GiaBella Weddings is a Chicago wedding planning and design firm founded by Lisa Gia Bascomb as Parties Etc. in 1998 and rebranded in 2016. Lisa and her team of associates are one of Chicago’s most experienced and trusted wedding consultants and have coordinated hundreds of local and destination weddings and events. Lisa’s meticulous working style, keen eye for elegant design and personalized approach to each wedding has made her a favorite among both clients and vendors alike.
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Prior to GiaBella Weddings, I spent many years in Los Angeles in the fast-paced entertainment industry planning events and assisting with Hollywood movie productions. In my “spare time”, I assisted a well-known Los Angeles wedding planner and fell in love with working with both the bride and groom to coordinate their wedding day.
With over 20 years of event planning experience and coordinating weddings, I take pride in my work and share both my enthusiasm and expertise with every wedding and event. Our attention to detail, sense of style, flexibility, warmth and strong relationships with respected and talented event professionals are what make our company successful. I help orchestrate a wedding that always compliments my client’s vision, while being respectful of both my client’s desires and budget. I am inspired by my couple’s personality, style and taste to thoughtfully design a wedding day that will revitalize the traditional and tastefully modernize the classics to make their wedding a reflection of who they are. I am dedicated to making every moment of your wedding planning not only effortless, but fun — from the very first meeting to your big day.
I simply LOVE what I do! I truly enjoy getting to know my clients by planning one of the most important days of their life and meanwhile, creating relationships that will last a lifetime. I feel blessed to be a part of the wedding planning experience and celebration and never take it for granted. I promise to exceed your expectations.
Thank you to the following photographers for their photos displayed on our website including
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We have had the pleasure to design and coordinate weddings for some truly lovely families. Here’s what they have to say.
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"You were all the support I needed and more - in your ability to provide practical needs such as the fantastic and reliable vendors and also those unexpected and emotional needs. You were there for me as an active listener, a proactive do-er and someone I could reach out to to solve any problem. And the day of the wedding, Melinda's attention to detail and timing allowed us to enjoy time together and with our loved ones."
Caroline & Paul
"With your follow-up and gentle reminders, it was truly a stress-free pleasure to plan our daughter's wedding. As a result, we felt like guests rather than hosts and had the time of our lives. We owe this all to you "St. Lisa" and we are forever grateful."
Laura & Bob, parents of the bride
"Lisa went above and beyond to make our entire wedding planning experience at the Chicago Botanic Garden easy and care-free. We trusted her completely and she gave us peace of mind throughout every aspect. Not only is she professional and tremendously hard-working, she is also incredibly kind and a joy to be around."
Kathleen, Bride
"Parties Etc. (now GiaBella Weddings) was exceptional in all aspects: organization, networking, planning, facilitating and providing "know-how", making the experience wonderful!"
Jane & Dillon, Bride & Groom
"Thank you for making our wedding amazing! You were such a blessing and made our wedding stress-free for us! We still get compliments on our wedding and will always remember it dearly."
Amber & Tim, Bride & Groom
Thank you for making our wedding weekend everything we could have dreamed of! We ABSOLUTELY loved working with you and will miss our conference calls & meetings!"
Taylor & Mathieu, Bride & Groom
"Thank you for all the late night emails and texts, all the contracts you negotiated and read, the many details you thought about and took care of, the research - recipes for the hot chocolate and coffee bar, the pizza truck, how to get the Garrett's popcorn delivered, the crazy transportation schedule, etc. Your attention to detail made the wedding beautiful, special and personal. It all ran so smoothly so that we could really enjoy the entire wedding weekend. It all worked out wonderfully because of you! You were always patient, positive, reassuring, hard working and absolutely delightful and fun to work with."
Kim, Mother of the Bride
"We honestly could not have done it without you. Your hard work helped make our vision come to life and it could not have been more perfect. It was the best day of our life."
Brittney & Jordan, Bride & Groom
"Knowing that you were there to make sure everything would run smoothly put us at such great ease. From meetings to endless phone conversations, you were always so accommodating. I will forever remember the feeling of comfort and confidence I had in just knowing that you were there to help me through everything. That is truly the best gift I can think of for a bride. "
Catherine & Brad, Bride & Groom
"The decor you suggested was absolutely fabulous. I loved how the room turned out - everything was stunning! Organization with the bridal party was excellent and everything was exactly on time. The suggestions and vendors you had were spot on! I loved them all! Your skill with all the vendors was amazing. I would recommend you in a heartbeat. And...all my sisters need to use you!"
Sarah, Bride
"Thank you for all your help in planning a beautiful and memorable wedding ceremony and reception for Alison and Justin. We couldn't be happier with the way the evening came together. I was especially pleased with the vendors we worked with - a perfect fit for us! I am so glad you recommended them to us."
Denise, Mother of the Bride
"We loved our wedding! Lisa was amazing with planning out every little detail to make the evening so special! We had so much fun, we didn’t want the night to end!"
Courtney & Tim, Bride & Groom
"Hiring Parties Etc. was the best and smartest step I made in planning my wedding. They are professional, organized and reliable. I would HIGHLY and HAPPILY recommend Parties Etc. to anyone!!!"
Elizabeth, Bride
"Parties Etc. is the absolute best! The owner, Lisa, is such a doll and a complete joy to work with. Nothing rattles her! Her and her staff pay attention to each and every detail and do it all with smiles on their faces. Parties Etc. totally brought my wedding day vision to life. The only thing I had to worry about on my big day was saying "I Do"! I would recommend them to any bride, whether she is looking for just day-of coordination or complete planning from start to finish. I love, love, love!"
Melinda & Dan, Bride & Groom
"Lisa Gia and Parties Etc was absolutely phenomenal to work with! When we hired Lisa and Parties Etc, my worries went away. Lisa was knowledgeable about every aspect of wedding planning: from flowers, to lighting and music, Lisa planned it all! She was fantastic at getting things accomplished and accommodating four crazy schedules, including her own! Lisa was able to complete our wedding vision from beginning to end. Lisa and Parties Etc was professional, on time and a pleasure to work with. Even planning doesn't get any better than this!"
Rachel, Bride
"Our daughter's wedding was the most wonderful day for all of us, largely due to the efforts of Lisa & her team. She is amazing! After just one phone call I knew she was a perfect fit. She has great experience, a wide range of contacts in everything from bands, venues, hair & makeup options, and everything in between. Her suggestions & ideas were spot on. She was always available. And most importantly, I always felt that out wedding was her number 1 priority. Lisa is always cool, calm and collected which is unbelievable considering the potential stresses of planning and organizing a large wedding. Thank you Lisa & Ryan for their work in creating a most wonderful wedding day."
Mary D., Mother of the Bride
"For all you new Mother of the brides, may I please recommend Lisa Bascomb of Parties Etc. Lisa was a delight to work with and a Godsend. She is knowledgeable and fun and extremely organized, the consummate professional. Thanks to Lisa, Catherine and I were completely able to enjoy the week before and day of the wedding. No detail was left behind. Lisa handled everything from the moment she came on board. I only wish we had started the whole process with Lisa. Fortunately, we hired Lisa in time to make everything go smoothly. We truly had a wonderful time thanks to Lisa."
Mary W., Mother of the Bride
"With your organizational skills, charm, taste, and vision you steered us in the right direction over and over again. The result was a wedding as close to perfect as we dreamed and hoped of! In fact, I am hard-pressed to think of anything I would change. Working with you as we planned was fun too. But it is your professionalism that really sets you apart in your field."