We are looking for a Chicago day-of wedding coordinator. Can you recommend a good day of wedding coordinator in Chicago?
Yes, Firmly Rooted Events specializes in day-of coordination and event management! Here are some of their reviews on Google:
“I don’t even know where to begin with this review. Rachel and her team were amazing in every way, and I would recommend them to everyone I know. I’d describe myself as a type-B procrastinator, so having a team as thoughtful, detail-oriented, and organized as Firmly Rooted was beyond helpful. They made sure we covered all our bases and truly helped create the celebration of our dreams.
They handled so many wedding “puzzle pieces” that a first-timer like me wouldn’t have thought of and had no experience with. They offered suggestions when asked, but more importantly, they took the time to help my partner and me get to the root (no pun intended!) of what we wanted our big day to feel like.
The team is thorough, punctual, knowledgeable, and incredibly professional; everything you could hope for in a coordination team. If you’re questioning the value of their services, scroll no further: they are absolutely worth every penny. You will not regret having them involved as you plan your wedding.
Wishing Firmly Rooted a phenomenal 2026 and beyond. You truly rock at what you do, and your dedication to your craft is evident in every detail.”
-From Kristen and Joe, married at The Arbory in Chicago
“Rachel, Phoebe, and her team were amazing to work with! We needed a wedding day of coordinator to help take some responsibility from our plate and the Firmly Rooted Events team delivered! They helped with outlining our wedding timeline, guided us through each event and provided so much advice that most couples don't even think of when it comes to wedding planning. Day of the wedding, Rachel and Phoebe were so attentive and went above and beyond to help make our day special. We can't thank them enough for everything and we hope that anyone considering contracting Firmly Rooted Events, reads this post and is convinced this is the dream team to hire!”
-From Aldair and Patrick, married at South Shore Cultural Center in Chicago
“We weren’t planning to hire a coordinator, but once we got into wedding planning, we quickly realized how many questions we had and how helpful it would be to have professional guidance. I met Rachel at a wedding expo at our venue, and felt we instantly hit it off. After our phone consultation, I knew she was the perfect fit. She was so friendly, warm, and genuinely invested in making our day go smoothly. Rachel was super responsive to all my questions and a huge help in creating our timeline. Her resource guides were super informative and led us to hiring an amazing florist. She ran our rehearsal efficiently and made sure everyone knew exactly what to do. On the wedding day, she was absolutely incredible. It was such a relief not to have to worry about the details or logistics. Having her handle cleanup and pack everything up for us was an absolute lifesaver, especially since my husband and I were totally exhausted by the end of the night. As a wonderful surprise, she also took candid photos and videos during the day and sent them to us afterward, this was such a thoughtful touch! I love having those candid moments to look at while we wait for our professional photos and video. Highly, highly recommend hiring Rachel. She made our wedding day stress-free and seamless!”
-From Kate and Larry, married at Bolingbrook Golf Club in Bolingbrook
“Rachel and her team were easily one of the best parts of our wedding day! She set up all of our DIY decor, packed it up while we were still partying, and had it all ready to go for us to leave with! She is so professional, sweet, and experienced beyond her years! It was so nice to have her for more than even just on the wedding day being that she was there for our final walk-through, for a timeline meeting, and at the rehearsal! It truly felt like we had a friend looking out for us the whole day, which felt so good! You need Rachel on your wedding day!”
-From Kaitlyn and Will, married at Company 251 in Aurora
“Firmly Rooted Events was truly one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. From the very beginning, Rachel was incredibly organized, thoughtful, and attentive during the planning process. Her communication and attention to detail gave us so much peace of mind and made everything feel manageable and well-supported.
On our wedding day, Claire and Jazz were nothing short of amazing, even in the middle of a Chicago snowstorm! They went above and beyond to make sure our vision came to life exactly as we had dreamed, and they did it with warmth, kindness, and so much joy.
We felt so cared for every step of the way. We cannot recommend Firmly Rooted Events highly enough and are endlessly grateful for Rachel, Claire, and Jazz for making our wedding day so magical.”
