Willowbrook Ballroom

I was just married at the Willowbrook Ballroom 16 days ago.  I have three different reviews: one prior to the wedding with the planning, one during the wedding, and one for after the wedding.

Prior to the Wedding:

We looked around from place to place looking for the perfect venue for our wedding day.  We are sort of quirky in the sense that we were looking to get married in October and we wanted to get married somewhere with a little aesthetic and history.  We heard rumors of the ballroom in connection with the Irish Legend across the street being haunted.  I've been by the ballroom but never inside it.  It always appeared old and cheesy and I never felt anything about it.  My husband suggested that we try to look them up for the wedding.

We went to the ballroom for our first time and we were blown away.  They had it set up for a Halloween Party for a hospital benefit and I couldn't feel anymore giddy about wanting to get married there.  It seemed like all the locations we looked at didn't even stand a chance.  There is so much character and you can feel a sense of history when you step on that hardwood floor.  We booked our wedding for October 13 but were disappointed to find out that the rumored underground tunnel was filled.

During the Wedding:

We made arrangements to do our ceremony on the ballroom floor.  I walked into the Ballroom for my first time in wedding mode and my breath was taken away.  The lighting was perfect.  Everything we gave the coordinator for set up was done exactly as we requested.  Ceremony came and went and the tear down for reception happened in a blink of an eye.  

Then we were served cocktails and dinner.  The food is just wonderful.  I've been to a lot of weddings and the food is never anything to write home about.  This is wedding food that I will remember for the rest of my life.  We had a sweet heart table which they set up so beautifully.  They had an antique looking candle holder which added an ambience to our décor that was accidental but pleasant.  Our photographer loved the place because of the lighting and the character.  At one point after the ceremony my mother was rude to the coordinator, but she turned the other cheek and simply complied with my Mom's request.  

According to my guests, someone had vomited on the dance floor.  I never knew because they cleaned it up so fast.  We also did a candy bar that was set up exactly the way I wanted it to be.  I didn't have to provide anyone direction.  I just enjoyed my day.

My only beef was I didn't see any ghosts but that wasn't in my contract.

After the Wedding:

The day after the wedding we unpacked the car and opened up the boxes they had given us with our stuff.  Every single thing was accounted for. We then opened our card box and found 2 of our wedding favors.  They were cakeballs that we made ourselves that someone had left behind and they gave to us to enjoy while we open our cards.  The thoughtfulness almost made me cry.

All in all, the Willowbrook Ballroom now holds a special place in my heart.  I can't wait for the next time I go back to the ballroom.

One of the premiere places to dance. You can't get a bigger floor or better dance experience than when there is a live band and follows waiting in the wings.

My husband and I got engaged at the Willowbrook Ballroom 41 years ago. I thought it would be nice to go back after all these years. We went for dinner and dancing on Saturday, February 10 which is their annual Valentine's Day celebration.

The Willowbrook Ballroom actually celebrated its 90th anniversary last year and it has held up beautifully and really been preserved well. The building is steeped in history. It was truly like stepping back in time. The ballroom was as fabulous as I remembered it in 1971.  

I purchased tickets on their website for the dinner and dancing. It was even more special thant usual because the entire place was decorated for Valentine's Day...huge sparkly hearts hanging from the ceilings and beautiful red lighting behind the band. The restaurant had fun lighted hearts on the walls and red decorations at each table. Many of the ladies had red dresses and some men had red ties and some cute red suspenders.

Check out the website because they host all kinds of parties, bands, special events, etc.

We had such a great time and it brought back some wonderful memories. I am thrilled that such an amazing place is stilll around after all these years. Who wouldn't love it?