Birthday Planner in Chicago Metro Area

• - 5/5

We definitely made the right decision by working with Jean and Blue Llama Events for our wedding! Jean is creative, responsive, level headed, and strategic. Her coordinator, Katie, helped us on the day-of, and she kept our unusual event from becoming stressful. We had originally planned a December 2020 wedding, and like so many couples, the pandemic created too much uncertainty to move forward. In June, my fiance and I decided to elope in our backyard - with 20 days notice. Jean and her team stepped up without hesitating. She kept us on track, helped us think through these strange scenarios, and made the whole day so special and stress-free. We look forward to working with her on our post-pandemic party plan!

• - 5/5

As part of Violet Vintage Rentals, we LOVE working with Jean with Blue Llama Events! She has such creative vision and is able to bring unique and fun events to life! We love working with her team!

• - 5/5

Jean is the best! We sought her help for planning our daughters wedding from two different States outside of Indianapolis (I was in one State, my daughter in another State). She thought of everything and recognized concerns while planning therefor avoiding problems on the special day making it absolutely perfect. She is patient, calm, understanding, and will go above and beyond to make anything you desire happen. I am 100% positive we could not have managed without her. Thank you for caring for your clients. Your compassion shows in your work!

• - 5/5

I was recently the DJ at a wedding that Jean from Blue Llama Events was the event planner and coordinator. If I had to sum her performance up in 1 word I would say AMAZING. She was fast in her communications with me prior to the wedding! She helped work out some last minute details with the room arrangement which was no small effort! On the wedding day she helped everything go smooth! She jumped in when she was needed and did it all with a smile on her face! I do hope to work with Jean again soon and I highly recommend her if you need an event planner, she is excellent!

• - 5/5

I have had the blessing of working with Jean at Blue Llama on two occasions now and each time she is absolutely phenomenal. As a fellow wedding professional, I have come to see the incredible importance of having a talented and professional planner. I can truly say that Jean fits that bill to a T. We worked together recently on an Indian wedding and she managed to run the entire event seamlessly even though she was working on a holiday with minimal help. I highly recommend her and will be encouraging all of my clients to utilize her amazing skills and services.

• - 5/5

I absolutely loved working with Jean for our wedding day! I was initially hesitant to hire a wedding coordinator due to our budget, but she was BEYOND worth it and I can’t imagine pulling the day off without her. She was quick with communication and coordination between me and the wedding venue – which had been a HUGE struggle before working with Jean. She always kept my wishes as a top priority and truly had my back throughout the months that we worked together. Even on the wedding day she was the one person that kept me sane and relaxed! I could not be more thankful to have had Jean as a part of our big day!

• - 5/5

I wish I could give Jean and Blue Llama Events more than 5 stars - highly recommend! I went with the month-of option and Jean and her team not only were there to help with random questions and give suggestions before that month-of takeover but executed every detail better than I could have ever imagined. Jean and her team are the main reason my now-husband and I were able to relax and actually enjoy our wedding day and we are so incredibly thankful for their skill and professionalism. If anyone is on the fence as to whether to hire a coordinator - it is an absolute MUST and worth every penny, and Jean and Blue Llama Events are the best of the best.

• - 5/5

After the incredibly tough decision to postpone our wedding, we knew we needed help to plan our wedding and Jean was there every step of the way to ensure our wedding ran smoothly and according to plan. Immediately after we started working with Jean it felt like a weight was lifted off our shoulders as she put together a great itinerary and worked with all our vendors. On our wedding day, Jean and her team went above and beyond to make our day special- we couldn’t have done it without them! Rain came into play and her team picked up umbrellas for the bridal party and guests as well as making adjustments to ensure the rain didn’t rain on our parade! Thank you for everything, Jean and team! We cannot recommend Jean & Blue Llama Events enough for your next event =)

• - 5/5

Booking Blue Llama Events and working with Jean was one of the best decisions I made for my wedding. She was worth every penny. I do not live in Indy, and I had to plan my entire wedding remotely. She was very responsive, always had excellent recommendations for venders, and helped me keep every detail organized. I know she had many other events to work on, but she always made me feel like my small event was a priority. I highly recommend working with Jean and her team from Blue Llama.

