I have nothing but the most amazing things to say about Events at Independence Grove and Catering by Michael's! This venue is absolutely beautiful and made for the perfect wedding ceremony and reception. Our coordinator, Tiffany, was super helpful and was a big part in making sure our wedding day went smoothly and according to plan. All of our guests would not stop talking about how incredible the venue was and how great the food, dessert, and late night food was! I am so happy we picked this for our wedding!

From the very beginning, Tiffany (our Event Coordinator) was the definition of professionalism- organized, responsive and one of our biggest cheerleaders throughout the planning process. Her communication was seamless and prompt, which made the months leading up to our wedding completely stress-free. We trusted her and her team wholeheartedly, and they delivered beyond anything we could have imagined. On the big day, we were absolutely blown away by how beautiful and perfectly executed our ceremony and reception spaces were. Every detail was thoughtfully considered, and the quality of service was truly out of this world. Tiffany and her team brought our vision to life with such care and excellence, we can't thank them enough for making our day so magical.

Getting married at Independence Grove was an absolute dream! The staff was extremely professional, knowledgeable and kind. The day went off without a hitch and on schedule. The venue coordinators are extremely detailed and organized and really make the day come together seamlessly. The views are just gorgeous at the nature preserve. The food from Catering by Michaels was absolutely delicious. Honestly the best food I have ever had at a wedding, everything came out hot and on time and the portions were great. My guests couldn't stop raving about it all! The town of Libertyville is also perfect if you have family coming in from out of town with lots of great restaurants and hotels.

Our experience having our wedding at Independence Grove was amazing! Everything from the food to the staff was absolutely perfect. We did not hire a wedding planner, which could have been stressful, but our Event Coordinator, Beth, made things very easy for us. She herself was also planning her own wedding, so she understood the stress of it all. She was extremely helpful and kind throughout the whole process. We would definitely recommend her to anyone!

We loved having the golf cart before the ceremony so that we could take pictures all over the forest preserve. We especially liked taking photos in the garden area. We used the outside patio and Audubon Hall for our ceremony and reception respectively; it was absolutely gorgeous! Having a 6pm ceremony, the sunset hit over the lake right at cocktail hour. It was stunning. 

Overall, if you're looking for a fantastic venue with gorgeous forest preserve photos and excellent food, we would definitely recommend Events at Independence Grove!

Picking a wedding venue is a huge step in the planning process and after touring Events at Independence Grove the decision was quite easy. The grounds of the venue and Audubon Hall are absolutely beautiful. The sun shining off the lake and the well-kept natural grounds made the outdoor areas truly exquisite. Audubon Hall had large windows overlooking the lake and grounds making for a great view during your Ceremony if it is held inside. We cannot speak highly enough of our event coordinator Beth Jacoby. She made the planning process extremely easy assisting with timelines, giving advice where needed, and helping to send reminders for deadlines. Beth and the entire staff assisted with every little detail during the big day and ensured everything went smoothly. The staff was friendly, helpful, and extremely knowledgeable. The food was beyond delicious and all of our guests couldn’t stop talking about it. We have absolutely no regrets after picking this venue and were extremely satisfied.

We could not be more thrilled with the staff at Events at Independence Grove. From start to finish, they help you outline your special day, and are so accommodating to any request. We worked with Tiffany, who we cannot rave about enough. She was there for us every step of the way, answering our questions and working with our vendors without a second thought. During the wedding, our guests could not say enough positive compliments to the event staff working. They were able to accommodate our wedding of about 250 people without batting a lash. We would recommend Events at Independence Grove to anyone looking to book their wedding here.

Words cannot describe how happy we are that we had our wedding at Independence Grove. From the second we toured the venue, we knew we needed to get married there. The venue is stunning on its own, but the details such as adding the votive candles, lighting the fireplaces, etc., makes it the perfect place to get married.
Our event coordinator, Beth, was AMAZING. She was very professional and went above and beyond for us. She emailed answers promptly and made sure everything went smoothly. She remembered every detail. I was able to relax and remain calm throughout the whole wedding process because I knew I could trust Beth with it all. I am so grateful for everything Beth did for our big day.
Our guests cannot stop talking about the food. Catering by Michaels was outstanding!! The food was perfection. The service was also amazing. During the cocktail hour, there were servers everywhere offering the appetizers and they ensured that everyone (Even the people in the way back) were offered the delicious appetizers. I cannot stress how amazing their food was.
My husband and I are so happy that we had our wedding at Independence Grove. It was the wedding of our dreams. I highly recommend it to everyone.

We knew Independence Grove would be our venue as soon as we stepped foot on the grounds, and we’re so happy to say that the Events and Catering by Michael teams did not disappoint! Even though we had to move our ceremony indoors from the Native Garden to Audubon Hall due to weather, the ceremony space was stunning, and the staff turned the room around without issue. The food was also a hit. Guests were RAVING about the duck quesadilla hors d'oeuvre, the skirt steak entrée, the late-night snack hot dog stand, etc. We’ve also got to shout out Beth for her fantastic communication and tireless work with us and our wedding planner to ensure all details were addressed. We had a lot of declines and cancellations due to Covid and economic concerns, but the Events team never made us feel like our event was less important. We can safely say we had the cozy, romantic Fall wedding of our dreams at Independence Grove!

I want to start my review by saying a large part of the reason we picked this venue was because when we went to view it, Marta gave me the feeling she would be the perfect event planner.
Marta & IG was incredible. I have a hard time putting into words how happy we were with the entire event. Marta quickly answered all of my questions (and there were a lot) over the course of our almost 2 year engagement. The food was amazing- people still talk about it 6+ months later. The bar service was quick and high quality. Everyone always had a full drink. The actual size of the venue was perfect, the outdoor area was adorable and set up to accommodate our large wedding.
The dance floor was perfect, even with a 10 person band.
Marta was available for every single step of the way, so easy to work with, and allowed our day to be stress free. My mom a few times had asked for last minute things to be done (stressful) and Marta was able to handle the issue without push back from my mom, and without stressing me out more. She was able to handle everything with grace and even captured our pop up recessional on video for us. She also pointed us in the right direction when it came to food. She recommended everything we had decided on as far as food, and really helped narrow down the options to a variety of flavors while still accommodating my allergies and flavor preferences. I can’t speak enough good words about Marta.

I am looking forward to working with Marta in the future and finding an excuse to host an event with her again. It was truly a magic day and everything went as planned. Still, 6 months later, we aren’t able to think of a single thing that went wrong, or was off.

The whole day was truly incredible.

Our wedding at Independence Grove was everything we hoped it would be and more. After touring several venues, we knew this was our place after a meeting with event coordinator Marta. She helped us visualize what our fall wedding would look like, showing us photos and answering any and all questions we had. She was instrumental in helping us find vendors, keep a planning timeline and assure that everything was in place the day of the wedding. When our day finally came, it was perfect. From the second our limo pulled up, Independence Grove team members were there to greet us and make sure everything ran smoothly. There was a golf cart waiting to take us to our photo location. Immediately after our ceremony, we were brought into the wedding suite where hot hors d'oeuvres and a bottle of champagne were set out just for the two of us. The food and drinks were incredible - our guests are still commenting on how delicious everything was. Small touches like a lit fireplace and votive candles along the windows really made the night memorable, too. If you're looking for a venue with plenty of space for your guests to dance, beautiful food, stunning views, and a team that provides five star service, Independence Grove is it. Thanks to everyone there who made our wedding a day we'll always remember!
From, Erica and Conan