Millions of engaged couples turn to WeddingWire as their trusted wedding resource, with the largest directory of local wedding vendors in Illinois. Easily find the best wedding services in your area with detailed vendor reviews, prices and availability for your wedding day.
Midwest Dueling Pianos is a wedding entertainment company based in Rochester, Michigan, and servicing the Detroit, Grand Rapids and Chicago areas. The group offers music entertainment and a comedy dueling piano show that will excite your guests. The high-energy performance and crowd interaction sets... (Wedding Bands)
Anticipation Events is a boutique event planning and styling company specializing in atypical and stylish weddings, social occasions, and special events. We're crazy good at making sure every detail is in place down to the last disco ball. Our attention to detail and ability to organize, paired with... (Wedding Planners)
EZTravelPad is a travel agency located in Indianapolis, Indiana that also serves Chicago, Cincinnati, Lexington, Raleigh and Charlotte, Nashville, Atlanta, St. Louis & Washington, DC. They would be happy to help you plan an amazing experience for such a wonderful occasion — completely fee free.... (Travel Agents)
If your vacation of a lifetime is a honeymoon in Greece, or one of our award winning Greece Vacation Packages, then you can consider us your Greece honeymoon experts. We understand that your honeymoon isn’t a one-size-fits all endeavor and will work with you to create an experience that fits your... (Travel Agents)
The Copy Shop is a Bloomington, Illinois-based print and design business that specializes in creating lasting memories for your wedding day with our custom wedding paper products. The team at The Copy Shop hopes to create a “lasting impression” for every couple, while also working within your... (Wedding Invitations Bloomington)
Romance Travel Group is a destination wedding travel agency based out of Elysian, Minnesota. They focus on the romance that is shared between two people to create an incredible beach destination wedding experience. The travel experts are constantly checking out different resorts and destinations... (Travel Agents)
Jennography is | Jennifer Jackson Photography - a boutique wedding photographer - serves couples in the Chicago, Illinois area. This photographer plays with light and portraiture to create wedding photographs that couples will want to look back on for years to come. The photographer, Jennifer... (Wedding Photographers)
123 Picture Me Photo Booths, in Ottawa, Illinois, provides photo booths that will add fun to your wedding reception by capturing candid shots of your guests throughout the night. Couples can choose a particular photo booth that will fit their wedding theme and style. The company also provides... (Photo Booths Ottawa)
Ben Ramos Photography provides photography services to couples in the Chicago area. His style embraces natural emotion and beauty. Each photograph is taken to visually capture the love between two people. Ben has been developing his photography skills since 2013.Services Offered Even though his... (Wedding Photographers)
Mattrix Music & Entertainment is an experienced and professional DJ service based in Chicago, Illinois. This company aims to provide excellent service and a positive energy to provide you with an unbeatable entertainment experience. Mattrix Music & Entertainment offer friendly, personable DJs and... (Wedding DJs)
Simplify Group Transportation to-and-from your Wedding. Swoop is a group transportation platform specializing in weddings and private event transportation. Swoop provides: hundreds of vehicle options and amenities for any occasion, transparent and affordable pricing, logistics account managers that... (Wedding Limos)
Shana Rae May Photography is a full-service wedding photography & videography company based out of North-Central Illinois. Shana, the owner and lead photographer behind this passionate business, is dedicated to helping you with your planning process from start to finish. In addition to photographing... (Wedding Videographers)
DJ XLNC is an exceptional wedding DJ based out of Chicago, Illinois. Throughout his 15 years of experience, this bilingual DJ has perfected his ability to lure guests down to the dancefloor in a fun and unobtrusive way. DJ XLNC works directly with his clients in order to gain a better understanding... (Wedding DJs)
Farfalla Photography is a professional wedding photographer based in Chicago, Illinois. This wedding photographer believes that a photo has the ability to capture much more than an image. Farfalla Photography believes that photos capture emotions, memories, and intimate details within that single... (Wedding Photographers)
Da Pizza Dude is a mobile pizza catering service based in Chicago, Illinois. Give your guests a dining experience to remember at your wedding event with the mouthwatering creations of Da Pizza Dude. Serving freshly-made, authentic, Italian pizza straight from their mobile eatery, this creative... (Wedding Caterers)
Ron Harris Music Group is an experienced entertainment company providng professional musicians and DJ's for your ceremony, wedding reception, corporate events and fundraisers. Their team of musicains has over 15 years of experience working togetther, keeping up with a wide variety of music from;... (Wedding Musicians)
