My husband I had had the pleasure of hosting our wedding ceremony and reception this month at The Crystal Ballroom. We had booked back in August of 2021 with Amy. She left several months later but Jessica who took over was just fantastic. Jessica and the whole team made it very easy to make all the decisions needed ahead of the wedding, then arranged everything so the rehearsal and day of were everything we could have hoped.

Everything looked absolutely beautiful and they did a great job with the decorations we had brought the day prior. We each were given our own suite (really a small one-bedroom apartment) to get ready, and Jessica had it stocked with drinks and snacks, brought us a steamer and anything else we asked for. We were able to use the rooftop terrace for a lot of photos with the wedding party and family. We also walked less than 10 minutes to the lake with our photographer and did couples photos there, so the location was very convenient for that (we did all the photos before the ceremony).

The ceremony was set up beautifully and the team swapped the ballroom to banquet incredibly well during cocktail hour. The bartenders were fast and made fantastic cocktails, including two unique signature cocktails we created. They even went out of the way to track down Ecuadorian aguardiente to use in one of them, which was highly appreciated by his family who had traveled from Ecuador. The food was stellar, with many guests complimenting it. During our tasting the chef gave us some suggestions that ended up changing what we originally were thinking but in such a delicious way. He even did an off menu plantain appetizer for us for cocktail hour. During dinner no one's wine glass was ever close to empty as the staff seemed to be everywhere all the time. The cake (included in the package) was absolutely gorgeous.

Overall we would highly recommend the Crystal Ballroom for anyone's wedding. They are just the nicest people (many of our guests commented on how friendly the staff were), and go out of their way to make everything very easy and low-stress. Thank you Jessica and the whole team for an amazing day!

On first glance, the timeless elegant ballroom took our breath away. We were looking for a venue that was intimate, warm and inviting. The Crystal Ballroom delivered on all fronts. We had both our wedding ceremony and reception at the Ballroom.
Meredith and all of the staff members were wonderful; no small detail was over-looked. Planning and communication leading up to our day was timely and efficient. The Ballroom is perfectly situated in downtown Evanston; close to bars, restaurants, shops, etc.. Our guests had to simply walk across the street to the hotel at the end of the evening.
Day-of, we utilized the two bridal suites to take our time getting ready on-site. It was so great to have hair and make-up come to us. Stress free prep! Meredith had our fridge stocked with our favorite drinks and plenty of goodies. The ballroom itself is spectacular, we did not feel the need to decorate much beyond flowers. Cocktail hour took place in the stylish lobby & foyer., with two bars.
Returning to the Ballroom for dinner and our reception---it was breathtaking! And, the food! So so good. Above and beyond the standard wedding fare. Our guests all really enjoyed their meals. Overall, we received so many compliments on everything :)
We truly cannot say enough good things about the Crystal Ballroom and our wedding. We would 100% recommend!

The catering manager Christine exceeded our expectations. Very friendly and showed she loved her job. We all felt very close to her like family. The only reason why we did not choose this venue is because we wanted an outdoor option as well and I have to say it was hard to make the decision because I would not be working with her!