Vendor Spreadsheet--Tell me who you are using/Used!!

sugarprincessq · January 2012

Quad Cities Area

Bakery- Nini's Cupcake

missblondie777 · January 2012

Ceremony Venue:   Assumption Catholic Church - Chicago, IL (fun fact: my great-great-great-great grandfather was one of the founders)
Reception Venue The Rookery
Ceremony Music (if outside the church)  n/a
Reception Music  Jay Frank from Crestline Entertainment
Photograher    Life on Prints
Videographer  we have one...I can't remember his name though

Florist  English Garden
Linens/Lighting/Rentals   All through the caterer
Entertainment (Photobooth, etc) n/a
Wedding Coordinator   n/a
Makeup : Halo Salon Hinsdale, IL
Hair   Halo Salon Hinsdale, IL
Dress Shops (both bride and bridesmaid)  Bride: Wolsfelt's Bridesmaids: Nordstrom (I do NOT recommend their wedding consultants)
Accessories (Veil/shoes/hair pieces, etc) Veil/Headpiece: Wolsfelt's Shoes: TBD
Alterations : Wolsfelt's
Cleaning/Preservation : TBD
Tux/Suits: Men's Warehouse, Chicago
Invitations Ashley's Stationary Clarendon Hills, IL
Calligraphy       n/a having them printed instead
Bakery    Sweet Ali's Gluten Free Bakery Hinsdale, IL
Caterers  George Jewell
Transportation TBD
Hotel Block    JW Marriott and The Club Quarters, both in Chicago
Rehersal Dinner    Francesca's on Taylor, Chicago
Favors We are making a donation to a charity instead of favors
Bridal Party gifts   Bridesmaids: Necklaces from Tiffany&Co and Shawls from Nordstrom. Groomsmen: Customized Nike Dunks and bow ties from Etsy

amberr110 · January 2012

Ceremony Venue Belvedere Events in Elk Grove Village
Reception Venue Belvedere Events in Elk Grove Village
Ceremony Music (if outside the church) Chicago Mobile DJs
Reception Music Chicago Mobile DJs
Photograher Photography by Imagine
Videographer Konrad Kamera
Florist Prestige Wedding Decoration
Linens/Lighting/Rentals Lighting - A Posh Production

Linens - through the venue
Wedding Coordinator only using venue event coordinator, Jodi
Makeup Tamara hair and make-up
Hair Tamara hair and make-up
Dress Shops (both bride and bridesmaid) Bride - Filene's Basement, Running of the Brides Bridesmaids - David's Bridal
Accessories (Veil/shoes/hair pieces, etc) Etsy, ebay, DSW, partydanceshoes.com, Von Maur
Alterations Mary Catomy
Cleaning/Preservation not sure yet
Tux/Suits Groom - Macy's

groomsmen and fathers - Men's Warehouse
Invitations Exclusively Weddings, rhinestone embellishments from aliexpress.com
Bakery The Baking Institute
Hotel Block Country Inn and Suites, Elk Grove Village
Rehersal Dinner Real Time Sports, Elk Grove Village
Favors DIY
Bridal Party gifts Tiffany, Coach, wine.com

trambam · February 2012

Ceremony Venue: Queenship of Mary Church, Glen Ellyn
Reception Venue: Westin of Lombard
Photograher: Jimmy Tan
Videographer: Kinema Group
Florist: Flowers by Color Chicago
Linens/Lighting/Rentals: Mix Media
Entertainment (Photobooth, etc): PaperCinemas: Mobile Flipbook Studio
Wedding Coordinator: Karolina Warren
Makeup: Dana DiGuilio
Hair: Jennifer Galvin
Dress Shops (both bride and bridesmaid): Netbride.com
Alterations: Mary Catomy
Invitations: Penelope’s Press
Hotel Block: The Westin

amanada11 · March 2012

Ceremony Venue - Winnetka Community House
Reception Venue - Winnetka Community House
Ceremony Music (if outside the church) - Toast & Jam DJs
Reception Music - Toast & Jam DJs
Photographer - Breath of Life Photography (from Indiana but travel for little cost!)
Videographer - n/a
Florist - Petal Peddlers
Linens/Lighting/Rentals - n/a (everything we need is provided by WCH)
Entertainment (Photobooth, etc) - n/a
Wedding Coordinator - Katie at The Savvy Event (and she is AWESOME)
Makeup - Crizen Hasagawa
Hair - Crizen Hasagawa
Dress Shops (both bride and bridesmaid) - locally in Canada
Accessories (Veil/shoes/hair pieces, etc) - locally in Canada
Alterations - locally in Canada
Cleaning/Preservation - locally in Canada
Tux/Suits - not decided yet
Invitations - not decided yet
Calligraphy - not decided yet
Bakery - included with WCH
Caterers - included at WCH (food is amazing!)
Transportation - not decided yet
Hotel Block - Doubletree in Skokie
Rehersal Dinner - Jameson's at the Doubletree in Skokie
Favors - not decided yet
Bridal Party gifts - not decided yet

