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I have no experience with either venue, but I just want to say that I think the Cultural Center is absolutely breathtaking! Cafe Brauer is pretty too, but it's more of a relaxed prairie style. The Cultural Center is classic beauty and elegance. Which look are you going for with decor?
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They are both beautiful I would sit down and see which is going to be better money wise for you! Happy planning!
We are getting at the Cultural Center in September-- and I fell in love with the venue from the start. Word of caution- the rental is NOT cheap. And the chairs are hideous so expect to pay to bring stuff in.
You have to consider if you want a downtown wedding vs. Lincoln Park...and the vendors are a big consideration. I've had two friends get married at Cafe Brauer, and it was BEAUTIFUL- but they require that you buy alcohol from them and it's a huge mark up. We are buying booze from Binny's- so we are saving there.
We ended up picking the Cultural Center because 1) we wanted to accomodate all of our guests staying downtown, so cabs/trolleys/buses were not necessary 2) it is beautiful and 3) freedom with vendors.
Downside- just the rental space is super expensive.
@Pree: Hi Pree! I am looking into the Cultural Center for my wedding too! I was wondering if you don't mind sharing a ballpark figure of what a wedding/reception there might cost you. How many guests are you having? What vendors are you using? Ok any information would be VERY helpful! Thanks!
@rpatel602: Here is a link to the Cultural Center rentai info:
@rpatel602: depending on a friday or saturday- you are going to spend 6-10K just for the space rental. We are having somewhere between 150-170 guests (still collecting RSVP). We are renting chairs through our caterer, and I'd be happy to share my vendors with you. PM me :)
hi ladies! completely new to this forum (signed up just to join the discussion - ha!) i, too am considering the cultural center as a venue (exact date TBD). i'm from chicago but live in new york now so relying on family & besties to help me thru this process. while the rental fee is pretty hefty, i like the fact that you can select your own caterer AND bring in your own alcohol. @Pree: i'd also love to get a sense of your vendors so i can do some more research on the costs. i know the venue comes with tables, dance floor, and security but looks like everything else will need to be brought in (chairs, etc). and i know that adds up so would be good to get a range before diving in. i'll probably appx 225-250 on my guest list so hoping to get as much info as i can before making a final decision. thanks in advance!
@amichelle23: Are you planning to get married in 2012? If so, I would call CCC ASAP, when I spoke with them last, it seemed like they had no dates available. But if you press them about a certain date and someone hasn't put a deposit down, you could still get it.
TOO FUNNY! My fiance and I JUST looked at venues this morning and those are our top 2, also! We are booking a June 2013 wedding and love both of them. The booze is a big thing- CCC is going to save a ton bringing it in ourselves, and gives you the option of bringing in exactly what you want! Plus I think that the decor will be a bit less at CCC because it is already so ornate. But, like you, we LOVE the outdoor area with Brauer, not only the cocktail area, but the downstairs back area. Its such a toss up! I would love to hear more about how you made a decision and what type of things you looked at because it seems as thought we have very similar taste! Congrats!
I am very interested in CCC for May of 2013, I'm going to go do an unofficial look this Saturday. I'm curious if with outside vendors and bringing in our own alcohol how affordable this can be. Any insight would be much appreciated!
Hi ladies! I too am in the same boat and am considering these venues. Have you learned anything new over these past couple of months? Which one did you decide on? Could you share approximate budget/cost?
Thanks!!!
i'm not from chicago, but i was there over the winter and my fiance andi walked into the cultural center on whim, to get out of the cold. i DIED inside. i kept saying "were cancelling our wedding and getting married here!"
seriously, it was a dream.
just wanted to let you all know how jealous i am of you :)
@September29: We go on Tuesday to check it out - I've only ever creeped on pictures online! Great to hear it's as fabulous in person as it looks in photos.
As a follow up to our visit yesterday, they were both wonderful venues! We'd be lucky to have our wedding at either.
That being said, we signed a contract this morning at ........ Chicago Cultural Center! It seriously took my breath away in the main ballroom. I love, love, love the grand staircase leading up to it and how it can be used for both ceremony and reception. My fiance is a bit of a history nerd and was in love with the cocktail hour rooms as well (GAR Rotunda and Hall). I just love that the floor lights up in there! We could not be happier with our decision.
If there are any CCC brides out there, we'd welcome your advice and insight into this venue. Thanks!!!
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Hi everyone,
Brand new to the forum, and I was hoping that some of the Chicago contingent could help me. My fiancee and I are trying to decide between Cafe Brauer and the Chicago Cultural Center for our Aug 2012 wedding. Both are beautiful, but Brauer is more restrictive with their vendors, while the Center is totally open in this regard. We like that we could customize our wedding to be reflective of us with the Center, but also like the space (esp. the outdoors!) that Brauer offers. I was wondering if there are any thoughts on either venue. Part of this comes down to cost with us, but we're not sure that we would actually be saving money by going with the Center, where we have more control. Has anyone had experience with either venue? I would be interested to know what the average cost of having a ceremony/reception in the Cultural Center.
Thanks to you all for your help!