Old Towne Hall

I recently had my wedding reception at the Old Towne Hall and it was wonderful.
Sandra and Ingo worked to make sure my event was a success. They are an absolute pleasure to work with. It really made the planning process so much easier for me knowing that, if something came up, I could talk to Sandra about it and she’d have a solution. I never felt like an inconvenience, she was always so gracious to respond and has marvelous ideas. I was just so comfortable because they are so positive, so flexible. I can’t reiterate enough how key I thought this was.
My guests really loved the food and we received many compliments on it. We had a few vague ideas about food, and Ingo took those suggestions and created a fabulous menu. Everything tasted fresh and homemade. I wish they had a restaurant here, because I would be there all the time.
One thing that’s usual at the Old Towne Hall is that you bring in your own alcohol. That worked out really well for us, since we did not expect our guests to drink a lot, but still wanted to provide a limited selection of alcohol. This was very cost effective.
The venue itself has a lot of character and doesn’t need extensive decorating. The tin ceiling and the period (dimmable) chandeliers were my favorite parts.
I wouldn’t hesitate to use this venue again if I ever need to host something on the scale of a wedding.

Beautiful space. Delicious food. Friendly helpful staff. Highly recommend!

Ingo & Sandra are wonderful! He & crew are def FOODIES so if you are looking for some quality/​personalized food/​accouterments this is the place!!! The building has so much history & character, you get a great vibe right off the bat. The location is «urban» w/​o being in the city, and there are plenty of local options for the after-​party. I wanted to have my wedding there, but with over 200+ guest we couldn’t make it work. HOWEVER, any other function, event, celebration, I’m calling Ingo :)

Yummy food good friends great time
Here fir a birthday party. The place is amazing
Thank you Sandra and Ingo
Will be back soon

If I could give Old Towne Hall more than 5 stars I definitely would. Ingo and Sandra were AMAZING through our entire wedding planning process. From the moment we called, the process of organizing and setting up our wedding reception was flawless. Ingo and Sandra were prompt in setting up a menu and tasting following our booking of the space. Sandra followed up with setting up the color scheme well before the reception date. We were allowed the entire day before the wedding to set up, and Sandra and Ingo were both there to assist us with the decorations! She assisted my bridesmaids and I in putting together centerpieces (which I borrowed from the venue at no cost!!!) and with the head and dessert tables (she had safety pins and batteries for the décor). They had even set up the room with the tables and linens two days before which Sandra sent pictures of putting me and my husband at ease before entertaining 100+ guests. In addition to that, the food was delicious (my mother loved the homemade bread so much, she’s an avid cook/​baker, that Sandra wrapped the leftovers for her to take home with her). And if that wasn’t enough, my husband and I planned a bar crawl for guests who wanted to continue the party after hours, and Ingo, at 11:00pm the evening of, booked us taxis to return all of the 20 guests who attended the bar crawl to the hotel (Comfort Inn in Crystal Lake). The cabs arrived at the bar promptly at 1:30am. And again, if that wasn’t enough, the Sunday after, all of our decorations and desserts were packaged and waiting for us exactly at the time we scheduled to pick up everything (and Sandra and the venue bartender, a dead ringer for Jason Statham, helped my new husband and I pack our vehicle with all of our stuff!!!) If you have ever been married, you know how exhausted you are following the big day. This was such an incredible help in the process of planning, putting on and wrapping up the perfect day.
I also want to add that the venue recommended the DJ we used, Megan Young-​Grassel. She was phenomenal. Guests raved about her music! She was another wonderful person to work with throughout the wedding planning process. Her relationship with the venue allowed me and my husband to have no worries that when we arrived, our music selection would be flawless though the reception, dinner and dancing hours. Plus, the up lighting was beautiful!!!
Like I said, if I could give more stars, I would. Old Towne Hall is a top notch venue, based on my experience and our guests rave reviews’, such as «This was the best wedding any member of our family has put on» I will definitely be booking the venue again for future parties/​functions!
(Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, Ingo and Sandra were prepared to be our rain plan for the ceremony as well. My husband and I were married outside-​and were fortunate enough the have a gorgeous sunny day. We were assured though, that if necessary, Old Towne Hall would be set up for the ceremony before the reception.)
If you are looking for a wedding venue in Crystal Lake, IL, look no further!!!

