Reviews of Lola Event Productions LLC (Event Planner)

Trusted Reviewer

A waste of money

Katie Degnan

This is the review from our wedding that I have put off writing as long as possible because it is impossible to appropriately put into words everything that Lori did to help make our day perfect. I knew immediately during my first conversation with Lori that we’d be hiring her to help with the planning for our wedding. She is so easy to talk to and it doesn’t matter whether you’re talking about flowers or décor or food or hair and makeup, etc, you just end any conversation feeling like she totally gets you and you’re in the most capable of hands. Living in a city where there are hundreds of options for everything from photographer to décor to DJ, I was totally overwhelmed with trying to figure out who the right vendors were to make our vision a reality. Before we hired Lori, I started looking into photographers, my research took probably 5-6 hours of googling and visiting websites and that was before even actually contacting any for quotes or meetings. After one quick conversation with Lori about what we were looking for in a photographer, she recommended two options, one of which happened to be the photographer at the top of my list after my 5-6 hours of internet research. I knew from that moment forward that my planning was going to be SO MUCH EASIER thanks to Lori and that she already had a great handle on what we were looking for and our tastes. It was truly amazing how quickly she got to know us and how perfect her recommendations and direction were through the whole planning process and I am so grateful for all the hours of googling and reading reviews that she saved me with her thoughtful and personalized recommendations. She has built up a huge network of vendor relationships through her many years in the business and is so widely respected by everyone we worked with. Every single time I met with a new person involved in our wedding in one way or another they told me how lucky I was to be working with Lori and what a BOSS LADY she is not only through the planning but especially on the big day itself. She was always incredibly cost and budget conscious and stretched every dollar we put into our wedding day. While I didn’t have any exposure to the set up happening the day of our wedding in the ballroom, I can tell you that it ended up being the most beautiful room we had ever seen and I know that Lori was a huge driving force behind making sure that vision came to life the way it did. The single best decision we made related to our wedding was hiring Lori. I attribute almost everything about our perfect day to her hard work and dedication to making sure we were happy not only as her clients, but as two people on the most important day of their lives. Thank you Lori!

Dori Rubin

When planning a wedding, you make a lot of decisions. Our best decision by a long shot was hiring Michelle. She was incredible through it all. Michelle offered such expertise and important context during the planning process. Whenever there was a question, we knew we could count on her for a thorough, insightful (and quick!) response. Her well-established, well-vetted relationships with the various vendors spoke volumes. Everyone was as excited to work with Michelle as we were. On the day of, everything was perfect. Michelle made sure all of the details were well-planned, and thought through. We got to sit back and truly enjoy the amazing day! We would HIGHLY recommend Michelle and the Lola team overall. They are a great group, with a world of contacts, resources, context, and insight about the wedding planning process. If you're considering hiring a planner, even in the slightest, look no further!

Meredith Shiner

I cannot recommend Lori Stephenson more highly. As a planner, she is everything you want and, more important, everything you need: she's organized, responsive, kind, and well-connected with, and respected by, vendors across Chicago. During the planning process, she was always present when we needed her, and on my wedding day itself, she expertly blended into the background, like a Wedding Wizard of Oz, making all the trains run smoothly from behind the curtain. My husband and I started planning our wedding from long-distance, orchestrated a cross-country move in the middle of our engagement and threw several other challenges Lori's way, but at no time did I feel anxiety that Lori wouldn't get the job done or wouldn't have our best interest at heart. When we chose her, I loved that she worked weddings of all sorts of couples and that each event seemed different. Lori has great style but she never imposes hers on you, which is such a gift. I told multiple people as we went through this process that Lori is the best friend I've ever paid for and I stand by that. We had the absolute best time at our wedding and guests were blown away by every element of the evening -- some even called it "magical" -- and for that, I'll always be grateful to Lori and her team.

Liz Holby

Carly Carynski was amazing to work with! As I work in the events industry, I thought I had everything together, but boy was I glad to have her! I couldn't imagine things going any smoother and that had so much to do with Carly and her team! It was so nice to have her at the venue and her intern with us to make sure everything was going as planned. She was very detail-oriented and had wonderful advice. Meeting with her really was calming as I felt so comfortable knowing that everything would be okay and I didn't have to worry! She wanted to make it as easy as possible for me leading up to the wedding and the day of, which is exactly what I wanted. She even took all of the items we needed for the day of at the rehearsal and brought them to the ceremony & reception. She was there every step of the way and extremely professional throughout the process. I would definitely recommend using Lola for planning as I had the best experience!

amy gallacher

We wanted to say a huge thank you for everything Lola events, and in particular everything our wedding planner Kirstin did for us. Organising a wedding in Chicago whilst living in England was such a daunting task for us. From day one Kirstin was friendly, organised and always responded to our emails. She didn't miss a single detail throughout the planning process and her local knowledge and vendor experience made the planning process easy! The wedding day itself flowed perfectly. Kirstin's level of preparation and organisation meant that we could relax and enjoy the day! At every moment I felt that you and your team took care of us so so well! The attention to detail (such as the hors d’oeuvres and wedding cake in our room) created magical moments that we will always cherish! Overall Sohail and I had the most perfect wedding day! Our friends and family had an absolute ball and everyone keeps messaging us saying it was the best wedding they’ve ever been too (and the most well organised!) I feel that throughout the process I gained a friend, as well having an amazing wedding planner! We highly recommend Lola and in particular the lovely Kirstin - our day would not have been the same without you! Warmest wishes and huge thanks, Amy and Sohail

Kate Lederhaus Carlson

I just had my wedding on June 22, 2013 and hired LOLA to do the day of wedding planning. Kristy at LOLA was so helpful to share her ideas and connections with me when we first met. She was also super organized and this gave me complete peace of mind on the day of the wedding. I would highly recommend hiring a day of planning, specifically with LOLA events. Thank you LOLA and Kristy!

Kevin Donnellon

I am the FOB. Never did I doubt that Lori would pull through for us on this important day. She guided us with a soft and firm hand. She had one clever and creative idea and smart piece of advice after another. She gets how to serve an array of people and their needs and emotions and how to offer recommendations on the all the facets of a wedding. When she said she would do something, it was done. Your wedding will be so much better, if you hire her. I suggest you do.

Sarah Kennedy Wallace

Michelle at Lola was truly amazing to work with. She was calm, thorough, quick to respond to all of my crazy and random questions, she has impeccable attention to detail, she knew how/when to get us to make decisions...she has every quality you'd want in a wedding planner. But the best part about Michelle was she genuinely cared about us and making our day perfect for us. She got our vision and made every single thing happen flawlessly and made the process simple and easy but still so special. Michelle brought us the absolute best vendors we could imagine. From the stationary (which she convinced me actually is important), to the caterer (who brought our idea of around the world stations to life), to the decor (truly cannot imagine a more breathtaking room, tables or flowers) to the band (who absolutely KILLED it- our dance floor was packed the entire night), to the photo booth, trolley, videographer... There's no chance we would've found them on our own or executed a day half as great without her. Even at the end of the night, she brought everything back to our hotel suite for us- we came back to my flowers and water bottles on the nightstand. the nicest note, all of our things organized perfectly, and cards in the safe. This is an example of the perfect special touches Michelle puts on everything. I could go on forever, but we truly can't even imagine what our day would've been like without Michelle. I could not recommend her or Lola enough!

Bethany Bey

I don't think we would have survived the wedding planning process without Michelle. She easily became our rock, coordinating with our vendors and also managing questions from our moms. I had heard from my already married friends that planning was so stressful they couldn't wait for the wedding to be over. It was the opposite experience for us solely because of Michelle. While there were a few stressful moments for us, they were few and far between and Michelle was on top of everything. Not only was the planning fun and relatively easy, but she also made sure we were able to soak in every moment of our wedding and truly enjoy it. Also, thank you for saving me a piece of cake at the end of the night.

Michelle Miller

Kristy Diana is my wedding hero. If you are looking for the best of the best wedding planner, LOLA Event Productions’ Kristy Diana is who you need. Flawless execution, service with a smile and attention to every detail….that is what you get with LOLA! I manage projects professionally so I had a very high bar, but Kristy exceeded all my expectations. I’m so grateful for the time and attention the LOLA team gave my wedding. I actually enjoyed every minute of the reception! Not an easy task for a planner like me.

Milo Siegel

I don't know how we would have pulled all of this off without Lori and LOLA. Everything went off without a hitch. Full disclosure, I was not 100% sold that we needed an event planner when we started the process. But I learned quickly that it was more than worth the price. For the months leading up to the event we had regular calls that kept us all on track, especially challenging with everyone spread across the country. And then on the actual day of the wedding I swear there were 4 clones of Lori. She was everywhere. And the few minor questions that came up were resolved immediately, without any stress. Can't say enough good things about Lori and LOLA

Adam & Heather Kunkel

Hiring Lauren Prado from LOLA was one of the best decisions we made during the wedding planning process. After we had hired most of our vendors, we realized bringing everything together on our own would be too much stress. Enter Lauren. In the months leading up to the wedding, she flawlessly communicated with our vendors, took care of little details that never crossed our minds, put together an impeccable timeline, and oversaw/wrangled the wedding party at our rehearsal. On our wedding day, Lauren put us all at ease. She took charge and made sure everything ran smoothly and on time. The groom and I and our family members didn’t have to worry about a thing other than celebrating — she took care of it all. I credit Lauren with making sure our ideas were carried out and our day reflected us. I would recommend highly recommend Lauren Prado to any engaged couple.

Olivia VanNess

I had a destination wedding in Chicago this summer, and had to do much of the planning from out of town while I was finishing up school. I honestly could not have done it if it weren't for Lori! From the very beginning of our planning process she had everything so organized that I never had to worry about a thing. By the time my wedding day came around, I was so excited and relaxed knowing that everything would go down perfectly with her there. It was definitely our dream wedding, and we couldn't have done it with out her! She knows and has a good relationship with all of the best vendors and helped me set up all of my meetings so that we could put together a "dream team" for our special day. Everything was amazing and I loved all of the people that we worked with. Thank you Lori and LOLA Event Productions, you're the best!!!

Lucas Woolums

My wife and I were married in January of 2018. When we first started planning, we weren’t sure whether or not we would even be looking for a wedding planner. We assumed, like many of you reading this review I’m sure, that we could handle much of the planning and find everything we wanted. Hiring Lori from LOLA Event Productions was the single best decision we made after deciding to get married. From the very beginning until we checked out of the bridal suite Lori was with us making sure that everything we needed was done without us even having to ask. Her expertise in both the wedding logistics, as well as the decor, food, and music ensured that we created an absolutely perfect day that our entire families still rave about. Lori knew every vendor on a first name basis, and everyone of them had the same thing to say when we went in for planning meetings, “we love Lori, you are so lucky to be working with her”. We could not have agreed more. My wife and I wanted to have quite a bit of creative freedom over many of the aspects of the day and Lori allowed us to bring all of our vision completely to life while providing very useful and critical advice. Lori provided us with tools to help plan our day down to the finest detail, and was always available anytime we had a question. We could literally send her a text at almost any time and she would respond quickly. We also loved every meeting we had with her. Her easy going, nature and fun loving spirit are a perfect compliment to the absolute BOSS she truly is. She runs a very tight ship, but is simultaneously the most free spirited and interesting person you’ve ever met.She brought excitement to each meeting and made us feel very at home talking to her about every detail of the day. Even for the tough decisions, like who to keep on the guest list, and who we might need to cut for numbers. She had ways of making very difficult decisions very simple and straightforward. Everyone worries that on the day of their wedding there will be those little unforeseen challenges that they will have to deal with that will take away from their enjoyment of the big day. It may be hard to believe, but there was not a single moment during the entire wedding the I or my wife felt stressed about. The entire weekend was flawless, and things ran like a well oiled machine. The most amazing part was that throughout the months of planning and even on the day, Lori was just as invested in this day as we were. I’m told there were even tears during the vows my wife and I wrote for each other. During the ceremony and reception, we knew that Lori and her staff were there making sure that everything was happening the way it should but I can only think of a handful of times I actually remember seeing her. Her and her staff functioned completely behind the scenes and made sure that none of our guests wanted for anything, and that all of the vendors were able to do each of their respective duties. At the end of the day, every part of a wedding comes at a cost. Each of those vendors provides their service and adds something special to your day. Only one of our vendors could offer us that extra part that my wife and I needed; peace of mind. Lori gave us the greatest day of our lives in the least stressful way possible. We could not be happier with the job her and her staff at LOLA Event Productions did. We highly recommend them.

