Lakes at Lacey Reviews

My dream wedding came true at the Esplanade Lakes!! My fiancé and I decided to check out this venue the winter before our anticipated wedding date. On a very snowy evening, we met up with Janet at the venue and instantly fell in love with it! From day one, Janet was beyond helpful with orchestrating all the details of the wedding! She was always so eager to please us and to ensure our wedding day was the BEST DAY EVER... (which it was)! Any worry or question I had, Janet was there!

Finally the day is here! We decided to have both the ceremony and the reception at the Esplanade Lakes. With the pristine frosted lake as a backdrop, the ceremony was beyond breathtaking!! It was like walking into a dream! The staff quickly turned the room around from ceremony to reception in about a hour and we were ready to get the party started! The food was delicious, the atmosphere was spectacular, and the staff was extraordinary!! I did not have a single worry the day of my wedding because of the outpouring of care and professionalism demonstrated by Janet and her staff! I would absolutely recommend this venue for any wedding, for any season!!!

They blew us away. We are still thinking about every lovely minute. Janet Lobo was the 1st person we met and in charge of everything. WOW what an amazing human being. What a connection we had. She was just awesome. The venue WOW! is spectacular. You have to go see it. We could not of been happier. The food a 20, yes out of 5. lol. We had the beef which was cooked to perfection, the stuffed chicken, also to die for! People also loved the veggie dish.

My husband Bryan Luna, parents and I couldn’t be more thankful to have had the chance to meet and work with Janet Lobo as we planned our 320 person wedding reception at Esplanade Lakes. We met Janet upon touring the venue in a July 2018. We immediately clicked and felt we could trust her. From that point on, were in constant communication up until the big day on September 7, 2019. We met several times and she was willing to text/email/call at any point throughout the 14+ months. Janet really understood the emotion and stress that can be brought on by planning a large event. She made us feel so comfortable each and every step of the way!

Janet is such a warm-hearted person. Her vast knowledge and wisdom were so helpful in deciding each and every detail ranging from the menu, decor, timing/coordination, etc. She was respectful of any personal requests/preferences and able to answer thousands of questions and/or provide her opinion and resources/recommendations. She communicated and worked with all of the other vendors, which made the final month of coordination a breeze.

We are so thankful for the incredible wedding we had at Esplanade Lakes and we owe it all to Janet Lobo and her staff! The food was delicious (filet minion, stuffed chicken breast, vegetable wellington), the event ran smoothly from 5:30 – 12:00am. Everything was absolutely perfect and beautiful!!

We just recently had our reception at Esplanades Lakes. We actually planned our reception very last minute but it turned out better than we could have ever expected. We worked solely with the Catering Manager Janet Lobo and from the start she was amazing. She answered all our questions and was always available to us via phone and email. I was planning our reception from out of state, so having good communication was vital. She made sure to execute everything we wanted and even suggested great ideas to make the day even that more enjoyable. Second, the venue is gorgeous with huge windows overlooking the lake. Our guests were blown away by its scenery. Mind you we did this in November with it being dark so early, so I cannot imagine what they would have thought in the daylight or on a sunny day. I really wanted to find a venue that was beautiful on its own and did not require a lot of decor. That's exactly what we found at Esplanades. We saved so much on decor for that reason. We had people who have lived in Illinois all their lives and did not know this venue existed. Thirdly, we loved how many things were included in our rate. We did not have to worry about linens, napkins, seat covers, plates, silverware, wait staff etc and even the cake was complimentary, which is a huge bonus! We were also given a complimentary night at the Doubletree Hotel. We did add additional desserts and late night snacks to our package, which were a huge success! On the day of the event, Janet and her team went above and beyond to make the day perfect. They helped set everything up including favors, entrance table and even a few extra things that I had wanted. It was a real pleasure working with the Doubletree and I will definitely keep them in mind for any future events. Our reception alone was more than enough of a recommendation for our friends and family. My husband and I have had so many guests come up to us and say it was the best reception they have ever attended. That's all we wanted to share a beautiful day with our family and friends :) So thank you Janet and Doubletree!