ZenInMotion · May 2012

Ceremony Venue - Spiaggia Private Dining Rooms
Reception Venue - Spiaggia Private Dining Rooms
Ceremony Music (if outside the church) - family friend who is a pianist
Reception Music - Toast & Jam
Photograher - Michael Rastall
Videographer - n/a
Florist - ZuZu's Petals
Linens/Lighting/Rentals - n/a
Entertainment (Photobooth, etc) - n/a
Wedding Coordinator - Amanda Burdick from La'Di Events
Makeup - Sonia Roselli
Hair - Sonia Roselli
Dress Shops (both bride and bridesmaid) - Brides by Demetrios (Bride) and David's Bridal (Bridesmaids)
Accessories (Veil/shoes/hair pieces, etc) - Brides by Demetrios (Veil), Zappos (shoes), Etsy (hair piece)
Alterations - Brides by Demetrios
Cleaning/Preservation
Tux/Suits - Vera Wang at Men's Warehouse
Invitations - Etsy
Calligraphy - Etsy
Bakery - Sarah's Pastries
Caterers - Spiaggia
Transportation - n/a
Hotel Block - The Drake Hotel and The Sutton Place
Rehersal Dinner - Wildfire
Favors - Candy Direct
Bridal Party gifts - Etsy

KatWAG · June 2012

Ceremony Venue St James Lutheran
Reception Venue Harold Washington Library
Ceremony Music (if outside the church) Jim Hahn Music
Reception Music Deva Ju Band
Photograher Tammy Leatham- amazing!
Videographer n/a
Florist fluer couture
Linens/Lighting/Rentals blue plate
Entertainment (Photobooth, etc)
Wedding Coordinator LK events- amazing!
Makeup Beauty on Call
Hair Beauty on Call
Dress Shops (both bride and bridesmaid) Bride, Bella Bianca (Lazaro), BM Bella Bridesmaid (Lula Kate)
Accessories (Veil/shoes/hair pieces, etc) Veil, Bella Bianca
Alterations Dress Doctor
Cleaning/Preservation Davis
Tux/Suits Jos A Banks
Invitations Kustom Kreation
Calligraphy Kustom Kreation
Bakery Take the Cake and Amy Beck
Caterers Blue Plate
Transportation VIP Transportation
Hotel Block Sofitel and Fairfield Inn
Rehersal Dinner Osteria Via Stato
Favors
Bridal Party gifts Ray Ban aviators for the GM and Plum Pretty Robes for the BM - NOT RECOMMENDED

jjpgmm · June 2012

Wedding Date: 4/28/2012
Budget: $30,000.00 (I went over)

Ceremony Venue - A New Leaf (Chicago, IL)
Reception Venue - A New Leaf (Chicago, IL)
Ceremony Music (if outside the church) - Debbie Crosser, Violinist (highly recommend and affordable)
Reception Music - Terry Baker (family friend)
Photograher - Colin Lyons (AH-MAZING)
Videographer - N/A
Florist - A New Leaf
Linens/Lighting/Rentals - BBJ Linen (linen rental- easy to deal with and affordable)
Entertainment (Photobooth, etc) - N/A
Wedding Coordinator - Barb Duckworth, Just Ducky Events
Makeup - Dior Counter @ Nordstrom (for FREE- they just asked that I make a purchase, which I would gladly do because I wanted to lipstick and gloss for touch-ups)
Hair - Michael Anthony Salon (a bit overpriced, but did a nice job)
Dress Shops (both bride and bridesmaid) - Bride: Lazaro, Macy's State Street Bridal Salon; Bridesmaids: Nordstrom (Monique Lhullier black dresses)
Accessories (Veil/shoes/hair pieces, etc) - Zara (shoes), Veil (Macy's), Earrings (Nordstrom)
Alterations - Macy's State Street Bridal (was not cheap, but they did a phenomenal job)
Cleaning/Preservation - TBD
Tux/Suits - Groom: Ralph Lauren Black Label (purchased); Groomsmen: Ralph Lauren at Macy's
Invitations - DIY & Kinko's for printing
Calligraphy - DIY
Bakery - more (cupcake tower - absolutely great and very well-priced)
Caterers - Jewell Catering (food was good; service and execution/follow-up were TERRIBLE)
Transportation -
Hotel Block - The Dana Hotel & Spa
Rehersal Dinner - Quartino
Favors - I had a full open bar with premium liquor and DIY jelly beans wrapped in tulle
Bridal Party gifts - Tiffany & Co (sterling silver earrings for one, pearl earrings for another, and bracelet for the 3rd); Maid of Honor - KitchenAid stand mixer (she always wanted one)

lmg1115 · June 2012

I used Colin Lyons as well... LOVED HIM! Probably our favorite vendor!