Katie Fitzgerald [Seibert]

I am just so thrilled with Lauren P and Carly C from LOLA!!!! BEST PLANNERS EVER!!!! Seriously, THE BEST!!!!! I worked with Lauren P in planning my wedding and Carly C (with her assistant Karina) was my day-of coordinator! Lauren P was so much fun to work and plan with!! Lauren was so attentive and wonderful during the entire planning process!! Every single time we met or emailed, Lauren was attentive and responsive! I truly felt special!! She kept me on track and focused, helped me meet planning milestones and deadlines, was a HUGE help with finding vendor options for us as well as negotiating with each vendor to assure that our style and vision was met while still staying within our budget. Lauren also helped me refine my vision and make decisions on what was truly important to incorporate! I loved having creative planning sessions and collaboratively making my dream come true!!!! From developing a vision board for the vendors to last minute wedding-week errands, Lauren was ON POINT!! Carly C was the perfect day-of coordinator! She helped us at our rehearsal and was able to get our very excited wedding party under control and prepared for the wedding day! On the actual wedding day Carly was polite, efficient, assertive and attentive! I was able to fully enjoy every moment of our wedding day just knowing that Carly was running the show! Carly kept everyone on the timeline and we had enough time to get ready, take pictures and relax before the walk down the aisle! When working with Lauren or Carly you will feel like the center of attention and that your vision is fully understood! We had so much fun at every meeting and they made what could've been a stressful time a very relaxed experience. I absolutely loved working with Lauren and Carly, they were such a wonderful addition to our wedding day festivities! HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!!!!!!!!

Lauren Tinervia

Hiring Michelle K and Carly C was the best decision we made during the entire planning process. I cant stress enough how enjoyable this process was because of these two amazing ladies. I was able to be a guest at my own wedding and truly enjoy the day because they took care of EVERYTHING! Michelle K was respectful of our budget all while making our day beautiful and personal to us. She is down to earth, funny, creative, yet efficient and professional. Carly was key in ensuring our day was run as smoothly as possible and my husband and I could truly just enjoy the day with not having to worry about a thing besides just enjoying ourselves. Never planning a wedding before and being a type A personality I thought I could do this myself no problem. WOW was I wrong!! A wedding planner and month of/day of coordinator were ESSENTIAL and finding room in our budget to ensure Michelle and Carly could work for us were a non-negotiable. To this day, the best money we have spent. Thank you Michelle K and Carly C for truly making our wedding day the best day of our lives. You two were absolutely the secret sauce!

Nathalie Pimentel

Our wedding went off without a hitch thanks to the pros at LOLA! Lori is so experienced, especially with Chicago venues, that nothing can take her by surprise. Her vendor list is absolutely phenomenal and I couldn't have asked for better partners. It was such a luxury to choose from an abbreviated set of vendors with which I could not go wrong. I actually really miss working with all the people who helped make our wedding a success!

Neha Mehra

Working with Michelle at Lola Event Productions was a game changer. I reflect back on my wedding weekend and all the different smaller details that would have been missed without her expertise. When I got engaged, I didn’t have a lot of help around to help plan my wedding. I was also the first in the family to be planning a wedding, so I didn’t have others’ past experiences to pull from. Needless to say, I definitely needed help. I found Lola by googling “best wedding planner in Chicago” and emailed to make an appointment immediately. I had three requirements — I knew I needed to work with someone who (1) has worked on south asian weddings (2) truly understands my aesthetic and style and (3) honors my budget. Thank the wedding planning gods that Michelle was paired with me, because she did those things plus more. When I met with her, the first thing I said is, “I need a partner-in-crime” and she beyond delivered. Every single detail, from the timeline, to vendor selection, communication, and day of event coordination was flawless. I am so thankful to have found Lola Event Productions and Michelle. Because of her, my wedding weekend went off without a hitch and I enjoyed every moment. I didn’t have to worry or stress about anything except showing up, looking great, and having an awesome time. My husband (still sounds weird to say husband!) and I are overjoyed with our experience working with Michelle. She’s professional and fun. She served as more than just a stellar wedding planner. She became our confidant, friend, and honorary family member throughout the process. Her amazing work touched everyone in our family because it gave them an opportunity to be engaged in the events instead of running around coordinating and stressing. We love Michelle! We can’t wait to have another reason to hire her again. Lola Event Productions made the best decision ever making her a part of their amazing team. It’s no wonder Lola is the first result when you google “best wedding planner in chicago” :) And to all the budget-wary brides, it’s worth every. single. penny. Trust me!

Meagan Murphy

I cannot recommend Lori Stephenson enough. If you're debating whether or not to hire a wedding planner--yes, you need one. And Lori Stephenson is the obvious choice. Her services will be the most valuable money spent during your entire wedding. She is charming, well connected and knows everything there is to know about the Chicago wedding scene. Because of this, she will help you get the most out of your money. She will make your planning experience absolutely effortless and dare I say almost enjoyable? She knows how to anticipate your needs before you even realize it and will instantly put you at ease about achieving any planning detail. She's always three steps ahead of you and allows for the minutiae of planning to go unnoticed by the bride and groom. She expertly reads the family dynamic and knows how to toe the line so the couple, parents and in-laws feel heard and included. Ultimately it is about the couple and she makes sure you get your dream wedding. The day of will run like a well oiled machine and she'll do it without an ounce of stress showing. Her expertise will allow you to take in the moment, be a participant and fully enjoy the day. I cannot speak highly enough about Lori Stephenson. She deserves far more accolades than this review can provide.

Courtney Bowman Castaneda

My husband and I hired Michelle from LOLA as our day of planner. I had been obsessed with Michelle’s work for years, as I knew her from my sorority in college. I knew that Michelle would help in creating an absolutely beautiful day. Hiring Michelle as the day of planner was far beyond my expectations! Michelle provided so much guidance through the whole process. From helping with catering to joining me when meeting with florist, Michelle was supportive and honest during planning. She gave us great advice and insight, and she was able to help us find difficult vendors. Without Michelle’s connections, we would have not been able to find the Brazilian dancers that we so badly wanted. Within hours, we had multiple options for dance companies that offer Brazilian dancers in Chicago. The most crucial thing about Michelle is that she has great relationships and knowledge of different vendors. Because Michelle personally knew my florist and the coordinator from my catering company/venue, everything flowed so smoothly. There were NO major hiccups in the day, and I had no stress whatsoever thanks to Michelle. Everything the day of was so organized, and there was absolutely nothing to worry about. I have gotten so many compliments from guests stating how great of a wedding it was. Thank you so much for all of your help Michelle and for ensuring that we had an amazing and FUN wedding day!

Crystal Snoddy

I am so glad that we hired LOLA for our wedding on April 30th. Michelle was the absolute best and I could not have asked for a better wedding planner. She was so calm, managed everything with such ease and even handled my wedding day breakdowns. It was also raining on my wedding day and Michelle went above and beyond to help me get mud from the bottom of my wedding gown. I would recommend LOLA and Michelle to anyone and everyone!!

Karen Tye

Two words: Exquisite. Phenomenal. Kirsty and LOLA were the perfect fit for me and my fiance. We get along pretty well with everyone, but what we needed in our planner was a LOT of direction, but not in an overbearing way. My fiance was super low maintenance, I needed a lot of input, and after all, we've never planned a wedding before. I also needed some no-nonsense efficiency. I was working on a bit of a time crunch, since I was in my last year of medical school and swamped with interviewing for residency and taking my last exams, etc. There couldn't have been a more supportive planner than Kirsty. She was incredible at helping me use the little time and energy I did have for wedding planning to the best of my capability. In Chicago, you have literally hundreds of wedding photographers, videographers, florists, bands, DJs, bakeries, calligraphers/stationers, makeup artists, etc to choose from. It's a double edged sword; it's nice to have options, but how on earth do you do thorough research on every single one of them? Or even just trying to vet say... 10 from each category and meet a few of each? You can't. Not while being a medical student, at least. One of the best things about working with Kirsty was her wisdom as she got to know my likes/dislikes, all while keeping our budget and priorities in mind. Her expertise cut out not hours, not days, but WEEKS of research I would have had to do on my own. Her recommendations were usually an introduction to a great fit on the very first try. Kirsty was also so communicative. I'd emailed her at least once a week and that was just at the beginning for working together. I got worried when a friend shared his horror story when his planner had gotten married and pretty much checked out right before his wedding. But if anything, Kirsty only got more responsive as we got closer to my wedding day - and her own! She made sure the entire LOLA team was accessible to me and on top of anything during her own wedding weekend. I loved having her super fresh perspective and guidance from everything from the wedding day itself to the bachelorette. She shared her own discoveries, so I felt like I was always getting the latest and greatest from the wedding industry with her. One of my favorite examples was the new custom Snapchat geofilters when they had *just* come out, just in time for our big day. There came a point when my fiance who teased me the week before the wedding, "Remember when you said you didn't think you needed a planner?" Oh, man. How sheepish I was. One of the many reasons why I'm glad he's my husband now. I could barely sleep the night before, thinking of last minute things from a playlist to the perfume I'd left at home. I emailed Kirsty, of course. The day of, we were able to savor every moment. Any fires that needed tending to, Kirsty handled. Instead, my husband and I got to focus on making happy memories with our loved ones, memories that you can't put a price on. Not just us, but our guests too - many of them are still raving about the dream weekend we had. Finally, Kirsty was still present even after our wedding. Things that people don't tell you: there's tons of aftermath to deal with, even if everything does go smoothly. And if it doesn't, you want an advocate like Kirsty in your corner. She handled some unfortunate negotiations with a vendor for us smoothly and quickly. In short, investing in a planner is one of the smartest decisions you will make in the entire wedding planning process. I will forever be grateful to Kirsty for helping us have the wedding weekend of our dreams and memories that will last us a lifetime.

Lauren DePasquale

Michelle was a lifesaver for our 20th anniversary party. She was professional, friendly, and not afraid to share her opinion when we needed help. Michelle was able to coordinate, organize and execute a party for 500 people in just a few weeks and it was amazing! Michelle was always around when we had questions and guided us through the entire process while taking care of all vendors. We received so many compliments on the different details of the night. We were delighted how everything turned out! Michelle and her team are fantastic to work with.

Moira Dammrich

We had an absolutely wonderful experience with Lori and LOLA productions as our wedding planner/company. Her presence made the whole process, especially the wedding, so much easier to enjoy and relax. She was also so helpful in all events leading up to the wedding and always got back to us immediately whenever we had a concern or question. She went above and beyond our expectations. She provided most of our recommendations for vendors and kept us on track and organized for them. Our band rocked the house and we would never have found them without the strong recommendation. Lori also served as our florist and did most of the decorating. So many people were really raving about how the great the venue looked. Last but not least, Lori is amazing bustler. She says she can bustle any dress and that is the truth!

