Our next appointment is booked! We feel like we’re getting the hang of this now, since we know what questions to ask and have a better idea of what is important to us. This time, we’ll be headed to Indian Lakes Resort. I have high hopes for this place, even though I’ve never seen it (despite likely having driven past it hundreds of times). It seems to have most of what we want and not cost three arms and a leg. We’ll see on Saturday if it lives up to what it looks like on paper.

Jim and I attended the Pinstripes (Hoffman Estates) Special Events Showcase a couple of weeks ago, and it was really a great time. There were a lot of raffles, a small number of vendors (photographers, DJs, treats, coordinators), free food (sampler trays, flatbreads, desserts) as well as a free drink ticket. We did visit each vendor’s booth, and the food was pretty enjoyable. We got a lot out of the coordinator we spoke with from Simply Elegant, and I am a little more open to the idea of employing one now.  Another nice aspect of this showcase was the ability to see a few different table settings. There were three demo tables, each of which had their own centerpieces and layouts.

There were two surprisingly nice takeaways from this showcase. Continue reading →

Leapfrogging ahead of the other two appointments is venue option #6: Bridges of Poplar Creek. I had been researching this venue online for quite a while before I actually realized where it was; I noticed it for the first time while driving home from Woodfield yesterday. The photos are beautiful, and it has good pricing (perhaps due to it being in Hoffman Estates instead of Schaumburg?), though like the others, it does not have a hotel on site. We’ll meet with them on Saturday and see how it goes.

This weekend, we’ll also be visiting Old Orchard Country Club.  This venue is intriguing because, despite its relatively low cost, it has gorgeous pictures with picturesque views from its plentiful windows.  It’s high time we saw this place in person to verify for ourselves whether this is a diamond in the rough or simply a great marketing effort on the part of the venue.  One key note that assuredly must be addressed: Old Orchard does not offer Ketel One in any of its liquor packages.  Jim and I are going to have a full weekend, between venue 4 and 5, his birthday celebrations, seeing the Little Mermaid & its following variety show at St. John’s, and trying to enjoy the ride that is being engaged.

Our next appointment is on the books for Saturday, May 3rd.  We’re managing to squeeze it in to our schedule for this weekend despite the fact that it’s right between Jim’s two big 29th birthday celebrations.  This appointment is for Chandler’s Chophouse, a steakhouse set in a golf club.  We’ve eaten there a few times before, and have glanced into its ballroom when other events were taking place.  It is impressive, with a nice array of windows and a wonderfully high ceiling.  It was one of my favorites early on, but we have yet to actually meet with a wedding coordinator there.  One of the key missing features is its lack of a hotel on site, so that will need to be addressed somehow.  Now that we’ve been to a few places, I can keep a spreadsheet of features for each and have a much more thorough idea of what questions we want answered.

We learned quite a lot over the weekend about the two venues we visited.  Combining that with the first one we saw a few weeks ago, we’re not set on any one place yet, but we do have some ideas about what venues we’d like to further research.  We do appreciate windows and a nearby lake, as well as venues that have a hotel on site.  Some of the venues are more willing to work with you than others (Bartlett Hills gets a gold star for this), which we will keep in mind since it can significantly cut down on the cost without compromising what you want.  Bartlett Hills also wins the price war, though the interior loses handily to that of Arrowhead or Westin.  Arrowhead had some nice ways to come to the table, like a fireworks display and potential pricing adjustments.  Westin is just plain gorgeous and on site at a hotel, so despite its price and lackluster attitude on customizing the package to reduce price, it’s still in the running.

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Just after the Arrowhead appointment, we are going to check out the Bartlett Hills Golf Club. I have never actually been there, but the photos are beautiful, the prices are reasonable, and I have had a lot of people tell me it’s quite nice. The main downside is the closest decent hotel is MANY miles away, making a shuttle pretty frustrating. We will see if it’s worth the extra hassle.

The Westin appointment went well, and the venue still remains in the running.  However, we’re keeping our options open, since there are some questions about pricing, and the Westin admitted to having up to three weddings on the same day – yikes.  Despite that, there are a lot of good reviews about the place, and it does have a great location with a hotel, bar, and upscale restaurant/bar on site.  The four season tent backs to a lake, and it seems as though having a lake by the reception is more “us” than an urban area, a barn, or other sorts of locales.

After learning a few things at the Westin, we are now moving on to our second venue appointment this Sunday.  This one will be at the Arrowhead Golf Club in Wheaton.  There are some positives about this place, such as the lake being nearby, a bar on site, and (best of all) a mashed potato bar built into the menu already.  However, it doesn’t have a hotel on site, and I’m concerned about how that will affect the day.  We will see what they have to offer and report back.

Jim and I made an appointment to see the Westin Chicago Northwest (formerly a Wyndham), located at the East end of the Elgin O’Hare Expressway.  My parents had gone to a wedding here, at their year-round tent, and reported that it was the most beautiful wedding they had ever seen.  On the other hand, it is on the pricey side, so we will have to see what their options are.  We have already ruled out Cantigny and The Onion Pub through our casual visits there, so I’m curious to see how this visit will go.