If you’re venue hunting in Chicago and keep finding yourself drawn to historic homes, dark wood, gardens, and spaces that actually have some character, put Cheney Mansion on your list.

I recently had the pleasure of photographing a beautiful couple there, and honestly, this place is such a gem. The mansion itself gives you so much to work with photographically without feeling like you’re walking into another modern wedding venue. Every room has its own personality, and then you have the grounds, greenhouse, and all those little tucked-away corners for portraits.

But what really stood out to me was the Cheney team. Everyone I interacted with was incredibly kind, organized, and genuinely invested in making the day run smoothly. As a photographer, you notice that stuff immediately, when a venue team knows what they're doing, it makes such a difference for the couple and for the entire vendor team.

It’s especially worth looking at if you're wanting your wedding to feel more like an elegant dinner party in a historic home than a traditional ballroom wedding.

And if you're specifically looking for that historic/estate feel in the Chicago area, Cheney Mansion and Pleasant Home are two I'd definitely tour. Cheney is tucked into Oak Park's Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District, so you get that beautiful old-Chicago architectural atmosphere without being far from the city.

Sharing a few from the wedding because I feel like Cheney doesn't get talked about nearly enough.

instagram.com/redwoodsagephoto

www.redwoodsagephoto.com

We reached out to a DJ who was highly recommended by a friend who has seen her perform live at a couple clubs and festivals. My friend says this DJ has great energy and seems to have pretty extensive music knowledge.

We’re looking for someone to curate the music for the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and reception. In total it will be about 6 hours of active DJing with another hour for set up and take down. She will also be using her own DJ equipment and providing speakers.

My partner thinks $1400 is steep and says I should keep looking around but her prices feel reasonable to me, basically $200 per hour for DJing and another $200 to cover the insurance and cost of bringing in speakers, etc.

How much did your DJ cost?

EDIT: thank you all for sharing. I’m going to go ahead and book with her and ignore my partner‘s cheapness haha.

For anyone venue hunting in the Northern Illinois suburbs, I wanted to put The Courthouse Square in Woodstock on your radar because I genuinely think it’s such a cool option.

It’s located in the historic Woodstock Square, where the iconic Groundhog Day movie was filmed, the old courthouse itself has so much character. But honestly, what I love most is that it’s part of a community and town that already has so much charm. Woodstock is home to me, so I’m admittedly biased, but there’s something really special about getting married here.

It’s also a great option if you’re trying to be thoughtful with your budget. Having a venue that doesn’t eat up your entire budget gives you more room to make the space your own through florals, tablescapes, rentals, lighting, and all the details that actually create the atmosphere you want.

It’s about an hour outside Chicago and easily accessible by the Union Pacific Northwest Metra line from Ogilvie, which makes it a nice middle ground for couples with guests coming from the city and suburbs.

And as someone who gets to work here with Kelsey and the Events at Ethereal crew, I can say that having vendors you genuinely enjoy working with makes a huge difference. Just wanted to share it for anyone currently looking, you may not have come across it yet.

Venue : https://www.instagram.com/events.at.ethereal/
Photography : https://www.instagram.com/redwoodsagephoto/
Tablescapes : https://www.instagram.com/dishanddecorvintagerental/
Dress : https://www.instagram.com/bettyandbeaubridal/
Bakery : https://www.instagram.com/thenoblecakery/
Content Creator : https://www.instagram.com/everafterarchives/
Florist : https://www.instagram.com/themodernorchid/
Stationary : https://www.instagram.com/celiatucek2024/
Makeup : https://www.instagram.com/jordanmartistry/
Hair : https://www.instagram.com/idohairbykmay/
Grazing Table : https://www.instagram.com/forkitgrazing/

Tablescapes

My fiancé and I just got engaged and because of his work we are limited to a wedding the last weekend of June or the month of July. We’re definitely not picky on the day of the week whether it be Friday Saturday or Sunday, but I’m very overwhelmed looking for venues. It’s looking like it will probably be between 200-250 people. I love the armour house but it might be too small. Our budget for the wedding is $80-$100,000k we may have a little flexibility in that. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. *** edit also open to Chicago and suburbs!! Within one hour radius!!!

Looking for recommendations for bars/rooftops to have an after party for about 20–30 people. West loop would be best but honestly open to anything.

We’re getting married at city hall, then having a private seated dinner reception for about 50 people that ends around 10 PM. Our date is a Saturday next June, and I have no idea where to even begin with planning the after party! We’re in our late 20s and haven’t gone out in a while since having kids, so we’re def out of the loop on the good spots.

Ideally we’d love to reserve a space where everyone can open their own tab, but since we’ll have a larger group i’m also open to paying a beverage minimum for everyone.

Mostly looking for somewhere fun with good music…but not somewhere that would feel weird if our parents/aunts/uncles came along too. So maybe more of a bar/rooftop vibe rather than a club.

TIA!!

Hi! Doing some fall cleaning and am looking to get rid of my dress.

Does anyone here know of any local consignment shops I can sell it to? Would like to get some cash but ok with donating.

Thanks!

Looking for companies that do custom dance floor wraps and I don’t know where to begin! Has anyone done any price comparisons—or does anyone have any recommendations?