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truejoyweddings
truejoyweddings
Lifetime memories
Lifetime memories
A toast to the happy couple
A toast to the happy couple
Happily ever after
Happily ever after
Getting ready
Getting ready
Precious moments
Precious moments
Table setting
Table setting
The rings
The rings
Reception setup
Reception setup
Sparkling sendoff
Sparkling sendoff
Ceremony exit
Ceremony exit
Excited to be Mr & Mrs
Excited to be Mr & Mrs
In the details
In the details
Centrepiece
Centrepiece
Cake!
Cake!
Show it off!
Show it off!
Mr. and Mrs.
Mr. and Mrs.
Sailing off
Sailing off
First dance
First dance
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
Skyline love
Skyline love
Love on the lake
Love on the lake
Romantic Centrepiece
Romantic Centrepiece

Interested in this vendor?

Walking down the aisle

About

Based out of Chicago, IL, truejoyweddings is an esteemed wedding planning service run by a husband and wife duo, Alicia & Deric. They understand that every wedding is unique, so they strive to provide a bespoke experience to bring couples' visions to life. Whether you need someone to take care of everything or just lend a guiding hand, these wedding planners are an excellent choice.

Originally from Canada, Alicia moved to Chicago in 2020 after meeting and marrying the love of her life and now business partner, Deric. Alicia has a background in chemistry, which sets her apart from other wedding planning services. Working in a lab with explosive materials has given Alicia impressive attention to detail. With Alicia by your side, you can rest assured that every aspect of your celebration will run seamlessly.

Alicia's husband, Deric, jumped on board in 2021 after seeing the passion for weddings exuding in his wife when she would plan and even just talk about her couples. Adding not just an extra set of hands and eyes over the day of the wedding, Deric plays a vital role in ensuring all parties involved are heard, seen, and taken care of. From calming the groom down with a pep talk right before the ceremony to finding grandma a wheelchair at the venue, Deric adds an extra bit of insurance to the exceptional service truejoyweddings provides.

truejoyweddings would love to host a consultation to discuss your dreams for your special day. You can choose from four primary services: month-of coordination, partial planning, full planning, and consulting. Alicia & Deric will listen to your desires and create a personalized package just for you to ensure you receive everything you need. They will strive to design an occasion that celebrates and represents your love story authentically, bringing a little piece of Heaven on Earth through your wedding celebration!

Services Offered

truejoyweddings would love to host a consultation to discuss your dreams for your special day. You can choose from four primary services: month-of coordination, partial planning, full planning, and consulting. Alicia & Deric will listen to your desires and create a personalized package just for you to ensure you receive everything you need. They will strive to design an occasion that celebrates and represents your love story authentically, bringing a little piece of Heaven on Earth through your wedding celebration!

  • Black-owned
  • Asian-owned
  • Woman-owned
illustration popular

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Frequently asked questions

What is the starting price for day-of wedding coordination?

$2,000

What is the starting price for partial wedding planning?

$3,500

What is the starting price for full wedding planning?

$5,000

Do you offer an hourly rate?

No

What wedding events do you provide services for?

Ceremony
Reception
Rehearsal Dinner

What wedding planning services do you offer?

Day-of Coordination
Full Planning
Partial Planning

What weddings do you have experience planning?

Civil
Cultural
Elopement
Eco-Friendly
Non-Religious
Religious

Reviews of truejoyweddings

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This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Review summary

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True Joy Weddings, led by Alicia and Deric, received rave reviews for their exceptional wedding planning services. Clients praised their professionalism, organization, and dedication, emphasizing how they made the planning process less stressful and the wedding day perfect. From coordinating vendors to creating detailed itineraries, Alicia and Deric ensured everything ran smoothly, with one reviewer expressing regret for not hiring them sooner for full planning. Their thoughtful touch of checking in on the couple and family throughout the wedding night was particularly appreciated. Collaborating with True Joy Weddings was described as a seamless and enjoyable experience, with the team being highly recommended for their outstanding work.

Review summary

Powered by AI
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

True Joy Weddings, led by Alicia and Deric, received rave reviews for their exceptional wedding planning services. Clients praised their professionalism, organization, and dedication, emphasizing how they made the planning process less stressful and the wedding day perfect. From coordinating vendors to creating detailed itineraries, Alicia and Deric ensured everything ran smoothly, with one reviewer expressing regret for not hiring them sooner for full planning. Their thoughtful touch of checking in on the couple and family throughout the wedding night was particularly appreciated. Collaborating with True Joy Weddings was described as a seamless and enjoyable experience, with the team being highly recommended for their outstanding work.

K
Kayla Sent on 11/24/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Worth every penny!

Alicia was amazing and worth every penny! She was professional but it also felt like I was planning with a friend. She allowed me to not stress about all the decisions I had to make leading to the big day and I was able to enjoy my special day with all my friends and family.
I
Isabel Sent on 10/30/2025
5 out of 5 rating

BEST Wedding Planners in Chicago!

