What does a full-service event planner actually do?

Everything between your vision and your event: design direction, budget management, vendor selection and booking, contracts, logistics, timeline, and full production of the event day itself. Your job is decisions and enjoyment; ours is everything else.

How much does full-service event planning cost in Chicago?

It depends on scope, guest count, and complexity, which is why we quote each event individually. Tell us what you’re planning and you’ll get a clear, honest proposal, including telling you if a smaller service would serve you better.

How far in advance should we start?

For many full-service events, clients engage us approximately four to six months in advance, although earlier is better for popular dates, venues, and complex events. A shorter timeline does not automatically rule an event out; availability and scope determine what is realistic.

Do you only plan large events?

No. Full-service is about depth of support, not size. We’ve fully produced intimate dinner parties and 300-guest galas with the same care.

Do you provide the event staff too?

Yes, and it’s what sets us apart. We’re the only local North Shore company with both a planning division and a professional staffing division, so the team serving your event was trained by the company that planned it. One team, whole event.

Can you plan kosher or kosher-conscious events?

Yes. Our staff completes dedicated kosher-conscious service training, and we plan and staff mitzvahs, weddings, and holiday celebrations for observant families across the North Shore.

What does a full-service event planner actually do?

Everything between your vision and your event: design direction, budget management, vendor selection and booking, contracts, logistics, timeline, and full production of the event day itself. Your job is decisions and enjoyment; ours is everything else.

How much does full-service event planning cost in Chicago?

It depends on scope, guest count, and complexity, which is why we quote each event individually. Tell us what you’re planning and you’ll get a clear, honest proposal, including telling you if a smaller service would serve you better.

How far in advance should we start?

For many full-service events, clients engage us approximately four to six months in advance, although earlier is better for popular dates, venues, and complex events. A shorter timeline does not automatically rule an event out; availability and scope determine what is realistic.

Do you only plan large events?

No. Full-service is about depth of support, not size. We’ve fully produced intimate dinner parties and 300-guest galas with the same care.

Do you provide the event staff too?

Yes, and it’s what sets us apart. We’re the only local North Shore company with both a planning division and a professional staffing division, so the team serving your event was trained by the company that planned it. One team, whole event.

Can you plan kosher or kosher-conscious events?

Yes. Our staff completes dedicated kosher-conscious service training, and we plan and staff mitzvahs, weddings, and holiday celebrations for observant families across the North Shore.

Full-Service Event Planning for Chicago’s North Shore

From the first idea to the last dance, one experienced team designs, plans, and produces your entire event. You make the decisions that matter to you. We handle every single one of the rest.

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Your Vision, Fully Produced

Full-service planning is for the host who wants an expert leading from day one: the milestone wedding, the bar or bat mitzvah that’s been imagined for years, the gala or celebration where everything has to be right and no one has time to make it so. You bring the vision, the priorities, and the guest list. We bring 25 years of North Shore events: the design eye, the vendor relationships, the budget discipline, and the calm. This is the difference between hosting your event and experiencing it.

Already partway through planning?

Woman in angel wings serving cocktails at a planned event by That Special Event

Quoted for Your Event, Not a Package Tier

Full-service planning is quoted per event based on scope, guest count, venue, and complexity. Tell us what you’re imagining, and we’ll provide a clear proposal with no pressure. If partial planning is a better fit, we’ll tell you and quote you less.

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From Concept to Completion, in Six Steps

[ step 01 ]

Discovery

We start with your vision, your priorities, and your budget. What does this event need to feel like? What matters most, and what shouldn’t you have to think about at all?

[ step 02 ]

Design and Budget

We translate the vision into a concrete plan: style direction, layout, guest experience, and a realistic budget that puts the money where you’ll feel it.

[ step 03 ]

Vendor Selection

We recommend and secure the right professionals from our North Shore network: venue, catering, florals, entertainment, rentals, photography, matched to your style and your numbers. You approve; we negotiate, book, and manage.

[ step 04 ]

Logistics and Timeline

We build the master plan: contracts, deliveries, layouts, seating, contingencies, and the minute-by-minute event timeline every vendor works from.

[ step 05 ]

The Walkthough

Before the event, we review everything with you, top to bottom, so you walk into the day knowing every question already has an answer.

[ step 06 ]

Event Day, Produced

Our team runs the entire day: vendor arrivals, room checks, cues, troubleshooting, and breakdown. And because we’re also a staffing company, the servers, bartenders, and captains at your event are our own trained team, not strangers from a third party.

Events We’ve Produced

Thousands of weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, corporate events, private celebrations, and nonprofit galas across the North Shore, each one planned like it’s the only one.

“The very best staffing service and event planner in all of Chicagoland. The owner, Jerry, is passionate and outstanding, and makes every event feel like the most important one he’s ever worked.”

Michael

“The staff is very, very professional, and I have loved Christmas for the past 13 years. Thank you THAT SPECIAL EVENT!”

Margie

Start with the Vision

Tell us the occasion, the season, and what it needs to feel like. We’ll take it from there, all the way to the last dance.

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Frequently asked questions

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