Reviews of You Name It Events (Event Planner)

Nicci Kocik

Leanne and you name it events made our wedding day perfect!! We got married and had our reception at Riverside Receptions October 2015 and Leanne made our entire day run so smoothly. We hired them for a "day of coordinator" but they were so much more than that! I honestly think hiring you name it events was the best decision we made!! I HIGHLY recommend Leanne and You Name It to anyone getting married and does not want to worry about a thing on their wedding day!

Matt Armstrong

Top notch! Leanne and her team are exceptional at paying attention to every detail. They create events that are exactly aligned with our vision and which are memorable. Highly recommended!

Sarah Brett

I recently hired Leanne and her team over at YNI for my January 2016 wedding. You Name It offers a wide variety of services from full wedding coordination to day of coordination. You can really customize packages to suit your needs. I had an initial consultation with Leanne back in the spring. What struck me about her is how she actually seemed to care about us as a couple and the wedding we were trying to put together. We let her know what services we really cared about and she helped us pick out a package. I was looking for a day of coordinator to set up decorations for me, help me manage the timeline of the day and mitigate a last minute crisis if necessary. When we booked YNI, since we were the first wedding on that day, we were told that Leanne would be doing our wedding. Just as a note, if you are getting married during more popular times of the year, you may have a different lead coordinator. After our initial consultation, we booked YNI for our day of coordination. After that, if I ever had any wedding questions, I was able to reach out to Leanne. About two months out, we scheduled an initial walkthrough of our wedding venue with Leanne. She pointed out a TON of things that we had forgotten about. Luckily she had us do this far enough out that we had plenty of time to figure everything out before the wedding day. About a month out, Leanne sent us paperwork to help us get organized for the day of the wedding. YNI has great templates to help you stay organized and see if you are missing any of the pieces (timeline template, vendor contacts, wedding contacts, etc). Then finally about two weeks out, we did a final details meeting and a final venue walkthrough. Throughout the entire process, I felt that Leanne and her team were very organized and knowledgeable about the wedding industry. This is my first wedding so there were a lot of random, small wedding things I had questions about and Leanne always had the answer for me. On the day of the wedding, Leanne helped us keep on track while getting ready in the morning. She made sure the wedding ceremony went smoothly. After the ceremony, Leanne and her team went over to the venue and set up all our decorations for us (and there were a lot). She also made sure that all vendors were present and accounted for. When my bustle broke during the wedding, Leanne was right there to provide a solution. At the end of the night, Leanne helped pack and load up all the decorations as well. Honestly, our wedding could not have gone any better. Leanne helped us get organized before the wedding and kept the day running smoothly. I was never bothered with anything during my wedding day and I can honestly say it was money very well spent. Hiring a day of coordinator was one of the best things that we did for our wedding and I highly recommend Leanne and the team at YNI.

Fatima Diabate

I am an anxious person by nature and knew that I would need a point-person on the day of my wedding in order to truly relax and enjoy myself. My husband and I were recently married and hired You Name It Events for their "week-of coordinating" package. Honestly, hiring You Name It was the BEST DECISION EVER. We worked with Leanne, Susan, and Jenn. Susan was our day-of coordinator and we cannot thank her enough for being the calm presence in an anxiety inducing environment. Susan and I were in contact for 3 months prior to the wedding and she reviewed all of my vendor contracts and planning documents, went over the master timeline with my husband and I to ensure good flow, and was available with tips/ideas/suggestions on things we would have never thought of. The You Name It Events online planning portal is super helpful and forces you to think about things that you should think about, but would never do so without prompting. Susan ran my rehearsal since my officiant was a friend and made me feel at ease whenever an issue came up. On the day of the wedding, Susan was right where we needed her, when we needed her there. It was so nice to be able to say "just talk to Susan about it" or "Susan will handle that" whenever something came up on our wedding day. Leanne was available to me by email and for random questions that would come up for almost 2 years before my actual wedding (we booked them pretty early on). What I love most about this team is their ability to give honest and helpful feedback about decisions being made while also respecting your autonomy as a couple to make sure your day is exactly what you want it to be. I can't stress enough how stress-free the You Name It team made everything out to be. They are well worth the money! Thanks again, Susan, Leanne, and Jenn!

