If there’s one thing that couples realize when they start wedding planning, it’s how expensive everything is.
From flowers to attire to entertainment, the costs can add up quickly. But there’s one detail that often makes the wedding budget skyrocket and that’s the venue.
The largest portion of the wedding budget is dedicated to the venue, on average topping out at 35% of the total wedding budget. And for couples who are trying to save money on their wedding, this can be a staggering number.
In 2021, the average wedding cost in Illinois was about $24,600. But many couples hope to have a final cost that falls well below that figure.
Opting for a less expensive venue can help ease that number. Don’t worry; choosing a less expensive venue doesn’t mean you have to give up any eye-catching details.
In fact, many of these affordable wedding venues in Illinois are stunning, with gorgeous views and lots of amenities and all-inclusive packages. There’s no need to break the bank to get your dream wedding.
Loft on Lake
Located in the West Loop of Chicago, Loft on Lake offers a beautiful industrial loft space for a city chic ceremony.
With features like glossy concrete floors, exposed brick and ductwork, and wooden trusses, you’ll have a stylish urban setting.
The entire space will be flooded with natural light from the 65-foot skylight above.
Loft on Lake can be customized to fit your vision for a wedding layout and theme. You’ll have 4,800 square feet to work with to plan your wedding.
The Grand Loft will host your ceremony and reception while the Cocktail Room will the cocktail hour.
Loft on Lake provides venue representatives to help couples throughout the planning process, including contacting and meeting with vendors.
Included in the menu are tables, chairs, and additional furniture, as well as lighting and drapery as needed for decor.
Loft on Lake also offers in-house photography and videography.
Venue cost: $3,000 ceremony only, $4,500-$5,900 ceremony and reception
Venue capacity: 150 seated, 175 cocktail-style
Find Loft on Lake at Loft on Lake or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Danada House
An elegant venue in Wheaton, Illinois, Danada House is sure to impress guests.
Conveniently located outside of Chicago, this venue is easily accessible to those who may have to travel from out of town.
Danada House has some of the most beautiful views thanks to the 780 acres this venue sits on.
You’ll have a choice of both indoor and outdoor sites for your wedding ceremony and reception.
Outside, you can have your wedding in one of six locations, including the Formal Garden and outside the main home. Inside, get married in The Atrium, which has large windows with views of the grounds, where you can also hold your reception.
Danada House will provide event planning services to make sure every detail is in place. Included in the rental are tables, chairs, and set-up services.
The venue has a list of approved caterers that can all make customized wedding meals.
Venue cost: $250-$7,500
Venue capacity: 250 guests
Find Danada House at Danada House or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Reserve 22
Sitting on the Village Links Golf Course in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, Reserve 22 is a scenic and elegant wedding venue.
With an uninterrupted view of the lush green landscape, your wedding is sure to be picturesque when hosted here.
The land is a certified wildlife sanctuary since 1991, as noted by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program.
You can get married outside on the verdant lawns with mature trees surrounding you. Inside, the banquet room provides an elegant location for a wedding reception. And the patio is ideal for a cocktail hour or an indoor-outdoor wedding.
Reserve 22 has an event planner that will be dedicated to your wedding and ensure the process runs smoothly from the time you book the venue.
The rental includes tables, chairs, set up and cleanup services, lighting, sounds, glassware, and linens.
There is also a suite to get ready in before the ceremony.
Venue cost: $750-$2,000, $5,000 food and beverage minimum
Venue capacity: 150 guests
Find Reserve 22 at Reserve 22 or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Mount Hope
A charming country getaway in Michael, Illinois, and a sweet farm venue, Mount Hope is a scenic escape from city life that’s perfect for a dreamy rustic wedding.
Your guests are sure to feel relaxed and in awe of the verdant grounds dotted with mature trees and water features.
You can get married right outside the estate’s barn for a stylish outdoor wedding complete with rustic church pews for your guests to watch from.
For your reception, move inside the barn, which features a spacious interior with high, rafted ceilings.
Mount Hope has a guest cottage that provides the perfect space to get ready before the ceremony or to stay after the wedding.
There’s also a Lodge that your guest can stay at right on your wedding site. The rental includes three-day access to the venue as well as tables and chairs.
Venue cost: $4,000-$5,000
Venue capacity: 350 guests
Find Mount Hope at Mount Hope or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Von Jakob Winery and Brewery
This stunning winery and brewery in Alto Pass, Illinois are sure to provide you with a memorable wedding.
With blue skies and green fields as far as the eye can see, Von Jakob Winery and Brewery is a beautiful wedding venue with a fun atmosphere.
