The Morton Arboretum

ork with. The catering staff was fantastic. We selected the brunch menu; the food and service were excellent. We had several guests with food allergies, and I appreciated that they offered plated meals for those guests, since we had a buffet. The entire planning process with the Arboretum was very smooth.

were amazing through the whole process. 10/10 would recommend! 

al tour to the fun tasting event, every detail was handled flawlessly. Our celebration at the Firefly Pavilion was everything we could’ve hoped for.  It was a wonderful combination of indoor comfort with outdoor natural beauty that we had always envisioned. Lisa's communication was outstanding. She responded to every email so quickly and was always kind and helpful. Her responsiveness made the entire planning process stress free. The venue itself was absolutely stunning and exceeded all our expectations. Guests couldn't stop raving about how gorgeous the location was, and they absolutely loved the food throughout the evening. On the wedding day, there were zero complications as the staff handled everything seamlessly and professionally. The combination of Lisa's excellent coordination and the venue's natural beauty made our day truly magical. I highly recommend The Morton Arboretum for anyone looking for a breathtaking venue with top notch service!

and our day was perfect in the big and little details. Couldn't recommend the Arboretum enough!

spending money on this venue you're supporting local conservation efforts and education programs.

ing, communication, flexibility, preparation, food, drinks...everything was top notch! Jill and the entire team were fantastic to work with and the execution of the day was outstanding. Thank you so much for making it a memorable experience!

tting for our ceremony! Everything went so smoothly the whole day and evening. The food was delicious too!

truly the perfect day. Shout out to Denise for being the best coordinator ever!

the service, the food, the ambiance. Lisa Pye and Paula were great venue managers who helped my husband and I throughout the planning process. We also had our ceremony in the Gingko Room and it was beautiful, and cocktail our in the atrium space in the visitor center and everything was amazing! If you are looking for a Fall wedding venue, look no further.

m at Thornhill. We ended up using the Founder's room as a quiet room with board games and the photobooth. The Morton Arboretum had everything we needed for a beautiful wedding and reception. There were so many locations for great pictures. You have to use their catering but that wasn't a problem for us. Paula was our venue coordinator. Lisa was our contact for the venue's catering team. The food was fantastic. We picked a double entree which meant that we didn't have to ask people if they wanted steak or salmon. The bacon wrapped dates and the mashed potatoes were our favorite parts of the meal. There was a few hiccups that were quickly solved. I wish we had a little bit more communication about the layout and other things but everything went really well. Two staff members didn't seem to like each other but that didn't affect our day. Due to how many events they do, you should have a day-of coordinator. The amount of time there is for set up is very short. If you are looking for a stunning venue with delicious food, you can't go wrong with picking the Morton Arboretum.

eption, where all the photos from our special day feature scenic trees, flowers, and rolling grassy hills. We had the privilege of working with Denise for all our wedding needs. Denise was incredibly experienced, helpful, and guided us through the entire process. She recommended great vendors and was always there when we had questions. She anticipated so many of our needs, and made the big day so special! Denise also helped us connect with Jill, our contact for the venue's catering team. The food was extraordinary. It might sound a bit weird, but my wife and I didn't know our wedding day would feature the world's most delicious mashed potatoes. Jill and the team were so friendly, personally stopping by to make sure the food was perfect (it was) and made sure we had everything we needed. And seriously the mashed potatoes were SO GOOD! I cannot imagine our wedding anywhere but the Morton Arboretum, and we are so grateful for the perfect weather and the beautiful memories we created there!

ilion is a unique & stunning space, and the mix of indoor/outdoor feel with the open floor plan is perfect on a beautiful summer day. We lucked out big time with our weather (75 & sunny), but appreciated that there was a rain plan built into the venue. We worked with Alison through Morton and Lisa for Gingko catering. They were both SO responsive, helpful, and thoughtful throughout the whole process. They were quick to respond to our emails, met with us multiple times to answer questions, and were so kind & helpful day of. To top it off, the food was delicious (better than the tasting!), the drinks were great, and the bartenders and waitstaff were a highlight for us and our guests — everyone couldn’t stop talking about how great they were!! Highly recommend Morton Arboretum & the Firefly Pavilion!

of our questions and requests for in-person tours of the space. We fell in love with the Thornhill Education Center the minute we saw the ceremony room. The day felt so magical and it wouldn’t have been the same anywhere else. We definitely recommend this space to anyone who loves the outdoors and wants a non-religious space to be married. The only issue we found with this venue is the catering. You are required to work with their catering company, which in our experience left much to be desired. While the food and service day of was wonderful, we did have some earlier issues with communication and pricing. Before signing on and paying the deposit, we were told certain information only to have those statements changed or blatantly disregarded. Multiple times, it was hard to get ahold of our catering coordinator and then to be given new/conflicting information when we were already signed in was just incredibly frustrating. Things worked out in the end but we absolutely would have had a better experience if we would not have had Gingko Catering as our vendor.

e booked the Sycamore Room, which includes an outdoor patio and huge windows to the garden. All guests were very happy with the food and drink service. Shout out to Jill at Gingko (onsite caterer) for making it all happen including a special dessert for my husband.

he Arboretum made everything easy (no need to worry about extra vendors for food, tables, chairs etc.). The grounds are beautiful (as always). We had our wedding in the firefly pavilion and received nothing but compliments the entire day.

roughout the entire planning process. They replied promptly to all emails, helped make sure that we were on track leading up to the wedding date, were flexible with changes, and on the day of - made sure that things went smoothly. Not to mention, the venue was absolutely stunning, and the food was fantastic!

