Riverside Receptions

so that other brides can have the wedding of their dreams too; I recommend the Riverside in every way. From start to finish, booking a wedding at the Riverside is a joy. When we first toured the Riverside, I knew I needed to have my wedding there. I was looking for my inspiration words – romantic, whimsical, elegant, historical – and the Riverside was a perfect fit and more. The venue and the people impressed me right off the bat. In every room, the venue is unique and has so much character. We loved the fireplaces, the mantles, and the opportunity to decorate them so that the wedding was full of our love and personalities. The views from the windows are also a GORGEOUS backdrop for a wedding. Amy and Jessica, who showed us around, were so kind and helpful; I was in love with the venue almost as much as my now husband. After booking at the Riverside, everything was a breeze. The tasting event that we attended helped us choose our meals – DEFINITELY recommend the chicken. It is not your average chicken; it is decadent and delicious. I also recommend the New York Strip Steak with boursin mashed potatoes - YUM. In addition to the tasting event, we also enjoyed all correspondence with Amy. Communication was easy and she was so helpful and patient with questions we had. On the day, we were so happy and we were not at all disappointed. Amy and Jessica made sure everything we worked so tirelessly to plan went off without a hitch. They were on top of everything! My ceremony was so romantic and sweet and well-organized; they made sure of it! At night, Neal took over for the reception and was an absolutely wonderful help coordinating the different details of the night: making sure the parents were enjoying themselves, ensuring the bride/groom had what they needed, and helping to clean up and organize the huge amount of décor we brought with us (we rented a U-Haul…I went a little overboard but it was so worth it). The security gentleman Louis was also a treat! I enjoyed some brief chats with him. Really, the entire staff – bartenders, waiters, waitresses, everyone did a FANTASTIC job and guests have not stopped complimenting the kindness of the staff. Also, THE FOOD. It was even more delicious than I remembered from the tasting event. The appetizers were a hit (everyone loved the charcuterie table!), the sweets table was AWESOME and the late night snacks (pizza and wings) were amazing. We honestly wish the Riverside delivered pizza regularly – it was that good…and we’re pizza people who live in Chicago. Lastly, the VENUE itself was just perfect. We had 160 guests and rented both floors (downstairs ceremony and happy hour, upstairs reception) and it was so, so lovely. Everyone had a blast and it was a perfect day. Future brides and grooms, I speak the truth here: the Riverside really has everything – indoor space if you have weather concerns, a picturesque outdoor space, two floors with twinkle lights on the windows, a big dance floor, DELICIOUS, DELICIOUS catering, and a staff that works so hard to make a perfect day. Riverside Receptions staff – THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!

est could not stop talking about it. We did see the upper level, with the upper level you get more room and more view of the river. There no brick like the main level. That was the one thing my now husband love. The team is very helpful and will to answer any question you had. One down fall I had was I had 3 different time frame of when final stuff was due. I was able to get clearly by emailing them. Beside that I would highly recommend them!!

come together flawlessly and effortlessly. The venue itself has a timeless appeal that I still find myself smiling about. The food was amazing and we likewise continued to hear that from our guests throughout the night!!! The staff was extremely on point with everything from seamlessly flipping the upstairs from ceremony to reception, to transitioning between the various courses. It was an absolute perfect day thanks to a fantastic team of people. Thank you RR!!!

importantly - fun! All of our guests loved the food and drinks and Neil made sure everything went perfectly the day of! He really was a savior!! I would recommend this venue 100 times over to anyone looking to get married in the area!

I would seriously recommend them to anyone looking to get married. You will not be disappointed.

o make sure our night came out perfectly. They have a staff member assigned to you, we worked with Frances and on the night of Neil. Frances was kind and answered all my questions throughout! Neil was amazing the night of. He did everything to make sure the day ran smooth. Overall, our wedding and reception was everything we dreamed of and would 100x over choose Riverside Receptions again.

eze and they assisted me whenever I needed it. Our 240 guests raved about the venue and food. We are so lucky to have had our special day at Riverside!

nning to the end, the office staff was very organized and responsive to any questions we had, and easy to work with through the entire process. They took care of so many details, and did a wonderful job setting up our personal décor for the day. The service from the staff on the day of the wedding was incredible. Many of our guests complimented the champagne brunch buffet, which was delicious and offers a variety of options for all guests. We had originally hoped for an outdoor ceremony in the well-maintained courtyard, but due to weather conditions we had to move it inside. Riverside created such a beautiful, intimate setting for the indoor ceremony. I would highly recommend Riverside for a wedding venue.

