Stress Free Event Group Named Winner Of The Knot Best Of Weddings 2025 Stress Free Event Group Named Winner Of The Knot Best Of Weddings 2025
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Stress Free Event Group Named Winner Of The Knot Best Of Weddings 2025

19th Annual Best of Weddings Awards Recognizes Top Wedding Professionals Across U.S.

Spring Valley, IL/January 15, 2025 — Stress Free Event Group is pleased to announce that it has been selected as a 2025 winner of The Knot Best of Weddings. This marks the eighth year that Stress Free Event Group has received this prestigious award, a testament to its commitment to providing exceptional service to couples on their special day.

This accolade represents the top local wedding professionals as reviewed by real couples on The Knot, a leading all-in-one wedding planning resource offering a comprehensive suite of digital tools to help couples throughout their planning journey.

In its nineteenth annual year, The Knot Best of Weddings continues to honor wedding professionals who consistently deliver outstanding service, earning the trust and admiration of couples across the country. To determine the winners, The Knot assessed thousands of user reviews for over 200,000 wedding professionals within its Vendor Marketplace across various categories—including planners, venues, officiants, musicians, DJs, florists, photographers, caterers, hair and makeup artists, and more—to find the top vendors of the year. Vendors who received at least seven reviews with an average score of 4.5+ in 2024 earned The Knot Best of Weddings Award.

“At Stress Free Event Group, we know that a wedding is more than just a celebration—it’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment that should be stress-free, seamless, and unforgettable. We are truly honored to be recognized among the best in the industry,” said JC Heerdt, Owner of Stress Free Event Group. “This award reflects our passion for creating memorable experiences and the trust our couples place in us.”

One happy client shared their experience: “From start to finish, the team at Stress Free Event Group made our wedding absolutely perfect. The music, the energy, and the attention to detail were outstanding. Our guests are still raving about how much fun they had!”

The Knot supports local wedding professionals through The Knot Vendor Marketplace, where couples can search, compare, and connect with top-tier vendors all in one place. Each vendor storefront features insightful reviews, real wedding photos, and details about the vendor’s services. The Best of Weddings award provides couples with the confidence to book vendors who have demonstrated excellence and reliability in making wedding visions come to life.

Wedding professionals who win The Knot Best of Weddings are members of WeddingPro, The Knot Worldwide’s business-to-business wedding brand. As the largest wedding Vendor Marketplace and community for wedding professionals, WeddingPro connects small businesses with millions of engaged couples each year on The Knot and WeddingWire, while providing valuable insights, educational programs, and networking opportunities to help businesses grow.

For more information about Stress Free Event Group, please visit us on The Knot: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/guys-on-the-radio-dj-service-spring-valley-il-515762

For more details about The Knot Best of Weddings and this year’s winners, visit https://www.theknot.com/vendors/best-of-weddings

About Stress Free Event Group Founded in 2011 as Guys on the Radio: DJ Service, Stress Free Event Group has grown into a full-service wedding and event company, providing top-quality DJs, musicians, event planners, officiants, photo booths, videography, and photography. Our award-winning team is dedicated to making every wedding a unique and memorable experience.

About The Knot The Knot is a leading all-in-one wedding planning resource offering a comprehensive suite of digital tools to help couples throughout their planning journey. Powering wedding celebrations through technology, the brand offers The Knot Vendor Marketplace, which connects couples with more than 200,000 local wedding professionals, and personalized wedding websites, invitations, and registry services. The most trusted authority on wedding planning, The Knot reaches a majority of engaged couples in the U.S. through TheKnot.com, The Knot Wedding Planner app, The Knot national wedding magazine, and The Knot book series. Since its inception, The Knot has inspired approximately 25 million couples to plan weddings that reflect their unique love stories. Visit The Knot online at TheKnot.com and follow on social media: @TheKnot on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, Threads, and Facebook.com/TheKnot.

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Wedding Timelines

 

Wedding Ceremony and Reception Timeline (6 hours)

00:00 – Ceremony
00:30 – Cocktail Hour Starts
01:30 – Introductions / Cake Cutting / Toasts (Speeches) / Blessing
02:00 – Dinner Served / Buffet
03:00 – Special Dances / First Dance / Father-Daughter/ Mother-Son / Bouquet / Garter / etc
03:20 – Open Dancing
05:55 – Last Dance

 

Wedding Reception Timeline (5 hours)

00:00 – Cocktail Hour Starts
01:00 – Introductions / Cake Cutting / Toasts (Speeches) / Blessing
01:30 – Dinner Served / Buffet
02:30 – Special Dances / First Dance / Father-Daughter/ Mother-Son / Bouquet / Garter / etc
02:50 – Open Dancing
04:55 – Last Dance  

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I just got engaged. Now what?