-From Hayley and Spencer, married at The Rookery in Chicago
“Rachel, Claire, and Jazz went above and beyond for my daughter and her fiancé before and throughout their wedding day! From mapping out the timeline, communicating with vendors, following up on details, handling problems calmly and with good humor they made sure that Hayley and Spencer's special day--albeit snowy--was magical! ~Jennifer Reynolds Mother-of-the-Bride”
-From Hayley’s mom, at The Rookery in Chicago
Is a wedding coordinator worth it?
We surely think it’s worth it to have a wedding coordinator so you can actually have a stress-free wedding day! Here are some testimonials from Firmly Rooted Events’ couples that thought it was worth it too:
“FRE was my husband and I's number 1 thing we would do again and again! It is also our number 1 thing we would recommend to others. Rachel was our main point of contact throughout the planning process. She was extremely detailed from the beginning. From our initial call she asked excellent questions and made sure to capture what was important to me and husband vs what other people may want. She crafted an amazing timeline, lead our rehearsal, and ensured everyone felt comfortable with their duties for the day of. For the wedding day, Rachel & her entourage were nothing but professional. They set our smaller decor items up perfectly with little direction as I was overwhelmed. They kept everyone on time. Rachel also took photos & video (to my surprise as we did not have a videographer). This was very special to have and I was so grateful to receive after the wedding. She captured things I wasn't able to see on the wedding day that I had spent time planning ahead of time (table settings & flower arrangements, memory table, dessert table). I could not recommend FRE more. Start to finish they were organized, detailed, friendly, responsive, respectful, easy to work with. They truly made our wedding day memorable and run so smoothly!”
-From Rachel and Dylan, married at Lacuna Lofts in Chicago
“Rachel and her team at Firmly Rooted Events were amazing for our Fall 2025 wedding! They helped so much in making it the day of our dreams. Rachel built and revised our entire timeline, handled vendor communications, and lead the venue walk-through which helped smooth over so many potential challenges ahead of the big day. She lead the rehearsal with our wedding party and helped make sure everyone knew any key information they needed and were where they needed to be. Rachel also offered to review our contracts in the months leading up to the wedding, and was so helpful answering any questions we had which made us feel so well covered in the overwhelming process of planning a wedding. On the big day Rachel and team did a phenomenal job setting up and breaking down all our decor items so our loved ones could be fully present, and were so lovely to work with troubleshooting any challenges.
We are so grateful that our close friend recommended the Firmly Rooted Events team to us and we cannot imagine our day their efforts!!”
-From Fionna and Brendan, married at Lacuna Lofts in Chicago
“Rachel and her team exceeded every expectation we had for day-of wedding coordination, because they did SO much more than that. Starting months out from the wedding, they kept us on track during the arduous planning process, and consistently reached out to give us tips, resources, and support. They executed our lofty vision with grace and expertise. Despite a few mishaps and stressful moments, Rachel was able to think on her feet, pivot, and made sure our experience was still fantastic. Thank you all so much for being kind, calm, and organized. It's exactly what we needed for our big day!”
-From Sarah and Callen, married at Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago
“Rachel and her team at Firmly Rooted Events were essential to making our wedding so incredible! She is extremely knowledgeable and made our lives significantly easier. Not only did she help with finding the best vendors (and as someone with decision fatigue, this was huge), she helped make everything work within our budget, and was so helpful and prompt with all of the questions we had. On our wedding day, she and her fellow coordinator, Jazz, made sure everything ran smoothly. They made sure I had my reception shows on time, that we had something to eat as soon as the reception was done, and even helped fix our signature drink quickly when we realized we gave our bar tenders the wrong recipe. Our wedding day was amazing and we credit Rachel and Firmly Rooted Events for allowing us to take it all in while they took care of the details. We highly recommend working with Firmly Rooted Events for your wedding day!”
-From Rachel and Josh, married at Wildman BT in Chicago
“I used Rachel at Firmly Rooted Events to coordinate my wedding. Hiring a wedding coordinator was one of the best things I did while planning my wedding to ease stress. Before the wedding, she helped me review vendor contracts, stay on top of deadlines, create a timeline, provide advice, answer questions, and more. She helped me plan and prepare for things that I would not have thought about otherwise. The day of the wedding was seamless and it was awesome to not have to worry about any details so I could be in the moment. I am SO thankful and grateful for her help. 10/10 recommend!!!”
