About this vendor
The Venue CU is a modern industrial wedding venue located in Champaign, IL. Its position in downtown Champaign reinforces its urban, contemporary atmosphere. It maintains a sense of its past, however, due to the team’s dedication to a historically accurate restoration. Couples can be delighted by the old-world charm of the restored brick and reclaimed wood while they celebrate their love for one another.
The talented team behind The Venue CU has over 50 years of combined experience in the event management and hospitality industry. This ownership team includes Greg Bugbee, who owns another wedding and event company that has been in operation for over 30 years. He has managed events in three states and offers his invaluable insight to couples interested in this venue. This experienced team also features Dan Church and Casey Gold, who both have years of managerial experience and a talent for leadership. The buildings that house this venue are listed on the National Register for Historic Places, due to their significant role in shaping the surrounding communities. In 1898 the space was, in part, occupied by Vriner’s Confectionary. The original tiles of this establishment can be viewed in what is now the entryway. From 1906, the adjoining space was known as the Varsity Theater and was the first place in the area to show motion pictures. The building was renovated in 1943 to include more modern equipment and air conditioning. The cinema’s original tin ceiling, from its beginnings in 1906, is also on display today.
The Venue CU has over 10,000 square feet of space available for events, sure to satisfy the needs of any couple. The team behind this venue is proud of its versatility, as they believe that it can help to create a happy day for everyone. The largest event space is known as the Varsity Ballroom, and it can hold seated banquets of 275 guests. Exposed red brick walls hint at the building’s past, while custom, contemporary light fixtures are a nod towards its future. The adjoining Main Street Lounge is accessible through a generously sized entrance and offers a 1930's style bar for cocktail receptions. The Lounge can also be converted for smaller gatherings of up to 100 guests.
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
On-Site Accommodations
Business Attributes
- Veteran-owned Business
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Settings
- Ballroom
- Historic Venue
- Industrial & Warehouse
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Bar Rental
- Food & Catering
- Planning
- Wedding Design
- Rentals & Equipment
Awards and Affiliations
2-Time 'Best of Weddings'
2023.2022.
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
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Reviews
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5
out of 5.021 reviews
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
We had the absolute best experience with The Venue CU. Their team was extremely helpful and pleasant from our first contact with them to tour the venue to the very end, picking eve...
rything up after the wedding. They were available when we had questions and made us feel comfortable throughout the whole process. The day of the wedding their communication was excellent and they ensured the vendors were aware of what time they needed to there. They truly made the stressful experience of planning a wedding as stress free as possible. They are a team that cares about what they do professionally, cares about their community, and wants to ensure your day is everything you want it to be. The venue itself is absolutely beautiful and has an interesting history.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
We cannot say enough amazing things about The Venue CU! It was truly the perfect place to celebrate our wedding, and we have zero regrets about choosing it—even though ...
it was three hours away from where we live! That’s how much this venue stood out from all the others we toured, and it was absolutely worth every mile.
The location is fabulous—right in the heart of downtown Champaign, but just far enough away from the college to feel private and relaxed. It’s within walking distance of the Hyatt hotel, which was perfect since most of our guests—and ourselves—traveled from out of town. The area has such a fun and welcoming vibe! There’s a cozy local coffee shop next door (perfect for a morning-of caffeine boost!) and a delicious pizza place right beside it, which made for the best late-night snack after our reception.
The venue itself is stunning—lots of exposed brick, a grand staircase for the bride to walk down, and a very upscale, industrial feel. The bride and groom suites were thoughtfully decorated, making for some amazing portrait opportunities. Every detail feels intentional and elevated, and the team truly knows what they’re doing every step of the way. If you’re a bride who’s not great at designing or simply doesn’t want to decorate yourself, the venue has a large selection of items to rent, and they even offer set-up and tear-down, making the experience totally stress-free. Even if something unexpected happens, you won’t notice—they’ll already have a backup plan ready before you need it.