makes for some beautiful photos. Neil (the manager) was on-site and did a great job in making sure everything ran smoothly. He checked in with us throughout the night and even went to the bar to get drinks for the groom, our parents and me so we didn't have to wait in line. We planned this from out of state, and the office staff (we mainly worked with Frances) was so helpful & quick to respond to questions. I highly recommend booking Riverside for your wedding or any other event.

ry professional, providing excellent service throughout the evening. We would most certainly recommend Riverside Receptions! Many of our guests said it was the most beautiful venue they had ever experienced. The food was delicious and the staff so respectful and thoughtful. Thank you, Riverside, for fulfilling our daughter's dreams. You are the best!

lower level, and it was a gorgeous location. We loved having use of the balcony over the river.

ing all of the staff were very easy to contact. They addressed all of our needs. When we got closer to the wedding they were even better. It was record high temperatures the day of our wedding, but fortunately for us no one had booked the bottom floor so we were able to move our wedding ceremony inside for no additional cost! It saved many trips to the ER and was more than beautiful. It was also a relief to not have to worry about center pieces or decorations. For the additional personal decorations, the venue took all of our decorations and set everything up the day of. I did not have to do anything! It was such a relief to just have to get ready and have our venue perfect. We also suggest getting the vegetarian option for one of the plates! The butternut squash ravioli was honestly one of the best pastas I have ever eaten. All of the food got raving reviews as well from our guests. We cannot thank Riverside Receptions enough for the perfect day! We truly recommend this venue!

ended up having way more people come than I thought would (we only had 10 people Decline ended up with the grand total of 196 eek!), and they assured me it was totally fine. Everyone fit in the room People still talk about how good the food was and and how beautiful the venue was. We had the ceremony downstairs And reception upstairs. It was perfect bc we didn’t have to travel anywhere after the ceremony, yet it felt like we changed locations. They set up all my decorations perfectly and the place represented us perfectly. It was the perfect winter wedding. So much so, that one of my guests has since gotten engaged and loved our wedding so much, that she booked hers at the riverside! The only little bit of stress I had was that booking your wedding doesn’t guarantee a rehearsal the day before. They won’t hold the room for you if someone else wants to book something. This was stressful for me bc we almost had to have our rehearsal 2 days before the wedding,, which wouldn’t have worked half my party was from across the country. Including my officiant. It ended up working out, we just had to have the rehearsal in a room that the ceremony wasn’t actually taking place. That was my only bit of stress I had in the whole process. I highly recommend!! You will have the most perfect wedding if you choose this venue.

eautiful! I would definitely recommend them for your event! Thank you Riverside for the amazing night!

experience from start to finish was pain free thanks to the team at Riverside. Frances helped us all along the way and when she was on vacation the week of our wedding we worked with both Amy and Neil who were amazing as well. Neil was especially helpful the night of our wedding, always anticipating our needs. Our guests raved about the food and absolutely loved the venue itself.

e at Riverside were very accommodating about getting us into the room early to set-up, as well as letting us pick up the following morning. Food is great there. We were on the first floor, and the guests loved the view of the river, and the separate little lounge/fireplace area.

rside Receptions delivered on all accounts! We reserved the second floor for our reception with the floor to ceiling panoramic windows overlooking the Fox River. THE VIEW IS SPECTACULAR! We fell in love with the view immediately and our guests are still talking about how picturesque the venue was. While searching for a venue, we knew that we wanted to have a band play and that we didn’t want to be told to turn down the volume because of another wedding. This was not a problem at all! We couldn’t hear them and they couldn’t hear us. As a bride on a budget, I greatly appreciated that Riverside offered us the option to use one of their birdcages for cards, their cake server, and a variety of centerpiece options. This was a big deal for me because I wanted beautiful décor, but I did not want to store 18 lanterns after the wedding was over. We used their lanterns and floating candles as part of our centerpieces. They offer the option to have flower petals with these, but we opted to have our florist create arrangements that used these pieces. Some of their centerpiece options have a small fee, but we found that it was still cheaper than us buying all of the item ourselves. We primarily worked with Frances throughout our wedding planning process. Frances is very knowledgeable about the wedding industry and was happy to answer all of our questions – and always in a timely fashion. She consistently took great care in the details that we had planned for our day. She was also familiar with all of our vendors, which helped everything go smoothly throughout our reception. She was open to new ideas and offered insight how to make our vision a reality – while still having a fully functional event. She made everything easy for us. With Frances on your side, there is no need to hire an event coordinator. She was wonderful! Chef Amy is the head chef at Riverside Receptions, AND SHE IS A ROCK STAR! We met Chef Amy at our tasting and we were blown away with her food and willingness to make our dinner spectacular. She was honest when answering our questions about the menu and willing to make recommendations. (Thank you Chef Amy for the tip to serve the Swedish meatballs table side for that tasty sauce!) We did have some dietary restrictions – Groom was allergic to shellfish, father of the bride is on a kidney diet, and a vegan in the family – Amy handled these without issue and without sacrificing flavor. Our friends and family still talk about how good the food was! Trust us, they wouldn’t say it if they didn’t mean it! Additionally, she knew that we were worried about not getting to eat the yummy appetizers during cocktail hours because we would be at pictures. So she had small plates of the appetizers brought to the bridal suite! We were THRILLED! Then during dinner they kept the bride and groom meals hot while we were greeting all of our tables. The food and service that we received was incredible! If given the option to “do it all again”, we would definitely choose Riverside Receptions all over again. They made our wedding reception a beautiful, delicious, and worry free evening with all of our closest friends and family.