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_illinois-chicago_vendor-spreadsheet-tell-usingused?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:72Discussion:1c95c94e-5875-4605-8aa0-70b30495b8c1Post:2a012665-cbd7-4b75-8b5a-f3f037cfbc76">Re: Vendor Spreadsheet--Tell me who you are using/Used!!</a>:
[QUOTE]Wedding Date: 4/28/2012 Budget: $30,000.00 (I went over) Ceremony Venue - A New Leaf (Chicago, IL) Reception Venue - A New Leaf (Chicago, IL) Ceremony Music (if outside the church) - Debbie Crosser, Violinist (highly recommend and affordable) Reception Music - Terry Baker (family friend) Photograher - Colin Lyons (AH-MAZING) Videographer - N/A Florist - A New Leaf Linens/Lighting/Rentals - BBJ Linen (linen rental- easy to deal with and affordable) Entertainment (Photobooth, etc) - N/A Wedding Coordinator - Barb Duckworth, Just Ducky Events Makeup - Dior Counter @ Nordstrom (for FREE- they just asked that I make a purchase, which I would gladly do because I wanted to lipstick and gloss for touch-ups) Hair - Michael Anthony Salon (a bit overpriced, but did a nice job) Dress Shops (both bride and bridesmaid) - Bride: Lazaro, Macy's State Street Bridal Salon; Bridesmaids: Nordstrom (Monique Lhullier black dresses) Accessories (Veil/shoes/hair pieces, etc) - Zara (shoes), Veil (Macy's), Earrings (Nordstrom) Alterations - Macy's State Street Bridal (was not cheap, but they did a phenomenal job) Cleaning/Preservation - TBD Tux/Suits - Groom: Ralph Lauren Black Label (purchased); Groomsmen: Ralph Lauren at Macy's Invitations - DIY & Kinko's for printing Calligraphy - DIY Bakery - more (cupcake tower - absolutely great and very well-priced) Caterers - Jewell Catering (food was good; service and execution/follow-up were TERRIBLE) Transportation - Hotel Block - The Dana Hotel & Spa Rehersal Dinner - Quartino Favors - I had a full open bar with premium liquor and DIY jelly beans wrapped in tulle Bridal Party gifts - Tiffany & Co (sterling silver earrings for one, pearl earrings for another, and bracelet for the 3rd); Maid of Honor - KitchenAid stand mixer (she always wanted one)
Posted by jjpgmm[/QUOTE]

tdmmx · June 2012

Ceremony Venue - Euclid Ave United Methodist Church, Oak Park, IL

Reception Venue - Bloomingdale Golf Club (HIGHLY RECOMMEND!)

Reception Music - Eclipse Entertainment - HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Photograher - Jolie Images - Recommend!

Florist - Westgate Florist in Oak Park, IL - Recommend!!

Hair - Centerstage in Oak Park - recommend!

Dress Shops (both bride and bridesmaid) - Here Comes the Bride in Addison, IL for bride (Recommend!!) and Crystal Bride in Geneva, IL for bm's

Accessories (Veil/shoes/hair pieces, etc) - Veil at Here Comes the Bride (lots of compliments on it!), BM's jewlery from The Wedding Etc in Downers Grove (Do NOT special order anything!!!!!!!)

Alterations - Here Comes the Bride - recommend

Tux/Suits - Men's Warehouse - very nice to work with in Wheaton & River Forest

Invitations - Hallmark in Vernon Hills, IL - Ask for Erin because she'll tell you what's a waste of $ or special order something for you - HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

Bakery - Central Continental Bakery in Mt. Prospect - got SOOOOO many thumbs up on the cake (white with lemon filling). HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Caterers - with Catering with Elegance via Bloomingdale Golf Club. Wonderful!!!!

Transportation - Chicago Trolley Company. Very accomodating, but be warned there's no AC on a trolley! In discussing that point w/ a friend of mine, she said she made sure the limo bus had AC, but it turned out it was only 2 vents pointed directly at the driver while everyone sweltered in the back. At least we could open the windows.

Hotel Block - Hampton Inn in Addison, IL. My first two choices (Hilton Indian Lakes & Eaglewood Resort) wanted to charge me for unbooked rooms in the wedding block - NEGATIVE on that (typically we found other hotels would just give you a deadline and if the rooms aren't booked by then, they get released)! So I was so-so about the Hampton Inn, but they were fantastic! Very accomodating to our requests! Highly Recommend them! The free breakfast was also good!

Rehersal Dinner - Buca di Bepo in Lombard, IL. Wait staff was great!!

