That Special Event catered a fundraiser at my home in Hinsdale. Jerry was amazing. His and the staff's attention to detail made the evening enjoyable and memorable for everyone. The team is professional, the food was delicious and the presentation was both creative and beautiful! I highly recommend Jerry and his team. read more

When I realized I misjudged the amount of food needed for my party and the amount of time and help I needed, Jerry drove over with a team of 3 additional people who, IN ONE HOUR, pulled everything together. I had the most elegant charcuterie board ever. I will never do another event without them will let them handle everything. I was relieved, impressed and delighted at the same time. This team is talented and has customer service down to a science. Thank you all for making my event so special. read more

Working with the 'That Special Event' team was great! Linda and Jerry were so easy to communicate with and really helped me to visualize my wedding day. We had Amy work our wedding to set up our table centerpieces, card table, guest books, etc. Everything went well, and we loved working with the team! Thank you for making our day go so smooth! read more

Jerry and Linda made my backyard wedding dreams come true. They are a pleasure to work with. Linda helped me with the planning from months out. When the time came and I needed help figuring the layout with the tent company, Jerry and Linda were at my house within 10 minutes to make sure the tent company set everything up for the optimal flow. They helped us figure out where the buffet would go, where the bar would go, and the setup was beyond beautiful. They flipped "the room" after the ceremony during cocktail hour and I barely noticed, which is telling when everything is just one big space. Their entire staff was just phenomenal. I could really go on and on about how wonderful they are. I highly highly recommend these wonderful people more for your next event! read more

We just hired That Special Event to help us at a backyard engagement party . Maddie and Diana were amazing and we would request both of them for our next party. Everyone at the company was incredibly easy to deal with even when I changed the time or the number of people that I needed for the event. It really allowed us to enjoy our event knowing that the serving and the clean up were in very capable hands. read more

I planned by son's bar mitzvah with less than three months' time at a venue where I had to bring everything in myself. I almost gave up until my sister-in-law recommended That Special Event. Jerry was amazing throughout the whole process and even helped me stay calm when severe thunderstorms were predicted during my indoor/outdoor event. He had many alternate plans ready to implement with his staff if needed. There was a lot of serving, furniture set-up and room changes need, and everything went of without a hitch. Our bar mitzvah was spectacular, I have credit most to the success to Jerry and That Special Event! read more

These guys are amazing! I would HIGHLY recommend them for any special event. In all my jaded experiences with high end service companies, Jerry and his team are a shining example of professionalism. (Hear that other guys, SHINING example). From courteous and professional staff to detail oriented service, That Special Event takes best in show for all your event staffing needs. Trust me, I'm a professional! read more

I have been using That Special Event for my server and bartender needs for the last four years of summer events. I always request Jack, who has grown to know our expectations and always proves to be a delightful help in pulling off the event. We get out catering from A Tray to Remember each time but the menu and the baskets they provide are always different. No matter what he is presented with, Jack always puts out an amazing buffet display, highlighting the fantastic food selections. He is attentive to our needs (before we even ask!) and is always a great help in progressing the evening's events. We have used other servers and have consistently received impeccable service. The real niche that Jack offers is the fact that he has done so many of our events and has grown to know exactly what we are looking to achieve, while also feeling comfortable enough to make suggestions or even assertions as to what will help the party along. read more

Jerry, Gia and the whole team at "that special event" knocked it out of the park for our wedding. We couldn't be happier! The level of professionalism and attention to detail was AMAZING! Nothing but rave reviews from all the guests. Can't thank them enough for making our special day so amazing! read more

It always helps when staff show up. It always helps when no shows are replaced immediately instead of 2 hours later. It always helps when an apology and / or explanation is offered. Thank you for sending 1 excellent staff member to our large house party. Kevin was amazing and I highly recommend that anyone reading this review specifically request Kevin! He will not disappoint... in fact I believe he saved our party in the wake of the debacle with the 2nd staff member. No need to explain or apologize now - That Special Event is O V E R. read more

I catered a family party with Catering by Michaels, but their staff was already booked by the time I reserved my date. They referred me to That Special Event, and I was able to work via email to secure a server for the afternoon. Almira arrived a few minutes early and I walked her through the menu and our kitchen. She was obviously experienced, so I was able to finish getting ready for the party while she set things up in the kitchen. She had much more creativity than I did when it came to setting out the food for display (buffet) and organizing the various items. My initial plan was to have a helper inside so I could be outside with our guests and offering snacks and drinks on the patio. Almira had the kitchen running so smoothly she relieved me of most of my hostessing duties, allowing me to really catch up with my guests. We left food out when her shift ended, but she had cleaned up everything that wasn't needed for the grazers. Thanks to Almira, everyone enjoyed themselves and appreciated her professional service. Now I'm trying to justify using That Special Event for our next potluck dinner! read more