-From Emma and Connor, married at Salvage One in Chicago
“Rachel and her team were so helpful as coordinators! They were very responsive with any questions or proposed timeline changes we asked about. Jazz was our lead coordinator and she kept the night running so smoothly! The also sent us some pictures and videos they had taken throughout the day, which was so nice to receive the day after our wedding!”
-From Therese and Paul, married at Salvage One in Chicago
Do I really need a day-of coordinator if my venue has a coordinator?
Yes - your venue coordinator typically will focus more on the venue, whereas hiring a coordinator like Firmly Rooted Events actually focuses on you. Here are of our reviews from couples that felt it was worth hiring us as a wedding coordinator:
“Rachel and her team were absolutely amazing to work with! From the very start of the planning process, Rachel was incredibly reliable, communicative, and always willing to answer questions or offer helpful advice. She made everything feel so much more manageable and stress-free.
On the wedding day itself, it was clear that things would not have run nearly as smoothly without Rachel and Tori. They created a timeline that prioritized what we wanted and stayed calm and solution-focused, even when the unexpected happened.
For example, when one of our vases broke during photos before the ceremony even started, Tori rushed to the store to replace it without hesitation, making sure everything looked perfect before guests arrived. And when I realized I had forgotten to put on my veil just minutes before walking down the aisle, Rachel found it and brought it to me in no time at all.
They were thoughtful, responsive, and truly on top of everything. We felt so supported every step of the way and genuinely couldn’t have asked for a better team. If you're looking for someone who will go above and beyond for your wedding, Rachel and her team are it!”
-From Brigid and Zach, married at The Crawford in Naperville
“We recently got married and had the pleasure of working with Rachel and her incredible team at Firmly Rooted Events. From the very beginning, we knew we were in good hands. We met with a few coordinators, but Rachel stood out immediately. She was down to earth, approachable, and answered all of our questions from day one, making us feel comfortable and confident in our choice.
Over the holidays, we received a thoughtful thank you note from Rachel, expressing her gratitude for choosing her business. This small gesture reaffirmed that we had made the right decision. Rachel's attention to detail and genuine care for her clients were evident from the start.
Leading up to the big day, Rachel was always available to answer any questions we had, easing our minds and ensuring everything was on track. She reassured us that our only job was to show up, get married, and have fun – and that's exactly what we did. On the day of our wedding, everything ran smoothly, thanks to Rachel and her team. I remember sitting at dinner with my husband, marveling at how everything seemed to happen seamlessly, without us having to worry about a thing. We both laughed, realizing that this was precisely the point – Rachel was behind the scenes, making it all happen.
It rained all day on our wedding, and without us even asking, Rachel brought clear umbrellas for us! It was such a nice surprise, and they resulted in some of our favorite pictures from the day. Rachel also surprised us with videos from our wedding the day after. They were so fun to watch as we embarked on our honeymoon and relived the night.
We are incredibly grateful for all of Rachel and her team's hard work in making our dream wedding a reality. Their dedication allowed us to fully enjoy our special day without a single worry. If you're considering hiring a wedding coordinator, don't hesitate to choose Rachel and her team at Firmly Rooted Events. They are honest, kind, and will make your wedding day truly unforgettable.”
-From Jess and Matt, married at JW Marriott in Chicago
“I highly recommend Rachel and the team at Firmly Rooted Events! From the very beginning, they were incredibly organized and thoughtful, helping guide us through everything. Rachel also played a key role in coordinating with all of our vendors leading up to the wedding, which took so much stress off our plates.
On the day of our wedding, Rachel and Jazz worked behind the scenes to make sure everything was perfect. They helped with setup and made sure every detail was in place before guests arrived. Their support allowed us to be fully present and soak in every moment. We’re so grateful to have had them by our side and can’t recommend them enough!”
-From Rachel and Matt, married at Morgan’s on Fulton in Chicago
“We really enjoyed working with Rachel! It was so nice not having to worry about anything on the day of the wedding because we knew Rachel and her assistant Jazz had it covered! Hiring Rachel really took the work away from us/our moms/other family members - everyone was truly able to enjoy themselves the morning of and throughout the day. Rachel is very organized and didn't miss a single detail when preparing the timeline for our wedding day. She is also so kind and easy to work with. You can really feel the passion she has for her business and we were very impressed with her communication throughout the whole process! Even before the wedding day, it was helpful having her at the final walkthrough a few weeks before the wedding - from there she took over vendor communication so I did not feel stressed about any details the weeks leading up to the wedding. It was also helpful to have Rachel at our rehearsal to coordinate the processional and go over last minute items for the next day. If you are looking for a day of coordinator, I highly recommend Firmly Rooted Events! Hiring Rachel ensured we were able to enjoy our wedding day.”