Get married outside with a vibrant green backdrop. Take wedding photos in between the lush vineyard vines. You can also get married or have your ceremony inside the brewery and winery ballrooms.
Von Jakob Winery and Brewery has an expert wedding coordinator that can take care of every detail. And couples will love that the venue is all-inclusive.
The wedding packages include the site rental, ceremony, and any additional fees and taxes, and the food and beverage, which is covered by the in-house catering team.
Venue cost: $4,600-$11,200
Venue capacity: 350 guests
Find Von Jakob Winery and Brewery at Von Jakob Winery and Brewery or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Venue Chisca
Located in downtown Peoria, Illinois, Venue Chisca is a gorgeous loft ballroom.
With 17,000 square feet to work with, you’ll have plenty of room to transform the space into your dream wedding.
Venue Chisca has both indoor and outdoor ceremony locations. Inside, you’ll have a gorgeous industrial chic ballroom in which to say “I do”. Outside, there is a beautiful lush garden for an open-air ceremony.
With your rental, you’ll have access to the whole venue for the entire day of your wedding.
Venue Chisca offers complimentary setup and clean-up services so you can relax and enjoy your wedding day.
Venue cost: $1,000-$7,500
Venue capacity: 500 guests
Find Venue Chisca at Venue Chisca or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Wandering Tree Estate
Getting married on the grounds of a mansion set in an idyllic setting in Barrington, Illinois is a stylish treat.
Wandering Tree Estate sits on ten acres that feature lush gardens and a sparkling late. This is the perfect venue for a beautiful and intimate wedding.
You can recite your vows in one of the romantic gardens in a gazebo, next to a lake, or under mature trees. Your guests will be able to explore the grounds and admire the beautiful flowers during the cocktail hour.
Wandering Tree Estate has a list of preferred vendors, from caterers to florists to help design your dream wedding.
The venue also has space to get ready before the ceremony.
Wandering Tree Estate is also pet-friendly, so bring your furry friends to celebrate with you.
Venue cost: $1,500-$3,500
Venue capacity: 50 guests
Find Wandering Tree Estate at Wandering Tree Estate or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Anderson Japanese Garden
You’ll feel like you’ve been whisked away for your wedding at Anderson Japanese Garden in Rockford, Illinois.
This venue features one of the best Japanese gardens in North America and includes 12 acres that feature lush green lawns, stone pathways, babbling streams, and scenic waterfalls.
At Anderson Japanese Garden, you can have an outdoor ceremony anywhere throughout the stunning garden grounds.
Inside, you can have a reception in the dining room that features large floor-to-ceiling windows displaying views of the gardens and two attached decks for an indoor-outdoor event.
The venue provides event planning services so that your wedding day happens exactly as you planned it.
Anderson Japanese Garden also has set up services so you won’t have to worry about getting to the venue early and a bridal service to prepare for the ceremony.
Anderson Japanese Garden also has all-inclusive packages for couples to enjoy.
Venue cost: $100-$3,250
Venue capacity: 200 guests
Find Anderson Japanese Garden at Anderson Japanese Garden or check out Facebook or Instagram.
The Silver Fox
This elegant ballroom in Streator, Illinois will be a stunning backdrop for your wedding day.
Originally built in 1905, The Silver Fox retains much of the historic charm for a unique wedding vibe.
Couples will have four sites available for the wedding ceremony and reception. You’ll be able to customize the space to fit your wedding venue.
The ceremony room has rich wood floors, and for your reception, you can dance the night away in the ballroom and enjoy cocktail hour in the Cocktail Lounge.
The Silver Fox has a suite to prepare for the ceremony in.
The venue also provides event planning as well as set up and clean up services.
Included in the rental are barware and glassware, and linens.
Venue cost: $4,000-$6,500
Venue capacity: 170 guests
Find The Silver Fox at The Silver Fox or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Hickory Point Banquet Facility
Hickory Point Banquet Facility in Forsyth, Illinois has beautiful green landscapes as far as the eye can see. Set on a golf case, Hickory Point Banquet Facility provides a stunning backdrop for all of your wedding events.
Recite your vows in the ballroom, which features cathedral-style ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the room in natural light.
Or host your nuptials in the Pavillion. This covered space has brick accents and walls made from screening that help create a laid-back indoor/outdoor wedding.
Hickory Point Banquet Facility has an event consultant who will help plan the details of your event, including the customized floor plan.
The rental also includes tables, chairs, and linens.
This venue has a list of preferred vendors to streamline your wedding planning.
