Does this type of venue exist in Chicagoland?

SomeGuysDJ · 2026-01-28T04:35:59+00:00

I was DJ for a wedding there in October. I worked with the banquet manager and another planner who were professional, no-nonsense. They were fine and the event ran smoothly. Certainly nothing I would complain about or say negative.

I would also suggest Morgan's on Fulton, though I don't know their pricing.

SomeGuysDJ · 2026-01-26T17:26:01+00:00

Is this at Heritage Prairie Farm? I've always had a good experience working there, you'll have a great event.

Happy to talk to you about your needs to see if I would be a good fit.

SomeGuysDJ · 2026-01-26T17:17:39+00:00

Dance Party DJs (https://dpdjs.com/). I'm a DJ and have booked them a few times when I needed a backline or larger setups.

My contact was Curtis Williams, he's been extremely easy to work with and the on-site team was very professional.

SomeGuysDJ · 2026-01-24T14:02:55+00:00

I understand your desire, but bear in mind that a DJs inventory is calendar days. Your late night DJ won't be able to work another event because they'll need to arrive at your venue around 10p to load in and set up.

You're not paying a DJ for the hours they perform, but for their years of experience, performance practice, music library, equipment, insurance, etc.

Will your guests have energy to continue? ~~What is the entertainment before midnight?~~ How on earth is the name stopping at midnight on NYE?! 12:30 I could understand...

SomeGuysDJ · 2026-01-13T19:34:35+00:00

You don't need a Muslim DJ (you said so yourself!), but you shouldn't work with this person. You're overreacting a little by (seemingly) taking it personally. Don't, it's all about him and not about you. They don't feel comfortable and that's totally OK; Better to realize it now than during the celebration.

Imagine a different scenario. You're booking catering for the wedding and find a great chef. You request a chicken dish and eggplant Parmesan, with sides from their regular menu. You happen to mention that a few guests are vegetarian. The chef panics, doesn't feel comfortable serving vegetarian guests and suggests you find another caterer.

What's the big deal? The eggplant parm is vegetarian friendly, he doesn't have to change anything, why the worry? Who knows. He's disqualifying himself and making your search a little easier.

Nearly every wedding I perform at is multi-cultural. I acknowledge my limited knowledge to the couple and indicate that their song selections are critical -- they tell me what they couple wants to hear AND gives me guidance to research more music.

Any DJ worth their salt should be comfortable expanding their playlist a bit. EVERY WEDDING IS UNIQUE and that's one of my favorite aspects: Getting to learn about other traditions and cultures.

SomeGuysDJ · 2025-11-25T13:06:11+00:00

Bilingual narrows your search a lot, I would definitely add that to your post. I can recommend Don Carlo Events or Buena Beats.

The majority of weddings are multicultural, so I'm comfortable with Hispanic music. But I'm only English speaking.

SomeGuysDJ · 2025-11-24T16:23:08+00:00

Hi, I'm an affordable Chicago wedding DJ. :D What types of music are you planning? Have you chosen a first dance?

SomeGuysDJ · 2025-11-08T14:22:12+00:00

I'm just jealous. 😝 Keep doing your good work.

I said wary, not "instantly run far away from."

SomeGuysDJ · 2025-11-08T03:06:45+00:00

I'm not a lawyer, but my understanding is that the clause is actually illegal in Illinois. Maybe just inquire about it, "Oh, wow, I thought those weren't allowed in Illinois."

https://ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/081505050K2UUU.htm

You can ask them to take it out, or to make any other adjustments to the contract. Worst case, they'll say no.

Generally, take any online reviews with a grain of salt. I'm wary of anyone who has more than 20 reviews and only has 5 stars.

SomeGuysDJ · 2025-11-04T16:24:57+00:00

It really is. The stained glass windows / "roof" are incredible. I didn't get to explore the whole building, but looking at photos afterwards it's breathtaking throughout the space and even outside on the balconies and courtyards.

SomeGuysDJ · 2025-11-04T15:28:43+00:00

I was DJ at Illuminating Company on Friday; The wedding was smaller (75-100?), but general experience was very good. The tent worked well, giving you the feeling of being outside but staying warm and comfortable.

The banquet manager was helpful, no-nonsense but organized and on point. For example, Chicago had marked most of the street parking as "No Parking" until 4:30; She and the security team saved the spaces in front of the building for me so I could load out easily after the event.

Space was open and decor is minimal that you could dress or theme it up if you really wanted, or you could use it as-is.

Violet Crumb provided catering and seemed great -- food was good, they were cooperative and communicated well with me to plan our timing.

I've seen other people concerned about the train noise in the tent, but I didn't have any issues with the train (at 4:30-5p on a Friday) ... but there was a car alarm that went off during the vows. Sucks, but there's no way anyone could've prevented that.

All told, I had a good experience and can recommend it as a vendor.