S. Frydman

Worth Her Weight in Gold! People are still raving about the wedding!. We utilized her Day Of Event Services, that included everything that needed to be done one month before the wedding. Included was advice, referrals, follow-up with vendors and on-site coordination. I am the Mother of the Bride and have had party planning experience with other events that I hosted but the services that YNI, provided were exceptional, allowing me to enjoy my own daughter's wedding. Leanne was knowledgeable with protocol, assessing the amounts of food and drink correctly, and addressing needs as they were presented. She and her staff were professional throughout the entire process. Most importantly, she listened to what we wanted to do and did not insist on changing things to her liking, as other planners do. If she thought that something needed to be done another way, she let us know so that we could decide. I would definitely use her services again and recommend her services.

Brittany Andrzejewski

You Name it Events was fantastic to work with!! Leanne is great and our day-of coordinators team, which was spearheaded by Shereene, went above and beyond to make our special day seamless and enjoyable. They were fun, efficient and adaptable to accommodate all of our needs. Would recommend them to anyone!

Jeff Durante

Leanne helped make our day less stressful and everything was executed exactly how we wanted. There are a lot of things to worry about on your day, and it is VERY reassuring having someone you can trust making sure everything is getting carried out appropriately. Leanne also helped us in the preparation leading up to the day with suggestions for venues, advice, and her expert opinion, which really helped us put together the perfect wedding!

K Aschenbach

Leanne and Susan were amazing! They made my day stress free! I definitely would reccommend them!

Carolyn Pater

If you're on the fence, hire a day-of coordinator--you won't regret it! We were contemplating not hiring a day-of coordinator because all of our other vendors (reception venue, church, & DJ) were super helpful, but we are SO happy that we ended up doing it! It was so nice to be able to sit down with Susan beforehand to talk through our vision for the big day and review any details that we may have missed, and her execution day of was flawless. She was always on top of communication with us, and it was a relief having her as our main point of contact to coordinate all details with all of the other vendors, as well. We said this to her many times throughout our wedding day, but we felt instant comfort whenever Susan would appear because we knew she was on top of everything and keeping the day flowing smoothly! It was especially helpful to have her helping out since we had different locations for getting ready in the morning, then moved to the church, then photos, then finally the venue reception--while each other vendor was awesome for each of their parts and also helped keep us on track, having a day-of coordinator to act as a quarterback for all of the moving pieces was so helpful and we couldn't be more grateful for Susan and team.

Brian Houk

Thank you Leanne & You Name it Events, You have shattered and redefined my already high expectations for execution, planning and organization. I work with some who I believe to be the best in the world with at these characteristics, and you've consistently exceeded and expanded my expectations on that front. With you defining the bar of help and support in our wedding, it's safe to say that many fell well below that level and your ability to harness chaos, laziness, unwillingness to work and lack of cooperation in organizing our wedding was crucial to our most special day. From incorrect invoices to reviewing contracts, venues which weren't helpful to lost receipts, to addressing some of the most important overlooked details in planning a wedding, Leanne stepped into a wedding we thought we could organize and took control as only a true champion in this field could do. I've read that weddings are in the top ten most stressful events of your life because of the planning details, and before Leanne entered the picture, it was certainly shaping up to be the case for us. After Leanne took control, she brought professionalism, years of experience, knowledge of industry and general badassery to the table working with vendors who were great, getting things in line with vendors who weren't anywhere near great. Because of Leanne our wedding went off without a hitch, there wasn't a single second I had any concern and Leanne's attention to detail, ownership from end to end and execution is 100% to blame for my wedding being the best day of my life allowing us to focus on the people, the fun, without a worry of details or the problems that come up. My only single regret for my wedding was not bringing Leanne in from the second I got engaged. Learn from my mistakes was my recommendation to our newly engaged couple at our wedding.

Michelle Adams

I have enjoyed working with Leanne as a co-vendor for many years. She is professional, experienced and creative. Whether she is representing a client or working on a styled shoot, she is always organized and detail-oriented. She cares deeply about her work and her clients, as well as her co-vendors. I look forward to working with her on many more projects!