Bridal Party gifts - Hoosier Bat Company for groomsmen in Valpariso, IL - this place is really cool. They make baseball bats for MLB players and they'll make "award" bats for special ocassions. We gave them our custom logo & name and each GM had a custom bat. We also got a tour of the factory when we picked them up (HIGHLY RECOMMEND!). Bridesmaids - monogrammed tote from American Bridal and jewelry.

skybrie · July 2012

Ceremony Venue - Baha'i Temple (recommend)
Reception Venue - White Deer Run Golf Course (highly recommend)
Reception Music - Elite Signature DJs ( DO NOT recommend)
Photograher - Christopher Paul Photography (highly recommend)
Entertainment - Photobooth of the Stars (recommend)
Makeup / Hair - Parks 5th Ave in Vernon Hills (recommend)
Dress Shops - InweddingDress.com (recommend)
Bakery - Lovin Over Cakery (recommend)
Transportation - Executive Chauffering
Hotel Block - Holiday Inn
Rehersal Dinner - Lou Malnatis

jeskra1 · July 2012

Vendors from our June 2012 wedding:

Ceremony Venue- Studio Paris

http://www.parisclubchicago.com/

Reception Venue- Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza

http://www.martplaza.com/

Ceremony Music- Quartet Parapluie: violin/guitar duo (recommend)

http://www.quartetparapluie.com/

Reception Music- Howl at the Moon: dueling pianos (highly recommend)

http://www.howlatthemoon.com/locations/location-chicago

Photograher- Redwall Photo (highly recommend)

http://www.redwallphotography.com/

Videographer- Brittany Lynn Studios (recommend)

http://www.brittanylynnstudios.com/Brittany_Lynn_Studios/Brittany_Lynn.html

Florist- Details in Bloom (recommend)

http://detailsinbloomnyc.com/

Linens/Lighting/Rentals- Uplighting: MDM Entertainment (recommend), Ceremony Decor: Revel

www.mdmentertainment.com

http://reveldecor.com/

Entertainment- Magic Moment Photobooth (recommend)

http://magicmomentphotobooth.com/

Wedding Coordinator- Weddings by Karolina (highly recommend)

http://www.weddingsbykarolina.com/

Makeup- Appease: Jonathon (recommend)

http://appease2you.com/bridal.php

Hair- Appease: Carrie (recommend)

http://appease2you.com/bridal.php

Dress Shops- BMs: House of Brides Orland Park (do not recommend), Bride: Evas Bridal Oak Lawn, Flower Girls: Fairy Wonderful (recommend)

http://www.houseofbrides.com/

http://www.evasbridalsofoaklawn.com/

http://www.fairywonderful.com/

Alterations: Evas Bridal Oak Lawn

http://www.evasbridalsofoaklawn.com/

Cleaning/Preservation: Fame Cleaners (recommend)

http://www.yelp.com/biz/fame-cleaners-chicago

Tux/Suits: Jos. A Bank

http://www.josbank.com/

Invitations: Design by Dan Mouradian (highly recommend), printing by AccuColor Plus (recommend)

http://www.demou.com/

http://accucolor.com/

Calligraphy: Write by Mike (recommend)

www.writebymike.com

Bakery: Alliance Bakery: wedding cake (recommend), Sugar Bliss: cupcakes (recommend)

http://www.alliance-bakery.com/

http://sugarblisscakes.com/

Caterers: Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza (recommend)

http://www.martplaza.com/

Transportation: M&M Limo (recommend)

http://chicagolandlimo.com/

Hotel Block: Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza

http://www.martplaza.com/

Rehersal Dinner: Hub 51 (recommend)

http://www.hub51chicago.com/

carankarl · July 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_illinois-chicago_vendor-spreadsheet-tell-usingused?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:72Discussion:1c95c94e-5875-4605-8aa0-70b30495b8c1Post:aacc04a0-1aa7-489c-abeb-aa66d71b2434">Re: Vendor Spreadsheet--Tell me who you are using/Used!!</a>:
[QUOTE]Ok I'll play since I never did a bio. Ceremony Venue Mayslake Peabody Estate Reception Venue Mayslake Peabody Estate Ceremony Music (if outside the church) Music by Design Reception Music Music by Design Photograher Amy Christian Photography and Design Videographer Shoot the Bride Films DO NOT RECOMMEND Florist Kio Kreations Linens/Lighting/Rentals LINENS: The Chair Coture Entertainment (Photobooth, etc) did not use Wedding Coordinator Weddings by Karolina Karolina Warren Makeup Cynthia Sally Hair Colour Line Hair Studio (my regular salon) Dress Shops (both bride and bridesmaid) Davids Bridal BM, Aurora HOB Aurora Accessories (Veil/shoes/hair pieces, etc) shoes at DSW, Didn't wear a veil Alterations Sue's Bridal Alterations, Naperville Cleaning/Preservation not done yet Tux/Suits Men's Warehouse Geneva, Il Invitations I created my own invites, CardsandPocketes for Paper Products Calligraphy Did not use Bakery Cake and sweets provided by my caterer Caterers Mario's Events Worth, IL Transportation Did not use Hotel Block Marriott Oak Brook, IL Rehersal Dinner Southwest Range, Prestbury Golf Club, Sugar Grove IL Favors Made my own Bridal Party gifts Made my own Mrs. Paps, I highly recommend all of my vendors except STB Films.
Posted by thealphabride[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>While you are early...check out my dj/Band guy!!
<div>
</div><div><div>The contact info is at <a href="http://www.funkyjazzypop.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.funkyjazzypop.com</a></div><div>
</div><div>I am getting a band/DJ package where the guyI actually sing Michael Buble kinda stuff with a live jazz trio or recordings for Cocktails, and DJs the rest of the night...The price it just over a DJ price since he is both the singer and dj. He said he hires "gigging pros" that can leave early enough to make a "real gig" so the costs stay low. He is an AMAZING singer!</div><div>
</div><div>He pays you $100 if you refer him to a friend and they hire him too! I already got 2 friends using him!</div></div>

