So did you enjoy the Concord Banquet Hall Video?  I thought you would!  If you like what you see pick up the phone and give one of our Chicago Wedding DJs a call today! 

The wedding vendors from this Concord Banquet Event were..
Studio One Photogaphy - Dave – always great to work with!
Chicago Wedding DJ- Operation Getdown DJs – Stevie Dee – That’s me!
Concorde Banquets- Peter & John – Very Accommodating!

From the time you walk in the door at the Concord Banquet Hall till the time you leave, you know you’re in good hands.  The staff at the Concorde is incredibly helpful and very charismatic.   I recently attended a wedding reception at this facility on Feb 20th, 2010 and while I was there  I worked with a gentleman by the name of Peter.  Based upon his accent, I’m guessing he may be European and as we all know the Europeans are known for their incredible hospitality.  Peter absolutely lived up to that stereotype.  Upon immediately entering the front doors at the Concord Banquet Hall I was greeted with a smile and a courteous helping hand.  This great attitude is very important and surprisingly I don’t see too many facilities. Great job Peter!  I was impressed!

His staff was also very accommodating.  They worked very quickly and very efficiently at serving the delicious meal right on time. They even worked equally as fast at cleaning it all up.  One thing I really appreciated with the servers at the Concord Banquet Hall was they were always right there when I needed a refill of water.  I’ve been to several banquet halls over the years, and it always seems like the first thing to run out is the water.  Sometimes I’ve gone until the end of dinner before getting a refill on a pitcher.  I tip my hat to the servers at the Concorde Banquet Hall in Kildeer!  Bravo!

Now the architecture at the Concord Banquet Hall is also something to make light of.  Let’s just say it’s incredibly elegant and very well laid out. Upon entering this facility the first thing you’ll take note of is their large grand staircase that leads up one of their smaller banquet rooms.  This ornate staircase is elegantly decorated and will work great for wedding pictures!  You’ll also notice a large waterfall that is on the back of the wall of the foyer.  This waterfall is quite a site and it’s amazing how soothing it actually makes the room feel.  If any banquet manager is reading this I would highly recommend you install a waterfall at your facility.  It’s amazing how much it can really effect the moods of the rooms.  

Concord Banquet Hall Dining Room

Once you leave the foyer and enter the banquet halls you’ll be even more impressed. The dining halls at the Concord Banquet Hall are all very well decorated and can be split into  four distinct rooms based upon on your wedding size.  When I was last at this facility I had a smaller wedding reception in only one of the rooms.  This wedding had about 150 guests and there was plenty of space for them to move around comfortably!   If you had a wedding any bigger I might recommend opening up one of the portable walls and merging two rooms together.  If your wedding party is even bigger then you may want to consider renting the entire facility.  This whole facility is rated for about 800 wedding guests  so be sure to keep a headcount to make sure you don’t get over.  Also note that there is an additional room upstairs that works great for wedding ceremonies!

All in all I’d give the Concord Banquet Hall in Kildeer Illinois a solid 5 out of 5 stars.  The service was superb, the food was scrumptious and the atmosphere was to die for!  If you need a place to host your next wedding reception absolutely check out the Concord Banquet Hall in Kildeer!

Concord Banquet Hall
20922 North Rand Road
Kildeer, IL 60010
847-438-0025

Do you want additional venues? Click here for our Chicago Banquet Hall page. Also be sure to read some other venue reviews Drury Lane Theatre, The Carlisle,  or Abbington Banquets. 

For more information on our company visit Chicago DJ Operation Getdown DJs.

Anyways,  as mentioned I had the honor and privilege to work with James and Catherine Gonzalez for their unique Chicago wedding  which took place at Dinolfos Banquets in Mokena, Illinois.  Their reception started right around 6:30pm and let’s just say the party started the second they walked in the door!   After meeting with them a few times I knew their reception was going to be exceptionally fun.  They truly wanted a unique Chicago wedding.

To make their Chicago wedding unique they wanted to try a few different activities to spice up the night.  The reception started with a high energy wedding introduction down the grand stair case at Dinolfos Banquets.  The song that they chose for their bridal party to enter was Rompe by Daddy Yankee.  A great upbeat song that immediately set the night on fire.  As we brought in their large wedding party their wedding guests erupted with heart felt applause.  It was awesome!  James and Catherine also wanted their own unique wedding introduction song.  Since they both were police officers it seemed only fitting that they would enter the room with the “Cops” theme song playing loud.  It was classic and truly unique!!  To add a little excitement I pre-wired some red and blue police lights at the top of the stairs at Dinolfos.  I’m pretty sure that was the first time they had ever seen anything like that at Dinolfo.  I also had a couple siren sound effects that I played as they entered the room.  It really added to the mood and their guests loved it!

