Big City Bride

Experiencia fantástica: Working with Jena was absolutely amazing! She is such a kind, supportive, organized individual and really put us at ease going into our big day. We got married at the Union League Club in March and I was able to be so present in the days leading up to as well as on our wedding day, knowing we were in such good hands. Jena always responded to our questions quickly, helping with recommendations and guiding us when we needed. She sent over clear schedules and packing lists that made it so easy for us and our families to be where we needed, when we needed. Jena took care of so many details that I never would have thought of, and everything on our wedding day went absolutely perfectly thanks to her. I couldn’t be more thrilled with our decision to work with Jena and BCB!!

Experiencia fantástica: We were so lucky to end up finding Johnna at Big City Bride. Her professionalism, organization, attention to detail, and guidance made this whole process smooth. Our wedding was the most magical time thanks to her! We would highly recommend BCB.

Experiencia fantástica: As we get close to our one-year anniversary, I keep reminiscing about how incredible our wedding day was — and I truly credit so much of that to Big City Bride. Working with Arin and Jena was amazing. From the very beginning, they made the entire planning process feel effortless, thoughtful, and incredibly personal. We come from two loving (and vocal!) families, and Arin and Jena always made sure that our wishes remained the priority. They guided every decision with patience, care, and expertise, making what could have been overwhelming feel manageable and even fun. But where they made the most unforgettable impact was on the wedding day itself. I was able to be completely present and soak in every moment because Arin, Jena, and the whole Big City Bride team were taking care of every single detail behind the scenes. I’ve heard so many friends say they were stressed, distracted, or running around on their wedding day — but I didn’t have to worry about a thing. It felt like everything just happened effortlessly, and I owe all of that to Arin and Jena. I’ll always be grateful to Big City Bride for giving us a day that felt so perfectly us and allowing us to truly enjoy it. It was an absolute perfect day that our guests still can’t stop talking about a year later!

Experiencia fantástica: Jena and team did an incredible job for our daughter’s wedding. Their attention to detail and service were impeccable. There was calmness and kindness throughout the entire process. I highly recommend!

Experiencia fantástica: We truly cannot say enough good things about Madison. From the very beginning, she was incredibly responsive, detail-oriented, and immediately took the stress out of the planning process. Hiring Madison was hands down the best decision we made throughout our wedding planning. Madison handled every detail with professionalism and calm, and because of her, I was able to be 100% present and fully enjoy our wedding day. Everything ran seamlessly, and I never once had to worry about the logistics or timeline. Madison is amazing at what she does and I would recommend her without hesitation to anyone looking for a planner who is organized, thoughtful, and genuinely cares about her couples!

Experiencia fantástica: We had the absolute pleasure of working with Madison Hansen at Big City Bride, and hiring her was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding at Café Brauer. Madison connected us with a fabulous lineup of vendors including three different musical acts (a bagpiper, four piece jazz band, and a DJ), a cake table with 10 different wedding cakes, martini ice luge, florist, photographer, videographer, hair, makeup, catering, etc! She handled every detail with remarkable organization. From start to finish, Madison was extremely responsive, easy to work with, and always one step ahead. She listened closely to what we wanted, offered thoughtful guidance, and made the planning process feel smooth and stress-free. On the wedding day itself, she ensured everything ran flawlessly. We were able to be fully present because we trusted her completely. If you’re getting married in Chicago, we cannot recommend Madison enough. She is talented, kind, incredibly organized, and truly exceptional at what she does. Our day was perfect, and we owe so much of that to her.

Experiencia fantástica: I recently had the pleasure of working with Natalia K. on my wedding and could not be more happy with her services. I debated getting a wedding planner for my wedding and I am so happy we decided to work with Natalia. My family was able to enjoy the day and have less stress of all the little details all because of her. Natalia was thorough on getting all of the needed information and took over vendor tasks right away. She kept us all organized and made sure we had everything set for our day. This is our second time using Big City Brides services for weddings and will definitely recommend them in the future. Thank you Natalia for all of your help and hard work (:

Experiencia fantástica: Working with Jena was an absolute dream. From the very first conversation, she understood my vision better than I could have explained it myself. Her ability to take ideas and turn them into a breathtaking reality is nothing short of magical. Every detail—from the décor to the timeline—was handled with such care and precision that I felt completely at ease throughout the entire process. Jena’s professionalism and creativity shone through at every stage. She anticipated needs before I even realized them and made the planning experience stress-free and enjoyable. On the wedding day, everything flowed seamlessly, allowing me to be fully present and soak in every moment. It truly felt like an angel was guiding the entire event. If you’re looking for someone who will not only plan your wedding but bring your dreams to life with grace and expertise, Jena is the person you want by your side. I cannot recommend her highly enough!

Experiencia fantástica: Arin at Big City Bride was fantastic to work with during our wedding planning process. She is professional, incredibly organized, has great attention to detail and has the most positive attitude. Arin and her team made our wedding day what we had always dreamed of and we truly would not have survived without BCB!

Experiencia fantástica: We were absolutely blown away by the support we received from Madison throughout the entire planning process, and her colleagues support on our wedding day. We didn't know exactly what to expect when hiring a wedding planner, but it became increasingly obvious we made the right decision when friends and family asked us how stressed we were and we could confidently say that we didn't feel any. Madison was proactive, communicative, organized, positive and calm. This was of course noticed during the planning process but seeing her hard work come to life on our wedding day was really incredible and resulted in such a smooth and beautiful day. As the bride, to be able to report that I had a truly worry-free wedding day is worth every penny. Not only did we feel this, but we had multiple friends and family members comment on how seamless the day went. Now being on the other side of our wedding, noticing all of the "behind the scenes" work that Madison took care of such as vendor communications, makes her services that much more valuable. I would recommend anyone to hire Madison and use BCB for their wedding planning!!

Experiencia fantástica: The best decision that my husband and I made for our wedding (dare we say for our life!!) was hiring Johnna Neilson at Big City Bride as our planner. I don't really have the words to fully capture what Johnna has meant to us and done for us. As a person, Johnna is the most caring, kind, warm, reassuring, and supportive human you could ever imagine. My husband and I suddenly lost our dog in the midst of planning, and we will forever appreciate the compassion that Johnna showed us during that time. As a planner, she is an absolute machine!! She is incredibly thorough, organized, and dedicated. I don't think that there is a task too big, or a vision too complex, for Johnna. From our first consultation call, Johnna put all of our anxieties at ease. She helped with every decision, big and small, and made the process FUN. Johnna was incredibly communicative, readily available, and always happy to hop on a quick call with us or with my mom (who equally adores her). We highly valued and trusted all of her opinions and suggestions. She is also clearly so loved and well-respected in the Chicago wedding industry--every vendor we communicated with was SO excited that Johnna was our planner. We never once doubted that we were in the very best of hands. Leading up to our wedding, advice from friends and strangers alike was to "accept that something will go wrong, they do in all weddings!" Well, they just didn't do a wedding with Johnna!! The day was seamless, and absolutely perfect. Johnna: thank you, we love you, and we are forever grateful to you!!

Experiencia fantástica: I absolutely can’t say enough about our experience working with Johnna at Big City Bride. My daughter got married on 10/04/25 at the Chicago History Museum and we began our process with Johnna about 18 months before the wedding. From the very beginning, she guided us through this process so expertly, helping us identify our budget, priorities, expectations and vision for the big day. She was always accessible and no question or request was ever too much. When it came to the actual wedding weekend, she made herself so completely available to all of the wedding party and again guided us through every step of the way. Aside from her upmost professionalism, Johnna is the sweetest, kindest and most supportive human. She is positive and fun, but she is also so completely even tempered. She was EXACTLY the person we needed throughout this experience and I can’t recommend her highly enough!

Experiencia fantástica: Working with Jena and the Big City Bride team was the absolute best decision we made for our wedding! After interviewing multiple different planning companies, Jena immediately stood out with her warm demeanor, great energy and clear organizational skills. From our first meeting, we knew she was the perfect fit! Jena took all the stress out of wedding planning and did not miss a beat. She made our dream vision come to a reality, and added so much helpful advice and inspiration. One of my favorite things Jena did is come up with a completely custom dance floor pattern! In addition to her amazing creative skills, Jena is an exceptional communicator and beyond organized. Every email and question was answered thoughtfully and promptly, and Jena was always in our corner. The wedding day went off without a hitch, and Jena made the whole thing seamless. I could not recommend Jena & the Big City Bride team enough!

Experiencia fantástica: My husband and I were married on September 27 in Chicago with Big City Bride's Jena Hansen as our planner. In the nearly two years we worked with Jena, she was there every step of the way. I will never forget the organized booklet of potential venues with available dates and requirements; the numerous spreadsheets to keep the guest lists and seating charts coordinated; and the easy to follow budget and vendor payment tracker. She helped us plan a party to celebrate our love that was also (more importantly) a blast for our family and friends. Jena was also critical due to my busy work schedule to make sure we stayed on track with vendor selection and event coordination/styling so that I could spend my extra time with family/friends and focused on work instead of on the minutia of wedding planning. I would recommend Jena and Big City Bride to any recently engaged couples or couples mid-way through the process looking for direction and help with execution of their vision.

