Tom found his true passion by chance; a simple stop into a local flower store to buy some flowers for his mom. He later acquired the store along with valuable skills in event planning. Today, Kehoe Designs (Opens in a new tab or window) is a nationally recognized company and one of the largest event firms in Chicago, which thrives on design challenges and pushing the limits. He is known for transforming spaces into legendary events and one-of-a-kind galas, captivating partygoers with his food displays and sense of ambience for more than 17 years.

Tom's Tips

Lighting is Everything

One thing that can instantly improve any space is lighting. You can have a beautiful environment, but if the lighting is bad everything else suffers.

Have Fun With the Unexpected

Tom doesn’t just shop Mariano’s for food and flowers. He’ll find fun things to use for decoration. Try kitchen and bath scrubbies to put underneath food trays like a ruffle.

Start With Color

It’s hard to know where to start when planning an event. Try something as simple as a color. Pick one as your theme and build around that with produce or whatever else inspires you.