Byron Colby Barn

Beautiful place for the wedding. A lot of variety of backgrounds for the bride and groom, bridal party and family photos by Bridal Kaleidoscope.

My wife and I had our wedding here on August of 2013, and had worked with Kim to set up the venue, and get referrals for chairs, catering, and all the other ins and outs for our wedding.
Kim was extremely helpful, always available for a call, and, compared to other venues we went to, very easy going about decorations.
I may be heavily biased, as my beautiful Wife was there marrying me, however I would for sure say it was one of the most amazing nights I’ve ever experienced. The barn had a few people there during the wedding to take care of things like cleanup, temperature, and so on, so that was perfect too.
Our wedding was of around 90 people, and we did a pretty good job filling the lower half of the barn, leaving the upper half for pictures and other items. There was more than enough room to sit everybody, with enough of a dance floor to keep everybody going through the night.
Overall, we loved the look of the barn, and of the courtyard outside where the ceremony took place. I only have to knock them because they wouldn’t let us take a whole week there!

We couldn’t have picked a better place to get married. This is a unique setting that allows you to have a rustic look and charm of a barn with out the whole being in sweaty and smelling like horses. Even with a warmer day in August the barn was nicely air-​conditioned. The people who run the place are very friendly and Kim who was our main contact for most of the planning was helpful and answered emails fast and efficiently even if they were the tiniest questions, The big plus that we took advantage of with this places is that they allow you to bring in your own liquor. Which when combined with the great people at Binny’s saved us at least thousand dollars.
We had our ceremony outside in the marketplace, it was big enough to hold the 100+ people we had there. We did cocktail hour out there as well and it was a big hit with our guests. During cocktail hour we took advantage of some of the more scenic parts of the barn including outside of the silo and the fields right by the barn. Inside we had enough room for tables, DJ, Photobooth, buffet, and dancing. It was very easy to decorate, adding some stringed lights really gave the barn a magical feel. Our guests couldn’t say enough about how pleasant and beautiful the barn was for our wedding. For the price, location, and ease I couldn’t recommend a better venue. I really have to thank this place for making our wedding so much better!

Recently had our wedding at the Byron Colby Barn. Had our ceremony on the market square, cocktail hour on a tent on the ground right there and reception inside.
The price is great and they give you ample time to set-​up and take down for your wedding. Overall, very beautiful grounds and barn. Things that don’t look «wedding worthy» is part of the school which the barn management will tell you are separate.
Only a few things as a «beware» to potential renters:
— get everything in your contract. We had wanted a tent and discussed this with them (due to heat in August) and put it in our contract. Stan didn’t remember ever talking to us about it or signing that part of our contract where we wrote it in. Anything additional you might be doing, write it in and have them sign it. Do not just talk their word.
— Our guest upstairs had a very hard time hearing any speeches; toast, ect.

LOVED our wedding reception here! My husband keeps saying that it was the most unique/​fun wedding he’s ever seen but, you know, he’s biased.
Venue is unique and perfect for parties of 150 or less.
We worked with Kim who is super laid back. We stuck command hooks all over, moved everything around and were in there a day early setting up. The nice thing about this being a smaller venue is that you can get away with a lot.
Go with Picnic Basket for your caterer. Amin (who handles all catering clients) is really familiar with the barn and made our photo booth, DJ, bar and 150ish people fit in the space comfortably. (He said he could handle up to 180, but it would be tight!)

We had a great wedding overall. We wanted a lower key intimate event with 100 – 120 and the barn was perfect for that. During our planning process, we worked with Kim who was very responsive to our e-​mails and helpful with advising us on decorations. The location was inconvenient for both of our families but we received tons of compliments on the venue and location.

We loved having our wedding here and wouldn’t do it any other way. Our wedding was on a gorgeous day in June and we did our ceremony and cocktail hour outside in the square and then the reception inside the barn. The aesthetics of the grounds and the architecture of the barn are just gorgeous! Had it rained, we would have had a candle lit ceremony inside the barn — so pretty. You can’t lose.
Stan is helpful, funny, and knows exactly how to run the Barn smoothly and lay out the space depending on your number of guests. The web site says you can fit 180 but I imagine that could only be without a dance floor or space for a buffet table or band. We had 120, and we sat the bridal party tables end-​to-​end in the middle of the dance floor then they were cleared after the meal. I think the barn was perfect for that number of people.
Bear in mind this is not one-​stop shopping. The rental fee is just for the gorgeous space and the tables and chairs. Stan helps ensure your layout is right, the a/​c is cranked, and you have everything you need, but you must bring in a caterer who you trust to run the day for you (we chose Dave’s Specialty Foods — see my 5-​star review there). The excellent thing about this set-​up is it means you can bring in any caterer. Also you can bring in your own alcohol, saving a ton (as long as your caterer has a licensed bartender of course). We had Binny’s deliver our alcohol, and they pick up unused bottles and refund you for them!
If you have any questions about the barn or nearby vendors, please don’t hesitate to shoot me a message!

