Chicago Wedding under $15,000!!!! HELP

@Shayna YES! I knew it was something like that. Its been a whileeeeeee since I went on a venue hunt and even longer since I was in event planning in Illinois.

Look into having your wedding on a Sunday or maybe Thursday night. Think about hosting a cocktail reception. It's swanky and fits the whole city scene.

So I am from Chicago but live in the South Surburbs. 15K for the total wedding can be a bit tricky. Do you have a preference of it having to be in Chicago.If not looking into Surburbs would be a great option. Where exactly is you FH from north or south side.

You said you didn't want a hotel but you should really look at Hotel Monaco. It's a funky boutique hotel with the restaurant attached. South water kitchen. 5,000 food and drink minimum with 4 hours open bar, includes wedding cake and a great menu and drink selection. Not to mention the rooms are killer.

THANK YOU for the suggestions, and to clarify I mean BYOB is that we buy alcohol from Binny's or somewhere and have it delivered.

I am based in Chicago & I have heard of couples using Binny's for budget weddings due to their return policy, which doesn't seem like that bad of a deal. In terms of venues I would look into some within the Chicago Park District if you were thinking about an outdoor ceremony since your wedding is in the summer. There are tons of gorgeous parks here & they tend to have lower fees than a traditional venue. There are also loft spaces if you were looking for an indoor more modern styled wedding. I personally love Room 1520 in the West Loop area. I am speaking from my experience being a wedding photographer, however, so i'd say conduct additional research on the inclusions to see if they were what you were thinking for the CPD spots. I hope this helps!

Look into Avalon Banquets.. Their packages start at like $60 per plate. Totally doable.

Courtney N do you mind if I ask where you're having your wedding? I want to stay under 20k for around 200 guests if possible and I'll love to hear what you found for that price.

Do whatever is right for you when it comes to the alcohol however, trying to find a deal in Chicago is going to be tough. We're throwing a shindig in a lesser know metropolitan area and even that ran us over 30K for everything. May want to consider venturing out on the outskirts or suburbs to snag a good deal in or around the Chicago region. Good luck!

Can I ask the name of the Irish pub?