Five Grain Events

Chicago Event Planners

Katherine and Nick, St. Petronille and Meson Sabika

Worth the money!

Five Grain Events was highly recommended by three friends who were very glad they had worked with Five Grain. After our initial meeting with Joan, the owner, and our contract with Five Grain Events we had access via email for any wedding related questions. We were matched and met with Jennifer, our wedding planner, about 2 months before our date. She was our point person with the vendors, families and bridal party, and asked questions, as mother of the bride, I hadn’t even thought to ask and so much more. To her credit I don’t think any “zillas” (mom, bride, or any other combinations) appeared. “

Thanks to her the wedding was amazing and full of so many happy moments!

Read more of our five star reviews on Wedding Wire here.

Check out Katherine and Nick’s blog here.

St. Petronille and Meson Sabika- Katherine and Nick

Missy Donovan Photography

We were so thrilled to kick of wedding season this June with such a sweet, fun-loving couple, Katherine and Nick. Their love for their family, friends, and–above all–each other, made this rainy wedding day bright and warm. 

The bride and her bridesmaids began their day at Katherine’s home where they were pampered all morning, getting their hair done by Krystal McIntyre and their makeup done by Deanna Lewis from LuxeSkin Med Spa. Nick and his groomsmen got ready at another house nearby. Both Katherine and Nick prepared sweet notes and thoughtful gifts for one another that they opened in the moments of anticipation right before heading to the ceremony.

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Holding umbrellas high over their heads to stay out of the rain, the wedding party and guests filed into the picturesque St. Petronille Church in Glen Ellyn for the ceremony. Father James Dougherty officiated the ceremony, which was his very last before retirement, accompanied by the lovely music of Gavin Coyle. Missy Donovan Photography stood by, snapping photos of all of the sweet moments that Katherine, Nick, and their guests shared. After the ceremony, the newlyweds and the wedding party hopped on a trolley from Naperville Trolley & Tours and drove all over Naperville, taking photos and celebrating.

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

That evening, guests arrived at the beautiful event space and outdoor gardens of Mesón Sabika in Naperville for the cocktail hour and reception. The whole space was decorated beautifully by LA Flowers, whose arrangements and décor perfectly reflected the couple’s taste and the spirit of their wedding. During cocktail hour, guests had the opportunity to enjoy some jazzy piano music and to take some photos in The Pix Booth’s photo booth, to add into a book for Katherine and Nick as mementos from their wedding.

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

After a delicious dinner provided by Mesón Sabika and two flavors of cake (each as decadent as the next) provided by Creative Cakes, the dance floor opened. David Rothstien Music brought an incredible, eleven-piece band that was the showstopper of the night (aside from Katherine and Nick, of course!). Katherine, Nick, and their friends and family danced the night away, celebrating love and friendship.

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Missy Donovan Photography

Thank you both for letting us take part in your special day! It was truly a joy to have gotten to know both of you in the past few months, as well as your lovely friends and family on wedding day. Congratulations and best wishes from the whole team at Five Grain Events!

Missy Donovan Photography

Lincolnshire Marriott — Lake County Partners’ Big Event

We always look forward to Lake County Partners’ Big Event – and this year was no exception. As we’ve seen with each passing year since we started working with the LCP team, this year’s event proved to be the biggest yet!

Cobalt Photography

The keynote speaker was someone we knew guests would be excited to hear from – journalist and author Sam Walker! Not only did he write the best-selling book Captain Class, he’s also currently the resident leadership expert with the Chicago Bears.

Cobalt Photography

Cobalt Photography

Word of mouth from past attendees, plus stellar design and online advertising initiatives from a5 Digital, proved to be the driving force behind an ever-growing guest list. We had to stop sales before the event for the first time, ever!

Cobalt Photography

Our space at the Lincolnshire Marriott was packed to the brim; we had coffee pouring non-stop, and guests were eager to network as much as they could before the official start of the breakfast.