rry about a thing the day or week of the wedding. They set up everything so beautifully and even ran out during our event to bring in a certain type of beer we wanted. The venue itself is stunning, cozy, and right on the river so there are beautiful views. I highly recommend this venue to anyone who is looking for a place that is different than your typical ballroom/banquet hall venue.

ver-organized bride, and would email Amy with thoughts, ideas, and questions I had on a regular basis. She answered them all within a days time, and kept a running list of all of my requests so when we entered our ceremony and reception spaces the day of the wedding they were a dream come true! Not only was the planning so easy and fun with Amy and the team at Riverside, but the day of could not have gone smoother. Amy was there for our rehearsal and stayed until the very end of our reception, working closely with all of our other vendors. The food was incredible as was the service. Riverside Receptions is a unique feel in that it feels very homey, the fire place, wood, and brick really helped our fall wedding feel cozy. Not to mention we wanted a venue with windows, and boy does this venue deliver! Even on our rainy wedding day the views were spectacular! Highly recommend this venue.

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ests, and decorated exactly the way we envisioned everything to look. Amy was our day of coordinator, and was seriously a life saver - she is so professional, calming and kind, and helped us all stay on track. Without her guidance, I would have been a nervous wreck! She never made us feel rushed or like she didn't have time for us, and she genuinely cared about every detail. The food was also INCREDIBLE!! Both my husband and I are allergic to peanuts, and had a few other dietary requests for our wedding guests - Amy handled these flawlessly and made special accommodations for us. We got so many compliments on the food - it was unforgettable. Thank you Riverside for giving us the best day of our lives!!!

ghout. I would recommend to anyone for an event at Riverside.

y guests are telling me that it was the best food at a wedding they had. I cannot recommend the omelet bar enough. It was a huge hit. Frances and Tina were both incredibly helpful and answered numerous emails and phone calls from both me and my mom. We were absolutely thrilled with our day. I am so incredibly happy we had our reception there and will be recommending it to all my friends. The view of the river is wonderful and so beautiful. Guests enjoyed standing outside and watching the river and taking photos. It is also conveniently next to a park where we took some portraits of me and my husband. I loved it!

ur day amazing!! The food was perfect and the view was to die for. THANKS SO MUCH!

es in the months leading up to the big day to get the details just right. The venue is just beautiful and exactly what we were looking for to avoid a stuffy reception hall. I love the exposed brick and the views of the Fox River. We received so many compliments. Thanks Riverside!

s flawless. The only downside was that there was a slight lack of communication between the staff. It would have been easier when we had to work with another consultant if they had relayed the info to Amy, who we primarily worked with, so everyone was on the same page and I didn't have to explain every detail all over again each time we talked to someone.

even better by everything Frances setup with all of the little details that I had wanted! We also got compliments from everyone on how good the food was. Our wedding was beautiful and went off without any problems thanks to all of the staff at Riverside! We couldn't have asked for anything better!

perfect and so magical! Frances treated our day as if it were her own, she made the process of turning the space into our own so easy. THANK YOU Riverside for being the best venue EVER! :)

es a world of difference! Pretty affordable and a lot is included in each package. Its also nice that you have the option to have the ceremony AND reception in the same location which cuts the hassle of finding transportation. We hope to have our wedding here next spring.

stunning. I got so many compliments on the food as well. Amazing filet! Overall it was a night we will never forget and a lot of that is because of the venue we chose!

ings some of my guest ever attended. The food was really great as well.