</div>

julianne098 · July 2012

Ceremony Venue- The Drake Hotel
Reception Venue- The Drake Hotel-Gold Coast Ballroom--GREAT
Reception Music- The Stitely Orchestra (REALLY FABULOUS)
Wedding Coordinator--Lola Event Productions--Tara Moser (WONDERFUL!)
Photograher- Dennis Lee Photography
Videographer-family
Florist-Anthony Gowder Designs--Greta, good
Entertainment--Photobooth from Chicagoland Photobooth-they did a nice job
Makeup-Donna Oliver-Forsythe GREAT!!
Hair- Erin Grahm (GREAT!)
Dress Shops--Bella Bianca in Oakbrook Terrace--GREAT!!
Tux/Suits--Groom from Brooks Brothers, groomsmen from Men's Wearhouse (Men's WH is not the best but I don't think guys care).
Invitations_William Arthur
Bakery-Sarah's Cakes and Pastries
Caterers -Drake Hotel
Hotel Block-Drake Hotel, Palmer House, Residence Inn Mag Mile
Rehersal Dinner: Le Colonial on Rush St--SO GREAT! but expensive.
Bridal Party gifts: LuLu Lemon hoodies

starael · July 2012

Ceremony Venue: Alice Millar Chapel in Evanston (limited to NU alums)
Reception Venue: the Woman's Club of Wilmette

Ceremony Music (if outside the church) n/a
Reception Music: Cage and Aquarium DJa
Photograher: Cage and Aquarium, Michael is our head photographer
Videographer: none
Florist: DIY
Linens/Lighting/Rentals: DIY
Entertainment (Photobooth, etc): Flashbooth (groupon)
Wedding Coordinator: n/a
Makeup: DIY
Hair: DIY
Dress Shops (both bride and bridesmaid): Bloomingdales for bride (not the wedding shop, I bought a Sue Wong dress), david's bridal for bridesmaids.
Accessories (Veil/shoes/hair pieces, etc): Christian Louboutin (shoes)
Alterations: n/a
Cleaning/Preservation: n/a
Tux/Suits: Men's Wearhouse(sp?)
Invitations: DIY
Calligraphy: DIY

Bakery: Molly's Cupcakes
Caterers
Transportation
Hotel Block
Rehersal Dinner
Favors
Bridal Party gifts

AtomicLush · August 2012

Wedding Date: September 1, 2013

As you can see, I have a looong way to go! I will update as I book more vendors. I will also update with "RECOMMENDED" or "HIGHLY RECOMMENDED" or "AVOID" as appropriate. Obviously, I won't know the performance of certain vendors until after the wedding. :-)

Ceremony Venue: St. Luke's Lutheran Church, Park Ridge, IL http://www.stlukespr.org

Reception Venue: TBA

Ceremony Music (if outside the church): TBA

Reception Music: Roberto at Monastero Entertainment http://www.robertomonastero.com

Photograher: Paul at Yamashiro Studios http://www.yamashirostudio.com

Videographer: TBA

Florist: TBA

Linens/Lighting/Rentals: LIGHTING: Roberto at Monastero Entertainment www.robertomonastero.com / LINENS/RENTALS: TBA

Entertainment (Photobooth, etc): TBA

Wedding Coordinator: TBA

Makeup: TBA

Hair: TBA

Dress Shops (both bride and bridesmaid): BRIDE: Kacie at Volle's Bridal & Boutique, Lake Zurich, IL http://www.vollesbridal.com (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) / BRIDESMAIDS: TBA

Accessories (Veil/shoes/hair pieces, etc): VEIL: TBA / SHOES: Guess http://www.guess.com