Cobalt Photography

We were grateful to have the talent of Midwest Young Artists again this year; their string quartet proved to be the perfect music to provide atmosphere without drowning out the buoyant conversations during the networking hour.

Cobalt Photography

Lake County Partners team works hard to build purpose and meaning into every element of the event, and this year was no exception. With the keynote by Sam Walker, they were happy to share his wisdom with the masses — copies of his book were at every table, along with custom-made baseballs featuring the LCP logo!

Cobalt Photography

This year’s speakers were wonderful across the board – we were thrilled to see so many powerful women at the podium this year, too! We heard from the new Lake County chairperson, Sandy Hart, as well as Melissa Bean from Mesirow Financial, who spoke on the economic update and how it could impact Lake County. We also heard from Kim Wimer, the representative of the recipient of this year’s Talent Force winner: Laser Precision, who was introduced by Jennifer Harris, President of CR Search and Lake County Workforce Development Board Chair. Thanks to Hey It’s Matthew for making this wonderful and unique award — and way to go, ladies!

Cobalt Photography

Cobalt Photography

Cobalt Photography

Cobalt Photography

Guests were delighted to be able to head home with some great treats this year — from the copies of The Captain Class to the decadent and delicious brownies from The Bent Fork Bakery!

Cobalt Photography

We are already excited to get to work on next year’s Big Event — can’t wait to explore all the different ways we can grow this fantastic corporate breakfast!

Cobalt Photography

Happy Anniversary, Karly and Kevin!

Last November we had the privilege of working with Karly and Kevin on their practically fairytale wedding at the Bridgeport Art Center. We are still marveling over the gorgeous photos by WS Photography that captured the most beautiful, love-filled fall day (so unlike what we’re seeing outside right now!).

Happy first anniversary from the team here at Five Grain Events. We wish you many years marital bliss to come!

Love, 

Christina and Joan

Maple & Main Apartments — Grand Opening Party

Nothing cheers us up from the doldrums of winter like a fun, garden-themed spring party! Maple & Main Apartments, operated by Greystar, recently opened to the public and wanted to celebrate their stylish digs with a bang! We were ecstatic to help pull together a theme and source some key players for this Grand Opening party. When we learned they had an outdoor pool to boot, we were sold!

Gold Grid Studios

We wanted to feature lots of color — and floral! — and we pulled our inspiration from this gorgeous linen by BBj.

Gold Grid Studios

It wouldn’t be an official grand opening without a statement balloon installation, so we trusted our friends at Balloons by Tommy to pull something off that could work indoor OR outdoor, factoring the delightful midwest spring weather into the equation. Good thing we did — it was a particularly blustery day!

Gold Grid Studios

Another key element of a great Grand Opening? A ribbon-cutting ceremony! The fine folks at the Downers Grove Chamber of Commerce helped make this a cinch, providing the fantastically sized scissors and bright ribbon.

Gold Grid Studios

We loved the idea of keeping it around throughout the festivities so guests could sign it and share their well-wishes for Maple & Main!

Gold Grid Studios

Giveaways are always a hit, and we had some delightful treats for our guests — a succulent that complemented the permanent decor of Maple & Main, plus stunning hand-painted cookies by Semi-Sweet Ginger.

Gold Grid Studios

Gold Grid Studios

The food was delectable — we had offerings from both Smokey Tomato, a local Downers Grove catering company, and Cadence Kitchen, a restaurant group opening a new space in the building! Smokey Tomato provided the majority of the hors d’oeuvres, while Cadence Kitchen featured a special appetizer to highlight their menu.

Gold Grid Studios

Gold Grid Studios was on hand to capture all the fun of the day, and we couldn’t be happier with the photos!

Congratulations to everyone on the team at Maple & Main! We know you’ll be a stellar addition to the community in Downers Grove, and hope to throw more fun fêtes with you soon!