Experiencia fantástica: Johnna at BCB is the absolute best! She is not just a planner, she is forever part of our family. She handled every tiny detail from start to finish and was an absolute joy to work with through the whole process. I was able to just enjoy the day and soak up all of the wonderful memories. I don't have the words to truly express how much she went above and beyond to give our family the most perfect day.

Experiencia fantástica: I have nothing but positive things to say about our experience with Big City Bride! I was lucky enough to get paired with Johnna, who is dedicated, calming, detail-oriented, and incredibly kind. From the moment we started working with her, we could tell that she was the best of the best. Johnna did an excellent job of guiding us through the whole process. People kept asking me if I was stressed about the planning process, and my answer was always no! We really never worried about a thing because we had so much trust in Johnna. On the day of the wedding, everything felt so easy and I felt so calm thanks to her. I am also so thrilled with all of the vendor recommendations she gave - every element of our wedding exceeded our expectations. When the day was over, my husband and I couldn’t stop saying that we had the perfect wedding. Johnna truly became like a member of our family and we are going to miss working with her so much!

Experiencia fantástica: We hired Big City Bride in May of 2024. Jena took over the reins on our wedding 1-2 months into wedding planning because my first planner retired. It was not an easy thing to do stepping in to a micro-planned wedding and not just any wedding! Jena definitely did not have it easy. We’re talking 3 different languages, 2 international families, guests flying in from over 5 countries, all the while the bride and groom were not in the country for a year leading up to the wedding. Jena was always available to us with any questions we had, always made sure our requests were made possible, and was a pleasure to work with. We’re so happy we chose Big City Bride as our wedding planner and being assigned to Jena was just a cherry on top!

Experiencia fantástica: I had Madison as my planner for my wedding on September 6, 2025, at Artifact Events, and my family and I couldn't have pulled it off without her! When I got engaged, I was at first hesitant to hire a planner because, truthfully, I like to be in control of everything. However, my now-husband suggested that I look into one so I can enjoy the day and not have to do all of the work myself. We also had a large wedding (about 235 guests) and a large bridal party (20 people), so this would've been too large-scale to handle without a planner. Leading up to the wedding, Madison helped recommend vendors I had limited knowledge of, such as catering, DJ, and florals. It was also very important to me for my dog to be involved in the wedding, and Madison made sure that was possible. On the wedding day, everything went smoothly, and my family didn't have to step in and deal with logistics. Madison also had two assistants help with the bridal party and other guests. Even though the wedding is now over, our friends and family still rave to us about our wedding, especially the photographer, food, cake, DJ, and mariachi band, and how much fun they had!

Experiencia fantástica: I’ve been in denial writing this review because it means wedding planning with Johnna is officially over! Working with her was truly one of the highlights of this season of life. Since we were planning a Chicago wedding without family nearby, we knew a planner was worth the investment — and from our very first call, I knew Johnna was the right fit. My initial notes were “she is so friendly – you can feel her warm personality through the phone,” and I’m over the moon that we landed in her client pool. From the start, Johnna had a clear schedule laid out with exactly what needed to get done and when, which made the entire process feel so much more digestible. She was with us every step of the way — helping us identify venues, vendors, and everything in between. She had so much context on our options and always gave thoughtful pros and cons, along with her honest opinion (which we came to value so much). She was our steady sounding board, available to answer emails, hop on ad hoc calls, or even respond to those “emergency texts” when planning felt overwhelming. Through it all, she made us feel like we weren’t alone in the craziness — we had someone we could rely on. As the wedding week approached, she and her team provided us with a detailed prep document that gave us so much peace of mind. We knew exactly what was going to happen and had space to share all the little details that mattered most to us. And then came the wedding day itself — everything was flawless thanks to Johnna and her team. They coordinated every piece, managed our wild family dynamics, led the charge on photos, and kept everything on schedule. Most importantly, they made it possible for us to truly be present. All we had to do was show up, celebrate our marriage, and enjoy the best day of our lives. Johnna is not only professional, but also kind, patient, and the ultimate voice of reason. She made us feel celebrated throughout the process, and while she was our planner, it never felt like just a “business” relationship — she became such a genuine part of our journey. We truly love her and would recommend her to anyone and everyone under the sun. Thank you, Johnna & BCB! xoxoxo

Experiencia fantástica: My family and I had the extraordinary pleasure and great fortune to work with Johnna from Big City Bride for our daughter's wedding. We met her more than a year in advance of the big day, and we immediately knew that she was the ideal choice to help us forward. From that day on, she was essentially a member of our family - helping us with vendor selection, keeping us on task, tending to all the details large and small to ensure that everything for the wedding would be perfect. More than that, Johnna made the process fun. She is so easy to talk to. She is a great listener; she is responsive; and she is ultra-organized. She is also well-connected into her markets such that she was able to recommend outstanding wedding vendors that exceeded our expectations. Once the wedding day arrived, Johnna was on hand with us for 12 hours, overseeing all of the day's details - allowing us as the parents of the bride to enjoy the day and be free from worrying about those details. In short, Johnna made an already exceptional life moment that much more enjoyable. Our family cannot recommend her and Big City Bride enough. She was amazing!

Experiencia fantástica: Johnna and Big City Bride are the best of the best! From start to finish, she was on top of every detail while ensuring that the wedding stayed true to our vision. Thanks to her expertise and her hard work behind the scenes, we could enjoy the planning process and be fully in the moment on our big day. Our wedding was perfect, and we couldn't have done it without her. We can't recommend her wedding planning services highly enough!

Experiencia fantástica: We were lucky enough to work with Madison and the BCB team for our wedding this year and we could not be more thrilled about how everything came together. Every single step of the way, Madison and her team made us feel relaxed, informed, and confident! Madison brings a wealth of experience and great judgement to the table, which helped us SO much. We were able to truly enjoy the wedding planning experience knowing that nothing would be forgotten or overlooked. There are very few people who could have made us feel so comfortable, confident, and taken care of on our wedding day, which allowed us both to relax and be truly present for all of the day's special moments. The BCB team also took such great care of our family and friends - we continue to get rave reviews from everyone we know about how wonderful the BCB team is and how above and beyond they went for everyone in attendance! Thank you to Madison and the BCB team for creating the most perfect day we could possibly imagine - we couldn't have done it without you!

Experiencia fantástica: We worked with Jena at Big City Bride, and it was the best decision we made throughout the wedding planning process. Jena was absolutely incredible! She went above and beyond to ensure that our wedding was beautiful and the entire planning process was seamless. Her industry knowledge and attention to detail are incomparable! We can’t recommend Jena and Big City Bride enough!!

Experiencia fantástica: I cannot imagine our perfect wedding without Johnna from Big City Bride. From our first phone conversation to our last text, Johnna instantly had my trust and knew exactly how to execute our vision. She walked us through everything with patience, kindness, and a sense of humor. She was sensitive to our budget and helped us think through the right way to get the impact we wanted. She has impeccable taste and helped shape our wedding to be the best it could be. Highly highly recommend Johnna and BCB!! <3

Experiencia fantástica: There aren’t enough words to explain how grateful we are to have had Jena with Big City Bride plan our wedding. For almost 2 years of planning, Jena has been by our side every single step of the way - bringing her creativity, organization, and kindness to every decision we made. She introduced us to fantastic vendors who fit with our personality and vision, helped with all of the little details, and honestly went above and beyond what is truly expected of a wedding planner. Throughout the entire process, I was stress free and could truly enjoy the journey of planning such an important event. My Pinterest board became a reality thanks to Jena, and I haven’t stopped receiving compliments about how gorgeous and perfect the day was. After everything, Jena has become a friend and someone we are sad to not be in contact with every day - for that, I can’t give a high enough review. 10/5!!!!!!

Experiencia fantástica: I had the immense pleasure of crossing paths with Johnna, of BCB, who became our wedding planner. She was incredible from day 1. I highly recommend hiring Johnna as a full-service wedding planner. She managed all our wedding logistics flawlessly and with grace. Without her, I surely would have lost my mind during the planning process. She was so patient and compassionate with us when we were very stressed. Our wedding was truly perfect and we got to enjoy the day/night thanks to her!

Experiencia fantástica: I had the pleasure of working with Madison and her team at Big City Bride this past weekend, and they were absolutely incredible! Madison was beyond sweet, professional, and helpful, and the girls with her were just as wonderful. I’ve worked with many wedding planners over the years, but she truly stood out as one of the best; knowledgeable, friendly, and you can tell she genuinely loves what she does! As a live painter, I get to see the behind-the-scenes of a lot of weddings, and because of Madison’s kindness, the amazing couple, and the whole vendor team at Artifact Events, this wedding was one of the smoothest, most well-run, and FUN celebrations I’ve ever been part of. I can’t recommend Big City Bride enough!

