Guests: Amy Nolan & Carolyn Johnson | An Event Less Ordinary
If wedding planning feels overwhelming, performative, or like you’re juggling too many expectations, you’re not imagining it. Weddings are complicated. They’re live events, emotional milestones, family reunions, and personal statements all rolled into one.
When Amy Nolan and Carolyn Johnson met in 2008 as Pink Ladies in a production of Grease the musical (Amy was Rizzo, Carolyn was Marty), they had no idea their theater backgrounds would become their secret weapon in the wedding industry.
Fast-forward to today, and these two powerhouse event producers run An Event Less Ordinary, a Chicago-based wedding planning company that treats every celebration like a carefully choreographed live production, with better shoes and fewer high heels.
In this episode of Bridechilla, Leah sits down with Amy and Carolyn for a refreshingly honest, spicy-hot-take-filled conversation about designing a wedding that actually feels like YOU, not a Pinterest board, or a trend, or what everyone else is doing.
Where Did It All Start?
Like all good millennial entrepreneurship stories, An Event Less Ordinary started with Obama-era optimism and a Craigslist ad.
“We were both office managers wondering where our careers were going,” Amy explained. “I had seen The Wedding Planner, I still have the VHS of JLo’s famous movie, and we just thought, ‘What if we could do this?'”
So they did. With all the confidence of twentysomethings who didn’t know any better, they advertised on Craigslist and landed their first wedding.
“We charged so little, a minuscule amount of dollars, because we knew we had no business being there,” Carolyn laughed. “The couple was basically our test subject. Good luck to them!”
The wedding went great. Until halfway through the evening when the bride changed into Louboutin heels.
“We realized her shoes cost twice as much as we did that day,” Amy recalled. “We worked 16 hours. It was humbling.”
Their new mantra? “Be more than the shoes. Cost more than the Louboutins.”
And the lesson learned? Never wear high heels to a wedding. Amy and Carolyn tried it exactly once at a classy Art Institute wedding. They lasted one hour before admitting defeat.
“The most stressful time of a wedding day is right before the ceremony, and we were running around in three- and four-inch heels,” Carolyn said. “Stupid. Dumb. Never again.”
Weddings Are Live Theater (Whether You Like It or Not)
Amy and Carolyn describe weddings as a form of stage management. Couples are the leads. Guests and vendors are the cast and crew. Planners and coordinators work behind the scenes to make sure everything happens on cue, ideally without the couple ever realizing what nearly went wrong.
Just like theater, the goal isn’t perfection. It’s experience.
When weddings run smoothly, guests never notice the countless micro-decisions happening in the background, room flips, vendor coordination, lighting changes, timeline adjustments. When they don’t, chaos becomes part of the memory.
That’s why thoughtful planning isn’t about control, it’s about flow.
What This Means for Your Wedding Planning
Thinking of your wedding like a live production changes everything:
- Flow and Timing Matter Just like a play has acts and scene changes, your wedding needs intentional pacing. When do people eat? When do they move? When do they rest?
- Room Flips Are Choreographed If you’re flipping a ceremony space into a reception, that’s a scene change. It needs to be timed, planned, and executed seamlessly.
- Vendors Are Your Collaborators Your photographer, florist, caterer, and DJ aren’t just service providers—they’re your creative team. Treat them that way.
- The Guest Experience Is Your Priority Just like a theater production considers the audience experience, your wedding should think about what your guests see, feel, and experience.
Hot Takes & Wedding Planning PSAs
Amy and Carolyn came prepared with OPINIONS, and we are here for it!
One of the strongest PSAs in the episode: you do not need to entertain your guests every second of your wedding.
Couples often feel pressure to stack activities; photo booths, performances, games, late-night snacks, welcome parties, rehearsal dinners, brunches, until the wedding weekend becomes exhausting and expensive.
Amy and Carolyn remind couples that:
- Guests remember food, music, and how they felt
- Too many activities distract from dancing and connection
- One “extra” element is usually more than enough
The wedding itself is the entertainment.
