The Standard Reviews

We walked into the venue and immediately knew this was the place we wanted to get married. It is absolutely stunning and ask of the staff are so helpful and caring. We also got the wedding planning package and I'm so glad we did. The whole process was so easy and fun! Sara was our planner and Hannah was our day of coordinator. Both were amazing and intuitive. I wish we could do it again!

We recently had our wedding at The Standard and let me tell you THIS IS THE PLACE! The venue itself is gorgeous and for that we needed minimal decorations to help accentuate its beauty. It is nice to have a one stop shop venue with the ceremony and reception to be in the same place. Not to mention they have the best staff. Sara answered out a million questions with kindness and enthusiasm always. Hannah and Zoey were our day of coordinators and helped with anything we needed from coordination of rehearsal to helping set up decorations. Tim was an amazing bartender that kept our night lively and was so fun to work with. We couldn’t have had a more perfect wedding day and we couldn’t recommend The Standard and staff enough!

We had our wedding at The Standard earlier this month and I cannot say enough good things about this venue. The space is absolutely gorgeous and the staff is incredible. We opted for the full coordination package and it was completely worth every penny. Sara worked with us to make sure every single detail was exactly what we wanted and often offered inspiration when we didn’t know exactly what we did want. She gave us a list of preferred local vendors, almost all of which we decided to choose and everyone worked so effortlessly as a team. On the day of the wedding, Sara and Hannah and the whole team working at The Standard constantly checked in with us to make sure we were okay and took care of everything behind the scenes so we could just enjoy the day. I would highly recommend this venue to anyone looking for a beautiful space and wonderful team of people to make your wedding dreams come true!

If you have never been to The Standard, you are missing out! It is absolutely breathtaking & truly is the most perfect venue for a wedding. Most importantly, working with The Standard team put our minds at ease during the wedding planning process. From the moment we did our venue tour, we knew there was no other place we could see ourselves getting married at. During the months leading up to the wedding, the staff was nothing short of amazing. They were always so responsive & offered assistance when needed. The Day of Coordinators absolutely killed it. From the second we walked through the doors in the morning, they made everyone feel so welcomed. Throughout the reception, they would frequently checked in on us to see how things were going & tell us where we were in terms of our timeline. The coordinators were willing to answer any questions we had & be flexible on the spot. Also, shoutout to Tim and his bar staff as well! The service was phenomenal & the drinks were amazing. The staff here went above and beyond to help make our day perfect and we couldn't thank them enough. I would plan 10 more weddings if it meant that I got to work with The Standard team all over again.

I really had no idea what type of venue I was looking for when I first got engaged over two years ago. I saw pictures from The Standard from a mutual friend who got married here and really loved the way they turned out. So my now-husband and I took a tour and it was truly love at first sight. We put the down deposit the next week.

The venue itself is truly an embodiment of Rockford, IL. all while maintaining its own identity. Its classy and elegant, while having this cool industrial feel that felt perfect for our wedding. There's huge chandeliers/mirrors and the conservatory is absolutely breathtaking. Not only that, its fully ADA accessible, which was extremely important for us to have since we had friends and family who are using walkers, canes, etc. to get around.

I also had paid for the Tier 3 planning services to help with the big day, and I cannot state how worth it was to have that. Sara Moore is an absolute gem of a person. She is not only extremely professional, but she gets sh*t done. She's extremely attentive, kind and all around the best coordinator I could have asked for. In the two years she helped me plan, any time I had a question, she would answer. If I had a worry, she would dispel all of my fears expeditiously. Everyone who met her fell in love and understood why I had 0 levels of stress on my big day. She handled everything with grace and kindness, and I could write an entire review dedicated to her.

On top of that, The Standard's Bar Manager, Tim Woolsey, was also incredible. He is such a stand up guy! Funny, kind, attentive, and was always willing to work with us as we couldn't decide on a drink until the last minute. He responds extremely fast and he made everything on the bar side of things very easy to deal with and understand. He really took his time with you, and it was so appreciated.

They also have a full kitchen in the venue, which was perfect for caterers, and all of my guests had fresh, hot food, which was perfect.

All this to say, this venue was absolutely perfect from start to finish. I have absolutely nothing bad to say as my experience was so effortless, I wish I could get married all over again. Thank you to Sara, Tim, and everyone who helped us at the Standard. I highly recommend anyone who is looking for the city feel (without the city prices) to check this place out! Its a gorgeous venue with great people working to make your event perfect. Thank you again!!

