Sage the DateFind your venue →

Illinois rain plan guide

Updated

Illinois outdoor venues with rain plans

A rain plan is what happens to an outdoor ceremony if the weather turns: a room indoors, a covered space, or a tent. Plenty of venues with a lovely lawn never say which. In Illinois, 33 venues with an outdoor ceremony say what happens if it rains. Most move indoors (32); 3 put up a tent. Plans are most often stated in Chicago's Western Suburbs and Chicago's North & Northwest Suburbs.

We've gathered details on 72 Illinois venues. Pick a starting point and Sage will rank them for your day, with cost estimates wherever the venue publishes its prices.

Outdoor + rain planThe whole propertyRain plan + lodging

50% of the Illinois venues we track say what happens to an outdoor ceremony if it rains

We count a venue only when its own details describe a plan. Most of the rest never mention weather, which means you'll need to ask, not that there's no plan.

What kind of venue

Which kinds of outdoor venue have a rain plan

The share of each kind of Illinois outdoor-ceremony venue that says what happens if it rains. Start your search with the kinds at the top: country clubs and golf clubs (15 of 19) and event centers (7 of 10).

  • Country Club / Golf Club79%
  • Event Center70%
  • Restaurant3 of 6

Read the rain plan carefully

“We have a rain plan” can mean three different things

You move indoors

32 Illinois venues

The simplest plan: the ceremony moves into a room the venue already has. Ask whether it holds everyone, and whether it's also the dinner room, since resetting it takes time.

In Illinois: City Winery Chicago, Cog Hill Golf & Country Club and Ivy Room, among others.

You move under a covered space

5 Illinois venues

A pavilion or covered terrace keeps the outdoor feel, but not the warmth. Ask whether it has sides that close, and whether there are heaters.

In Illinois: Camp Aramoni, Volo Restaurant Wine Bar and Cantigny Park, among others.

You put up a tent

3 Illinois venues

A tent can go where you planned the ceremony, but it is usually ordered days ahead and paid for separately. Ask who orders it, who pays, and how late you can decide.

In Illinois: Cafe Brauer, Lincolnshire Marriott Resort and The Field Museum.

Some venues offer more than one, so the counts overlap.

Venue by venue

What each Illinois venue does if it rains

Every outdoor-ceremony venue here that describes its plan, in a sentence: where the ceremony goes, and, where the venue says, when the call is made and what it costs. The most detailed first.

  • If it rains: A ceremony booked with a reception has an indoor backup: Red Oak Room ceremonies move inside the Red Oak Room, Woodside Pavilion ceremonies move inside the pavilion, and Le Jardin ceremonies move to the Visitors Center Gallery. If you book a ceremony here without a reception, ask us about weather options when you reserve. Tents are not permitted at the ceremony sites, though custom tent locations can be rented with management approval.

    Up to 270 guests

  • If it rains: If the weather turns on your outdoor ceremony, we move you into the main room of the clubhouse, in front of the fireplace. Deciding seven or more days before the wedding means the $475 indoor ceremony fee applies; deciding within six days of the date means the full $1,800 outdoor ceremony fee still stands.

    Up to 200 guests

  • If it rains: A ceremony planned for the South Loggia can move indoors to the Great Hall, where the $1,000 ceremony fee applies. From November 1 to April 30 heated tents enclose both loggias, keeping those spaces usable through the colder months.

    Up to 260 guests

  • If it rains: The Grand Ballroom and Great Lakes Ballroom are fully indoor. The Grand Marquee, Lakeside and Grove Pavilions are climate controlled, so they hold up in any weather - the Grove Pavilion from May through October.

    Up to 650 guests

  • If it rains: The Veranda is built for weather - a louvered pergola with retractable clear vinyl walls and ceiling heaters - and if it still will not do, the Main Floor, Mezzanine and Bar Area take your guests indoors.

    Up to 120 guests

  • If it rains: The outdoor patio is yours weather and availability permitting, and the main hall and Recess stand ready indoors to take the cocktail hour or any other part of the day if the weather turns.

    Up to 300 guests

  • If it rains: The courtyard is our only outdoor space, so if the weather does not cooperate your ceremony, cocktail hour or reception moves onto one of the indoor floors of the North or South building.

    Up to 269 guests

  • If it rains: If rain moves in on an outdoor ceremony or reception, your event comes indoors - the Event Studio seats 220, and the Gallery Space can be added by the hour as a dedicated rain plan.

    Up to 220 guests

  • If it rains: An outdoor ceremony can move inside to Bricks & Stones, which holds all 80 guests, and the covered pavilion gives you a roofed outdoor option with casual seating and a dance area.

    Up to 80 guests

  • If it rains: If the weather turns, the ceremony moves indoors to the Garden View Ballroom. Management talks it through with you two hours beforehand; changing the location after setup is $200.

  • If it rains: If the weather turns on an outdoor ceremony, we move you indoors to the ballrooms or the pavilion, where staging is provided and your guests are seated on resort banquet chairs.

  • If it rains: The Northeast Terrace is open to the sky. Adding an indoor space gives you somewhere to move the celebration if the weather turns, and tenting can be arranged as an alternative.

    Up to 1000 guests

  • If it rains: If the weather will not allow your ceremony on the Grassy Knoll, we move it indoors to half of your contracted ballroom. We make the weather call by 9am that morning.

