Hi Brides-to-be!
I wanted to provide reviews of the vendors I used to help those looking for the right people for their big day!
Ceremony/Reception Venue: Oak Brook Bath & Tennis Club – highly recommend
I was looking for a venue with a lot of natural light and lots of windows and this is the PERFECT place! It's like a hidden gem in Oak Brook - literally - it's a short drive through a forest off of 31st street so it's completely private and romantic. You get the entire place, patio with tables, lake with fountain, sun room, covered veranda and super high ceilings with gorgeous windows in the main room. Seriously, Google it! The price was very reasonable and they did not charge extra for holding the ceremony there. There is one negative, the coordinator, Tammy. She was hard to get a hold of but super nice when I did speak with her. She responds to email but by phone is nearly impossible. She also told my husband about the groom's cake that was supposed to be a surprise
But don't let her sway you from going here. Their preferred caterer completely made up for it - keep reading...
Caterer: My Chef - Amanda Scarlati – HIGHLY recommend
I can't say enough about working with Amanda! She was completely organized and very helpful. She was responsive and changed the contract a dozen times for me when I kept revising the final version 
She set up my decorations without hesitation. She kept everything on track. She event took our drink orders during dinner. Amanda is the absolute best person to work with! Now, the food, it was amazing! We did plated beef tenderloin with chicken and also tilapia. Everyone loved it! It came out table by table with white-glove service and was warm. YUM!
Photographer: Janet Johnston Photography
– highly recommend
Janet was an absolute delight. Our engagement photos were all amazing (we're still waiting for the wedding pics). She is one of the nicest people I have met. She was organized and responsive. She was a true professional. She even helped me jumped through hoops with DuPage County to get a permit for pictures. Janet gelled really well with us and our entire bridal party. Guests at the wedding even told us how great she was. We LOVED her.
Flowers: Flowers by Color – do not recommend
I hate to say I wouldn't recommend, but if I'm being honest, I wouldn't use her again. Mary was very helpful and gave us a ton of ideas when we met with her. She event told me she'd stick around the day-of to fluff my dress before I walked down the aisle. Unfortunately, that did not happen. She dropped everything off very early at the venue and was nowhere to be seen when I got there two hours before the ceremony. She didn't even bring our bouquets to us, I think her daughter or one of her assistants did. My bouquet of red roses were beautiful, my girls bouquets were ok but the larger centerpieces weren't what I was envisioning and the men's boutaineers were small and unattractive, including my husbands. Everything was great until it came down to keeping promises which is why I unfortunately recommend her.
Videographer: JKS Productions – high recommend (for now)
Josh Siegers was awesome to work with. He was very responsive and accommodating. He showed up on time and was focused on us the entire time. He even told me before the ceremony that he couldn't wait to see my husband's face when he saw me - awww 
I'm confident we'll love the finished product when we receive it. Almost forgot to mention, Josh was even willing to negotiate with us on the price and package - BIG plus!
Transportation: Windy City Limousines– highly recommend
Not too much to say other
than they were easy to work with and on time!
Our driver was also very friendly, flexible and knew his way all around
the city.
Hotel: Oak Brook Marriott – recommend
We
used the Oak Brook Marriott as our hotel room block and its also where I got ready
with my bridemaids the morning of the wedding. This is a huge hotel
with
lots of space. The room rates were competitive. We had no issues
getting all out of town guests into the block either. The rooms and
lobby have been renovated recently
and its really beautiful. Also, location
is great for anyone wanting to explore Oak Brook during their stay.
DJ: Cage & Aquarium – highly recommend
They were awesome to work with! They don't have wedding DJs, they have real DJs that only do a few weddings a year so they don't get stale or numb to couple's wedding day. I loved this idea and it was one of the things that sold us. We even gave them a list of our preferred DJs and were assigned to our number 1, Danie Demchuk. Daniel was amazing, we loved his music choices - spot on! At the last song everyone was on the floor begging for one more song and he delivered, even with an extended version! So fun! Two dark spots though - We had to ask him to make an announcement about cocktails after the ceremony as some guests were standing around clueless. Also, when my hubby went to thank him at the end of the night and compliment him, he asked for a tip. We agreed to not tip until we saw the service the day-of and base it off of that when we send thank you cards. So, he didn't get a tip that night.
Tuxes: Men's Warehouse – recommend
Great customer service. Only problem was tuxes weren't fitting right the day of pick up so they made some alterations onsite. However, one of our ushers had to come the morning of the wedding for pants because they didn't have the right size in stock. It all worked out in the end and they all looked very handsome.
Bridesmaid Dresses: David's Bridal – Highly Recommend
Not much to say here. We ordered the dresses and shoes from here and had no problems at all.
Makeup: Cousin of a friend, Meghan Sheehan – HIGHLY Recommend
My friend suggested her cousin who's an esthetician and was a little wary at first. I think my trial for my shower was too much and didn't look like me but felt bad for saying anything. But the day-of, I asked for a more natural look and OMG did she nail it! I absolutely LOVED it! Soooo many people told me how beautiful I looked and my hubby was more than pleased. A guest even asked me at the after party if I sprayed myself with pretty spray because she couldn't believe how I amazing I still looked. So sweet! Message me if you want her contact info!
Cake: Close friend/groomsman – HIGHLY RecommendOur good friend is a pastry chef who works at a restaurant near our house and he insisted on making our cake. We couldn't have been happier! We gave him a picture of what we wanted and it was spot on! He even customized each tier to unique flavors he knew we each liked. One was a peanut butter crunchy thing, one was strawberry crunch something, one was tiramisu and the other was the BEST red velvet I've ever tasted! Seriously, EVERYONE told us how much they loved it and people were asking for his card all night. Again, I'd be happy to provide contact info upon request.
Uplighting - Answer Back Entertainment – HIGHLY RecommendTim Scanlin was a gem! He was very responsive, on time and so nice! He threw in an extra light for us. He showed up on time and came back to pick them up. He even met us at the venue to show us how they'd look and they were BEAUTIFUL. Call him!
Chair Sashes - Md Decor – RecommendWhen I arrived at the venue, the chairs looked beautiful and everything was ready to go. Can't say much more other than they were very easy to work with!
Wedding Dress: Wolsfelt's – HIGHLY RecommendI went to Wolsfelts after a friend recommended it. I had a horrible experience at Eva's and need help. I spoke with a saleswoman, Jackie and explained my issue and exactly what I wanted. She had me send a pic and at my appointment she had so many dresses ready to go. Jackie was super helpful throughout the appointment and I found THEE dress! For alterations, I worked with Sharon who was a true expert. The dress had spaghetti straps and I wanted wider ones which was not a problem for Sharon. I loved my new straps and my hem was perfect! I even purchased a belt from Etsy and she added straps to the dress and the belt so I could keep the belt and sell it if I wanted - how awesome! And she didn't even charge me for it! I could NOT be happier with the service I received. They even sent me an email with instructions for picking up my dress - it felt super professional! I originally planned on selling my dress, but seeing how beautiful it was, I am definitely keeping it and cherishing it forever. And once again, everyone loved the dress
I hope these reviews help any brides trying to decide between a vendor. Please let me know if you'd like any pics. I'm happy to help as much as my vendors helped me!