- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Vale Of Enna
Category: Shopping Flowers & Gifts Florists Florists [Edit]
855 W Blackhawk StUnit 104
Chicago, IL 60642
Neighborhood: Near North Side
(773) 809-3112
- Nearest Transit:
-
North/clybourn (Red Line)
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
16 reviews for Vale Of Enna
16 reviews in English
-
Review from Erin W.
Chicago, IL
10/22/2011
I hired Vale of Enna as my wedding florist and they far surpassed my expectations. The floral was absolutely beautiful, and the color was spot on. I chose a bold, cobalt blue which is sometimes hard to translate into floral due to natural variance. The centerpieces were absolutely lovely and the bouquets were *perfect*.
One of the best things about Vale of Enna is the owner, Grace. She is warm and friendly, and is excellent at customer service. She did a beautiful mock-up for us which really helped us communicate about what we liked and didn't like. You can reach Grace at grace@valeofenna.com
Another really outstanding feature about Vale of Enna is the pricing. All flowers are sold at cost. There's no catch, but you will pay a bit more in labor. I really liked this approach because I was happy to pay for really good service, and I felt like I got a lot of value.
I can't say enough good things about Vale of Enna, and I would highly recommend them to any bride! -
Review from Jessica S.
Chicago, IL
9/12/2011
There are a lot of elements that can make-or-break a wedding, and I believe that flowers play a critical role in the beauty of the day. This being said, Grace has an unbelievable talent for floral design.
Unlike other reviews, I found Grace easy to contact and consistently only an email away. Of course, like any business, she does have other clients that she consults so anyone expecting an immediate email should probably reevaluate their expectations rather than faulting a vendor.
Grace put my ideas for color and flower preferences into a fairy tale-like dream. My ceremony flowers, bouquets, and reception centerpieces far surpassed what I could have even imagined. My mother and mother-in-law can not stop raving about how fresh, large, and beautiful the flower arrangements were! If a florist can impress the guests as well as the client(s) then she (Grace) has done an excellent job.
Grace was a pleasure to work with...always cheerful and kind. Additionally, Grace created a uniquely beautiful design that enhanced the beauty of our wedding. I would defiantly recommend Grace to anyone and everyone! -
Review from Karen C.
Chicago, IL
2/5/2012
I contacted Grace at Vale of Enna at the suggestion of a friend who had used her for her wedding. I emailed her and set up an appointment with no problem. On the day of our appointment, I showed up and no answer at her office. So I gave her a call and no answer on her phone either. Not really sure what to do.... so I kept on ringing the doorbell to her office and finally the person she shares her studio with answered the door and gave her a call on her cell phone. After several tries, she finally picked up and was surprised about our appointment. She checked her emails to make sure I was the one who was not mistaken. When she confirmed that yes, she was supposed to have an appointment with me, she said she could meet me in 20 minutes so I waited.
We had a good meeting - I told her what I wanted, she seemed to understand and I left our meeting feeling confident with her knowledge and talent as a floral designer. I asked her when I could expect a quote and she said she was really busy and that she would need 4 weeks.
That might sound a little ridiculous, but I was actually okay with that.
4 weeks later I sent her a reminder email asking her if she was going to submit a quote and she didn't reply. I haven't heard from her since.
Grace may be a talented florist / floral designer but she appears to be too busy for some of us. I was extremely disappointed with her lack of communication AFTER I had spent hours with her AFTER waiting almost AN HOUR for our appointment because she had forgot.
I ended up going with kio kreations. Kristen prepares your quote on the spot and she works with your budget as well. -
Review from Melany K.
Chicago, IL
10/30/2011
Grace did my sister's wedding in September of 2009 and i knew that she was going to be the florist at our wedding in October 2011. I find that so many wedding florists create tacky bouquets and centerpieces.. but Grace has such a good eye and understands the bride's taste. She met with me on multiple occasions (since I am super picky) and made sure that i had all the flowers and centerpieces I needed. She also quickly realized styles I liked and recommended centerpieces that I loved.