Experiencia fantástica: Hiring Jena as our wedding planner was hands down one of the best decisions we made during our entire wedding process! From the very beginning, she was an absolute joy to work with—so positive, kind, and genuinely excited for us. Her warm, calming energy made every meeting feel like we were talking to a trusted friend. She recommended the most amazing vendors—each one exceeded our expectations and worked together seamlessly to bring our vision to life. It was clear she had strong relationships in the industry, and we felt completely confident in her guidance every step of the way. Most importantly, she took so much of the stress out of planning. She made us feel seen and heard and worked so well with our families. She anticipated our needs, handled all the little details behind the scenes, and kept everything running smoothly so we could actually enjoy the process (and the big day itself!). Thanks to her, we were able to fully relax and soak in every moment knowing everything was under control. We truly can’t thank her enough. If you’re even thinking about hiring a planner—do yourself a favor and work with Jena. She’s the best, and we’ll be recommending her to everyone we know!

Experiencia fantástica: Madison made our day everything that it was. From the start, she was so easy to talk to and work with—truly a calming and reassuring presence through the entire planning process. I had so many details and personal touches I wanted to incorporate, and she was endlessly supportive in bringing them to life, while also offering her professional opinion in such a thoughtful way. That balance was invaluable and made decision-making so much easier. Her immaculate attention to detail was apparent from day one all the way through post-wedding. She guided us on every little thing we needed, took so much stress off our shoulders, and made the planning process not only manageable, but genuinely enjoyable. I kept telling her I don’t know how people plan weddings without a planner—especially one like her. Because we put our full trust in Madison and her expertise, our wedding day was incredibly relaxed, fun, and exactly what we envisioned. If you’re debating whether to hire a planner, let this be your sign: just do it!

Experiencia fantástica: We worked with Jena at Big City Bride for our wedding this year, and from the moment she was looped into emails, an enormous weight was lifted off of our shoulders. Jena's calming presence and support truly helped make our day so special. I cannot recommend her enough. To quote my husband "Everyone warns you that something will go wrong on your wedding day but everything was absolutely perfect."

Experiencia fantástica: My gosh..Where do I begin?! Working with Jena from BCB has been one of the biggest blessings and best parts of our wedding planning process. Her attention to detail, her organization, her ability to choose vendors that matched and executed my vision and her warmth were unmatched. I actually found myself missing her post wedding :'). Big City Bridal and the entire team are exactly what you need to make your special day seamless and stress free. This was absolutely the best investment we made in our wedding + I could not recommend it enough.

Experiencia fantástica: We cannot say enough wonderful things about Chrissy Magliano and the entire team at Big City Bride. From the very beginning, they were organized, thoughtful, and fully invested in bringing our vision to life—while also offering fresh, creative ideas that elevated everything beyond what we imagined. Chrissy's attention to detail was extraordinary. Every moving part, from vendor coordination to timeline management, was handled seamlessly. It truly felt like we were able to enjoy every moment of our wedding day without stress, all thanks to their thorough planning and calm, professional presence. Chrissy brought a perfect mix of warmth, creativity, and precision to the process. She listened closely to our ideas, refined them, and introduced suggestions we would have never thought of—but absolutely loved. From decor and layout to small personal touches, she made sure our wedding felt like us in every way. Thank you again for everything—you truly gave us the wedding of our dreams!

Experiencia fantástica: Planning a wedding is incredibly daunting…so we knew we needed a planner. What we didn’t know was how invaluable a planner like Madison would be - we wholeheartedly recommend any couple planning a wedding to have someone* with you every step of the way for 12+ months. When we say someone* we define someone as a thought partner, a sounding board, a friend, and ultimately, a planner - all of which go beyond the traditional “wedding planner” definition. Madison went above and beyond in so many areas to make our day incredible - from floral and decor advice to day of logistics, she was amazing. Not only did she execute, but she was responsive and thoughtful as she executed. I am so appreciative of all the work she did to allow us, our families, and friends to enjoy an incredible day. Madison made a HUGE impact with her floral/decor advice - she understood our vision and made it happen (plus some). We cannot thank her enough for her efforts over the past months in wedding planning. THANK YOU!!

Experiencia fantástica: A type A bride’s absolute DREAM! I truly cannot speak MORE highly of Johnna Neilson, Julie Gana and Susan’s entire team at Big City Bride. They are the crème de la crème of wedding planners and we have been in the absolute best hands from our first call over a year ago until now, one week after our wedding day! Johnna runs things smoother than a jar of creamy peanut butter and will ensure you don’t lift a finger on your wedding day. From solving the smallest of hiccups until they are nonexistent, to answering every single ridiculous question, to ensuring the best vibes on our wedding weekend and throughout the entire planning process, I could not have done it at all let alone enjoyed myself as much as I did through the entire process if it wasn’t for Johnna. Every call and meeting has been so pleasant, organized and ALWAYS followed up by detailed notes and actions - which were also followed up with invite reminders to ensure things remained on track. Johnna also never made us feel bad about life getting in the way if there were any delays on our end or flexibility we needed - she remains even-keeled and fluid in however we needed her to be. Her artful balance of zen and structure are the exact recipe for an outstanding wedding planner and an unforgettable and seamless wedding weekend. She also never batted an eye or made me feel dumb about anything I brought up even when I felt super extra or nitpicky. She appreciates and values details. As happy as I am to be married to my husband, I’m also sad to lose such a wonderful and memorable part of this planning journey with Johnna. I shudder to imagine this experience without her because it could not exist in the extraordinary capacity that it came to life if it wasn’t for her and BCB. Johnna is a GEM!

Experiencia fantástica: Waking up the day after our wedding and feeling like it truly couldn't have gone better is one of the best feelings in the world—and that’s entirely thanks to Susan and Madison. Choosing to work with them was the easiest decision we made. Susan had already planned my sister’s wedding and several other incredible family events, so I knew we were in the best hands—and I was right. From start to finish, Susan and Madison made the entire experience seamless, thoughtful, and beautifully executed. They handled every detail with such care and professionalism that, going into the weekend, we felt completely at ease. We knew everything had been planned to perfection, and all we had to do was enjoy. Not only are they phenomenal planners, but they are also an absolute delight to work with. They tackled every challenge and offered multiple solutions when needed. Their vendor recommendations were spot-on, and their expert insight and experience gave us so much peace of mind throughout the process. They took our vision and brought it to life—and then somehow made it even better than we imagined. It honestly felt like we were working with two close friends who cared about our wedding just as much as we did. They thought of everything—even the little things we never would have considered. We truly can’t say enough good things about them - already trying to come up with another excuse to plan a party just so we can work together again! If you're lucky enough to have Susan and Madison on your team, you're in for something truly special.

Experiencia fantástica: Could not recommend Chrissy and Big City Bride enough!! Truly cannot imagine what wedding planning would've looked like without her - she kept track of EVERYTHING, kept pace on all our goals, and managed the language and cultural differences for our destination wedding. Every one of my dream wedding details and more happened because of her planning skills. She thought of details I never would have thought about on my own, had broad industry knowledge and knew of vendors and "how-tos" for every idea I had, and kept track of family dynamics to make sure everyone was happy. So many of our guests have since asked who our planner was - i can't think of a single thing that went wrong our wedding weekend, I had high expectations but still they were exceeded! Would hire Chrissy as a planner for any type of event I have in the future!

Experiencia fantástica: We couldn’t have asked for a better wedding planner than Johnna! From our very first meeting, she was incredibly organized, attentive, and really listened to my vision! Every detail from the selecting of vendors, to venue setup, to the timeline — it was handled flawlessly. Johnna made the entire planning process SO much less stressful for me while I am living across country planning a 250+ person wedding. Our wedding day turned out even more beautiful than we imagined, all thanks to her hard work and expertise. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a planner who truly cares and delivers above and beyond — Johnna is your girl!! Thank you to the whole big city bride team!

Experiencia fantástica: We cannot say enough wonderful things about Jena and the entire team at Big City Bride. From our very first conversation, it was clear that Jena was not only incredibly talented and professional, but also genuinely passionate about creating beautiful, meaningful celebrations. Every detail was carefully thought out, every vendor she recommended was incredible, and the entire planning process felt seamless and organized. Everything was absolutely perfect on the wedding day. We were able to be completely present with our family and friends, knowing that Jena had everything under control. Working with her felt like having a close friend in our corner who genuinely cared about making our day special. Our parents were so impressed with everything Jena did to help us. Hiring Jena and Big City Bride was the best decision we made. If you’re lucky enough to have Jena as your planner, you are in the very best hands.