• - 5/5

Jean (owner) and the Blue Llama Events team is exactly who you want to hire to plan and coordinate your wedding! I started planning my wedding by myself for an out of state venue that didn’t have many included amenities. When it came to putting it all together, I felt lost. This is where Jean came in and saved the day (literally)! We hired her 3 months out for her coordinating services and wish we would have hired her from the beginning! She is beyond professional, knowledgeable, and resourceful. She coordinated with our vendors before our wedding, sorted out finishing details with me, ran our rehearsal, set up the day of the event, and handled every detail of the wedding. Because of Blue Llama Events, me, my husband, friends, and family were able to enjoy the wedding day knowing everything was taken care of.

• - 5/5

My daughter had her perfect wedding - and it was all because of Jean. Besides living in a different state, I knew nothing about planning a wedding and finding vendors. From our initial zoom meeting, my daughter and I felt like we had known Jean forever. She understood our vision of the wedding & reception and carried that vision through in every aspect - flowers, photographer, tablecloths, DJ, etc. The other important thing to me, as Mother of the Bride, was to be able to enjoy the day with my daughter. I was able to spend the entire morning with her as the bridal party were in hair & make-up. I didn't have to worry about anything! I would choose Jean all over again and highly recommend her!

• - 5/5

From the very first interaction with Jean, I knew she would be the perfect fit to plan my dream wedding! She is incredibly easy to get a long with and feels like you are working with a very familiar friend. She gets excited for you when planning all the small and big details. She was quick to understand my style and vision, and nailed every detail. She is more organized than I could ever imagine and super quick to respond. I've heard all my friends say wedding planning is too stressful for them, but Jean took away all my stress and made the planning process enjoyable. She found the perfect vendors for us, all while keeping our budget in mind. I cannot say enough great things about her! I would recommend her to anyone in a heart beat! She is just as fun as her company name. :)

• - 5/5

I had a unique experience with Jean in that our wedding was scheduled for March 28, 2020 — right at the time of the first lockdown. We had already been planning for a year, but Jean quickly took the initiative in rescheduling with all vendors. We ended up rescheduling twice due to the pandemic and finally had our amazing reception on Feb 19, 2022 Through all the cancellations, vendor changes, and small detail changes, Jean was there to make sure everything went smoothly. Planning and replanning this for 3 years would not have been possible without her. The reception was magical and everything I wanted. I cannot recommend her services enough!

• - 5/5

I had a wonderful experience working with Jean in planning my wedding! Jean and her team literally took care of everything. All I had to do was show up for appointments, most of which were virtual which was very convenient for me since I live a ways away from her office. She made recommendations for florists, photographers, etc and even found a wedding pet sitter for us! She also helped organize our rehearsal brunch. All of our guests raved about how organized and beautiful the wedding was and this is because of Jean’s good work! I could sit back and relax and rest assured that everything for my wedding was taken care of. If you are feeling overwhelmed with wedding planning like I was, definitely spend the extra money to hire Jean and her team. It was definitely worth it for me!

• - 5/5

I want to give Jean Rivers and her team a shout out! They were the wedding coordinator for my daughter’s wedding a couple of weeks ago. I must say on the day of the wedding from the moment I took a shower to get cleaned up and until the end of the evening I didn’t worry about a thing and was able to enjoy myself completely! I knew that Jean and her team was covering what needed to be done! My daughter was very much at ease and was able to enjoy her wedding day without fretting over details! Thank you so much Jean to you and your team for taking care of those details, and for helping to make it the day of my daughter’s dreams!!!

