Earlier this year I received an inquiry through my website stating there was a new venue in downtown Champaign that I should come check out. When I hear the words “new” and “venue” next to each other I get SO PUMPED.

Carmon’s is a restored trolley barn located just north of downtown Champaign off Neil St. The owner has been restoring the urban space for several years and was finally ready to show off his new venue.

Carmon’s is a 10,000 sq ft restored modern urban venue with exposed brick and beautiful windows. The owner wanted the space to be conducive to events so he added sound absorbent material under the gorgeous wood paneled ceiling. He also wants clients to be able to host their ceremony on-site for a seamless transition into cocktail hour and the reception. He built XL planter boxes for unique space dividers. He also built custom wood tables for your guests to sit at.

The owner is not familiar with the event industry so it’s been a lot of fun helping him navigate the new industry and nail down his niche.

Amanda with Inspire Your and I had the privilege of planning a small scale styled shoot for Carmon’s in order to generate some content for them to show potential clients. We wanted to keep it simple since it is the middle of peak wedding season and we didn’t want to inconvenience our wonderful vendors. Amanda had the idea of doing two completely different designs/looks. We hired two different vendor teams for each to spread the wealth.

Look 1 had boho and moody vibes with colored candle sticks and glassware, square china, and macrame runners.

Vendor Team

Event Coordinators - 618 EVENTS, Maggie; Inspire Your, Amanda
Photos- Good Photography Co
Floral- Flowers by Kristine
Cake- Cake Artist Studio
Tables- Carmon’s
Rentals (tableware, chairs, linens, candlestick holders, etc)- Create A Scene & Peoria Rentals