Sabrina Tredup

Working with Leanne and her team was the best decision I made when it came to planning my wedding. My husband at first didn't quite understand why we needed a wedding planner, but now he is the first one to tell all of our friends that it was worth it! He was her biggest fan and she helped with way more then I ever thought I needed help with. From finding vendors, to corresponding to emails the week of my wedding because I was sick, to making sure she knew family members names, and bustling my dress. She was a jack of all trades on the wedding day and because of her there were absolutely no bumps in the road. Leanne is amazing at what she does and I couldn't be more grateful for everything she did for us to make sure my day was picture perfect!

Keith Sargent

Working with YNI events was one of the best decisions we made regarding our Oct 8th nuptials. As we began the planning we knew we wanted a wedding that was unique to us and didn’t want to spend money on traditional wedding elements that didn’t mean anything to us. From the beginning Leanne helped to direct our thinking allowing us focus our time and money on things what would help us create our vision. We selected the “Day- of” package, but corresponded with Leanne several times on things we couldn’t possibly have known on our own since we aren’t in the industry. Our wedding was a DYI event and my husband and I put in countless hours to ensure every detail would be ready leading into the day. On the day of the wedding, Leanne’s team took over and her staff of 3 stayed there the full time ensuring every detail was perfect. After the event we were able to head out and meet friends for the after party instead of worrying about clean-up. Our budget was small and at first we were nervous about the extra cost of a wedding coordinator but looking back I don’t think we could have executed such a perfect day without the extra help from YNI.

Shereene Manimala

Leanne was so great to work with for my destination Indian wedding. Her and Susan came down to New Orleans from the beginning of the wedding weekend and made me feel so calm through out the process. I felt like everything was under control and had peace of mind that all of my hard work planning would be taken care of. Hiring You Name It will be the best investment for your event so you can truly enjoy it and know that everything will go smooth!

Nick Faldstein

I’ve had the pleasure of working (videographer) along side Leanne and Susan on a handful of weddings. Every experience was spectacular! Both Leanne and Susan help guide the day with ease. Haveing a planner/coordinator on the day of a wedding is a GAME CHANGER. They make sure everything’s running on time and that every vendor is on the same page as far as timeline goes. Best investment on your wedding day. Period.

Kelsey Calhoun

Where do I begin with how much Leanne contributed to our wedding day being the best day of our lives? I got engaged in PA school and was planning my wedding from a different state and simultaneously the groom was in grad school in a different state. My parents were wonderfully helpful and involved, but from day one we knew we needed a wedding planner to help us coordinate everything. I will never forget my first meeting with Leanne (on a short week break from PA school) where I literally just balled in Leanne's office being completely overwhelmed by the whole process. She held my hand through every step of the process though and made planning a wedding from afar so much simpler. The day of the wedding, Leanne felt like a member of our family and she helped to ameliorate a few major issues that occurred due to other vendors mistakes on the day of our wedding. She and her two assistants were flawless with their execution and did a phenomenal job. The week of the wedding they took care of everything and I didn't have to lift a finger. I am thrilled that me, my groom, and my parents could just relax and enjoy that momentous time without worrying about the details. I am now, after the wedding, happy to call Leanne a dear friend. Future brides, do you and your families an incredible favor and hire leanne. There simply is no one better in Chicago!

Jami Nakamura Lin

Leanne of You Name It Events coordinated my wedding last year and she was a literal lifesaver. Since we were on a budget, we didn't think we could afford a wedding planner, but reached out to Leanne anyway because of a recommendation from our venue. She created a specific package that fit our budget-- we didn't do a full-blown planner, but we met several times before the wedding and then she coordinated the weekend itself. She was prompt, thoughtful, kind, and so, so organized. We were DIYing our whole wedding and if it weren't for her nothing would have come together. If you're a DIY-er, I heavily recommend using her for your coordination! It takes off so much stress. She even looked at my Pinterest boards and gave me suggestions when I had too many ideas. She did everything-- answered emails for me, coordinated with all our different vendors, and also held my hand when I was too anxious. I cannot recommend her highly enough. Worth every penny.

Josh Thompson

My wife and I got married November 2nd, and Sarah and Leanne at You Name It were fantastic to work with. They were especially good on the day of - they handled everything we threw at them with ease, kept our tea ceremony and wedding running smoothly the entire day, and really fit the definition of the word awesome. I wouldn't hesitate to choose them again.

