Cindy and her team helped to make our daughter and son-in-law's wedding the event that our daughter had always dreamed of. We hired Effortless Events to insure that we could actually enjoy the wedding and not be burdened by managing a complex event. No large event ever goes off without a hiccup; Effortless Events handled every twist or unexpected bump in the road with calm and unruffled competence. Beyond the "day of" management, however, Cindy and her team offered suggestions and strategies to help make the wedding reception an evening to remember. That our children look back on their wedding day only with happiness and not with regret speaks volumes.

Hiring Cindy and her team at Effortless Events was, without a doubt, one of the best decisions we made when it came to the wedding. I had thought having a Day of Coordinator would be helpful, but even at the time I didn’t realize how invaluable Cindy would be. She knew all the right questions to ask and also knew all the right questions I should ask other vendors. She kept everything on track, both leading up to the wedding and the day of, and I am positive that the reason everything ran so smoothly on our wedding day was because Cindy was on top of it. Especially in the last couple of months before the wedding, at least once a week my fiancé and I would say to each other “Thank God for Cindy, she’s worth every penny”. I even had one of my guests ask for her card at the wedding because they were that impressed with her work! I am so grateful to Cindy and her team for all that they did to make our wedding day truly perfect.

As a venue we have the opportunity to work with many event specialists. Emily with Effortless Events was outstanding. She learned the venue provided support and details. Superb and prompt assistance during the entire planning process and all wedding day.

Cindy helped us to plan the wedding of our dreams. She captured our vision perfectly and connected us with excellent vendors. Her expertise, professionalism, and organization made our day perfect. During the planning process Cindy always advocated for us and made sure we were getting what we wanted. Thank you Cindy!! I would highly recommend Effortless Events to anyone who is looking to plan an event- big or small!

Cindy is the best! Without her and Alex, we had been lost in this pandemic period. Our original venue refused us having wedding in last minute but Cindy found better place just after 2 hours. We will never forget our wedding with effortless events. Highly recommend!!!!

I've never written a review before but I just have to praise Cindy Shanholtz of Effortless Events and her able assistants Tiffany and Alex to the rafters.
I wanted a Day of Planner for my son's wedding and asked Stacey Combrzyinski, of Catering by Michael's who I was working with, for a recommendation. Stacey was a dream to collaborate with, and I had the utmost confidence in her advice. She only had one name for me, and it was Cindy. It took one conversation on the phone with Cindy, and one look at her 8 page sample timeline, and I was sold.
Cindy immediately set up a 3 hour meeting with my husband, our son, his fiancée and me, and the wedding was over 8 months away! Though based in Naperville, she and Tiffany came to our home in Glenview for the first meeting. (Even though she is in Naperville, she knows all the North Shore vendors, so don't be put off by that, if you are a north suburbanite). I had no idea that her "Day of Services" would encompass so much more than just being present the day of the wedding. I also did not expect that she would have 3 people present at the wedding to make sure everything was executed flawlessly.
Cindy gave excellent advice and direction on both the big picture and the smallest detail. While I had booked the venue, the caterer and the band before I hired her, I needed a recommendation for the florist/decor company. She gave me one name, and I didn't look elsewhere, because by then, I had complete trust in her recommendation – she was the consummate professional. Atmosphere Events Group did an amazing job with the flowers and lighting. And, it was such a reasonable price, I couldn't believe it. I never would have found them on my own, and would have spent thousands of dollars more, hiring another company.
No detail was too small for Cindy's input; she even advised on the color of the beverages on the bridal party bus – only clear liquids like water and Sprite, because Coca Cola could stain!
Planning the wedding was extremely stressful for me; the kids are an interfaith couple and the ceremony was in a church, which was a foreign concept to me. Additionally, I am the mother of the groom, not the bride. Cindy prepared me for the very strict rules of the church, which was a godsend...no pun intended. She became my confidant, and I valued her straightforward, candid advice and opinions. She constantly asked me what she could do to make everything less stressful, and what she could do to take things off my plate.
I have to acknowledge Tiffany Beales, her right hand woman, who was incredibly organized and very responsive to my numerous questions (she gave excellent advice, too), as well as Alex Contreras, who was Johnny on the Spot, in making sure the grandmothers had their favorite drinks in hand and appetizer plates filled. I am very thankful to both of them also. You can't hire a better team than Effortless-Events for a wedding, Bar Mitzvah or corporate event, and I am so grateful that I did!

Cindy and Alex are AMAZING! They both were such a pleasure to work with and helped make our wedding an easy, organized and wonderful event! I can't thank them enough for all the perfect suggestions and for making this bride feel like there was absolutely nothing to worry about! Every detail was exactly as we wanted and the wedding went off without a hitch. Thank you both for such a wonderful, beautiful wedding!

Cindy with Effortless Events was always prompt, professional, responsive, and most importantly ready for any challenge thrown at her. And ladies/gentlemen she even brought sunshine on my outdoor wedding. Effortless Events is all class and provided a piece of mind.

When looking for a planner, we had a pretty strong idea of what we wanted. Having a background in Stage Management, I am very detail orientated and love organization. We started our search by asking planners for a sample of a timeline they’ve created in the past. So many were one page, very basic and felt like something I could honestly do better myself. I was starting to doubt even needing a coordinator. That’s when Cindy and Tiffany came into the picture.

Let me tell you, that timeline was a thing of beauty. Absolutely no detail was left out. As soon as I saw it, I wanted to meet with them. That’s really what sealed the deal. We instantly felt comfortable with the two of them. We left that meeting saying “I can’t believe we thought we could do this by ourselves.” There were so many things we hadn’t even thought of until they asked us. We enjoyed their company so much, one of the meetings was having them to our place for dinner. They never felt like just coordinators to us. They were a crucial part of our wedding. They stayed on top of everything the entire process. They guided us with our own “homework”, and answered any and all questions we had in record timing.

Unfortunately, both my partner and I got sick a week before the wedding. Then our dog was attacked requiring an emergency vet trip. Both Cindy and Tiffany were continuously asking, “What can we do?” “What can we take off your plate?” “What can we cross of your to-do list?” From the very start, we knew they were going to be some of our favorite vendors. I truly can not write enough about these ladies. If you are looking for a wedding planner or day-of coordinator, I promise you that you will not find anyone like them. They LOVE what they do and it shows in every aspect of their work. We nick named them our “Sanity-Savers”. So, so, so much love to these ladies and all the gratitude in the world for giving us the ability to really enjoy a stress free wedding.

I hired Cindy as my day-of coordinator for our June 2018 wedding at The Langham in Chicago based on recommendations from the venue. Cindy was ultra responsive and organized from the beginning. She came into the city early on so we could meet to walk through every detail about the wedding weekend, which helped me identify all the little things I hadn't even thought about yet. Cindy would check in every so often in the months leading up to the wedding and was always responsive on text or email if I needed to run something by her. She was much more than a day-of coordinator, she was a resource in picking florists, favors, and even saved us a few hundred dollars by coordinating a limo through a company cheaper than what I had found. She reviewed all of our vendor contracts to make sure we were getting a fair deal and provided a guide to help me figure our appropriate gratuity amounts for our vendors. On the actual wedding day, Cindy had 2 assistants with her to help manage everything. Someone was always present but never in the way. She made the day easy and stress free to me, my family, and my bridal party.

As Cindy will tell you, her style is no-nonsense. She isn't afraid to tell you what she thinks while still respecting your opinion. She gave me great, candid feedback on certain vendors when I was making my selections which I found really helpful. She is professional and polite but straight forward. I love her style, especially in the wedding scene where everyone seems to sugar coat everything. Would highly recommend.