• - 5/5

Where to begin.. Jean and her team are one of a kind. We hired Jean right from the beginning and were always in contact with her for the 1.5 yrs of planning! She was the point of contact for our venders, set up meetings with them, and handled EVERYTHING the day of the wedding. I didn’t have to worry about anything but enjoying my wedding day, which is something not a lot of people get to do. Her team helped set up the decorations, take them down, and pack them into my families car. We had our dogs in our wedding and her team even brought treats to help distract them when needed. Yes hiring a wedding planner is an investment, but you will not go wrong with Blue Llama Events. 100% recommend to a friend. Thanks so much Jean!(:

• - 5/5

Jean and her team are amazing at what they do. We had an Indian and American fusion wedding. She took the ideas I had and turned it in to a fairytale wedding. Of course with every wedding, there is going to be issues. Our photographer got covid 2 days before the wedding and she took care of the issue so we did not stress. She had all the contacts for vendors, she booked everything, sent out invitations, got permits for the baraat, arranged details with photographers, and basically created a beautiful wedding that not only my husband and I will never forget, but neither will the guests forget. And she knew more about Indian weddings than I did! She is so professional but also she became my friend in the end. I’m so grateful for Jean and her team!

• - 5/5

We would recommend contacting Blue Llama Events for any of your event planning needs in the Midwest! We had a wonderful wedding planning experience with Blue Llama Events (Jean Rivers and her team)! Jean and her team were always responsive, organized and provided invaluable insight and recommendations as we planned our wedding from a distance (we live in Seattle). With Jean’s expertise and guidance, we were able to plan a beautiful Hindu wedding ceremony at the Indiana Statehouse, a wedding reception at the Eiteljorg Museum, and a welcome dinner/mehendi event at the Westin Hotel. Jean is very solution oriented and was always so calm and positive – there’s not much more you can ask for from a wedding planner!

• - 5/5

Our wedding weekend was flawless and we cannot thank Jean and the Blue Llama team enough for making sure everything was taken care of and went extremely smoothly. She was there every step of the way, and extremely detail-oriented — even making sure things that weren’t even on our mind were handled. We have really enjoyed working with Blue Llama and seeing how they were able to bring all of our and our families’ random ideas to life! We will be sure to recommend Blue Llama to all of our friends!

• - 5/5

If you are looking for someone who was born to plan a seamless, gorgeous wedding, you NEED Jean! My husband and I had a rocky start to planning our big day, but Jean saved the wedding from being a mess. It speaks volumes when Jean and her team were able to turn a stressful situation into the wedding of our dreams in a matter of a few short months. She was incredibly attentive, flexible, and calm whenever we needed her. Our only regret is that we didn't find her sooner. My husband and I had an Indian fusion wedding, so Jean and her team were aware of the various cultural elements we needed to incorporate into our events. On top of that, we did a destination wedding in the Dominican Republic. Our wedding was a challenge to plan in many ways, but Jean and her team are so experienced and professional that they knew exactly what to do. They made it seem like a breeze! Blue Llama Events is the best wedding money you will ever spend, and you'll be so glad to have Jean and her team in your corner! We already miss our Zoom calls with her!

• - 5/5

Kimani Lashley. &. Dominique Michael Lewis

• - 5/5

I loved working with Jean to help her with a virtual event! She is very responsive and takes care of her customers with creative solutions! I highly recommend her for your next event!

• - 5/5

I just worked multi day wedding with Jean. She was amazing and very nice to work with. It was a fun event with all great people. Jean works super hard and was very informative. Thank you for everything!

• - 5/5

Jean was truly wonderful to work with in planning my event! She knew great vendors and I even enjoyed just chatting with her. Could not recommend Blue Llama enough!

• - 5/5

Blue Llama events is amazing to work with! She takes care of everything for you, so you have absolutely ZERO stress during your wedding or event OR during the planning process. She's very professional and so good at what she does. I HIGHLY recomend her!

• - 5/5

Jean is absolutely amazing. She helped coordinate the most beautiful Indian fusion wedding. We were able to enjoy our day because she made sure everything was perfect. Our day was EPIC and ELEGANT. Highly recommend!!