Rachel Bentley

My personality isn’t type A, it is type triple A. Thank goodness for Leanne and YNIE! I was able to thoroughly enjoy our entire day knowing they were our air traffic controllers. It’s clear Leanne and team can work with anyone and everyone as they are rockstar team players. She drives accountability across all vendors, which is so important for a successful event and a complicated dance to achieve. I might ask Leanne to come to my work to share her knowledge on expectations management. YNIE gets you organized quickly with their easy-to-use portal. You up front understand the details that NO ONE TELLS YOU ABOUT that you’ll need to think through with your partner and family. These materials can be distributed to all vendors and really helps you get organized during your wedding planning process. Thank you thank you thank you! I can’t recommend Leanne and her team enough.

Jenna Kroll

Leanne was the best decision we made for our wedding day. We got married downtown Chicago at a venue that had to have everything brought in day of (plates, silverware, glasses etc.) and broken down and taken out that night. I started researching wedding planners and everyone pointed me to Name It Events. On my discovery call with Leanne i knew right away I wanted to book her. She was so nice and super knowledgeable. I booked her immediately. Over the course of the year Leanne was very responsive to my questions over email and always willing to jump on a quick call. We had a few meetings leading up to the wedding to make sure we were organized and ready to go day of. When the wedding day came Leanne and her team blew my expectations out of the water. I don’t think we could have done it without her. I highly recommend her to anyone looking!

Christina Cartwright

Some people told me that hiring a wedding coordinator is unnecessary and a waste of money but I would completely disagree especially after working with You Name It Events for our wedding. My husband and I chose the partial planning package since we had most of our vendors already hired. Our biggest concern was our timeline and making sure everything went smoothly on our wedding day. Leanne and her team went above and beyond our expectations. We literally did not have to worry about a single thing. Our day was almost completely stress free. I have to say almost because what wedding does not have at least a little bit of drama? Our wedding cake almost ended up on the dance floor because the cable of the floating cake stand snapped but Leanne and her team were still able to display our cake beautifully. We also did a Korean tea ceremony during our cocktail hour, which Leanne and her team did not have any experience with until our wedding. You would have never guessed that was the case. Leanne is really thorough and organized. There were things and questions that she thought of for our day that I did not even think about. The day was so well planned between Leanne and I that we actually ended up being ahead of schedule all day! Everything turned out better than I expected. It was also so nice to have my vendors go to her if they had any questions about schedule or where things needed to placed or any damage control that needed to be handled which allowed my now husband and I to enjoy our special day. You Name It Events was worth every penny and more! I highly recommend them to assist you with planning and coordinating your big special day. You will absolutely not regret it!

Bern Bertsche

Our garden party was so well prepared that even the rain shower didn't hamper the event. Everything was thought of and done well.

Samantha Niemiera

Leanne and her team were wonderful to work with, honestly could not have done it without her! Thank you for helping make our big day perfect! Highly recommend!!!

Hilary Felton

Working with You Name it Events was the single best decision I made in wedding planning! There is a reason everyone tells you to get a DOC. Find the money in your budget, you will not regret it. Seriously. I worked with Sherenne and Jenn on the day of my wedding. They were professional, organized and lots of fun to work with. It allowed me to enjoy the wedding day so much more knowing they were handling all of the details big and small. I worked with Leanne, the owner, during the early planning stages and was so impressed with her dedication and genuine excitement over her client’s plans.

Alison B

We worked with Leanne to coordinate our recent wedding, and we couldn't have been happier with our experience. She was always available to answer questions, give advice and calm nerves! I especially appreciated her sound advice about vendors and the fact that on the big day, I could just relax and enjoy, knowing she and her associate Kristy had everything under control. Peace of mind is priceless! I highly recommend Leanne and You Name it Events to anyone!

Doug Maley

Leanne and Susan from You Name It Events in Geneva, IL provided exceptional attention to detail and a personal touch during the planning and supporting of our son and daughter-in-law’s wedding on May 11. We of course, thought we had everything outlined and ready to go with the events for this day. However, after meeting with Leanne/Susan, we quickly realized their experience and deep commitment did create that personal service and was emphasized on the day of the wedding. They were professional, but also politely direct when necessary, in their approach with the bridal party and parents, during the rehearsal at the church/day of wedding and with all transportation details to the reception. When asked to do the little things, which kept us focused on enjoying the moment, they didn’t hesitate to complete any given task. We highly recommend using You Name It Events and utilize their portal to keep all plans streamlined and on schedule.

