VÉRA ELITE · Personally led by Traci
You need more than a timeline.
You need someone who follows through.
Full-service wedding and event planning with the strategy, negotiation and practical problem-solving to support the whole experience. I work directly with you and the people you want involved, protecting your priorities while connecting the design, the vendors and the logistics. You get to live what we have planned.
Talk with TraciReal work. Considered details.
A celebration you
can be part of.
Services are customized to your needs and individually quoted. These are service starting prices, not the total wedding budget. Partial planning and coordination are individually quoted.
Serving weddings throughout Illinois. Formerly Graceful Weddings & Events.
Explore the gallery
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.
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.
The details worth knowing before you book
What I want you to know.
A venue coordinator and your planner may have different jobs.
Your venue contact may manage the space, catering or its own staff. That does not automatically include every outside vendor, your getting-ready schedule or family logistics. Before you book, ask who owns each responsibility. I help identify those gaps and define the handoffs.
A timeline needs more than ceremony and dinner times.
Travel, loading access, portraits, room changes and setup all need time. A beautiful schedule on paper can become rushed when it leaves no space between those moments. I build the plan around the actual work and the people doing it.
The guest count changes more than the catering bill.
More guests may mean more tables, flowers, chairs, linens, transport and staffing. Before you expand the list, consider those connected costs. We set priorities early so you can make deliberate choices rather than repeatedly rework the design.
A parent can help fund the wedding without becoming its project manager.
We can agree on who approves spending, who gives design feedback and how decisions are shared. Clear roles give family members a meaningful place in the process while keeping the couple’s priorities visible.
Coordination starts before the wedding morning.
Someone needs to review the plans, contact vendors and resolve conflicting instructions before everyone arrives. If you have already booked most of the wedding, we can discuss a separate coordination scope and the preparation it requires.
Working together
Clear decisions.
Personal direction.
First, we decide what matters.
We talk about your priorities, guest experience, budget and the decisions already made. You do not need a finished Pinterest board or a booked venue.
Then, I connect the details.
Your agreed scope may include venue and vendor guidance, budget tracking, planning schedules, design direction and production logistics. Your proposal states the responsibilities and support included.
On the day, you have a point person.
I direct the agreed plan and coordinate the people needed to carry it out. You and your family should know whom to turn to, without becoming the default problem-solvers.
Beyond the ceremony
One celebration.
A hundred things handled.
Your wedding week or weekend
Welcome events, rehearsal dinners, wedding-day production and farewell gatherings can be planned as a connected experience. We agree on the coverage, guest logistics and vendor responsibilities for each event, so support is designed around your celebration rather than assumed to begin and end on one day.
Corporate events & private hospitality
Company celebrations, client gatherings and private events need the same combination of presentation and practical control. I bring planning, vendor coordination, design direction and production oversight together, with clear decisions and guest care at the center.
Resourceful with your budget. Faithful to your taste.
I look for value that serves your priorities: useful concessions, thoughtful substitutions and ways to avoid spending twice on a problem we can anticipate. We discuss trade-offs clearly. Your budget, your time and the experience you want all belong in the same conversation.
Discuss your wedding or event →Before you book
Questions worth asking.
Do I need a wedding date or venue before contacting you?
No. Bring your tentative timing, approximate guest count and the decisions you have already made. We can discuss venue direction and the planning support you need before you commit to a location.
What does full-service wedding planning include?
Your proposal defines the work. Depending on your celebration, that can include venue and vendor guidance, budget tracking, planning schedules, design direction, family communication and wedding-day production logistics. I work personally with you throughout the agreed scope.
Is the planning fee my total wedding budget?
No. Services are customized to your needs and individually quoted. Venue, catering, photography and other services are separate unless your proposal explicitly includes them. Floral quantities, installations and production responsibilities are specified in the proposal.
Can you help if I have already planned most of the wedding?
Yes. We can discuss partial planning or coordination based on what is booked and what remains. Coordination includes preparation before the wedding—not simply arriving on the morning and following a timeline.
Do you work outside Chicago?
Yes. VÉRA ELITE serves weddings throughout Illinois. Your venue location, travel and production requirements are discussed when we define the scope.
Is VÉRA ELITE the same business formerly known as Graceful Weddings & Events?
VÉRA ELITE is Traci’s current wedding and event brand, formerly Graceful Weddings & Events. You can explore past celebrations in the gallery and contact Traci through the booking page.
Have a question about your own celebration? Talk with Traci →
A select number of weddings each year
You do not need every answer.
You need a place to begin.
Tell me your date or tentative timing, your setting and what you want help bringing together. We will discuss fit, availability and a proposal made for you.
Book a personal consultation