Trends Are Temporary — Personality Is Forever
When asked about trends, Amy and Carolyn don’t hold back: trends are optional, fleeting, and often driven by pressure rather than meaning.
Their advice?
Be cringe. Be weird. Be yourselves.
From marathon-running couples using race bibs as escort cards to roller-skating first dances, Simpsons-themed lounges, cheeseburger cakes, mascot costumes, and tattoo artists at receptions — the weddings that stand out are the ones rooted in the couple’s real interests.
Timeless doesn’t mean trend-free. It means authentic.
What You Can Stop Stressing Over
- Perfection “Something will go wrong. Always. And your guests won’t notice,” they assured. “You’re the only one who knows the plan.”
- Trends “Don’t do something just because it’s trending on Instagram. Do it because it feels like you.”
- Everyone Else’s Opinions “This is YOUR wedding. Make choices that make you happy, not choices that make everyone else happy.”
More advice every couple needs to hear out loud:
- Not everyone who assumes they’re invited actually is
- Your kids, partner, or plus-one aren’t invited unless their name is on the envelope
- Rehearsal dinners do not need to be second weddings
- Stop asking newly engaged people when and where they’re getting married
- Hire professionals, then listen to them
Amy and Carolyn emphasize that much of wedding stress comes from societal expectations that don’t actually exist.
Live Performances & Surprise Vendors: Plan or Prepare to Panic
Live entertainment can be incredible, but only if it’s planned properly. From surprise Frank Sinatra impersonators to magicians and circus performers, Amy and Carolyn stress the importance of logistics:
- Performers need space, time, food, water, and coordination
- Music and tech must be shared in advance
- Timelines must account for setup and transitions
The best advice? Ask the professional when their performance works best, and loop your planner or coordinator in early.
Why Chicago Is an Incredible Wedding Destination
The episode also highlights Chicago as a destination wedding city, praised for its:
- Venue variety and flexibility
- Food, culture, architecture, and neighborhoods
- Skyline views, lakefront settings, and creative spaces
- Options at multiple price points
Chicago offers couples choice — and choice means freedom.
Nuggets of Wisdom from Amy & Carolyn
After years of producing weddings, here’s what Amy and Carolyn want every couple to know:
- “Your vendors are on your team.” Treat them with respect, trust their expertise, and communicate clearly. They want you to have an amazing day.
- “Something will go wrong, and that’s okay.” “No one will notice except you,” they promised. “And years from now, the hiccups will be the funny stories you tell.”
- “Make choices that feel authentic to you.” “Don’t do something because it’s trendy or because someone told you that’s how it’s done,” Carolyn emphasized. “Do it because it feels right for YOU.”
- “Guest experience matters more than Instagram.” “If your guests are happy, comfortable, and having fun, your wedding was a success,” Amy said. “Period.”
- “Invest in good shoes.” Okay, this one’s for planners. But seriously, no heels. Trust them on this.
How to Work with An Event Less Ordinary
If you’re planning a Chicago wedding (or a wedding anywhere!) and want event producers who bring theater energy, creative vision, and honest advice, Amy and Carolyn are your people.
Find them:
- Instagram: @aneventlessordinary
- Website: aneventlessordinary.com
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re getting married in Chicago or elsewhere, Amy and Carolyn’s advice applies universally:
- Think like a stage manager – Plan flow, timing, and transitions intentionally
- Prioritize guest experience – What do they see, feel, and experience?
- Collaborate with your vendors – They’re your creative team, not just service providers
- Make intentional choices – Unique for the sake of unique isn’t authentic
- Balance creativity with comfort – Your guests should enjoy themselves
- Protect your investment – Get wedding insurance (seriously)
- Be more than the Louboutins – Invest in what matters
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Sponsors:
This episode is sponsored by Sandals and Beaches Resorts! Sandals and Beaches offers adults-only all-inclusive resorts that bring you closer to the vibrancy and spirit of the Caribbean. Start planning your dream wedding at sandals.com.
This episode is also sponsored by BriteCo! Get 5% off wedding insurance by visitinginsurance.brite.co/planner/BRID3.
