The Olde Wicks Factory — Attraction in Highland

The Wonderful Wedding Venue at The Olde Wick’s Factory in Highland, Illinois the perspective from the Groom’s mother. As many of you know, the Groom’s mother has it easy when it comes to their son getting married. The choices and all details of the wedding are planned by the bride and groom. Our son’s wedding day was nothing short of magical, and it would not have been possible without an amazing daughter-in-law and her choice on the enchanting wedding venue her and my son chose. From the moment they stepped foot into The Olde Wick’s Factory, they knew they had found the perfect place to celebrate their love story. The Olde Wick’s Factory is a picturesque old building that has been transformed into such character with stunning backdrops for their special day. The serene and scenic surroundings added an element of natural beauty for outside shots along with the character of the inside of the building made their wedding truly remarkable. The ambiance was nothing short of breathtaking as the bride, now my daughter-in-law walked down the spiral staircase to join her father to walk her down the aisle in the “Grand Hall.” The elegant architecture and tasteful decor created a romantic and intimate atmosphere that left our guests in awe. Whether it was the “Grand Hall” where the ceremony was performed, the “Gatsby” room for cocktail hour and then on to the “West Hall” for their reception and dance, every space was meticulously designed to perfection. Most guests were from out of town absolutely loved being able to stay in one location for the entire event, yet each room has its own character. The staff went above and beyond to ensure that every detail of the wedding was flawless. From their initial inquiry to the day of the wedding, the owner, Jennifer Ostrander made suggestions that were extremely helpful. The event coordinator, Cassie Davis from Occasions from Black Box was responsive, professional, and attentive to their every need. The Olde Wick’s Factory offered a range of amenities which included bridal suites for getting ready that made their wedding day even more special. The bridal suites were luxurious and a comfortable space for getting ready. They had crystal chandeliers, plenty of windows that viewed a beautiful courtyard filled with trees and flowers. It was a comfortable space with a lot of room for the bridal party to get ready. Makeup was done onsite from “Face It Beauty Boutique,” also located in Highland. They made us all beautiful in a timely manner to everyone’s satisfaction. The culinary experience at The Olde Wick’s Factory was a true delight. It was catered by Cygan & Delaney from Highland, Illinois. The catering team collaborated closely with the bride and groom to create a customized menu that catered to our tastes and preferences. The quality of the food was exceptional, and our guests raved about the delicious dishes served during the reception. The bride and groom choice to get married on an unconventional Friday afternoon. This was a suggestion also from owner, Jennifer Ostrander. This really turned out to be one of the finest blessings, since our family was from out of town, a Friday night venue afforded everyone to gather the next day to reminisce about the night before compared to hitting the road to travel back. If you have not thought about a Friday late afternoon wedding, this is also something that I would recommend. Considering the impeccable service, stunning setting, and overall experience, I as the groom’s mother, felt that The Olde Wick’s Factory offered exceptional value for money. The memories that were created at this venue are priceless, and they would choose it again without hesitation. It exceeded all expectations and made their wedding day an unforgettable experience for us and our guests. We are truly blessed that our son and daughter-in-law chose this wonderful venue, we could not be happier. Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) Jody Becker, Mother of the Groom Matt and Alyssa Becker, married September 15, 2023, at The Olde...

The venue itself is really gorgeous, but I was honestly turned off by some of the different things that were said and done by the owner the night before and night of the wedding I was in. After rehearsal was over she got everyone’s attention to make it abundantly clear that she had another wedding booked the day after my friends wedding and that the bridal party needed to “clean up after themselves” to have things run more smoothly for her… obviously we weren’t going to trash the place but I found it unprofessional to ask the bridal party to clean up the bridal suite after they (especially the bride) just got ready for her own wedding? The day of everything was running a little behind, maybe 15 minutes behind on the ceremony which I thought was somewhat standard and then the grand entrance of the bridal party into the reception hall was about 20 minutes late. No one was stressed or cared besides the owner and she aggressively corralled the wedding party together and rushed us into the reception hall I felt super anxious as it was and that just seemed again rude to me. On top of all of this the DJ was told to turn down the music, but she wanted the music so quiet that you could hear the sports announcer from the local school football field over the DJ at her facility and there are realistically minimal neighbors in the first place and we had to leave by 11pm anyways so I’m not sure why the DJ couldn’t play music at an appropriate level during the duration of the reception. At about 10:30pm the man working the bar approached me to ask if he could start cleaning up which I work at a restaurant so I could see where he was coming from by asking but now that I look back and remember her noting we needed to pretty much get out of their way for her double booked weekend that also turned me off. If you aren’t able to have adequate staffing to accommodate the booking you have created for yourself simply don’t overbook or staff extra help on busy weekends.

All of this possibly seems petty but realistically for how much it costs to rent this venue all of the things listed above seemed extremely unprofessional and some of the stuff just downright rude. If you want your special day to say special for sure that every single thing she does or says with a grain of salt because I couldn’t even tell if she was aware of how her tone of voice and actions were coming off to the guests and...

Our wedding at Olde Wicks Factory was absolutely perfect! The venue is gorgeous with plenty of space to make your vision come to life. From the moment we toured the venue, we knew it was the one. I teared up when entering the Grand Hall for the first time because it was everything I imagined for a space for our ceremony.

Shannon and Jennifer went above and beyond to ensure everything ran seamlessly. They provided us with suggestions for vendors and answered any questions we had along the way. They're flexible, understanding, and so kind. Shannon was our day of venue coordinator and made sure the vendors arrived on time and set up where they needed to. She was there from the moment my bridesmaids and I arrived for hair and make up to the minute we exited for the night to answer questions and ensure everything was running smoothly. We cannot thank her enough for all her hard work during the day!

Our guests still haven't stopped raving about how beautiful and perfect the set up of the venue is. We started in the Grand Hall for the ceremony, transitioned to the Gatsby Room for cocktail hour, and ended in the Main Hall for our reception. The Main Hall has an industrial, white, airy feel with plenty of space for our guests, the band, and of course dancing, which was exactly what we were looking for!

We seriously don't have enough amazing things to say about Olde Wicks Factory. It's the perfect venue if you're looking for an all-in-one kind of wedding day. You don't have to leave the property until your wedding reception ends. The scenery is beautiful for all your photographs and the staff is incredible to work with.

I couldn't recommend choosing Olde Wicks Factory as your wedding venue enough. Everything about it is just perfect and has such a special place...