Rockford, Illinois's 10 Best Wedding Venues
One of the most important and impactful decisions you’ll make as you begin planning your wedding day is choosing the venue that’ll host your wedding. Your venue affects the feel, flow, and aesthetic of your wedding day, just to name a few things. It’s where you’ll be spending the most time on your wedding day, and where some of your favorite memories will be made. That’s why it’s SO important to get it right when choosing your wedding venue. That’s why in this article we’re going to talk about what to look for as you begin your search for a wedding venue, as well as talk about 10 of my favorite wedding venues in Rockford, Illinois. So without further ado, let’s dive into it.
Choosing the Wedding Venue that’s Right for You
Before we check out my 10 favorite wedding venues in the Rockford, Illinois area, we first need to know what to look for when selecting a wedding venue. Every couple has different tastes and priorities when it comes to how they want their day to look and feel, but as a general rule of thumb these are the areas you’ll want to pay attention to when making your decision.
The Size
First and foremost is the size of the venue itself. This is vitally important as you need to ensure that the venue you book is able to host your event and all the guests you plan to invite. When looking for your wedding venue in Rockford, Illinois pay close attention to the guest limit of the space. For those of you planning a more intimate celebration, it’s worth noting that there are some venues out there that also have a minimum guest requirement in order to book with them.
The Style
Next up is the style and aesthetic of the wedding venue. For obvious reasons, your venue has a massive impact on how your wedding day looks and feels. Do you want something elegant and historic? Whimsical and natural? Chic and modern? There are no wrong answers here, only the right choice for you as a couple specifically. As you start dreaming of your wedding day, be open and honest with one another about what you want the day to look and feel like. This will help to guide you as you’ll limit the venue options to consider down to only those that fit your specific vision.
The Spaces Available
Another important thing to keep in mind when searching for your dream wedding venue is what spaces are available at the venue. Are you having your ceremony in a church with the cocktail hour and reception at a separate venue? Do you want to have everything from the ceremony through the reception at one location? Are you planning on getting ready at the venue or will that have to take place elsewhere? There again is no wrong answer here, it more comes down to what you want the layout of your day to be, and how much time you want to spend traveling. Having everything at one location means you’ll have more flexibility in your timeline, but you’ll have to be sure then that you absolutely love the look and feel of the space itself as you won’t be taking photos anywhere else!
Other Factors
These are the biggest factors to consider when looking for a wedding venue in Rockford, Illinois, but there are of course many other things to keep in mind throughout your search.
Your cost and your wedding budget are very important, and so is investing in a venue and vendors that can help to create your dream wedding.
The amenities offered at wedding venues vary greatly, and these can sometimes be the decision maker depending on what each venue is offering.
Some venues have strict vendor requirements, others have preferred vendors they want you to choose from, and others let you choose freely. Depending on what vendors are ‘must haves’ for your wedding day this can be a make or break factor in your decision.
The time of year you plan to have your wedding will also influence your decision. If you’re having a winter wedding for example you wouldn’t choose a venue where the main draw is an outdoor ceremony space that you won’t even be able to use.
The location of the venue in relation to where you and your guests will be staying as you’ll want to do as little travel as possible when the night is over.
My 10 Favorite Wedding Venues in Rockford, Illinois
Now that you know what to be on the lookout for in your search for the wedding venue of your dreams, let’s take a look at some of my favorites in the Rockford area. Keep the different factors I mentioned above in mind as we work through the list and see where each venue ranks for you personally.
1. Prairie Street Brewing Company
For our first wedding venue we have the ever wonderful Prairie Street Brewing Company found in the heart of downtown Rockford, Illinois. This is a venue I’ve covered a few times now, whether it be taking a look at a specific wedding here, or talking in depth about the venue itself. For more information on Prairie Street Brewing I recommend checking out my venue feature piece, but I still want to give PSB a quick shout out. The venue features 6 separate spaces to choose from for your wedding day, some indoor and some outdoor.
It’s a fantastic location for a wedding year round thanks to the stunning style of the interior locations, and outdoor weddings here are just as beautiful thanks to the brewery being right on the riverfront. The venue can host intimate gatherings, and a massive wedding of up to 600 guests. As a final note they also of course have their incredible beer on tap to enjoy throughout your wedding day here!
2. Hidden Creek Estates
Next up is another wedding venue I’ve talked about a few times in the past, Hidden Creek Estates! Found just about a half hour north of Rockford, Illinois, this wedding venue is one of my all time favorites for outdoor wedding celebrations. The venue has preferred vendors when it comes to catering, entertainment, and photography (featuring yours truly). Outside of these vendors though the choice is yours when it comes to the vendor team that will help to bring your vision to life.
The venue can comfortably host hundreds of guests, and while they do have an indoor space for your celebration, the main draw of the venue is of course the jaw dropping natural beauty of their 30 acres of land. The venue also features 4 separate cottages that can be rented for the weekend for you and some of your guests to stay at after the wedding. For a closer look at this special wedding venue check out Alysa and Josh’s wedding and Anna and Sean’s wedding.