Alterations: TBA

Cleaning/Preservation: TBD

Tux/Suits: Black Tie Formalwear, Schaumburg, IL

Invitations: Myself

Calligraphy: TBA

Bakery: TBA

Caterers: TBA

Transportation: TBD

Hotel Block: TBA

Rehersal Dinner: TBA

Favors: TBA

Bridal Party Gifts: TBA

IlliniJen · September 2012

Ceremony Venue-Peninsula Hotel
Reception Venue-Peninsula Hotel
Ceremony Music (if outside the church)-Ken Arlen Orchestra (HIGHLY RECOMMEND!)
Reception Music-Ken Arlen Orchestra (HIGHLY RECOMMEND!)
Photograher-Garbo Productions (HIGHLY RECOMMEND!)
Videographer-None
Florist-Kehoe Designs (HIGHLY RECOMMEND!)
Linens/Lighting/Rentals-Kehoe (HIGHLY RECOMMEND!)
Entertainment (Photobooth, etc)-I Do Photobooth
Wedding Coordinator-Unsure
Makeup-Regina Sneor, D'Works (HIGHLY RECOMMEND!)
Hair-Unsure
Dress Shops (both bride and bridesmaid)-
Accessories (Veil/shoes/hair pieces, etc)-
Alterations
Cleaning/Preservation
Tux/Suits
Invitations
Calligraphy
Bakery
Caterers-None
Transportation
Hotel Block
Rehersal Dinner-Wildfire Chicago (HIGHLY RECOMMEND!)
Favors
Bridal Party gifts

Miss Esa · September 2012

Ceremony Venue - White Eagle Golf Club Naperville, IL

Reception Venue - White Eagle Golf Club Naperville, IL

Ceremony Music - Liquid Kourage

Reception Music - Liquid Kourage

Photograher - Rachel Catherine Photography

Florist - Celidan Flowers Naperville, IL

Dress Shops - House Of Brides Glen Ellyn, IL (HIGHLY RECOMMEND)

Shoes - DEB

Jewerly - Elegance By Carbonneau Online store

Alterations - House Of Brides

Tux/Suits - Black Tie Formalwear Glen Ellyn, IL

Invitations - Hobby Lobby

Bakery - Oak Mill Bakery Chicago, IL

Hotel - Staybridge Suites Naperville

Favors - Oriental Trading Online store

cmuchach04 · September 2012

Ceremony Venue - CROWNE PLAZA NORTHBROOK
Reception Venue- CROWNE PLAZA NORTHBROOK!! Highly Recommend
Ceremony Music (if outside the church)
Reception Music - An Enchanted Evening
Photograher - Uncle's Friend
Videographer
Florist - Flowers by Renee
Linens/Lighting/Rentals - An Enchanted Evening
Entertainment (Photobooth, etc)
Wedding Coordinator - Crowne Plaza's Coordinator
Makeup -sister
Hair- sister
Dress Shops (both bride and bridesmaid) Boutique
Accessories (Veil/shoes/hair pieces, etc)
Alterations
Cleaning/Preservation
Tux/Suits -Mens Warehouse
Invitations
Calligraphy
Bakery - Baking Insitutue
Caterers -On Site
Transportation - They have a free shuttle at Crowne Plaza
Hotel Block -Crowne Plaza
Rehersal Dinner -
Favors - CandytoGO
Bridal Party gifts -Things Remembered

jenchicago12 · September 2012

We just got married September 15 in Chicago, so I'm ready to do my reviews. I hope these are helpful!

Ceremony Venue - St. Alphonsus, Chicago (Lakeview) - beautiful!

Reception Venue - Maxim's (Gold Coast, State/Goethe) - LOVED it! Such a unique space and Nicole at the venue was excellent to work with. Plus you can bring in your own alcohol (used Binny's) which is a cost saver since you can return unopened / non-chilled items.

Photograher - Tony Favarula of Brian Kinyon Photography. I don't have my photos yet, but he was great to work with an his portfolio was excellent (as was Brian's), so I'm sure they'll turn out great. Brian was excellent to work with in figuring out locations to take pictures between the ceremony and reception.

Florist - Bonnie Flowers (Irving Park Rd, Chicago) - Bruce was great to work with. I didn't know what I wanted and he made suggestions for my bouquet based on my dress, hair, bridesmaid dresses, etc - basically, he wanted something that would be in proportion to me and reflect the style I was looking for. He nailed it, and at a price that was much lower than any other florist I spoke with. Definitely recommend!

Photobooth: Traveling Photobooth. Like the vendors above, they were great to work with. Very responsive, and I was able to take advantage of a promotion they were running to get a guest book and photo collage of all the photos from the evening at no additional cost. A benefit of this company over other photobooths is that they let guests download photos at no cost after the event - I didn't find any other photobooth vendors that offered that option, and their price was in line with the others. Our photo guest book is hilarious and the pictures are all over my friends' Facebook profiles, so I think it was a hit!

DJ: Jordan from Windy City Mix. The space at Maxim's is a little tricky from a DJ perspective due to the layout and division of rooms, but Rodrigo (owner) had done events there before and passed his recommendations along to Jordan. Jordan also came to our pre-meeting with the caterer and venue coordinator so that he was in synch with the evening activities. He was able to move the crowd between rooms and get everyone on the dance floor - it was packed the whole night. Highly recommend!

