Starting to plan in Chicagoland and feeling overwhelmed. Help!

joanneberk

I have been doing research online through Yelp and The Knot but am feeling overwhelmed and don't know where to start.  I am getting married October 2015 and am starting to research sites for a wedding.  We are going to probably invite anywhere between 120-150 guests and have a budget of $70-$90/guest.  The ideal location will allow us to do a ceremony and reception onsite but is not necessary.  Also, having an onsite planner would be a major plus.  The place must also have parking and be in the northern suburbs (Glenview/Northbrook, Lincolnwood, Niles, Des Plaines, Rosemont) or north side of the city.

I have looked at and will probably visit the following: Glenview Park District, Chateau Ritz, Maggianos, various hotels in Rosemont.  It is tough to find reviews and very few reviews are recent and do not give a good flavor.  Any suggestions on places to look or anyplace to avoid?  I am sitting at work almost in tears because I am getting so anxious/overwhelmed.  Any guidance would be helpful.

Thanks!

bellaluna290

Hi, and welcome to the knot!

I would recommend using the search feature on these boards so that you can see what other brides have had to say about their wedding venues. Your wedding is a long way off, so please do not stress yourself out about finding a perfect venue right now!

MobKaz

When you first click onto the Chicago Wedding Board page, you will see two posts at the top of the page.....

The Married Knottie Bios, and Vendor Spreadsheet.

You can find good information on local venues if you scan these two posts.

Your current per person budget is fairly realistic for the area(s) you are considering.  

Venues that state that they are "inclusive" will vary on what they may or may not include.  Typically, but not always, things that are included will be linens, simple centerpieces, the cake, a 4 hour open bar, and appetizers.  The typical "extra" costs might be colored linens, chair covers/sashes, upgrades to liquor in terms of quality or additional hours, or upgrades to type or amount of appetizers.  (These are generalizations, but should give you some idea of what to expect.)

Some venues will offer an onsite planner at a small additional cost.  At our venue, The Arboretum Club in Buffalo Grove, the cost was $200....but their services were priceless!  

Friday evening and Sunday weddings usually offer additional discounts.

It is never too early to start research, but try not to get too far ahead of yourself in terms of commiting to a venue too soon.  In our case, we did score some great discounts booking "early"....our venue was willing to lock in current prices for a wedding that would not occur for another 18 months.  However, in our case, because we did not have much flexibility in dates, our hand was "forced" to book early because in January of 2010, they only had one Saturday opening for June of 2011!  

Keep asking the Chicago ladies your questions.  The more specific you are, the better  they will be able to help.  Keep your eyes open for new "vendor reviews".  

jsquared62009

We had our reception at the Fountain Blue in Des Plaines. I cannot say enough good things about them! Every single person we talked to was prompt with a response and very friendly.  The service the day of was great and the food was amazing. We didn't have a ceremony there but they do have that option I believe. It's definitely in your price range as well! Also I have heard really good things about Victoria Banquets which is in that area as well.

Like PP said, you have plenty of time so don't stress too much. It'll give you plenty of time to research places online and then narrow it down to who you want to go visit in person. I mostly used the knot (I would search the chicago board for northwest suburbs/reception sites). Also, I used weddingwire a lot for reviews. Obviously all those have to be taken with a grain of salt, but it still helps.

GL! Happy Planning!

joanneberk

Thank you for your help!  I was joking around last night that I should just go up and down the River Rd strip in Rosemont and visit each hotel.  I did see FountainBlue and it looks like they do some pheonomenal work.  I plan to start visiting places in the fall.  Right now the frontrunner is Maggianos based on food but I've seen some reviews that make me nervous.  I tend to be an obessesive planner so earlier is always better for me.:)

I will check out the vendor board too.  Many venues only have a few reviews.

letsgobowlingx

We had our ceremony and reception at the Hyatt lodge in oak brook. I highly recommend it! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions!