Bliss Wedding

Now her reputation and Web site attract clients who hire her over the phone and led to an invitation to participate in Mark Burnett’s new TNT reality show Wedding Day (in which a deserving couple are surprised with the wedding of their dreams) when it comes to Chicago. Little fazes this industry veteran, who recently took only two months to orchestrate a distinctive wedding at the Museum of Contemporary Art, complete with guests’ names appliquéd in mirrored lettering on the chargers (to coordinate with the tin-foil-lined walls of the room’s art installation). When a bride forgot her shoes, Pedersen’s assistant ran to Nordstrom; when the caterers forgot coffee, Pedersen bought ten gallons from a nearby Starbucks; and when one guest indicated he couldn’t eat solid food, Pedersen sent one of her crew out for a blender. After asking clients, who on average spend $120,000 on their weddings, to mark favorite images in magazines, Pedersen creates vision boards that she gives to vendors along with detailed requests, ensuring that when clients first meet with a photographer, caterer, or florist, they know exactly what the couple want.