Planning your Wedding in Chicago? Here are 5 Tips

Organizing even the simplest wedding is a huge and responsible task that requires a lot of time, effort, and cash – all that in order to make this day perfect for the newlyweds and their guests. If the location of the ceremony is in Chicago, everything becomes an even bigger challenge due to the dizzying amounts of cash you’ll need to spend on your dream wedding. Considering that fact, you need to be ready to align all your plans to that and get ready for significantly higher costs compared to the ones your friends faced or the ones you expect.

Is it possible to find an affordable wedding venue in Chicago? How can you save cash but still organize the celebration you have always dreamed of? You will get the answer to these and many other questions in the guide we have prepared for you.

Start planning ahead

After the proposal and the engagement celebration is over, use all that hype and excitement to start planning the wedding. The major mistake that couples make is waiting until a few months before the ceremony to start preparations – trust us, the only thing you’ll achieve this way is an immensely high expense due to the reduction in the number of available dates. Since Chicago is the destination you chose for the beginning of your fairytale, you need to try to go cheaper.

When you give yourself enough time and start informing yourself a year in advance, the chances are higher that you’ll be able to find exactly the offers that suit you. For example, it’ll be much easier to rent the venue you want at current prices, which always get higher during the season. The same goes for all other stores whose services and goods you’ll need. An article written by Partyslate reminds us that one shouldn’t forget about a place for a rehearsal dinner and proposes a few tips on finding the perfect one.

Try to be open-minded and as flexible as possible

Even if you’ve never deviated from some of your desires or attitudes in your life, be sure that the prices of weddings in Chicago will make you flexible – in order to find the right offer, you need to be prepared for compromises, tiny changes, and reconsiderations.

If you firmly decide at the very beginning that the celebration will take place on August 20, 2024, starting at 3 pm, you may be disappointed when you realize that it’s difficult to find that exact free slot you need so much. Try to stay open-minded to any suggestions from venue owners, store workers, or registrars, as they may suggest a better time, month, or day of the week. They know that the wedding celebration season in this city is from April to November and they’ll be able to suggest what’s best for you and your budget.

Keep in mind that the weekend is the only part of the week when you can organize a ceremony, but you should also know that Saturday will probably be more expensive than Sunday or Friday, so think about it.

Think carefully about the length of the guest list

While some of us have always imagined a perfect wedding as a huge celebration attended by 300 guests, some are fans of more intimate variants with about 100 guests or small family gatherings. If you belong to the first group, start thinking about whether you really need that many guests.

Cases in which all 300 guests form a circle of current friends are rare. Most often, these are relatives we see only for the second time in our lives or friends from high school with whom we haven’t had a close relationship or constant contact for a long time. Now is the time to think about whether you want to share your happiness with all of them or most of them will come just for food, drinks, and fun, and get more cash from your pocket without even being so important for you.

This way you’re going to spend way less money, being with people who really focus on sharing your happiness. Making this kind of change will also enable you to find a free venue and the atmosphere will be nicer, warmer, and more relaxed – and this also means fully enjoying your special day in this city.

Consider foods and drinks

Remember to dedicate a few pages in your planner to both food and drinks. We know that at first glance it doesn’t seem like it could cost a fortune, but once you start considering it, you’ll realize that it isn’t really the cheapest aspect. After all, no one wants to skimp on food –  celebrating anything without it can’t be truly enjoyable, right?

Try to find venues that will allow you to bring your food and booze – that way, you may get all that at a better price elsewhere and use the hall reservation service for reception only. On the other hand, you’ll probably get a menu from the manager right at the beginning – you can also try to choose some cheaper, but cool variants of dishes you’d like to serve to your guests.

Finally, consider the buffet option. The truth is, everyone tends to pile up as much food on a plate as possible when they have a buffet in front of them – but you can always hire a waiter to serve all the guests and thus solve the problem of unnecessary accumulation of portions.

Do everything you can yourself

Numerous couples can’t go without hiring professional wedding planners to assist them in making the ceremony look perfect in the end. Keep in mind that this will only be an additional expense and consider whether you really need it.

You may not have the skills to make bouquets and decorations, but you may be great at making fantastic cakes. Use that! Make one for your most special day, or design your own guest invitations if you have a compelling idea, without having to pay a professional designer to do it. Use any talent you have and don’t hesitate to ask your loved ones for help with some other aspects they are good at.

Chicago may not be the most cost-effective destination to organize your wedding, but it’s certainly one of the most beautiful ones. Don’t give up on your dreams just because of that – with the help of these five tips, learn how to get better organized, delight your guests, and remember the day D for the rest of your life.