Julia Bredrup

From our first conversation with Lori, we knew that she was the wedding coordinator for us. She exuded the type of calm, friendly personality that you need in a wedding planner -- along with an obvious knowledge of the Chicago wedding industry, eye for detail, and talent at organization. We interviewed a few other wedding planners before selecting Lori and none compared. In the months leading up to our wedding -- as well as on the day of the event -- our initial impressions were validated. In the weeks before the wedding, Lori prepared a detailed timeline and confirmed it with all of our vendors, created gorgeous bouquets and floral centerpieces that were exactly what we wanted, and provided invaluable guidance on the myriad planning questions that arise during the lead-up to a wedding. On the day of the event, Lori kept everyone -- including 11 bridesmaids and 11 groomsmen, as well as 11 other ceremony participants (readers, ushers, candle lighters) -- on schedule and in the right place. She did this while remaining calm, friendly, and welcoming to all of our guests. Because of her great attitude, my husband and I received so many compliments on Lori's performance. Lori also coordinated with one of my bridesmaids (who made a bunch of handmade decor items that required significant set-up) to make sure that our venue looked gorgeous. We could not be happier at having working with Lori.

Mark Larson

We hired Lori because we were trying to do it on our own and kept hitting dead ends. We had our ideal wedding plan in mind, we knew exactly what we wanted. We were just looking in the wrong place to get it done. It WAS magic! It was so absolutely perfect, I can barely express it in words. Lori came in and filled all the gaps for us, kept us organized and—most importantly—helped us focus. Now that the wedding is over, I can say it was MAGIC. Lori made it very easy for us. I can't see how we would've done it without her and she has the exact personality that we both needed, for someone to be able to manage both of our personalities...at the same time! We've told so many stories about how great the wedding was and she is part of so many of those stories. Our neighbors were very jealous as once we told them what LOLA did for us, they now want to renew their vows with Lori as their planner since they didn't have a positive experience with theirs at their wedding last year. The perfect expression of how much she cared about us is seen in a picture of me singing to my husband. She is in the background and she looks happy and relaxed and enjoying the reception. Her face and her whole demeanor shows how much she cared about us and how happy she was for us that the night went exactly how we wanted. The best part is that it all went exactly the way we envisioned it! I branded it with an original illustration that made it's way into the wedding party's clothes, the invitation designs and table cards, there were LEGO centerpieces on all of the tables, we had a memory candle for my Dad outside on Lake Michigan, I surprised my husband with a song—on a piano that Lori hid—our photographer and DJ were amazing and totally understood our taste and style. The cakes were awesome, Lori helped us negotiate with the event staff at our very cool resort in ways we never would've known how to. I feel like I'm not even covering half of what Lori was able to accomplish for us. She even identified that, due to my lack of sleep, I was overly frustrated over small details and got me back on the track of enjoying the experience and focusing on the overall picture and having fun and being positive. And she was able to do that before the rehearsal dinner so that it didn't perpetuate itself into the day of the wedding or the festivities the night before. In short (too late), we're SO happy. SO so so so so happy. I could go on forever, but I'll stop myself there.

Maria Kristensen

The best. Michelle was wonderful. She made our wedding day seamless. Has a calming demeanor yet gets things done. Very organized, helped us feel prepared for the day and able to enjoy every second. Really enjoyed planning and working with her. Would recommend her to anyone without hesitation. If you're questioning it- do it.

Ashley Park

I don't know how we would've done it without Michelle K! My husband and I were married a week ago and our vision was executed to perfection with Michelle's penchant for details and organization skills. We heavily relied on her coordination and special relationships with vendors who she always exercised professionalism with and championed our ideas throughout the entire process. My husband and I have demanding schedules but Michelle was always accommodating, scheduling appointments for us and making sure we stayed on track. Michelle, if you're out there reading this. You the real MVP!!!

Alexandra Bansal

Wow! Lori Stephenson at LOLA Event Productions is amazing! Hire Lori @LOLA—she will do everything in her (considerable) power to make your event magical and seamless, and the planning process as manageable as possible. Lori turned the overwhelming thought of “wedding planning” into manageable monthly to-dos and guided us through the execution. She took our convoluted concept of a bright and colorful, Indian-fusion, galaxy/constellation themed wedding and translated it into a cohesive, GORGEOUS event full of personalized details and surprises that, one month later, still has our guests raving! Lori also expertly managed all the intricate day-of details and schedule allowing my family and I to focus on having fun--she also somehow got this chronically late bride down the aisle on time. Longer Review: I hired Lori as my wedding planner about a year before my wedding after interviewing several other event planning companies. Lori’s experience, creativity and competence were evident in that first conversation and as I toured venues on my own I heard about her outstanding reputation within the Chicago wedding industry. Working with such a well-known professional made me feel much more confident in the vendor selection process as I knew that vendors would be afraid of damaging their relationship with Lori—I’m only one bride having one wedding and a screw-up would have limited repercussions to their business. But, a major issue with the client of a well-respected planner could be seriously harm future business. Now, for the planning itself. My (now) husband and I wanted help with the overall planning, design and on the day itself, but wanted to do things like vendor selection ourselves. We decided on a package that covered Planning & Coordination Services, Creative Services, and Implementation & Production Services which translates to pre-event planning, design coordination and day of execution. This package was everything we needed. Lori listened to our ideas about the day and helped us zone in one what was most important. She provided us curated lists of vendors to meet, a detailed budget estimate and monthly tasks for us to complete. We had regular meetings including some with family members whose input was important to us. Lori is also unique in understanding the nuances of planning a fusion wedding and helped us find the right cultural balance. In the end, Lori not only understood our tangled vision, but elevated it to be colorful, fun, beautiful and a true reflection of us as a couple. Of course there were stressful moments in the planning process and having Lori’s support made those moments so much more manageable. She brought experience and humor to stressful situations and gave me confidence that the wedding itself would be wonderful. My husband and I threw some outlandish requests her way (he wanted a bear at the wedding!) and, on the day of, made some changes to the timetable on the fly—Lori rolled with us, embraced and elevated our ideas and somehow made everything come together perfectly! Our actual day of was incredible- the décor was perfect, vendor coordination was smooth and logistics were expertly managed. My family and I were able to really enjoy our event as Lori orchestrated everything from set-up to the perfect timing of the first dance to getting our gifts home at the end of the night. And, the topper on the wedding cake, she surpassed my wildest expectations and made my quirky husband’s dreams come true by donning a bear costume and joining us on the dance floor! While a dancing bear isn’t for everyone, the point is she understood what we wanted and went BEYOND all expectations to make us happy. Lori Stephenson is a delight and made our wedding truly magical. I cannot recommend Lori and LOLA highly enough.

Tucker Proudfit

Lola Event Productions is the BEST chicago wedding and event planner around. They have been a partner of mine for over 10 years and I love Lori Stephenson. She is a true professional and a joy to work with!

Sarah Epstein

My husband and I got married over Labor Day Weekend at Chicago Illuminating Company. It was the best weekend/day of our lives and we owe so much of that to Lola. Hiring Lauren Prado was one of the first and best decisions we made during the wedding planning process. As a type A-planner myself, I was turned off at the idea of having a planner. I thought I would be able to manage this whole thing on my own. My parents insisted that I was stressed out than I was aware of and gave me the gift of Lauren. Lauren actually came highly recommended to me and my husband by venue. She was getting married at CIC and the manager thought that “she was our style” and that she was. Lauren was transparent right off the bat. She let both me and Tom know where she would and would not be able to help us, she helped make tough decisions and cut unnecessary items from my budget right away. We would not have been introduced to any of my vendors had it not been for Lola’s relationships with each of them. We thought we wanted specific partners based on what we had seen on Instagram and Lauren opened our eyes to some of the best, most kind and creative people in the industry. We built individual relationships with all of them and have gotten countless emails asking for referrals. Lauren was way more than a planner to us. She was a friend, a confidant and a partner. She fielded my hundreds of emails, always writing back with a warm response and never seeming annoyed by all of the questions or edits to proposals. We really got to see Lauren flex during our wedding weekend. She took charge of the entire day. She coordinated and directed all of our vendors and made sure that everything ran smoothly. Lauren handled a few curve balls throughout the night and really helped turn our vision into a reality. We would highly recommend Lauren to anyone planning a wedding in Chicago! GO Lauren GO.

Taulant Oxhaku

Michelle from LOLA went over and beyond to make sure that everything was to my standard. I highly recommend LOLA events. The event was perfect. I received so many compliments for everything. I truly enjoyed my wedding day as I didn't have to worry about anything. I couldn't of done it without Michelle.

Fely K

I’m so GRATEFUL and so HAPPY to have found LOLA Event Productions and worked with Kirsty to plan our wedding! Our wedding went so smoothly and flawlessly from the early morning to the end of the night BIG THANKS to Kirsty and her team! Our family and friends really enjoyed the day, even my husband said to me, “It’s so much fun! Let’s do it again!!” (Granted, he only helped about 5% of the planning lol … ) We were in great hands with Kirsty. She’s organized, detail-oriented, responsive, friendly, flexible and fun at the same time! She recommended great & reliable vendors to deliver what we needed. From shuttle & limo, floral & decorations, printing, make-up & hair, DJ & entertainment, they’re all wonderful!! She showed her expertise and made various recommendations as she observed any situations at hand. I could breathe easily throughout the planning knowing that Kirsty would be there to help me get through this. She helped put together a great wedding timeline that worked for both my family and my husband’s family. Kirsty, you ROCK !!! Kuang and I were able to relax and just enjoy the flow on our big day! ;) Thanks so much for everything!! Can’t wait to work with you again in the future!

Katie Gebely

Lola Events did such an amazing job with our wedding. We chose to do the Last Minute Lola package since we had already chosen a lot of our own venders. Daniela, our coordinator, was amazing! She was always attentive, professional, friendly and so helpful. She also took our vision for our wedding and made it happen with perfection. THANK YOU Daniela and the rest of the Lola team for everything, our day wouldn't have been as amazing without you!!

Katie Vaughan

My husband and I were living in Boston when we became engaged and knew we wanted to have our wedding in my hometown of Chicago. After looking through reviews and calling various wedding planners we decided on Lola Event Productions. It was the best and easiest decision that we made. Lori and her team were absolutely amazing. From helping with all the wedding details to watching our English bulldog during the ceremony so she could be outside to greet us, they went above and beyond. Her intern even carried our 45 pound stubborn bulldog through the hotel lobby in order to keep us moving. From the moment we met, I knew there was absolutely nothing to be stressed about. Everyone kept asking us is wedding planning crazy and it definitely would have been if it were not for Lori. Her various spreadsheets are amazing and kept us on track the entire time. She was incredibly easy to get a hold of and sent email responses right away. To say she is super organized is an understatement. We highly recommend hiring Lola Event Productions for your wedding!

Kristin Drollinger

It was an absolute pleasure working with Lori and her LOLA team while planning our wedding. She's an expert at what she does and always guided us in the right direction when it came to making decisions. Lori is super easy to talk to and made planning a wedding not so overwhelming. She quickly answered e-mails/calls and put us in touch with WONDERFUL and budget-friendly vendors. The wedding day was seamless and stress-free and I am still getting compliments from guests. Lori and the LOLA team made our wedding more than I ever could have imagined and I HIGHLY recommend working with them!