It may sound cliche, but our wedding was honestly the PERFECT day! We could not have asked for a more beautiful venue that the Esplanade Lakes! It is definitely a suburban hidden gem! The food was delicious and everyone working was SO accommodating and friendly! I honestly don't know how the day would have come together without our fantastic wedding coordinator, Janet Lobo! Janet left no small detail overlooked! She was responsive, so positive, and worked incredibly hard to make our special day unforgettable. We can't thank you enough, Janet, for all your effort, kindness, thoughtfulness, and hard work!!!! Janet is the BEST!! :)

I just had my wedding here on May 25 and it was absolutely perfect! Janet Lobo was extremely helpful and responsive and everything went off without a hitch. The food was great, the room was setup just as discussed, the cake and sweet table were fantastic, everything was wonderful! Our original coordinator left after a few months working with her and Janet stepped in right away and eased any worries we had. I would recommend this venue to anyone!

We had our wedding ceremony and reception at Esplanade Lakes in Downers Grove, IL on 1/19/2019 and wanted to praise both the venue and our amazing wedding coordinator Janet Lobo. The venue is beautiful and very spacious, we had 165 guests and there was plenty of room without it feeling empty. The food was delicious from the appetizers all the way through to the cake which we picked out and was provided by the venue as part of our package. The transition from ceremony and reception was unnoticed with the blinds down in the main room as our guests enjoyed cocktail hour and appetizers, and we danced the night away after our wonderful meal. We also had a photo booth that our guests really enjoyed and was positioned so it wasn’t in the way of any of the tables or the bar stations.

Our guests stayed at the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton and were very impressed with the newly renovated hotel. Janet helped us immensely in the planning and decision making process and the results were more than we could’ve ever hoped for. She even found room in our budget for a snack table, and worked with the hotel to get our guests a tab and late night snacks at the DoubleTree’s bar. These were all things we didn’t think we’d be able to afford, but Janet went out of her way to make sure we had the perfect wedding, and that everyone there had an amazing time. Simply put it was a perfect event and weekend and we can’t thank Esplanade Lakes and Janet specifically enough for making it a day we will never forget.

Absolutely gorgeous! Very easy to work with, professional, and friendly. Everything went beautifully thanks to our coordinator, she even pulled flowers to make an extra corsage. Service was incredible!

We had the most absolutely perfect wedding at Esplanade Lakes. The venue is stunning with the floor to ceiling windows and it was large enough to house our 385 guests without feeling the slightest bit cramped. Everything from the stunning landscaping, cocktail hour and the reception was perfect. The food and service was amazing, guests said it was the best wedding food they've ever had. And people are still talking about our wedding months later. Of course this all could not have been put together so perfectly or gone as smoothly if we did not have Barb Spall from the Doubletree. From our very first meeting we knew she would make our day one we would never forget and boy did she ever!! We owe the best day of our lives going so smoothly to her hard work!!

Our wedding venue was truly the most beautiful wedding venue we've ever seen. Now, we may be biased but from the staff, service, food and venue space everything was perfect and FAR exceeded our expectations. The ballroom at esplanade lakes is truly breathtaking and we've received numerous comments from all of our guests how perfect the night was from all the staff to the food, which was amazing to how beautiful the ballroom was that overlooks the morton arboretum. I wish we could go back and have our wedding there 1,000 times because it was perfect and we HIGHLY recommend having your wedding here!
A special thank you to Shantella the event coordinator. We couldn't have had our perfect wedding without her. She is fantastic to work with and is truly fantastic at her job so THANK YOU Shantella, we loved working with you!

We could not have been happier with our experience at the Esplanade Lakes! We worked with Barb, and she was amazing! She went above and beyond to make sure we had a special day, and no request was too small for her. I am detail oriented (probably to a fault!), and Barb always made me feel confident that everything would go smoothly. The team was great the evening of our wedding, whether it be the servers, security guards, bartenders and, of course, Barb. My only "complaint" was the strict nature of the contract and some of the non-negotiables, including that we purchase event insurance. We were able to negotiate on some things, but we felt the broad nature of the Hilton contract was far too intricate for a wedding. That said, the rest of the experience was worth that by far! Also, I think it's worth noting that the minimum might be higher than other venues in the burbs, however it includes a lot, including a signature drink, centerpieces, a great bar package and more. We are SO glad we made the decision to have our reception at the Esplanade Lakes!