-From Caroline and Tyler, married at Hyatt Lodge in Oak Brook
“Rachel and team were fantastic partners to work with for our wedding. We used their day-of services, but they were a constant support from the moment we signed our contract. They made us feel so secure as we navigated wedding planning and supplied dozens of resources and tips to help us execute our vision. On the day, it was amazing to see what the team pulled off at the venue once we arrived. They kept us on schedule all night and handled the small stuff which allowed us to fully enjoy our event. I recommend that everyone hire a day of planner for their wedding, especially the team at Firmly Rooted!”
-From Hayley and Henry, married at Goose Island Barrel House in Chicago
“If you are looking for an amazing day-of-coordinator or wedding planner, look no further! Rachel and her team are truly amazing. From our initial phone call, to the wedding day - I felt incredibly supported by this team. Even though we only booked day-of coordination, Rachel is available for questions and help every step of the way. All team members I worked with were extremely communicative and provided quick responses. You can tell they strive to provide above and beyond service, and they certainly succeed at this! Our wedding day was seamless, and our day-of team was on top of every little detail. If there were any issues, I was not aware of them. I can't imagine our wedding without the Firmly Rooted Events team. I truly credit them as being a very big reason as to why our day turned out so perfect!”
-From Lexi and Lukas, married at Morgan’s on Fulton in Chicago
What happens if I don’t hire a day-of wedding coordinator?
If you don’t have a wedding coordinator on your wedding day like Firmly Rooted Events, you can expect to be answering millions of questions, trying to sort out problems, and having your other vendors try to coordinate and have to detract from their jobs like taking photos or DJing. You also can expect your family and friends to have to take on the job themselves and not have a chance to celebrate you. Here are some couples that were relieved that we helped them out with their wedding planning and wrote lovely reviews about us:
“Working with Rachel and Firmly Rooted Events was one of the best (if not the best) decisions that we made. Although we hired Rachel for Day-of Coordination, she was with us throughout our entire planning process. Rachel reviewed ALL of our proposed contracts with vendors – venue, caterer, hotel, florist, DJ, transportation – catching little details that we would have missed and raising questions we didn’t think to ask. She provided suggestions on vendors and answered any questions we had at any point in the process. A few weeks before our wedding, we had a call with Rachel to co-create an extremely detailed and thorough timeline for the day of the wedding. This timeline alone was well worth the cost of hiring Rachel/FRE! It wasn’t so much about following the timeline to the minute; simply having the timeline gave us so much peace of mind and allowed us to go into our wedding day knowing that we’d thought through all the important logistical/timing aspects and had a plan – a rock-solid one – for the day’s events. Come rehearsal and wedding day, Rachel and her team were on top of everything and helped put all the final pieces into place, working seamlessly with all of our other vendors. (Rachel, by the way, also contacted each of our vendors in the weeks leading up to the wedding and made sure they had copies of our timeline.) Rachel also provided a host of other resources that helped at various stages – a budget template, a tipping guide for vendors, suggestions for an emergency kit for any day-of issues, a last-minute checklist. On top of all this, Rachel is a joy to work with personally. She’s kind, patient, warm and smart and has great planning instincts. We truly cannot recommend Rachel enough. Hire her! You won’t be disappointed.”
-From Annie and Alex, married at Columbus Park Refectory in Chicago
“Rachel was truly such a gem to work with! She is a “you-first” planner/coordinator who leads with patience and kindness. I have experience working in the wedding industry and still found Rachel’s advice and gentle suggestions so helpful throughout my planning process. She remembers things that your brain unintentionally forgets, and she’s able to adapt when things change or don't go as planned (which happened a lot for me). On the day of the wedding, everything went off without a hitch thanks to Rachel and her team. She took great care of my husband and I. I cannot recommend her enough! If you’re looking for a planner who trusts your vision and has the grit to get ish done - Rachel is the one for you!!!”
