I learnt about the Winnetka Community House when we went to the North Shore Art League for the first time to attend the opening reception of their new exhibit -- "Summer Open".  The art league is located on the second floor of the Winnetka Community House.  The Community House was completed in 1911, and it has been expanded several times since.  That's why it was interesting for us to enter a historic building that's over 100 years old, but discovered a modern extension where the art gallery is after climbing a flight of old-fashioned stairs. Apparently, the center hosts many performing arts programs that include dance, theater, music and more.  When we were viewing artwork of the exhibit, a friendly elderly actor of the center greeted us while taking a break on a comfy couch.  We could hear music rehearsal in the theatre when we passed by. They also have education programs, youth sports programs, a full-service fitness center, classes and lectures -- all kinds of activities that help enrich lives of residents of not just Winnetka, but of the broader North Shore. When I read their Yelp reviews, I learnt that the center is even a popular weddings and events venue!  It is truly a versatile community house! As a privately supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Community House is not funded through tax dollars.  It's good to know that donations are 100% tax deductible. read more

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If you have high expectations for your wedding venue, this is not the place. I left feeling very underwhelmed with both the space and the service. We had a tour scheduled with Sahra, but it was moved to a different time, which seemed like it may have been to accommodate another group. When we arrived, the front desk gentleman was very kind, but we ended up waiting about 20 minutes while Sahra continued speaking with the previous tour group. She clearly saw us waiting but didn't acknowledge us or apologized when she eventually came over. Once the tour finally started, it felt very rushed. The entire walkthrough lasted maybe 15-20 minutes, and there wasn't much opportunity to ask questions before she quickly moved on to the next area. At the end, I asked if she could send photos of the space set up for weddings so we could better visualize it decorated. Her response was, "I won't remember, just email me--I had three tours today." We were the third tour, which made the comment feel dismissive. What stood out even more was that the previous group had asked about placing a hold on the space and did not receive that same response. Overall, the experience felt unprofessional and unwelcoming. After touring around 20 venues, this was by far the most disappointing experience. As for the space itself, it felt very small and somewhat outdated. The bridal and groomsmen suites were essentially small conference rooms. In my opinion, the venue may be better suited for smaller events like a bridal or baby shower rather than a full wedding. Unfortunately, due to both the service and the space, I would not recommend spending your time touring here. read more

Gem of a wedding venue!!! Sahra and Rob are incredible to work with. They went above and beyond to make sure our wedding was perfect. Excellent communication. Highly recommend the WCH to host any event. read more

Community House - Winnetka - Wedding Planning Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

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We were looking for a wedding venue that wouldn't break our budget (compared to the expensive options in Chicago), and delivered on charm and quality. And WOW, what an outstanding wedding venue!!! Sahra, the coordinator at the Community House, was incredible and highly attentive to detail - served as a clear point of contact for our planner. We planned a late September wedding in the outdoor courtyard garden under the stars, and couldn't have imagined a better day. I was nervous initially about feeling tight in the courtyard with our headcount - we had about 150 people, a mix of round and long tables, and a live band and everything fit PERFECTLY! Gorgeous scenery around the Community House as well, perfect for wedding photos. Truly a gem of a venue and such a special place. Best part is that there is an indoor option in the case of any weather event - we were happy to have enjoyed the outdoors, but not every outdoor venue has a plan B! read more

Wonderful place for families and kids. Very well taken care of, and members respectful of one another. Always friendly and inviting

We had the most wonderful experience at the Community House. All of the staff was easy to work with and helped us with a difficult catering situation. The photos speak to the venue itself! read more

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Had our wedding reception this summer at Winnetka Community House and it was a truly great experience. We were looking to have an indoor/outdoor wedding, WCH provides just that. The exterior courtyard is beautiful, the interior is comfortable after some personal touches and decoration. Patrice, Mary and the maintenance crew were super friendly and helpful. We did our own decorating and they were more than happy for us to come by multiple times before our date to brainstorm and do some trial runs with our decor. Only advice would be to have more staff versed in how to set/adjust the lighting inside. Everything else was perfect. read more

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I attended a wedding here in September. The venue was very clean and beautifully set up. I was impressed with the space and thought the staff was very friendly and competent. It is a gorgeous venue for a summer or fall wedding there was plenty of space for the 150 person wedding along with a dance floor. The food was a yummy assortment of brunch food. I'd recommend this venue to anyone hosting a medium size bridal brunch or wedding. read more

