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Congratulations you are in engaged, and now you want to get married in one of the best cities in the country.  What do first??  I always tell all newly engaged couples to enjoy every moment of their engagement, but here in Chicago, you have to start planning early!!   Chicago has exceptional selection and diverse venues to offer for your special day, but no matter how many they have, they are tend to be booked far in advance!  

 

Decide what kind of wedding you want. And remember, this day is about you and your fiancé. If you want a church wedding, this should be the first call.  Most of the churches downtown are skilled at conducting many weddings on the same day and have multiple times available. They tend to be booked up to a year in advance.  Once you nail down your church, if that’s your preference, then search begins of finding the perfect venue. Decide what type of venue site you are looking for: hotel ballroom, loft space, museum, restaurants or a unique setting. 
 

Chicago is home to an array of the finest hotel ballrooms. From the very classic Renaissance Ballroom at the Intercontinental or the very sleek ballroom at The James hotel, a space to coordinate your personality, your guest list and your budget is available.  Loft spaces are popping up everywhere, especially in the West Loop area of the city.  Note that when you take a raw space like Prairie Productions and turn it into your dream wedding, costs can start to creep up as everything will need to be rented and brought in from the linens, to catering, to lighting, etc.  Museums in Chicago are fantastic setting for your wedding. They immediately inject personality into your big day.  You can eat with the fish at the Shedd, dine with the wooly mammoths at the Field Museum, under the starts at Adler Planetarium or have your cocktail hour in an airplane at The Museum of Science and Industry.  Don’t forget the incredible (and delicious) restaurants too. Another enjoyable option is to have your wedding reception at your favorite Chicago restaurant.   Who wouldn’t want to dine on one of the famous steaks from Morton’s The Steakhouse? 

 

Either way, whether you live here, grew up here or are simply choosing to have your wedding here, Chicago is a top city for weddings and you should act quickly and decisively. There’s a chance if you go visit a site on Saturday at noon and don’t book it, by the time you call back on Monday, it may be gone.
 

Once you book your ceremony or reception site, then the rest should come together quite easily.  Of course being a planner, I would recommend having a planner to help guide you through the whole process.  A planner can save you time, leverage their vendor contacts, know which company is best for flowers (and which don’t perform up to a bride’s expectations) and much more. 

 

Planning your wedding should be exciting and enjoyable, so don’t forget that!  It’s your wedding and it should be YOUR dream wedding, not everyone else’s.  Happy Planning!

 

By Christina Mendoza Terpstra, Bridal Consultant, You'll Say I Do.