Alicia and Deric met and exceeded any and all of our expectations in relation to our wedding day. We had a bit of a unique circumstance and ended up hiring the duo about two months before our wedding. We previously had a very poor experience with another wedding planner whom we had to terminate our contract with. Alicia handled our day-of coordination with ease and professionalism. We had about one call per week starting ~7 weeks before our wedding and Alicia handled every last detail that I would have forgotten about. The day of the wedding, Alicia was present with me (bride) throughout the morning and made sure everything was on schedule and in order. She managed and communicated with our vendors to ensure everything ran smoothly. She had previously made a very detailed Day-Of Itinerary that we followed and additionally made a separate itinerary for our families to follow. Deric ensured everything at the venue was set up properly and ready for our reception to begin. Alicia and Deric continuously checked in on my husband and I, in addition to my family, which I thought was an incredibly thoughtful touch. My only regret is not hiring them sooner for full planning. Alicia and Deric, we are so grateful for your work. You made our day perfect.
  • truejoyweddings - 1
The
The B. Sent on 12/10/2024
5 out of 5 rating

So professional and creative

We love working alongside Alicia and the team! They are so professional and organized. We always know things will go smoothly when they are in charge
Z
Zoe R. Sent on 11/22/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Very helpful!

Very helpful in getting everything in order and ready for the big day! So much less stressful to have Alicia and Derek’s help!!
Abby
Abby Sent on 03/24/2024
5 out of 5 rating

So organized and on top of everything!!

Alicia was truly a life saver!! She not only made day-of coordination smooth and worry-free (for us), but also assisted us with communication between other vendors, organization of the timeline, and filling in the smaller details we didn't even consider. Her and Deric were such a wonderful hype team and checked in on us, and our parents, throughout our wedding night (which was such a nice touch). They thought of everything and were always just a quick email away if we had any questions. Cannot recommend this team more!!!
D
Dawn Sent on 12/01/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Dream Wedding come true!

Alicia was an amazing Wedding Coordinator.
We work a lot of clients and she was so organized. She stayed even after the wedding couple left for the evening to make sure the event was finished to standard. She was with the bride and groom for the entire duration of their event. Every detail was planned out. She and her team worked so well with us at Chicago Theater Works venue. We look forward to working with her again.
Thank you,

Chicago Theater Works
B
Becca Sent on 10/09/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Easy and Professional!

It was a pleasure working with Alicia - she was very professional, quick to respond, and organized. I look forward to working with her again in the future!
E
Eric Sent on 09/11/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Thank You!

I worked as a DJ alongside Alicia with truejoyweddings this summer and was blown away by her professionalism, kindness and organizational skills. Our event ran smoothly from start to finish and the process of planning with Alicia was easy and seamless. Highly recommended!
R
Rhoby Sent on 09/11/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Hats off to True Joy Weddings!

I had the pleasure of working with Alicia for our wedding and can’t begin to express my sincere gratitude for all she has done to make our special day so seamless and organized. Originally, I had planned on bringing in a day-of coordinator but three months prior to the big day, it was clear to me that I was in over my head and needed someone to take over the planning. I interviewed several wedding planners, and my initial impression of Alicia was that she was very even-keeled, calm, collected, polite and very experienced. She was exactly who I was looking for. Immediately after the hand-off, I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulder. In the first week alone, she sent out dozens of emails a day, caught so many details I missed and filled so many gaps in my planning. She also became very well-versed of all the vendor contracts, which came in very handy on various occasions. Alicia was on top of everything and sent me reminders of things I could easily overlook (from making sure I had nice hangers for my wedding dress photo to ensuring I had a dog caretaker for the ceremony). This among many things helped put my mind at ease, knowing no small detail was missed. Alicia was also a great resource. For example, she provided guidance on which vendors to tip and how much and helped me arrive to certain decisions by sharing her experiences (e.g., pros and cons of leaving wedding favors at a dedicated table vs on reception dining tables). During the wedding weekend, we also had the pleasure of meeting and working with Alicia’s husband Deric, who served as her assistant. They were such a great team and went above and beyond the call of duty. At the rehearsal dinner, for example, the room we had booked at the restaurant (before Alicia was hired) did not have sufficient space for us to rehearse. Alicia and Deric secured a room adjacent to our dining room at no cost before we even arrived. They took initiative so we didn’t have to worry or be bothered by it. Their execution of my vision for the big day was so flawless. We did not feel one bit of stress or anxiety. They exceeded all our expectations. For all the brides out there, you will be hard-pressed to find a more qualified wedding planner than Alicia and her assistant/husband Deric. We had such a wonderful time and glad we also made new friends in the process.
Sally
Sally Sent on 07/17/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing wife + husband duo!

Alicia was with me every step of the way to make sure my wedding day went off smoothly, from quietly fixing my wayward veil for the first 20 steps down the aisle to watching for my unplanned cues to cut off music early when it got awkward. Her husband Deric also went above and beyond - he gave out impromptu pep talks and got the crowd coordinated on the Chacha Slide. There's probably plenty more ways they worked behind the scenes to make sure we and our guests were able to just enjoy our day! For both our rehearsal dinner and wedding day, they were always first on the scene and last to leave, plus regularly checked in with us via text to make sure we didn't miss any details. It's been a joy working with them, so I highly recommend choosing them for your wedding!
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Awards

15
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner

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Map

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Wedding Planning Chicago
Wedding Planning Chicago (City)
Next Wedding Planners: K by K Events

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