I recently attended my daughter’s wedding here and I was quite pleased. I’m a chef with 40 years experiance and I’m also certified to teach sanitation. So, naturally, at any new place my first concern is the kitchen. My first sight was Ingo scrubbing everything, top to bottom. It was the cleanest kitchen I’ve ever seen (that wasn’t my own). And the food that came out of that kitchen. .. Well my daughter chose a buffet style dinner, but I’ve had plated dinners costing twice as much that weren’t half as good. I give Ingo and The Olde Town Hall my highest recommendation.

My wife and I could not have been happier with choosing Old Towne Hall as our venue. Ingo and Sandra were amazing to work with, and we couldn’t have done it without them! They worked with us every step of the way, and anticipated most of our questions and concerns with the professionalism of seasoned veterans to the wedding game.
The food that Ingo prepared was outstanding, even better than the tasting. They even surprised us with a late night snack near the end of the reception, which was a fantastic idea. Every one of the guests had nothing but stellar reviews on the food.
Sandra ran the rest of the staff, bartenders and servers. She was a godsend. There were a few minor problems that came up and were taken care of without my Wife and I even knowing about them. Because of her, we had a nearly stress free wedding day.
I will always remember the hard work and dedication to making our day special that each of them showed. They were the pinnacle of perfection, champions of champagne, executors of excellence! Words don’t do justice to the kind of work that they do.

I loved working with Old Towne Hall, and the managers, Ingo and Sandra. I had my wedding reception here in November 2014.
DECOR
The room is awesome, with tall ceilings and chandeliers, it is definitely a special venue. The bar is off in a cool, side room with lots of vintage details. Very 1920’s feel.
FOOD/​DRINK
Ingo is an amazing chef! He customized a menu made of great staples, and then added wonderful tasting flair. He also kept in mind some very strict dietary restrictions, and even made a special plate for my mom.
The tasting was a great event, with my parents, my then-​fiancé, and his parents all got to sit down at a beautifully set table for a full course meal. Ingo brought us all the options we discussed, and we tweaked the menu for the reception a little. We laughed, ate, drank, and it just set the mood for the reception two months early.
The pricing is incredibly reasonable, by far the best in McHenry County, and most likely in the Chicago-​land area. Everything is customized, no cookie-​cutter menus.
The meal the night of went perfectly– just as delicious, beautifully served, and the buffet line moved very well. We had Ingo make chocolate covered fruit to supplement our wedding cake, and the fruit was a huge hit.
An amazing aspect of OTH is that you can bring your own alcohol! It is by far the best cost saver, and our guests loved it. Sandra and Ingo even decorated a huge chalkboard with all of our drinks for the evening, which looked so cool.
SETUP
A great thing about OTH is being able to decorate pretty much however you like. I ordered colored tablecloths and napkins, and my bridal party came in and set up/​spent time together the day of the rehearsal dinner. Sandra was there the entire time to help and give advice. I was able to rent uplighting for a Chicago-​land vendor, and could set them up myself, which was a great cost saver. Sandra also had a great display of lantern’s as a focus point for the room as well. The DJ came on Saturday before the party, and had no problems setting up in a great spot.
TEAR DOWN
One thing I really hadn’t thought about while ordering my linens, and even setting them all up, was how was going to get all of my belongings back? Would I have to ask family to stay after the reception to gather up everything? Nope, for a small charge, OTH took care of collecting everything for me, including my uplights, cake stand, centerpieces, and linens, and had them waiting for my family to pick up the following Monday. It was great not to worry about it the night of.
The reception went off without a hitch, and Ingo and Sandra were so supportive through everything. I hardly noticed all the staff they were so efficient. The buffet went quickly and we had plenty of food!
Sandra is great, she knows so much about alterations (she can work on your dress!), that she managed to bustle my tulle ballgown, when I beat my bridesmaid (who knew how to bustle) to the hall and want to get out and greet guests.
I am very thankful I found Ingo, Sandra, and the Old Towne hall for my wedding, it was perfect and had everything I wanted. I would highly recommend working with them for any number of events, and will recommend their services to my friends/​family.