ork with on the menu options and the food is delicious!

g. Norma and staff made sure all went as planned , no surprises. Frances was amazing during the planning process. We had the perfect June wedding and a lot of the credit goes to riverside! Thank you so much!

windows, the Fox River being in the background, just everything about it. We chose the lower level because of the access to the outdoor patio overlooking the river, which our guests used a lot. We worked with a few different people throughout the planning process and everyone was so helpful and easy to work with. We worked with Tina & Norma on the actual day and we can't thank them enough for everything they did. They made sure everything would work out and that we wouldn't have to worry about a thing on the day of our wedding. All of the staff that night was wonderful and so friendly. Also, there was another wedding on the upper level and we didn't even notice! It was the perfect day. We are so grateful to have had such great vendors. We would love to come back and have another party here.

th Frances who was so friendly and easy to communicate with and had so many great ideas while also being very open to our suggestions. Everyone we ever spoke to was so accommodating and friendly from the little requests and changes to the big ones. Norma, who ran our wedding in the evening, did such a great job too. The venue itself is gorgeous – the lower level has a great classic feel and the upper level has floor to ceiling windows with an amazing view of the river outside. The dance floor is right by the window creating a great atmosphere. We had a two long tables in front of the window for the bridal party and then my bride and I had a circle table in the center, but there were a few options. It was a great setup. We got married outside which looked beautiful too. It’s just a very classy looking place. The view and setup were a big part of our decision, so we were pleased with how easy the staff was to work with too. There’s plenty of parking and having a hotel across the street was really convenient. There’s also a bar close by which was perfect for after-party festivities. The food was delicious too, from the appetizers all the way up to the main course. They also do this great presentation as the food comes out for the bridal party – I felt like we were at Downton Abbey or something. There are plenty of great photo options outside too. Everyone we spoke with had a blast and specifically complemented the venue – the setting, the staff, and the food especially. I can’t say enough good things; this wedding wasn’t very stressful to plan and having a responsive, professional, beautiful venue played a big part in that.

nt smoothly--lots of compliments! The food was EXCELLENT too, better even than at our tasting. Couldn't have been happier! Loved that pretty much everything was included in this venue package, it really made a lot of decisions and details easier.

mproved upon is the customer service leading up to the event. Our coordinator gave us a difficult time about some of the details we requested. For example: choice of color for flower petals, dressings for salads, seating arrangements. All of these were minor things that should have been easy to accommodate for us, but they were unwilling to. Other than that, the experience was exceptional! I would definitely recommend this venue!

one of our guests didn't like what they were served. Cathy was wonderful to work with and answered my million questions in a timely fashion. Riverside was affordable and a beautiful venue for any wedding or event!

is reception hall provided.

oo, with flowers everywhere and it's great for wedding photos. Frances was so helpful and made everything perfect for our wedding. All of the staff was wonderful. We couldn't have asked for a better day. The food here is excellent too. They let you have a complimentary food tasting and you get to try about 6 or 7 entrees. It was hard to pick which ones to use because they were all great. All of our guests raved about the food. All in all, it was a great venue and if I had to redo this, I would still go with here.

me for me the few times I was able to be in town. Everyone was kind and attentive to me and my entire wedding party. My guests were all thrilled with their food and really loved the head table presentation. We felt that the Riverside staff worked well with other venues and handled any stress in a professional and proactive manner. I would recommend Riverside to absolutely anyone.

commend them!

hing. They have two floors we chose the bottom floor because I liked the fact that there were different parts of the floor as opposed to the one large room. The bar room was open with extra seating and the room where we ate has brick floors and walls. We had our ceremony in the venue and it was lovely. They set up the chairs facing the wall that had trestles and candles against the brick wall. The food was great, they accommodated the vegans at the wedding which was very awesome. We also got the cupcakes made there in their bakery, I had a friend who said they were some of the best cupcakes they have had. I got SO many compliments on the food. They said it was great food, and not great food for a buffet, but great food! They set up and broke down everything. Last but not least. The service was incredible. I was helped by Tina with everything from contracts to the day before. And (I believe her name was) Norma (kicking myself for my bad memory) helped me the day of with EVERYTHING! She helped me when I locked myself out of the bridal suite, helped with the vegan cake cup presentation, and she even helped with the precession. Everything was perfect, I couldn't ask for anything more honestly. I am so thankful for all the help I received and how well the entire thing turned out.

at, which is often unexpected at reception sites (not your typical wedding food). The staff is flexible and friendly and ran a really smooth event on the big day. The setting was absolutely beautiful, too. It was my perfect wedding reception.

