Tell us what makes your business different from other wedding companies?
Coming from an Eastern European background, I have had the opportunity to study art and various cultural traditions, I have always dreamt of designing celebrations for different communities. My incredible, diverse clients and staff allow me to stand out and become a true expert in ethnical wedding design. This makes Yanni Design Studio, Chicagoland's top event design and decor company.
Photo Courtesy of LaCour Images
How did you handle the pandemic? Did your business model change?
The pandemic was a complete shock that no one was prepared for. We closed the deal on our new 60,000 SQ FT headquarters in March of 2020, just one week before the world pandemic began. We were looking forward to a fantastic season with a plan to exponentially expand our business. Our business model relies significantly on our clients to experience our expansive showroom. We re-assessed our business model and put additional efforts into creating the best possible virtual experience for our clients. We were also able to focus on constructing a sensational new event space. We believe the pandemic made us stronger, more flexible and creative as professionals.
What is your best advice for engaged couples?
The best advice we can give to newly engaged couples is to enjoy the experience of finding your own unique wedding style, thinking outside the box, and creating new ideas together. Planning and designing a wedding is a personal and touching bonding journey. Our couples' wonderful ideas combined with our talented design team, the possibilities are endless.
Who inspires you?
Our incredible and intuitive clients are our biggest supporters and source of inspiration. Our world is filled with daily creative stimulation through social media which fuels our clients' vision. Our brides are highly educated and creative consumers who challenge us to create unique designs everyday.
The Peninsula Chicago - Photo Courtesy of Yanni Design Studio - Wedding Planning: Sue Primer
What is your favorite trend for weddings currently?
Currently we are designing more contemporary events than ever before! We are discovering innovative ways to incorporate cultural elements and utilize space differently with multifunctional furniture lounges, bar areas, photo backdrops, food stations, place card walls, etc.
What would you like to be the new trend for weddings?
We hope to see more vibrant and bold tones mixed with natural earth tones. We are hoping that extravagant floral art installations will be in the spotlight of 2022.
What big news do you want to share?
We are excited to announce that Canvas, our new event space, is now open for booking for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Four Seasons Chicago - Photo Courtesy of Cristina G Photography - Wedding Planning So Stacy Events
How far in advance should couples book your business?
Each couple has a unique and different time frame in which they are comfortable in creating their big day! 2022 is projected to have a record high number of weddings and events since 1985. We are currently experiencing this influx of customer inquiries and have even started booking for our 2023 season. Ideally we recommend our couples to book 6 - 12 months in advance which allows a sufficient time frame to offer a complete and immersive design experience.
What three words describe your business best?
Inclusive, creative, luxurious.
What do you think is essential for any wedding.
A happy couple. The couples' joy and positive energy is what creates a true celebration and is the most essential element of any and every wedding.
Yanni Elyash - Creative Director of Yanni Design Studio
[email protected], 847.419.9999, www.yannidesignstudio.com
Photography by:
