What's goin' on??

Winter is a time when lots of things slow down. Not me! Right now I am hard at work collaborating with a web designer preparing to launch www.younameitchicago.com very soon. Also enjoying the news that YOU NAME IT was selected as one of theknot.com's 2012 Best Of Weddings winners!!  The official announcements will come through on theknot.com in January 2012 and in the meantime, I am hard at work on plans to share this news with as many potential clients as possible after "engagement season" wraps up. 

In order to be selected as one of the Best Of Weddings, vendors listed on theknot.com rely on favorable reviews from their satisfied clients. I am hugely grateful for the wonderful clients I worked with in 2011 who helped make this possible.  Not only did I have a wonderful "Year 1" with YOU NAME IT clients, but I am certain I was able to make and invest in lifelong friendships with some amazing people. I still can't believe it was one short year ago that I decided to jump of the proverbial cliff into self-employment.  God is good and I'm still here!  I am so grateful for that and so excited to see what the new year brings!

Huge debt of gratitude to my 2011 "Best of" Clients whose reviews helped make this honor possible:

Alex & Ashley Zermeno

Heather & Jeff Racine

Tom Michaelis & Stacey Sutherland

Vicki Slomka & Steve & Lexi Smedinghoff

Meredith & Julio Ramirez

Kristy, Tim & Cecilia Wynveen  

To read their reviews, check out: http://local.weddingchannel.com/Wedding-Vendors/You-Name-It-Events-Wedding-Reviews?ProfileId=406116

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. - JFK, Jr.

Cecilia Turns One! Her Rockstar Birthday Party Ruled!

Baby Cecilia turned one on October 12th, so to celebrate, her family threw her a rockstar party fit for a princess! Hot pink and black were the colors of the day and lots of handmade decorations and other special touches set this party apart from the crowd. Check out the photos below:

 Hand painted birthday cake plate. 

 Rockstar smash cake.

 Balloon decorations in the dining room.

 Balloon garland.

 Welcome to the party!

 Decorated entry way.

 Welcome sign designed like a marquee, with lights around the edge!

 Ribbon chandelier.

 #1 photo collage with pictures of the birthday girl from her first ultrasound to present day!

 Rockstar props for the guests to enjoy!

 Strawberry vanilla pop rocks cupcakes!

 A little bit of festivity for the bathroom.

 Favors and prizes!

 Custom trophies for the costume contest winners!

 Decorated by Maggie! Chair for the birthday girl!

 Custom birthday girl rockstar onesie, hot pink tutu and headband.

 Dessert table filled with cupcakes, cookies, brownies, oreo bars, cake batter truffles and more!

 Birthday slide show with photos of the birthday girl throughout her first year.

Our Marquee sign all lit up!

 Me and the birthday girl at the end of her weekend celebration!

Guide to Selecting a Wedding Planner

Newly engaged couples usually have a truckload of information coming at them. From family and friends to the multitude of websites out there - the amount of information can be simply overwhelming. In an effort to save our clients time and stress, YNI has created a guide to selecting your wedding planner! Check out the checklist below for hints on what to ask your potential planner and what your potential planner should be asking you!

What you should ask them

About the Planner/Coordinator

• Why do you do this type of work? How long have you been doing it?
• How many weddings have you done? Can we read reviews and/or speak with references for your services?
• Can you share some examples of times you solved problems for your clients?
• Do you have photos of your recent weddings that we can review?

About their services/packages

• Do you offer planning services? Day of or week of coordination? Which do you recommend for us and why?
• Do you help with event design or just logistics?
• Do you have package options? Can we customize a package that will work for us?
• Can we have a detailed list of what items you take care of and which ones are our responsibility?

About their availability/commitment to you

• How may clients do you work with annually? How many others will you be working with the month of our wedding?
• Is this your full-time job? What is your typical availability like?
• Will you personally be on site at our rehearsal, ceremony & reception? Do you have assistants who will also be present?
• How many meetings and phone calls are included in your services? How long does it typically take you to respond to client e-mails, phone calls?

About the process of working together

• Where will we typically meet for our sessions?
• How do you handle your payment & contract process?
• What is your refund or cancellation policy?
• What happens if you are ill or otherwise unavailable on my wedding day?

What they should ask you

About yourselves

• How did you two meet?
• How did you get engaged? How long have you been engaged?
• What do you each do for a living?
• How much time are you planning to take off before & after your wedding?
• What are your families like?

About your feelings

• What are your main concerns about your wedding day? What are you most looking forward to?
• What are you looking for in a wedding planner?
• How much help & support are you looking for? In what areas of your wedding planning do you feel most in need of support?

About your wedding

• When is your wedding?
• What is the style/theme of your wedding? Your wedding colors?
• How formal or casual do you want your wedding to be?
• What is your event budget? Who is primarily paying for your wedding?
• Do you have your ceremony venue selected? Your reception venue? Are either of these venues outdoors?
• How many guests are attending? Will there be many out of town wedding guests?
• Will children be included in your ceremony? Invited to your reception?
• How many people do you plan on having in your bridal party?
• Which vendors are you already working with? Are you looking for any additional vendor referrals?
• Are there any special circumstances related to your wedding that are important to consider?

About the logistics

• Can photos from your wedding become a part of my company’s portfolio?
• When are you looking to hire a wedding planner/coordinator?

If your interview process includes these questions, you will be off to a great start in finding the wedding professional who is right for you!