I attended a wedding here a week ago and just received a child's birthday party invitation for the same place in the same week! The wedding was stunning and the garden was the perfect place for an early fall wedding - the wedding itself was simply gorgeous. However, I do have to admit that two bars right next to each other for 175 guests wasn't that great and it would have been better to have one bar on one side of the garden and another bar on the other side. The food was pretty good and each course was thoroughly enjoyable - my favorite part was dessert was not only the wedding cake but also a palate cleansing sorbet. Parking wasn't too bad considering that they had a free parking lot which filled up pretty quickly and street parking was decent. We'll see how the five year old's birthday party goes in comparison to the beautiful wedding. read more

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If you're looking for a beautiful place for an outdoor wedding in the North Shore, Winnetka Community House might be the place for you. Some of my dear friends married here last summer and it was lovely! Depending on where you enter, the large, brick building kind of looks like a regular community house (with some child-sized buildings in one yard) or a castle of some sort. Inside is a gym, a couple banquet rooms, several rooms that can be used for grooms and brides, and more designated spaces. Outside the house, nearly hidden among the shrubbery, is a splendid garden area that is perfect for an outdoor wedding. The day of the wedding (I was standing up), it started pouring outside and we were all making preparations for an indoor wedding. The coordinator and staff seemed to have a good handle on the quick change of plans, which was great for my friend (the bride). However, right when they were about to call for an indoor wedding and start the ceremony, the rain stopped, the sun came out, and it was a beautiful July afternoon! Amazing! The staff ran outside to wipe off the chairs and get everything ready to be outside again. The ceremony went smoothly. Afterwards, all were gathered in the banquet hall adjacent to the garden, which fit the hundred-plus guests comfortably with tables, a dance floor, and a bar off to the side. The garden was still open to the guests for wandering around, smoking, whatever. It was a great day in a great place. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! read more

People keep telling us how perfect our wedding was, and I absolutely credit that to this beautiful venue and amazing food by Catered by Design, their exclusive caterer. We had our cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing all outside in the Arches Garden, and luckily for us, the weather was perfect and we didn't need to use the tent that we reserved. I can't imagine a more romantic place for a wedding than the incredibly lush walled garden. The photos were perfect from every angle, and we were able to save on decorations because the garden itself is so beautiful. The venue is the perfect size for about 125 guests with a dance floor, a stage, and and a bar. Nikee and Mallory from Catered by Design were amazing to work with, and they helped plan a classy and abundant spread as well as giving guidance on venue layouts and decorations. I loved that based on their experience with this venue, they were able to help us avoid spending money on unnecessary decor. [Believe me--this venue is gorgeous on its own! Things like cafe lights (which are likely to cost more than 1k to have installed), are definitely superfluous.] These ladies are so much fun to work with, and they will always give you their honest opinion. And you should listen to them!! They know what they're talking about. And if you're like us and want to gamble on the weather in order to have a fully outdoors wedding, they are on your side and will keep their fingers crossed for no rain. Do it. You will not find a more beautiful venue in all of the Chicago area. read more

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We had our wedding reception here in 1989!!! We came to see how it has changed and we're pleased to see the outdoor area is still beautiful and seems to be expanded. It was a nice visit down memory lane. read more

What an enchanting evening! This past weekend we had our wedding reception at the Community House Winnetka and it could not have been more beautiful! Due to covid we had to reschedule the date from last year and the Community House proved to be flexible and understanding. Kelsey and the staff worked with us to make our event flawless and memorable. Many amenities were provided, and our guests were complimentary. We had our Renewal of Vows ceremony and cocktail hour in the gorgeous Courtyard, then headed inside to the Garden Room for dinner and dancing. At night the lights outside were on giving the garden a magical glow. I highly recommend the Community House Winnetka for an amazing venue. read more

I'm a teen basketball player who needs a court to play. there should at least be one day a week the court is open to everyone seeing as it is in fact a community house. they used to have a Sunday open gym but have since removed during Covid and have yet to reinstate it. I would really appreciate it if you were to bring it back read more

This was a beautiful venue for a Saturday evening wedding. The outdoor ceremony area is spacious and gorgeous and the indoor dining/reception area is spacious, clean, and beautiful as well. The outdoor area has enough seating to comfortably accommodate over 150 people and there are cobblestone paths and archways adding to the ambiance. Parking is plentiful. read more

Community House - Winnetka - Wedding Planning Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