-From Sydni and Jalen, married at Artifact Events in Chicago
“I had the pleasure of working with Rachel (owner) and Tori (a lead coordinator). Both were very professional and easy to work with. They made communication a priority before and during the day of. They assisted with the final walk through, timeline, and keep everyone/everything on schedule. ON my wedding day Tori actually kept us ahead of schedule to ensure we had more open dancing time, something she knew was very important to me. I would high recommend Firmly Rooted events to anyone looking for seamless help on their big day!!”
-From Michelle and Connor, married at LM Studio in Chicago
“Rachel and her team were incredible! She was so helpful and responsive throughout the entire process, and made our wedding day go by without a hitch! Could not recommend her enough, thank you so much Rachel for all your help!”
-From Ashley and Lee, married at Cantigny Park in Wheaton
“Out of all the decisions that have to be made for a wedding, working with Rachel as our day-of coordinator was easily one of the best ones we could have made. We joked that we wanted to get married again exclusively to just work with Rachel again, and that thought still sounds like an absolute dream.
Of course, she made our big day a dream, too. She went above and beyond since the moment we signed our contract months before - immediately emailing us detailed notes after reading through each and every one of our contracts (we didn’t even read them as closely as she did!), introducing us to her perfect dog during our initial virtual meeting, staying in constant communication with tips, advice, and just general cheerleading as we worked to plan this crazy big event.
As we got closer to the event, Rachel, who was already doing way more than we thought a day-of coordinator would ever do, did that much more. We spoke for over 2 hours as she worked through our timeline with us practically to the minute, and revised, revised, revised so patiently when we kept throwing new thoughts and ideas out there.
Day of, we were reminded just how lucky we were to have connected. She was everywhere! Ensuring our room flip was perfect, getting us some time to decompress after our ceremony with our signature drinks and appetizers, introducing herself to our families, and running our ceremony effortlessly as she had during our rehearsal. She was ready for it all: me wanting to change into converse but forgetting socks? Don’t worry, she had brand new socks in her car. Spill on the dance floor? Don’t worry, she had found maintenance and had it cleaned within minutes. And every bride’s personal favorite: the wedding dress bustle that broke not once, not twice, not three times, but four times? Don’t worry, Rachel’s handiwork with some safety pins is unmatched as the main bustle strings just didn’t want to hold.
On top of all of this, Rachel sent us so many behind-the-scenes videos and pictures after the event, flooding our phones with captured joy we got to cherish all over again the next day.
Rachel is so grounded, so kind, so unbelievably patient and easygoing - include her in your day and it will sparkle..”
-From Nikki and Kevin, married at Lacuna Lofts in Chicago
“Rachel and her team were absolutely amazing to work with!!! They created a timeline for us and coordinated everything with our vendors, as well as look over all of our vendor contracts to make sure that we weren’t missing any important deadlines. Rachel was super responsive, and always willing to answer any questions that we had. We super appreciated that we could have open communication with them for a couple months before our big day, and that it wasn’t limited to the month of or few weeks before. They also created a few checklists for us, to make sure that we weren’t forgetting anything. If a planner or coordinator isn’t in your budget, absolutely 100% recommend finding a way to make it work. Totally worth the money!!”
-From Sara and Chris, married at Salvage One in Chicago
“Hiring Rachel as my coordinator was the best money I spent on the wedding! I was iffy on whether I needed a coordinator for the wedding and oh my god was I wrong. Rachel did everything from run the rehearsal, set up my welcome sign and guest book, make sure the wedding party was on time, coordinate with all the vendors, and so much more! She created the entire days timeline which was so helpful. The day went so smoothly because of Rachel and her team! I can’t recommend Firmly Rooted enough!”
-From Sydney and Macintosh, married at Galleria Marchetti in Chicago
Why is a day-of wedding coordinator so expensive?