    Up to 300 guests

  • If it rains: If the weather turns on your Wine Garden ceremony, we move you indoors - the Concert Venue seats 180, the Barrel Room 100, and the Cellar Room and The Loft 40 each.

    Up to 200 guests

  • If it rains: Ceremonies can be held indoors in the White Pines Clubhouse instead of on the patio - the right choice for an off-season date or a day the weather turns.

    Up to 220 guests

Show all 33 venues
  • Ivy Room

    Chicago

    If it rains: The ballroom serves as the indoor ceremony space, with chairs arranged in rows and dramatic draping, if the courtyard ceremony cannot be held.

    Up to 200 guests

  • If it rains: The indoor/outdoor Rotunda is your weather plan - it keeps the open-air feel of a ceremony or cocktail hour but shelters you if the day turns.

    Up to 260 guests

  • If it rains: If weather turns, the ceremony moves into the ballroom as it is already set for the reception; there is no separate indoor ceremony room.

    Up to 160 guests

  • If it rains: If the weather turns against a ceremony on the outdoor Plaza, we move you into the Atrium; the call is made two days before your wedding.

    Up to 270 guests

  • If it rains: If rain threatens your outdoor ceremony, we move it into the barn at no additional fee. The call is yours up until 1:00 PM on the day.

    Up to 225 guests

  • If it rains: If weather turns, your event in the Park or at the Amphitheatre moves indoors to the Lobby, the Mezzanine or the Grand Century room.

    Up to 200 guests

  • If it rains: If the weather does not cooperate, your ceremony moves indoors to the banquet room, set with ceiling drape and soft lighting.

  • If it rains: If weather turns, your ceremony or reception moves into the Great Hall or another of the mansion's interior rooms.

  • If it rains: An outdoor ceremony can move indoors if the weather turns; the call is made about an hour before the ceremony.

    Up to 180 guests

  • If it rains: An outdoor ceremony moves indoors to the fireplace setting inside the clubhouse if the weather turns.

    Up to 200 guests

  • If it rains: If the weather does not hold for an outdoor ceremony, we have a rain site ready and move you indoors.

    Up to 200 guests

  • If it rains: If the weather turns on your outdoor ceremony day, we move you indoors to our backup ceremony space.

  • If it rains: If the weather does not allow an outdoor ceremony, we move it indoors to the Reagan Grand Ballroom.

  • If it rains: If the weather does not hold for the courtyard, your ceremony moves indoors to the Grand Ballroom.

    Up to 250 guests

  • Row 24

    Chicago

    If it rains: If the courtyard is out because of the weather, the showroom and mezzanine take the event indoors.

    Up to 150 guests

  • If it rains: If the weather turns on an outdoor ceremony, we guarantee you a backup location indoors.

  • If it rains: If the weather turns, your ceremony moves into our indoor ceremony space.

    Up to 220 guests

  • If it rains: A retractable awning covers the patio if the weather turns.

Each sentence is from the venue's own published details. Plans and fees change, so confirm with the venue.

How these venues differ

How venues with a rain plan differ from the rest

The 33 Illinois outdoor-ceremony venues with a rain plan against the 12 outdoor-ceremony venues that don’t mention one, biggest difference first.

Share thatThese venuesOutdoor-ceremony venues that don’t mention one
Give you the whole property24%0%
Provide a coordinator58%42%
Have on-site lodging18%8%
Have four or more separate event spaces58%50%
Offer their own catering76%83%
Price the space alone, before food12%8%

Each row counts only the venues that say; a venue that doesn't is left out of that row rather than counted as a no.

Where to look

Regions where more venues say what happens if it rains

The tick on each bar marks Illinois as a whole: 36 of 72 venues say what happens if it rains (50%). Regions with fewer than five venues that say are left out.

What it costs

What outdoor venues with a rain plan cost

$18k

Typical venue and food, 100 guests

Across the 18 of these Illinois venues that publish a full price.

$13k–$34k

Typical range

Most of them fall in this range.

$18k

Every Illinois venue

The typical figure across all 33 Illinois venues with a full price, for comparison.

In Illinois, outdoor-ceremony venues with a rain plan typically cost $18k for the venue and food for 100 guests, about the same as the $18k typical across the state.

Places worth a closer look

Illinois outdoor venues with a stated rain plan

Each has an outdoor ceremony space and says what happens if it rains, in a different way. Open a venue to see its spaces, pricing, and other planning details.

Find venues that match your vision and budget

Describe your guest count, your budget, and anything you can’t compromise on. See a ranked list of venues, with why each one fits, trade-offs, and what to double-check.

Try:

Sage the Date reads each venue's own published details, including pricing, catering and alcohol rules, music curfews, rain plans, whether you get the whole property, and how many guests each space holds. Every estimate uses your guest count. When a venue doesn't say, we tell you instead of guessing.

Before you book

Questions that decide whether the plan works

  • If it rains, where exactly does the ceremony go, and does it fit all our guests?
  • If the plan is a tent, who orders it, who pays, and how late can we decide?
  • Who makes the weather call, and when?
How this guide is built

Sage reads each venue's own published pricing and policies, puts different kinds of quotes on the same footing, and estimates the cost for 100 guests. A venue counts as having a rain plan only when its own published details describe one; the comparisons are among venues that offer an outdoor ceremony. If a venue doesn't say something, we treat it as a question to ask, not a no.