We had our dream wedding at Winnetka Community House. The patio is simply enchanting and the indoor space is beautiful as well. We wanted the vibe of our wedding to *feel* like a backyard wedding yet look polished/cohesive and that's exactly what we acheived with the help of the team at WCH. We had the ceremony and reception outdoors , uncovered, and thankfully had perfect weather. There were 120 guests. We had the buffet and photobooth indoors. I also used the bridal suite- it's simple but there are large windows overlooking the garden that were the perfect photo backdrop. Everyone we interacted with through WCH, including Catered By Design, was incredibly helpful and excited to partner with us to make our dreams a reality. I will always remember dancing under the patio lights and stars on that warm July evening as our guests mingled between the cooler space inside, the dance floor, and the cozy community tables. It was the perfect venue for us. read more

I went to the Winnetka Community House yesterday for the annual Winnetka Congregation Church Rummage Sale. What I love about the Rummage sales is that you can usually get a good price on items and all the money goes to Charity. Traditionally I always go to the Kenilworth Union Church Rummage sale and after going to this one, that reaffirms it. First of all, I found the prices inconsistent. Some were good, like pants for $3, but others were not like pillows for $8. Also, super weird, but the Community house wouldn't let the shoppers use the bathrooms. They made patrons use port-a-potties which I think is demeaning and rude when they have perfectly good bathrooms. They said the reason was because of the bad pipes and that may be true in the older part of the building....but in the newer section where I'm pretty sure us tax-payers paid for the renovation about 10ish years ago the bathrooms are new. Either way, I'm also fairly confident that they don't pay property taxes because they are non-for-profit. read more

This is probably one of the most lovely, architecturally compelling public buildings on the North Shore. It almost feels like a castle and - despite the fact that I don't live in Winnetka, there's something delightful enough about this building that I often wander over to look at it if I happen to be in Winnetka. I'm really bummed to learn that the bowling alley that used to be in the building has been taken out in order to make room for the fitness area, but for the people who live in the community, that's a nice option and I'm sure they are pleased. Overall, Winnetka offers a lot of programs at their community house and they certainly are in a wonderful setting. As other reviewers have noted, this is a fantastic location for an event. read more

We can't express enough how much we loved having our wedding ceremony at Winnetka Community House! It is such a beautiful, hidden gem! The garden was a perfect setting for our wedding ceremony. It was tucked away and secluded which made it feel more personal. The staff was very accommodating prior to and day-of. The maintenance staff went above and beyond and even provided our guests with iced tea on our hot day. The garden is beautifully kept and the surrounding grounds provided great backdrops for our pictures. Thank you for providing such a beautiful setting for our ceremony! read more

My husband and I got married at The Winnetka Community House and we are so happy we picked this venue. The Arches Garden was recently updated to now look a little more modern while still maintaining its charm. The staff were very friendly and assisted our caterers, decorators, wedding party and guest in whatever they needed. Our wedding day turned out to be very hot and humid. The only complaint I have is that the reception area (The Garden Room) did not have sufficient air conditioning and it was stuffy and uncomfortable, especially when everyone was dancing. read more

Attended a wedding reception at the Community House experiencing both the Arches Garden and indoor dining. it was incredibly beautiful! Food and service from Catered by Design was excellent! With the intimate chapel next door, I see this as a wonderful, wonderful option for weddings and other celebrations! A+ read more

We had our wedding at WCH in June 2013. Our experience with the place was wonderful. The Arches Garden is literally breathtaking, and there hasn't been a single guest at our wedding who did not mention how lovely the venue was.The reception area is not memorable, but it was set up so beautifully and tastefully that it didn't matter. Beyond that, the staff at the place was extremely accommodating and pleasant to work with. The price was also very reasonable for the Chicago area - $2000 total (we got a discount since we got married on Sunday; it is a bit more expensive if you are getting married on Saturday). Note that the place works better for smallish weddings. Our guest count was 95, and the size was perfect. Over 120 guests, I believe, it would get quite crowded. Also, there are no designated rooms in which the bride and the groom can get dressed separately - you are allocated one room at the top floor, and that is it. It didn't matter to us at all, but other couples might want to take that into consideration. The only disadvantage to the place is that you can rent it for a relatively limited time - total of 5 hours, and then every additional hour jacks the price up considerably. We would have been happy to have the place for two more hours, but truly this was a small concession considering how lovely everything was. read more

My husband and I got married in May of 2013 at the Winnetka Community House. The garden was beautiful and the perfect setting for our ceremony and cocktail hour. Nikee from Catered By Design was wonderful to work with. She was extremely responsive throughout the planning process and made sure our day went well. The staff was accommodating as well. Overall, the venue was beautiful for a wedding and much more affordable than places in Chicago. We would do it all over again! read more