Genevieve Burruss

As a wedding, editorial, and event photographer in the Chicago & Los Angeles areas, I have worked with some of the best planners, designers, and event pros in the business and I have to say that Lori and her team are some of the best I've ever had the pleasure to work with. I've photographed several of the events she has put together over the past few years from a simple city ceremony that was lush in decor, to a full on multiple day extravaganza in the countryside where everything had to be shipped in from the city to a couples private estate. Every single time I walk into a room that her and her team have designed and created I have to say wow... photographing their work is a pleasure, and their carefully curated group of vendors makes for some of the smoothest wedding days I've ever been a part of. Throughout the entire process, however, her team remains fun to work with and all of the couples I've worked with who chose to have Lola create their events have gushed about how awesome it was. If you want a one of a kind experience as well as an amazingly curated event... look no further than this team. The are literally as good as it gets.

Yogitha Potini

If you are hesitating on whether you want a wedding planner to help facilitate the ease of planning and organizing your wedding day, stop hesitating and have LOLA Event Productions create a proposal for you. Believe me when we say that from the moment we reviewed the proposal, there was no more hesitating. We were going to have a wedding planner and it was going to be through LOLA Events Productions. We have no idea how people can plan a wedding without LOLA. Lori is AMAZING. Her team is easy to work with. She took our ideas and vision to the next level, and it was beyond what we could have imagined. Everything was perfect, and went off without a hitch. All of our friends and family had a blast - so much so they want to have the same wedding every year! We were able to communicate with Lori on a daily basis for more than a year. She was there for all of the big decisions- from decor, to the venue, to the catering. One of the the things we overlooked the most was how valuable her contacts were to us. Not only did Lori put us in touch with reputable companies, but it usually came with a discount just because we were clients of LOLA. LOLA also provided us with the best organization tools throughout the entire planning process. It absolutely eased the process in terms of keeping track of our budget and knowing what items we could check off of our list as we got closer to the big day. With out a doubt, the best money we ever spend throughout the entire wedding process was hiring LOLA to help plan our wedding. And with Lori, we feel as if we've made a new lifelong friend. Put your hesitations behind you and start planning your wedding with LOLA!

Roberta Preskill

Lori Stephenson was a delight to work with. She’s very organized, quick to respond, and thoroughly knowledgeable about the wedding scene in Chicago! Lori quickly understood what we wanted and was able to identify vendors that could meet our style, budget and schedule. Lori helped us plan a full weekend of good times for our guests. Sometimes she recommended vendors that she had a long standing relationship with and knew their capabilities, and sometimes she researched and identified someone new that fit our interests – in our case, a terrific band for the wedding! She helped design invitations that incorporated personal graphics. As Lori is friendly, efficient, and comprehensive, we avoided stress during all the planning, had a fabulous wedding, and enjoyed the wedding weekend without a worry.

Benita Raichandani

We selected Lola for “Day of Coordination” for both our wedding and reception (Friday and Saturday) in June 2018 and had Kirsty Basch assigned to us. Kirsty was amazing from start to finish! We met with her on multiple occasions before the big day and she guided us through every step of what she will be doing. We created a VERY thorough timeline that she and her team help us stick to. Her communication and coordination with all the vendors were outstanding. She was SUPER responsive to email. She was always ahead of the curve and had thought of all the little details about the wedding before we brought it up. I have never been to and Indian Wedding where the events ran on time, but somehow, she and her team made it happen! Also, she was very helpful in answering all our wedding vendor questions and requests such as how to tip on the day off or negotiating with the makeup artist to start at a certain time. She was KEY is helping us find some wedding vendors such as transport and dress alterations Kirsty is excellent at thinking of the little details and has this calm about herself that says, “Don’t worry, I got this!”. She really took a lot of the pressure off us and we enjoyed watching it all coming together, largely thanks to Kirsty.

KC Forsythe

Hiring Lauren Prado from Lola was probably the single best decision made during my wedding planning process (after choosing the groom, of course) ;) I was thrilled with every single little detail of the day which I know she orchestrated in the background!! She was amazing at listening carefully to my hopes for the day and putting them into action. I loved all the vendors we hired but Lauren was the final and key piece of the important puzzle. I never dealt with a vendor call or an emergency or guests changing seats or anything like that even though I know they existed. Lauren dealt with them all and I just got to have the best day ever. I can't stress it enough: HIRE HER!!!!!

Carmen Adams

I highly recommend Carly C. at LOLA! She was so great to work with and completely on top of everything. She helped me stay organized throughout the wedding planning process and offered suggestions on vendors for hair/makeup/ rehearsal dinner. She coordinated meetings with all my vendors and made a detailed timeline for the wedding day. My wedding day was the best ever and everything went flawless thanks to Carly and her team! I honestly didn’t have to worry about a thing. My bridesmaids had the Jenny yoo convertible dresses and she helped them all create different styles to wear. At the end of the night, all my wedding gifts and props were all taken back to my hotel room which was such a relief to not have to haul all that stuff. I can not recommend Carly C enough!!

Rachel Diaz

I cannot even begin to express how thankful I am for Lori Stephenson - our wedding coordinator from LOLA. Choosing LOLA to help us plan our 9.27.14 wedding in Chicago was the best decision we could have made. Lori was so sweet, so easy going, so knowledgable - and really made me (and my mom!) feel calm and happy throughout the entire process. Any little question I had - she would answer in a heartbeat. Her attention to detail was OUTSTANDING - the decor @ the venue (Salvage One) was absolutely stunning. Throughout the entire planning process, she really took the time to get to know our style and made sure that was weaved in throughout our wedding day. The entire wedding day (from the moment I woke up) went 100% smoothly thanks to LOLA. Every single friend and family member loved working with her - but especially me. :) Hiring Lori and her amazing company to help plan your beautiful day will be the best decision you make. I was not stressed for ONE MINUTE of the wedding planning - from start to finish. And not to mention, all of our friends and family said it was the most beautiful and personal wedding they have ever been to... which is the most wonderful compliment to receive. Best day ever!

Andrew Janeczek

My wife Becky and I got married October 13th at Cafe Brauer. I'll admit that I was the one who was hesitant to hire a wedding planner early on, as I really thought that the 2 of us were more than capable of handling the planning on our own. In the end, we met with a few wedding planners to get a feel for where they could help and were really blown away by Lori from the start. Working with Lori over the past year and a half has been worth every single penny. From the beginning, Lori helped put together a plan that helped keep us on track and really reduced our stress levels. Her experience and ability to know all the nuances and little details that we often overlooked made all the difference on the big day. With our crazy travel schedules for work, it was amazing to be able to sit down for a couple hour session with Lori and know that she would bring all the right vendors to the table based on what we were looking for in terms of style and price. She was also amazingly flexible and even went out of her way to have us over to her house to knock out some final items during a particularly crazy time leading up to our wedding. The week of our wedding, we were asked by so many of our friends and family whether we were stressed, and we were both honestly able to say 'no.' Lori was there every day, texting/calling/emailing us with any final questions or concerns we had. Even when our catering coordinator left and our tuxes fell through, Lori was there to help find workarounds and make sure that everything went smoothly. It's hard to know what your wedding will look like, since during planning you're looking at it through the individual lenses of DJ, photographer, food, etc. But when we walked through the doors at Cafe Brauer and finally got to see all the pieces come together, we were absolutely blown away. Lori helped us put together a wedding that was so incredibly perfect and so representative of who we are as individuals, that as I write this I still feel as if it were a dream. It's hard to put into words our gratitude for Lori and all that she did. Both Becky and I honestly feel a little sad coming off such an amazing week and to know that we won't get to work with Lori on another wedding (hopefully). The two of us cannot thank her and her team enough and highly recommend them to anyone looking to get married in Chicago.

Kalie Duffett

We are so grateful for the opportunity to have Carly Carynski from Lola Event Productions as our Wedding Coordinator for our July 2017 wedding at the South Shore Cultural Center. As someone who works in events, I planned much of our wedding myself, but I was really nervous about the execution on the day of. I knew that I would have trouble getting out of event mode and just enjoying the day, so I did my research on wedding planning services and came upon Lola’s great reviews. Lori was quick to answer my email request and set me up with Carly C. After meeting with Carly, I knew I was in good hands, as she was solving logistical issues I hadn’t event thought of yet. We chose the Last Minute Lola package which provides services 60 days before the wedding, and includes Day Of services along with an assistant. Carly helped us create a timeline, managed all communication with the vendors for the two crucial months before the wedding, and directed our rehearsal. On the wedding day, Carly arrived early, made sure I was calm yet excited, and made sure everyone was in the right place at the right time. Her assistant made sure our buses were filled and coordinated the back and forth of the long ride from Mag Mile hotels to South Shore, ensuring all guests arrived on time. At the venue, Carly took care of every detail before I could even think of it. I remember specifically when she asked if I wanted the lights dimmed in the reception, and I thought wow yes I totally do, it was like she read my mind before it even came to me! She made the end of the evening seamless, taking care of our gifts, having our hotel room key ready in my husband’s suit jacket, our take home floral pieces in our hotel room, our cards in the safe, along with a kind note. Coming back after a whirlwind day to those thoughtful details really ended it perfectly. Carly C and the Lola team went above and beyond, and we are so very thankful. My only regret is not booking her to plan the entire thing!

Colleen Barrett

Booking LOLA Event Productions was the best decision we made during our engagement. Their expertise, professionalism, and down-to-earth attitude helped us plan our dream wedding. From connecting us with vendors and helping us prioritize our wedding to-do list to making sure our wedding day was flawless, LOLA made the stressful process of planning a wedding fun and exciting. Lori offered not only her amazing organized spread sheets and great taste, but she also helped me and my husband and my parents to plan a wedding that met all our hopes and dreams (which were not always the same!). Going into our wedding day knowing that LOLA would handle the details and ensure we stayed on schedule allowed us to truly be present on our wedding day. I give LOLA two thumbs up, five stars, a perfect 10. Truly, you will be glad you hired LOLA to help plan your wedding. Not only do they do an amazing job, but you want to kick back with a cocktail and hang out with them as well. LOLA is not your stuffy wedding planner, LOLA is your best friend who will tell you what you need to hear, even when its not what you want, and the result is the wedding of your dreams. As my dad said, repeatedly, "Lori is worth her weight in gold!"

Paulette Kolcz

I had the pleasure of meeting Lori 20+ years ago when she was working at Marshall Field's right out of college. Even then, she was an expert at her job and went above and beyond for her clients. Unfortunately, Lori left to pursue bigger and better things and we lost touch. When my daughter got engaged and we googled wedding planners in Chicago, I was so happy to come across Lori's name and immediately gave her a call. When we learned that Lori was available for us, there was no need to look any further and we booked LOLA immediately. Lori and her team are truly experts at what they do and wedding planning would have never gone as smoothly as it did without them. Our wedding planning experience was flawless due to Lori's guidance and expertise. We went with Lori's recommendations for vendors and they were all amazing and wonderful to work with. I can't say enough good things about Lori except that it was one of our best decisions to hire her and she is truly worth her weight in gold. I may be biased but my daughter's wedding was truly one of the best and I thank Lori and her team from the bottom of my heart for a job well done!!

Alison Mermel Finkel

Michele and Lauren from LOLA Event Productions provided consultation services for events at Northwestern's Reunion Weekend (October of 2017). Their advice was relevant, easy to implement, and provided an enhanced experience for alumni and guests. In addition, we were able to retain LOLA to create some of the decor elements that were part of their proposal. Michele and Lauren were efficient and effective and the finished pieces looked great. I highly recommend working with LOLA for event production and design services!

