The Venue CU Grand Opening
I had the privilege to help plan and execute the grand opening for a brand new venue in downtown Champaign called The Venue CU.
Vendor Team:
Event Coordinator - 618 EVENTS, Maggie
Venue- The Venue CU
Photographers- Holly Birch, Alisa Nicholle Co, Rebekah Albaugh
Florist- Watercan Designs
Rentals- I Do Events
Catering- Pan and Cake
Signage + Calligraphy- Apricity Ink
Plants- Plantify
Stage Rental- Herriotts
Dress- Michelle’s Bridal
DJ- Bugbee’s DJ Plus
It all started in the fall of 2019. Shawnae with Pan and Cake Catering, Dan with The Venue CU, and myself met at Bossa Nova to chat over coffee regarding Dan’s vision for their grand opening event. We brainstormed, we dreamed, we planned for summer 2020….and then of course it all came crumbling down due to COVID. Story of everyone’s life.
We had originally been planning for August 2020, when The Venue CU was set to open. We pushed it back to December 2020 but quickly realized that also was not going to work. We finally landed on April 2021 and said we’d hold this event regardless of how many people could attend. By that point, The Venue CU had actually already had several weddings and events. It was still a grand opening but continuing to push it wouldn’t have made any sense.
The purpose for this event was to show the public all the hard work and the transformation of the space. Those who have been in Champaign-Urbana for a while know what used to occupy the spaces, so the team was excited to show it off.
As guests entered they were invited to enjoy a glass of complimentary champagne while walking around and seeing everything The Venue CU has to offer. Complimentary apps were passed by Pan and Cake staff and drinks were available at the bar.
Miranda, the event planner at The Venue CU, had two main ideas for a head table display and ceremony display. It was AMAZING to see them come to life and they turned out beautiful!
The Venue CU offers many wonderful amenities such as an on-site bridal suite (complete with lots of mirrors and salon station for getting ready) and groom suite (complete with TV and gaming system). They have the capability for an on-site ceremony and cocktail hour. The owners are wedding and event DJs with decades of experience. Clients are not required to hire their DJ services, but why wouldn’t you! They also have a nice catering kitchen for an elevated dinner experience. Additionally, they are located in downtown Champaign just seconds from hotels, bars, and restaurants.
