Chicago Ladies- Help With Reception Venue??

[Ms.Goggles]

I know there are some PSers from Chicago out there! I need some help, if you please! FI and I are marrying, just the two of us, next summer (in Fiji!

), but we are planning to host a twist on an at home reception when we return with around 60-70 people.

I'm looking for a place that will be unique and/or interesting, preferably one in which the reception package will be pretty all-inclusive. FI and I like good food. Our reception will be a dinner, open bar, toasts, cake, talking, maybe a reveal of some of our Fiji pictures. After the reception, we'll depart and head out on the town to some bars in Chicago for an "after party." No dj or live band necessary. We are splurging on the Fiji trip so we'd like to save some money on the reception if possible and this seems like one way to do it.

So far, all I've seen that I think I like is the private dining rooms at Spiaggia. For roughly $128/head, we get the room, their linens/tables/chairs/oil candles, a four course meal including custom wedding cake (our choice of three vendors), open bar and a chef's tasting dinner at Spiaggia on our 1 year anniversary. That seems like a pretty good price. Can anyone comment? Since we never really started planning a traditional wedding, I don't know what the avg. price point is in Chicago. Their contact has been a little slow to respond to me, but since the package seems so low maintenance in terms of my decision making, I don't think I mind too much.

I also like the look of the space at Carnivale, but they're more expensive to begin with, don't include cake, and I don't know that all of our guests like Latin fusion so it seems too risky.

Any ideas for a unique/interesting/beautiful Chicago venue that is low maintenance but will have good food? We are totally up for having it at a restaurant or somewhere else, as long as we don't have to bring a lot in! I was really hoping to get a lot more of this planned during my summer vacation, but now school is starting up and I feel the need for speed!! THANK YOU!!

 

[Elmorton]

I just went to a Chicago reception here: http://www.niashf.org/index2.cfm?ContentID=46

Sounds a little strange as a venue, but it was gorgeous - my friend did a cocktail hour on the rooftop terrace and the food was quite good. Definitely worth checking out.

 

[CaliCushion]

My husbands cousin had her wedding at the School of The Art Institute Ballroom.

http://www.gatheringguide.com/event_directory/il_illinois/event_venue_3033.html

I don''t know about prices, but it sure is beautiful!

 

[Blue824]

We looked at a bunch of spaces in Chicago before we opted for a small out of town wedding.

We looked at Spiaggia''s and while they were a great deal, we found the room rather awkward for what we wanted, but they seemed really nice to work with and obviously the food is great!

Fultons on the River we liked that we had access to an outside space along the river. Their minimum was reasonable, but we were looking for about double the # of people you''re looking at, so you''d have to see what packages they have available.

IF we had our wedding here, we would''ve chosen A New Leaf. It isn''t a one stop shop, but you have much more flexibility in price. Downside - there is a rental fee and this space books up FAST!!!

Spazzo''s is supposed to be very affordable and I''ve heard great things about their packages, but I didn''t look there. I live right next to Carnivale, but have never eaten there! Have you looked into Marche? I know people who have gone to receptions there and had a blast.

 

[Ms.Goggles]

Good stuff so far! Elmorton, thanks so much! You actually reminded me that I wanted to check out Grand Piazza! Long before FI and I were engaged, I had it bookmarked on my computer but there''s so much in there, now, I had forgotten! I emailed them!

Calicushion- The School of the Art Institute Ballroom looks absolutely gorgeous!!

If I was having a large, grand wedding, I''d definitely be looking here. From the looks of it, though, it requires a lot of rentals.

Blue824, you and I must have been former neighbors! I used to live right next to Carnivale too, before FI and I moved in together! Now we live in the suburbs. The room at Spiaggia definitely isn''t as open and "spacious" as I wish it were, but given our small guest list, I think it could work. I looked into Fulton''s when we first got engaged and there was some reason why it wasn''t going to work...totally slipping my mind now (uhh, because it''s 2:30am!?) I LOVE LOVE LOVE A New Leaf....unfortunately, FI and I wasted too much time and we have close friends who didn''t and have booked it for their March wedding. I wouldn''t want to use the same venue when it''s such a small and intimate one to begin with. Don''t know anything about Spazzo''s- I''ll look into it. I remember walking down Randolph and always peeking into Marche- if I remember correctly, it looks really cute in there! I will check that one out as well!

 

[Ms.Goggles]

Any other Chicagoans out there?