Jack, thanks for everything! Thank the Lord for Jack and his professional staff. Sara and I started planning our Chicago wedding six months ago from New Jersey. We searched far and wide and came across numerous user reviews of Jack Carlson and TSE. They had such positive reviews and it seemed too good to be true. Subsequently, Jack exceeded every one of our high expectations by miles. Without him, our wedding day would have been a train wreck. Actually, more like a shipwreck. After six months of planning and coordinating all of our wedding needs, the rain came pouring down the night before our outdoor wedding. Jack, with the gracious assistance of the TSE staff, put in a 14+ hour day and transformed our swamp wedding terrain into the most beautiful and astonishing venue. Jack's mentality has always been that, "there are no problems JUST solutions." And he is a living professional example of just that. I want to express the deep gratitude I have for everyone that he had involved in the process of making it the best day of my life. Jack, with TSE, found us the photographer, caterer, and provided us with our vision that we wanted for our wedding. When it comes to event planning, professional pride, and the ability to evolve for the clients needs, Jack and TSE are on their own level. Trust me when I say that you have found the right match. You will not be disappointed. Thanks Jack. Thanks Jerry. Thanks TSE Staffing. Love, Sara & Ian Moore read more

The staff person they provided for our event (John, I believe) was great. He came early and, when our event ran a little long, stayed late without complaint. Nice guy, too. I thought the confirmation document they sent when booking was confusing, but otherwise they were responsive and easy to work with. I also received a call on the day of the event to confirm they were coming, which I appreciated. read more

Great service and very professional. I would definitely recommend them for any event. They go above and beyond to satisfy their client. I had the most beautiful party and Gia is the best. I received many compliments from my guests after the party and I am so very happy for getting such an amazing service. read more

I have been working with That Special Event and Jerry Carlson for over 15 years. Jerry and his staff are consummate professionals; specializing in making each event "That Special Event". We have worked together on an array of different events including 3 Inaugural Balls in Washington, D.C.; all ending with the same fabulous results! I highly recommend That Special Event. read more

We used That Special Event to run the coat check at A New Leaf for our wedding. It went off without a hitch and would definitely use them again. read more

Jerry and his crew were completely professional and went out of their way to make my party perfect.

I used Jerry a second time because he did such a great job last year. The event was set up beautifully, every detail considered. Nothing overlooked. The event was run to perfection. I didn't have to think about a thing the night of the party. Jerry and his wonderful team did it all and more! I can't recommend them enough. read more

Jerry is very positive and an excellent problem solver. When the tiered cake arrived, it was damaged. Somehow Jerry made it presentable. He solved a number of other problems well, too. When an oversight was made and the thank you gifts were not put out for guests, TSE mailed each guest their gift at TSE's expense. All but one of the servers seemed to put in their best effort. All but that one server we're helpful and eager to please. So, I was content with the set-up and solutions even though it was disappointing to not have things go as planned (see below). Some things that weren't to my satusfaction: 1. cake was served to guests and consumed before we sang Happy Birthday & my son bit into his cake. Not only did I think that was odd, but guests told me later that they felt rushed as a result. 2. I stressed with Jerry over the phone, before the event that this Korean party had a lot of tea drinkers. Yet, tea was not offered to 5 tables (all family); Jerry emailed that it was served to tables. Later, I heard from several tables of non-related guests that they were not offered coffee or tea, a basic (planned) service in my mind. I never got the 2 boxes of tea samples back ($60) & don't have a clue who did get tea as Jerry claimed. 3. I did get 2 bottles of elderflower syrup (punch ingredient) back (worth $50 ea)- so the recipe I provided was not followed correctly as there was no nectar or ginger ale left. 4. I had $820 of hand painted sugar gum orchids with directions to use 3 on ea rice cake platter - 1 platter per table (served at time of birthday cake). However rice cakes were dumped in bowls and served without flowers at the time of the meal. I don't know how that was resolved or if it was since I had no time but I assume that if it was presented correctly, I would have noticed. Culturally, it would have been better to eat cold food on the floor than to have some of these problems. I understand that the servers were not familiar with Korean culture, but they knew ahead of time what this party was and could have done some homework or asked. Even though it was a birthday, culturally it's equivalent to the importance of a wedding. Rough to have some of these memories. read more

They screwed up and didn't explain or apologize. The staff that came was excellent. We highly recommend Kevin.

That Special Event saved my wedding, they truly did. Their staff was so professional and made it their main goal to make sure that our wedding went as smoothly as it possibly could. Jacquelyn was absolutely amazing she truly went above and beyond for us. I highly recommend hiring them for all of your staffing and event needs, they do small parties and large events. Seriously, amazing AMAZING company! From start to finish they were so pleasant to work with, one of the best vendor decisions we made for our wedding by far! They will take great care of you!! read more

I have worked with That Special Event for over five years now and I have never encountered such a high level of experience, professionalism and attention to EVERY detail as Jerry, Jack and Cathy Carlson give to their clients! They go beyond the call of duty and client expectation...always smiling and if you check your list of things to do during the set-up of your event...poof...magic...all done and done well before you can blink your eyes. Jerry assisted me in producing a huge event at the Knickerbocker over the Holiday season that was very last minute and came along with numerous challenges...his expertise was invaluable! On the event day his brother Jack joined us and pitched in insuring that all the fine details were executed and that my clients were very happy with their experience. Most recently Jack worked on a large private film premiere event with me...he is a buffet wizard or should I say artist! From an intimate party, wedding, fundraiser...this is the only company to use...I just love them! read more