• - 5/5

During a pandemic and all the ups and downs of wedding planning, this team knows how to make your dream wedding happen! Jean and her team have been there with me months in advance. They have answered every question quickly and have helped every bump in the road. My main thing was to not stress during our wedding day and that was what they did! Every little detail months before to the end of the night was perfect and I have a lot to thank because of them! If you’re ever thinking about needing a wedding planner? You DO! And I 100% would recommend them to everyone!

• - 5/5

We recently had a wedding at the Marriott Downtown. Jean was absolutely amazing and professional. Everything went by smooth and everyone was able to enjoy the food services. Kudos to Jean and her team!

• - 5/5

I can't say enough positive things about Jean, Maddie and the rest of the team. I wish I could keep them on for my day to day life lol Jean really took the weight of wedding planning off my shoulders and was just generally nice to talk to. The help on the wedding day was invaluable. They took care of everything so I didn't have to and stayed the entire night to help with any clearing up after the party was over. It was so nice to have someone calm and in control to lean on. 10/10 would reccomend

• - 5/5

My experience with Blue Llama Events was phenomenal. Everything went off perfectly and it was an extremely difficult event to plan and execute. I came to Blue Llama Events with a completely bespoke event request. Other event planners did not even want to take on the project, and Jean welcomed the challenge. The logistics were difficult, as everyone attending was from out of town, so all of the planning had to be done from a distance, but I always felt reassured that everything was set and ready to go. Jean runs a very tight ship, everything is thoroughly thought out, many options are given, accompanied by excellent advice. Expenses are watched carefully, and the attention to detail is outstanding. Jean is operates the business with the utmost integrity and professionalism. I could not have been happier with the experience and the result!

• - 5/5

Jean and her team are AMAZING! When I started wedding planning I thought I had it together but Jean literally came in and saved me when I didn’t know where to go or who to turn to! Her team is amazing with same day coordination even with crazy Indian weddings! I can’t thank Jean and her team enough!! They go above and beyond!

• - 5/5

Jean and the folks at Blue LLama are true professionals and do an amazing job! They are creative, easy to work with and take care of everything! Whether it’s a backyard party to a large scale 250 person event - they are fabulous! Recently did a wonderful job decorating a Diwali party. Gorgeous and colorful! Book them!

• - 5/5

Jean is the best! She gets things done! She was the Coordinator of a wedding that I photographed and she did an amazing job!!! There was a problem with a DIY bridal detail that malfunctioned and I didn’t even notice because she was able to smoothly make it work and the reception was absolutely flawless! She is a professional and able to think on her feet which is so important since there are always little things that will come up!

• - 5/5

I hired Jean on as a same day coordinator originally just to help set up decor on my wedding day. But she became so much more than that!! Jean did such a great job keeping me organized and bringing the whole day together! She was always prompt in answering texts/emails and no task seemed too difficult for her! She was so great to work with the month before as well and helped de-stress so much! Between her helping with decor set up and allowing me to use some of her decor, she actually helped save me a lot on extra charges. Her cost is so reasonable the value is beyond what I could have imagined! I cannot say enough great things about my experience. She was always willing to go the extra mile with the vision I was going for and making sure the vendors were all on the same page. I HIGHLY recommend Blue Llama Events for any type of planning you may need!! Excellent service!!

• - 5/5

Jean and her team were beyond amazing!! They went above and beyond their roles! From the moment we met with Jean, she was so organized and on top of everything, I knew hiring her was the right choice! For our reception, we had a lot of small details to be executed and her team set it up exactly as I envisioned. Jean was the go to for the night, my right hand woman, to guide us through the order of events. Right after our ceremony, we realized we forgot to bring the sparklers for our sparkler exit, I was devastated, and literally minutes later Jean said don't worry about it, we have it taken care of, no joke, within an hour her team found an open store on a Sunday, got long sparklers and had them put in the sparkler jar in time for sparkler sendoff. That meant the world to us since that's the one moment we were beyond excited for! Her and her team were lifesavers!! She stayed until the very end, cleaning everything up and packing it all into my family's vehicles. We were blown away by how efficient she was! Such a pro! We will definitely recommend her to engaged friends! A day of coordinator is definitely worth every penny, especially if it's Blue Llama Events! We highly recommend having the dream team work together, photographer(Dauss Miller), Videograher (Vibe Productions), DJ (Track Seven-Joel), and Blue Llama Events (Jean), they worked seamlessly together! Thank you Jean!! You're the best!

