We work with couples and businesses in Chicago and beyond who have a unique story to tell. In particular, we especially love working with a diverse clientele, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+ people, those with disabilities, and more. Our business is a safe space. We have experience in Nigerian, Filipino, Asian, Hispanic, South Asian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Greek Orthodox weddings. 

Absolutely! Our wedding planning team is based in Chicago, IL, but we love to travel throughout the US and internationally. If you’re planning an event outside of a 50-mile radius from Chicago, please just know that additional travel fees will incur. 

Yippee! We’re so excited to hear that you’ve reached out! Next, you can expect an email back from us within one business day to schedule a phone call and discuss your event more. You’ll receive a customized proposal from us two business days after that call. Once accepted, we’ll send you a contract and an invoice. After those are signed and paid, you’re officially part of the Elegant & Sophisticated Affairs family! We’ll send you a welcome packet shortly after signing to get you settled. Let the planning begin!

All of our couples are also required to sign a contract with us to book their date. Lastly, we’ll need an initial payment from you. We offer payment plans up to four installments; we ask that one of those payments is made to secure your date. 

The sooner you begin working with a wedding planner, the more time you have to take advantage of their professional expertise, including expert advice, area knowledge, vendor and venue recommendations, budget management, and time management. This cuts down on hours of researching, second-guessing, and an overall feeling of exhaustion and confusion. 

With that said, we always recommend hiring a wedding planner after you decide on your wedding date so you can maximize the benefits of working with a professional. Full-service planning clients will get a large amount of support from that point forward, while wedding management clients can still benefit from a planner’s expertise even if they don’t receive the full breadth of planning services. 

Did you know the average couple spends 400 hours planning their own wedding? Those hours are typically spent researching best practices like budgeting, timelines, and vendors, and feeling unsure if they’re making choices that fit their style and budget. When you hire a wedding planner, it’s our job to spend this time working with vendors, designing moodboards, and creating planning documents for you. We do this all day, every day, so we know how long things should take, who to trust, and what prices are reasonable. 

Most importantly, working with a wedding planner means you’ll save precious time that you should be spending enjoying your engagement (or working, where you’ll likely make more than you spend on a wedding planning service). 

No. We only accept one wedding per weekend so we can give those clients and that event 100% of our focus. 

Day-of wedding coordination is a myth, unfortunately. The name implies that it’s possible for someone to arrive on the day of your wedding and produce a beautiful event. However, to truly produce a beautiful event that flows well, reflects your vision, and has no major hiccups requires months of planning and prep work.

This is why we offer a Wedding Management package instead of day-of coordination, which includes months of hands-on, pre-wedding support and, of course, being there on your special day to execute your vision and make sure your wedding day is flawless.

A wedding venue’s in-house coordinator works for the venue, not for you. Their job is to make decisions that are in the best interest of the venue and its property and staff. Wedding planners, on the other hand, do work for you and their best interest is making sure you have a stress-free day that’s flawlessly executed. Planners will also transition between multiple venues, such as your getting ready location, the place where you have the ceremony, and the reception venue.

If you want a truly stress-free wedding day that prioritizes your vision and well-laid plans, it’s best to hire a wedding planner. 

Absolutely not! In fact, we prefer that our couples are very involved in the planning process and maintain a certain level of control. Our job is to advise you on how to bring your wedding vision to life, and keep you accountable to meeting certain deadlines. We will never entirely take over the wedding planning process for you.