Experiencia fantástica: My wife and I were extremely pleased with our experience with Big City Bride and will highly recommend them to anyone getting married in the future. We worked with Susan and one of her team members, Alex. Throughout the entire process, Susan and Alex were professional, courteous, and respectful. We had a VERY tight window that would work for us and all of our families…we basically gave her 1 weekend that would work in an entire year. But she made it happen. Not to mention the wedding was planned in 10 months, and we initially thought would be a sufficient amount of time. In hindsight, it was a tight window. Not to mention life threw my wife and I a lot of curveballs but no matter what changes needed to be made, they accommodated us. Their kindness, compassion, and understanding were greatly appreciated. And the venue, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO), couldn’t have been beat. In fact, without Susan’s relationships in the industry, we aren’t even sure if that would have been a possibility for us. Standing in that room with my new wife and all of our family and friends really felt like a fairy tale. We got so many AMAZING pictures from the event. Susan and Alex’s attention to detail and communication were fantastic. Throughout the entire wedding weekend, they made sure everything ran smoothly and that we had everything we needed. We even got them to join in on a little dancing at the end of the night.

Experiencia fantástica: The moment I got engaged I immediately knew I wanted Susan to be my wedding planner. She did my older sister’s wedding 10 yrs ago, and I just knew she would be the most perfect person to execute my dream wedding. From the very start, she understood our vision and brought it to life in a way that was even more magical than we imagined. Every detail, from the glamour and elegance to the timeless Old Hollywood charm, was executed flawlessly. Susan’s creativity, dedication, and meticulous planning made the entire process seamless and stress-free. We were able to fully enjoy every moment, knowing we were in the best hands. Our wedding was an absolute dream. Thank you for making our wedding day unforgettable. We are beyond grateful for you and couldn’t have asked for a more talented and wonderful planner!

Experiencia fantástica: As a wedding photographer, it is really important to work with a great planner so the day goes smoothly for not only the couple but all the vendors involved. I jump for joy every time I see that I am working with Big City Bride on a wedding. I have worked with Johnna multiple times and have the BEST experience. Not only does she handle every detail and pivot with grace, she is fun to work with! Couples love working with her, vendors love working with her, and the weddings always go off without a hitch. I could not recommend Johnna or the Big City Bride team more.

Experiencia fantástica: Madison is an absolutely phenomenal wedding planner. There's no way we could have pulled off our wedding to this level without her expertise. Her organizational skills are top-notch, and she connected us with the best vendors in the business. She always gave us amazing advice, helping us make decisions that we’ll cherish forever. What truly sets Madison apart is her ability to handle any situation that comes her way, always staying calm and composed. On the big day, she effortlessly juggled countless tasks, and everything went so smoothly thanks to her meticulous planning and execution. We couldn’t have asked for a better planner!

Experiencia fantástica: A++!!! We engaged Big City Bride for our daughter's Chicago wedding between Christmas and New Year's at St. Michael's in Old Town with the reception at the Drake Hotel and it could not have been a been a more perfect experience! We had the privilege to work with Jena and Madison and both were phenomenal. Their organization skills, attention to detail, and focus on the bride (and parents of the bride) during the day of and day before the wedding were just great. Coming from out of town (Austin, TX) and planning and executing a wedding in Chicago could not have been possible without Big City Bride. I initially questioned why we even needed a 'Day Of' Coordinator....I no longer question that and they were worth every penny. Inevitably things come up at the last minute (like a downpour before, during, and after the wedding), but Jena and Madison handled everything with a perfectly calm demeanor which kept the bride and her parents perfectly calm throughout. Thanks again for a perfect day!!

Experiencia fantástica: I really don't know how I am supposed sum up such a perfect experience with Johnna in just one review. From the very first day speaking with her, I knew she would understand my exact vision and that she would help me feel comfortable throughout the whole planning process. Her attention to detail is second to none, and I am beyond grateful that I had her quarterbacking our wedding vendor team from start to finish. One of the saddest parts of my wedding being over is that I will no longer have my regular emails and touch points with Johnna - she truly felt like an extension of our family and a trusted friend throughout the whole process. All wedding day, I joked that she was my real-life wedding fairy - she thought of absolutely everything I would need so that I could focus on having the most incredible night of my life (which I absolutely did). BCB - you have a true gem on your hands! I cannot recommend you all enough. THANK YOU for making our dream wedding into a reality.

Experiencia fantástica: We had a wonderful experience working with Alex at Big City Bride! She was on top of all of the details and truly made our vision for our wedding come to life. She was able to assist us in navigating and securing vendor contracts with ease. Additionally, she was extremely helpful the day of the wedding by keeping us on track and managing all of our guests. We couldn't ask for a better wedding planner. We are so grateful and happy that we chose Big City Bride to assist in planning our wedding, which we will remember for the rest of our lives.

Experiencia fantástica: Johnna guided us through all steps of wedding planning and the event with skill and enthusiasm!

Experiencia fantástica: I’m still in awe of Big City Bride and Madison for pulling my dream wedding out of my head and bringing it to life!!! Every detail was perfect and Madison helped navigate the final items while we moved across the country. Her patience and dedication to every aspect of our wedding was incredible and I am extremely grateful for her friendship and support throughout the entire process

Experiencia fantástica: Jena is an amazing wedding planner. Everything was perfect, we were so appreciative and thankful she took care of all the details and made all the logistics go like clockwork. 6/5 stars

Experiencia fantástica: Madison went above and beyond with any task we threw her way. I truly felt like she attacked each request as though it was her own wedding. Madison is a gift to Big City Bride. Any bride is blessed to have her by her side during this special time. We honestly, feel like Madison is a part of our family.

Experiencia fantástica: We had the best experience working with Big City Bride, and in particular our wedding planner, Johnna. Johnna and I clicked from our first call / consult. I did not have a super clear vision of my wedding, and did not know where to start, and she put me right at ease and lead us through the entire experience. Now, a bit over a month after our wedding, I am still gushing about how everything turned out. Everyone says something major always goes awry at your wedding and to just expect that….as of now I can’t think of a single thing that went remotely wrong at our wedding! Everything came together as planned and envisioned, all tied up in a bow. And not for lack of effort! Johnna was so on top of things and knowledgable, and had a great relationship with all of our vendors. Her attention to detail and overall organization were so helpful at keeping us on track. Her recommendations and guidance were always appreciated, and she was incredibly collaborative. And her energy is infectious! Family and guests are still reaching out rehashing what an amazing weekend and beautiful day it was, and how impressed and wowed they were with all of the details. It just all came together even better than I could have envisioned or imagined. Myself, my husbands and my parents cannot stop talking about the day, and are beyond elated and impressed with how everything turned out! Thank you Johnna and Big City Bride! So grateful for everything!

Experiencia fantástica: We had Jena as our wedding planner and could not have asked for anyone better. She was on top of absolutely everything from the start. She would narrow down vendors for us and make suggestions, and she did not lead us astray a single time. Every vendor she suggested was phenomenal. She also attended and helped schedule EVERY vendor meeting with us and asked questions that we didn't even know to ask. When we weren't sure what direction we wanted to go with decor or lighting or something else, she was there to help us. I could tell that she really understood the vision that we had for our wedding day. In the days leading up to the wedding, she was right there helping us keep track of all the last minute things that needed to be done. Our wedding day went off without a hitch thanks to her! Would highly recommend Big City Bride to anyone looking for a wedding planner, their involvement and knowledge is simply unmatched.

Experiencia fantástica: Having Johnna as our wedding planner was truly an exceptional experience. I wasn’t always sure that I wanted the big, traditional wedding, but I am overflowing with love and gratitude after our wedding weekend, and we have Johnna to thank! With her support we were able to make it what I imagine will be one of the best weekends of our lives. Johnna was always just an email, phone call, or text away, and made us feel like her number one priority. We truly felt like her only clients. In working with Johnna over the past year, we were constantly impressed by her organization, attention to detail, and ability to manage anything and everything. We were planning our wedding from out of state with no one in our family being local to Chicago, but this was no problem for Johnna. She worked around our busy schedules, respected our budget, and still somehow made everything exactly how we imagined. The entire wedding weekend we felt so calm and confident knowing that we could rely on Johnna. Every question we had, she was somehow already two steps ahead of us. We will forever be so grateful to have worked with Johnna!

Experiencia fantástica: The worst part of our wedding being over is that we miss our planner! We worked with Johnna and the whole experience so surpassed expectations. From our very first conversation, Johnna just understood us. Her attention to detail, follow up, follow through, organization and responsiveness were off the charts. From day one she guided us through the wedding planning process step by step and with ease. I never once felt stressed about the wedding - I just got to have fun and enjoy being the bride. I had time to explore Etsy, order invitations and stationary and tend to those little touches that make an event. I wasn't searching for vendors, doing hours of research or anything like that. And with Johnna was so hands-on not only in the planning but in the actual wedding execution that my bridesmaids were stress free also. So many times friends and family have to jump in to help set up or tend to details. Not with Big City Bride. This meant the time I spent with my bridesmaids was joyous and having fun. They were pampered too and that was so important to me. Johnna guided us through every step, in the correct order and presented top notch vendors for our every need. And she always respected our budget (much to my husband's delight). There was never any pressure. And when something went wrong or something wasn't just right - we just called Johnna. She worked her magic and it was taken care of. Our rehearsal, wedding and post wedding celebration was absolutely everything we had envisioned (and I certainly had a big vision!). It was elegant, beautiful and one heck of a good time. Our guests are still gushing about how wonderful our wedding was and that it was so fun. With both of us working full time with busy travel schedules, there's just no way we could have pulled off such an amazing wedding without Big City Bride and Johnna. Our wedding was absolutely perfect and I can't thank them enough.