3. The Standard
Just down the river from Prairie Street Brewing is our next Rockford, Illinois wedding venue, The Standard. This incredibly beautiful and versatile wedding venue has everything you need to make your wedding day unforgettable. Getting ready spaces for both the bride and groom along with their wedding parties, a beautiful lobby for indoor portraits, a stunning dining hall on the second floor, and finally the rooftop which has an outdoor patio and indoor conservatory. This venue has a classic and timeless feel to it, with all the modern touches you could ever want for a wedding day. They also offer 3 different tiers of wedding planning services, so you can handle as much or as little of the wedding planning as you want. With a capacity of 300 guests, and spaces that work just as perfectly for more intimate gatherings, The Standard definitely earns its name as a wedding venue.
4. DC Estate Winery
The next wedding venue on our list can be found about 30 minutes north of Rockford, and is right on the Illinois / Wisconsin border. This of course is the lovely DC Estate Winery, which sets the bar when it comes to winery wedding venues. This picturesque outdoor ceremony space combined with the equally beautiful indoor reception space create a wedding experience that you are sure to love. The venue also features a bridal suite for a single getting ready space, and allows you total freedom when choosing your vendors aside from their catering as catering is handled by one of 3 separate vendors.
For couples struggling to decide on their other vendors, DC Estate Winery does have a full recommended vendors list that you are free to pick and choose from. The venue can comfortably host over 200 wedding guests, and features some of the best portrait opportunities you’ll find on this list.
5. The Pavilion at Orchard Ridge Farms
Another wedding venue found just under 30 minutes north of Rockford, Illinois is The Pavilion at Orchard Ridge Farms. This award winning wedding venue offers an all around incredible experience. With on site getting ready spaces for both wedding parties, 4 scenic and beautiful outdoor spaces to choose from for your ceremony, a stunning indoor space for your ceremony or reception, and on site accommodations for you and your guests to stay at, the venue really has it all! They have a preferred vendors list for you to choose from, though you can select outside vendors as well. The venue is also capable of hosting up to 400 guests, and with 130 acres of gorgeous land the portrait opportunities are practically endless here.
6. Williams Tree Farm
Just a few minutes away from The Pavilion is a very special wedding venue to me as this is the venue Nicole and I chose for our wedding. I am of course talking about the fabulous Williams Tree Farm. This venue has some of the best portrait locations I’ve ever witnessed, and can host weddings of up to 300 guests. The venue offers total freedom when it comes to your vendor choices, and they offer a variety of package options to ensure that each and every couple has an option that best fits their vision. The indoor reception space is warm, inviting, and staggeringly beautiful, and the grounds the venue is found on are incredibly scenic, perfect for an outdoor ceremony.
7. Barnacopia
The next wedding venue on the list is Barnacopia, located about 40 minutes west of Rockford, Illinois. This barn wedding venue is unique as they really let their couples run wild with the vision they have for their wedding day. The venue doesn’t have designated ceremony spots per se as you have complete freedom to choose your own ceremony location. There are more popular spots like the Willow Tree and The Patio, but you can go totally off the beaten path if you want.
The barn itself can be used as an indoor ceremony location, and is large enough to host weddings of up to 400 guests. There are also on site getting ready spaces for both wedding parties, and you are free to decorate the indoor barn space just about any way you want. Finally they offer you complete control in terms of your choice of vendors, though they do have recommendations if you’d like!
8. Kilbuck Creek
Secluded in a forest next to the creek it is named after, our next venue is none other than Kilbuck Creek. This wedding venue is around 20 minutes south of Rockford, Illinois, and is a beautiful space that feels as though it is completely removed from all civilization. That feeling of removal doesn’t impact the service and amenities at all though, as Kilbuck Creek offers their couples an all out fantastic experience for their wedding day. With a stellar service team to help ensure your wedding runs as smooth as possible, a wonderful cabin that can host up to 40 people for an entire wedding weekend, and picturesque indoor and outdoor spaces for you and your guests to celebrate at, Kilbuck Creek is one of the best wedding venues around.
9. Union
Heading back to downtown Rockford, Illinois we have our next wedding venue Union Event Space. This chic and luxurious wedding venue offers a pristine wedding day experience for couples looking for a more modern feel to their wedding day. The venue is capable of hosting celebrations of up to 250 guests, and with it being a totally indoor wedding venue Union is capable of hosting stunning wedding celebrations year round. Union has 2 getting ready spaces for both wedding parties, as well as on-site event coordinator to ensure your wedding exceeds your expectations. The interior of Union is beautiful on its own, and with its prime location in downtown Rockford there are plenty of portrait opportunities just outside of the space.
10. Forest Hills Country Club
Last, but definitely not least we have the Forest Hills Country Club. This wedding venue is on the north end of Rockford, Illinois, and was also featured recently on my blog. The venue is capable of hosting weddings with up to 280 guests, and is breathtakingly beautiful inside and out. The country club offers a wide array of outdoor portrait opportunities, and the indoor reception space makes for the perfect setting to dance the night away alongside all of your loved ones. The venue offers a ton of amenities to their couples including audio and visual equipment, up-lighting, bartenders, servers, and a banquet manager just to name a few. If you want a wedding venue with a spacious interior with fantastic lighting, beautiful views to enjoy, and ample outdoor portrait opportunities then the Forest Hills Country Club is for you.
Now that we’ve covered my 10 favorite wedding venues of Rockford, Illinois, and discussed what you should be looking for when choosing your wedding venue, it’s time for you to take the next steps. Start looking into potential wedding venues and begin inquiring with them to get your date reserved today. For more wedding planning tips be sure to check out my blog, and for those of you who are ready to book a wedding photographer be sure to send an inquiry via my contact page.
