Chicago is the perfect place to host your next special event. A city full of character, culture, dining hot spots, and with miles of magnificent Lake Michigan shoreline, Chicago is a beautiful venue for your special event. Whether it is a wedding, bachelorette party, baby shower, or some other special occasion, you have a lot of leeway when you plan this event to take place in Chicago in the fall. Here is some helpful advice for fall event planning in the Windy City.
Tip 1 – Consider Providing Accommodations
If you are expecting visitors to attend your event who are traveling from afar, help them settle in by booking accommodations for them—you can often get a group discount rate depending on how many guests you expect to attend. Finding the perfect hotel location in the city with great access to the city’s features and points of interest is easy—there are so many charming small or venerable hotels, along with hip places to stay that fill that particular bill. For visitors to your event who have never been here before, make sure you find them a place to stay where they can experience the food, culture, and charm of the city when not at your celebration.
Tip 2 – Location Is Key
Because the autumn in Chicago is cooler—and sometimes rainier—than summer, you’ll want to make the venue easy for your guests to get to. So, choose a centrally-located venue for your party or activity. Your guest list will help give you the most direction on this important selection. If your guests are local and the ones visiting from out-of-town are staying near the downtown core, you can search for venues that are either in walking distance or are not far to drive or cab to. This will ensure that you will have the best turnout of participants. Plus, a central location makes use of nearby amenities. As an example, say you have an autumn baby shower and need the right Chicago baby shower venue. You’ll want to find something that’s convenient to public transit and major hotels (Party Slate has some good choices here).
Tip 3 – Locate the Perfect Settings
If your event is a wedding or milestone anniversary, you’ll want to capture this moment with a stunning background. Chicago offers countless perfect photo locations, from Grant Park, a museum’s steps, to gorgeous Lincoln or Jackson Park. Chicago sits along the shore of Lake Michigan and offers superb spots in the area to explore for outdoor photos, especially as the tree leaves turn golden along the lake front.
Remember, though, Chicago comes by its nickname–the Windy City–honestly. A windy autumn day can easily become a cold and uncomfortable day. Opt for early autumn—September or early October.
Also, be prepared to move indoors for photos. Fortunately, there are many great places just right for this, and you’ll still be able to capture a piece of Chicago in the process. Museums, specialty libraries, art galleries, restaurants, and performance venues all offer space rental options for events.
Tip 4 – Snow Is Not Out of The Question
If your event is planned for fall, especially late fall, be prepared in case there is an early winter storm. Lake Michigan dominates the landscape, providing much more intense and varied weather in Chicago compared to outlying areas. And conditions can be a bit unpredictable. This is why it is important to have an indoor venue available if you have to abandon your original plan because of the weather.
Tip 5 – Factor in Transportation
Chicago boasts an incredibly efficient transportation system throughout the city, consisting of Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) trains, extensive bus routes, comfortable commuter trains, and more. Both the CTA and Metra rail systems provide great online descriptions and maps—you can also buy tickets and passes online and have digital tickets on your phone.
In addition to ride sharing companies, very reliable cabs and buses will get you where you want to be without having to drive there on your own and risking getting lost along the way.
Tip 6 – Plan Around Other Major Events
Chicago hosts several different events throughout the calendar year. Even though your wedding or bachelor party is set for fall, you may want to take a look at the dates of sporting events and conferences being held in the city. These events can create traffic problems and fill up hotels far in advance. Consider that with major league sporting teams located in the city, fall could be a busy time for some teams. To be sure, cross-reference with a calendar of events long before you choose your dates.
Tip 7 – Get All Your Ducks in A Row
Before you can start your event, you need to make sure all the details leading up to it have been taken care of. This requires a checklist that will not only outline what you need to do every step of the way but will keep you on track. For your upcoming fall celebration in Chicago, do it right by following a system that is already in place instead of trying to reinvent the wheel. You can find checklist templates online to help give you direction.
In Conclusion
Fall is a wonderful time to celebrate in Chicago. That is, provided you have the right date that does not conflict with a major event in the city that could reduce your other options. As for venues, there are many to choose from and with excellent transportation options, everyone on your guest list should arrive on time and have a great time at your wedding, party, or other function.