What most people don’t realize is that a day-of coordinator doesn’t just show up on the wedding day. For us to be able to do the best on your wedding day, we need to have pre-wedding meetings, coordination with your vendors, and a list of your decor before the actual day has even arrived. Here are some couples that were really thankful to have us for more than the actual wedding day:
“Rachel and her team at Firmly Rooted Events were absolutely phenomenal as a day of/month of wedding coordinator. She is so organized and detail oriented. She sent over checklists, helpful personally written blog posts and coordinated with allll of my vendors that I had previously engaged with-to make sure everyone was on the same page for wedding day. She always had ideas or insight to questions I had about timelines, decorations, wedding vendors etc…. Rachel is so personable and truly has each bride and groom’s wishes and best interest at heart. The day of the wedding she even brought my husband and I plates of food to make sure we ate the night of our wedding. My event space coordinator was changed three weeks before my wedding and I knew things would run smoothly at my wedding because of Rachel. If you’re looking for a kind, knowledgeable, organized event planner who will make your Chicago wedding day go seamlessly-hire Rachel!”
-From Nikki and Matt, married at Morgan’s on Fulton in Chicago
“Working with Rachel was a fantastic experience from start to finish throughout our wedding planning process. From our first meeting to the wedding day, Rachel’s timeliness, responsiveness, clear communication & reminders made our wedding planning process go incredibly smooth. We appreciated her check in calls and follow up between calls during the months leading up to the wedding- keeping us on task and prepared. I trusted her implicitly and was incredibly relieved by her initiative to reach out to all vendors and points of contact weeks before the wedding to finalize all details, timelines and remaining questions. It was a huge burden off of our plates and something that made the month leading up to the wedding seamless. Rachel also did a fantastic job the day of our wedding; from set up, keeping everything running smoothly, ensuring everyone was where they needed to be to take down, it made our day run perfect. She was incredibly kind, professional, went above and beyond for us, and was fantastic to work with. We loved her so much we have had three family weddings now use her (and would recommend her as a necessity for all family & friend weddings!). I would highly recommend Rachel for wedding coordinator or day of coordinator to make your day perfect.”
-From Danielle and Bob, married at Harry Caray’s in Lombard
“We couldn't have been more thrilled with Rachel and her assistant, Jennifer! We booked Rachel about a year out from our wedding date and has always been responsive to any questions we have, checked-in often, and really gave us ease to our concerns. On the day of our wedding, from the moment they arrived, they took charge of every detail, allowing us to fully enjoy our special day without any stress. Their professionalism, attention to detail, and calm demeanor ensured everything ran smoothly. Our wedding was seamless, thanks to their meticulous planning and execution. We highly recommend their services to any couple looking to have a flawless wedding day!”
-From Rachel and Galo, married at Lacuna Lofts in Chicago
“Rachel was our ally throughout the wedding planning process! We found her extremely organized, fantastic at interfacing with vendors, and patient with us when we were being indecisive. During the planning process, we really appreciated her constant reminders and clear communication. Rachel would send check in’s in between our scheduled calls, or just general tips for wedding planning. Her vendor recommendations were also very insightful. Rachel was also crucial with coordinating the day-of timeline with our vendors. She is so positive, practical, and easy to work with! To say Rachel went above and beyond is an understatement. Rachel even helped one of my friends pin up a dress strap that had broken during the late night dancing. Rachel also surprised us with videos from our wedding the day after. They were so fun to watch as we embarked on our honeymoon! I highly recommend Rachel for any future wedding! I cannot imagine our day without Rachel in it. She was a crucial part in making the whole day run so smoothly.”
-From Michelle and Patrick, married at The Rookery in Chicago
“Rachel and the rest of the team did such an amazing job with our wedding! From the beginning, it felt like we had a partner to help bring our day to life. Leading up to the event, she made sure all of our vendors were aligned and that everyone was executing against the same plan. She also had a lot of great resources to reference and was a good person to bounce ideas off of. The day-of execution went flawlessly and we could not have asked for a smoother event. In fact, we received multiple compliments about how well-run everything was. So glad that we made the decision to have Rachel and the team run point for our wedding day!”
-From Jason and Drew, married at Ovation in Chicago
“We loved working with Rachel! She was extremely organized and anticipated our needs to create a perfect wedding day for us! Every detail was expertly planned from the timeline creation and contract reviews to vendor coordination and communication. Rachel truly went above and beyond for us - when the bar was running short on alcohol, she ran to a store to restock (all without concerning the bride or groom and maintaining our timeline!) You need Firmly Rooted Events for your wedding!!”
