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Brianne Garritano, Founder of Michigan Avenue Events, is a nationally recognized luxury event planner known for producing high-end weddings, celebrity celebrations, corporate galas, and destination events with precision and sophistication. With over two decades of experience in luxury event planning, Brianne combines formal industry expertise, global travel exposure, and a refined design sensibility to curate elevated, culturally nuanced experiences. As a Chicago luxury wedding planner and destination event specialist, she brings strategic planning, international venue knowledge, and white-glove service to elite clientele across the United States and abroad. Her well-traveled perspective, strong hospitality partnerships, and meticulous production oversight ensure every event reflects exceptional taste, seamless logistics, and world-class execution.
Meet Brianne
In a world where luxury is often mistaken for excess, Brianne Garritano understands that true sophistication lies in precision. As the Founder and Creative Director of Michigan Avenue Events, she has built a career defined not simply by beautiful gatherings, but by experiences that feel intentional, layered, and impossibly seamless. Since beginning her journey in events in 2004, Brianne has become a trusted architect of celebration for elite clientele, corporate leaders, and high-profile figures who value discretion as much as design.
Her aesthetic is refined yet emotionally resonant — cathedral ceilings glowing in candlelight, ballroom receptions unfolding with orchestral grandeur, destination wedding weekends curated like private European holidays. Years of international travel have shaped her global perspective, informing a design sensibility that is both worldly and deeply personal. From Riviera Maya to Chicago’s most storied venues, Brianne approaches every event with the eye of an editor and the discipline of a producer.
What distinguishes her is not simply taste but control. Logistics are handled with surgical precision. Vendor teams move in quiet harmony. Timelines flow without visible effort. Clients often describe the experience as calm, elevated, and entirely under control — the rare luxury of being fully present at one’s own celebration.
Brianne Garritano does not just plan events. She curates atmosphere. She orchestrates emotion. She designs legacy moments that linger long after the final toast.
Ms. Garritano has completed extensive coursework in Oenology (Wine Studies) and received an Intermediate Certification from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) which serves her clients very well in wine tastings, menu pairings and gifting. Brianne collects wine, has a love of health, fitness, fashion and nature. In 2001 she expanded her business into the Pacific Northwest and serves clientele coast to coast, city to city and around the world. In her spare time, Brianne enjoys the road less traveled around the world for inspiration, music of countless genres, quality time with family and friends, hiking, interval training, volunteering and cooking.
In the early days of Brianne’s career, after learning the ropes from the best of the best in live events, she then founded MAE in 2011 offering a truly customized approach to planning. She carefully aligns the needs of her unique clientele with a deep, diverse and ever-growing network of talented event partners around the world for the best possible fit. Her expertise is vast and not only includes wedding planning but corporate events, outdoor events, fashion shows, retail experiences, conference coordination and management, fundraisers, event strategy and logistics consulting, on-site production, as well as boutique planning services for galas and private parties.
From coordinating large events to intimate affairs, Brianne and Michigan Avenue Events are equipped with an expert knowledge base and artistic vision to make every experience for clients exquisitely styled, timeless and executed flawlessly. They are known for their devout work ethic, strong detail-orientation, successful client and vendor relationships, 20 years in the making!
Drop a Hello to Brianne & Team MAE!
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At Michigan Avenue Events, our calendar is often reserved for full-scale luxury weddings, celebrity celebrations, and high-profile events across Chicago, the North Shore, and destination markets. While our demanding production schedule keeps us behind the scenes, this blog offers curated insight into our design philosophy, event strategy, venue expertise, and refined planning process. From Winnetka to Lake Forest, and from private estates to iconic Chicago venues, we share timeless inspiration, logistics expertise, and the elevated standards that define our five-star reputation.
We welcome to you contact us at hello@michiganavenueevents.com for new concepts to explore, questions, comments and hopefully, if we are lucky, to plan your next event!