Booking The Standard on State as our wedding day venue was the easiest choice we could’ve made. The breathtaking venue, stunning views on the rooftop, their staff and preferred vendors are the reason we had a seamless wedding day. All of our wedding day/ night we were consistently told how beautiful and unique of a venue we found. We were fortunate to have amazing weather in April to have the wedding on the outside rooftop otherwise we would have moved it in the conservatory looking out to the rooftop, which is just as stunning. Posting pictures will NEVER do this place justice
I could never say enough great things about Sara, Hannah, Bree and all the others that assist with their venue leading into our big day. Sara is so kind and will always be sure to make you feel like a priority in the wedding planning process. Is consistent in communication and reassuring when it came to any concerns we had along the way.
Trust all vendors Sara sends your way and if within your own budget, book from their wedding planning packages. As someone who worked while planning her wedding they take all of the stress and not-knowing out of it.

Sara and the team at The Standard are the venue combination dreams are made of! We decided The Standard was our reception space almost as soon as we walked in. The building itself is absolutely stunning, and an exceptional combination of industrial and romantic. When the pandemic forced us to change our plans multiple times, Sara was readily available and even proactively reached out to us to provide reassurance and as much information as she could. There were a lot of stressful parts of navigating a COVID wedding but working with the team at The Standard was NOT one of them. Although we couldn't hold the reception we want to on our wedding day, we are thrilled to be working with them for our one year anniversary party. Run don't walk if you're looking for an amazing midwest venue!

We could not have been happier with every aspect of our wedding at The Standard. From the beginning- communication, planning, tours, through the end- the day of, it was FANTASTIC. We really enjoyed working with all of the staff we came into contact with. I utilized day of coordination services as well and afterward, I realized I wouldn’t have been able to go through the day as stress free as I was if we didn’t! The building itself is beautiful and made for amazing pictures and videos. The Standard helped our wedding dream come to life and we’ll forever be thankful for it! Highly recommend The Standard in Rockford, IL!

The Standard really was the perfect place to get married and they made my wedding day everything that I thought it could be and more! I got married there in July of 2022 and they were so helpful in the planning leading up to the wedding. Sara (our wedding coordinator) was amazing at communicating with us over the planning process and our day-of coordinators were absolutely incredible in making all of the plans come to life on the actual wedding day. We loved the bride and groom suites and the rooftop was awesome for dancing at the end of the night :) I would highly recommend The Standard to anyone looking for a wedding venue!

While neither of us had any affiliation with Rockford, we just could not pass on The Standard. This multi-leveled masterpiece projected what a perfect wedding venue should look like in endless ways. From getting married on a rooftop, to a dazzling reception, and then dancing under the stars, this place is simply amazing. The staff was communicative every step of the way and made us feel like we were their priority. We hope one day we are able to attend a wedding at The Standard again, it was simply that incredible. This venue is DOG-FRIENDLY too! A huge win for us!

Our experience with the standard was amazing! The staff is amazing to work with and the venue is absolutely beautiful. A special thanks to Hannah and Maya for making our day of run so smoothly. You ladies are amazing!!

Maya, Hannah, and Sara our wedding/ day of coordinators worked their butts off to ensure the day went off without a hit. I would highly recommend the standard to anyone looking for a beautiful, elegant wedding venue. They worked hard with all of our vendors to help make things run as smoothly as possible.

I fell in love with The Standard the moment I saw it. All the staff that we worked with & met throughout the process were so kind, personable & accommodating. We sadly could not go through with my dream wedding there (thank you Covid), but even when plans changed everyone was understanding and continued to offer their assistance. I would 10/10 recommend this venue to anybody wanting to plan any sort of event here!

The Standard is the perfect venue. If you are looking for an event space, it doesn't get any better than this. The interior is absolutely beautiful and the rooftop has a great view of the Rock River.

We got married at The Standard in December of 2020. Sara and the staff were extremely helpful and accommodating. They assisted us through all sorts of changes due to the pandemic as we had to cut our guest list, communicate with vendors, and rearrange the space. Sara was available anytime and quickly responded to all of our needs.

While 2020 disrupted many of our plans, working with Sara and the team at The Standard was a great experience and we highly recommend it to others.

The team at The Standard has been amazing to work with. Everyone one has been helpful and knowledgeable, and the venue is stunning.

