Your expert, down-to-earth wedding day team
Firmly Rooted Events has blossomed into a dedicated and driven team of women who not only love love, but love logistics. We’ll follow through with our promises, and sprinkle a few sunny surprises along your wedding planning journey.
Meet the Team
Firmly Rooted Events
Meet the Team Firmly Rooted Events
Meet Rachel MacQueen, CEO + Founder
favorite plant: Alocasia Dragon Scale
Hey, I’m Rachel MacQueen, the founder of Firmly Rooted Events.
My story started where many future wedding planners find themselves: On the other side of the aisle. My husband and I got married in 2021, and just like our plant collection, my passion for wedding planning thrived in the pandemic. We’ve coordinated almost 100 Chicago and surrounding area weddings since, and my last plant count was around…50!
Firmly Rooted Events was inspired by the promise of a firmly rooted marriage. With our expertise – and a little sunlight! – our couples begin their forever lush and in love with none of the stress.
Since my own wedding, I’ve grown Firmly Rooted Events from a single coordinator (me!) to a team (meet them below!). While I don’t lead every single FRE wedding myself, I am the main point of contact for every couple we work with. You’ll meet me at your consultation, throughout the planning process, and I’m the friendly face behind the many emails sent back and forth!
Between our open door communication policy, calm head and heart in the midst of any day-of chaos, and quick thinking in the moment, our couples “couldn’t imagine their day without us”, were “truly able to be present”, and “felt comfortable in all steps of the day and before our wedding”.
When I’m making sure your photographer isn’t in the bathroom and about to miss the first dance, you can find me…
Binging YouTube: So True by Caleb Hearon, Brooke and Connor Make a Podcast, Trixie Mattel to name a few…
Shopping at greenhouses (PROUD PLANT PARENT!)
In a tennis match with my husband right next to Lake Michigan
Playing with our 6 year old corgi, Pierogi <3
Meet Tori Flagg, Lead Coordinator
favorite bloom: Carnations
Lead Coordinator Tori has been part of the FRE team since 2023, and her love of weddings stems from planning her own 2019 wedding and her role managing special events for residents at Highpoint Community Apartments.
Why do weddings specifically light her up? Getting to witness couples join together while they celebrate with all of their loved ones – especially when they get on the dance floor after all of the formalities – is such a gift.
Tori’s trustworthy and compassionate communication style paired with her creativity and quick thinking gives every couple the confidence that both their vision and their people will be taken care of.
Her wedding moment highlights include:
Coordinating 2024 FRE couple Becca and Peter’s first dance on a cloud…with sparklers!
Giving FRE couple Michelle and Connor 20 bonus minutes of dancing time
Collaborating with local vendors like Impulse Entertainment, Cresco Stems, and Courtney Fitzpatrick Photo + Film to make our couple’s dreams come true.
“On my wedding day, Tori actually kept us ahead of schedule to ensure we had more open dancing time, something she knew was very important to me. I would highly recommend Firmly Rooted Events to anyone looking for seamless help on their big day!”
- Michelle and Connor, married August 2024
Meet Claire Dean, Lead Coordinator
favorite bloom: Peonies
Lead Coordinator Claire’s experience in the hospitality industry led her to thrive in the logistics and behind the scenes execution for her FRE couples. After just 2 seasons, the beauty of a wedding day continues to fascinate her and she’s been loving it ever since!
Claire is thorough when it comes to details, always has a sunny disposition, and never loses her sense of humor…even when it’s ‘go’ time! She loves seeing the sentimental moments come together for her couples, like when a father of the bride sang a very emotional opera number to his daughter.
“The song was about leaving the nest and finding love and it had me in tears. It was so heartwarming. Moments like these make every wedding so unique, personalized, and special!”
Just as much as Claire loves working with her couples, she is equally as passionate about being part of the FRE team. It’s hard for her to choose just one proud moment on the job, but the feeling of ‘coming to the rescue’ on a wedding day cannot be topped. Whether it is a last minute bustle of the dress, or finding parents who can’t be found right before the ceremony - Claire is on it!
“On my wedding day, Claire listened to everything I had to say and executed it perfectly. Rachel & her team were amazing and one of the best investments!”
- Madison and Austin, married September 2023
Meet Liz Haberkorn, Lead Coordinator
favorite bloom: Orchids
Lead coordinator Liz’s fun-loving and easy-going energy is exactly what our couples crave on their wedding day. Liz’s professional background in Human Resources gives her the skill set to manage multiple projects at once and seamlessly communicate your vision to your vendor team.
Liz also spends time working in the beauty industry and realized the spark she feels when working with brides could lead to a career in wedding planning! One thing led to another, and here she is!
Her favorite moment to coordinate with Firmly Rooted ‘would have to be the bride and groom sliding down a fire pole for their entrance at ‘Firehouse Chicago’. She also loves learning how each couple plans to put their personal spin on their wedding day and the satisfaction in her heart when the families of our clients feel the day come together. Those ‘thank you’s’ mean so much to her!
“My event space coordinator was changed three weeks before my wedding and I knew things would run smoothly at my wedding because of the FRE team. If you’re looking for a kind, knowledgeable, organized event planner who will make your Chicago wedding day go seamlessly - hire them!”
– Nikki + Matt, married September 2024