I knew from the minute I saw this place that it was where I wanted to get married! It is a really unique event space. In a word, I would say «country elegant.» You have to see it to believe it. Our party was 140 people, which I think is the perfect capacity for a not-​too-​crowded party. Stan, the barn manager, has a great sense of humor and knows his business well! He’s very helpful. I am so happy to have worked with him and to have had my wedding at the Barn!

Previous reviews have been about this as a venue for weddings or wedding receptions, which is a big part of what keeps this location active (besides being a community house of worship on Sundays, and a workout space — in the basement– throughout the day.) And as others have mentioned, Stan, who manages the barn, provides great advice and guidance for those anticipating a wedding function here.
What also goes on at the barn lately are concerts of classical music, in particular, music from before the time of Bach, which we now call, Early Music. So if you are interested as an audience member, do check out their page about the concerts
and either get on their mailing/​e-​mail list or become a fan on Facebook («Early Music at the Barn»). The musicians who have performed here in the past (Ars Antigua, The Oriana Singers, Baroque Band, among others) are among the top that Chicago and this area have to offer.
The reason I only gave 3 stars is that although the acoustics of the room are fine and the sight lines excellent, it is not an ideal concert hall. But because the renovators have done an excellent job inside, it is just a very pleasant room for holding a concert.
For the audience, the main entrance can be a noisy disturbance during a performance, there being no lobby or other buffer area from the performance space. Seating is very basic: metal folding chairs (with cushions, if you require one.) Musicians usually perform with a large window behind them, which may not help the acoustics much, and can be a distraction from the performance. Someone needs to provide a tasteful set of drapes for this, instead of the school house green shades that are now its only covering.
For musicians, who never expect much, there are inadequate facilities (no quiet «green room» or performers-​only bathrooms). You just have to remember, it’s a recycled old barn.

I love this space so much! I went here for an old time fiddle/​banjo concert and looked into having my wedding here. But A) our engagement was only 7 months before and it was already booked and B) we ended up having a sit-​down dinner for WAY more than 60 – 70 people (per Alex N.‘s review), so it might not have worked out anyway. But maybe an anniversary party someday? :)

My then-​fiancée and I booked the Byron Colby Barn for our wedding almost as soon as we walked in to to place. It is a beautiful 1880s dairy barn that has been converted into an event space. The combination of natural wood and indirect lighting give the Barn a lot of great character. The pictures you see online really don’t do it justice.
The Barn can accommodate up to about 180 people between the main floor and the loft, though at that point you’re probably looking at a stand-​up cocktail event, rather than a sit-​down-​dinner. We ended up with about 60 – 70 people, which was perfect for dining on the main floor + buffet setup + bar without feeling crowded and still having plenty of room available for dancing.
As mentioned in an earlier review, the Byron Colby Barn does not have their own caterer, though there are caterers that they have worked with and that they recommend. There is a decently-​sized kitchen in the back which will allow whomever you bring in enough space to set up and clean up. I highly recommend working with a caterer who is already familiar with the Barn. It will make everything that much easier.
Our wedding was in late-​December, so we held both the ceremony and reception indoors at the Barn. Setup is day-​of the event because the Barn tends to have other events going on in the evenings. The staff sets up the tables and chairs where you’ve requested and then you’re on your own for the rest, so make sure you bring enough family and friends to simplify things. This worked well for us because we had an evening wedding. I think that if you were planning an earlier event, you could be pressed for time unless you’re able to delegate the setup and not have to oversee it personally. All we really needed to do was put the chairs where we wanted them for the ceremony, and our caterer handled the rest.
When you book the Barn, you’ll be working with the manager, Stan. He’s a great guy, very straightforward and willing to work with you to ensure that you have what you need as well as explain what the Barn’s limitations are. The only downside is that he tended to forget who we were. After a quick reminder though, he could recall exactly what arrangements we had previously discussed.
As I mentioned, our wedding was in late-​December. The Barn is heated (the loft, in particular, got to be very warm), so that was not a problem. The staff also shoveled snow and salted the sidewalks and parking lot. Unlike the Barn, the silo is not heated, so the bar setup (which is usually in the silo) had to be in the Barn itself. This worked well for us, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re planning a winter event with a lot of guests, as you’d lose a table’s worth of space.
Overall, I would definitely recommend the Byron Colby Barn. It’s a beautiful space with a lot of character that really makes it stand out from any of the other venues in the area. We couldn’t imagine having our wedding anywhere else.

This is a great venue. I did not hold an event here but I almost booked it for my wedding. They do not have a catering company– so it’s good if you want to bring your own peeps in. You can set up a bar in the siloh!
The guy Stan who books the place is awesome. Very straight forward– no sneaky fees or anything.
FYI you can’t have Sunday morning events in here because the UUA has church services.
Also it’s in a very cool sustainable housing — housing development with a local farm and 10,000 villages store. Accessible via metra.