Kristin Walsh

We are so glad that we used You Name It Events for our wedding planner and couldn't have been happier with them. We were able to meet Leanne before the wedding to outline the events of the day and go through all of the details. She was extremely thorough and detailed and thought of things that we hadn't even realized that we needed to consider. Leanne helped to coordinate with all of our vendors and ensure that the entire day ran smoothly. She took care of so many of the little things you don't think of, like bringing our card holder and guestbook to our room at the end of the night. She was professional and fun to work with and having her allowed us to enjoy our day and not have to worry about anything!

Lauren Schroeder

In the time leading up to our wedding, I had no doubt that everything was going to be perfect after meeting with Leanne. As someone who works in the wedding industry I had so many people ask why I hired a day of coordinator and designer and after her seeing Leanne and her team in action they all knew why! She helped with the design for the day and really pulled all of my ideas and Pinterest boards together so that everything was cohesive and beautiful! She even designed our invitations, seating chart, and other paper goods. If you are thinking about hiring You Name It Events as a planner or day of coordinator I strongly recommend that you do! We could not have been happier with how everything turned out!

Kerry Burnet

We used You Name It Events as "Week of Wedding" coordinators for our wedding in downtown Chicago. The day of the rehearsal and wedding, they took over all of the organization and double checked everything. They coordinated and confirmed details and deliveries with our vendors to be sure everything ran smoothly. They truly made it so that we did not have to worry about anything on the day of our wedding, just enjoy it. We would HIGHLY recommend using them for your wedding needs!

Katherine Tan

My sister just got married 2 days ago. None of the guests knew we had an event coordinator! Very unprofessional! Came in the hotel that morning 1 hour late than agreed time, dressed as if she just got out of bed, got ready in OUR hotel room and sat and waited for someone to tell her what to do. She could have been checking the groom's side of the room if she didn't want to walk around and find where she could be useful in the bride's room. Even our guests said Leanne Valdes & 2 girls in sundresses and flip flops were NOT friendly towards our guests! the 2 other girls sat & ate for most of the night during the reception! Everytime Leanne is confronted, she becomes defensive & gives us (including myself!) an attitude! Being that it was my sister's wedding, I did not want to ruin the night by making a scene so I kept quiet. When our cousin who is a PROFESSIONAL international photographer confronted her, Leanne went up to my sister to complain about it! WHAT KIND OF WEDDING COORDINATOR BRINGS PROBLEMS UP TO THE BRIDE?!? There are more than 10 things we have in our list that makes this company a joke but I can't fit it all here! WE HAVE NEVER BEEN SO DISGUSTED!! And yet through all this, all our attempts of writing an HONEST review about, what I feel is scam of a company, are being denied & deleted! I TRULY HOPE THEY DON'T ROB OTHER BRIDES OF THEIR MONEY BY GIVING THEM THE WORST SERVICES EVER! This is an honest review from an appalled sister of the client.

Blair Alexander

Leanne and her team are the whole package - they take the time to understand what you want, they have all the contacts necessary to get all the pieces in place, their suggested vendors were all excellent, and they are cheerfully flexible at every step of the process. We would never look elsewhere for an event planner!

Kelley Nelson

We lucked out with a lot of great vendors for my daughter’s recent wedding, but choosing Leanne at You Name It Events was probably our best decision. As COVID raged on during the engagement year and our stress levels were off the charts, we realized that we needed help as the details kept changing but we didn’t want to change the wedding date. We pulled in Leanne a few months before the wedding and her day-of wedding coordination package had just the right amount of pre-event support and day-of expertise. She not only managed the rehearsal evening and the wedding day with a steady and kind hand, but she handled the inevitable hiccups (such as pouring rain and a broken zipper on a bridesmaid’s dress) with calming finesse. If you want to enjoy your or your child’s wedding day to the fullest, hire Leanne. It’s money well spent!