Venue cost: $750-$2,250
Venue capacity: 700 guests
Find Hickory Point Banquet Facility at Hickory Point Banquet Facility or check out Facebook.
Zhou B Art Center
This Chicago, Illinois wedding venue is truly unique and incredibly dreamy.
The Zhou B Art Center features the art of the Zhou Brothers and has over 28,000 square feet of event space to make your wedding dreams come true.
Weddings at the Zhou B Art Center can be intimate or gala-sized.
Inside, the Moongate Room and the Spirit Gallery provide sleek event spaces for a ceremony and reception. You can also combine these spaces to make one large event venue.
You can also have your wedding events in the Group Dance event space which features large windows that bring in all the natural light.
The Zhou B Art Center has an on-site manager to help your event go exactly as planned. There are also two suites that the couple can get ready in before the ceremony.
The rental includes event furniture like tables, chairs, and lounge furniture.
Venue cost:$3,500-$8,000
Venue capacity: 450 guests
Find The Zhou B Art Center at Zhou B Art Center or check out Facebook or Instagram.
The Grove Redfield Estate
This award-winning venue n Glenview, Illinois is perfect for your storybook wedding.
The Grove Redfield Estate sits on the Grove Nature Preserve, which has 150 acres and is a National Historic Landmark originally built in 1929.
The venue features beautiful lawns and gardens and an elegant Craftsman home.
You can host wedding events in the historic Redfield home inside the Great Room, which has a cathedral ceiling, cozy fireplace, and antique woodwork.
Outside, the stone Pavillion has an outdoor fireplace for a comfortable and cozy atmosphere for a ceremony or reception.
More ceremony sites include the Gazebo and the Great Oak Tree.
The Grove Redfield Estate has a list of preferred vendors, including caterers, to make event planning easy.
The rental includes tables, chairs, linens, and glassware. There are also dressing rooms to get ready in and a catering kitchen to prepare your meal.
Venue cost: $1,500-$4,000
Venue capacity: 120 guests
Find The Grove Redfield Estate at The Grove Redfield Estate or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Cress Creek Country Club
You’re sure to have an unforgettable wedding day at Cress Creek Country Club in Naperville, Illinois.
This picturesque venue is perfect for an intimate affair or a large celebration. Cress Creek Country Club is sophisticated and stylish, perfect for elegant brides.
Cress Creek Country Club has a stunning clubhouse that has views of the verdant lawns of the golf course.
With a neutral color palette, the space is easily customizable to any wedding venue. Or get married outside on the stone patio or under the mature trees of the fairways.
All-inclusive packages include an open bar, a three-course dinner, and a cocktail hour with butler-passed hor d’oeuvres.
There is also a dressing suite to prepare for the wedding. And the in-house catering team will customize the wedding menu to your tastes.
Venue cost: $1,000
All-inclusive packages: $78 a person
Venue capacity: 230 guests
Find Cress Creek Country Club at Cress Creek Country Club or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Century Memorial Chapel at Naper Settlement
This historic venue is an 1864 Gothic Revival that still features the original stained-glass windows and hand stenciling.
The Century Memorial Chapel at Naper Settlement is a wedding venue that’s both dramatic and elegant with an antique charm.
You can get married outside on the beautiful lush grounds that feature mature trees towering overhead.
A historic chapel is also an option for an indoor ceremony site. Host your reception outside on the grounds for an open-air event.
Century Memorial Chapel at Naper Settlement provides a wedding suite for the couple to get ready before the ceremony.
A Naper Settlement rental attendant will assist you with any details you need to make your day run smoothly.
The venue has a preferred vendor list to help aid in planning.
Venue cost: $995-$2,200
Venue capacity: 175 guests
Find Century Memorial Chapel at Naper Settlement at Century Memorial Chapel at Naper Settlement or check out Facebook or Instagram.
All Seasons Orchard
Rustic and elegant, All Seasons Orchard in Woodstock, Illinois is a stunning venue for a wedding ceremony.
You can create your dream wedding on this picturesque farm that features tall, mature trees and verdant pastures.
You’ll have three ceremony locations to choose from. One space outdoors is a paved patio with water features. Indoor events can take place in the air-conditioned barn, which has a lovely rustic charm.
All Seasons Orchard has rooms to get ready in with the wedding party.
The venue will provide a coordinator on the wedding day to ensure everything runs smoothly.
All Seasons Orchard also has catering packages to fit every couple’s taste.
Venue cost: $3,500-$4,000
Venue capacity: 200 guests
Find All Seasons Orchard at All Seasons Orchard or check out Facebook or Instagram.
