Elegant & Sophisticated Affairs

Service levels: Full-service planning

Team size: 2 – 6

About Elegant & Sophisticated Affairs

Elegant & Sophisticated Affairs

Owner & Lead Planner | Wedding and Event Planning Certified

We specialize in crafting elegant and unique wedding celebrations that authentically reflect your unique love story. Understanding that every couple is different, especially those celebrating cultural or multicultural unions, we bring a blend of creative vision, honest guidance, and transparent communication to the planning process. We go beyond simply organizing an event; we design an experience that honors your heritage, your personalities, and your dreams. From personalized vendor recommendations to innovative design concepts, we'll work closely with you to create a wedding that is not only beautiful but deeply meaningful.

As we embark on this exciting journey together, I want you to know what guides our work. We're a woman and multiracial-owned business, and we wholeheartedly celebrate love in all its forms. Creativity is the cornerstone of our approach. We embrace all design styles, colors, and concepts with no limitations. Most importantly, this is your wedding. We're here to be your trusted advisors and partners. Our role is to guide you, offer expert assistance, and ensure that your wedding day is a true reflection of your dreams.

In three words: Collaborative, Flexible, Honest

Services by planning level

Service included in starting price

Service available for an extra cost

	Full-service planning	Partial planning	Destination wedding	Day-of coordination / wedding management
Description	Our Full-Service Planning package is designed to be your comprehensive guide throughout the entire wedding journey. Imagine enjoying your engagement while we orchestrate a celebration that's both innovative and purposeful. We'll ensure it reflects your vision and creates lasting memories. This package is perfect for busy couples who want to reclaim their time, fully enjoy the planning process, and be present and relaxed on their wedding day.	Think of Partial Planning as a guided adventure. We'll join you on the journey, co-creating each step of the way. From the thrill of choosing your vendors and crafting your design to the grand finale of wedding day execution, we'll be your trusted advisors. You'll benefit from our expert knowledge, our wellspring of innovative ideas, and our calming presence. It's designed for couples who want to savor the experience of planning their wedding.	Wedding Management - Average Investment - 5000 Partial Planning - Average Investment - 7000 Full Planning - Average Investment - 10000 Prices reflect the average costs of services and travel fees.	Our Wedding Management package encompasses all the essential services of day-of coordination, while also providing invaluable logistics management and expert guidance during the planning stages. This comprehensive approach is ideal for overwhelmed couples who want to enjoy a relaxed wedding day, knowing their vision will be brought to life seamlessly
Planning begins	12 Months out	12 Months out	12 Months out	12 Months out
Event Styling & Design
Budget Planning
Venue Recommendations
Vendor Selection
Vendor Management
Contract Review
RSVP Tracking
Wedding Website
Accommodation Coordination
Transportation Coordination
Venue Visits
Final Venue Walkthrough
Timeline Creation & Management
Onsite Event Management
Pricing	Starts at $8,500	Starts at $5,500	Starts at $5,000	Starts at $3,500

Reviews

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4.8 out of 5

4 reviews

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Positive Experience with E&S Affairs
•Verified review
•M. S.•Sep 15, 2024
Elegant & Sophisticated Affairs is a best-in-class wedding planning service that is committed to bringing your wedding vision to life. From their collaborative and logical communication style to their solution-oriented and insightful approach, they were an invaluable partner throughout my wedding planning process. Christena, our planner, kept me organized with her awesome planning tools and check-ins, and was always accessible via email to answer any questions I had in a timely manner. She was incredibly efficient and dependable on my wedding day, ensuring everything ran smoothly with minimal interruption. I highly recommend Elegant & Sophisticated Affairs as your planning partner for your special day.
The Best of the Best!
•Verified review
•Paul O Callaghan•Mar 23, 2023
I have been fortunate to work alongside Christena on a number of events and she is 5 stars in everything she does. She is incredibly organized and makes sure that all vendors stick to the timeline. She is kind and caring with couples and is the best person you could have to plan your biggest day. Look no further that Christena and the Elegant & Sophisticated crew to elevate your wedding to the next level.
Money well spent!
•Verified review
•Cayla M.•Jul 12, 2022
I was that person that did not think I needed a wedding planner! I decided last minute I needed one and I had interviewed 4 people and Christena was the only one that made me feel comfortable! Christena helped keep me organized, in control, and confident that I would be able to get through this! She brought things to my attention that I had no clue I needed to do. During the rehearsal dinner she got everyone in line and made sure everyone knew exactly what they were doing. The day of the wedding Christena and her assistant Jill knew literally handled everything from making sure my vision was brought to life, to making sure everything ran accordingly to plan, and making sure all items that were mine were organized and set aside for my family to gather at the end of the night. I cannot sing Christena’s praises enough! You are getting more than a wedding planner with her! If you are on the fence about this do not be, it is the best money well spent!!!
Very enjoyable interaction
•Verified review
•Terrance H.•Jul 12, 2022
Was referred to ESA from someone in my opinion whom was less than professional in her communication. So there was a little trepidation at first. However, from our first interaction with Christena at ESA to the end of the event Christena conducted herself in a professional and exceptional manner. From her initial communication, to vendor recommendations to all of the questionnaires to ensure the events moved smoothly were all investments that showed Christena cared. We used ESA for day of wedding coordination as well as a surprise birthday party the day before the wedding g. Yep, busy, busy, busy. Christena was there for a walk through at the venue which was 2 hours from her home base. She stayed in contact throughout the months leading up the the events and take the lead with vendor a onto or so before. She helped to keep us on track and was available via email with short turn around times. Although their was a LOT of planning prior to the wedding, Christena was more than helpful keeping us on track and ensuring the wedding day could be enjoyed without worrying about last minute pop up issues, and there were a few. Her team was able to resolve a bartender issue causing minimal interruption for guests. In the end Christena felt more like a guest as much as a vendor for each event. We are grateful for the service Christena provided and would highly recommend her and her company, ESA to anyone wanting a coordinator to help ease the stresses of such and important and joyous day!!

