Grace is the best wedding planner and more than we could have ever hoped for- attentive,…read moreresponsive, organized, great insights and style, and all with the best demeanor!!!! She was a joy to work with beginning to end. I am sure a million things went wrong on our big day but we had no clue... we were truly able to enjoy every minute because we were in Grace and her team's very capable hands!!! This woman knows how to execute...all with a smile to boot!! If you are lucky enough to work with Grace and her team you will know exactly what I mean. THANK YOU GRACE!!!

If I could give bonus stars for Grace, I would. She was an absolutely amazing wedding planner!…read more She was there every step of the way, offering expertise on everything from table choices to food and drink options to timelines and budgets. She has a 100% can-do attitude and is a pleasure to work with. She prepared a detailed timeline for the months, days, and hours leading up to our wedding; contacted every vendor whenever necessary, including to plan all logistics and timing for the day-of; assisted with all choices along the way; all the while with a huge smile on her face. Her team was also outstanding. Victoria and Ari were there the day-of to handle all logistics. I truly cannot recommend Grace and her team highly enough.

I just did my kids party with royal decor studio and Natalya and Lidia were amazing and so nice…read more They're work was beautiful. I highly recommend them.

Great work by Lidia. We hired her for Backdrop for my wife's baby shower event and she did a…read morefabulous work. She was easy to work with, great in communication and punctual. She set up the backdrop in exact 1 hr timeframe which was given to her.

Liz was fantastic to work with in planning our graduation party. We rented round tables and the…read moregarden padded chairs, which turned out perfect. Very responsive and great delivery for set up and pick up for our event.

A perfect wedding venue. I fell in love with the Women's Club of Evanston the moment I walked in…read morefor a tour. It is a gorgeous old mansion with deep roots; the manager (Gretchen) is kind, reliable, and so easy to work with; the preferred caterer we used (Catering by Michaels) was raved about by our guests; and the gift of bringing your own alcohol was huge. Our guests kept commenting on the uniqueness of the space, how great it was to have a pianist playing during our cocktail hour on the first floor, and how joyful and bright the ballroom looked. It was honestly beyond anything I imagined. A few extra things of note - our guests stayed at the Graduate Evanston which is barely a block away (no shuttles needed!); there is a huge parking garage across the street so nobody was looking for parking; and have I mentioned how beautiful the space is? I wish I had a reason to throw a huge event again - I would go back to the Women's Club every time. Huge thank you to Gretchen and her team!

My husband and I had our wedding at The Woman's Club of Evanston in October 2025, and we truly…read morecannot recommend this venue enough. The space is gorgeous on its own -- not a blank slate at all -- so we didn't need nearly as many decorations or flowers as we did at other venues we considered. Our guests raved all day about how beautiful and unique the building was. One of the biggest advantages is that the entire venue is yours for the day. There are no other weddings or events happening at the same time, which makes everything feel calm, special, and centered on your celebration. We had a Sunday brunch wedding, held our ceremony downstairs (very cozy and intimate), and our reception upstairs in the ballroom. The flow between spaces was seamless, and the ballroom floor is amazing for dancing. The sound system was excellent -- speeches and music were crystal clear. Gretchen was wonderful to work with throughout the planning process. She provided vendor recommendations, kept us on track to meet deadlines, and answered all of our questions. We used J&L Catering for our food and Schaffer's for alcohol, and both were excellent and the liquor from Schaffer's was a significant cost savings. Another huge bonus: so many essentials are included with the rental, such as tables, chairs, silverware, and plates. At other venues, those items can be surprisingly expensive to source. Logistically, this location is hard to beat. There are several hotels and great restaurants within walking distance, making it incredibly easy for our out-of-town guests to enjoy an entire weekend in Evanston. Our local guests appreciated that parking is free in Evanston on Sundays and close to the venue. There are also plenty of bathrooms on the same floors where all the events take place -- a small detail that makes a big difference for guest comfort. Finally, it felt meaningful to support a historic building and philanthropic organization rather than a large hotel chain. Overall, we highly recommend The Woman's Club of Evanston as a premier wedding venue in the greater Chicagoland area. We couldn't imagine having celebrated anywhere else.

Every Thanksgiving, my friend usually orders a fully cooked whole turkey from Mariano's for her…read morefamily. This year, she invited me to join them. As we talked about the menu, I told her that my brother randomly met Jenna, a Catering by Michaels culinary analyst, at a restaurant right before the holidays last year. She told him about how fabulous their confit turkey legs are so he ordered them, and now his whole family are addicted. I'm a dark meat lover too so I was sorry I missed out on trying them! I guess my turkey description made an impression on my friend because she kicked Mariano's to the curb. She ordered the turkey breast, two confit turkey legs & the gravy. Let me tell you - everything was FANtastic. "Out of this world" as my friend & her family gushed!! They traditionally make their own sides, but this turkey was so delicious that they are planning to order the whole shebang from here next year. The fully cooked turkey breast & legs were so easy, no messy carving necessary. The leg skin was crispy & both white & dark meat were unbelievably juicy. My brother & now my friend both thank Jenna for her confit turkey legs recommendation! We are all stuffed hahaha!