Makeup: Andrea Rappaport - recommend! The makeup lasted all day and she provided me with a lip gloss and blotting papers for touch-ups. I had a lot of compliments on my makeup from friends because it looked like me, but enhanced. She also did my maid of honor's makeup and she looked amazing as well. She came to us and didn't have a minimum number of people required (a key for me, since it was initially only me for makeup).

Hair: Lira Guzzi - my hairdresser, who's currently at Thomas West Salon. I've been going to Lira for years - she's excellent for color, cut and updos! My hair was absolutely amazing (tons of compliments) and my bridemaids and mom all looked awesome as well. She nailed a Taylor Swift hairdo for one of my bridesmaids despite my bridesmaid having a lot less hair - we were all more than pleased.

Dress Shops (bride): L'Amour in Barrington. The lady who helped us was nice and found what wound up being my dress in the sample section after we struck out in the regular dresses. Overall, they had good selection. Since I took my dress home that day, I can't comment on delivery time, etc.

Dress Shops (bridesmaid): wound up ordering from Pearl's Place in New Orleans because the store we went to in Chicago told us the dress we picked didn't come in red and we found it in red when we looked the dress up again at home. Pearl's Place was able to get it for us in red - less expensive than the store we found the dress in Chicago, so that was a bonus (although we would have ordered from the Chicago store if they'd told us the right color options).

Accessories: shoes from Zappos. Earrings from Carson PIrie Scott. Friend made my necklace. My mom made my veil (actually pretty easy if you know someone who can sew - patterns are available at JoAnns or Michael's).

Alterations: Ms. Couture in Chicago (on Clybourn, Lincoln Park). Toula is awesome! My dress was essentially two sizes too big, so she had to rebuild the dress - it came out fitting like a glove! We also removed the shoulder strap and added a belt using the flowers from the shoulder strap - she sewed the belt into the dress at the side seams so that it didn't interfere with the back design. Overall, it turned out amazing! She also altered my bridesmaid's dress and hers turned out well also.

Tux/Suits - Black Tie Formalwear (on Irving Park Rd, Chicago). Much better selection of tuxes (and prices) than Men's Wearhouse (which I DO NOT recommend). Tuxes worked out great - no issues with fit when the guys picked them up.

Invitations - weddingpaperdivas.com. Great selection, full price range options. Our invitations were mid-range price but high end quality. Recommend!

Bakery - Amy Beck Cakes. LOVED it! I worked with Amy and her team to design my cake, which would up being non-traditional art deco and fit my venue perfectly. Their cake also tasted great and prices were in line with other nicer bakeries (but not on the high end). Definitely recommend!

Caterers - J&L Catering - Rachel. Their food was by far the best of the caterers that we visited for tastings, and it was equally as good at the reception. Rachel was very organized and kept things running smoothly the day of the wedding, coordinating with Nicole at the reception hall and Jordan, our DJ. Definitely recommend!

Transportation - Windy City Limousine. Timely, clean, good price, no issues driving aroudn the city for our pictures. Recommend!

Rehersal Dinner - Sopranos (on Sheffield in Lakeview). The food was excellent and the party room was great since it let us have our own space. The prices were reasonable and everyone complimented us on the food. Recommend!

budgetplanner60020 · October 2012

Hello. My name is Melissa. I am a wedding coordinator with Northern Illinois Budget Weddings. My fee is 200.00, flat fee. If any couple is on a very tight budget, though, my fee is negotiable. Please put me onto your list. If you need any additional information, please email me at: reach4thestarsgmx.com . Thank you.

Lkoranda · October 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_illinois-chicago_vendor-spreadsheet-tell-usingused?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:72Discussion:1c95c94e-5875-4605-8aa0-70b30495b8c1Post:f6ab7e3f-baf4-4ecc-b5b3-9396cf6e7e2b">Re:Vendor SpreadsheetTell me who you are using/Used!!</a>:
[QUOTE]Hello. My name is Melissa. I am a wedding coordinator with Northern Illinois Budget Weddings. My fee is 200.00, flat fee. If any couple is on a very tight budget, though, my fee is negotiable. Please put me onto your list. If you need any additional information, please email me at: reach4thestarsgmx.com . Thank you.
Posted by budgetplanner60020[/QUOTE]

<div>Will not let me email to the address provided above...</div>

snn07102011 · January 2013

Ceremony Venuest isidores church Reception Venuebelvedere banquets Reception Musicokyne medialab Photograherjanet johnston Videographerrobert cawthorne Floristkio kreations Wedding Coordinatori wish!!!!