went above-and-beyond, treating us with lots of attention and care. I would highly recommend this location to all of my friends; this was one of the easiest parts of my planning process!

it was the absolute best food they have ever had at a wedding, and I have many friends who work in the wedding coordinating business. The atmosphere of Riverside speaks for itself and is beautiful!

y provided center pieces, cake and other items that I did not have to worry about, had the wedding downstairs, the place has alot of photo opps also.

ave to worry about a thing. Everyone loved the location and the views. Their food is amazing and their staff could not have been more efficient and attentive. I thank them for making my reception flawless!!

e was there on the evening of the reception. He constantly checked on myself and my groom to make sure everything was to our liking.

y choice of late night snack and even offered to allow me to bring in from an outside vendor for no fee. Food and beverages were great. The service was outstanding. I had someone there to get me anything I wanted or needed throughout the night. The bridal suite was safe and secure with all gifts. Every tiny detail I wanted was set up ahead of time. They arranged all of the items I crafted and did a spectacular job. People raved about the beautiful non- traditional location. It made for great pictures. I can't imagine my day anywhere else!

ps as well as the opportunity for outdoor ceremonies. The staff was extremely helpful and easy to work with. Chef Amy's creations were amazing! The Cakery (the bakery associated with Riverside Receptions) is award winning and so much fun to work with(see our separate review). I absolutely would recommend this venue!

g during the planning process and willing to help make our wedding special--it felt more like working with a wedding planner than a banquet hall! I would highly recommend Riverside Receptions!

return phone call or reply by e-mail but, despite this, we still give it 5 stars. The food was excellent and was one of the highlights of our wedding. The chefs and servers were friendly and personable, chatting with the guests as they were serving. Everyone was very impressed!

s the best! The reception went off without a hitch because of him. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect evening! And everyone said the food was delicious (and I agreed)!

onal feel you get from the place. I loved the brick dance floor and chiavari chairs on the first floor. And you cant beat the great view of the Fox Valley River at night. All of the coordinators were great to work with and more than accommodating with any special requests without making you pay for it. Everyone agreed the food was great and the service was splendid. Give this place serious consideration you are looking for something that doesnt have cheesey mirror decor and over priced twice baked potatos. BTW the include the cake and the place they get it from, The Cakery, is to die for. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!

wever, they forgot the table #'s for the reception. We had the ceremony outdoors in their courtyard. There was a mix up with the florist who left petals to go down the isles but those were never put out. Aside from that, it was truly the perfect spot. We had a minor change with the start time to which they were very accomodating. I was very pleased and overall our day was perfect!!

ony inside and wouldn't budge when it stopped raining.

he reception with our center pieces and other small touches. I tend to do things myself simply out of wanting them to be great so I did feel a little nervous whether it would be set up the way I had hoped on the day of. On our day, the room looked better than I had even imagined it myself! I was so impressed. They set up everything perfectly. The waiter staff were super attentive, they even saved platters of appetizers just for us and brought them outside as we waited to enter. Throughout the evening, much of the staff came by to attend to us and make sure everything was as we desired. The food was better than I can express and presentation was phenomenal. We couldn't recommend a place more than we recommend this one.

ere getting married one and two months later) would stress over their centerpieces and hospitality of their managers, Riverside took care of everything... I couldn't have asked for a more peaceful state of mind on my wedding day!

d our entire wedding without help, and I wouldn't have changed a thing about our reception...except maybe I would have requested more pictures with the building as a backdrop.;I can't think of anything to warn couples about...other than make sure you have a sign to direct your guests where to go...as the entrance is kind of confusing.

ch easier, and the management helped SO MUCH to plan the event and then took care of everything during the reception so that I had no idea when there were things that were going wrong. They even let us stay a little past the time we had reserved the room for and coordinated with our DJ to allow him to play a bit longer. We got so many compliments on how beautiful and cozy the place was. It really helped to make the wedding the best ever!!

ion to assure that our every need was met. We couldn't have asked for a better venue!

walk around, find shopping and eateries without having to drive all around. There are wonderful accommodations all around the area as well. We stayed less than 1 block away and the church was only 2 blocks away. Easy, beautiful and charming.;The venue really was nice. The only critique that I gave was that I was never contacted once we gave our down payment. We were never made aware that there were food tastings or told that we needed to contact the cake company to set a time far enough in advance to order the cake. Had I not called the cake company on my own when I did, we would not have been able to get on their schedule is what I was told. I never heard anything regarding this feedback.