You are getting married and you want your wedding day to be spectacular. Besides the ceremony, two of the most important elements of the wedding are the bridal gown and wedding reception. Planning wedding receptions in Chicago and finding the right bridal gowns can be overwhelming because there are so many reception venues and bridal shops in the city. However, solid planning is the key.
Planning wedding receptions in Chicago
The wedding reception, the time when a couple celebrates their union with family and friends, is usually the most fun and expensive part of the wedding. Therefore, allowing enough time to plan a fabulous wedding reception is essential to the overall success of the wedding. The wedding reception will depend on a number of factors such as number of guests, type of venue, and overall budget. Listed below are a few tips to help you plan a memorable reception:
1. Create a vision for your wedding
2. Figure out how many guests will be attending the wedding
3. Prepare a wedding budget (Keep in mind that a budget of at least $20,000 may be necessary to hold a reception in a venue located in downtown Chicago.)
4. Determine whether you want an indoor or outdoor wedding
5. Book your reception location as early as possible (at least one year in advance, maybe longer depending on the popularity of the venue)
6. Ask for recommendations
After you have narrowed your selection down to three venues, schedule appointments with them to tour the location and ask pertinent questions. It is best to visit the venues' web sites before hand and prepare questions so that you can get the relevant information needed to make your final decision.
There are so many places to hold beautiful wedding receptions in Chicago including museums and other cultural institutions, luxury hotels, reception halls, fabulous restaurants, etc. As mentioned earlier the venue for a wedding reception depends, in part, upon the couple's vision of their wedding. For instance, will the wedding be traditional, informal, held in the evening, or performed outdoors? Whatever the vision might be, by planning wedding receptions in Chicago couples have a variety of choices.
Finding the best bridal shops in Chicago
As with reception venues, there are a variety of bridal shops in Chicago. Therefore, it can be difficult to make the best choice for your needs. However, knowing what kind of gown you want, what you can afford to pay, and how your gown fits into your overall vision of your wedding day will help you find the best bridal shop.
If you don't know where to start, listed below are the seven bridal shops that Citysearch's (an on-line directory that provides current information about businesses in the Chicagoland area) users rated as the best in 2005.
1. Exclusives for the Bride
2. David's Bridal
3. House of Brides
4. The Left Bank
5. Kasia's Bridal & Special Occasion Boutique
6. Palazzo Limited
7. White Chicago
A couple's wedding day should be a joyous, outstanding event. If they are planning to be married in Chicago, they will have many options for planning wedding receptions in Chicago and finding the perfect bridal gowns.