Charles Jewelry

Working with Carly C. at Lola was a dream come true! Having previously worked for a catering company, I was confident that I could easily plan my own wedding and therefore opted for the "little bit of lola" day of package. As planning got well underway, I was surprised (maybe even a little overwhelmed) with how many details and vendors I had to manage. Then I had my first meeting with Carly and everything changed. She completely blew away every expectation I had of a day-of coordinator. Prior to meeting, she had organized all of the vendors contacts, contracts and begun working on a day of timeline in addition to a complete list of items that still needed attention. Carly was on top of communication throughout the entire planning process, checking in with me on to-do items and coordinating with vendors- no detail was missed! When it came to day of execution, everything was FLAWLESS. Starting with the rehearsal the day before our wedding; Carly kept everyone focused to get through the rehearsal on time and handed out day of timelines to our bridal party and family (this was great since everyone had questions about when and where to be places etc). Wedding Day: Carly and her assistant Fernando blew us away with their service. They were so attentive and on top of every last detail. The entire day was perfect and if there was something that went "wrong" we would have never known because they were so on top of things! Fernando was wonderful help and came to the rescue when a guests gown had an unexpected malfunction. Carly and Fernando did a great job making sure wedding gifts were accounted for and taken safely back to our hotel at the end of the evening which was a huge relief. There are so many amazing things I could say about Carly, Fernando and Lola...I can only imagine that their full-service event coordinating packages go above and beyond. I would recommend Carly C. and Lola time and time again. Truly exceptional.

Holly Barrett

Words cannot express how much we loved working with Lori & her LOLA team at my daughter's wedding! From start to finish, Lori had everything covered! I did not worry about anything & was able to enjoy every second of my daughter's wedding. Lori's suggestions on vendors were fabulous. I have two more daughters and will definitely be using Lori again! Not only is she professional, but she is fun to work with too!

Lily Donnellon

My husband and I got married in June 2018 at UW Madison where we met. We knew from our first call with Lori in October 2016 that being a fellow badger she was the perfect one for the job! For the next nearly two years(!) Lori planned our absolute dream wedding weekend. It was a destination for all of our guests so we had four events including the wedding across three days and countless details that went into all of them. We had an endless amount of crazy requests and ideas for the wedding and Lori did absolutely everything to accommodate every last one. No matter how out of the box the request was, Lori always listened patiently, got to work and would come back to us with options and propose ways to get it done. She made sure to do everything in her power to find a way to make anything we wanted possible! If we wanted it she was finding a way to make it happen for us! We changed our minds constantly and Lori remained patient, understanding and supportive throughout the whole process. She communicated with every vendor and made sure every last idea we had was accomplished perfectly. We had a real vision for our wedding and she understood it and executed everything exactly as we pictured it. Even more so it exceeded our expectations and there was not a detail missed!!! She is patient, kind, creative and so passionate about her job and her couples. She always made herself available by phone, text, email and did so much behind the scenes that made the weekend simply flawless! She has incredible relationships with vendors in Chicago and she brought an epic team up to Madison to pull off the amazing weekend. We were SO pleased and happy with all of her vendor recommendations and its clear she is incredibly well liked and respected in her field. It was so comforting to have her make suggestions and know that we would be in the best hands. There was so much planning for all of the events and we were so amazed at how our vision came to life the entire weekend! Lori really went above and beyond for us and made wedding planning fun, easy, and stress free.

Beth Halsne

Working with Lori was, hands down, the best decision we made in planning our wedding. She was the first person we hired, and we’re fortunate that we did. Not only is she friendly, creative, attentive, and professional, she is also a joy to be around. She made every part of the planning process fun! Lori and the Lola team were our guides every step of the way, from carefully preparing a thorough budget (down to the stamps on the invitations!), to recommending vendors that complement our style, to handling the nitty gritty details leading up to and during the big day. Neither my husband and I, nor our family members, endured any of the stressful or overwhelming aspects of celebrating a wedding, and for that alone we are so grateful. Lori is the reason that it all went seamlessly, and we can enjoy the memories of our wedding as a truly perfect day. If I had one piece of advice to give future brides, it would be to partner with Lori and Lola Events and let them work their magic. It will save you headaches, stress, and money in the long run.

Ellie Proussaloglou

Hiring Lauren P from LOLA Event Productions for our wedding in Chicago was hands down the BEST decision my husband and I made during our wedding planning process. We originally found LOLA Event Productions due to exceptional reviews from other couples online and decided to have a meeting with Lauren despite some apprehensions we had about hiring a wedding planner; it felt like a luxury that we weren’t sure we needed. However, after our first meeting with Lauren we knew that she was going to far exceed our expectations and hiring her was an obvious choice. Lauren was so warm and friendly, listening to our thoughts about our wedding without any judgment or preconceived notions. She was also extremely knowledgeable, offering insights into how to prioritize certain items in our wedding to fit within our budget and explaining her process for recommending vendors for us to select. Most importantly, Lauren was SO easy to talk to- we left our first meeting feeling like we had just spent time with an old friend. That first meeting started a 17 month working relationship with Lauren. We had chosen our wedding venue before hiring Lauren for planning services but she was intimately involved in every other piece of the planning process. Lauren was extremely understanding of my busy schedule and was always willing to meet with us late in the evening, over the weekend, or over the phone to make sure that I was comfortable with all decisions. She also helped facilitate meetings with vendors outside of traditional business hours, never making us feel like it was a burden to work around our professional schedules. Lauren saved us countless hours of Googling and angst by always providing us 2-3 vendors per category that were within our budget, available on our wedding day, and highly recommended by herself or her LOLA coworkers. She was also always open to working with new vendors, putting in significant time and energy to build those relationships and have us feel 1000% confident in our choices. Lauren is also always reachable via email- she answered so many questions throughout our working relationship and was always encouraging and excited about our big day. The clout that LOLA Event Productions carries in the Chicagoland area is also incredible- Lauren was able to help us negotiate contracts and, more importantly, every vendor we hired gushed about LOLA and how seamless our wedding would be because of our wedding planner. On our wedding day, all of Lauren’s hard work was obvious in how perfectly our night flowed. Lauren kept all vendors and all bridal party members on schedule with a firm but extremely warm manner. She never once seemed flustered despite having to juggle so many responsibilities on the day and delegated tasks wonderfully to her assistant and the LOLA intern who were also on site. Neither my husband nor I needed to lift a finger on our big day and, as an added bonus, neither did our bridal party or our family- everyone was able to sit back, relax, and enjoy the STUNNING celebration that Lauren had coordinated. When my husband and I walked into the reception room for the first time, we were speechless. Lauren had taken our vision and all of the design decisions that the three of us had made and elevated it to another level. It was truly perfect. She helped us navigate the timing of the reception with ease, coordinating speeches, dances, cake cutting, etc. I can’t put into words just how amazing Lauren is at her job and I am certain that all LOLA Event Productions coordinators are equally incredible. My husband and I have both lamented that while we are so happy to be married, we are sad that this means that we don’t get to see or talk to Lauren on a regular basis- she truly became a friend! Run, don’t walk, to hire LOLA Event Productions. I will be telling everyone I know to hire them as a wedding planner because, honestly, I can’t imagine going through this process without Lauren. Thank you, thank you!

Lawrence Sweat

BEST WEDDING PLANNERS EVER!!! We interviewed several wedding planning businesses for our daughter's Chicago wedding, and we are so glad we went with Lori Stephenson and her team at LOLA! Since our daughter and (now) son-in-law are busy professionals in the city, and we live in another part of the state, we needed to find a planner who would meet when we could all coordinate schedules, and who would be flexible to work with us on nights and weekends through email and follow up meetings. We couldn't have asked for a better working situation than what we had with Lauren Prado! To start, we worked with both Lori, the owner, and Lauren Prado to find the perfect venue (The Drake—another great team there with Shaun Rajah and Kelly Huddle!!), and in addition, they were extremely helpful with suggestions about how to find a church in the city, too. (Some other wedding planning businesses we considered wouldn’t even talk to us about possible churches to contact unless we paid them extra!). In contrast, Lori and Lauren were so knowledgeable, helpful —and fun—even before we signed a contract with them, which to us sealed the deal for hiring them!! After we did, their enthusiasm, suggestions, and genuine eagerness to search with us for the best venue made the process of wedding planning enjoyable right from the start. They really listened and considered our budget and interests, which was so important for hosting the celebration we wanted. And the church they suggested was beautiful and worked out perfectly too! They stayed on top of everything with us in the beginning as we negotiated and considered lots of variables before we signed the contract(s) for the venue, church and vendors. We worked closely with Lauren P. for months leading up to the wedding, and she maintained her initial enthusiasm throughout, and was always professional and friendly--and extremely responsive and reliable. So important! Lauren offered suggestions and ideas to help us stay on track and cover the details for everything; she suggested multiple vendors for every aspect of the wedding, and was willing to contact more potential vendors if we felt we needed to during the bid process. Through her professional network, she was even happy to vet any vendors whom we found (like the band), and gave us good insight and advice on all as a result. She also worked very well with all the vendors we chose, reviewed all the contracts, and gave us tips throughout the planning process. She and Team LOLA worked to find answers to any questions we had —-and we had tons of questions all the time! Lauren was attentive and prompt in her correspondence and in the numerous vendor meetings we had together. She was organized and willing to help where she could to get tasks completed. Ultimately, the rehearsal and Day Of were so enjoyable because of Lauren and Team LOLA! Everything ran smoothly and they made sure we could enjoy everything about the day. We had a greatttt experience with Lauren and LOLA and would hire them again!! A+++

Bradley Minkow

When we met with Michelle for the first time, we instantly knew she would be an excellent wedding planner. Her initial questions were thoughtful, meticulous, and catered to our specific needs. Over the course of ~10 months, Michelle and the LOLA team helped us coordinate a Jewish/Christian wedding that included two officiants, floral, catering, lighting, transportation, and stationery for a wedding of 225 people and a wedding party with 25. Needless to say, Michelle had her hands full. At the end of the day, what separates Michelle is how much we could trust her. We knew she was always on our side, would advocate for the best prices, would be pragmatic in her suggestions, and wanted nothing more than for us to have the most perfect wedding, which we did, in large part thanks to her. We highly recommend Michelle and LOLA; they were simply amazing!

Chante Thurmond

If you're looking for miracle workers, look no further! We literally called LOLA Event Productions with a VERY last minute request to help us execute a Halloween party (during game 5 of the World Series--Go CUBS!) and much to our surprise, we got a call back with 10 minutes. Michelle, who was our Event Coordinator, dropped everything she was doing to take my call and made us feel like her top priority! She did a fantastic job of handling the details and securing an execellent caterer at a bargain price. She far exceeded our expections and did so with great poise! I can't say enough great things about Michelle and LOLA Event Productions. Hire this them, you will not be disapointed!

Alexandra Jusino

We work with these ladies all the time, they know weddings & social events inside and out. They create incredibly innovative designs for their events. Always upbeat, fun, looking out for their clients and best of all organized!

Maddie Labadie

My husband Pat and I got married on July 2nd this year at the Skyline Loft at the Bridgeport Arts Center. We hired Lori one year out, after we'd already settled the space and bar contracts. She was instrumental in making sure everything went as planned on the day/week of but she was also a crucial partner for us every step of the way through planning. We could not have planned our wedding from out of town (NY) without Lori's guidance. We're busy people - having someone tell us what we needed to decide on and when, and then recommending a great set of options at each point for vendors based on conversations with us, was crucial. We went to Chicago a few times over the year before the wedding, but only for the most crucial vendor meetings - hair/makeup trials, catering, flowers. Lori helped make each weekend in town count and knocked out a bunch of decisions in one meeting. All of our vendors that Lori recommended were fantastic - professional, understood what we wanted, and delivered. Finding all these vendors without Lori would have been a disaster - searching on your own only gets you so far and decision/research fatigue is real! Plus, Lori really listened to us about what we wanted and found us vendors who could provide the personal wedding we wanted, rather than a cookie cutter mold (and, even better, she provided guidance about things that we would have never thought about, had zero judgment about what we included or didn't include or the choices we made). It was also especially helpful to have a planner who knew the space, what works there, and has a good relationship with the managers. It was a relief to have Lori handling most vendor communications/logistics. She truly made the day a seamless success! Thanks so much Lori!