Experiencia fantástica: We had the pleasure of working with Madison, who we could not recommend any higher! The weeks leading up to and the day of can be a ton of work. Luckily we had Big City Bride there to coordinate everything. Our wedding was better than expected and we didn’t experience any hiccups throughout the day. Madison and team were a huge part of that!

Experiencia fantástica: I am SO glad that we chose Big City Brides to help us with planning our wedding and Madison was on top of every piece of detail we needed to help move things along! She was extremely accessible, and any question I had along the way she was able to answer quickly and efficiently. There was a lot that I didn’t know about planning a wedding and Madison helped to fill in all the gaps :) I had a lovely experience and would recommend Big City Brides for anyone planning an upcoming wedding!

Experiencia fantástica: Jena Hansen is a gem! Thanks to her planning and guidance, we were able to enjoy the wedding day, from the bride's brunch and photos, to the ceremony and reception. Her suggestions throughout the process were timely and insightful. Having her with us the entire wedding day ensured a worry-free and flawless celebration. I would highly recommend her and Big City Brides to plan your next wedding or event.

Experiencia fantástica: Working with Alex and Big City Bride was the best decision we could have made for our big day! Alex helped us source amazing vendors and made it so easy to enjoy the planning process. She is extremely organized, professional, and kind! Our wedding day turned out beautifully and we are so grateful that we chose Big City Bride to be part of it! THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts, Alex and team!!!

Experiencia fantástica: Having Madison as our wedding planner was the BEST decision we made throughout our entire wedding process. She made our wedding everything we wanted and more! We truly had a fairytale wedding day and Madison played SUCH a huge part. From helping find vendors, to the efficient email communications, her perfect advice, and truly handling any of all of my changes/questions/wishes, Madison handled it all with such grace and professionalism. Any stress I ever felt, she ALWAYS had a solution and took the stressful load off of me which was such a gift in itself. I loved how personal it felt to work with her. She was truly invested in my vision and understood it completely. On wedding day, it was amazing to see all of the planning come to life and we cannot thank Madison more. She is so organized and has the biggest attention to detail which made wedding day so smooth, timely, and enjoyable for everyone! Above all, Madison is the sweetest, kindest, more respectful person inside and out. She made our day one we will never forget and we give her our highest recommendation to any bride and groom. THANK YOU MADISON!!! <3

Experiencia fantástica: There aren't words to show our gratitude toward Johnna, Alex, and the entire team at Big City Bride (BCB). The love, support, guidance, comfort, expertise, and constant check-ins are just a few reasons BCB is the best in the industry. Alex and Johnna went above and beyond to provide us with our dream wedding. Their attention to detail from day one till the wedding day was remarkable. They truly made us feel so confident that everything would go perfectly (and it did!). We cannot recommend this team enough and we will miss working with Alex and Johnna daily. From being their clients to now friends, we could not be more thankful! XOXO, Caitlin & Luke

Experiencia fantástica: Johnna was amazing. As the FOB working a busy schedule, she was an tremendous help. Extremely well organized and very responsive on molding her services to our families needs. Worth every penny.

Experiencia fantástica: We just had our wedding on 6/29 and there aren't enough words to discribe Johnna & Alex... they worked so hard to make sure my children had the wedding of their dreams. There wasn't a detail missed... Their genunie concern for the couple was a breath of fresh air. They gave 110% to this wedding and it showed. There wasn't a guest that didn't mention something special about the wedding. They are execptional!

Experiencia fantástica: Best in the business, they are so hands on.

Experiencia fantástica: I worked with Jena Hansen at Big City Bride. Jena and Big City Bride was the best decision I made throughout the wedding planning process. Jena was incredibly organized, personable, kind and creative. She made our vision come true! It was absolute perfection. I can't recommend Big City Bride and Jena enough to plan a wedding!

Experiencia fantástica: Thanks to the efforts of Johnna and the BCB team, our wedding was perfect, beyond what we could have imagined. Johnna did a fantastic job streamlining the process, presenting decisions to us on a platter, and then handling innumerable details behind the scenes. She helped us express our vision (helping us think about aspects that we never would have considered ourselves, until maybe the week before when we’d be very stressed!) and then drew on relationships and experience to make it happen. There are so many event planning tips and tricks that Johnna helped us through. Johnna managed to make it feel like we were her only clients with how she generously made herself available often and at short notice. Then on the day of the wedding, she handled coordination of so many vendors and details, solving last-minute problems as needed and letting us focus on enjoying the day. Johnna’s efforts made the whole day perfect for us, and we are so thankful. We’d wholeheartedly recommend her for any future wedding planners, and BCB as a whole consistently exceeded expectations at every step.

Experiencia fantástica: I highly recommend Big City Bride, in particular, Jena, who did an amazing job helping our daughter plan and execute her wedding in May 2024. Jena has great communication skills and is incredibly organized, making each planning step easy and fun. On wedding day we had two venues, resulting in literally thousands of moving parts that needed to be coordinated. Jena was calm and kind ~ both the wedding and reception were perfect. The BCB team that showed up with her on wedding day was also fantastic and helped with the hundreds of tiny last minute details.

Experiencia fantástica: I highly recommend Big City Bride, and Jena in particular, to anyone looking for help with planning and executing their wedding. Jena's experience, organization, and attention to detail made the entire planning process efficient and our wedding day flawless. She was so fun to work with, and I cannot say enough good things about her!

Experiencia fantástica: We used Big City Bride for our 5/18/24 wedding and they absolutely crushed it!! Madison was our BCB planner and was one of the most thorough, kind, detail oriented planner around! She calmed me down throughout the entire process and made me feel incredibly confident that everything would work out (and it did!). One of the key things was her commutation skills - she was incredibly responsive not only to me but to all of our vendors to the point where I got many compliments on her day from our vendors on how thankful they were for her during the whole planning process. I highly recommend BCB and Madison for your next wedding! Just trust me on this one - you won’t regret it!

Experiencia fantástica: As I reflect on our one year anniversary, I realize my review of Big City Brides is long overdue. Arin Busch was my saving grace during wedding planning. Her and her team are clearly pros in this business and understood what was important to me and my fiancé and helped us execute our dream wedding. Arin is creative, smart, honest, and has the best positive attitude! I was mostly impressed by her strong relationships amongst all the vendors in the business. They all had great things to say about her and BCB and were excited to work with her and us. If you want someone who understands the industry, has the right relationships, and is organized than look no further than Arin and Big City Bride. Now I need another event to plan with Arin!

Experiencia fantástica: We had a wonderful experience with Big City Bride and cannot give them enough praise! Madison helped plan our wedding in October and we can’t imagine doing it without her. That last month can be very stressful pulling it all together, but Madison did it effortlessly and was there to assist in every way. The day of we did not have to worry about a single thing, it could not have gone more perfectly. I kept saying that if there were any hiccups, Madison did an excellent job of taking care of without anyone knowing! She is professional, kind, highly communicative and was such a joy to share our wedding day with. I would highly recommend BCB!!

Experiencia fantástica: My husband and I got married on New Years Eve in Chicago at Union League Club. We had the most positive and enjoyable experience working with Big City Bride. Arin Busch was our wedding planner and I cannot even begin to rave about her enough. She made the entire planning process so smooth from picking vendors to day of coordination, she was truly amazing. She always gave us multiple vendor options and her recommendations were all so good. She was so responsive to my millions of questions and kept us on track with updated timeline sheets with items to be completed. She nailed every single detail and our wedding turned out so beautiful. It was truly the best day of our lives and the wedding of our dreams. Arin made that all possible! On the day of, she was so beyond organized and on top of it. She was willing to do every single task for me including running back up to my hotel room multiple times for me to get my slippers and makeup, bustling my dress, and even lint rolling the floor to make my pictures even better! I cannot recommend Big City Bride and Arin enough. We couldn't be more grateful for our experience.

Experiencia fantástica: It feels like an impossible task to articulate the value and our experience working with Alex and Big City Bride. Put simply, she was the single most important vendor we chose for our wedding. As a busy working professional, wedding planning was a stressful and daunting task, but Alex sprung into action immediately after we hired her and quickly melted our stress away! Alex isn’t just organized to perfection, but she is also consistent, proactive, and simply an absolutely joy to spend time with. Our friends and family alike raved about how kind and professional she was. Because of all of her hard work, my husband and I were able to enjoy our time as an engaged couple while still having the wedding of our dreams! We are endlessly grateful for Alex and Big City Bride, and recommend to any and all couples. ❤

Experiencia fantástica: Perfection! Jena & Big City Bride provide a 5-star wedding planning experience. Jena helped us to plan a perfect wedding day! We are still in awe of how perfectly the day went from preparations in the morning to the final dance at midnight. Her advice was fantastic and planning was exceptional. Along the way, we kept saying that we didn’t know how we could have done it without her and the wedding day proved to be the same sentiment! It was so wonderful to see how all of the pieces fell in place to create a magical wedding day! Our family and friends were in awe of all of the carefully planned details. Jena is truly exceptional! Her planning and vendor expertise along with her positive approach make her the perfect wedding planner! Thanks, Jena and BCB!