• - 5/5

This team is AMAZING! I was about six months into wedding planning and feeling completely overwhelmed. I reached out and spoke with Jean Rivers who instantly made me feel at ease. She took the reigns for the following six months and coordinated/handled everything from several vendors, picking up all rental items, handling everything day of (controlling the crowd, getting me where I need to be in time, etc). I am so thankful for her and her awesome team! Brides... you must get a wedding planner ASAP!

• - 5/5

We definitely made the right decision by working with Jean and Blue Llama Events for our wedding! Jean is creative, responsive, level headed, and strategic. Her coordinator, Katie, helped us on the day-of, and she kept our unusual event from becoming stressful. We had originally planned a December 2020 wedding, and like so many couples, the pandemic created too much uncertainty to move forward. In June, my fiance and I decided to elope in our backyard - with 20 days notice. Jean and her team stepped up without hesitating. She kept us on track, helped us think through these strange scenarios, and made the whole day so special and stress-free. We look forward to working with her on our post-pandemic party plan!

• - 5/5

As part of Violet Vintage Rentals, we LOVE working with Jean with Blue Llama Events! She has such creative vision and is able to bring unique and fun events to life! We love working with her team!

• - 5/5

Jean is the best! We sought her help for planning our daughters wedding from two different States outside of Indianapolis (I was in one State, my daughter in another State). She thought of everything and recognized concerns while planning therefor avoiding problems on the special day making it absolutely perfect. She is patient, calm, understanding, and will go above and beyond to make anything you desire happen. I am 100% positive we could not have managed without her. Thank you for caring for your clients. Your compassion shows in your work!

• - 5/5

I was recently the DJ at a wedding that Jean from Blue Llama Events was the event planner and coordinator. If I had to sum her performance up in 1 word I would say AMAZING. She was fast in her communications with me prior to the wedding! She helped work out some last minute details with the room arrangement which was no small effort! On the wedding day she helped everything go smooth! She jumped in when she was needed and did it all with a smile on her face! I do hope to work with Jean again soon and I highly recommend her if you need an event planner, she is excellent!

• - 5/5

I have had the blessing of working with Jean at Blue Llama on two occasions now and each time she is absolutely phenomenal. As a fellow wedding professional, I have come to see the incredible importance of having a talented and professional planner. I can truly say that Jean fits that bill to a T. We worked together recently on an Indian wedding and she managed to run the entire event seamlessly even though she was working on a holiday with minimal help. I highly recommend her and will be encouraging all of my clients to utilize her amazing skills and services.

• - 5/5

I absolutely loved working with Jean for our wedding day! I was initially hesitant to hire a wedding coordinator due to our budget, but she was BEYOND worth it and I can’t imagine pulling the day off without her. She was quick with communication and coordination between me and the wedding venue – which had been a HUGE struggle before working with Jean. She always kept my wishes as a top priority and truly had my back throughout the months that we worked together. Even on the wedding day she was the one person that kept me sane and relaxed! I could not be more thankful to have had Jean as a part of our big day!

• - 5/5

I wish I could give Jean and Blue Llama Events more than 5 stars - highly recommend! I went with the month-of option and Jean and her team not only were there to help with random questions and give suggestions before that month-of takeover but executed every detail better than I could have ever imagined. Jean and her team are the main reason my now-husband and I were able to relax and actually enjoy our wedding day and we are so incredibly thankful for their skill and professionalism. If anyone is on the fence as to whether to hire a coordinator - it is an absolute MUST and worth every penny, and Jean and Blue Llama Events are the best of the best.

