http://www.funtimesdj.com/

We decided to go with Fun Times because they did a friends wedding two years ago and did a great job. Working with Don was a lot of fun and hes a really nice guy. We had playlists for all times of the night but werent expecting him to play strictly those songs. Don did play a lot of the songs we chose but the ones he selected for the dance portion of the night fit right into our styles and tastes. Hes really a lot of fun and great at his job. Also, while my zune was in his possession it was stolen just a few days before the wedding but he went right out and replaced it. Actually he got me an upgrade as mine was discontinued so that was nice too.

Friends recommended Fortner Jewelers in Zion Illinois to us. My husband took his late fathers wedding ring there to have it resized and cleaned up and they did an amazing job. They resized it, added a brushed finish to it and also re-did the tiny engraving details that were almost worn away. It looks beautiful and they did it in a timely and affordable fashion. Fortners is a family owned business and they are very friendly and helpful there. They can do custom designs as well. Heres their info:

847-746-1990

2642 Sheridan Rd
Zion, IL 60099

We wanted to find someplace we could do our own food and have enough space to all sit down and have a dinner together. We found the Lilac Cottage at Bowen Park in Waukegan Illinois through the Waukegan Park District. The rental fee was definately very affordable and the space was really nice and cozy and is in a historical home. They have space to seat 24 for a dinner setting and then there is an attached sun porch where we set up the dinner buffet. There is also a small kitchen you can rent and you can use anything you can find in there which came in handy as we forgot an ice bucket and there are bathrooms as well. It was perfect for us. Would definately recommend this place to anyone in the area. There is no alcohol on premises so Im not sure if that is a deal breaker for some. here is the website
http://www.waukeganparks.org/cultural-arts/bowen-heritage-circle.htm

We had a good experience with Mens Wearhouse and got beautiful tuxes for our wedding party. No problems with orders or products. They had a good selection and their colors work with Davids Bridal so if youre trying to match them up, also great. Theyre also all over the country for out of town wedding party members. No complaints from us or the groomsmen.

I first met Alma a little over three years ago when we used her for my brothers wedding. My sister in law had her wedding dress alterations done as well as myself and few other bridesmaids, Alma also made a junior bridesmaid dress. Alma did a great job and created a beautiful junior bridesmaid dress to match the rest of bridesmaids. When it came time for my wedding and my dress alterations I knew I would give Alma a call. Alma is very nice and affordable and she really has a true love for her work. She fit my dress to me perfectly and had to do a little of everything to it. My dress was too big, too long and needed a bustle. Alma also did a few of my bridesmaids dresses. Alma works out of her home in Wadsworth, Illinois right near the highway, very easy to get to. I have her home telephone number and will provide it if asked so contact me if youre interested.

Tom Lang, a retired judge in Lake County Illinois has done wedding ceremonies for the last two and a half decades. We chose Tom as our officiant because we knew him through friends though had never met him personally and he had also married friends of ours. Tom was very helpful and knowlegdeable as we kind of walked into the ceremony a little clueless ourselves. But with his help we were able to put together a great ceremony and he performed it beautifully. Tom was very nice and easy to work with and we would both highly recommend him to anyone in the lake county area, he also spends half his time in Palm Springs California and performs ceremonies there as well. http://vows4you.com/index.php

Well, to be honest I didnt think I was going to end up here but I did and I couldnt have been happier with the results. I bought a dress from Davids Bridal and it was all wrong, the longer I had it, the more I hated it. I was thinking a lot about two other styles I had tried on and called Davids Bridal to see if theyd let me exchange it, not something that they advertise. My bridal consultant was determined to help me leave that store loving my dress so we pulled out the ones I wanted to try on again and then she, being a great and attentive sales person, pulled another one she said I should see. She brought over this beautiful dress, completely lace, beaded, embellished, beautiful shape but something I never thought Id end up with. Well, Nancy knew me better than myself cause I put that dress on and instantly loved it. And thats how I felt everytime I put my dress on. I had a great experience there and would recommend to anyone. They have very reasonable prices and have a really great selection of styles.

I found My Gatsby while I was checking out online wedding stationary. I originally thought that I was going to DIY my entire wedding invites but the closer the wedding got, I reconsidered and ordered them from My Gatsby. We ordered the Sara invite and it was perfect for us, I was able to do my custom wedding stamping at the top to dress them up. There were no mistakes and I have no complaints. They have a lot of great invite styles that you can customize and lots of great paper options too and their pricing was very resonable. Their site was also really easy to use too.

Victor and I attended a wedding reception at Independence Grove about 5 or 6 years ago and we fell in love with the space. As soon as we got engaged we set our date and booked the space. We had planned on having the ceremony outdoors in the Native Garden but the weather was not great so we had to move it indoors which was still beautiful. One of the reasons we liked this place was because they were well set up for doing an indoor ceremony and then were able to close off that space while they re-set it for dinner. Maybe that sounds minor to some brides but we actually checked out spaces that were not set up like this where our guests wouldve had to watch the re-set. Aside from that, when you book an event at Independence Grove everything is included, food, cake, linens, chairs, equipment. This made things really easy and Michaels catering company made an awesome traditional Mexican dinner that I am still hearing compliments about. The staff at Independence Grove also does everything for you, they decorated the room, set up all the centerpieces, table numbers, guest and card tables and everything was beautiful. The day as I said earlier didnt go as planned as we had to have everything indoors but we have NO complaints about our wedding day, it was absolutely perfect. Victor and I were engaged for two and a half years and booked Ind. Grove two years in advance. During that time we went through three different event coordinators so that is my only complaint. Im not sure if these people left or were fired but needless to say that when I found out just a few months before our wedding that we were on our third person I was a little nervous. But, there was nothing to worry about, I met with Tania Paez to go over everything previously decided and she was really great to work with. She was actaully the best of the three to work with, helpful, responsive, totally set us at ease. I would recommend this place to anyone, the grounds are absolutely beautiful, definately someplace to check out if youre looking for someplace outdoors, rustic, garden or nature themed. The outdoor and indoor spaces are just amazing.

Well, to start Ive known Rob since highschool, about 14 years now. We chose Rob because we appreciated his take on wedding photos, we liked how he saw things and his artistic approach to the norm. Rob shot our wedding solo and we totally trusted him with everything. He knew we didnt want a bunch of formal photos and I think that was really the only direction we gave him. We did do a few wedding party/family formals but left the rest up to him. So far, what we've seen of our photos we absolutely LOVE and we cant wait to see the rest! We love the detail photos that we've seen and the candids, not just from our wedding but from others that Rob and the Black Tie guys have done. Rob was really great to work with and Im sure a lot of that comfort came from him being an old friend but he really is a great guy, easy to get along with and easy to work with. I think that personality and comfort make a huge difference in what kind of photos you end up with. Also, Im not a fan of being the center of attention so I was kind of worried about that aspect of the wedding photography but when Rob wasnt shooting formals, I didnt even notice the camera. I would highly recommend Black Tie Photography or Rob for wedding photos, we love him and could've have imagined anyone else shooting our wedding.