Lawrence Platt

My daughter recently got married in Chicago, and Kirsty from LOLA was our wedding planner throughout the entire process. She was fantastic! She was organized and thorough without being overbearing. In our case the bride and the groom wanted an event that was somewhat outside the mainstream. Kirsty encouraged their vision, found people who could make it happen, managed to get the parents to buy in, and kept everything on track. It was a most memorable event, and we could not have done it without her. Highest recommendation!

Suzanne Steelman

Hiring Lori Stephenson as our wedding planner was the absolute best decision! She went above and beyond to make our wedding perfect! Our wedding was extra challenging because at the time of planning we were living abroad in China. Lori worked with us to have late night/early morning Skype meetings and to be our "boots on the ground" in Chicago whenever and wherever we needed her. She was so quick to understand our vision for our wedding and guided us into having the best night ever! We can't recommend Lori enough! During the planning she took away so much stress from an already busy couple. On the day of the wedding we didn't have to think about wedding logistics at all. She handled all the details for us including last minute cutting of custom table runners, running back to the hotel for forgotten items and even driving us back to our hotel at the end of the night. That is what we call full service!!!

Patty Lambropoulos

Hiring Lori was the best thing we ever did! She made our daughter's wedding at the Adler Planetarium a huge success and an amazing event exceeding our expectations. We were able to enjoy the wedding because she had it covered from beginning to end, not only on the wedding day but months before with all the preparations. She is amazing, has exquisite taste, is on top of everything, she answers you immediately, her attention to detail is great, and we can keep going on and on. If you want to be stress free and want your event to be the best, then hire Lori! She is named one of the World's Best Wedding Planners by Vogue for a reason !

Jamie Kolcz

The only word that comes to mind after our wedding is ‘magical’. Lori and her dream team did a spectacular job. Her attention to detail is out of this world. She was able to take everything that we had in our heads, from Pinterest, etc. and bring it to life. Her recommendations for all vendors did not fail either. We loved every one of our vendors and would definitely work with all of them again. If we had one recommendation to other couples getting married - it would be to work with LOLA. The entire wedding planning experience was enjoyable - every time we met with Lori she was on top of it, which was especially helpful since we live in Florida but got married in Chicago. The day of the wedding flowed without any issue - Lori kept the wedding party preparations on schedule and even prepared a box of assorted treats from the dessert table for Kyle and I to have back at the hotel! We were able to enjoy the entire day without missing a beat. When we walked into our reception it was nothing but magical. It will always be remembered as one of the best days of our lives and a huge part of that is thanks to Lori and her team. They are definitely the best of the best!

Naomi Rosen

Our wedding would not have been possible without LOLA and our phenomenal planner, Kirsty Basch. She is one of the most dependable, on-top-of-it people we have ever met, from responding to emails, keeping us on track in terms of timeline, organizing and being aware of each detail, she made the whole process of planning feel seamless. Everything happened with as little stress (and as much fun!) as we could have imagined. In the midst of our busy lives, Kirsty made every decision feel possible and easy, finding ways to consider both budget and make the wedding of our dreams a reality. She recommended phenomenal vendors, who we likely wouldn’t have found ourselves. They were joys to work with and so professional, but also lovely people! The wedding day itself went by so smoothly and we were able to just be present and enjoy ourselves without having to worry about anything. A week before the wedding, we asked Kirsty “what happens if anything goes wrong?” to which she replied “you won’t even know about it!”. Everything was planned and executed perfectly so nothing went wrong (that we know of at least :)), and we felt assured that she was on top of everything. We cannot recommend Kirsty enough. She genuinely cares about the people she works with and is amazing at what she does. We feel lucky to have had her on our team throughout this long but incredible process to make our perfect wedding.

Nate Daugherty

Our wedding was just a few weekends ago (Feb 23, 2013) in Chicago at Salvage One and we couldn't have asked for a better planner than Lori! It was the perfect day. Throughout the whole process, she was open to any ideas, forthcoming with all costs, and so easy to work with! I loved the planning process but she made it even more fun for us. It was so reassuring to know we had Lori as our go-to with any questions, concerns, or even last minute ideas. Our wedding party even made comments about how lucky we were once they met Lori and her staff. We couldn't have agreed more! If you are looking for a fun, exciting, and stress free planning of an amazing wedding.....do yourself a favor and call LOLA. Not only did we meet a fantastic planner....we made ourselves a friend! We got so many compliments on the decor, the venue, and the food....and LOLA helped make that all possible.

Gail Joe

Michelle K. from LOLA was so helpful and made our wedding go smoothly from start to finish. Even though we hired her to mostly be an event coordinator for the day, she was in touch with us several months before the wedding to help us plan. She was at our rehearsal and our finalizing details with the venue, and helped give us insight and also spoke directly to our vendors and advocated for us. There are so many pieces to our wedding that we wouldn't have even thought to have planning and options around and Michelle made that super easy and present for us. The day of, she did everything she could to ensure efficient transitions and even brought all of our numerous gifts/props back to our hotel so that we could just leave the venue worry-free and retire to our room. When my husband and I went over the whole process in the days after our wedding, we couldn't have even imagined how we could have done half of what we did as well as it went without her. She was an invaluable player to our wedding game, and the first example I will give when anyone starts talking about planning a wedding. Cheers to you, Michelle!!!

Erin Partridge

My husband and I tell everyone that LOLA was the best decision we made for our wedding! Kirsty made the planning process effortless and the day of was everything we dreamed. They helped us plan an epic party that our guests are still talking about!

Tracy Mayfield

I'm SO glad that i found and used LOLA for their event planning services. I used Lauren Prado, and her expertise in reaching out to vendors, advising me on vendors needed, coordinating day-of-details, and ironing out the zillion details amongst all the necessary people was invaluable. With her help, I was at ease (as much as possible!) in the weeks and days leading up to the wedding and on the day of.

paola perez

Michelle Kurinec @Lola Event Productions was absolutely on point! I'm so glad we hired Lola event productions they went above and beyond our expectations....there was not one detail missed and not one single hiccup whatsoever at our wedding. It was an absolute pleasure working with Michelle. And I highly recommend Lola - they are obligatory for any event!!!

Kristina Anderson

Lori took our vision and executed it perfectly! We chose to work with her both beforehand as well as day of, and she guided us every step of the way, helping us understand our budget, pick out vendors, and coming to meetings, tastings, and more. People kept asking me leading up to my wedding if I was stressed and I could honestly say no because I knew Lori had everything under control. We handed off everything to her a week or two before the wedding, and then there was nothing left for me to take care of besides getting myself to the hotel with my dress. People are still coming up to us talking about how in control she was and what a good job she did. Thanks so much for giving me the day of my dreams!

Karen S

Daniela, our coordinator from LOLA Event Productions, took care of so much that we could relax and enjoy our daughter’s wedding. She created a guide that helped us from our initial meeting through the wedding day. Daniela’s guidance started with a concept board that captured the look my daughter wanted to achieve for her wedding. She also helped us find suppliers and solicited bids from them integrating the look my daughter wanted. Besides saving us time and being sensitive to our budget, she also made it fun. Daniela planned-out the wedding weekend by the hour, coordinated with service providers and took care of a lot of little things that made it easy for us. We highly recommend Daniela and LOLA for any aspects of wedding planning.

Lynn Goldberg

We got married three weeks ago and wish we could do it all over again. The entire weekend was perfect and we owe so much of that to Lori and her amazing wedding planner superpowers. We worked with Lori for 18 months leading up to our wedding day. Lori is knowledgeable, creative, so so organized, and FUN. Lori kept us on track and took on any issues and obstacles that came up. She was able to understand our vision and helped to translate that into the most beautiful day of our lives. There were so many details that we had not ever considered that Lori listed for us (in her very detailed planning tools) helped us understand and executed to perfection. This attention to detail ensured that we, our family and all our guest had such a wonderful experience. We planned our wedding with Lori while living out of the country. Lori was very responsive to texts, emails, phone calls and FaceTime. She knows everyone there is to know in the Chicago areas for weddings and events and every professional we talked to knew Lori and commented that they loved to work with her and we were in the best hands. Everyone she referred us to was amazing! As we were two women getting married, Lori ensured that everyone we worked with was sensitive and inclusive to this. When we met with a vendor or two whose language was not inclusive for a Lesbian wedding she went out of her way to discuss this with them without prompting from us. In fact she noticed more of these details than we did. Of course she did!! Lori was our advocate to ensure we had a perfect, beautiful, personal, stress free wedding. And let me say again, Lori is SO MUCH FUN. If you want the perfect wedding, if you want zero stress on your wedding day, and if you want to laugh and have fun while planning, hire Lori and her team at Lola events immediately. It will be your best decision since saying yes! Lori, we miss you already!

Lauren Stronczek

If you are in need of a wedding planner, look no further than LOLA Event Productions. Hiring Carly C. as our day of coordinator was hands down the best decision of our wedding planning process. Carly did an outstanding job from start to finish and helped our rehearsal and wedding day run smoothly. Her attention to detail, organization, impeccable planning, communication with vendors, and dedication are unmatched and truly prove what an asset she is to LOLA. She is a rising star in the event planning business and I received nothing but praise for Carly from vendors, family, and friends. If you are unsure whether you need a coordinator/planner, the answer is yes! My only regret is that I didn't hire Carly sooner! Now go call LOLA and ask for Carly C. - you won't be disappointed! :)

Susan Baker

Hiring Michelle K. from LOLA for our wedding on May 21st was one of the best decisions we made. We interviewed several wedding planners, and Michelle was not only the most cost effective but the easiest to talk to, friendliest and most enthusiastic. We hired her as our "day of coordinator," but she answered all of our emails and calls and provided helpful tips several months before the big day (which a lot of wedding planning companies will not do for day of only services). She definitely went above and beyond with respect to organization, planning, and coordination. She even used her sewing kit to alter a bridesmaid's dress the day of the wedding! Thanks to her, the dress fit perfectly! Most importantly, she was approachable and friendly. I felt so comfortable talking to her and felt that she genuinely cared about us and wanted us to have the greatest day of our lives. Thanks to her, we did!

Rachel Agee

Most valuable money spent for our wedding! I truly don't have enough good things to say about Carly and her work for us. There are a lot of wedding planers in Chicago and I wanted to be sure who we picked would be well worth our money, personable, attentive and most importantly make me feel at ease on the day of our wedding. From organizing vendors, providing detailed itineraries for day of, and answering all of our last minute questions, Carly and the LOLA team helped flawlessly execute our wedding day. Her and her team made my husband and I feel so confident our day would go off without any issues, we could not have done this without them. Thank you all so much for all your help, we truly appreciate you!

Liz Wood

My husband and I worked with Lori to plan a wedding reception in March. Neither of us had any specific opinions about our event, but Lori was very patient and perceptive and helped us plan a wonderful evening without much to go on. She made everything so easy, recommended amazing vendors, and (very important) stayed well within our budget. She responds to e-mails in minutes, has a great aesthetic, and genuinely cares about making sure everything is executed perfectly. I've threatened my husband that I want to through another event just so we can use Lori as our planner.

