Dejanae Events

What Dejanae Events does

Dejanae Events is a privately held, founder-led wedding and event planning firm founded on April 24, 2000, by Desireé Moore Dent and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The firm provides full-service wedding planning, day-of coordination, vendor management, and design services for couples in Chicago and nationwide, and operates a dedicated wedding officiant sub-brand, Marry Me Ceremonies, through which the founder personally crafts and officiates ceremonies. The company's core offering has expanded to include structured Micro Wedding Experiences and Collective I Do group celebrations (up to 30 couples per event, priced $2,500–$3,500 per couple), and a free digital planner ("The Organized Year"). The technology stack is non-proprietary: the website is built on Squarespace with no public APIs, SDKs, or AI/ML components.

Revenue is generated through professional-services fees on a project basis. The GTM motion is sales-led via direct website inquiries, phone/email, and an inbound pipeline supported by vendor referrals and content marketing through a 30+-article blog, The Wedding Tea YouTube series, and email lead nurturing (free checklists, digital planner). Go-to-market is also event-driven via Collective I Do micro-wedding events. The company has been featured in CNBC, CNN, The New York Times, Brides, The Knot, WeddingWire, and Lifetime Channels, and secured its first cover feature in Chicago Style Weddings (May/June 2026). Customer segments span traditional couples planning 2025–2026 weddings, couples seeking intimate/micro weddings, corporate and social event clients, and high-profile individuals including professional athletes.

The firm has no disclosed funding, no institutional investors, and operates with 1–10 employees. In 2025, the founder announced a strategic shift away from full-service planning toward ceremony officiating, industry speaking/mentoring, and the WEDology ToolKIT educational platform for wedding professionals. The business remains a bootstrapped, brand-anchored professional services firm whose scale is constrained by founder capacity rather than market demand.

Name

Dejanae Events

Legal name

Dejanae Events

Website

https://dejanaeevents.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dejanae Events is a Chicago-based, founder-led wedding and event planning firm offering full-service planning, officiant services (Marry Me Ceremonies), and micro wedding packages to couples in Chicago and nationwide. Founded in 2000 by Desireé Moore Dent, the bootstrapped firm leverages 25+ years of brand and media presence.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wedding Planning Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Wedding Planning (HSACABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ceremony Planning & Officiant Coordination (HSACABAL), Vendor Sourcing & Management (Venues, Catering, Photo/Video, Music) (HSACABAG), Reception Planning & Guest Experience (Seating, Favors, Hospitality) (HSACABAM), Destination Wedding Planning (HSACABAD)

Keywords

• Wedding planning services
• Event coordination
• Wedding officiant services
• Micro wedding packages
• Ceremony design

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Full-Service Wedding Planning: Comprehensive wedding planning and coordination services for couples, including design, vendor coordination, timeline management, and day-of execution for traditional weddings in Chicago and nationwide.
2. Wedding Officiant Services (Marry Me Ceremonies): Personalized wedding ceremony officiation including custom vow writing, rehearsal coordination, and officiating for weddings in Illinois and nationwide.
3. Micro Wedding Packages: All-inclusive micro wedding experiences hosted at curated venues, with packages including ceremony, reception, florals, photography, and coordination. Packages range from $2,500-$3,500 per couple.
4. Group Wedding Experiences (Collective I Do): Shared celebration events for up to 30 couples, offering romantic group ceremonies with reception, starting at $2,500 per couple.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Dejanae Events is a Chicago-based, full-service wedding and event planning firm offering comprehensive planning, design, vendor coordination, timeline management, and day-of execution for weddings and social events. The company operates complementary service lines including Marry Me Ceremonies (personalized wedding officiant services) and Collective I Do / Micro Wedding Experiences (all-inclusive intimate and group wedding packages). Founded in 2000, the firm has served hundreds of couples across Chicago and nationwide.