-From Brigid and Jack, married at Lacuna Lofts in Chicago
“Rachel and her company were an invaluable resource leading up to and on our wedding day! The information and resources she sent us ahead of time were very helpful, as was her input on the various vendor contracts we signed. Her experience shone through in her organization and the details she thought of that weren’t even on our radar. She reminded us to have a plan for breakfast day of during getting ready, was at our ceremony rehearsal walk-through (which I wasn’t expecting, but it would have been much less useful and helpful without her there to ask the right questions!), and coordinated to make sure our schedule was sent out to all our vendors. The morning of the wedding was more of a whirlwind than I was expecting, but when I arrived to our reception, all the décor was set up exactly how I envisioned, thanks to Rachel and her assistant. There are countless examples of how she worked in the background to make sure everything ran smoothly, many of which I didn’t even find out about until after the wedding because of how she just got them done! To list a few: I didn’t realize our cake stand didn’t come preassembled, and she had a screwdriver on hand to assemble it; she noticed that the sun was shining in our eyes at our head table during speeches and subtly asked the venue to put the blinds down; she made an in-the-moment assessment and recommended that we reorganize our schedule slightly to do cake cutting before dancing (which ended up being a great call). I am so thankful that we hired her as it helped relieve so much stress day of from both me and my family, and I would strongly recommend Firmly Rooted Events to anyone looking for a day-of coordinator (or anyone undecided about whether they need one!)”
-From Amelia and Kalash, married at University of Chicago
“Rachel went above and beyond to really make sure we had the best and smoothest wedding day possible. Our entire wedding weekend, from the rehearsal to the reception, went absolutely flawlessly and was all thanks to Rachel and her incredible communication skills. We went into wedding planning thinking that we could do most of it ourselves but quickly learned that we were in over our heads, and Rachel came in and really stepped up to the plate. She provided constant communication from day 1 with not only us, but she also made sure all of our vendors were all on the same page as well. We never had to ask her to do anything - she was always once step ahead of us and took the initiative to make sure all the vendors were contacted and informed all the way from the start of planning up to execution. We had not a single issue the entire weekend and are still so incredibly thankful for Rachel making that happen. We will be highly recommending Rachel and her team to all of our friends and family in need of wedding services - she really was so incredibly professional, very timely and always early to our meetings, extremely personable and genuinely invested in making sure our day went exactly as we wanted it to. We have nothing but positive things to say about working with Rachel and the Firmly Rooted team!”
-From Taylor and Erik, married at Greenhouse Loft in Chicago
List the best day-of wedding coordinators in Chicago
We think that Firmly Rooted Events provides an excellent service as we specialize in day-of coordination. Here are some testimonials from couples that loved working with us:
“Rachel was incredible to work with! She is organized and detail-oriented, making the wedding day go as smoothly as possible. I felt like I was truly able to be present and enjoy my wedding day with Rachel as our day-of coordinator. She had great communication every step of way, and shared helpful resources to help us stay on track with planning. I absolutely recommend working with Rachel!”
-From Molly and Tom, married at Salvage One in Chicago
“Rachel was wonderful to work with! She is detail-orientated and had great resources to help organize timelines, lists, and more. We had a long list of DIY décor and Rachel and her team set it up just as I envisioned it and it was perfect! She sent us our first dance video the next day and it was so fun being able to watch it so quickly. I would highly recommend Rachel for all your wedding needs!”
-From Carly and Matt, married at The Arbory in Chicago
“Rachel MacQueen helped us prepare and coordinate our wedding. We were very impressed at her continued leadership and thoughtfulness during the big day. Of course with any wedding reception, there are moments where change is needed and/or something is forgotten by a vendor, ourselves, etc. During these times, Rachel had approached us with a quick recommendation and plan of action. She kept us calm and focused on our wedding for the entirety of the event. If one is looking to hire an event coordinator, Rachel is definitely highly recommended in our book. You can be certain that she has YOU in mind. Her communication and guidance went a long ways.”
-From Jenissa and Christian, married at Providence Vineyard in Hebron
“Rachel was the best coordinator to work with and made our wedding day a dream come true! She was so organized and stayed in touches with our vendors to ensure the day ran flawlessly. Not only was Rachel patient, kind, and so friendly to work with, she answered all of our questions and helped in every way possible. She communicated well and made sure all of our family members were fully present on the wedding day. I highly recommend working with Rachel to make your day truly perfect.”
