✦ Chicago Simcha Guide

Welcome to theChicago Simcha Guide

לע״נ גרשון בנימין בן אליעזר Click here to learn more →

Everything you need to plan a simcha: venues, catering, vendors, gemachs, planning tools, and more!

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Everything in one place

Everything you need for your simcha

Browse curated Chicago resources by category:

Hall Venues

Simcha halls & shul social halls for every celebration.

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Caterers

Kosher caterers for your simcha, meat & dairy.

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Restaurants

Kosher restaurants, cafés & bakeries across Chicagoland.

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Markets

Kosher groceries, butchers & markets, some with catering.

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Party Planners

Planners who coordinate your whole simcha, start to finish.

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Vendors

Photography, music, flowers & décor.

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Gemachs

Free-loan & community lending resources.

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Wait Staff

Waiters and servers to hire for your simcha.

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Plan with confidence

Planning Timelines

Choose a simcha to see its timeline and planning checklist.

Select a simcha above to view its timeline and checklist.

Chasuna

1
Once Engaged

Mazel Tov!

  • Set a date
  • Book a venue
  • Start a budget
2
9–12 Months Before

Build your team

  • Book caterer
  • Book band / music & badchan
  • Book photographer & videographer
  • Book mechitzos & lighting
  • Hire a wedding planner (optional)
3
6 Months Before

Save the date

  • Send save-the-dates
  • Book florist
  • Order invitations
  • Book a hotel block for guests
  • Book the kallah teacher
  • Order / customize sheitels
  • Begin the apartment & home setup
4
3 Months Before

Details & design

  • Send invitations
  • Plan the menu
  • Book hair & makeup
  • Arrange transportation
  • Buy a ksuva
  • Set up a gift registry
  • Get the marriage license
5
1 Month Before

Final details

  • Finalize seating chart
  • Confirm all vendors
  • Final gown fittings
  • Tovel the keilim
  • Plan the Shabbos sheva brachos meals & hosting
6
1 Week Before

Final touches

  • Final venue walkthrough
  • Confirm headcount
  • Prepare speeches
  • Arrange hafrashas challah & chuppah tefillah cards
  • Divide Tehillim for the day
  • Pack for the wedding & sheva brachos

Chasuna Planning Checklist

Tick off each item as you go.

Aufruf

1
2–3 Months Before

Set the foundation

  • Coordinate with the shul for the date
  • Plan the kiddush
2
2–4 Weeks Before

Get ready

  • Order kiddush food
  • Buy candy for throwing
  • Invite family & friends for the Shabbos
3
Week Of

Final touches

  • Confirm kiddush details
  • Arrange Shabbos meals for guests
  • Prepare bags of candy

Aufruf Planning Checklist

Tick off each item as you go.

Sheva Brachos

1
1–2 Months Before Wedding

Line up the week

  • Line up hosts for each of the seven nights
  • Coordinate meal sizes and locations
  • Book a hall for Shabbos sheva brachos
2
2 Weeks Before

Confirm details

  • Confirm all hosts
  • Ensure panim chadashos for each night
  • Coordinate food and logistics
  • Book sheitel touch-ups & hair for Shabbos
  • Prepare hostess packages for hosts
3
During Sheva Brachos Week

Each night

  • Ensure a minyan each night
  • Bring wine and challah for brachos

Sheva Brachos Planning Checklist

Tick off each item as you go.

Bar Mitzvah

1
12–16 Months Before

Lay the foundation

  • Order tefillin (the sofer can take a year+)
  • Determine the parsha
  • Book a venue & caterer
  • Begin learning the parsha / haftarah (hire a tutor)
  • Start a needlepoint tallis/tefillin bag (optional)
  • Decide the type of simcha, Shabbos / weeknight
2
2–6 Months Before

Build your team

  • Book photographer / videographer
  • Book music
  • Book hair & makeup
  • Work on the guest list
  • Arrange Shabbos accommodations for guests
  • Set a learning goal (optional)
3
6–8 Weeks Before

Clothing & invitations

  • Plan the invitation or evite
  • Order the tefillin bag
  • Shop for the bar mitzvah boy (suit, shirts, hats, shoes, tie, belt, coat)
  • Check the suit for shaatnez
  • Shop family outfits & dresses
4
3–4 Weeks Before

Details

  • Mail invitations
  • Finalize menu / arrange the shul kiddush
  • Book rentals (tables/chairs) & tablecloths
  • Arrange flowers & lighting
  • Order benchers
  • Prepare hostess packages (Shabbos)
  • Get accessories
5
1–2 Weeks Before

Final touches

  • Give notice to speakers
  • Confirm all vendors
  • Book a babysitter for the baby
  • Buy liquor / wine
  • Drop off your sheitel
  • Prepare the pshetel / speech
6
That Week & Day Of

The big day

  • Pick up your sheitel
  • Hair & makeup
  • Have mementos ready (optional)
  • Eat lunch!

Bar Mitzvah Planning Checklist

Tick off each item as you go.

Bas Mitzvah

1
6–12 Months Before

Set the foundation

  • Set a date
  • Book a venue
  • Decide on the style of celebration
2
3–6 Months Before

Build your team

  • Book caterer
  • Send invitations
  • Plan a program
  • Book a photographer
  • Book hair & makeup
3
1–2 Months Before

Final details

  • Finalize the program
  • Confirm vendors
  • Arrange decorations & flowers
4
1 Week Before

Final touches

  • Final venue walkthrough
  • Practice speeches / presentations
  • Confirm headcount

Bas Mitzvah Planning Checklist

Tick off each item as you go.