I saw her several times throughout my wedding - she makes sure that everything is set up PERFECTLY before she leaves.. my bouquet and centerpieces were SO beautiful and I knew that Grace would do an amazing job :)
i did requests quotes from several other florists to compare prices, but Vale of Enna was by far the most reasonable. Grace is also very flexible in working with the bride's price range! -
Review from Rene C.
Burbank, IL
10/14/2011
SAVE YOUR TIME! My Fiancé and I met Grace at her location off Blackhawk st, we were running a little behind called to notify her. she sounded as though she knew what we wanted knowledgeable of what she does and in all went well, the only problem SHE NEVER RESPONDED TO US, WE DO NOT RECOMMEND!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! We went with Kehoe Designs they were extremely knowledgeable and it was a one of the kind experience. Also they had no problem working with our budget. -
Review from Rachel F.
Chicago, IL
9/30/2011 3 photos
I LOVED the flowers that Vale of Enna did for our wedding. I met with Grace after sending her an email with a few photos of flowers I liked. She was easy to talk to and really understood the aestetic that I was looking to achieve. I liked Grace's laid back (yet professional) attitude and I feel like she really was a good fit for me.
She did 6 bouquets, 8 boutonnieres, 4 corsages, the simple (loose) flowers for our centerpieces and even threw in some flowers to decorate our cake with.
I got a quote on roses, spray roses, ranunculus, anemones and billy balls, accented with grey dusty miller and grey berries for the personal flowers and football mums for our centerpieces. I originally wanted garden roses, but Grace suggested regular roses to help me keep the cost down. And honestly I really I didn't miss not having the garden roses.
Other florists told me they weren't able to get all the flowers I wanted (the ranunculus and anemones, which would have been awful since they were the two that I like the most) because they would be out of season in September. However, Grace was able to get me everything and at a lower price! LOVE IT!
Even though Grace was a little slow with sending me the quotes, she was great about sending them the next day after a reminder. If you have some patience in understanding that you are not the only one getting married and it's the busy season you should be fine.
I was very happy with the service I got for Vale of Enna! -
Review from Carolynne M.
Chicago, IL
9/13/2009
I was mightily impressed by Vale of Enna's website and the floral designs. The pictures showcase an incredible talent, full of modern designs that are really eye-catching and beautiful. I made an appointment to meet Grace at a coffeeshop of her choosing (which was not at all convenient for me) and although she did call, she ran in over 15 minutes late, apologizing about something or another sort of issue at home. OK, I will let that slide, it happens to all of us.
But then, even though I had a lot of pictures showing what feel I was going for, she seemed irked that not only did I not have a dress yet, I only had a vague notion of what my bouquet should look like, even though I wanted to focus on the decoration for the site right then. The whole meeting seemed like a conversation between two people that didn't speak the others language, and were trying to converse in a third language neither were fluent in. I stressed numerous times during the meeting that she had open reign - I really didn't care what kinds of flowers they were or how they were arranged, as long as the flowers were seasonal and they were white or green. The rest was up to her and her creativity.
Well, I don't know if this concept just blew her mind, or she simply was not used to working outside of a brides rigid design plan, but it seemed like at one point she got flustered, decided the meeting was adjourned, hustled a bunch of papers into my hands and promised me a quote by the end of the week.
And it is now 6 weeks later with no quote, no follow up email, no call - nothing. I feel like if you really didn't want my business could you maybe have at least given me the courtesy of an email saying "I thought about our meeting and I'm not sure if I am a good fit for you?"
I dont know if Vale of Enna is simply some little hobby-job that is just a source of fun for Grace, but as a small business owner the professionalism here is sorely lacking.Listed in: Ding Dong! The Bells Are Gonna…
-
Review from angela l.
Chicago, IL
6/4/2011 1 photo
Although I've been using Yelp for several years, I have never written a review so this one is especially for you, Grace! Vale of Enna was introduced to me by Charlene from Sweet Chic Events. My first meeting with Grace was very pleasant. She was polite, paid attention to what I wanted and gave many suggestions on how to spruce up my center pieces. It also helped that her studio was spacious and adorable which gave me the impression that she has an impeccable eye for beauty. Although our mock trial wasn't what I had imagined, Grace really pulled through at the end. Our flowers were gorgeous and everything I wanted for my wedding. So if you are looking for quality, good taste and reliability, then Vale of Enna is the place to go.