They were also super accommodating about allowing our dog, Rudy, to be our ring bearer, which honestly would have been a deal breaker for us otherwise! One of the biggest perks is that The Venue CU has an in-house DJ company that you can hire at a discounted rate. The sound system already built into the space is incredible—crystal clear and perfectly balanced for both the ceremony and reception—making everything flow seamlessly and keeping the energy up all night.
And of course, a huge shoutout to Amy, our amazing venue coordinator. She was an absolute dream to work with—organized, calm, and so kind. Her communication was excellent, her attention to detail was unmatched, and she made sure everything ran flawlessly from start to finish. Amy is truly an asset to The Venue CU team, and any couple lucky enough to work with her is in the best hands.
Our wedding day was everything we dreamed of and more, and we owe so much of that to The Venue CU team. If you’re on the fence—don’t be. Book this venue. You’ll be so glad you did!
Lovely wedding venue! Everyone worked so hard to make our wedding dreams come true. From the event coordinator to the DJ and the bar service. It was a perfect night and we would st...
rongly recommend!
The Venue CU was a dream come true wedding venue! The entire staff was so kind and helpful throughout the process.
Our amazing coordinator Rylee was so helpful and paid attention ...
to every detail to make sure our wedding day was perfectly smooth. She took so much stress off of our plate by being so prepared and coordinating with *every* vendor to make sure they were all set and we were taken care of.
Dan was phenomenal coordinating the music for the evening and was so helpful installing a couple of custom decorations the night before.
Casey and the bar staff were also great to work with throughout the process and Casey had some fun ideas for signature cocktails.
Miranda helped make sure everything was ready for pickup and conveniently located by the front door the next morning and we were all packed up and out of there in 20 minutes.
Their whole team is such a joy to work with and they do so as highly engaged, flexible and incredibly nice people.
All of our guests had such a great time and were very complimentary of the space and staff. We could not recommend The Venue CU highly enough!!
This has to be the top wedding venue in Central Illinois! We got married three weeks ago and still find ourselves talking about how perfect the day was. We would highly recommend w...
orking with Miranda as the event planner; her assistance is worth every single penny. She is so organized and helpful, and anticipated all of the details we needed to address. No question was too silly and no detail was spared. The space (which is incredibly beautiful) is malleable based on guest count and we were given options for how we wanted the layout to be for our day. The staff was phenomenal and friendly, and our guests marveled at how well everything went. Miranda, Dan, Casey, and Greg were phenomenal to work with and communicated with us at every turn to make sure our wedding went exactly how we wanted it to go.
My wife and I recommend The Venue CU at a 500 star level, but we're limited to just five. We are so grateful for the care we were shown, and we feel so fortunate to have found The Venue CU for our wedding.
INCREDIBLE VENUE. We had the best night ever. The staff at The Venue CU are incredible and think of everything. They also allowed us to be really creative with what we wanted and I...
am so grateful for that. Miranda and Dan are the best!
My husband and I stumbled upon The Venue CU when it first became available for weddings - back at the start of COVID when it was completely gutted and in the middle of renovations....
We weren't happy with our original venue and were desperately seeking a new option, so we made an appointment to check out The Venue CU. At first sight of the venue, it was difficult to visualize the space...that is, until Dan showed us the mockups. Dan's extensive knowledge of the history of the space, along with his construction schedule of everything down to the tiniest details made us confident in switching our venue to The Venue CU. I cannot mean it enough when I say that this was the best wedding-planning decision we made.
From the very beginning, Dan and his wife, Miranda worked tirelessly during a time of major uncertainty to not only get The Venue CU completely renovated, but to keep us happy and informed as restrictions and mandates evolved. Trusting Dan and Miranda on their construction timelines, décor/visions, and ideas was the best thing we did. Dan and the team delivered an absolutely beautiful venue that exceeded the mockups and our expectations, and had our guests talking about it throughout the reception and months after. We are so thankful to know about the history of the space, and have found ourselves as proud of it as if it were our own project. Dan, Miranda, Casey, and the rest of the team were responsive, and had extensive experience in making sure the wedding day went smoothly. Quite honestly, I've looked back on the day, and can't find something that went wrong - and that's because Miranda and her team knew how to make our spaces and suites look amazing, handled all of our deliveries that day, and likely caught and resolved issues before we even noticed them. All of our guests came in from out of town, and complimented the professionalism of the staff, along with the seamlessness of the day.