-From Allyson and Matt, married at Bolingbrook Golf Club in Bolingbrook
“Newlyweds April 20th, 2024❤️ We have loved Rachel ever since we discovered her at the bridal expo. We were thrilled to have her work with us. She definitely sold us, she made us feel that our dream was possible since the very first meeting! The very first thing that stood out to us about her was her vibe/personality, she is very professional but also super friendly and laid back! She doesn't feel like a vendor or a service - she feels like an old friend or family member - she is someone who is there for you and wants nothing but the best. This is what made her such a perfect fit for us, we were able to be honest with each other when it came to our expectations and wants. One of the things we loved about her was how responsive and on top of everything she was! She gave us plenty of options and she was always checking in on us and was super receptive. She went above and beyond on every single detail of the wedding. It felt like she was giving 110% to the success of our wedding and dream! It felt like our dreams were her dreams! Our wedding could not have happened without her and we were so lucky to have her with us on our amazing journey of planning the wedding and the day of. She helped with a catering mishap, we had a slight issue with some non-responsiveness but she was on top of it and even had a back up plan! She knew when to call us and let us know if we had any issues and there were so many things she took care of behind the scenes. We wanted everything to be smooth and as stress-free as possible and Rachel made that happen. She was also a huge help with making sure we were on budget, this was a stressor for us and sometimes it made things overwhelming for us but she always made sure that we stayed on budget and made sure we got the most bang for our buck. We also got to meet Claire, part of the team - she is who helped us out during our wedding rehearsal and she was an absolute gem! She was super friendly and very helpful with getting any last minute things to the venue and making sure we kept on track during the rehearsal and got everything we needed practiced! If you are like us, a couple of overthinkers and tend to over stress on every aspect of decision making and are worried about wedding planning then it will be super helpful to have someone like Rachel! She was able to slow us down and compartmentalize the details so that not everything felt overwhelming and we were still able to tackle important decisions on time. She made the wedding of our dreams possible! We would recommend her over and over again. ~Francisco and Ruth Berrios”
-From Ruth and Francisco, married at Reverly 675 in Batavia
“Rachel is the absolute best! As an event coordinator myself, having her coordinate my big day was a huge life saver. Truly no stone unturned, no small detail left behind. Very grateful for her patience and her attention to detail. Could not have had the best day ever without her!”
-From Katy and Ryan, married at Pinstripes in Northbrook
“I was so lucky to have met Rachel! We worked with Rachel for day-of coordination for our September 2023 wedding in Chicago. Rachel definitely goes above and beyond. She is so organized and made sure to keep me as organized as possible as well. Rachel provided a lot of guidance along the way so that I wouldn’t drop the ball on things. She worked very well and closely with the entire vendor team and everything truly went off without a hitch! Rachel is kind, patient, a good communicator, generally pleasant to be around, and I think those are all things that we really need for a great wedding day! Thank you Rachel!! 100/10 would recommend!”
-From Emily and Denis, married at City Hall Events in Chicago
“It was truly incredible to be able to work with Rachel! She was extremely organized and kept me in line throughout the entire planning process. Rachel was always on top of it and kept in contact with me consistently, which was so helpful. Her assistants Kim and Claire were there on the day-of and they listened to everything I had to say and executed it perfectly. Rachel & her team were amazing and one of the best investments on our big day!”
-From Madison and Austin, married at Canvas in Wheeling
“Rachel was absolutely amazing to work with. She worked closely with us throughout the entire process, and she was always extremely responsive. She made sure that our day was perfect, and her team knew exactly what they were doing, everything went off without a hitch. She was in constant contact with the venue and our vendors, and kept us posted during each step of the process. We are very grateful that we booked with Rachel and her team.”
-From Allie and Jeremy, married at Brookfield Zoo
“Rachel was the absolute best choice we made for our wedding day! She was so organized, accommodating, and helpful throughout our planning process. The day would have been chaotic if not for her and the team. Not only did she ease my mind several times, but she was so sweet and encouraging. She also got some of the best videos and pictures of our day. Highly recommend her and am so grateful she was recommended to me. I could go on endlessly. Rachael is someone who knows what they are doing, knows how to be assertive (if necessary; it was for us!) but also calm and collected. She was truly one of the biggest contributions to making our day so perfect.”
-From Meranda and Danny, married at Gold Pyramid in Wadsworth
