“We recently got married at Meyer's Castle, and it was an absolute dream come true. My husband, Jeff, and I fell in love with this venue at first sight. We love how private and intimate it is. The castle is completely gated and surrounded by dense trees. You would never know that such an oasis exists just outside of Chicago. When you enter the gate, you drive on a long driveway to the top where you see the castle sitting on the hill. It's quite impressive and reminds me of destination weddings in Europe. The best part is that you don't have to leave the country. We decided to opt for the outdoor reception, which is their most expensive option because it involves a plan B in case of bad weather. The plan B was to host a reception in one of their gorgeous ballrooms. We could choose between two. However, the outdoor reception was so worth it. We were lucky enough to have a perfect sunny day without it being too hot. The venue's booking manager told us that September is their most popular month for weddings, and now I understand why—the weather was absolutely perfect. The team at Meyer's Castle was very friendly, professional, and always responded to our questions in a timely manner. It was totally worth it to hire their Month-Off coordinator, Kate. She was amazing! They also have a list of preferred vendors who they don't force you to hire but recommend based on their experience with them. We hired a photographer and a cake vendor from Meyer's Castle's list, and we were extremely happy we did. The venue's newly renovated bridal suite is cute and elegant at the same time. It has beautiful baby blue peacock wallpaper and a grand gold mirror. They actually have real peacocks living on the property, so the wallpaper in the bridal suite really fits the theme of the venue. This place is awesome. You can have both the wedding ceremony and reception at the same location, which is very convenient and stress-free. I don't like ceremonies in the church, and I would choose over and over to exchange my vows with my husband in the beautiful, green, lush gardens with birds singing around us.”

“I cannot recommend the Gala Barn enough! If you are looking for a wedding venue that can provide a rustic, country, chic wedding look no further! Their wedding venue suits all of your needs. Boone is also super responsive and easy to talk to. From a photographer's standpoint, the opportunities are also endless when it comes to taking photos.”