As the night progressed let’s just say their unique Chicago wedding got a little “crazy”.  Crazy in a good way of course!  Their must-play playlist consisted of many classic 80s and 90s joints and plenty of salsa music!  If you really want to see what I’m talking about check out their unique Chicago wedding video below.

To make your Chicago Wedding unique please contact us at the office anytime at 877-385-8301.  Don’t forget to check out our Chicago Banquet Hall reviews.

Anyways, Jason and Dayana had a daytime reception from 1:00-5:00pm in the North Room at Dinolfos.  The North room is one of the center rooms and it comfortably fit all 90 of their wedding guests. 

To begin the night Jason and Dayana wanted to do a fun energetic grand introduction so they chose the song “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas.  This song always brings a party to life and in my opinion will never get old as an introduction song.  As soon as the first bar of that song hits it’s like an immediate rush.   As we played the song the wedding party made their way down the grand stair case of the North room at Dinolfos.  Their staircase is one of the signature features of Dinolfos and it really works for some great pictures.  The photographers for the afternoon were from Jolie Images from Wheeling, Illinois. 

After we completed the grand introductions it was dinner time.  Since Dayana (the bride) was Brazilian she decided it would be fun to incorporate some fun Bossa Nova music into her dinner play-list.  If you’ve never heard any Bossa Nova music you absolutely need to give some of that stuff a listen.  It’s beautiful and really sets the tone for wedding dinner music.

After dinner was complete it was time to let loose and open up the dance floor.  To kick the dancing off Jason and Dayana danced to the romantic song ”Love Me Tender” by Nora Jones.  A classic choice and it really was a beautiful moment.  After that Jason and his mother danced to the song “Memories” by Elvis Presely(another one of my favs).  As soon as they completed their heartfelt dance it was time to pick things up and let everyone loosen up!  We opened up with “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang and it was smooth sailing from there.  The wedding dance floor was packed all night long as we danced in and out of songs from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and even some new hip hop songs.  It was a blast!

All in all the reception was a success.  Getting people involved during a daytime wedding can sometimes be a challenge, but for the Voss and Machado crowd it was easy!  These guys really knew how to let loose and have a good time.  Congratulations to Jason and Dayana.  May God bless your marriage!

P.S. The night was not over for us.  As soon as their reception was over we opened up the walls and moved into the room next door for James & Catherine Gonzalez’s reception!  First time in 11 years where we had back to back weddings literally and figuratively!  :)

The Crystal Tree banquet facility is located inside their clubhouse at the center of the Robert Trent Jones Jr. signature golf course.  This 55,000 square foot facility can easily accommodate up to 325 of your wedding guests.  In the past I’ve had the opportunity to host an event inside the Grand Ballroom at the country club and let me be the first to admit it’s sheer beauty!  The Grand Ballroom is equipped with several large picturesque windows that display the magnificent golf course below.  The interior colors are that of a greenish and cream color and will easily complement any wedding color palette you choose.

The staff at the Crystal Tree Banquets was also very accommodating and very friendly.  My only complaint is I kind of had the feeling like I wasn’t “good” enough to be there.  I always make an effort to go out of my way to be friendly with banquet managers, but for some reason the staff at Crystal Tree rubbed me as arrogant.  This is only a personal speculation though.  Perhaps it was a long day for them.  Aside from that, the banquet facilities are truly amazing and I’d definitely recommend you check them out.

Crystal Tree Country Club
10700 West 153rd Street
Orland Park, IL 60462
708-403-3000

Do you want additional venues? Click here for our Chicago Banquet Hall page.

Meyers Banquet Castle was built in 1929 by Joseph E. Meyer right off of historic Route 30.  The castle  was originally built as his private residence but after his death was sold off and converted into a large restaurant and banquet facility.

In the past I’ve always enjoyed Meyers Banquets.  I thought the scenery was absolutely beautiful and the food was always good.  Lately however I’ve read some disturbing online reviews about this facility and I would give it a second look before booking.

For more information check out there information below…..

Meyers Castle
1370 Joliet Street
Dyer, IN 46311
219-865-8452

Do you want additional venues? Click here for our Chicago Banquet Hall page.

2009 was also a milestone in my career as I was able to perform at my 100th wedding reception for Sara and Kurt’s Vellekoop’s wedding  at Dinolfos Banquets.  It just so happens that, that was also the same room where I performed my very first wedding reception back in 2000.  Very cool!

