Whispering Woods Events
Raw space venue
The venue will provide just the space. You’ll bring in your own caterer and vendors.
Full wedding (ceremony and reception) pricing
Starting at $15,500 for off-peak dates, and $17,500 for peak dates
Packages
Prices start at $15,500
Catering services pricing
$1 per person for off-peak dates, with a minimum total spend of $1
Guest capacity
Up to 265 seated guests
About this venue
Whispering Woods is a private weekend estate just south of Lake Geneva Wi, in Harvard, IL · forty acres of ponds, woods, and a hand-built barn, one wedding at a time Friday through Sunday. When the gate closes, the weekend is yours: early access Friday, rehearsal dinner in the barn, vows in multiple outdoor settings Saturday, reception in our 5,000 sq ft climate-controlled hall, and Sunday morning without a rush. Chalet and ready suites on-site; Something Borrowed décor included. Minutes south of Lake Geneva · easy from Chicago's northwest suburbs, Milwaukee, and Rockford. Flat $17,900 bundled Fri–Sun buyout · transparent pricing, no surprise fees. Your DJ, photographer, caterer, and bar welcome. Private tours Thursday and Sunday afternoons. Reply with your month, guest count, and which Thursday or Sunday works best · we'll walk the grounds and show you where you might say your vows. Knot 5.0 (63+ reviews) · Google 4.9 · Best of Weddings · 14+ years · The Whispering Woods Family
Our event spaces
The Banquet Hall
Your reception in a 5,000 sq ft hall with windows on the grounds you married on · climate-controlled · tables included · dance until midnight.
Forty acres of ponds, woods, and lawn stay in view while you dine and dance. Tables and chairs with setup included; wet bar ante-room for your bar team. Your caterer, your DJ, your timeline. Ready suites steps away. One wedding per weekend · dance until midnight on your private Fri–Sun estate. Reply to schedule a Thursday or Sunday afternoon tour and stand where your tables might be.
Guest capacity
Up to 250 Seated
Up to 280 Standing
Square footage
5,000
Ideal for
Wedding reception, Cocktail hour, Other
Guests often feel this space is
“Warm and cozy”
Room cost
Included in total venue pricing
Hand-built Barn
Hand-built barn · warm timber, stunning semi-outdoor light · rehearsal dinners, welcome parties & one-day events on forty private acres.
Hand-built timber barn with soaring ceiling and soft natural light — stunning semi-outdoor feel without the weather gamble. Perfect for an intimate rehearsal dinner, welcome party, or single-day celebration when you want everyone in one room. Tables and chairs with setup, estate views through the doors, ponds and woods steps away. A one-of-a-kind space on a private Harvard estate. Reply to schedule a Thursday or Sunday tour and stand where your Friday gathering might unfold.
Guest capacity
Up to 200 Seated
Up to 220 Standing
Square footage
3,000
Ideal for
Rehearsal dinner, Engagement party, Other
Guests often feel this space is
“Surprised and delighted”
Room cost
Included in total venue pricing
Chalet
Stay on your weekend · rustic chalet on forty acres · Fri & Sat nights · Friday welcome · wedding night · Sunday coffee by the ponds.
The chalet is where your Fri–Sun weekend feels like a retreat, not a venue handoff. Steps from the banquet hall warm timber, dual fireplace, room for a Friday gathering with your people, a calm place to get ready Saturday, and the walk from the last dance straight into your wedding night. Wake Sunday with coffee while the ponds and woods come alive. Part of your private estate buyout. Reply to schedule a Thursday or Sunday afternoon tour and walk through where you would unpack, reset, and stay.
Guest capacity
Up to 20 Seated
Up to 30 Standing
Square footage
2,000
Ideal for
Wedding shower, Elopement, Other
Guests often feel this space is
“Warm and cozy”
Room cost
Included in total venue pricing
The Banquet Hall
Your reception in a 5,000 sq ft hall with windows on the grounds you married on · climate-controlled · tables included · dance until midnight.
Forty acres of ponds, woods, and lawn stay in view while you dine and dance. Tables and chairs with setup included; wet bar ante-room for your bar team. Your caterer, your DJ, your timeline. Ready suites steps away. One wedding per weekend · dance until midnight on your private Fri–Sun estate. Reply to schedule a Thursday or Sunday afternoon tour and stand where your tables might be.
Guest capacity
Up to 250 Seated
Up to 280 Standing
Square footage
5,000
Ideal for
Wedding reception, Cocktail hour, Other
Guests often feel this space is
“Warm and cozy”
Room cost
Included in total venue pricing
Hand-built Barn
Hand-built barn · warm timber, stunning semi-outdoor light · rehearsal dinners, welcome parties & one-day events on forty private acres.