Experiencia fantástica: Words cannot do justice to the gratitude we feel for Chrissy and the entire team at Big City Bride. From thoughtful planning to seamless execution, they transformed our dream day into a flawless reality! My husband and I didn’t have the easiest schedules to work around, but the patience and graceful follow up from Chrissy ensured that we got every vendor and every detail that we wanted. A heartfelt thank you for orchestrating our perfect wedding!

Experiencia fantástica: Where does one start? I had the pleasure of working with Madison Hansen on my wedding with Big City Bride after a harrowing experience with a previous wedding planner that is not to be named. Madison literally made all our dreams come true and more. Everything down to email response times to giving us her true honest feedback about her experiences as a wedding planner. I truly felt like I was working with someone who wasn’t just our wedding planner, but more of a friend. Our wedding day had NOT ONE hiccup. Madison was there from start to finish to make sure everything was immaculate and done to perfection. Her sweet demeanor and skill went above and beyond anything I could have dreamt up. My mom, who is hard to please and very opinionated, pulled me aside to tell me how sweet and put together Madison was. She’s not just “a wedding planner” she was literally our saving grace during planning and I don’t put that lightly. To give a small example, Alex, my now husband had a full box of uncut cigar's during the reception - we had lost the cigar cutter and he went to Madison for a solution. Madison in literally less than 2 minutes came back to Alex with the entire box of cigars cut to perfection. He said he was amazed and couldn’t get over how I had picked such an amazing coordinator for our special day. If you get the opportunity to work with Big City Bride, please request Madison. You won’t be disappointed!!! Thanks so much Madison, we appreciate you more than words can express!!

Experiencia fantástica: I honestly don't know where to start. Jena Hansen was our Wedding Planner, and words fall short in explaining just how much of an impact she had on making our big day far more than we could have ever hoped for. She gets. things. done. Period. As the groom, I had one request for her which was to make sure that my bride wouldn't have to worry about one single thing on her wedding day. Jena assured me with an air of confidence and certainty that my (now) wife would not have to worry about a thing, and she delivered on that promise in spades. We had one issue on the big day where the hotel advised us that the room in which we were promised we could do the First Look was suddenly unavailable. Knowing my wife I knew she would worry, and as I stepped off the trolley, Jena was there to greet me and advised me of the situation with this total air of calm and told me she was working on it. Lo and behold, she worked with the hotel and secured a spot that was exponentially more beautiful. She just made it happen like it was nothing. Caitlin and I wanted for nothing the entire day. When Caitlin left her rescue kit at the hotel, Jena ran over, picked it up, and was back at the venue within minutes. She constantly checked in with us to see if we needed any beverages, she made sure that our personal belongings were organized so they wouldn't get lost. I could go on and on, and if Google let me give 6 stars I would. We knew our wedding would be special but it so far surpassed our wildest dreams, and Jena was instrumental in that. She's a real badass.

Experiencia fantástica: I had an amazing experience with our wedding planner, Johnna! She dedicated time to understand our vision, and was not only friendly and easy to work with but also incredibly organized and hands-on. From securing vendor contacts to ensuring a flawless day, she was always responsive and went above and beyond. Her attention to detail and years of experience turned what could have been stressful into an enjoyable and fun process. Johnna was instrumental in making our wedding a dream come true, and we couldn’t be happier with our day. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a top-tier wedding planner. Thank you, Johnna, for making our special day perfect!!

Experiencia fantástica: We do not know where to even begin on describing our experience with Alex – we are honestly speechless. We were in a bind and Alex came in on short notice. When we say short notice; we parted ways with our previous coordinator due to several issues at 3PM. Our walk through was at 5pm! We hired Alex at 3:45p and she was at the venue by 4:45p, 15 mins early! Not to mention she already had a binder with our names and a picture of our venue! From that moment on, she was on top of everything. She literally took over all communication with our vendors, came up with creative solutions to potential issues, was EXTREMELY organized throughout the entire process, and professional as can be . Not to mention Alex is one of the sweetest, kindest, patient, and intelligent human beings we have ever met. We could go on and on but point being, we were beyond blessed that Alex was our coordinator, and know that our day wouldn’t have been as perfect as it was without her. Wedding planning was beyond stressful, and Alex made the process 1000x more enjoyable once we brought her on board. She is truly the best. We recommend Alex at Big City Bride to everyone we know! Thank you to Alex and Big City Bride!!!!I’m

Experiencia fantástica: I had the wonderful opportunity to collaborate with Johnna, the wedding coordinator from Big City Bride, for a recent wedding event. Working with Johnna was an absolute delight, and I couldn't have asked for a more professional and supportive partner for the special day. Johnna's attention to detail and meticulous planning ensured that every aspect of the wedding, including the musical performance, ran seamlessly. Her expertise in coordinating the event made my role as the violinist much easier, allowing me to focus on delivering a memorable musical experience. Johnna's communication and coordination skills were top-notch, and it was evident that she genuinely cared about the couple's vision and making their day as special as possible. Her friendly and accommodating approach made the entire process enjoyable and stress-free. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to work alongside Johnna and the Big City Bride team. If you're a wedding professional looking for a dedicated and talented wedding coordinator, I wholeheartedly recommend Johnna. Her commitment to excellence and her passion for creating unforgettable wedding experiences make her a standout in the industry. It was a pleasure to be a part of a wedding she orchestrated, and I look forward to any future collaborations.

Experiencia fantástica: It’s proven surprisingly difficult to write this review, as even the kindest of words and feedback seem to fall short in describing our experience and time with Jena Hansen and the Big City Bride team. The glowing reviews shared by other newlyweds mirror our experience and sentiment. The Big City Bride team upholds a standard of excellence across all aspects of the planning process, and we felt valued, respected, and prioritized from the onset. It was evident that Jena and the team were extremely thoughtful and considerate with each recommendation or suggestion — quite invaluable for us, as we never had a grand “vision” for our special day – something that most other couples had seemingly figured out well before their own planning processes. I was personally quite skeptical of wedding planners and the broader wedding industry prior to working with Jena and yet now hold entirely different views. The cost for Jena’s time and assistance was worth every cent, and she was masterful in pulling every request, idea, and suggestion into a beautiful and memorable wedding weekend. It’s important that we briefly acknowledge Jena’s patience and grace as well. My wife and I happened to be working through one of the more difficult periods in our lives while attempting to balance the demands of work, wedding planning, and settling into a new and unfamiliar city. We found a generous amount of patience and flexibility with Jena as our wedding planner, yet unexpectedly found the support and empathy of a new friend that was able to relate on a personal level to the recent developments in our lives. For those still undecided on a need to hire a wedding planner or Big City Bride specifically, please seriously consider reaching out, if even for a brief introductory call. It’ll be well worth your time. Thanks, again, Jena!

Experiencia fantástica: My husband and I had a wonderful experience using Big City Bride for our wedding! Jena Hansen was a fantastic wedding planner. She organized a beautiful wedding at the Fairmont Hotel for us. I am extremely grateful for all the time she dedicated to helping me and my husband create a gorgeous vision for our wedding. The venue was picturesque, the floral arrangements as well as the decor were breathtaking, the band was phenomenal, the photographer was spectacular, the videographers were exceptional, and the flow of the events was perfect. The thoughtful guidance Jena provided throughout the planning process and on the wedding day was immensely appreciated. Our friends and family had an amazing day. We all felt that our wedding day was a fantastic celebration of love.

Experiencia fantástica: So grateful to Jena Hansen at Big City Brides for coordinating and planning a wedding beyond my dreams and expectations!!! Jena and her assistant, Grace, went above and beyond. Budgeting, coordinating vendors, crafting my vision board, among many others. Most importantly, allowed me to ENJOY my wedding day and create memories that will truly last a lifetime. Many thanks to their team!!!

Experiencia fantástica: I mean, Big City Bride IS the actual best decision we made during this whole wedding planning process. @Madison specifically is truly a superstar and fantastic at what she does! We both felt incredibly special and cared for throughout the entire planning process, it was the best experience we could ever ask for. Every question big or small was always answered (before, leading up to, and after)! Even details we thought were small were treated with such thoughtfulness and care, it was like we were working with a friend! Our last minute decision to add a wrapped dance floor made our entire wedding venue come together. It was because of an amazing recommendation both to do it and vendor referral - Madison made that happen!! And, she was just as excited for our Pomeranian Derrick’s stir sticks and napkins as we were haha! From having a ‘signature scent’ to a detailed wedding day timeline - We could not be more grateful to BCB, Madison, and her team for making the most special day really THE best day. “I don’t know how it gets better than this”.. figured I would end with a TS lyric :) Thank YOU!!!