Here are some exciting statistics from our books this year…

• 35 Wedding Receptions
• 47 School Dances
• 18 Private Parties
• 11 Birthday Parties
• 7 High School Proms
• 6 College Formals

That’s a total of 124 shows for 2009.  A new record topping out last year’s 76 show count.  I want to personally thank all of you for your on going support in the past and on into 2010! 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

As I look forward to 2010 I plan on continually improvements to this blog, several new performance enhancements, new client tools and maybe even a new lighting effect.

All the food at Casa Maria is hand crafted onsite by Catering with Care Inc.  With prices right around $30 a person it is very affordable!  My personal favorite entree dish at Casa Maria Dining was their chicken cacciatore.  It was delicious!  If possible I would try to setup a taste testing to find your favorite entree and side dishes.

The banquet facility at Casa Maria also features two separate bar areas for faster service times, plenty of parking so you won’t have to walk far and a 27 sq. ft. dance floor that can easily accommodate 250 guests while they “bust a move”.  The even have a piano, large screen TV and sound system available for rent.

One of the greatest things about Casa Maria is all profits are returned to St. Maria Goretti church.  So by hosting your wedding banquet at Casa Maria Banqets you’ll be happy to know you’re supporting a good cause. 

For more information check out there information below…..

Casa Maria
500 Northgate Dr.
Dyer, IN 46311
219-865-8956

Do you want additional venues? Click here for our Chicago Banquet Hall page.

Immediately upon entering the facility grounds you’ll know you’re in for a treat.  Beautifully crafted landscaping, a shimmering pond and even a large outdoor gazebo makes Avalon Manor an ideal location for an outdoor ceremony or reception. 

Although we all know it’s not what’s on the outside that counts.  It’s what’s on the inside that makes Avalon Manor so grand.  At Avalon Manor they have 4 distinct ballrooms that make up their facility.  Each room has it’s own personality and flavor to match a specific liking.  I will tell you this the rooms are very modern and aren’t cheesy like a lot of other Northwest Indiana banquet facilities.  One of my personal favorite rooms is the East ballroom.   Each ballroom is equipped with a hardwood dance floor, full service bar, grand staircase and a beautiful view of the outdoor gardens.

We also know it’s NOT just the facility that makes a great reception, it’s the menu!  After eating at Avalon Manor several times I can tell you that you WONT be disappointed!  As with most banquet halls they have a full service gourmet menu.  There is something for everyone!  One of my personal favorites is the grilled chicken breasts.

The prices at the Avalon Manor are also very competitive.  They offer a Chicago banquet hall “feel” for a Northwest Indiana price.  That’s always a perk for me!  My only complaint is their location on Route 30.  It’s very busy and can be somewhat noisy from all the traffic.  If you can get past that you’re going to love Avalon Manor!

For more information check out there information below…..

Avalon Manor
3550 East Route 30
Merrillville, IN 46410
219-947-0888

Do you want additional venues? Click here for our Chicago Banquet Hall page.

The Willowbrook Ballroom is an entertainment landmark and it’s been around since 1921.  Of course many renovations occured over the years to keep this landmark up to date.  Once inside you’ll feel like you’ve just taken a step back into the 1950s.  The Willow brook Ballroom is renowned for its impressive cuisines, impeccable service and it’s style in a historical setting.

The Willowbrook Ball room features five unique banquet suites and their large and spacious Grand Ballroom.  The facility can easily accommodate wedding receptions with as many as 500 guests. 

Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to perform upstairs in their Grand Ballroom.  I know I say this in a lot of my reviews, but I must say the Willowbrook Ballroom is one of my top 5 favorites for reception halls.  It’s most likely because I’ve always been a fan of non-traditional reception halls as opposed to the boring cookie cutter services you get elsewhere.

Although I was born in the 1980s when I walk on stage at the Willowbrook ballroom I feel as if I just stepped back in time.  It almost feels like I’ve walked out onto the bandstand in the movie “Grease”.   It’s pretty cool and you just don’t get that feeling anywhere else.

The Willowbrook Ballroom even has it’s own custom DJ booth with nightclub lighting suspended from the ceiling.  Name another reception hall where you can get that?  Very Impressive!  Don’t take my word for it though go check them out today! 

For more information check out there information below…..
Willowbrook Ballroom
8900 South Archer Ave.
Willow Springs, IL 60463
708-839-1000

Do you want additional venues? Click here for our Chicago Banquet Hall page.  Also check out some other local reviews like Silver Lakes Coutry Club and Royalty West .