my mind, I had no doubts- I knew she would do whatever she possibly could to make it happen and that it would look amazing regardless. Times like these are the reason why we leave things up to Courtney, because it was literally SPOT ON!! It was so incredible! I am still getting text messages from friends about how awesome the timing of the entrance was! It is a feeling I will never forget and I owe it all to Courtney. I honestly didn't want the day to end, and Sweetchic Events made it all possible!! It truly says something that I was always SO excited to see Courtney. Planning meeting days, tastings and walk throughs were always something I looked forward to because I got to spend more time with her! I feel like it is rare to find someone like Courtney not just in the wedding industry but just in life in general. She truly feels like a best friend to me now, and I am so beyond grateful for her, Sweetchic, and everyone who she brought on to help us make this day so memorable. Thank you Courtney, to you and your team! If you need a wedding planner RUN don't walk to Sweetchic's inbox!

Courtney was absolutely exceptional and ensured our wedding went off without a hitch. She kept us…read moreon track with all the contracts, deadlines, and invoices, and helped us navigate the abundance of options and shortlist some trusted vendors. She successfully managed some last minute vendor issues, which really allowed us to not stress as much before our big day. Communication, organization, and day-of coordination were all great. We would definitely recommend Courtney and sweetchic for event planning!

My cousin hired this company for her son's graduation party…read more The company sent 2 ladies, Nikki and Demi, and they were fabulous! Here's the oddest part, many of us thought they were friends because they worked so effortlessly together. Shocked to find out they only met today. I was able to talk to them, they were both very personable and focused on the party and the guests. Thanks, Demi & Nikki, great work.

Oh my goodness!!! I thought I was being pranked! I have used this company twice and NEVER AGAIN…read more First time was in 2025, when I needed help with my sons graduation party. Plus was that the booking process was easy, pricing was fair, received a confirmation, etc. The day of the event the helper was a no show. And I did not get notified until she was 20 mins for arrival. They did find someone else (Thankfully) that showed up 1 1/2 hrs later but she was a great help. Now for this year, I decided to use them again because the ease of booking and availability. This time I booked almost 45 days in advance, got a confirmation, etc. The week of the event I received noticed that the helper has changed but the new person confirmed. Day of event, I get a call (shortly after the start time) that the helper is running late due to traffic. 20 minutes later the helper herself called that she is on her way but running late. I was fine with this, I was not upset, just told her to get to my house safely and I will see her when she gets there.... this is now over an hour of start time. The helper finally showed up, she was dropped of by someone and started heading towards the house, I immediately noticed something was off... she was dressed innappropriately, had a large sun heat and was wearing glasses with ONE LENSE. I knew something was off with her and when I approached her, she forgot my name and was pretty incoherent as to what is going on or what she was there for. I was not comfortable with her in front of my house, let alone inside my house around my guests. She was in very bad shape, sadly. After a conversation that was very difficult because she was unable to give me straight answer on what was going on with her. I decided to order and pay for her uber to get her home safely. She had no money, no working credit cards, no car, etc. She asked for food and water before leaving. I contacted Party Host Helpers right away, no one called me directly all we did is message. Now its monday and still no call back, no refund not reimbursment for the Uber. I have sympathy for the young lady. Really unreiable and the last thing a customer needs to deal with when hosting a party.

I had an evening event last night, and Eric did my makeup. As a former makeup artist, I know the…read moredifference between merely competent work, and true artistry. Eric's work embodies the latter. His dedication to his craft is obvious in his attention to detail. You will not get a flat-looking Avon face when you're in his chair. He takes time to contour and accentuate or even correct bone structure, and make the best possible use of light, so that your complexion emulates the glow that is coveted for red carpet events and hot dates alike. At the same time, you needn't fear that he will be heavy handed. Eric is blessed with something that only the best artists have--- good taste. He does not mistake FLARE for finesse. Rather, he perfectly highlights and emphasizes your best features while obscuring flaws with a deft hand. I left his chair looking much better than when I do my own makeup. His selection of colors was on point, with perfectly matched foundation, and some of the most beautiful smokey (not black) eye colors ever. He has a real artist's eye. Everything was beautifully blended, my skin looked as if I had gotten a series of facials, and it lasted through 6 hours of drinking, dancing, and shenanigans. Brides who are concerned about having really bust-proof, tear proof, dance floor -proof makeup, take note: On my oily complexion, which tends to eat makeup and leave it smeared across my face after about an hour--- this was a veritable miracle. Not even my mascara moved. MIRACLE, I tell you. Eric works as a guest artist at Barney's NY, and gives quickie makeovers if you buy the supernaturally beautiful Ko Gen Do foundation and powder products he sells. (He uses color from all kinds of pro-lines, but the Ko Gen Do is a must have). He also does private engagements like weddings and such. His clientele includes local socialites, as well as some rather Hollywood types, making it extra amazing that little people like you or I can get in to see him. I wouldn't wait though, as people this talented are rarely in Chicago for very long. If you have a special event or wedding, and are looking for a "sure thing"-- you owe it to yourself to invest in makeup from Eric. I cannot think of a more gifted, professional artist to use when your appearance really matters.