-
Review from Christine K.
Chicago, IL
10/8/2009 7 photos
Grace at Vale of Enna was amazing. I had seen her work at an event in Uptown and knew that I wanted to have her do the flowers for my wedding.
I met up with her at a coffee shop near her place (not bad for me considering I live 10 minutes away) and brought my laptop with a variety of pictures of what I wanted. She sent me an estimate shortly after that. I decided to also do a floral trial at her home to see the arrangements in person. They were beautiful and she whipped them up in a jiffy!!
Then I became an indecisive bride and started to rethink the flowers and colors entirely. (not any fault of hers...i was planning a summer wedding during the wintertime...and as it became closer to the date, i changed my mind.) She was sooo accomodating with a new estimate (I should say several new estimates as I kept changing my mind again and again) and reassurance that I could change my mind again up to a month before the wedding.
Everything worked out well. She delivered gorgeous flowers to the ceremony and reception. My bouquet was huge - so many people commented on the flowers. Everything was exactly what I wanted.
That being said, there was a mishap - My stepmother did not get the bouquet that I ordered for her, which created some hurt feelings and a sticky situation for me during and after the wedding. Grace apologized and refunded me the price of the bouquet that was not delivered.
All in all, I absolutely loved the flowers. Responsiveness was spotty at times but I got 99% of everything I wanted in the end. -
Review from Vivian Y.
Updated - 10/19/2008 2 photos
Wow!!! When I got my flowers, I was MESMERIZED at how beautiful they were!!! So modern and SO creative!!
Grace designed my flowers with my theme in mind - I was doing an asian fusion wedding where my bridesmaids were in beautiful green chinese dresses - her flowers reflected the style and feel I was trying to achieve and she put in gorgeous loops and lotus pods. The groomsen all had beautiful boutinerieres that were simple and sophisticated!!
If you want modern and romantic designs customized - this is the company you have to work with...Grace - thank you SO much!!Listed in: Five Star Wedding Vendors -…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
10/7/2008 First to Review
So far - so good - just what I expected from a florist to take care of my wedding. Be forewarned… Read more »
-
-
Review from Winnie N.
Chicago, IL
8/26/2010 5 photos
I really loved some of the work that Grace did for some weddings that I was able to view through facebook. When I researched her for reviews, I was half half on whether or not I should contact her because I heard she was not a very quick responder to emails and there were lots of issues with communication. I ended up giving her a try anyways due to my love for her work.
I emailed her. No reply. I was worried that the reviews were right. I gave her a second chance. Two weeks later, I emailed her again and she responded six hours later. Grace said she never received my first initial email. So maybe there is a bug in her email system through her webiste? I'm not sure but from then on, our communication was very smooth. She is much better with the phone than email.
We were able to set up a consultation at a Starbucks of her choice which didn't bother me since I knew she did not have an official office. This is why she can give me such a good deal right...because there are no overhead charges. Meeting at Starbucks was like meeting at her office, the same you would do for any other florist. The only unprofessional aspect of the meeting was that she brought her two adorable kids to the meeting after running fifteen minutes late due to her husband not being able to return from work in time. This was okay since I love kids and I could understand that she is a working mom. The kids soon left after her husband arrived.
We were able to discuss the look and feel I was going for and Grace was able to give me all her insights on how to achieve this feel. She never pressured me into using more expensive flowers and she even told me which flowers would be the most durable and look the best for my wedding season. When I received my quote from her, she told me that I could look through the proposal and take things out or change things around and it would never bother her. I must have changed the proposal three times within the two days to see how my prices would change if I did something different. Her prices were amazing compared to the local florists and other vendors I have contacted. She was able to give me a quote that allowed me to use all mini calla lillies and orchids as I had wanted. I had also wanted to do my centerpieces all by myself but after she gave me her quote for them, they ended up costing the same! My fiance insisted that since it was the same, I should go with the florist. I was only hesitant because if I made the centerpieces by myself, I can resell the items. Grace even offered to give me tips on how to make it myself I wanted to! I am glad I didn't do the centerpieces myself! It's so much work and stress for the day before the wedding.
