Chicago MMXIII: Walk Don't Run

out with ye

so has anyone been to any cool wedding spots that were cheap and affordable and won't cost a lot of money? also cheap

my brother got a good deal here, but prob because of winter: http://ravenswoodeventcenter.com/

worth booking an appointment, the sales/management staff are cool people and will be realistic about your budget, etc

http://www.dankhaus.com/ was our first choice for a Chicago wedding before we decided on a destination wedding.

I've also been to a wedding at the Ravenswood center and it was pretty classy.

Jeff and I got married at marriage court in the county building in the Loop. So cheap it was free.

We had our reception at the Hopleaf which really was cheap - two (three?) hours of open bar and a really nice selection of food for I think 25 people (maybe 30?) for about $2k. I don't know if they still do that kind of private party anymore or if it would still be that cheap. This was in 2005, pre Check Please and remodel.

IME the best way to get married on the cheap was to keep it small.

jaymc and NA and their brides both got married in lovely locations that I think were budget minded, but they'll have to say where bc I forgot.

i just looked at this place for my brother's rehearsal dinner. their private party room is pretty great, but only big enough for about 45 guests total, and the food costs are way way lower than most event spaces:

http://bigbrickschicago.com/catering-and-parties

Big Bricks is good. I would get married there.

Private party rooms in restaurants are good bc you don't have to rent a bunch of chairs and plates and crap.

iirc the big savings at Dankhaus was on booze, because you could stock your own bar (i.e. not pay ridic inflated prices from their vendors) and they would provide a bartender.

at big bricks you have the option of an open bar or having a cash bar, and there's no bartender fee either way

the food menu is per item too, and not per person

keeping it small and keeping the rehearsal dinner very small are definitely the initial strategies. thanks for the input

Oh wow, the former Dominick's by my workplace is turning into a Whole Foods. And it'll be kitty-corner to a current Mariano's.

Gr8, yes.

http://www.chicagomag.com/dining-drinking/January-2014/Links-TapRoom/

I'd just like to say I had a vision for a bar almost exactly like this about 3 years ago.

You say to yourself, "It's good to be alive," when you make a reservation at C@tch 35.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoTdFb9QI1U

http://www.suntimes.com/news/cityhall/25080385-418/divvy-supplier-files-bankruptcy.html

Unlikely to affect anything here. Good post of a dumb site regarding it: http://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/comments/1vpm6k/divvy_supplier_files_bankruptcy/ceuoccc

I miss jibjabbin with you guys. Twitter isn't the same at all.

Maybe we need a new thread? It's not mmxiii anymore, after all.

guys last nite's snow was very pretty, i went for a long walk in it

That sounds lovely. I slept through it, then it killed my home Internet, then this morning I shoveled it.

xxp I did it ✶✶✶✶ Chicago MMXIV ✶✶✶✶