biography

As one of Chicago's premier wedding consultants, Rachel Bradley has planned some of the city's most memorable affairs. Ranging from intimate, classic soirees to spectacular, over-the-top extravaganzas, Rachel has orchestrated events, not only in Chicago, but also around the United States.

Rachel grew up in Chicago's Gold Coast area, attending Francis W. Parker School, where her love for theater took hold of her. Upon graduation, she studied at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. There she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Performance Studies and Theater. Her love for acting and drama pulled her to Los Angeles for several years. During that time, Rachel performed in many plays, commercials, and independent films.

However, she missed the wonderful city in which she had grown up and studied. She returned home.

While continuing her acting career locally, she was a Maid of Honor in her best friend's wedding at the Four Seasons Hotel. While they were setting up and taking preliminary wedding portraits, Rachel glanced around the ballroom and had an epiphany. Weddings are just like theater.

Rachel asked her friend's wedding consultant for a job that night. It was the start of her event planning business. She worked her way through the event-planning spectrum during the next few years, from catering to music to "day of" planning.

In 1997, Rachel Bradley Events, Ltd was born. A small, boutique wedding consultation office that caters to a smaller, more intimate clientele. Rachel only takes on a certain amount of weddings per year. This allows her more time, energy, and creativity for her clients, more person-to-person attention. Planning a wedding can be so stressful and so overwhelming that Rachel wanted to make the experience as calm, exciting, and relaxed as possible.

Rachel Bradley created a place where brides, grooms, and their families can plan a wedding of their dreams together. She has become known for her candor, her attention to the smallest detail, and her immense vision. Rachel believes that no two weddings should be alike. She takes the time to really get to know her families so that personal details flourish the wedding, making it unique and forever touching. Her background in theater guides her through the creative process. She is always excited to try new vendors, new concepts, and new venues.

Rachel's goal is to make the wedding planning process as entertaining and exciting as the actual wedding itself. Her aim is to make the process of planning a wedding as memorable and enjoyable as the big day.

"It is difficult to find the right words to describe my experience with Rachel. From the first time we met I knew that she would help me realize my ideal wedding and make sure that everything would fall into place. Planning a wedding can be such a stressful time but having Rachel as a guide made the process so smooth and, dare I say, relaxing. She listened to what I was looking for and sifted through the thousands of vendors to help me find just the right fit with my and my fiancé's personalities. From the band to the florist to the photographer she was there every step of the way and her vision was amazing. She was a sounding board for issues that seemed to creep up often and over the year that we spent planning the big day we developed a friendship, which I think is rare. I trusted her opinion and expertise and in the end she put together the most amazing night of my life. People are still talking about what an elegant, fun, and intimate wedding it was and I owe that to Rachel. I couldn't have pulled it off without her!"

-Jamie Thau