Exactly! What does come next? You’ve never done this before. You might have been in a few weddings or helped a sibling. You’ve dreamed about your wedding day and now it is becoming a reality. You want this to be fun experience for you. You don’t want to be stressed out with the planning (lots of planning) and picking the right services for you.

Sisters Stress-Free Planning, a division of Guys on the Radio:DJ Service, have reached out to all their past couples as well as friends in the Illinois Valley Wedding Industry to put together weekly tips and exclusive offers to help with planning your wedding day. This is totally free for you to use.

Sign up for free tips by clicking here.

We asked married couples about their wedding day, “If you were to give advice to engaged couples about their upcoming wedding day… what would you tell them? Is there one thing you would do different?”

Most of the responses came back reminding couples to stop and take a moment to soak in the day.

“Honestly- Don’t worry so much about your guests being happy. Enjoy your day! It goes waaayyy too fast!”

– Christa Hammers

“At some point between dinner, cake and special dances take a few minutes alone together.”

– Nyree Tevis

“Don’t sweat the small stuff – guests will remember food, drinks and music. Don’t stress out about things you can’t control…. like weather 🙂 Soak up every minute of the day- you spent months planning and it flies by.”

– Chelsea Gergovich

And, a plenty of reminders that this is YOUR wedding day.

“Take the opinions of others trying to tell you how to do it, how it should be done, what you need to do with a grain of salt. It is your day, and while help from others is nice, it can get to the point where it’s too much. And believe me, EVERYONE will have an opinion or advice to offer. It is YOUR day not theirs. Make it the day you want and just like everyone else said, enjoy it, because it really does go by so fast.”

– Jessica Scott

Are there secrets to planning different services for your wedding day? Yes.

Here’s a quick tip from Emilie Overy of Flowers Plus in Streator, “The best time for you to call and schedule a wedding consultation with a florist is after the bridesmaid dresses have been chosen. I HIGHLY encourage you not to wait to book a florist until the dress has been picked.

This will save you hours of additional planning.”

How about photography? Mary Morris of Seth Morris Photography, “Narrow down what you preferred stye. View lots of photos and decide what you like and what you don’t…. Look for a photographer who showcases that style. An experienced, professional photographer will showcase images that display their style. Talk to the photographer on the phone or meet them… Make sure you get along. The photographer is by your side the entire day. You need to like them. “

Get more tips like these by signing up for free wedding planning tips and exclusive offers from Sisters Stress-Free Planning by clicking here.

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Top 30 Most Requested Songs For Garter Activity

Top 30 Most Requested Songs For Garter Activity
This list is compiled based on over 2 million song requests made using the DJ Event Planner song request system.
Rank Song Song Title
1 Ginuwine Pony
2 Queen Another One Bites The Dust
3 Marvin Gaye Let’s Get It On
4 Nelly Hot In Herre
5 Kenny Loggins Danger Zone
6 Def Leppard Pour Some Sugar On Me
7 ZZ Top Sharp Dressed Man
8 Justin Timberlake Sexyback
9 Warrant Cherry Pie
10 Lalo Shiffrin Mission Impossible Theme
11 AC/DC You Shook Me All Night Long
12 Jimi Hendrix Foxy Lady
13 Survivor Eye Of The Tiger
14 Hot Chocolate You Sexy Thing
15 Daft Punk Get Lucky
16 Georgia Satellites Keep Your Hands To Yourself
17 Baha Men Who Let The Dogs Out
18 M.C. Hammer U Can’t Touch This
19 ZZ Top Legs
20 LMFAO Sexy And I Know It
21 Yello Oh Yeah
22 Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell & T.I. Blurred Lines
23 Jay-Z Big Pimpin’
24 Tim McGraw Real Good Man
25 Salt ‘N Pepa Whatta Man
26 Flo Rida Right Round
27 Tone Loc Wild Thing
28 Van Halen Hot For Teacher
29 George Thorogood Bad To The Bone
30 Panic! At The Disco Death Of A Bachelor
Copyright © 2017 DJ Event Planner Inc.
This document and music list may only be republished if a clearly visible link
to DJ Event Planner (www.djeventplanner.com) is included.
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Top 30 Most Requested Songs For Bouquet Toss

