Maxwell Mansion

We just love the whole Maxwell team!! Every detail was taken care of for our wedding and beyond! The rooms were perfect and the drinks were fantastic, couldn’t find a better venue if we tried

I spoke with the owner of the property at length about their event policies and required minimum accommodation and beverage spends. She was initially very friendly and informative and I was excited to work with her. Because I am very conscious of my wedding budget, I specifically asked if there was a venue rental fee for the common areas in addition to the required buyout rental of a block of guest rooms on the property. I was expressly told that there was no venue fee. I selected a date to put on hold and asked to be sent a contract for review so that I could book my date. Despite following up via phone and e-mail 10+ times, I did not receive any documentation from this vendor for more than six weeks. I had concerns about this lack of communication, but I gave the vendor the benefit of the doubt because fall can be a busy season for wedding vendors. When I finally received the written cost estimate from an events coordinator, there was an additional fee that was alone more than DOUBLE the cost of the half-property accommodation buyout. Thus, the cost for the venue alone was TRIPLE what the owner of the property had told me during our call. The cost estimate also stated that the guest room prices for the required accommodation buyout were subject to change with no percentage cap on the potential increase. As an attorney, I interpreted this to mean that the venue would have the ability to significantly increase the room prices before the wedding and we would be contractually obligated to pay whatever price they asked. This could leave us exposed to significant additional expense, on top of the exorbitant additional venue fee. After receiving the estimate, I reached out to the property owner (who I originally spoke with) multiple times over several weeks to get clarification on the significant additional venue fee since she had told me that there was no such fee. I thought that maybe there was a miscommunication or that this was a new policy since it had taken 6+ weeks to get the estimate after we spoke on the phone. However, the owner has ignored all of my e-mails. I had my heart set on this venue after originally speaking with the owner, and I am now back to square one and feel like I have wasted months of my limited wedding planning time. I am disappointed and disheartened; my fiancé and I are seriously considering an elopement after this experience. I would not recommend this vendor to anyone.

Maxwell Mansion was absolutely perfect for a COVID wedding!! We replanned our entire wedding and Maxwell Mansion became our new venue on only 3 or 4 months notice. With Ashley's help, they were flexible and excited to help us put together our small reception. She was so prepared for the unsure weather we had and coordinated all of our vendors - I never did a thing, it felt as though she was my day-of coordinator for all the logistics and I couldn't be more thankful. The small touches such as using couches for the first row of the ceremony seating, to helping us create an intimate sweethearts table, made it feel a little extra special. We LOVED the bartenders and the batch cocktails he put together for us as well as the phenomenal service he provided all night. So many beautiful locations for pictures as well! The turf grass area was the perfect spot to end our night with our families playing yard games as well.

We had a small 40 guest wedding here in March 2019. Everything in regards to Maxwell Mansion was phenomenal! We signed the contract at the end of January 2019, and from then on communication was quick, clear, and organized. Maureen is one of the best! We rented out the whole mansion and had heavy hors d'oeuvres instead of a sit down dinner. The Apothecary Bar made delicious drinks. Food and drink were on point. We used one of Maxwell Mansion's preferred vendor for food, and we're so glad we did! Everything served was tasty (and we are frequent patrons of the Chicago food and drink scene). The Speakeasy was a hit with guests after the wedding was over. For accommodations, we stayed in the Grant suite. It was perfect for getting ready and hosting little impromptu family gatherings. The suite was spacious, very clean, beautiful, and comfortable. Overall, Maxwell Mansion made everyone feel so welcomed and special. We are so thankful for their services and hospitality.