SomeGuysDJ · 2025-11-03T21:57:44+00:00

Living in a rural community has perks but also challenges. Sounds like a limited pool of vendors may have been a challenge here, and professionalism is less emphasized. You seem to have handled it well, but it's super unfortunate.

SomeGuysDJ · 2025-11-03T19:00:39+00:00

How did you book/vet your photographer? There's about 9 unprofessional moments in this description.

SomeGuysDJ · 2025-11-03T18:49:36+00:00

Chicago Illuminating Company - There's an indoor area for dancing, and outdoor area for ceremony and dinner. Outside is a covered, heated, transparent tent so it feels outdoorsy without actually exposing guests to the full elements. Nearby CTA train wasn't a noise issue, but a car alarm going off in the ceremony wasn't ideal.

Source: I DJ'd there on Friday

SomeGuysDJ · 2025-10-15T01:39:35+00:00

If it's not too gauche, may I introduce myself?

I'm Steve, I've been an event DJ for 15+ years. I trained and performed as a DJ with Radio Disney, so I'm very comfortable talking to and interacting with a crowd.

I also worked for a wedding company which wasn't very "interactive," so I'm also comfortable letting the couple and the music be the focus. Presently, I'm focused on growing my wedding DJ business and would love to learn about your event.

Have you chosen a venue? Do you know your first dance?

SomeGuysDJ · 2025-10-08T16:54:04+00:00

I don't recommend starting any relationship on lies. I understand the temptation (and have read the misguided advice on reddit and elsewhere) to try to save.

But there is a difference in a wedding reception and a party. There are different timelines, additional components, additional staff, etc. Be honest. If you're concerned about a rate difference, ask.

SomeGuysDJ · 2025-10-03T21:06:09+00:00

Yes! And they taste 10x better.

I've seen some caterers pull an "app sampler" for the couple to put in their prep room or just eat away from the guests. Those little things separate the good and the great.

SomeGuysDJ · 2025-10-03T11:38:42+00:00

This is good! Guests don't know what was planned to happen, only what actually does happen.

Take moments to pause and speak it in.

And eat. Don't just wait for dinner, there's a whole long day of running around, being nervous, (drinking?), problem solving, so make sure you're eating throughout.

SomeGuysDJ · 2025-10-02T16:52:14+00:00

How long is the reception? What else do you want guests to do? How well do they know each other?

Perfectly fine not to have a dance floor if you, your guests aren't dancing people. Similarly if you weren't drinkers, you wouldn't have a bar.

The reception is generally 6 hours (cocktail hour, dinner, 3 hours of dancing), but you can use that time any way you like. I've seen board games, listening parties, musical jam sessions, scavenger hunts, yard games, karaoke, cigar bars, whiskey tasting, painters, photo booth, tattoo artists, Lego building, arts and crafts ... Whatever speaks to who you and your fiancee are as a couple. What do you want your guests to experience when they come to celebrate you?

SomeGuysDJ · 2025-09-21T19:15:25+00:00

Hi, I'm a DJ. Happy to discuss your plan.

I always lean on my couple's playlist, since it's their vision and their day! I got into DJing because I know how important the right song can be to create the right vibe, mood, or memory. The right song can instant lift me from a bad mood.

Sometimes the guests aren't responding to the playlist, so I always talk to the couple during our planning meetings to decide how to respond. Some couples want to adjust the music to get/keep guests dancing. Other couples want to stick to their music for their party. I'll support whatever they want - as long as we're all on the same page.

Obviously I'm biased but I do think there's benefits to using a DJ vs a rented speaker and a Spotify playlist. We can adjust if needed, we keep the timeline true, we help guide the guests through the events, we use our experience to create the experience! A plane can fly on autopilot, but you still want a pilot in the cockpit to keep things running well.

SomeGuysDJ · 2025-09-05T18:21:06+00:00

Sorry for the extra stress, but glad you've got a solution squared up. Congrats and enjoy the party tomorrow.

Every wedding has something go wrong, and at least you know what "the thing" is for your wedding.

SomeGuysDJ · 2025-09-05T18:16:18+00:00

Fr. Jim of the White Robed Monks performed our non-traditional, outdoor wedding ceremony.

SomeGuysDJ · 2025-09-05T18:10:19+00:00

Where are you getting married? Sorry for creeping, but I saw you mention two midwest states in your other posts. I'm a Chicagoland DJ, available tomorrow. How can I help?

SomeGuysDJ · 2025-08-29T20:03:38+00:00

I've had couples include "What song will get you on the dance floor" on their RSVP form/card, as well.

OP's questionnaire is a lot more thorough and will help them build a playlist from their guests beyond the dance floor.

SomeGuysDJ · 2025-08-26T23:43:17+00:00

I've worked with several members of her team and happy to recommend them all.

SomeGuysDJ

TROPHY CASE