As soon as my fiance and I walked into this space, we knew this was our venue! I hadn't heard anything about it before our wedding, but don't let this alarm you -- it just means you'll have a truly unique and memorable experience! From the 360-degree circular ballroom, to the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Morton Arboretum, to the high-ceilinged cocktail space, this was an absolutely beautiful wedding space. Our favorite part was the huge dance floor -- 30'x30'! The venue size was perfect for our 175 guests -- the 19 tables were set up around the perimeter of the room, meaning there was plenty of space and we didn't have to relocate any tables for the dancing portion of our reception. The staff was also extremely professional -- Lisa, our coordinator, put up with our many questions throughout the planning process, and Eileen, who was the lead server/serving staff coordinator, did a wonderful job making sure dinner (which was delicious, by the way!) went smoothly and quickly so we could get on to the celebration! We are SO glad we chose this as our venue -- it really is a hidden gem!

Esplanade Lakes is an amazing venue. Not only do you receive organized, prompt, complete service from the Catering Manager (we worked with Lisa who is AWESOME) but the staff on the day of is fantastic as well. The venue is unique and provides a great view and space for brides who want a "different" location than the typical ballroom. The food is great, the drinks are plenty, the appetizers are to DIE for. I can't say enough good things about the venue! Added to that is a complimentary suite for the bride and groom and we had chocolate covered strawberries and champagne waiting for us when we got to our room that night! Definitely recommended for other brides. And yes it is pricey, but worth it!

The back drop for the pre-wedding party was perfect. The venue was beautiful and the balcony added to the event. The service was good. There were a few hick ups on the contract, but the staff was quick to make sure what we needed was taken care of. I would love to do another event there.

When originally booking Esplanade Lakes for our reception we had met and signed up with a woman, who then left the company, and were handed off to Janet. From the beginning Janet did not strike me as the most organized or warm person, and I was a little put off that we had already put down the deposit and booked the place and now had to work with someone who was less than wonderful for this very big event.

The first interaction I had with Janet was an email informing me that she was our new event coordinator and that she would follow up with a phone call within the next week. When no phone call was received, I initiated the first line of communication. Throughout the coming months several balls were dropped, including the fact that a payment deadline had passed, and the way in which this was handled made it seem as if it was my fault for not knowing something which was not communicated to me in the first place. This seemed unacceptable to me.

As the event drew closer and face to face meetings were had, I never felt like Janet was excited about my event. There was even a comment made the week before the wedding about how small my final head count was and that was going to create more work for her in redoing the invoice. (This in no way affected our final payment, as the venue had a minimum which we had already paid for).

Overall, for an event this big and expensive, I didn't feel special or even liked. It makes me sad, because the venue itself is GORGEOUS! If you want to have an event there, I would request not to work with Janet.

We recently had our daughters ceremony and reception at the esplanade. While the venue was beautiful and the wedding was amazing, the esplanade’s poor management, responsiveness and coordination caused much stress and it was only due to the fantastic wedding planner I booked (events by Kristin) that the event went off without a hitch. I would only recommend booking this venue if you have your own wedding planner.

Let me save future brides, families, and wedding planners some valuable time and stress. DO NOT book your special day at this location. Yes, the room is beautiful, but it’s not worth the myriad headaches they’ll put you through.

This venue used to be managed by DoubleTree, and many had incredible experiences under their management. However, since JLL took over, it’s been a disaster. They have absolutely no idea what they’re doing. Our wedding coordinator practically had to hold their hand through each step to ensure everything came together.

If you’re a bride looking for a smooth, accommodating experience, look elsewhere. They do not allow cold sparklers, fog machines, or real candles. There’s no fridge available, and many other restrictions that they fail to communicate properly unless you scrutinize the fine print, which is incomplete at best.

Karen, one of the sales managers, is particularly inept at managing a wedding venue. If you encounter her, just run. I promise there are other venues out there that are much more accommodating and will make your special day significantly less stressful

Rep was no help and we were left standing in a loading dock the night before the wedding and couldn't get in. The Hilton rep did not call back or email back at all after many calls. The food also is dry and not like the tasting at all. Way to much money for bad food and lack of service.

Although the venue itself is beautiful, it is not worth the stress, mismanagement and altogether unprofessional experience you will have throughout your wedding experience. My brother was wed here on 9.30.17, and it was the worst event coordinator experience I've ever seen having attended over 60 weddings and been part of 10. The rudeness from the coordinator, her constant misinformation, and ineptness at basic wedding problem skills (i.e. helping people finding their table) was atrocious. What's worse is that she would constantly call out the bride and groom from their own wedding to answer questions guests had.

If you're looking for a venue- the Oakbrook Marriott was a wonderful venue from start to finish.