Planning a Chicago wedding while living in California was a challenge - especially for choosing a…read morecaterer. Shannon from Catering by Michaels was so helpful and responsive and very accommodating of our limited availability in Chicago. The food was delicious. The appetizers were unique and delicious and easy for guests to eat while standing around mingling. The dessert bar was so much fun and so tasty, too! The entrees were to die for. The beef tenderloin was actually what sealed the deal for us - my husband said that was the meal he wanted to eat at the wedding! We didn't originally love the salad options we first tried at our tasting but Shannon and the team were so open and responsive and crafted a chopped beet salad that was exactly what we were hoping for. Shannon was also super helpful as we figured out options for kids' meals and guided us to the most economical option. Throughout the entire process, Shannon and her team were super responsive and kind and we ended up with a delicious meal and wonderful experience. We definitely recommend Catering by Michaels for your Chicago wedding!

We provided services for this company in good faith and submitted invoices for payment. Despite…read morerepeated requests and ample time to resolve the matter, the invoices remain unpaid. My experience has been extremely frustrating due to the lack of follow-through and professionalism regarding payment obligations. I always prefer to handle business matters privately and professionally, but after exhausting those efforts, I felt it was important to share my experience so others can make informed decisions when considering doing business with this company.

Long time member of this "hidden gem" (one of its marketing taglines) tucked away in Glenview…read more Think of Valley Lo as a low/no-pretense country club that is SUPER family friendly and even family ORIENTED. Wonderful dining -- casual attire but a nice menu; phenomenal service, and plenty of TVs and an activity room available to keep kids occupied. Tennis. Paddle tennis (one of the biggest programs in the US apparently, with a relatively recently rebuilt paddle hut that is spacious, well appointed, and has a regular bartender). A well appointed and maintained fitness center with personal training, classes, massage, and all of what you'd expect at a fitness club. A four lane 25-yard swimming pool that is surprisingly underutilized much of the time...and also features a kids' swim team that has become competitive among the North Shore programs. 18 holes of par 3 golf -- fun, family friendly, and again, without the pretense or expense of a "big time" golf club...and still with leagues, lessons, and events. The real showpieces of the Club, though, are the beach and lake open from Memorial Day through Labor Day (sometimes a little earlier and a little later depending upon weather). Sailing. Kayaks. Pedal boats. Paddle boarding. Swimming (some triathletes train by swimming around the lake -- it's about a mile around). Catch and release fishing (mostly for the kids). An adults-only area. A super casual beach cafe. Unsurprisingly, servers who'll deliver soft and adult beverages to your chair. A recently launched outdoor bar that complements the outdoor dining, weather permitting, in the warm weather, with lovely views of the lake and surrounding areas. Along with that, there are myriad family oriented and adults-only events, from bingo nights (really -- and they're a riot) to a "turn back the clock" New Year's Eve party where "midnight" is nine pm to the expected holiday events (gingerbread houses, caroling dinners, St. Pat's, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc.). Breathtakingly good and popular 4th of July fireworks (usually on the 3rd) on the back nine of the golf course -- this typically draws over 1000 people and, along with many of the other events, features kids' activities like games, small rides, face paining, etc. Among the biggest draws is the youth sports camp which is as brilliant as it is well executed. Drop the kids in the morning; pick up in the afternoon. They get exposure to a variety of activities and sports and get fed. Counselors tend to be teenagers who are well trained and lead the events; the camp is run by a seasoned professional whose approach is to sneak in ideas of character and sportsmanship along the way. The clubhouse and grounds (golf course, beachfront) are great spots for a wide variety of events including corporate outings, family parties, prom dinners/photos, and weddings. Through the years, Valley Lo has maintained itself well and made significant investments to keep up and improve its clubhouse, athletic center, paddle and pickleball facilities, and now golf course. It's welcoming and inclusive -- while it is a private club that requires sponsors, it's not a draconian and super selective process like some country clubs, and tends to welcome all comers. Economics are considerably more attractive than big time golf clubs as well. We've been members for more than 15 years, raised our kids here, and have come to know and love the team ("staff" always seems demeaning to this reviewer) and the membership. If you're not a swanky golf club person but prefer something less stuffy and more fun and family oriented, Valley Lo should seriously be on your list to check out.

My husband and I chose The Caterist as the caterer for our wedding reception and we couldn't be…read moremore pleased. From the very beginning with our tasting, Erin from their team was incredibly responsive to our questions and concerns and so easy to work with. On the day of the wedding, the servers and bartenders were all friendly and helpful. Now the important part: the food was amazing. So many guests at our wedding came up to us raving about the food. Entrees were well seasoned and the portions were generous, and the desserts on our dessert table were also very tasty, with a lot of variety. Overall, would definitely recommend working with the Caterist for your wedding!

The Caterist provided exceptional service for our fundraising event at the Evanston History Center…read more We received positive reviews on the food tasting wonderful. As an event organizer, I also appreciated how easy it was to work with their team during planning and on the event day. Their staff was friendly and all smiles which makes such a difference for guests.

A great space for events! Easy to get to, lots of parking available and very adaptable for a wide…read morerange of guests. We held a baby shower for about 35 people and it was a perfect space for our event. Bringing in your own food and drinks made this a very affordable option and we were able to customize the space with our own decor too. Michelle is great to work with, quick to reply to questions and made the process of reservation and preparation super easy.

The venue was exceptional. Michelle provided prompt and helpful responses to all our inquiries. Our…read morebaby's first birthday celebration comfortably accommodated approximately 35 guests, with ample space available. This location is highly recommended for event hosting.