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Your wedding deserves our undivided attention. We accept only one wedding per weekend, ensuring a truly bespoke and personalized experience, allowing us to meticulously attend to every detail and any additional events surrounding your celebration.

Yes, we also plan: Rehearsal Dinners, Engagement Parties, Bridal Showers, Vow Renewals, Anniversary Parties, Baby Showers, Birthday Parties, Graduation Parties, Holiday Parties

You'll be working closely with Christena, the Owner, who brings extensive expertise to your wedding. She will be supported by a team of assistants to ensure a smooth and well-managed event.

We bring a wealth of experience to every wedding, having planned hundreds of celebrations across a spectrum of religions, cultures, gender identities, sexual orientations, sizes, and design preferences. While elegance and sophistication are consistently present in our work, we specialize in creating weddings that are uniquely tailored to each couple. We're particularly passionate about and experienced in cultural and multicultural weddings.

Our experience includes working with various religions, such as Catholic, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, and Greek Orthodox, and a rich tapestry of cultures, including South Asian, Filipino, Arabic, Nigerian, African, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Polish, Greek, and Italian. We pride ourselves on our ability to quickly and effectively learn and integrate new cultural, religious, and traditional practices into each unique wedding.

Our experience spans a wide range of venues, including a significant number in the Chicagoland area and a growing selection out of state. We've successfully planned weddings in diverse settings, such as hotels, lofts, industrial spaces, art galleries, museums, barns, forest preserves, wineries, restaurants, breweries, banquet halls, rooftops, and estates. We are confident in our ability to plan in any location and have developed efficient processes to learn and work effectively with new venues.

Absolutely! We are experienced in planning destination weddings. Our portfolio includes many successful destination events, even during challenging times like 2020.

We don't have a strict minimum budget requirement. However, most couples we work with typically allocate $70,000 and above for their wedding celebrations.

We're experienced in planning weddings of varying scales. We've handled micro-weddings with 30 guests and large-scale events, such as multi-day South Asian weddings, with 500 guests. Our average wedding size is between 120 and 200 guests, but we're equipped to manage weddings of any size.

Yes, absolutely. Christena's background is rooted in high-end weddings, and she has extensive experience planning celebrations with budgets ranging from $100,000 to $500,000 and beyond.

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Elegant & Sophisticated Affairs

About Elegant & Sophisticated Affairs

Elegant & Sophisticated Affairs

Services by planning level

Reviews

Positive Experience with E&S Affairs

The Best of the Best!

Money well spent!

Very enjoyable interaction

Preferred vendors of Elegant & Sophisticated Affairs

Frequently asked questions

Do you take on multiple weddings in a day or weekend?

Do you also plan other events, like showers or rehearsal dinners?

Are you part of a team? Who will we be working with?

Describe your experience. How many weddings have you planned, and what are they like? Any specialties?

What religions and cultures have you worked with?

What venues have you worked at before?

Do you plan destination weddings?

Is there a minimum budget to work with you?

What is the average size of the weddings you plan?

Our wedding budget is 100k+, can you work with that budget?

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