My 9 Favorite Wedding Venues in Central Illinois

It’s no secret that I LOVE Central Illinois, filled with character, charm and as a wedding photographer, I cannot skip over all of the beautiful Central Illinois wedding venues for my couples. I am OBSESSED with all of the beautiful venues, which is why in this blog I’m dishing out some of my favorite wedding venues in Central Illinois. There are a ton of factors to consider when deciding on the wedding venue that best fits what you and your boo envision for your wedding day.

There are also seemingly limitless options out there when it comes to wedding venues in Central Illinois, so it may seem daunting when you first start looking for them. This is why I’m going to walk you through everything you’ll want to think about when choosing your dream wedding venue and everything there is to love about nine of my favorite Central Illinois wedding venues!

What Vision Do You Have for Your Wedding Day?

First off you are going to want to nail down your vision of what you both want your wedding day to look like. Picture yourself and your loved ones on your wedding day. What does the space look like? What is the general vibe and feel of it? How many people do you plan to have there? Can you picture you and your loved ones all there together enjoying the space?

Talk through all of this and everything you hope to experience on your wedding day with your boo so the two of you can have a clear picture in your mind of your day when you start looking at venues.  When thinking about the vision, think about what type of experience you hope to have when planning your wedding and actually experiencing your wedding day!  Do you want to bar hop around downtown Springfield?  Do you prefer to have a more low key wedding in one centralized location?  There is no right or wrong answer here, so put together a vision so that you can narrow down your options when browsing Central Illinois wedding venues.

What’s Your Budget?

A huge part of the wedding planning process, not only for your venue but just in general, is the budget that you’ll be working with for your day. Every wedding and couple is different and so is your budget. Be honest and open with one another as you decide on the budget for your day so when it comes time to decide on your Central Illinois wedding venue you choose one that falls within your budget. Remember you need to have money in your budget for the venue, vendors, and other wedding costs so don’t go all in on the venue itself. As I mentioned there are a TON of venues out there, so there’s bound to be multiple that fit your exact vision and fit your budget!

How Many Guests Do You Plan to Have?

One of the biggest factors that will determine what venue options you’ll be able to work with are the number of guests you plan on having. Each venue has a guest limit depending on the space provided, so be realistic with both your guest count and venue style you plan to go with. If you’re planning on having all of your friends and family on both sides attend as well as their kids, you’re not going to be able or want to reserve an intimate wedding space. The same goes the other way too  If you’re planning more intimate wedding day, it’s important to know that some venues have a guest minimum. Find a wedding venue in Central Illinois that can host the guests you plan on having in it comfortably, and also serve create the atmosphere you’re hoping for on your wedding day.

What’s Included at your Central Illinois Wedding Venue?

The last thing to consider when deciding on your wedding venue in Central Illinois are the amenities it provides and what they allow for you to bring in. Does the venue offer food and beverages or will you need to bring in vendors? Do they have a preferred vendor team or can you bring in anyone you want? Is the venue beautiful on its own or will you need to bring in a florist and other decorations to really make the space your own, and are you allowed to bring your own decorations in the first place? EVERY venue is different and some are more flexible than others, so do your research when deciding to make sure your venue allows you to do everything you want for your day!

My 9 Favorite Wedding Venues in Central Illinois

Now that you have an idea on what to look for when deciding on your wedding venue in Central Illinois, I thought I’d show you 9 of my all time favorites. This is by no means an all inclusive list as there are so many venues out there and we’d be here ALL day if we went over each and every venue possibility. This is more to give you some potential options and get your brain flowing in terms of what is all out there!

The Barrel Room at DESTIHL in Normal

First on our list we have The Barrel Room at DESTIHL which is located in Normal. This brewery in Central Illinois can be reserved for your wedding day. Who wouldn’t want to celebrate their wedding in a gorgeous brewery like this?! The venue seats 175 but has a cocktail capacity of 275 meaning larger weddings are more than possible here. The venue has  a full service bar of beer, wine and catered spirits, in house food catering, service staff, and numerous other amenities to make your wedding day an unforgettable experience. Lastly the brewery itself is gorgeous so you really don’t need to go all out on decorations if that’s not your thing!

Trailside Event Center in Peoria

For a wedding venue focused on a dreamy and rustic feel to it, look no further than the Trailside Event Center in Peoria. This venue has a large variety of amenities including an in house salon, bridal room, an espresso bar as well as full service bar, and even a bakery on the bottom floor you can use for catering! They have an outdoor ceremony space as well to use if the weather is right giving you options for your wedding day. They do have a preferred list of vendors when it comes to catering, but you can bring in your own outside of this list for a $500 fee. This beautiful and spacious ballroom is the perfect venue for a large wedding celebration in Central Illinois!

