Today we’d like to introduce you to Grace Hanson.
Grace, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My passion for event planning is rooted in my love for food and entertaining. It’s what gets me most excited about events. Prior to my eight-plus years of experience as a wedding planner, I worked in catering and as a personal assistant. Both jobs taught me that organization, patience and flexibility are the keys to success, and that’s the backbone of my business today.
Early on, I realized the best way to get my name out there was to hit the ground running and start planning. I said yes to everything (even the crazy jobs—I’ve got some good stories), and sometimes the pay was just enough to cover my gas. But with each event, I received more inquiries. To this day the biggest chunk of my business comes from past clients, which I love!
Has it been a smooth road?
This industry is evolving all the time and the pace can leave a person spinning. I have to be ready to adjust and pivot fast. Clients, budgets, styles, and expectations change quickly, and I have to roll with it. As challenging as that is, I always feel like I’m moving in the right direction.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Weddings are my specialty, and I’m known for my Bookends package.
Right now I offer three planning packages to select from Full Service, Bookends and Month-Of. My newest package, the Bookends package, is my most popular and gives brides and grooms heavy assistance at the beginning and the end of their planning days, which is when most people need it.
We’ll pick four consecutive weeks to put in some serious planning work early in the process, sitting down on that first day to decide on goals, expectations, and map out the months ahead. If you’re ready to move fast, so am I!
Then, at the end of the planning process, I jump back into the picture four weeks before your wedding date and pull together all the details, connect with vendors, attend your final walk-through and execute your big day! I’ve found that this option works well for clients who want to make a big dent in their planning but can also do some guided planning on their own.
For corporate and other personal events, I work with my clients to customize a package that works for their specific needs. I’ve planned everything from a 100 person dinner for pharmaceutical company executives to a backyard baby shower BBQ!
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I’m lucky to have the best mentor—Katie Kozlowski of PartySlate. It’s almost comical how closely I have followed in her footsteps. From working at Jam Productions to starting my own business, Katie did it before me and did it with a bang. When you find someone that great, it would be crazy not to take notes and learn from them as much as you can. If you knew Katie, you’d follow her, too.
I am also fortunate enough to have a big pool of family and friends in Chicago that are always ready to help me in any way, from schlepping giant coolers onto a trolley to lending an ear to listen to my new kooky ideas. In my early days, I would usually pay these people with a thank you and a big hug. Thankfully, I can pay them properly now!
With most planners, their husbands and wives are their biggest cheerleaders. And for me, that is 100% true—but I think I have the best cheerleader of them all.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.eventsXgrace.com
- Phone: 708.359.0272
- Email: hello@eventsXgrace.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eventsxgrace/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Events-by-Grace-1836483016666235/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/events-by-grace-chicago
Image Credit:
Jennifer Lawrence, Tim Tab Studios, Jamie & Eric Photography, Artistrie Co., Studio This Is, Andrew Weeks, JPP Studios
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