Makeupmac girl family friend Hair teez'd salon travels to us Dress Shopsvolles bridal bride house of brides in glen ellyn julia bm dresses Accessories veil and hair piece:Sandras design. Shoes: help!!! Cant find yet Alterations volles bridal Cleaning/Preservation? Tuxblacktie formal wear in glen ellyn Dee Dee Invitations Magnet Street Calligraphy none Bakeryoak mill bakery in arlington heights Caterersthrough the belvedere Transportationexquiste limo in schaumburg Hotel Blockcountry inn and suites elk grove Rehersal Dinner? Favors donation Bridal Party giftsGirls: special made clutches from etsy, jewerly, burts bees lip gloss and face lotion. Guys: ???

erinsrainbow · April 2013

i don't have it all planned yet, but this is what i have

Ceremony Venue st. christophers
Reception Venue candelight banquets
Ceremony Music (if outside the church) not sure
Reception Music spinnin discs
Photograher essence
Videographer essence
Florist my sister-in law is doing
Entertainment (Photobooth, etc) essence
Wedding Coordinator none
Makeup not sure
Hair not sure- depends on how long it gets
Dress Shops (both bride and bridesmaid) davids for all
Accessories (Veil/shoes/hair pieces, etc) still looking
Alterations hopeful wont need
Cleaning/Preservation not sure
Tux/Suits mens warehouse i think
Invitations my sister-in law is doing this
Calligraphy none
Bakery none
Caterers none
Transportation not sure
Hotel Block not sure
Rehersal Dinner not sure
Favors not sure
Bridal Party gifts jewlery i think

as for referrals, i would not recommend david's. they have been bothering me weekly about ordering the bridesmaid dresses for over 4 months. my girls don't wanna buy them that early cuz a lot of them are trying to lose weight not sure what size to get. they come in within a month, so theres not a rush right now and its really stressful with them rushing me.

i met ron at spinnin discs, and i know my reception entertainment is in good hands. they were recommended by mike at essence. mike knows a lot about what he's talking about with weddings. mike was right on with spinnin discs and a couple other things he mentioned to me, and the detail of the photos and albums. i don't care who my photographer is because i know mike is taking care of me.

jls522 · April 2013

Ceremony Venue: Arrowhead Golf Club
Reception Venue: same
Ceremony Music (if outside the church): Sounds Abound
Reception Music: Sounds Abound
Photograher: Kara Schultz
Videographer: friend
Florist: Violet's Flowers in Berwyn, IL
Linens/Lighting/Rentals: linens provided by Arrowhead
Entertainment (Photobooth, etc): photobooth from Sounds Abound
Wedding Coordinator: none
Makeup: True Story Style
Hair: True Story Style
Dress Shops (both bride and bridesmaid) Bride: Jasmine Galleria in Lombard. Bridesmaids: Bella Bridesmaid
Accessories (Veil/shoes/hair pieces, etc) Wearing my mom's veil, hair comb from Claire's, shoes are Nina and purchased at Von Maur
Alterations: Mary Catomy
Cleaning/Preservation
Tux/Suits: Men's Wearhouse
Invitations: Vistaprint
Calligraphy: none
Bakery: Oak Mill Bakery
Caterers: provided by venue
Transportation: not needed
Hotel Block: Wyndham Lisle
Rehersal Dinner: Mullens Bar and Grill
Favors: magnetic photo strip frames
Bridal Party gifts: totes from Etsy and comfy pants from our alma mater for the girls, pizza stone for my bridesman, personalized grilling tools for the groomsmen, wine tote for one usher and personalized glasses for the other.

brittanidt · April 2013

Ceremony Venue: The Newberry Library
Reception Venue: The Newberry Library
Ceremony Music (if outside the church): TBD
Reception Music: TBD
Photograher: Jolie Images
Florist-DIY Whole Foods
Linens/Lighting/Rentals: linens included w/ catering thru Cocina Fusion
Entertainment (Photobooth, etc): still deciding on a DJ and I think I've nixed the photobooth idea, maybe a step and repeat....?
Wedding Coordinator: Me!
Makeup: TBD
Hair: my usual stylist
Dress Shops (both bride and bridesmaid): Alfred Angelo in Indianpolis for MOH and myself, if you dont mind the drive its definitely worth it, they dont have the bridal store in Chicago (go figure)
Accessories (Veil/shoes/hair pieces, etc): TBD on shoes and jewelry
Alterations: Mary Catomy
Tux/Suits: TBD
Invitations: DIY, materials from Paper Source in Oakbrook Center (they are very helpful and also offer full paper services if you want)
Bakery: Jorie Cakes (worth the drive for the tasting, very resonable and delicious)
Caterers: Reception-Cocina Fusion (by far the best food for the least amount of money and Julianna is awesome to work with) Late Night Snack-possibly Lou Malnati's
Hotel Block: TBD
Favors: Garrett Popcorn! Im doing the Create Your Own Favor bags
Bridal Party gifts: TBD

Vendor Spreadsheet--Tell me who you are using/Used!!

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