The food was excellent, the venue was beautiful, and the staff was on point during the event. It did come with a hefty price tag, but we could not recommend this venue enough! (P.S. go with the short rib!)

! From the very beginning, Jennie was great to work with. It’s clear that she has a lot of experience, and she is also easy to talk to, super helpful, patient, and thoughtful towards our needs/wants. Our catering manager, Elana, was also very thorough and easy to work with, and the food and service were amazing! When you consider everything that is included in the catering package - linens, tableware, open bar, and cake - it really is a great deal, and it saved us a lot of headache trying to coordinate all of that through outside vendors! That said, the vendors that we hired had all worked with the Arboretum before, and it was clear that the Arboretum’s reputation is really respected in the area. And of course, it goes without saying that the setting is beautiful! All of our guests agreed that the evening was perfect. The Thornhill was a perfect, cozy size four our 80ish guests. We highly recommend the Arboretum for any couple who wants a seamless, professional experience with a beautiful setting and a staff who not only understands weddings well and can provide great guidance, but also goes above and beyond to make your day everything you want.

, our catering coordinator. The grounds were absolutely stunning for pictures and guests appreciated the opportunity to visit the arboretum on our wedding day, prior to festivities. The regular communication and updates from Jennie and Alicia were very helpful throughout our planning and helped us prepare for a very smooth day of. Our only surprise was seeing around 200 other people at the group tasting, which made it difficult to get one on one time with the staff. Alicia, Jennie, and the Chef went above and beyond to accommodate our additional requests. We were very happy with the food on our wedding day and our guests have been raving about it too! The partnership with DeEtta’s Bakery worked out perfectly and we were incredibly happy with our cake. The Ginkgo room was the perfect backdrop to our special day. We are so happy with our experience at The Morton Arboretum and look forward to visiting again.

nd receptive to our requests. The food and drinks were great as well with very attentive dinner waitstaff. Advice to any couples getting married at the Thornhill Education center: do your dancing in the Founder's Room, you won't regret the extra space and the vibe of that room!

ed perfectly into the cocktail and reception hour. Everything ran so smoothly and everyone we worked with – from Margaret to the entire staff – was so helpful and kind. We had people continuously complimenting the venue and the food (which they do through their own Ginkgo Catering service) – the whole thing couldn’t have been more perfect.

knew it was where we wanted our ceremony to be. The scenery is breathtaking with the trees surrounding the garden as well as the water fountains that add a certain level of charm to the space. We worked with Jennie Polloway, and she is honestly the best. We cannot even begin to put into words how grateful we are to have worked with her. From the day we met her on our tour of the arboretum grounds, Jennie has been nothing but kind and accommodating in every way. She had an answer to every single question I had (and I had a lot!) while remaining patient through it all. Although we had our ceremony at The Grand Garden, Jennie went above and beyond in allowing us to use The Fragrance Garden for our Chinese tea ceremony, the Founder's Room at Thornhill for photos, and even obtained permission from the head of security just to allow our dog to be a part of our wedding. She helped us set up all the details for every aspect of the wedding, and we were just blown away by her kindness throughout this whole process. We also worked with Taylor Trompeter in Ginkgo Catering, and she was just as sweet and wonderful of a human being to work with. She was so accommodating even when we wanted to add a bubble tea table during cocktail hour and a ramen bar for late night snacks. She made sure that we had everything that we needed. I can't say enough amazing things about Jennie and Taylor (as well as all of the kind staff at Morton Arboretum) who made our wedding such a dream. The whole day went so smoothly, and it was literally a perfect day. The Grand Garden was stunning that day, and one of our guests even commented on how it felt like she was walking into a movie set. We received so many compliments about how beautiful the venue is and how delicious the food was, and we cannot express our appreciation for the staff at Morton enough. Everybody worked so hard, and they truly made our day so special. We cannot be happier with our choice to have our wedding at Morton. Highly highly recommend!

drink was just as we envisioned. The food was delicious and our venue had stunning greenery in every shot- what more could you want!

erfect! Our guests are still raving about the service, the food, the grounds, and the space!