Sara Cunningham

We hired Lauren to plan our company's corporate summer party. The process was smooth and fun, and thanks to Lauren's expertise, we were able to take this annual event to the next level. Guests raved about the venue, food, and entertainment, and it was great having Lauren on hand at the event to ensure the party went off without a hitch. Would happily partner with Lauren or any of her other LOLA colleagues again!

Amol Potdar

My wife and I used LOLA as our event planner for our wedding in November 2013 and we are absolutely thrilled with the way Lori and her team helped us plan, organize and help us on the day of the wedding. Since my wife is Catholic and I'm Hindu, our wedding was a bi-cultural affair with complexities regarding decorations, timelines, food, clothing, priests and family involvement layered into every planning aspect. Lori and her team helped us make timely and informed decisions while successfully navigating through all of the bi-cultural planning hurdles. Her wealth of expertise really shines through and her flexibility in helping us accommodate some our family members unusual requests was much appreciated. In the end, our wedding decorations, arrangements and planned activities went off without a hitch. Looking back, the best part of the wedding was that my wife and I were genuinely able to enjoy the moment with the knowledge that Lori and her staff were tending to any and all last minute issues. On more than one occasion, wedding guests commented glowingly about Lori's assistants running around helping to make the wedding a huge success. Wedding planning is often a stressful activity for couples; I'm happy to say that Lori and her team made the entire process a completely stress free experience. Lori's thoughtfulness pervades every wedding planning decision she helped us make. As an example, she made sure that the wedding caterers packed up food for my wife and I, and had it waiting for us in our hotel room at the end of the night.

Alex Barnard

Kirsty from LOLA Events truly thought of every little detail and had such an incredible, calm and positive attitude every step of the way. Even in the most stressful of moments, we were all confident that our day would be nothing less than perfect just knowing she was our coordinator. I'm a naturally anxious person, so that means a lot coming from me. Kirsty is also a genuinely funny and warm person, it almost felt like I was getting the best wedding advice from a close girlfriend. LOLA Events is incredibly thorough, organized, and responsive throughout the entire wedding process. Kirsty comes to the table with so many creative ideas and things that were not even on my radar (and still kept us within our budget!). She completely understood the vibe and aesthetic we were dreaming of for our wedding and made it a reality. And it was incredibly helpful to have a single point of contact for all of the other vendors. Kirsty and her team went above and beyond and did more than I could have ever asked for. Choosing her to be our coordinator was one of the best decisions we made throughout the entire wedding planning process, and it was worth every penny. Thank you so much to Kirsty and her team - I'm so glad we heard about you.

Jaime Painter

Simply put: LOLA is THE BEST. I worked with Carly for my January wedding, and admittedly was skeptical at the outset about how much a planner could really do to help my wedding go off without a hitch (because I typically am super organized). After going through it now, I can honestly say that I can’t imagine the day of and months leading up to the wedding without Carly there! There were so many little details that needed to be considered and the timeline she created was absolutely perfect. The day of the wedding, I was able to sit back and enjoy the event from morning into the last dance because I knew Carly and her team had everything covered: she answered guest questions, dealt with dietary restriction issues, managed all our vendors, helped with ceremony music timing and even orchestrated our first look a cab ride away in 10 degree weather— all with a great positive energy and calm attitude. Having her there made our wedding day so perfect, and I would highly recommend her and LOLA to any bride planning their wedding!

Michael Weisbaum

Lori and her team are amazing. My wife and I had a city wedding last year and Lori and all her staff made it possible. We didnt have to worry about anything at all and everything went off brilliantly! Would recommend LOLA all day long to anyone who is getting married!!!

Megan Bartlett

I am a very lucky bride to have gotten the opportunity to work with such an amazing wedding planner. I met Daniela only 2 days after my engagement and we hit the ground running. With her help I think that we threw off the most perfect event of the year! She takes the time to understand your style and budget to transform your childhood dreams into a reality. Several of our guests said that this was by far the BEST wedding they have ever been to, and it wouldn’t have been possible with our Daniela and the LOLA team.

Paige Barr

Michelle K. of Lola made our wedding day everything we could have ever hoped for. I was on the fence on whether we needed help planning the wedding because I like to plan and am particular about detail. Hiring Michelle was one of the best decisions we made. She walked us through everything we needed to think about in the planning process and ensured that the day of the wedding ran smoothly. Thanks to Michelle, my husband and I were truly able to relax and enjoy our entire wedding day.

Megan Caron

Working with Carly C. at Lola was a dream come true! Having previously worked for a catering company, I was confident that I could easily plan my own wedding and therefore opted for the "little bit of lola" day of package. As planning got well underway, I was surprised (maybe even a little overwhelmed) with how many details and vendors I had to manage. Then I had my first meeting with Carly and everything changed. She completely blew away every expectation I had of a day-of coordinator. Prior to meeting, she had organized all of the vendors contacts, contracts and begun working on a day of timeline in addition to a complete list of items that still needed attention. Carly was on top of communication throughout the entire planning process, checking in with me on to-do items and coordinating with vendors- no detail was missed! When it came to day of execution, everything was FLAWLESS. Starting with the rehearsal the day before our wedding; Carly kept everyone focused to get through the rehearsal on time and handed out day of timelines to our bridal party and family (this was great since everyone had questions about when and where to be places etc). Wedding Day: Carly and her assistant Fernando blew us away with their service. They were so attentive and on top of every last detail. The entire day was perfect and if there was something that went "wrong" we would have never known because they were so on top of things! Fernando was wonderful help and came to the rescue when a guests gown had an unexpected malfunction. Carly and Fernando did a great job making sure wedding gifts were accounted for and taken safely back to our hotel at the end of the evening which was a huge relief. There are so many amazing things I could say about Carly, Fernando and Lola...I can only imagine that their full-service event coordinating packages go above and beyond. I would recommend Carly C and Lola time and time again. Truly exceptional.

Patricia Fahy

Lauren P. flawlessly coordinated our wedding day. Throughout the entire planning process, Lauren was quick to follow up to any question or email and responded with clear advice. We couldn't have been happier with end result--many of my guests told me they had never been to such a seemless wedding, and I agree. It was an absolute pleasure to work with Lauren and her team. I would absolutely recommend working with Lauren to other couples.

Michael Powell

Lori is easily the best event planner we have used. She was prompt, extremely competent, practical (great advice on how to be cost efficient), and very easy to work with. Though she does mostly weddings, she executed our non-profit fundraiser like a first-ballot hall of fame pro. My highest recommendation!

Ryan Cooper

Hiring Lauren P was one of the best decisions we made in regards to our wedding. She was incredibly organized throughout the entire process, and for two people with no family in Chicago, where our wedding was being held, she was an amazing source of knowledge when it came to choosing a location and vendors. We had a phenomenal experience with each vendor she introduced us too, and we had many wedding guests asking how we found the DJ, flowers, venue, etc., and our answer was Lauren introduced us to each one. Besides being extremely responsive in the lead-up the wedding, Lauren was amazing on the actual day of the wedding. She showed up at the hotel and was with the bride and bridesmaids as they got ready, keeping everyone on time to an itinerary she had distributed to the entire wedding party the day before. Her and her team made it so my wife and I were only thinking about enjoying ourselves with our friends and family on our wedding day. I could not believe when the end of the night came that we had not been bothered a single time about an issue that arose. Lauren collected everything we brought or had received that evening, and it was waiting for us in our wedding suite when we arrived back at the hotel late at night. She allowed us to fully enjoy the best day of our life, and we could never thank her enough for that.

Emily Brotman

Michelle at LOLA Events started working with us a few months before our wedding, and I cannot say enough good things about her. She was professional, knowledgeable, and most of all enjoyable to be around! Michelle helped us coordinate the last minute details of our wedding and organize all of our vendors. She anticipated potential issues and helped us think through elements of the wedding that we would never have thought of without her help. On our wedding day, I did not have to worry about anything because I could completely trust that Michelle had it all covered! The wedding was a complete success largely due to Michelle's attention to detail and clear understanding of how to best handle the day. We couldn't have gotten through the day without her!

Kate McGivney

My husband and I worked with Lauren P. for our wedding this September. Lauren was an amazing partner – she helped me to put my thoughts on paper to develop a wedding style guide over a year out, recommended some of the best vendors in the business, organized all our vendor proposals/tastings/viewings, managed all vendor communications and organized all timelines for the weekend. Furthermore, she did it all with a smile and is such a pleasure to be around so I never felt stressed. But of all the things, what I loved the most about working with Lauren was her creativity and willingness to try new things. She knew how to articulate what I was thinking better than I could! She understood the look and feel I wanted for the day and presented such creative ideas that were more beautiful than I'd imagined and I couldn't be happier with.

Jennifer Lin

The only planning advice I will give anyone is that they should hire Michelle. We worked with her as a day of coordinator and she was the absolute best part of the whole process. I have several friends getting married this year who chose other vendors, and I can say with absolute certainty that Michelle is above and beyond one of the best. She kept us organized throughout, provided helpful tips and planning tools, and did not overlook a single detail. All of the vendors we hired also had wonderful things to say about her. We got married in March and Michelle took over all vendor communications in January. By the time our actual wedding day rolled around, we had so much faith in her, we were able to really stay present and enjoy our wedding day.

Tanya Jason

Michelle K is the best!! My husband and I were married in the summer of 2019 and can confidently say that working with Michelle was the best money we spent! Michelle is not only extremely helpful, organized, and on top of EVERYTHING, she is also empathetic, down to earth, funny, and a joy to work with. Michelle did such a great job of listening to what we wanted, the vision we were trying to achieve, and recommending us vendors that would bring that vision to life. She took time to listen to all of our concerns and was extremely mindful with suggestions that helped us stay on track with our budget. With my busy work schedule and my husband being out of town the last 10 weeks before the wedding, Michelle provided the calm and steady capability that prevented me from ever feeling overwhelmed. She was never impatient, never pushed us on decisions, but always professional and willing to help and answer questions. On the weekend of the wedding, all of our wedding party and family members commented how smoothly everything was running and how great Michelle was. Our wedding day ran seamlessly - the fact that I had no idea what was on the schedule that day speaks to how much we trusted Michelle. The ability to totally trust Michelle and not worry about any details on our big day is a gift! Thanks to Michelle and LOLA, our wedding day was everything we dreamed of and more, we cannot emphasize enough how magical our day was because of all the work Michelle put in. If you’re on the fence about working with a wedding planner, don’t hesitate any longer, work with Michelle K and the LOLA team, they are the best and you won’t regret it! We could not recommend them enough! Michelle, we miss emailing you everyday, thank you for helping us plan the best day, and thank you for those awesome cocktail table linen suggestions <3

Laura Lazzara

Lori Stephenson (of LOLA Event Productions) supported us from the very beginning of the planning process and helped make our wedding day absolutely flawless! She served as a constant resource for great Chicago wedding vendors and streamlined our timeline for our ceremony at St. Michael's in Old Town and reception at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago. Our black tie wedding for 200 guests was quite the undertaking and I would not have been able to plan it all by myself. From monogrammed match books to the photographer shot list, Lori and her team were a huge help with every single detail. She was accommodating, kind, calm and collected throughout our entire 12-month client relationship and made our wedding on May 30, 2015 perfect!