I truly cannot speak more highly of a group of people than I can about the team at The Venue CU. They are honest and good people, and choosing to work with them will be the best decision you will make!
The Venue CU team put in to so much time and effort to make our wedding reception everything we hoped for and more. From the first tour of the venue we knew it was not only the rig...
ht place but the right company to do business with. We were happy to give our business to owners who are so dedicated to their own community! Our day felt flawless and a large part of being able to be present and enjoy our day is because we knew we were in good hands. Several friends and family commented on how beautiful the space was and how much they enjoyed the night. We wanted a mix of bohemian with industrial modern and The Venue CU was the perfect spot. Seeing it all come together left us speechless. We love Dan and Miranda!
My husband and I got married and had our ceremony and reception at the Venue CU. Miranda, Dan, and the entire Venue CU staff were amazing to work with from start to finish. Through...
out planning, the venue staff was always available to answer questions, and worked alongside us to make our vision come true. Our wedding included over 240 guests, so our ceremony space needed flipped into the reception area during cocktail hour, which took place in the bar area for an hour after the ceremony. The entire venue staff worked incredibly hard to make sure all tables, decor, etc was set up in a very short window, and the venue looked better than we ever could have dreamed! The flow of the ceremony, dinner and the rest of the evening was very smooth, as we also hired Bugbee’s for our DJ. We can’t thank them enough for making our wedding the most special day!
We hosted our wedding at the Venue CU and it was absolutely perfect. The space has tons of character and amenities yet it still felt like a blank canvas that could be tailored to f...
it our personality and needs. One thing that probably gets overlooked when planning a big event like a wedding, is the people you work with. Dan, Miranda, and the entire staff at the Venue CU were a pleasure to work with and they really went above and beyond to make sure everything went according to plan. They understood our vision (probably even better than we did) and helped us bring it to life.
I cannot recommend them or their venue enough.
Dan and Miranda were so helpful and wonderful so work with while planning our wedding. The Venue CU is absolutely beautiful and provides a comforting indoor location for your cerem...
ony and/or reception with some outdoor availability before and after dinner.
Ecstatic we were able to have our wedding at the Venue CU. The venue is absolutely stunning and was the perfect backdrop for our day. Miranda, Dan, and the Venue CU team were exper...
ts in ensuring we had a smooth, stress-free wedding day and were incredibly warm and welcoming! We could not recommend this venue enough to central Illinois couples!
If you want a Venue that genuinely cares for their couples then look no further! The Venue CU made our wedding dreams a reality in so many ways. Miranda, Dan and the entire Venue C...
U team went above and beyond to make sure our wedding day was perfect, down to every detail. As a bride planning through a pandemic, to say I was stressed and nervous is to put it lightly. Miranda and Dan kept in constant communication, met with me several times and helped execute every idea I had. I am so thankful that we chose the Venue CU!
We booked The Venue CU when it was under construction, and it could not have worked out better. The Venue CU team did an amazing job making their vision for the space come to life,...
and it was the perfect backdrop for our ceremony and reception. Our guests were so complimentary of how beautiful it looked. The team made everything about planning an event and the day of the event stress-free, so we were very much able to relax and enjoy our wedding day. We cannot recommend this venue enough!