Hand-built timber barn with soaring ceiling and soft natural light — stunning semi-outdoor feel without the weather gamble. Perfect for an intimate rehearsal dinner, welcome party, or single-day celebration when you want everyone in one room. Tables and chairs with setup, estate views through the doors, ponds and woods steps away. A one-of-a-kind space on a private Harvard estate. Reply to schedule a Thursday or Sunday tour and stand where your Friday gathering might unfold.
Guest capacity
Up to 200 Seated
Up to 220 Standing
Square footage
3,000
Ideal for
Rehearsal dinner, Engagement party, Other
Guests often feel this space is
“Surprised and delighted”
Room cost
Included in total venue pricing
Chalet
Stay on your weekend · rustic chalet on forty acres · Fri & Sat nights · Friday welcome · wedding night · Sunday coffee by the ponds.
The chalet is where your Fri–Sun weekend feels like a retreat, not a venue handoff. Steps from the banquet hall warm timber, dual fireplace, room for a Friday gathering with your people, a calm place to get ready Saturday, and the walk from the last dance straight into your wedding night. Wake Sunday with coffee while the ponds and woods come alive. Part of your private estate buyout. Reply to schedule a Thursday or Sunday afternoon tour and walk through where you would unpack, reset, and stay.
Guest capacity
Up to 20 Seated
Up to 30 Standing
Square footage
2,000
Ideal for
Wedding shower, Elopement, Other
Guests often feel this space is
“Warm and cozy”
Room cost
Included in total venue pricing
Whispering Woods Events packages
Weekend Wedding Buyout
2-280 guests
Peak pricing $17,900
Off-peak pricing $15,500
From Friday morning to Sunday afternoon, our entire 40-acre estate is exclusively yours. Host your rehearsal dinner under the pines, celebrate all day Saturday without a ticking clock, and enjoy a peaceful Sunday departure. Includes full access to the Great Hall, historic timber barn, cocktail bar, two-story getting-ready suites, decor closet, and two nights in the private Chalet—giving you an unhurried, retreat-style celebration with the people you love most.
- 40 Acres of Private Estate Access
- Multiple Picture-Perfect Ceremony Locations
- Two-Night Chalet Stay
- Experienced Support & Day-of Coordination
- Dedicated Bridal Salon & Groom’s Den
- “Something Borrowed” Decor Closet
- Total Vendor Freedom
- Tables, Chairs & Setup
- Climate-Controlled Reception Space
- Stress-Free Rain Backup
- Engagement Shoot Location
Available services that can be provided by Whispering Woods Events
Services & amenities
- Clean up
- Dance floor
- Dressing room / Bridal Suite
- Event staff
- On-site accommodations
- Pet friendly
- Set up
- Wheelchair accessible
Transportation & access
- Self parking - free
- Wheelchair accessible
Accommodations
- Honeymoon suite
Reviews
Write a review5.0 out of 5
21 reviews
- CM
Colin Miller
Surrounded by small towns and farmland is Whispering Woods, a wide-open yet secluded wooded area where every backdrop is the setting of a beautiful memory. WW offers plenty of ways to make the environment your own, from lush, tree-lined grounds and expansive ponds/mini-lakes to well-appointed interior spaces and a vast collection of decorations that will surely shorten your shopping list significantly. Words and even photos do not do justice to how breathtaking the property is, you just have to see it. What made our experience every bit as smooth as it was unforgettable, though, was the effort, care, and professionalism demonstrated by Bear & Kimber (the owners), and their staff operating seamlessly behind the scenes to ensure everything was exactly where it needed to be at the right time, all with a warm and accommodating attitude throughout the weekend and beyond. They made it easy to show up, enjoy ourselves, and leave our worries at the front gate to experience the wedding of our dreams, going out of their way to help us in any manner we needed. Five stars isn't nearly enough to recognize this exceptional couple and their gorgeous space.
- HL
Hyunjung “HJ” Lee
Beautiful venue and made our planning very easy with how great the communication was. Bear and his wife Kimber are literally the best. They were essentially our day of coordinators and made sure everything moved smoothly the day of and preparing the day before. My husband and I cannot have asked for a better experience with Whispering Woods. Beautiful property, fun getting ready space, and amazing picture perfect opportunity for our guests!👏🏼🙌🏼
- CP
Chris Padar
Fantastic venue. A little tricky to find but worth the drive.
- JM
Joe Matousek
I just got married here yesterday. It was perfect in every way possible. I couldn’t recommend this venue more. The most beautiful place you could ever imagine to have a wedding at and excellent fishing. Bear and Kimber and the staff were as helpful and easy to work with as you could ever hope for. I would give this 10 starts if Google would let me.
- DG
David Gorman
I cannot recommend highly enough how nice a venue and how helpful they were to make my son's wedding a great day. We enjoyed good weather, and the guests all explored the grounds during the reception, as it was so nice.
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Complete your dream team
- Harvard Photographers
- Harvard Beauty Professionals
- Harvard Bands & DJs
- Harvard Florists
- Harvard Caterers
- Harvard Planners
- Harvard Cakes & Desserts
- Harvard Videographers
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