Bris

1
After Birth

First steps

  • Contact a mohel
  • Inform family & friends
  • Determine the 8th day (consult your Rav for Shabbos/Yom Tov)
2
3–5 Days Before

Set the stage

  • Confirm venue
  • Order food / catering
  • Arrange seating
  • Prepare the kisei shel Eliyahu
  • Get the baby's outfit & bencher cards
3
Day Before

Final prep

  • Confirm with mohel
  • Prepare baby supplies
  • Set up venue
4
Day Of

The big day

  • Set up food & seating
  • Have diapers & supplies ready
  • Designate kvatter & kvatterin
  • Prepare for naming

Bris Planning Checklist

Tick off each item as you go.

Make a Bris Kibbudim Card →

Shalom Zachor

1
Day of Birth

Spread the word

  • Spread the word about the simcha
  • Determine location
2
Thursday / Friday

Prepare to host

  • Buy arbes, beer, snacks, cake, cholent or kugel
  • Set up the home for guests
  • Prepare seating

Shalom Zachor Planning Checklist

Tick off each item as you go.

Pidyon Haben

1
Before the 30th Day

Set it up

  • Confirm a pidyon is needed (ask your Rav, not for Kohen/Levi or a C-section)
  • Book hall & caterer ASAP (it must be on the 30th day)
  • Appoint the Kohen who will redeem the baby
2
Before the Day

Gather what you need

  • Invite guests (calls / texts are fine)
  • Get 5 silver coins
  • Arrange the large silver tray (~20") & a blanket
  • Get a pretty outfit for the baby
  • Order garlic & sugar-cube pekelach
  • Order bencher cards with the pidyon haben text
  • Prepare wine & a becher
3
Day Of

The redemption

  • Dress the baby (secure jewelry with gold safety pins)
  • Parents in Yom Tov clothing
  • Have the coins, tray & wine ready

Pidyon Haben Planning Checklist

Tick off each item as you go.

Upsherin

1
2–3 Months Before

Set the foundation

  • Set a date (on or near the Hebrew birthday)
  • Book a venue or plan it at home
  • Make invitations
2
2–4 Weeks Before

Get ready

  • Plan food & refreshments
  • Buy a new yarmulke & tzitzis
  • Arrange alef-beis chart with honey
  • Prepare a small program or speech
3
Day Of

The big day

  • Set up the venue
  • Prepare scissors for guests to take a snip
  • Have the alef-beis & honey ready
✦
The directory

Browse all resources

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Hall Venues

Verify current details directly with each venue.

Caterers

Source: cRc Consumer Kosher caterer list. Some offer both meat & dairy. Confirm current status before booking.

Restaurants

Source: cRc Consumer Kosher list (April 2025). Confirm current status before ordering.

Kosher Markets

Party Planners

A&E Events

Mrs. Aviva Applebaum

📄 Business card coming
Planner

Mrs. Faith Bugay

📄 Business card coming
Planner

Mrs. Rochel Bukiet

📄 Business card coming
Planner

Mrs. Shonny Diena

📄 Business card coming
Planner

Mrs. Stephanie Field

📄 Business card coming
Planner

Mrs. Chumie Fridlander

📄 Business card coming
Planner

Mrs. Esty Katz

📄 Business card coming
Planner

Mrs. Rivky Kaufman

📄 Business card coming
Planner

Mrs. Rena Mauer

📄 Business card coming
Planner

Mrs. Newmark

📄 Business card coming
Planner

Mrs. Ramesh Soleymani

📄 Business card coming
Planner

Mrs. Meira Steinberg

📄 Business card coming

More planners coming, business cards with full details on the way.

Vendors

Music

Key Tov Orchestra

Wedding band & orchestra for simchas.

🌐 keytov.com
Flowers

Florence and Graham

Florals & arrangements for simchas.

🌐 Contact for details
Flowers

A Gentle Wind

Florals & arrangements for simchas.

🌐 Contact for details

Starter list from web research, verify against the Acheinu ads and edit as needed.

Wait Staff

Gemachs

Baby & Toddler

Simcha

Simcha

Bris Pillows & Outfits

Elana Baver / Bris Gemach Moshe Kushner, call/text

☎ (773) 318-0700
Simcha

Simcha-to-Simcha Memorial Gemach

Centerpieces & tablecloths, Nancy Serlin / Rivkah Bernath

☎ (773) 759-0908
Simcha

Prop Gemach

Large & small props for simcha displays, Miriam Gersten

☎ (773) 576-8772
Simcha

Label Printing for Invitations

Black or color, with supplied mailing list, Nechama Dina Turk (text only)

☎ (773) 934-3211
Simcha

Laminated Bentcher Gemach

100–150 pieces, i/m/o Alita Weiner, Sherra Bloomenkranz (call/text)

☎ (773) 600-9403
Simcha

Siddur for Kallah, Chosson & Parents

For the wedding day, S. Abramson

☎ (773) 743-4449

Chairs & Tables

Chairs

Chairs, Round Tables & Highboys

White padded melamine folding chairs for simchas, Miriam Gersten

☎ (773) 576-8772

Gowns, Petticoats & Chasuna Clothing

Gowns

Jane Webster Simcha Boutique

Gowns & petticoats for immediate family, ChesedChicago

☎ (773) 539-1069

Source: Acheinu Community Directory (Gemach Listings). Confirm details before relying on them.