What we LOVED:
Timely and helpful communication made planning easy, especially since we planned it in only 5 weeks total!
The AllSeated website made planning seamless and everything was set up just as pictured when we got there
Maya was all over the logistics when it came to setting the ceremony and post-ceremony layout. It was done quickly and efficiently
Overall just a GORGEOUS venue and the decor is fantastic
The recommended vendors list was very helpful!

The Standard is such a BEAUTIFUL venue with an industrial vibe mixed with elegance. My husband and I moved to CA 7 months before our wedding, but it was still a seamless process with planning as they were very helpful and attentive. Sara was very quick when replying to emails, and was always more than happy to answer ALL of my questions. Unfortunately, we were forced to cancel our wedding due to COVID-19. The Standard was going to gladly allow us to simply change our wedding date, but we had personal reasons why we chose not to (nothing to due with the venue). They gave us our full refund back and wished us well. My husband and I were able to get married at the Court House on our date, but would love to have The Standard host our reception/celebration if we choose to have one in the future.

My husband and I can't get over how perfect The Standard was for our December wedding! The venue is absolutely beautiful and full of gorgeous details that really make it one of a kind. It was the perfect location to have both a ceremony and reception, and the transition between the two events was seamless. Johnna and Sara were so helpful with the planning process, especially when it got down to crunch time. The planning website they use is very easy to navigate and all of our other vendors had access to it so they knew our seating chart, floor layout, timeline, etc. Johnna went above and beyond to make the rehearsal and the wedding an absolute breeze. My husband and I, along with our families, were able to fully enjoy the whole day because the staff at The Standard took care of everything.

Abreo caters the events at The Standard, and you won’t be disappointed. Paul and his staff were great to work with, and they even made our dream of a homemade ice cream sundae bar come true! The menu was customizable, and they were able to accommodate dietary restrictions for the guests. Most importantly, the food was phenomenal!

We feel so lucky that we were able to have our wedding at The Standard, and we would not hesitate to recommend the venue for weddings or other events.

I don't even know where to begin with The Standard. I love this venue in so many ways.

To start, the venue itself is absolutely stunning. When my fiance and I went on our initial tour, I knew we'd found the place. Now given that it was the first place we looked at, my fiance insisted we give a few other places a chance, so I did. I looked into at least 7 other venues but ultimately, none of the compared. The style was perfect for me/what I wanted for my day. Modern, glamorous, and a bit industrial. And the fact that there's a rooftop adds a whole other level (pun intended) of beauty and uniqueness. I also loved that the ceremony and reception can be in the same place AND the bridal party can get ready at the venue with hair and make up just downstairs (if you choose to use Arch Apothecary's services). So convenient and eases the stress (and cost) of travel expenses (i.e. to salons or to and from hotel).

The staff at The Standard were all so knowledgable and friendly, making it so easy to work with and plan your perfect day. I was originally in contact with Sara then switched to Johnna due to some staffing changes. The Standard gave me ample notice of the change and ensured me Sara filled Johnna in on all my details and that she did! In typical type A, bride fashion I was nervous but the transition was seamless! Both Sara and Johnna are a joy to work with! I recommend opting in for the day-off coordinator option because Johnna made sure all the details I wanted went off without a hitch! Praises to her because for a guest count of over 240 people, there's a lot to organize.

The Standard has a partnership with Abreo for all catering needs. At first you might be a little bummed that you don't have more of a variety to choose from but trust me, you WILL NOT regret it. Paul and his staff at Abreo were great communicators and really worked with my fiance and I to check all possible options to ensure our apps, drinks, and dinner menu were everything we wanted but yet as affordable as possible. Even if you don't live in Rockford, be sure to attend your tasting!! It was one of my favorite parts of the wedding process! Paul explained each dish to my fiance and I (as well as my in-laws) and made sure we did not walk away hungry. I had so many people compliment us on our wedding food which to me, is a big deal! My fiance and I are big foodies. One guest even said it was the best wedding food she's ever had and another said it was the best steak (beef tenderloin) she's ever had, period. I'm drooling just thinking about it.

Overall, I would definitely recommend The Standard to a future bride and groom. They also do other events which I'm sure would be a blast as well!