Jordan Olive is an active freelance musician based in Chicago, Illinois who specializes in playing trumpet at wedding ceremonies and receptions. He has worked with a variety of instrumental orchestras and artists around the world, making him a well-rounded musician that would only enhance your... (Wedding Musicians Chicago)
Ashland Addison Florist Co is a Chicago, Illinois floral design company that provides couples with stunning floral arrangements for their wedding. From European to modern styles, the team caters to your desired tastes and guides you through selecting the perfect flowers. The team at Ashland Addison... (Wedding Florists Chicago)
MWES Weddings - a custom-designed wedding DJ in the Chicago, Illinois area - allows couples to express their individuality through their wedding entertainment. This DJ service doesn't just dress their DJs formally, it dresses the equipment as well. Black or white facades for the equipment add class... (Wedding Decor & Lighting)
Events by L is a wedding planning and floral design company based in McHenry, Illinois that provides superior event planning and event design services. They have expertly executed numerous weddings, making sure that each one is unique in its own right.Services OfferedThe highly-respected sister team... (Wedding Planners)
Illinois is a land of contrasts. It's one of the most populous states, yet includes vast expanses of beautiful, uninhabited territory. It has one of the biggest & boldest cities in the U.S. (Chicago), but also exemplifies main street USA with hundreds of small towns and villages. And even the state's climate can contrast itself within a matter of minutes. Illinois weather is notoriously unpredictable during certain times of the year (more on that later). For soon-to-be-newlyweds, Chicago offers everything for a perfect Illinois wedding: world-famous architecture, historical sites, trendy neighborhoods and literally hundreds of wondrous Chicago wedding ceremony and reception venues. The entire city is a wedding photographer's dream. Chicago is also located in the heart of the state's Great Lakes region, particularly the Lake Michigan waterfront. The entire northeastern portion of Illinois is always a popular spot for wedding planners. The Illinois countryside includes hundreds of miles of Mississippi River waterfront, as America's most famous waterway forms the state's western border. Also, the Ohio River forms the state's southern border with Kentucky, giving Illinois two of the most storied rivers in American history. Many couples plan accordingly, with rustic steamboat-themed wedding celebrations on the rise. Other state highlights include Peoria, located in the north central part of the state, and Champaign, which is located almost due south of Chicago. Champaign is home to the University of Illinois, and many alumni plan their Illinois wedding in and around the Champaign region. Springfield, the capital, exemplifies Illinois' Midwestern character, and is another area currently en vogue with wedding planners.
If you're planning a wedding in Illinois, keep a close eye on the weather. Summers can be steamy, and Illinois winters can be absolutely unforgivable, (especially in the northern part of the state, due to lake-effect snow). Many couples choose to play it safe with their Illinois weddings, opting for spring and autumn celebrations. But all four seasons are wedding worthy times of the year. Keep all of your options open; there are few states that offer the wedding-ready venues, natural scenery, small town serenity and urban excitement of Illinois. Fall foliage, sparkling blue lakefront areas, sweeping architectural masterpieces, rolling river valleys - Illinois has everything a wedding planner could want in terms of photogenic backdrops. And that means deciding on a color can be a difficult task. Try to match your tone with the surrounding season and locale, or go for bold contrast to mix things up.
The cost of an Illinois wedding varies greatly across the state. While the state sales tax is 6.25%, local and municipal taxes (we're looking at you, Cook County and Chicago) can nearly double the base rate up to 11%. Generally, prices head south when you literally head south from Chicago. A wedding in the city of big shoulders will demand a big price tag. Only Los Angeles and New York City weddings cost more than Chicago. Swanky Chi-town venues can cost upwards of $300 per person, once catering costs are figured in. However, that doesn't mean all Illinois weddings are mega-expensive. In fact, the state stacks up favorably with other affordable locations in the United States. Weddings in Peoria, Springfield, Champaign and other mid-sized Illinois cities are considered average or slightly above average. Illinois' wedding décor possibilities are fitting of a state with so much to offer. Unique Chicago wedding catering options in the Land of Lincoln include everything from hearty country fare to elegant, sophisticated urban dishes. For décor, you can do it yourself or choose an Illinois wedding decorator.
Illinois wedding license requirements aren't terribly stringent, like other states. The cost of your marriage license ranges from $15.00 to $30.00, with Chicago and Cook County licenses in the upper range. There is no waiting period to receive the license, and only a 1-day waiting period from license receipt to wedding day. Keep in mind, an Illinois marriage license expires after 60 days, so make sure your venue, caterer, photographer and all other logistical considerations are taken care of well beforehand.