Experiencia fantástica: we worked with alex schweitzer for planning our micro wedding in chicago and omg, she was the best i could’ve asked for. everybody was buzzing about how wonderful and seamless the wedding was and how amazing alex was at handling the event. from start to finish, alex had my back and she took care of every single question and concern i had swiftly. she is one of the biggest reasons my wedding went as perfectly as it did and i cannot recommend and thank her enough!

Experiencia fantástica: The best decision I made was working with Big City Bride for my wedding. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had Johnna Metcalf as our planner for our wedding and accompanying wedding weekend events (rehearsal dinner & day after brunch). I spent the first months of my available wedding planning time waiting to hear back from another planner who was recommended by a friend. I woke up in the middle of the night in a panic from a wedding nightmare and realized this was a sign that I needed a different route for wedding planning. I reached out to Big City Bride and heard back immediately from Johnna. I had clarity about the process, available options and had a detailed proposal about 24 hours after our first call. The degree of professionalism and attention to detail from Johnna and BCB is outstanding! While I knew I did not have the luxury of time, Johnna never made me feel like we were in a time crunch or panic mode. She took over the wedding planning process and assured me everything would be okay. Boy, was she right! Not only was it okay, it was stress free and so much fun! Johnna was reliable at all times. I found her level of expertise to be top notch, both in experience and content knowledge. She was communicative and responsive always. If there was ever a detail that I needed adjusted she took care of it immediately. Her responsiveness was simply unbelievable. She is organized, calm, detailed oriented, warm, caring and friendly. The list continues for miles. Johnna is one of a kind and I hit the jackpot with her! Not only did Johnna execute the vision for our wedding weekend perfectly, she also had so many creative ideas that I loved! She made our wedding better than I could have ever imagined. The weekend of the wedding, Johnna was there every step of the way taking care of each and every single detail. We sat back and enjoyed each moment. Our wedding day and accompanying wedding events were FLAWLESS. My husband and our families feel like Johnna is a new member of the family. She is simply the best!

Experiencia fantástica: Big City Bride made our wedding day visions come true! Please, please hire them for yours! You will not regret this. We brought them on for the last month/day of - their “petite package” and my only regret was not hiring them on sooner!! If you are on the fence about hiring a planner for the last month, TRUST ME…Big City Bride was worth their weight in gold. I had no idea how insane the last month before your wedding is. I honestly could NOT have done it without our wedding planner. We had the absolute pleasure of working with Johnna Metcalf as our planner. From the moment we connected with her I knew she was a very special person. She possess the highest level of professionalism, industry knowledge and connections, patience, organizational skills, and a calming nature and presence that can ease the worries of even the most nervous of brides. This is truly a gift. She is beyond talented and a truly exceptional wedding planner. All of my friends and family adored her on the wedding day. She went above and beyond from day one to ensure that our Big Day not only ran smoothly, but that it was perfect in every way. She even packed up all of our late night bites (that we didn’t even have a chance to eat at our wedding) and had them sent to our hotel suite! Amazing. This is just one example of all the personal touches that Big City Bride does to go above and beyond to make your day special. Our expectations were not only met, they were exceeded beyond our dreams!

Experiencia fantástica: I really cannot thank our wedding planner, Johnna Metcalf, enough for how amazing of a job she did in planning our wedding. I would consider myself to be organized and type A but didn't have the time to plan a 300+ person wedding myself so I knew I needed to find someone who could help me. From the get-go Johnna was meticulously detailed, which you definitely need to be in this industry and it made me feel SO at ease that every question I had, she already had the answer for me. She helped us tour 7 different venues and chose all our amazing vendors. I had asked for a little more of a moody/whimsical vibe for everything and she found the perfect vendors. She was soo organized, on track and calm throughout it all. She made me feel so comfortable and at ease the entire planning process. Everything was so transparent and she answered every little question me or my parents had while planning. Come wedding day she did an incredible job. It was honestly spectacular to see all her hard work really come together. She saw my vision and executed it perfectly. On wedding day, she was one step ahead with everything and even my bridesmaids mentioned how impressed they were with her attentiveness and organization. Everything went off without a hitch. All our friends and family have said this is the best wedding they have ever been to and truly it has SOO much to do with Johnna and the team at BCB. Jena, helped throughout the process as well and on wedding day and also did an incredible job. I had high expectations (because I am organized myself) and they surpassed them!

Experiencia fantástica: Having Johnna and the Big City Bride team there to plan our big day was one of the best decisions we made when it came to our wedding. Johnna was there from day one helping us with everything from venue selection, print materials, linen, to all the nitty gritty details that make a wedding day so special. She gave us her honest opinion, provided so much industry knowledge, and helped us select truly the best vendors to fit our vision. She was communicative, professional, sweet, easy and fun to work with! The week leading up to our wedding when everyone was asking us if we were stressed the honest answer was “no!” We felt stress free in Johnna’s hands and knew that every detail was taken care of. When my husband and I walked into our venue, we were just absolutely stunned at the how everything had come together. Every guest we spoke to during and after the wedding kept commenting on how it was the most beautiful and well executed wedding they’d ever attended. They always say something may go wrong on your wedding day but in our case, everything was done to perfection. I can confidently say that is because of Johnna!

Experiencia fantástica: I will never be able to find the exact words to describe how thankful I am for having Susan Cordogan and Madison Hansen as our wedding planners. Shortly after we got engaged, we connected with a few wedding planners but Susan and her team shined significantly brighter than everyone else. Susan and Madison went up to bat for us, held our hand throughout the entire planning process making it completely stress free, and we had SO MUCH FUN along the way. Needless to say with their dedication, fantastic work ethic and extensive knowledge of the industry, they curated a dream sequence of a wedding weekend for us that felt like magic. We simply cannot thank Susan and Madison enough for bringing our wildest dreams into reality. We will forever be grateful for this amazing experience and cannot recommend the BCB team highly enough!

Experiencia fantástica: It’s been almost two weeks since my son’s wedding and I still feel like I’m caught up in a dream, because that is how the entire week-end celebration felt to us. Susan and Big City Bride planned the Sat. night main event (ceremony and reception) and my husband and I also engaged her to plan the wedding eve - rehearsal dinner and welcome party for 180 guests. We live in Denver so her guidance regarding Chicago venues, resources and vendors was invaluable to us, as was her execution of our vision for the Friday night events we hosted. The entire week-end exceeded even our most hopeful expectations, top to bottom. Susan and her team are real pros and their professionalism, energy and attention (so much attention) to detail were remarkable. We are forever grateful to them for planning the wedding of our son and new daughter-in-law’s dreams!

Experiencia fantástica: I had the absolute pleasure of working with the wonderful Johnna Metcalf for my wedding coordination! When I began the "planning process" it was clear to me that there were so many parts that went into everything. I initially I thought I would do it on my own because I was enjoying it so much, and our wedding was at a hotel, with a coordinator and assumed we would be fine.  I spent a lot of time inquiring about different planning services, and was drawn to Big City Bride from the beginning.  Johnna was the coordinator who responded to my inquiry and it was evident I wanted to work with her from our initial conversation.  She not only is an expert in her field, but she has the personality and special touch you would find in a life-long friend.  I immediately trusted her and knew I wanted to work specifically with her.  Although we only used Big City for their "petite service" Johnna was always available and there to help with any questions I had along the way.  Fast forward to the week leading up to the wedding...OMG everyone needs a coordinator- and if you're lucky enough it would be Johnna! I cannot even begin to express how much she did to organize everything from a timeline, to collecting personals, to helping with dress changes... The list goes on and on! Our wedding day was the most special day of our lives.  We had the most magical wedding and everything ran so smoothly thanks to my dream team, which included Johnna.  She was there from early in the day until the very end of the night.  Her energy was professional, upbeat, and efficient.  I knew I did not have to worry about anything.  I cannot thank her enough for all of her work! I would give my highest recommendation as her for your wedding coordinator!  Thank you for everything, Johnna.<3 Eleni and Elias Koliopoulos

Experiencia fantástica: I’m fairly certain I will never be able to find the words to describe how grateful I am for having Arin Busch as our wedding planner. After getting engaged and prior to kicking-off planning in any capacity, I connected with a few different planners and Arin was the standout – by far. We fell in love with her and her energy, sincerity, timeliness, organization, and so much more. We shared our vision and she immediately understood what we were looking for – and delivered beyond our wildest dreams. Because of Arin, the planning process was entirely stress-free due to her incredible expertise (the best in the biz); her relationships with so many different vendors and venues across Chicago (+ beyond); and her meticulous attention to detail (truly unmatched). Arin quickly became like a best friend / voice of reason / someone to lean on while planning – and she was always a phone call, text, meeting, or email away. She made sure I was 110% happy with every single decision and did everything she could to make our wedding day the best day of our lives. That said, from start to finish, our wedding day WAS the best day of our lives and BEYOND perfect in every single way. We still have family and friends talking about it weeks and weeks later.. I can wholeheartedly say that none of it would have been possible without Arin & BCB – and we truly cannot thank them enough for creating the best experience we could have ever imagined. Cannot recommend them enough to anyone and everyone!

