VÉRA ELITE™WEDDINGS & EVENTS
Ballroom reception with white floral centerpieces and gold chairs from Traci’s event archive

Wedding & event planning · Floral design · Illinois

You live the moment.
We handle what it takes.

Formerly Graceful Weddings & Events

The beautiful room. The people you need beside you. The details you would be heartbroken to lose. I plan for all of it—and when something changes, I get to work. Personal planning, skilled negotiation and hands-on problem-solving, with me, Traci, leading the people who bring your celebration together.

Book a call with Traci See the real work

A closer look at the work

The rooms. The details.
The feeling.

Every celebration begins with different people and different priorities. Explore real work, then tell me what you want yours to feel like.

Explore every collection
Blue-and-white floral tablescape with candles
Jenebib & TylerPhotography · WS Photography
White floral centerpiece and gold chairs in The Blackstone ballroom
Kierstin & Thomas · The BlackstonePhotography · Mango Studios
Designed wedding reception table with place settings and floral details and large greenery and blush rose flowers in a hanging floral installation
Shani & KevinPhotography · WS Photography
Tall white flowers above a candlelit reception table
From Traci’s event archive
Harvest porch styling with stacked metallic pumpkins, lanterns, autumn foliage and a burgundy bench
From Traci’s event archive
Burgundy and white bouquets prepared for a wedding
Kiyana & Shang · Bridgeport Art CenterPhotography · Mustyats

Introducing a new VÉRA ELITE collection

HOLIDAY HOUSE

The Art of a Beautifully Celebrated Home.

Seasonal home styling for fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Custom entrances, thoughtful details and beautifully coordinated holiday interiors throughout Chicago and its suburbs.

Explore holiday home decorating
Winter porch planter with evergreen branches, red berries and warm lights beside a black front doorSeasonal inspiration
20+ years of experience500+ celebrationsDirect support work with Traci

The work you feel, even when you never see it

The timeline matters.
So does getting your person there.

The guest whose flight is delayed is not just a late arrival. They may be the person you cannot imagine getting married without. That missing veil is not just an accessory. It is part of the moment you have pictured for years.

I take those details personally. I look for the next route, the right contact, the available replacement and the solution that protects what matters to you. A composed celebration often has a great deal of determined work behind it.

That is what you hire me for: planning that sees the bigger picture, people who think on their feet, and the follow-through to turn a decision into action.

Services are customized to your needs and individually quoted.

Strategy · Negotiation · Logistics · Guest care

A beautiful event needs
people who know what to do next.

I bring the design eye and the practical judgment. The team I bring into your celebration is chosen for skill, discretion and the ability to think on its feet. Looking polished is only part of the job. Following through is essential.

The planner who thinks past the timeline.

A schedule is the starting point. I connect vendor commitments, travel, setup, family priorities and the details that cannot simply be moved to another time. The plan needs to work for real people, in the real world.

A negotiator in your corner.

I ask the next question: Is there a better option? A useful concession? A clearer agreement? When something falls short, I pursue a practical resolution—whether that means a replacement, a credit or a refund where the agreement and circumstances support it.

A resourceful response when plans change.

A delayed flight. A missing cathedral veil. A delivery that needs a new route. These are the moments for a clear head, quick calls and workable alternatives. My team and I focus on what can be done next, who can do it and how to protect the rest of your celebration.

Hands-on production, beyond the floor plan.

Beautiful ideas need people who understand how to bring them into a room. I connect design, floral placement, installation logistics and vendor execution, bringing in the right specialists for the work and the venue’s requirements.

Every guest deserves VIP care.

Thoughtful hospitality extends beyond the head table. We pay attention to arrivals, accessibility needs, family dynamics and the small moments that help people feel expected and welcome. Firm direction and good manners belong together.

Someone protecting your time and priorities.

You should not have to referee vendors or manage a difficult conversation in your wedding clothes. We address issues discreetly, set appropriate boundaries and involve venue management or professional security when needed. You stay connected to your celebration.

Tell me what needs figuring out →

In our clients’ words

What it feels like
to have us in your corner.

Selected excerpts from reviews of Graceful Weddings & Events, now VÉRA ELITE. Their words, exactly as published.

