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Weddings

About

The Venue CU is a unique wedding destination located in Champaign, Illinois. This spacious events building features an industrial design that fuses traditional and urban styles. Situated in the regenerated east end of Champaign, the red-brick facade echoes the architectural aesthetic of the surrounding cityscape. The professional team has extensive experience in the wedding industry and strives to customize each occasion to reflect a couple’s desires. Having undergone specialized renovations, this venue blends local history with a contemporary edge.

Facilities and Capacity

The Venue CU occupies approximately 10,000 square feet, so there is ample space for large gatherings. Events take place in the Varsity Ballroom, a large reception area that is named in honor of the historic Varsity Theater, and in the custom cocktail bar known as the Main Street Lounge. The expert team can work with you to tailor the decor and setting to match your wedding vision. This means that every event hosted at this location is a unique rendering of each couple’s individual preferences.

Services Offered

Greg Bugbee, Dan Church, and Casey Gold comprise the team behind this exciting venture. Together, they are passionate about working with couples to personalize all aspects of their precious day. With considerable experience in the wedding industry, these professionals strive to source vendors to suit your tastes and preferences. The owners utilize their considerable contacts within the events industry to provide prospective clients with a host of vendor options, from videographers to florists. They are happy to work with companies of your choosing, too. The organizers will collaborate with your selected suppliers to ease the planning process and handle the logistics in advance of your big day. Couples can select from a number of event packages, each one curated to allow for personalized touches and design preferences.

  • Veteran-owned
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Frequently asked questions

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during peak season?

5,000

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during off-peak season?

5,000

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during peak season?

1,250

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during off-peak season?

1,250

What is the starting price per person for bar service?

3,000

What months are included in your peak season?

April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

What months are included in your off-peak season?

January
February
March

Reviews of The Venue CU

We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
5.0 out of 5 rating
5.0 out of 5 rating
10 reviews
99% recommend it
  • Quality of service
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.9 out of 5 rating
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Review summary

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The Venue CU is highly recommended by multiple reviewers for weddings and other events. The staff, including Miranda, Dan, Casey, and Greg, are praised for their organization, helpfulness, and communication. The venue is described as incredibly beautiful and customizable, with options for layout and malleability based on guest count. Reviewers appreciate the attention to detail, the inclusion of services such as DJ and catering, and the overall smooth and stress-free experience provided by The Venue CU.

Review summary

Powered by AI
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

The Venue CU is highly recommended by multiple reviewers for weddings and other events. The staff, including Miranda, Dan, Casey, and Greg, are praised for their organization, helpfulness, and communication. The venue is described as incredibly beautiful and customizable, with options for layout and malleability based on guest count. Reviewers appreciate the attention to detail, the inclusion of services such as DJ and catering, and the overall smooth and stress-free experience provided by The Venue CU.

Aaron
Aaron Sent on 09/29/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Best Venue in Central Illinois

This has to be the top wedding venue in Central Illinois! We got married three weeks ago and still find ourselves talking about how perfect the day was. We would highly recommend working with Miranda as the event planner; her assistance is worth every single penny. She is so organized and helpful, and anticipated all of the details we needed to address. No question was too silly and no detail was spared. The space (which is incredibly beautiful) is malleable based on guest count and we were given options for how we wanted the layout to be for our day. The staff was phenomenal and friendly, and our guests marveled at how well everything went. Miranda, Dan, Casey, and Greg were phenomenal to work with and communicated with us at every turn to make sure our wedding went exactly how we wanted it to go.

My wife and I recommend The Venue CU at a 500 star level, but we're limited to just five. We are so grateful for the care we were shown, and we feel so fortunate to have found The Venue CU for our wedding.
Anna
Anna Sent on 09/20/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Thank you Venue CU

It’s hard to put into words how amazing our wedding day was and it’s because of the employees at the Venue CU! It was better than I could have ever envisioned. My husband and I had our hearts set on another venue for years… until we walked into an unfinished Venue CU back in August of 2020. Dan who toured us around telling us to put our creative caps on and his wife Miranda in the lounge space scraping paint off the walls! They truly put so much time and love into this place. We loved the venue under full construction but loved it so much more on our big day. A few things that helped make our decision easy
1. The time Miranda and Dan took answering questions, from multiple zoom meetings and hundreds of emails. Your time did not go unnoticed and we felt so confident about our wedding day because of this.
2. They really thought of everything, from the spacious closet in the bridal suite for all your stuff to having three bars so no one has to wait in line. The details matter people and this team knows how to throw an event flawlessly.
3. I never felt penny pinched for every little “extra” thing. We looked at a handful of venues and this was really the only one that didn’t even need all the extras because it’s such a beautiful space all on its own.
4. Another positive was not having to clean up after the wedding. The Venue CU team packs everything up for you and it is a game changer. You can truly enjoy your day from start to finish and feel relaxed.
5. Miranda! Everyone needs a Miranda on their wedding day! I’ve been in plenty of weddings to learn what a good day of coordinator does and what an excellent day of coordinator does. Our day was unbelievably perfect because of her! Brides, don’t stress because Miranda has your back and will make your day perfect in every way!
From the bottom of our hearts thank you Venue CU! Our day was unforgettable and so so special. We are very happy that we chose you. Thank you again ❤️
Halle
Halle Sent on 08/18/2021
5 out of 5 rating

The best venue in Champaign!

The Venue CU is by far the best place to host any kind of event. We recently had our wedding and reception in their space and it was absolutely perfect. They offer so many services and accommodate to all of your needs and wants. The staff is top notch and go above and beyond to make your event run smoothly. The restoration of their building makes the space unique and beautiful. They are also located perfectly in downtown Champaign. We highly highly recommend The Venue CU!!!

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