Photography by E3
WEDDINGS
our planning services
In Father of the Bride, Martin Short plays Franck Eggelhoffer, the wedding planner from Hell, ripping apart Steve Martin’s house to stage a hilariously over-the-top wedding at home. Funny on film. Not so funny in real life.
Linda has orchestrated scores of elegant home weddings held in beautifully appointed backyard party tents, which is a much different scenario than rearranging your house. With Linda at the helm, wherever your wedding is held, you can be assured that the process will be smooth, easy and stress-free.
For over 30 years, Linda has effortlessly guided happy couples through the planning, decision-making, budgeting, contracts and execution of their dream day.
Following is a detailed list or our wedding planning services.
Budgeting
Even a $500,000 wedding needs a budget. An experienced event planner like Linda Alpert can help you put together a budget to make sure your big day meets (and often exceeds) your expectations.
Linda will work with you to determine how best to allocate your budget. And she’s adept at negotiating the best price on the products and services you select.
Attire
As the bride-to-be, you’ve probably been designing your wedding dress since before you met your groom-to-be.
If you haven’t already selected your dream gown, Affairs with Linda can direct you to the designers that will give you a wedding dress you love and bridesmaid dresses that your bridal party won’t hate! Linda will also make recommendations regarding hair and makeup artists that will suit your style and taste. But the groom and his groomsmen will not be overlooked. She knows just where to send them for perfectly fitted tuxedos or suits and accessories.
Venue
Affairs with Linda has forged relationships with the finest venues in the city of Chicago, including hotels, museums, galleries and country clubs. Linda knows how to build any space to suit your needs.
Every weekend, she works side-by-side with the management and staff of the top venues in town. She will help you explore each location so you get the perfect space for your party. This guarantees that your wedding or rehearsal dinner — will go off without a hitch.
Out-of Towners
There will probably be some guests traveling to join you on your big day, in which case you may need a room block at Chicago area hotels. Linda will work with the hotels that will provide the best prices to your guests.
Invitations and Calligraphy
An invitation is the first impression your guests will have of your upcoming affair. So, it should reflect the style and design of the event. Linda has invitation books as well as custom designers to create elegant invitations. Your guests will know right away that something special has arrived in the mail and each envelope will be beautifully addressed.
TRANSPORTATION
What do you envision? Will you need limousines, party buses, minibuses, trolleys or a vintage Rolls Royce? How will everybody, especially out-of-towners, get to and from the many events and parties? These are details that can be confusing and expensive, but Affairs with Linda can cover all these bases for you and your guests.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY
Photographers and videographers each have their own shooting style. So how do you select the right one for your party?
After planning 1,000+ events, we know that the most important factor in choosing the people who will film your wedding is your personal connection. You have to like the shooter and she/he has to like you. That’s why we insist that you personally meet prior to hiring.
Linda will introduce you to the work and style of several different studios and guide you to the photographer and videographer she feels are the right fit. But the final choice is up to you.
Photography by Averyhouse
THE CEREMONY
Who will perform your ceremony? There are lots of options. A clergy associate who’s watched you grow up. A friend you’ve known your whole life. A family member. We’ve had dads marry daughters and mothers marry sons. If you’re a recent transplant without a local relationship, who will you choose on this important day?
No worries. Linda will help you find the right person. Whether you opt for a traditional ceremony or a modern progressive one, she will present you with several options, one sure to be perfect for your special day.
Mixed religion and alternative unions weddings are our specialty. Linda will help you select the perfect place and celebrant for your wedding.
THE RECEPTION
Linda Alpert does not hire her band, her caterer or her floral designer. From her cache of experts, she helps you find the right caterer, the right band and the right florist. Because this is your party. The band that you select will perform the music you love. Not their playlist. With Affairs with Linda planning the event, you will enjoy the reception along with your guests.
CATERING: THE FOOD
Whether sushi or filet or vegetarian, serving a multi-course meal to a couple of hundred guests is tough. Many decisions must be made including accommodating gluten-free and food sensitive guests. Affairs with Linda will work with you and the caterer to create the perfect menu. Linda, along with the caterers, will offer suggestions and recommendations that will help you select the perfect meal.
Tent Weddings and Events
While Chicago does not have too many warm months, those few make it possible to hold even the most elegant wedding or event outside. Linda is famous for her ability to stage large, ornate functions outside, under a tent that gives the security of four walls and a ceiling, but still lends that element of fresh air. So, even if the weather does not cooperate with your plans for an outdoor wedding and Plan B (the tent) becomes necessary, you can be certain that nothing will be sacrificed.
Linda’s “Day of” Consulting isn’t really a day of.
Many event coordinators have an “all or nothing” philosophy when it comes to planning a wedding. Linda Alpert understands that some brides and grooms have the drive and ability to put the whole thing together on their own. They can hire the caterers and photographers and hammer out all the contracts. But obviously, they’re going to be a bit busy on the big day.
In those cases, Linda will customize the wedding package for you. She doesn’t just show up on your wedding day! Rather, depending on what you need, you’ll decide together when she’ll step in to run the show. That way, you can be certain that everything runs smoothly.
Have questions or ready to chat? Contact our office to schedule an initial consultation with Linda Alpert.
APPLAUSE
Your “behind the scenes” presence gave me reassurance and confidence that was needed to let me enjoy the big day and the days before. I felt that the whole evening was magical. If anything did go wrong, I didn’t know it.
Fondly, Linda (not me)
Thank you for everything you did to make the day perfect for Andrea and Jonathan. Because of you and Myra, we were able to focus on the experience and not the logistics of the afternoon and evening. We will definitely recommend you to our friends and hope to find an occasion to hire you again!
Many thanks and all our best!
Barbara & Ed