“Traci and her team moved heaven and Earth to make our wedding a success”

ThomasWeddingWire · Review excerptRead the full review on WeddingWire ↗

“You never feel like you’re just another wedding on her calendar.”

Tahlor KThe Knot · Review excerptRead the full review on The Knot ↗

“Everything was handled.”

Tiffany LThe Knot · Review excerptRead the full review on The Knot ↗

A little perspective from behind the scenes

What You Didn’t
Know to Ask.

The questions you haven’t thought to ask. The details that change everything. The things I want you to know before you commit.

If the venue holds 200, why doesn’t my wedding fit?

A room’s listed capacity doesn’t necessarily describe your layout. A band, dance floor, bars, large tables and space for service can change how many guests fit comfortably. Ask what the capacity includes before building your guest list around it.

Your rental delivery is scheduled. Is anyone receiving it?

Delivery, unloading, setup and placement can be separate responsibilities. A truck arriving on time doesn’t mean the chairs will be ready when your guests arrive.

Who has permission to approve a last-minute expense?

If a vendor needs a decision while you’re getting dressed, who can make it—and up to what amount? Agreeing on that beforehand can protect both your budget and your time.

Your flowers are moving to the reception. What happens to cocktail hour?

Repurposing an arrangement means moving people, equipment and flowers while guests are moving, too. The savings only make sense when the timing and access work.

The guest who needs extra time may never tell you.

A grandparent might insist they’re fine. A guest may not mention difficulty with stairs or standing. Planning comfortable routes and seating ahead of time lets people accept hospitality without having to ask for special treatment.

Your wedding ends at eleven. When does everyone else have to be out?

The music ending and the venue being empty are different deadlines. Flowers, rentals and equipment may need to leave within a specific window—and someone needs to own that work.

You don’t need to anticipate every complication.
You need someone who knows which questions to ask.

Let’s talk about your celebration →
01

Planning

The strategy, negotiation and resourceful follow-through behind a celebration you can actually enjoy. Wedding weekends, private celebrations and corporate events, personally led by Traci.

Explore service
02

Floral Design

Flowers that belong to your setting and your story. From the bouquet you carry to the room your guests walk into, every choice has a purpose.

Explore service

Same Traci. A new chapter.

Formerly Graceful.
Personally VÉRA.

I’m Traci Kleinaitis. If you knew me through Graceful Weddings & Events or www.gwedeven.com, you have found my new home: VÉRA ELITE at vera-elite.com.

I bring my experience in Chicago, Miami and Naples to weddings across Illinois. Tell me where you are celebrating; your location is part of the conversation, not a limit on your vision.

My background spans planning, floral design, hospitality, beauty and hands-on production. I bring negotiation, close attention to vendor agreements, contingency planning and the judgment to know when a specialist needs to step in. I see how a decision about the room affects the people—and I stay with the problem until there is a clear next step.

I accept a select number of weddings so I can remain personally involved. You work with me. I select additional team members and specialist vendors for the experience, professionalism and practical judgment your celebration needs. You have my personal direction, with a team built around the work.

For the couple, that means a clear point of contact. For the parent helping bring it all together, it means you can be a parent on the day—not the person managing the deliveries.

Meet me on a consultation

Wedding weekends · Private celebrations · Corporate events

The whole experience.
Not just the main event.

A welcome dinner, a rehearsal, the wedding, the farewell brunch: each has its own people, priorities and moving pieces. We can build support around the week or weekend, with the responsibilities and coverage agreed in advance.

My experience reaches from bachelorette celebrations in Sedona and bachelor parties in Las Vegas to celebrations in Spain and Italy and backyard weddings in Chicago. A meaningful gathering does not have to fit one size or one setting.

For corporate gatherings, client hospitality and company celebrations, the same approach applies: clear responsibilities, well-managed vendors, thoughtful guest care and a team ready to respond when plans change. Your colleagues and clients should experience the event—not the work behind it.

Explore event planning & production →

A select number of weddings. Personal attention.

Bring me the vision.
And the part you cannot figure out.

Ask about your date & services
Ask about your date