Product overview

Dejanae Events is a full-service wedding and event planning company operating as a single integrated brand with multiple sub-brands and service offerings. The core business is wedding planning and coordination (Dejanae Events), complemented by officiant services (Marry Me Ceremonies), content/media (The Wedding Tea YouTube series), and educational resources (WEDology ToolKIT). The company also offers structured micro wedding experiences including Collective I Do group celebrations, and provides a free digital planner (The Organized Year). The portfolio spans full-service planning, day-of coordination, ceremony officiating, educational courses, and digital content—serving couples in Chicago and nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dejanae Events Full-Service Wedding Planning Full-service wedding and event planning offering comprehensive planning, vendor coordination, timeline management, budget optimization, design direction, and day-of execution for weddings, corporate events, and social celebrations. Serves couples in Chicago and nationwide.
• Marry Me Ceremonies (Wedding Officiant Services) Personalized wedding ceremony officiation service led by founder Desireé Dent, offering custom vow writing, rehearsal coordination, and officiating for weddings, vow renewals, micro weddings, elopements, and recommitment ceremonies in Illinois and nationwide.
• Micro Wedding Experiences All-inclusive micro wedding packages hosting celebrations for up to 30 couples. Includes ceremony, officiant, reception, florals, photography, music, and coordination at curated Chicago venues, with pricing ranging from $2,500 to $10,000+ based on customization.
• Collective I Do (Group Wedding Experiences) A group wedding celebration experience for up to 30 couples featuring a shared romantic ceremony, reception buffet, beer and wine bar, formal wedding portrait, and officiant services. Packages offered at Whispered Vows ($2,500), Cherished Union ($3,000), and Luxe Devotion ($3,500).
• WEDology ToolKIT Educational platform and community for wedding professionals providing courses, guidance, and mentorship to help planners build successful businesses in the wedding and event industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25+ years in business, hundreds of couples served
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jermaine Horton StudioscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerJermaine Horton Studios is a recommended photography and videography partner for Dejanae Events clients. The partnership is described as a 'dynamic duo' collaboration, with Jermaine Horton noted as a Sony Artisan of Imagery and Westcott Top Pro. The companies frequently work together on wedding events, with Jermaine providing visual storytelling services while Dejanae Events handles planning and coordination.
• Loft LuciaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured venue partner for Chicago weddings. Dejanae Events planners have executed multiple weddings at this venue, developing familiarity with its layout and amenities.
• Pazzo's ChicagominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured venue partner for Chicago weddings. The venue is noted for its soaring architecture and Gem of the Lake fountain, with Dejanae Events having planned multiple events there.
• The Drake Hotel ChicagominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred venue partner for wedding receptions, particularly in the Gold Coast Room. Dejanae Events has planned multiple large-scale weddings at this historic Chicago venue.
• Marry Me CeremoniescoreOthersMarry Me Ceremonies is the wedding officiant arm of Dejanae Events, led by founder Desireé Dent. It provides personalized wedding ceremonies including vow writing, rehearsal coordination, and officiating services for weddings in Illinois and nationwide. This is an internal brand/subsidiary relationship.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Colin Cowie: Celebrity wedding planner with strong media presence and luxury brand identity, offering comparable full-service planning and design services to high-end couples.
• Marcy Blum Associates: Boutique New York-based luxury wedding planner serving clients nationwide, with similar event design expertise and high-touch, founder-led service model.
• Rafanelli Events: Boston-based luxury wedding and event planner serving high-end clientele nationwide. Comparable to Dejanae in boutique scale, premium positioning, and full-service offerings.
• Eventique: National boutique wedding and event planning firm providing comparable full-service coordination, design, and vendor sourcing to couples.
• Engaging Events by Ali: Chicago-based wedding and event planner offering full-service planning in Dejanae's home market, providing direct regional competition for Chicago couples.
• Mindy Weiss Party Consultants: High-end wedding and event planning firm in Los Angeles serving celebrity and luxury clients nationwide. Comparable to Dejanae in premium boutique positioning, founder-led brand, and full-service wedding offerings.
• David Tutera: Celebrity wedding and event planner with national brand recognition and premium positioning, explicitly referenced in Dejanae's own customer testimonials as the benchmark tier Dejanae aspires to.

Broad incumbents

• The Knot Worldwide: Industry-leading wedding marketplace and planning platform serving as a discovery channel for vendors like Dejanae, also offering planning tools and content that compete for the same couples' attention.

Others

• A Practical Wedding: Wedding planning content and resource site providing editorial guidance to couples — adjacent player that competes for the same audience attention and category mindshare Dejanae invests in through her blog and YouTube.

Emerging players

• Zola: Modern wedding planning platform combining vendor marketplace, registry, planning checklist, and website tools — an emerging tech-enabled player reshaping how couples research and book planners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TheWeddingTea
• Instagraminstagram.com/dejanaeevents
• Facebookfacebook.com/DejanaeEvents
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dejanae-events

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dejanae Events