Top 30 Most Requested Songs For Bouquet Toss
This list is compiled based on over 2 million song requests made using the DJ Event Planner song request system.
Rank Song Song Title
1 Beyonce Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
2 Meghan Trainor Dear Future Husband
3 Cyndi Lauper Girls Just Want To Have Fun
4 Shania Twain Man! I Feel Like A Woman!
5 David Guetta Where Them Girls At
6 Spice Girls Wannabe
7 Beyonce Run The World (Girls)
8 Ludacris Move B***h
9 Pat Benatar Hit Me With Your Best Shot
10 Weather Girls It’s Raining Men
11 Kelis Milkshake
12 Christina Aguilera Lady Marmalade
13 Kanye West Gold Digger
14 Michael Jackson P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
15 Supremes You Can’t Hurry Love
16 Kool & The Gang Ladies Night
17 Michael Buble Haven’t Met You Yet
18 Little Big Town Little White Church
19 Survivor Eye Of The Tiger
20 Blondie One Way Or Another
21 Motley Crue Girls, Girls, Girls
22 Queen Another One Bites The Dust
23 Gwen Stefani Hollaback Girl
24 Martina McBride This One’s For The Girls
25 Bruno Mars Marry You
26 Nelly Furtado Maneater
27 Dusty Springfield Wishin’ And Hopin’
28 Beyonce feat. Jay-Z Crazy In Love
29 Destiny’s Child Independent Women Part I
30 Shania Twain Any Man Of Mine
Copyright © 2017 DJ Event Planner Inc.
This document and music list may only be republished if a clearly visible link
to DJ Event Planner (www.djeventplanner.com) is included.
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Top 30 Most Requested Songs For Cake Cutting

Top 30 Most Requested Songs For Cake Cutting
This list is compiled based on over 2 million song requests made using the DJ Event Planner song request system.
Rank Song Song Title
1 Maroon 5 Sugar
2 James Taylor How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
3 Archies Sugar, Sugar
4 Four Tops I Can’t Help Myself
5 Def Leppard Pour Some Sugar On Me
6 Nat King Cole L-O-V-E
7 Jack Johnson Better Together
8 Adam Sandler Grow Old With You
9 DNCE Cake By The Ocean
10 Blake Shelton Honey Bee
11 Michael Buble Everything
12 Ray LaMontagne You Are The Best Thing
13 Natalie Cole This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)
14 Ed Sheeran Thinking Out Loud
15 Bruno Mars Marry You
16 Jason Mraz I’m Yours
17 Queen You’re My Best Friend
18 Jason Mraz Lucky
19 Cake Love You Madly
20 Frank Sinatra The Way You Look Tonight
21 Lumineers Ho Hey
22 Frank Sinatra Love And Marriage
23 Sara Bareilles I Choose You
24 Average White Band Cut The Cake
25 Train Marry Me
26 Etta James At Last
27 U2 Sweetest Thing
28 Pat Benatar Hit Me With Your Best Shot
29 Plain White T’s 1,2,3,4
30 Beyonce Love On Top
Copyright © 2017 DJ Event Planner Inc.
This document and music list may only be republished if a clearly visible link
to DJ Event Planner (www.djeventplanner.com) is included.
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Top 30 Most Requested Songs For Wedding Party Dance

Top 30 Most Requested Songs For Wedding Party Dance
This list is compiled based on over 2 million song requests made using the DJ Event Planner song request system.
Rank Song Song Title
1 Walk The Moon Shut Up And Dance
2 Justin Timberlake Can’t Stop The Feeling!
3 Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars Uptown Funk
4 Black Eyed Peas I Gotta Feeling
5 T.I. Bring ’em Out
6 Black Eyed Peas Let’s Get It Started
7 Bruno Mars Marry You
8 Chris Brown Forever
9 Garth Brooks Friends In Low Places
10 Bruno Mars 24k Magic
11 Pharrell Williams Happy
12 Sister Sledge We Are Family
13 LMFAO Party Rock Anthem
14 V.I.C. Wobble
15 Cupid Cupid Shuffle
16 Whitney Houston I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)
17 Ed Sheeran Thinking Out Loud
18 Kool & The Gang Celebration
19 Louis Armstrong What A Wonderful World
20 Randy Newman You’ve Got A Friend In Me
21 Beyonce feat. Jay-Z Crazy In Love
22 DJ Casper Cha Cha Slide
23 Jagged Edge Let’s Get Married
24 Maroon 5 Sugar
25 DJ Snake feat. Lil’ Jon Turn Down For What
26 Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris We Found Love
27 Kenny Loggins Footloose
28 Pitbull Fireball
29 Heavy D & The Boyz Now That We Found Love
30 Elvis Presley Can’t Help Falling In Love
Copyright © 2017 DJ Event Planner Inc.
This document and music list may only be republished if a clearly visible link
to DJ Event Planner (www.djeventplanner.com) is included.
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Top 30 Most Requested Songs For Mother Son Dance