COVID bride here. Let's just start with the fact that The Standard is a gorgeous venue, and since they only specialize in weddings, they have the process down perfectly. Our wedding was supposed to be at The Standard in August 2020, and then COVID-19 hit. We ended up eloping and postponed our bigger celebration not once, but twice (both times they made everything so easy). Unfortunately, we still ended up needing to make the awful decision to cancel the entire gathering, and Sara and her team were absolutely wonderful. They refunded our entire deposit (amazing) and wished us all the best. This speaks volumes about the type of company and wedding vendor they are. If you get the chance to work with them, do it. You won't regret it.

We toured The Standard in fall of 2019 looking for a fall 2020 wedding. The staff was wonderful and we were blown away with every floor so we booked the next day!

Well as we all know 2020 did not go as planned for many. The team at The Standard was so accommodating and helpful, with quick email responses and a zoom call to explore options. We ended up postponing
a full year.

Our day was absolutely magical and I couldn't have picked a better venue. The only downside is that it's all over now!

The Standard is an amazing venue. Both of our families still live around the Rockford area so I decided to check out this new venue in the heart of downtown. I live in the Chicago suburbs and did not picture myself getting married in Rockford but when we toured the venue we feel in love. It is modern and unique - which was exactly what I was looking for. The staff was very responsive and helpful throughout the whole process. The building has a floral shop and hair salon connected. This worked great the day of getting ready and giving feedback to the florist. Abreo is the caterer associated with the venue and I had so many guests compliment the food. I know the venue is the biggest expense for most brides - The rental fee was very similar to places I quoted in the Chicago suburbs which surprised me but after experiencing their service it is worth it. They really have the prefect wedding day down to a science and I would recommend anyone looking for an all in one location for your wedding to check this place out!

I went to check out the venue and learn about the packages. The space is brand new, contemporary rustic elgance with gorgeous exposed brick. The venue has amazing features especially the rooftop and gorgeous chandeliers. The catering company Abreo is amazing and I have always enjoyed their food. I love the bridal suite and mancave they offer. For me, thd rental for the space is very high(9,500) and they dont offer military discounts. They also do not include linens among some others as well which has a lot of added expenses. Parking is also limited but not terrible. I like the orginality of it. It is gorgeous, but some things i wish they would include for the very high rental fee.

The Standard is an absolutely incredible venue. We got married this past August and were happy with our experience.

Some highlights in my opinion were:
-The space is so beautiful, you do not need a ton of extra decorations/flowers/etc. It really speaks for itself.
-Abreo's food was AMAZING. Our guests are still talking about how delicious everything was. The chicken was a huge hit, as well as the vanilla donut holes. Abreo is the caterer you have to go with if you book this venue.
-It was nice and convenient to get hair and makeup done at Arch, then hang out in Bridal Suite all day.
-Haley Foster Photography was incredible and captured so many amazing pictures from our day.

Some cons:
-If you don't live near Rockford, just remember to plan for the amount of trips you'll have to make out to Rockford for meetings, tastings, etc.
-Now for our biggest bit of negative feedback, which was related to our experience with the coordinator, Johnna. The Standard offers tiered packages that you can purchase in regards to working with Johnna and I paid for tier 2. She was generally helpful and polite for a majority of the planning process. However, after the wedding while reviewing what comes with the tier 2 package, I realized I did not receive a majority of what I had paid for. Literally there were things listed under the tier 2 package that Johnna did not assist with in any way. When I reached out to her to politely explain what happened and ask for a partial refund (refunding the difference from tier 1 to tier 2 pricing), she never responded. My wedding was over two months ago and she has still not responded to any of my emails, voicemails, or text messages! In my opinion this is totally unacceptable. I wound up contacting the owner's wife who immediately replied and gave me the refund I had asked for. Still left quite a bad taste on our post wedding experience. My advice - hire an outside coordinator. Or if you purchase a tiered package, stick to tier 1.

Is this a beautiful venue? Yes. But is its beauty enough to cover over the greedy and corrupt management? Absolutely not. Your wedding day should be as stress free as possible, if you book with the Standard and unexpected circumstances happen (i.e. a pandemic) you are in for one of the most stressful experiences of your life. This is what I had to watch as my family members had to cancel their wedding day due to COVID-19, fight for weeks to get a refund from the Standard ( who legally owed them a full refund based on their own contracts!) and get threatened with a lawsuit. All while being lied to continuously. This is not how a business should act, especially when you are in the business of weddings. Save yourself the trouble and put your special day in the hands of capable and professional business people.