It’s hard to put into words how amazing our wedding day was and it’s because of the employees at the Venue CU! It was better than I could have ever envisioned. My husband and I had...
our hearts set on another venue for years… until we walked into an unfinished Venue CU back in August of 2020. Dan who toured us around telling us to put our creative caps on and his wife Miranda in the lounge space scraping paint off the walls! They truly put so much time and love into this place. We loved the venue under full construction but loved it so much more on our big day. A few things that helped make our decision easy
1. The time Miranda and Dan took answering questions, from multiple zoom meetings and hundreds of emails. Your time did not go unnoticed and we felt so confident about our wedding day because of this.
2. They really thought of everything, from the spacious closet in the bridal suite for all your stuff to having three bars so no one has to wait in line. The details matter people and this team knows how to throw an event flawlessly.
3. I never felt penny pinched for every little “extra” thing. We looked at a handful of venues and this was really the only one that didn’t even need all the extras because it’s such a beautiful space all on its own.
4. Another positive was not having to clean up after the wedding. The Venue CU team packs everything up for you and it is a game changer. You can truly enjoy your day from start to finish and feel relaxed.
5. Miranda! Everyone needs a Miranda on their wedding day! I’ve been in plenty of weddings to learn what a good day of coordinator does and what an excellent day of coordinator does. Our day was unbelievably perfect because of her! Brides, don’t stress because Miranda has your back and will make your day perfect in every way!
From the bottom of our hearts thank you Venue CU! Our day was unforgettable and so so special. We are very happy that we chose you. Thank you again ❤️
The Venue CU is by far the best place to host any kind of event. We recently had our wedding and reception in their space and it was absolutely perfect. They offer so many services...
and accommodate to all of your needs and wants. The staff is top notch and go above and beyond to make your event run smoothly. The restoration of their building makes the space unique and beautiful. They are also located perfectly in downtown Champaign. We highly highly recommend The Venue CU!!!
I could write a long review about every amazing attention to detail The Venue helped provide to us, but my fingers would get tired and I would probably just ramble. The crew at The...
Venue are absolutely outstanding, extremely thoughtful, very organized, and truly care about making your day memorable and seamless. They provided the experience we wanted - choice to hire local caterers, setting up and taking down without feeling rushed, hair/makeup done on site easily, day of coordinating/point of contact, etc - without the hassles other venues in the area put you through.
We booked The Venue CU for our May wedding back in November 2019 before they even began construction on their vision. Dan gave us amazing visuals and we believed in them so we book...
ed them! The space is historical and beautiful, and the best part is that Dan and Miranda let you make it your own. Miranda is probably one of the sweetest humans I have ever met and she truly cares for each and every bride!
With our package, we used Bugbee's DJ services and Dan ensured that our dance floor was popping all night. Dan also worked with us on specific song requests we had for the ceremony and events which made it extra special for us. I also highly recommend their photo booth! At the end of the night they made a binder for my husband and I to look at everyone who used the photobooth throughout the night and they could leave notes for us, which is so nice to look (and laugh) back on.
Overall, the space and the people at The Venue CU are amazing. It may seem pricy at first, but once you factor in everything that is included (depending on which package you want to buy, etc.) it is worth it!
I would highly recommend The Venue CU for all events. The Venue CU team was wonderful to work with and went above and beyond to make sure our wedding was perfect!
I would highly recommend choosing this place for your wedding! My husband and I did extensive research and contacted many different locations before finding The Venue CU. It was an...
easy decision after meeting Dan and Miranda and seeing the building.
They helped answer every question we had and worked with us to make our wedding day everything we wanted it to be and more. From the start of the wedding day to the end, everything went so smoothly and we have the Venue to thank for that!
We had so many people come up to us and tell us how unique and beautiful the space was as well. We’re very proud to say that we had our wedding here and got to work with their team!
If we had the option to go back and do it again we wouldn’t change a thing!
Venue CU is a great space for a wedding! The facility turned out amazing after the renovations and has the modern, industrial vibe. Dan & Miranda are great to work with, and both a...
re very responsive to answer any questions we had throughout the process. They both were great at accommodating changes we had to make to our plans due to the pandemic.
Contact
51 East Main Street, Champaign, IL