Top 30 Most Requested Songs For Mother Son Dance
This list is compiled based on over 2 million song requests made using the DJ Event Planner song request system.
Rank Song Song Title
1 Rascal Flatts My Wish
2 Lynyrd Skynyrd / Shinedown Simple Man
3 Louis Armstrong What A Wonderful World
4 Tim McGraw Humble And Kind
5 Boyz II Men A Song For Mama
6 Lee Ann Womack I Hope You Dance
7 Phil Collins You’ll Be In My Heart
8 T Carter A Mother’s Song
9 Kenny Chesney Don’t Blink
10 Rod Stewart Forever Young
11 Beatles In My Life
12 Van Morrison Days Like This
13 Celine Dion Because You Loved Me
14 Lady Antebellum Never Alone
15 Backstreet Boys The Perfect Fan
16 Israel Kamakawiwo’ole Somewhere Over The Rainbow / What A Wonderful World
17 Ben E. King Stand By Me
18 Dixie Chicks Landslide
19 Van Morrison Have I Told You Lately
20 Garth Brooks Mom
21 Mikki Viereck A Song For My Son
22 Eric Church Like Jesus Does
23 DJ Keo All To You
24 Jason Mraz 93 Million Miles
25 James Taylor How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
26 Josh Groban You Raise Me Up
27 Nat King Cole Unforgettable
28 Elton John Your Song
29 Paul Simon Loves Me Like A Rock
30 Mark Harris Find Your Wings
Copyright © 2017 DJ Event Planner Inc.
This document and music list may only be republished if a clearly visible link
to DJ Event Planner (www.djeventplanner.com) is included.
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Top 30 Most Requested Songs For Father Daughter Dance

Top 30 Most Requested Songs For Father Daughter Dance
This list is compiled based on over 2 million song requests made using the DJ Event Planner song request system.
Rank Song Song Title
1 Heartland I Loved Her First
2 Tim McGraw My Little Girl
3 Bob Carlisle Butterfly Kisses
4 Temptations My Girl
5 Rascal Flatts My Wish
6 Chuck Wicks Stealing Cinderella
7 Louis Armstrong What A Wonderful World
8 Krystal Keith Daddy Dance With Me
9 Frank Sinatra The Way You Look Tonight
10 Stevie Wonder Isn’t She Lovely
11 Celine Dion Because You Loved Me
12 Dixie Chicks Landslide
13 Israel Kamakawiwo’ole Somewhere Over The Rainbow / What A Wonderful World
14 Nat King Cole Unforgettable
15 T Carter Daddy’s Angel
16 John Mayer Daughters
17 Darius Rucker It Won’t Be Like This For Long
18 Beatles In My Life
19 Paul Simon Father And Daughter
20 Lee Ann Womack I Hope You Dance
21 Tim McGraw Humble And Kind
22 Edwin McCain Walk With You
23 Bruce Springsteen When You Need Me
24 Tom Petty Wildflowers
25 Ben E. King Stand By Me
26 Jason Blaine Dance With My Daughter
27 Van Morrison Have I Told You Lately
28 Rod Stewart Forever Young
29 Al Martino Daddy’s Little Girl
30 Trace Adkins Just Fishin’
Copyright © 2017 DJ Event Planner Inc.
This document and music list may only be republished if a clearly visible link
to DJ Event Planner (www.djeventplanner.com) is included.
Read More

Top 30 Most Requested Songs For First Dance

Top 30 Most Requested Songs For First Dance
This list is compiled based on over 2 million song requests made using the DJ Event Planner song request system.
Rank Song Song Title
1 Ed Sheeran Thinking Out Loud
2 Dan and Shay From The Ground Up
3 Sara Evans Perfect
4 Elvis Presley Can’t Help Falling In Love
5 James Arthur Say You Won’t Let Go
6 Thomas Rhett Die A Happy Man
7 John Legend All Of Me
8 Brett Young In Case You Didn’t Know
9 Etta James At Last
10 Ray LaMontagne You Are The Best Thing
11 Brad Paisley Then
12 Christina Perri A Thousand Years
13 Lee Brice I Don’t Dance
14 Lonestar Amazed
15 Ben E. King Stand By Me
16 Ed Sheeran Tenerife Sea
17 Jason Mraz I Won’t Give Up
18 George Strait I Cross My Heart
19 Tim McGraw My Best Friend
20 Shai Yours
21 Chris Stapleton Tennessee Whiskey
22 Michael Buble Everything
23 Ellie Goulding How Long Will I Love You
24 Frank Sinatra The Way You Look Tonight
25 Adele / Garth Brooks Make You Feel My Love
26 Lifehouse You And Me
27 Rascal Flatts Bless The Broken Road
28 Brett Eldredge Mean To Me
29 Elton John Your Song
30 Ben Rector Forever Like That
Copyright © 2017 DJ Event Planner Inc.
This document and music list may only be republished if a clearly visible link
to DJ Event Planner (www.djeventplanner.com) is included.
Read More

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