Venue Chisca in Peoria

If you’re looking for a wedding venue in Central Illinois with the option for a HUGE celebration look no further than Venue Chisca in Peoria! This venue can host up to 500 guests, and not only is it insanely gorgeous, but the venue also includes decorations for you to keep things simple. The venue also offers smaller spaces for more intimate gatherings if you love the space but don’t want to invite hundreds of guests for your wedding day. Some of the amenities they include are complimentary setup and teardown, X-back chairs for you to use, and no restriction on vendors which is huge! The venue is also in a great location with downtown Peoria nearby making it easy for your guests to get back to their hotels after your wedding celebrations.

Old Rugged Barn Outside of Bloomington

For the ultimate rustic feel to your wedding day the Old Rugged Barn near Bloomington has you covered. This spacious 2000 square foot barn offers an incredible wedding day experience like none other. Capable of hosting both larger and more intimate wedding days the Old Rugged Barn is an incredibly versatile wedding venue in Central Illinois. With plenty of space both indoors and outdoors, and numerous backdrop options for portraits there is just so much to love about this venue.

Venue 1929 in Springfield

Talk about a beautiful wedding venue! Venue 1929 in Springfield has been one of my favorite spaces for a while now. The beautiful and historic space is located only a few blocks from downtown Springfield making it incredibly easy for your guests to get to the venue from the hotel. Springfield is also home to plenty of bars, restaurants, breweries, and so many other fun downtown activities for your guests to make a weekend out of your wedding celebrations. The venue itself has a max capacity of 150 guests and a formal seating capacity of 110. With beautiful tiled floors, an awesome fireplace, in house bar service and a preferred caterers list you really can’t overlook Venue 1929 when searching for a wedding venue in Central Illinois!

Artisans Building at the IL State Fairgrounds

The Artisans Building found at the Illinois State Fairgrounds is the perfect wedding venue for couples looking for a blank slate wedding venue in Central Illinois. The event space itself offers up plenty of parking and can host over 200 guests comfortably. This venue is built with larger wedding venues in mind and with it being a blank slate the sky really is the limit in terms of what you want to do with your venue. Whether you want to go all out with decorations or keep things nice and simple the Artisans Building will have you covered.

Engelbrecht Farm in Paxton

Found in Paxton Illinois, Engelbrecht Farm is a large farmhouse turned wedding venue with an incredible feel to it. The venue can host up to 220 guests and one of the coolest aspects of the venue is the 2nd floor of the venue that overlooks the main reception area. This gives your wedding day such a unique vibe and layout and creates some amazing photography opportunities! The venue has an outdoor ceremony space with a beautiful flower garden nearby for a picturesque wedding ceremony. The venue also offers a three bedroom farmhouse for you and your wedding party to get ready in on the day of your wedding!

Paul’s Paradise at Paul Tree Farms LLC in Pleasant Plains

With space for over 100 guests, indoor and outdoor spaces, and numerous amenities Paul’s Paradise is an incredible option for a wedding venue in Central Illinois! The venue is seriously picturesque with both its indoor and outdoor spaces being prime spots for wedding portraits. The venue also has a catering kitchen on site, a lounge space, private bar and getting ready spaces, linens, and so much more. Found just 10 miles outside Springfield you can’t go wrong with Paul’s Paradise.

Three Pines Petersburg Airbnb in Petersburg

The Three Pines Petersburg Airbnb is an alternative wedding venue that is the perfect fit for anyone looking for an intimate wedding celebration. The venue specializes with weddings of 50 or less guests, but can accommodate up to 100 guests thanks to an additional outdoor tent as well as portable toilet rentals. In order to have your wedding at the Three Pines there is a minimum of a 2 night rental of the mansion which can sleep 20. You can also rent the grounds for an additional fee to have the entire property to yourselves for your wedding day which makes for an incredible experience!

And there you have it, 9 of my favorite wedding venues you can find throughout Central Illinois! As you can see there’s a TON of variety within just these 9 venues, and there are so many more I didn’t even get the chance to mention. If you’re ready to get your wedding planning started and are looking for a photographer head on over to my contact page to send me an inquiry. I’d love to hear from you so we can start planning your dream wedding day together!