Experiencia fantástica: My first wedding vendor review has to be about Johnna Metcalf. Where do I even begin? Johnna is one of the most brilliant, kind, organized, warm, friendly and calm people I have ever met. She’s one of those people where you immediately feel at ease when you’re around her. Hiring her was by far our greatest wedding investment and I would hire her over and over again if I could. She made our day absolutely flawless - if ANYTHING was sliiightly off or wrong, she caught it immediately, calmly, and handled it with poise - always reassuring us she’s got it covered. I felt 100% at ease, all day, because of her. The DETAILS of what she does for you is unmatched. She cared about our family and we all felt it. We are obviously still on cloud 9 from the wedding, and haven’t stopped talking about it - but our most frequent compliment by far (from our bridal party and family) is how wonderful Johnna was. Thank you Johnna for the greatest weekend of our lives ❤️

Experiencia fantástica: My husband and I and family worked with Jena at BCB and we could not be happier! Jena matched our energy very well and helped us with so many aspects to wedding planning that we would not have thought of on our own. She kept us on track and the collaboration was amazing. Our vision came to fruition and then some! Her suggestions and implements for the overall aesthetic matched so well with what we imagined. On the day of our wedding, as the bride, I literally had no stress at all! All I had to worry about was walking down that aisle. The day could not have gone better and all of our guests were mesmerized by the whole event and could not stop complimenting us. We wish we could get married again to each other just so we could have Jena at BCB's amazing service!

Experiencia fantástica: It is impossible to overstate my gratitude for having hired Big City Bride for my wedding. I was fortunate to be paired with Jena, who was a perfect planner in every way. Working with Jena was a breeze. She is extremely organized, communicative, and friendly. Nothing phased her! I was planning my wedding remotely from LA, so I relied heavily on Jena's suggestions, especially for floral and decor. (It all turned out beautifully, by the way!) She set up virtual meetings with vendors, which was super helpful. Jena was great at having my back when it came to getting what I wanted and also providing context for pricing. I never felt like she was pushing for something I didn't want or wasn't comfortable with. In fact, she would often remind me that it's ok to change my mind or ask for adjustments when needed! I am a very anxious person, but when the wedding day came around I was sooo calm because I was sure that Jena — and Grace, who joined for the wedding day as an assistant — had everything under control. Jena and team thought of absolutely everything, and even had backup plans in case we needed them. Of course, there were some unavoidable hiccups on the day of, but they were able to problem-solve with us in real time so we could focus on enjoying the company of our guests and not worrying about minor things! I was so grateful for that. My family and bridal party loved working with Jena too. I had so much fun at my wedding and received so many compliments. I'm 100% sure that so much of that was due to BCB's diligent work. Hire BCB for your wedding!

Experiencia fantástica: I have tried writing this review multiple times and started over because I felt my words wouldn’t do Big City Bride and Arin (Calamari) Busch justice. Big City Bride was amazing and Arin was fantastic. We couldn’t have done it without them. We got engaged during COVID and had a 2+ year engagement. Arin and team were fabulous and navigated us through a difficult time (COVID) and stuck with us for 2 years while we planned our special day! Not only did they help plan, prepare, and organize, but they also took things off our plate when we were overwhelmed. Our vendor team LOVED Arin and Big City Bride and gushed about how easy they made the process (for them and for us). Having Arin with us really alleviated any concerns we had. Just her energy alone was extremely calming. We knew she had everything under control. Arin killed it! We are about ~6 months post wedding and we still have guests complimenting the planning, food, and music! We are so happy with how it turned out and wouldn’t change a thing. We wish we could do it all over again. Thank you Arin and team for making our dreams come true. We love you so much!!! Xo The Justs

Experiencia fantástica: My husband and I had the pleasure of working with Kayla and Arin in 2022 for our wedding at The Drake. Simply put, these two are the best in the biz! Our overall experience was terrific, thanks to the highly attentive and dedicated team over at Big City Bride. During the planning process, so many big and small details were either simplified for us or taken off our plates altogether. Kayla and Arin made the process seamless and stress-free. We were also impressed by the team's vast vendor connections. It was reassuring to know that Big City Bride could secure us with the best vendors in Chicago based on our criteria. Kayla and her assistant Liz were incredible on the day of our wedding. The two managed every detail of the day so we could enjoy quality time spent with family and friends and not have to worry about the schedule, vendors, or any other nuance that comes with wedding day logistics. We could not have done it without the team at Big City Bride, and Kayla and Arin will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Experiencia fantástica: Oh my goodness! I am so thankful I found Big City Brides which then lead me to our AMAZING wedding planner/designer Claire Weller! Hiring BCB was the best decision I made hands down! Claire went above and beyond for us every step of the way. She was very flexible with meeting times and working around my professional job as well as my Chicago Bulls cheerleading schedule. Although I didn’t always make decision right away or get things done on our to-do list right away, Claire was always there to help me stay on track and really helped me take it one step at a time and provided that avenue to allow me to balance the wedding to-do’s with my busy schedule! (Lord only knows what she went through to keep my options open as I took time to make decisions). Claire truly made the process of planning easy, fun and enjoyable! Her/BCBs network in the industry is one that is unmatched! At the beginning Claire sat down with me and really drilled down to what my vision and dream was for the wedding, she really took the time to understand what I wanted and made sure to bring that to life! She also had the most amazing suggestions along the way that ended up being some of our favorite details! In addition she understood our budget and really helped us align the budget and the dream. Another thing about Claire is that we started our journey a week before she got married herself. A few months later she found out she was expecting her sweet baby boy! This may have been the most exciting year for Claire’s personal life and let me tell ya, she never skipped a beat on planning our wedding! Claire was always on top of everything but in preparation for Claire’s baby BCB/Claire introduced us to Jena Hanson. Jena Hansen was just wonderful to work with as well!!! With Claire & Jena I truly felt like I was in the BEST hands heading into the last few months til our big day! We went over wedding day details such as gifts I wanted to give out, paper goods, DIY items, seating chart/cards, tips, champagne glasses & cake cutter, and so much more. Jena made sure anything going to the venues she collected from me prior and anything I needed for the hotel she triple checked I had completed it and packed it. She really helped me make sure that I didn’t miss a thing that I wanted to have/do on my wedding day. Now the day of, let me tell you how relieving and exciting it was to see Jena and Claire the morning of at the hotel while we were getting our make-up and hair done. They were present, excited and on top of their game! They were SO AMAZING from beginning to end! Another “day of” detail to mention is that since we started the day at the renaissance hotel, then had our ceremony at St. Josaphat and lastly our reception at Morgan Manufacturing BCB recommended a third helper for part of the day so that Claire could be with me/bridesmaids, Jena could be with Drew(Groom)/Groomsmen and the third could be at Morgan Manufacturing in the morning for set up and at the Church prior to the wedding party arriving to help keep things running smoothly. I understood the purpose/need for another helper on the day of and immediately agreed. Came to find out on the big day that the third BCB personnel was Susan Cordogan, owner of BCB herself! Needless to say when you are a Big City Bride you are in the BEST hands! People always say “Wow Alaina you were so in the moment, calm and happy on your wedding day” and I always let them know that its because of BCB! I seriously floated through the entire day and took in every moment! Drew and I cannot thank BCB enough! When we think about our wedding we are in disbelief of how amazing/perfect the entire day was.

Experiencia fantástica: My husband and I worked with multiple planners at BCB but we finished off our wedding with Johnna and Jena and they WERE INCREDIBLE! We had some issues come up with our venue and they were so calm, so professional, and so on top of everything. I’ve never met ANYONE more organized than these gals, not to mention how personable they were. I felt like they really got to know us as a couple and from there were able to tell us what to prioritize. They were also SO responsive on email and/or text and were really accommodating to our busy schedules, which was so helpful and made us really enjoy the process. The single best decision we made for our wedding was working with BCB!

Experiencia fantástica: The best wedding decision we made was working with Johnna. Everyone told us to be prepared for things to go wrong day of, but they didn’t have Johnna. To say the day went off without a hitch is an understatement. From the vendor selection to the impressive timeline day-of, Johnna ensured that the we had the care-free, joy-filled day we could only dream of. Johnna cares so much about making your unique dream a reality and it shows at every point of the process. Vendors love her and go above and beyond for her because she’s doesn’t miss a thing, and does everything with a smile. I had 3 vendors come up to me during the wedding to say how much they love working with her and how helpful she was behind the scenes. To put it simply, when a wedding or an event is smooth, flowing, and without any blemishes, it feels effortless. And we can honestly say, that our whole day felt effortless because of the huge effort that Johnna made throughout the planning and the executing of our celebration.

Experiencia fantástica: Arin (Calamari) Busch was amazing to work with! She was on top of every detail and provided the best vendor recommendations! She made sure all vendor meetings were set up and we had everything done in a timely manner to not be overly stressed closer to our wedding date. The day of our wedding she was attentive and made sure everything was perfect and flawless. I can't recommend Arin and BCB enough, they were truly the perfect people to work with!