• - 5/5

After the incredibly tough decision to postpone our wedding, we knew we needed help to plan our wedding and Jean was there every step of the way to ensure our wedding ran smoothly and according to plan. Immediately after we started working with Jean it felt like a weight was lifted off our shoulders as she put together a great itinerary and worked with all our vendors. On our wedding day, Jean and her team went above and beyond to make our day special- we couldn’t have done it without them! Rain came into play and her team picked up umbrellas for the bridal party and guests as well as making adjustments to ensure the rain didn’t rain on our parade! Thank you for everything, Jean and team! We cannot recommend Jean & Blue Llama Events enough for your next event =)

• - 5/5

Booking Blue Llama Events and working with Jean was one of the best decisions I made for my wedding. She was worth every penny. I do not live in Indy, and I had to plan my entire wedding remotely. She was very responsive, always had excellent recommendations for venders, and helped me keep every detail organized. I know she had many other events to work on, but she always made me feel like my small event was a priority. I highly recommend working with Jean and her team from Blue Llama.

• - 5/5

Jean (owner) and the Blue Llama Events team is exactly who you want to hire to plan and coordinate your wedding! I started planning my wedding by myself for an out of state venue that didn’t have many included amenities. When it came to putting it all together, I felt lost. This is where Jean came in and saved the day (literally)! We hired her 3 months out for her coordinating services and wish we would have hired her from the beginning! She is beyond professional, knowledgeable, and resourceful. She coordinated with our vendors before our wedding, sorted out finishing details with me, ran our rehearsal, set up the day of the event, and handled every detail of the wedding. Because of Blue Llama Events, me, my husband, friends, and family were able to enjoy the wedding day knowing everything was taken care of.

• - 5/5

My daughter had her perfect wedding - and it was all because of Jean. Besides living in a different state, I knew nothing about planning a wedding and finding vendors. From our initial zoom meeting, my daughter and I felt like we had known Jean forever. She understood our vision of the wedding & reception and carried that vision through in every aspect - flowers, photographer, tablecloths, DJ, etc. The other important thing to me, as Mother of the Bride, was to be able to enjoy the day with my daughter. I was able to spend the entire morning with her as the bridal party were in hair & make-up. I didn't have to worry about anything! I would choose Jean all over again and highly recommend her!

• - 5/5

From the very first interaction with Jean, I knew she would be the perfect fit to plan my dream wedding! She is incredibly easy to get a long with and feels like you are working with a very familiar friend. She gets excited for you when planning all the small and big details. She was quick to understand my style and vision, and nailed every detail. She is more organized than I could ever imagine and super quick to respond. I've heard all my friends say wedding planning is too stressful for them, but Jean took away all my stress and made the planning process enjoyable. She found the perfect vendors for us, all while keeping our budget in mind. I cannot say enough great things about her! I would recommend her to anyone in a heart beat! She is just as fun as her company name. :)

• - 5/5

I had a unique experience with Jean in that our wedding was scheduled for March 28, 2020 — right at the time of the first lockdown. We had already been planning for a year, but Jean quickly took the initiative in rescheduling with all vendors. We ended up rescheduling twice due to the pandemic and finally had our amazing reception on Feb 19, 2022 Through all the cancellations, vendor changes, and small detail changes, Jean was there to make sure everything went smoothly. Planning and replanning this for 3 years would not have been possible without her. The reception was magical and everything I wanted. I cannot recommend her services enough!

• - 5/5

I had a wonderful experience working with Jean in planning my wedding! Jean and her team literally took care of everything. All I had to do was show up for appointments, most of which were virtual which was very convenient for me since I live a ways away from her office. She made recommendations for florists, photographers, etc and even found a wedding pet sitter for us! She also helped organize our rehearsal brunch. All of our guests raved about how organized and beautiful the wedding was and this is because of Jean’s good work! I could sit back and relax and rest assured that everything for my wedding was taken care of. If you are feeling overwhelmed with wedding planning like I was, definitely spend the extra money to hire Jean and her team. It was definitely worth it for me!