Lauren Joe Bentley Serina

Absolutely 5 star service & delivery all around. Hiring Leanne & her team was the absolute best decision I could have made and worth every penny (& then some!) As a self-proclaimed "type AAA" person, I have trouble relinquishing control - particularly after spending over a year planning our wedding. Her attention to detail and genuine concern to ensure everything ran smoothly and according to plan were incredible. She really takes a lot of time to understand your "vision" and what's important to you - she also has impeccable taste, and I felt so comfortable handing the reigns over to her to execute on our wedding day - which she did flawlessly. She made 3 separate trips downtown (for the walk through, rehearsal and of course the wedding day), and everything ran like clockwork! It was also so helpful to have a single point of contact for all of the other vendors & handles any problems that arise. She's basically the Olivia Pope of wedding planners/coordinators! :) Best of all, I was actually able to enjoy our wedding day & knew that my family and bridal party was able to as well since Leanne was behind the scenes taking care of all the details (e.g. collecting our cards, gifts, personal items, extra wine, my veil, bouquet, cake! and taking it back to the hotel for us - that was such a huge help not to worry about!) The piece of mind alone to know that you will be able to have fun on the day you've spent SO much time (& money!) pulling together makes having a day-of coordinator ABSOLUTELY worth it. Thank you so much to Leanne & her team - I'm so glad I heard about you guys & will be forever grateful for all you did to make our day so special & memorable!

Nicole Deeke

You name it was great to work with and significantly allow me to enjoy and relax for the weeks leading up to and weekend of our wedding! No matter how long you're engaged or how organized you are there are always all sorts of minor questions and details that require you're attention and stress you out when you should be enjoying this time. Having Leanne was a godsend! I have a very stressful and time consuming job and with few vacation days to use I couldn't take time off before the wedding with the honeymoon we had planned. Leanne kept me sane and was able to contact and coordinate all my various vendors and have everyone on the same page and have the day run incredibly smoothly, despite the curve ball mother nature threw that day. She was able to get all our details set up in our reception and ceremony space perfectly so that everyone could relax and visit during the day and take care of everything during the reception. I would say investing in a coordinator was one of the best decisions we made for the wedding and You Name It did an amazing job!

Andrea Baratta

Simply put, Leanne/You Name It Events is the BEST! I am so happy with our decision to hire her to plan our wedding. She worked tirelessly to make sure we had everything we wanted and that at the end of the day we were happy. We worked with Leanne for over a year planning our wedding, and even though planning such a large event is stressful in general, I couldn't even imagine how stressed I would have been had we not worked with Leanne. She truly was (and still is!) a gift to us and helped create a beautiful and most special wedding for us. I don't know how she does it because working with crazy brides is no easy feat, but she is always smiling, positive, and fun. I could go on for days about how Leanne is one of my favorite people, but just take my word for it and hire her. She has many terrific qualities that you'd want in a planner; a few are that she is responsible, professional, and trustworthy. I knew that Leanne had our backs and always had our best interests at heart. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Leanne and her team at You Name It Events. Our wedding truly wouldn't have been what it was without her.

Susan Pearson

Leanne and Susan are fantastic wedding planners - calm, organized, experienced and professional - highly recommend!

Debbie Marinovic

Leanne and You Name It Events was one of the best decisions I made as I bride! Although I chose the "day of" package, she was extremely helpful for all of the planning. I had several brainstorming meetings with her that helped me solidify a lot of my plans (and I wanted to have a lot of control, so she understood exactly how to give me ideas and suggestions and let me do what I needed to do). Then, on the wedding weekend when I needed her to take over the details, she went above and beyond. I was able to relax on my couch two days before because she took care of everything. The only thing I wasn't able to rely on was that she would keep the rain away. Luckily, it stayed away anyway! This is a great, reasonably priced choice for a wedding planner!

Cassie Bonga

Leanne and the entire you name it events team were incredible! They made the wedding day stress free and run so perfectly! The intentional communication and assistance leading up to the wedding was so helpful. They captured my vision perfectly and executed it flawlessly. I couldn’t have imagined our special day without them. Very professional and experienced!! The knowledge and expertise they provide to help make wedding day the best it can be is priceless!

Stephanie Mountsier

Leanne helped us plan our daughter's "cute as a button" themed 1st birthday party! She came up with some great ideas and helped us create some amazing decorations! Her birthday party was perfect! I would definitely recommend Leanne for any event :)