The Old Towne Hall is THE place to hold a wedding reception! My husband and I had been searching all over McHenry County for a venue to host both our wedding ceremony and the reception. After a few recommendations from friends, we met with Ingo and Sandra and knew in an instant that we had found THE place! The moment we stepped inside and took in the «Old Chicago» style décor, we fell in love! From the ornate ceilings, to the original chandeliers, it was amazing! The set-​up of the reception hall with full bar located in a separate room just off the hall, was just what we were looking for!
Ingo and Sandra were both so warm and gracious in spending time sharing ideas, photographs and suggestions for our big day — it was more than we ever expected! Being a chef by trade, Ingo had some fantastic ideas for the menu for a bride that was feeling MORE than overwhelmed in all of the planning for the upcoming event! Ingo also made the suggestion to have wine carafes and water (with fresh lemon slices) at each table with some light appetizers during the wedding ceremony. We elected to close down the bar during the ceremony and EVERY guest remarked on what a nice touch this was! No one had ever experienced this before and it was a big hit with our guests!
What’s more, I was SHOCKED and super excited to learn that while the bride and groom get to decorate the hall to whatever scale we would like… Ingo, Sandra & staff take down the decorations — leaving the happy couple to enjoy their first «morning» as husband and wife, instead of waking up early to get to the reception hall to take everything down! That is a HUGE perk that NO other venue in McHenry County had offered! Invaluable! We were able to sleep in, enjoy our «first» breakfast together and came by much later the next day to retrieve our décor which was all boxed up and ready for us! How amazing!
We brainstormed on decoration ideas and had everything set except for one, somewhat important spot within the hall. Sandra jumped right in with suggestions and pictures for an idea that turned out AWESOME!!! I had a crew of my girls ready the day before the wedding to decorate, help set-​up, etc. When we arrived at 8:00am in the morning, Sandra had already ironed ALL of the tablecloths, chair covers, napkins and chair sashes, had set it all up and was busily affixing the sashes to the chairs! She is amazing! I can’t believe all that she did in preparation for our big day before we even arrived to start the «set-​up»!!
Compared to most of the over-​priced venues in McHenry County (I won’t name names), when you consider the «basic» menu of services, food and drink that they offer, compared to the level of service, the incredible menu (all hand-​prepared by Ingo), the setting and the fact that you get to bring in your own alcohol… it’s astonishing that The Old Towne Hall is a fraction of what you would pay elsewhere!
We had such an incredible wedding experience with The Old Towne Hall and Ingo, Sandra and their staff that my husband recently arranged for my surprise 40^th birthay party to be held at OTH! Once again, Ingo and Sandra outdid themselves! The array of appetizers (complete with light and smoke display from underneath the trays) as well as the open bar and décor that Sandra put together was phenomenal! Ingo and Sandra even arranged for a pub crawl after the birthday party at OTH for me and my guests to continue the celebrations into the wee hours of the morning! It was an unforgettable night!
I would more than highly recommend the Old Towne Hall to ANYONE looking to host ANY event. Ingo and Sandra provide elegance, class, superior service and a personal touch at a MORE than affordable rate! Simply put, they are the best in town!!!

Ingo and Sandra are the greatest!
After touring a couple other places to hold our wedding reception, my fiancée and I had no doubt in our mind that Old Towne Hall was where we wanted our reception.
They pride themselves on being affordable, and that they are!
When you meet with Ingo and Sandra you are able to make your own menu. Ingo has been a chef at many area restaurants and is able to cook a great meal. You aren’t getting your standard «Chicken Marsala for $ 48.99/per plate» here at Old Towne Hall. Also, some places when you go for a tasting its a little bite of this… little bite of that. When you go for at tasting at Old Towne Hall, its a meal that could feed an army. You really get an idea of what he is able to provide.
Another bonus, is you are able to provide your own alcohol. This is a plus for a family that has beer snobs and would not be happy with the «premium package» at other venues that say Heineken and Corona are premium beers.
You receive so much more working with a hometown couple that is looking to give people the best wedding reception possible.
Anyone looking for a reception should meet with them and see what they could offer. Very personable and very easy to work with.
Can’t wait for the reception in September 2014!