Jennie, our day of coordinator, was incredibly accommodating to all of my needs. She allowed us to come to the site as many times as we needed to prepare for our special day. The staff were all professional and friendly. Would 10/10 recommend this venue.

asy to work with! She made the entire process so easy, and was patient and flexible with all of my questions throughout the process. She worked with all of our vendors to make sure that the flowers, decor, etc. were all set up accordingly for us. We had our ceremony at Meadow Lake Point and our reception at the White Pine Pavilion, and it was absolutely wonderful! On the day of the wedding, there were some issues with the lights inside of the tent, and Jennie called up one of our vendors to have them set up some uplighting for us to make up for the faulty lights. It was such a great idea, and I am grateful she did that. Jennie definitely goes above and beyond for all of her weddings, and I would highly recommend getting married here just so you can work with her!

had cooled some but the staff ensured that we were able to have an indoor-outdoor cocktail hour so all guests were comfortable. The food was fantastic--so many compliments from guests. On top of the wonderful staff and food, the history of the building and its beautiful grounds truly made for a memorable evening.

nctuary is unsurpassed in the Chicago area. Our loves of trees made it make perfect sense and because it's spring, the blooming trees and bulbs made everything EXTRA EXTRA. So, setting: FIVE STAR! ***** The staff there both for the Arboretum space and the Gingko Catering teams are SUPERIOR PROFESSIONALS. The team of Jennie Polloway and Taylor Trompeter managed everything along the way, kept me on track (me and my unique bride), kept me on budget, provided suggestions, were patient and KIND. We had FUN making this all happen. The day of my girl's wedding was frought with major weather challenges and Jennie and the Arboretum venue staff helped and allowed us to manage our decision in real time. We did have to move the ceremony indoors at the last minute but it came off beautifully - the Founders' Room was glorious . The venue team were efficient and flexible in how we wanted things and made changes that met our requests without any problem. It was so great. Gingko Catering did a spectacular job. From what I heard ;), the food was delicious (I didn't eat much from the excitement). Service was excellent and joyful. The staff from catering helped make the day and evening fun. I want to do it all over - and with this team at this location. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE MORTON ARBORETUM for your event. Let's play two!

er with our ceremony in the Founder’s room and photos do not do justice to how beautiful the space is! Our guests kept coming up to us all night to comment on how beautiful the location of the ceremony was and how beautiful the surrounding grounds are. And the food provided by Ginkgo Catering was delicious, the Filet Mignon in particular was a huge hit with our guests! But the biggest thing that stood out to me was how kind and accommodating The Morton Arboretum Team was throughout this process. We had some unfortunate changes to our guest count last minute and Denise helped us find a solution to our issue and was so understanding and kind and made a stressful situation seem manageable. We are so happy that we chose The Morton Arboretum for our special day!

nowledge made her a pleasure to work with. Taylor was helpful and thorough for the catering planning. Both were always responsive and didn't mind all my last-minute questions! I appreciated Denise's honesty with some of the tougher questions I had. During my wedding day, we had the outside ceremony set up and a small shower blew through. Staff was outside right away wiping off chairs and making sure everything was ready for the ceremony. Having in-house Ginkgo Catering make the planning process much easier, and their food is better than any wedding food I've ever had! Everyone raved about the service staff, Wayne and Kim were so pleasant to work with during the actual reception, and overall, the service of the Arboretum is above and beyond other venues I have been a guest at. My guests greatly enjoyed the use of the tram and the admission to the grounds that day, and the experience we had at the Arboretum defined our wedding. We're so thankful that we were able to have our wedding there, it should be #1 on everyone's list in the Chicagoland area!

tober bride. The coordinators were so easy to work with, and very helpful and understanding. I never felt any regret. The food is INCREDIBLE, it's one of the things our guests continue to talk about. An absolute dream of a venue!!!!

so helpful to work with during the course of preparing for our wedding. We had a daytime wedding and chose the brunch menu. All of our guests commented on how beautiful everything was and of course about the tasty food!! When I wasn’t totally sure about tablecloth colors and menu items both Denise and Jill were able to offer up suggestions from their expertise. Thank you so much! Our day was made extra special because of Denise and Jill.

June date after finding out our original venue was going out of business. It was such a stressful scramble to get everything back on track after the venue shift, but Denise was an absolute pleasure to work with. My husband and I both agree we are so glad that we ended up changing venues (even if it obviously wasn't our original plan)! She was so patient with my many questions and was super prompt in responding. Not only that, but she was so much more flexible than our original venue to accommodate our vision and the preferences of the other vendors. There ended up being severe weather (including lightning!) on our wedding day and Denise worked with our wedding planner through several different iterations of plans as the weather forecast kept changing in order to make sure our guests were safe and that we could execute our original vision as closely as possible. It was a huge success! We also enjoyed working with Alicia in Gingko Catering who was also very accommodating through the food selection process. Thank you so much to the whole arboretum team for all of your hard work and for helping make our day so beautiful and special.

s are still talking about the food 2 months later!

he staff was very friendly and helpful throughout the whole process, and on the day of the wedding, keeping our stress levels low. The food at the reception was amazing as well! Overall, we loved our experience there and would definitely recommend it to other couples.