After signing a contract with Grace, she allowed me to contact her whenever I wanted to change the flowers if I needed to. One month before the wedding, Grace came back into contact with me to make sure if I wanted any changes. She made sure that I was absolutely satisfied with everything on the contract.
On the day of the wedding, all my flowers were set up and arranged exactly as planned! All deliveries were made to the correct places and on time. The only thing that was late that I know of were my hair flowers because Grace had forgot them back at home but it was delivered to me as soon as possible. The set up and tear down was efficiently done and I didn't even see the crew do it! On the day of the wedding, I had a memorial table set up for my dad and Grace even put some flowers on that table when I completely forgot to ask her to add some there. Nice judgment call from her :) Grace even tried her best to order me yellow orchids that didn't have those red speckled dots on them that I hated! Good job Grace :) -
Review from Lisa T.
Chicago, IL
7/6/2011
Grace is wonderful! I found Vale of Enna on Yelp after contacting several overpriced florists. When I met with Grace, she was very attentive and gave me suggestions as I wasn't 100% sure what I wanted. She was even open to helping me save money by doing my bouquets for me and then ordering flowers for me to do my own centerpieces. Grace will bring your ideas to life and will also help you to keep down costs. The flowers for my wedding were delivered on-time by Grace herself and were absolutely beautiful. I would highly recommend her! Thanks Grace!
-
Review from Antoinette B.
Chicago, IL
7/6/2010
If you want STUNNING flowers for your event at a reasonable price then book Grace! She is an artist and a true professional.
I had no doubt after meeting with her that she would do an amazing job on the flowers for our wedding. She knew just what I meant when I described what I was envisioning. I would have never been able to afford our beautiful flowers if I didn't go with Grace!
I believe she is the one of the vendors that went ABOVE AND BEYOND for me! One of the main flowers she was using came in a color a few shades off from what I originally envisioned. She contacted me to notify me and to let me know she was going to try to do whatever she could to find a wholesaler that had the right color. I appreciated this call, from what I hear most florists will just use what they get and not notify you. So you are surprised, and disappointed without warning. I let her know, if that's what we got, then that's what she'll have to work with. Regardless, she combed the city, found the flowers and additional flowers to add in my color.
In reference to other reviews regarding her unresponsiveness. I never had a problem. While she wouldn't always respond immediately to emails, she would always return them. I think some brides get so anxious, that they like their vendors to get back immediately. If you can get over that fact and know this going in you will NOT be disappointed! -
Review from Jennifer K.
Chicago, IL
6/2/2009
I was blown away with how fantastic my wedding flowers turned out for the day of! The personal flowers were all beautiful and fresh, sticking to what I had envisioned and then adding a little something more. The actual reception decor was simple and sophisticated with many compliments from family and friends. Grace knows what she's doing and helped make my wedding surpass my vision. Oh, and her prices are fantastic!
-
Review from Gina B.
Chicago, IL
5/4/2010 1 photo
Grace at Vale of Enna was absolutely amazing to work with and she is so inexpensive. When i was planning my wedding I received quotes from many florists and none came close to the quote Grace offered! The flowers she provided for my bouquet, my bridesmaids, the church and our reception tables were SO FRESH and gorgeous. I'll post a picture because the proofs in the pudding (flowerpot?)! Finally, Grace is the nicest person to work with. Use her for your wedding! You won't be disappointed!
-
Review from Lynn C.
Chicago, IL
9/24/2009
I made contact with Grace over email because I liked the pictures on her Web site as well as her blog. Unlike the previous reviewer, I didn't want to go all the way to her neighborhood to meet with her at the coffee shop. So she agreed to provide an estimate for me since I knew exactly what I wanted. When I sent her a list of everything I wanted, the types of flowers, the amount I needed, etc. she said she wanted to follow up with a phone call. Gave her my number - she didn't call. She sent an email apologizing for not having called and said she'd call me the Tuesday after Labor Day. It's several weeks past Labor Day and still haven't heard from her. Maybe a bigger account came around for her, who knows. Nonetheless, pretty unprofessional behavior. If she was going to blow me off, it'd be courteous to indicate that she's no longer available on that date - or even make something up.