Lauren Whelan

Where to even begin with how amazing Carly C. at Lola Event Productions is??? I am pretty organized and love to plan so after getting engaged in Feb. 2018, having a full-time planner wasn’t something I thought we would need. However, the more I planned, the more I started worrying about small details and organizing for the day. I did not want my mom and sister to be stuck doing a lot of tasks and not be able to enjoy the wedding. My mom had heard great things about Lola and suggested that I consider a day of planner. That’s when I reached out to Carly for day of planning and SOOO much was taken off my plate immediately. Shortly after hiring Carly, I was immediately sending her contracts which she organized. She also had super helpful responses and resources to any random questions I had regarding vendors or planning! Then over the summer, in July, we had our first official timeline planning meeting for my October wedding. The meeting was wonderful, and she already had SO much organized. She walked us through a draft timeline and we talked through ALL the details! She also gave us some important things to think about as well as helpful lists for further planning and specific things that we needed to get done in the coming months. After this meeting, she also started handling communications with vendors and getting them all set up and organized for the day, while also still answering my questions and responding to my every need/concern. Week of the wedding, Carly made my life SO easy, she handled all confirmations and planning with vendors, all timeline finalizations, and made sure the wedding party and our families were all on board with the timeline and plan for the wedding and rehearsal. I also never realized how much stuff I would need at the two different locations for the ceremony and reception – Carly handled all of it and made sure it was all delivered and set up beautifully. She also packed the largest most spectacular emergency kit you could think of for the wedding day!! I had not eaten a ton during the day of the wedding and got a headache – I did not have to worry about it for a second because Carly had snacks and meds galore and ready to go. Our wedding day was truly the most beautiful, perfect fairytale I could have ever imagined, and I give so much credit to Carly for making it all possible. Me, my husband, family, and friends did not have to stress or worry about a single thing all day (or week) because Carly executed everything so flawlessly. She is amazing in every way and I cannot say enough good things about her. Carly is organized, polished, friendly, warm, understanding, conscientious, graceful, detail-oriented, and confident – you will NEVER regret hiring her or Lola – and you will most likely still be sending her thank you texts weeks after the wedding (like me!). Carly, we love you, thank you for helping us plan the wedding of our dreams!!!

Meredith Williams McKiernan

Getting a wedding planner isn't the best decision you can make about your wedding (after deciding the groom!). Getting the RIGHT wedding planner is. Choosing Lori and LOLA events was the best decision I made in the entire process, and here's why: The wedding planner is the person who introduces you to every other vendor you work with generally (venue, floral, photography, catering, music etc...) and as such has out-sized influence on your entire experience, cost, and outcome. Being able to create a curated list of vendors who can execute perfectly on your vision and at your budget requires that your planner listen to you and understand your unique vision. Lori is superior at this rare and essential quality. I interviewed over a dozen different planners. I'd done my research and knew what an average Chicago wedding cost, and average size. I wanted to be creative in certain areas, skipping certain items, so I could invite more people and focus on what I thought important. But I needed a guide through the Chicago wedding maze because I had to plan this while living in a different state, so I needed help. But when I spoke with most planners, many immediately told me I'd need to cut my guest list. Others flat out said that I couldn't afford them and to not bother. Lori was the *only one* who asked first, "what kind of wedding do you have in mind and what are your priorities?" She started by listening to me, and that feature paid off in dividends throughout. When I told her what I wanted and what I didn't care about, explained my thinking and why I thought my budget reasonable, she said "yea we can do that." And we went from there! She guided us in finding professionals in every area who were a perfect match and fit for our personality as a couple and our goals for our wedding. Everyone commented throughout how at ease I seemed during the planning. And the reason was I had Lori in my corner, who actually *made* it easy. Yes, planning a wedding in Chicago while living in a different state was easy with Lori on board. She helped me organize and execute an incredible day for us and our guests, and most importantly helped us find the other professionals needed to make it absolutely perfect. And it was FUN - I enjoyed working with Lori immensely. Your wedding should be what you want. Plain and simple. We wanted an epic party with all those we loved in attendance, superior photos, at a beautiful and unique Chicago venue, and got that in spades. We had an AMAZING wedding. Without Lori and LOLA, none of it would have been possible. She completely nailed it in every single area. An outstanding achievement. I could not have done it without her and cannot recommend her highly enough.

Devon Largio

My husband and I got married on October 26, 2013 at the Allerton Hotel. The wedding was everything I had dreamed of and the perfect black and white affair -- and that's in no small part because of Lori. I found Lori after I had already booked a venue (including caterer and cake), photographer, DJ, and officiant. So while it seemed like a lot was already done, I needed someone to help with the decor and overall design theme for the wedding, and to be there on the day of. Lori came highly recommended by some work colleagues, and they were right on. I knew I wanted the wedding to be modern, formal, and mainly black and white. From the very beginning, Lori had amazing ideas and was able to take my amateur suggestions and turn them into totally "wow" creations that worked perfectly in the space. She helped me with invitations, day of paper goods, and a decor for the ceremony and reception, all of which were beautifully coordinated, black/white/fuchsia modern designs with a hint of Old Hollywood flair. It was all perfect, and, even more importantly, it was all my vision. Lori didn't push her own views -- she took my inspiration and turned it into something even more beautiful than I had imagined. She lined up great vendors, including the most extraordinary florist (Richard Remiard), and worked with them all seamlessly. I didn't have to worry about a thing on the day of the wedding (even the turnover of the room from ceremony to reception) -- I just enjoyed it all! Not only that, Lori bustled my dress, trimmed off the extra tulle at the bottom hem, fixed my hair, neatly packed up the toasting flutes and cake topper at the end of the night, moved all of the wedding gifts to our room, and on and on. She was there for whatever I needed. The day ran completely smoothly, and all of the guests raved about the wedding. That wouldn't have been possible without Lori. How do I know Lori was indispensable? Because when someone spilled red wine on my dress (horrific, I know), I was searching for Lori -- not my mom, or my maid of honor -- I needed Lori. In her wedding day emergency tackle box, she had the goods to minimize the stain. And, more importantly, she knew what to say to calm me down and put it all in perspective. I'd recommend Lori to anyone getting married in Chicago -- she will make your already amazing day even more amazing!

Michelle Goldstein

The best decision we made was to hire Lauren P. from LOLA as the wedding planner for my daughter's wedding. Because we chose Lauren P. as the wedding planner, our daughter's wedding was flawless, and we were able to enjoy every minute! We started planning in February 2017 and the wedding was in August 2018. The wedding was in Chicago, my daughter lived in Ohio and my son-in-law lived in New York. Even though we were all in different locations, Lauren P. worked around everyone's hectic schedule and made sure we stuck to a timeline throughout the entire planning process. Lauren P. and the LOLA team was with us throughout the entire process. They tracked our wedding guest response cards and prepared the hotel welcome bags with Garrett's popcorn. They were with us at the hotel prior to the wedding, they were with our guests as they boarded the buses to the venue, and they were with us throughout the evening. They even packed our car at the end of the night. I highly recommend Lauren P. and LOLA Event Productions. I will absolutely use Lauren P and the LOLA team for my next daughter's wedding!

Allison Rose

We had the Last Minute LOLA service and Wedding Decor. Kirsty Klarklin was our wedding coordinator, florist, and helped execute our wedding design/vision. Kirsty was exceptional in every way- positive, upbeat, enthusiastic, calm, sincere, creative, attentive, clever, and an absolute joy to work with. She did an amazing job on our flowers! She created my gorgeous bouquet, bridesmaids bouquets, boutineers, and the most precious flower girl garland I have ever seen. She also arranged flowers in the 150 recycled soda pop glass bottles we re-purposed for the table displays. And not to mention the 8 foot tiny, adorable paper rose garland she created by hand. Honestly, I don't know how she had the time to do all of that. She had a smile on her face the entire time too! Another thing about Kirsty, she has a very calming presence and can relieve your stress in a flat minute. No matter how prepared you are for your wedding, you will suffer some stress towards those final weeks. As soon as she walks in the door, all of your stress goes away. One last thing, she's just as enthusiastic about your wedding as if it was her own. She absolutely loves what she does, and the sincere care and devotion she puts into your wedding is absolutely priceless.

Laura Przybysz

Deciding to hire LOLA Event Productions as our day-of-coordinator was one of the best decisions we made in our wedding planning! From my first phone call with Lauren months before the big day to the last dance of the evening, I never had to worry because Lauren and team had it handled. The team was organized, prepared, flexible and extremely easy to work with. I feel like I was able to truly and thoroughly enjoy my wedding day because the strength of the LOLA team and their attention to detail. I highly recommend LOLA for any of your wedding planning needs.

eleanor russell

Lori truly works miracles. From the very beginning of the planning process to midnight after the wedding, she was incredibly professional, organized, and creative. Not to mention her poise, wit and kindness throughout the months of meetings, emails and phone calls to plan such a perfect day. She organized an amazing team of carters, florists, transportation, videographers while also being thoughtful and patient with all the small questions. Her creativity helped to pull together the most beautiful indoor spring garden wedding, more stunning than I ever imagined while planning. She is also incredibly detailed and organized in what needs to be done, when, where, or who needs to be there. Needless to say we were incredibly impressed with Lori and the entire LoLa team and could not imagine going through the process without them!!

Emily Porter

Carly Carynski and the LOLA team are absolutely IRREPLACEABLE!! The reviews speak for themselves and our experience in July 2019 was no different, in fact, far surpassed our expectations. We were uncertain about hiring a wedding consultant/planner and felt overwhelmed by all of the decisions just after getting engaged. Well, were we wrong!! We were referred to Carly a few months into our planning process, and looking back, we wish it had been SOONER. We met with her for an initial consultation and never looked back! From there, Carly was the glue that pulled our day together and we could not have been happier with the flawless outcome. She is a true pro and expert in the business, managing vendor communications, logistics, timelines, on-site/day-of support, and SO much more. All the things we didn’t think of and probably would not have, she had covered. Her response time, organization and creativity are unmatched. On the day-of, we felt so at ease and prepared because we knew she had our backs. Our parents and wedding party have continued to compliment Carly (and her team) for all the little details and personal touches throughout the day! We are so lucky to have worked with Carly C. SHE made our day!

Bob Blouin

Planning a wedding is one of the most daunting things a parent can do. And, when it’s your only daughter who also happens to be an event planning professional, the pressure to make everything perfect is almost overwhelming. It was our great good fortune to find Lori who provided us with the direction, counsel, and firm but gentle guidance that resulted in a flawless, perfect, wonderful (insert 100 other superlatives here) event. Lori has the skills, knowledge, vendor connections and contacts that will give you every resource you could need to make your daughter’s vision come true. Even more important is Lori’s interpersonal skills that enable her to really understand what you want and how to help get you there calmly and efficiently. And on the most important day of all, Lori’s leadership – steady and smooth – made the day go so well it almost seemed effortless; truly remarkable given the level of emotion everyone was feeling and the hundreds of details, both big and small, that had to be managed. We can say with complete confidence that without Lori our daughter’s wedding could have been good but it would never have been the extraordinary event that it turned out to be.

Colin Henry

Lori: As the father of the bride and never having used a wedding planner, I was initially skeptical but the following words express my experience; Thank you for making possible the "perfect" wedding and exactly the wedding Erin and Lucas had wanted. It was the best wedding I had ever been to. I have received numerous texts and voicemails of high praise from those who attended about the location, the staff who serviced us, the food (that has to be a rarity for a wedding) and especially the band (the best I have ever heard at a wedding - just incredible). I heard much praise about the fact that the evening was so enjoyable because everything went so smoothly. You were marvelous and a pleasure to work with !!!! Everything before the wedding that day proceeded flawlessly like clockwork. The fact that you had everything under control allowed Erin and Lucas to focus on their vows, each other and just enjoying the evening. It also allowed Mary and I to totally enjoy being the parents of the bride. As a result it was a beautiful wedding ceremony and everything which followed was so much fun and thoroughly enjoyed by all. I love dealing with people who love what they are doing and who are so very dedicated in being excellent in their occupation. And that clearly describes you.