They say you need to truly experience something before you can form an opinion. You can’t judge a restaurant just by looking at their Instagram and you won’t know how a dress fits until you try it on.

If that’s the case, why do we not use the same approach when it comes to wedding planning? We go to trade shows and bridal expos to pick out vendors but nothing beats experiencing the real thing.

Here to solve all bride-to-be’s problems is The Big Fake Wedding

A Glorious Entrance

The Big Fake Wedding is an immersive wedding experience that transports guests to the scene of a real-life wedding. Unlike a bridal expo where brides are left to wander from booth to booth, The Big Fake Wedding allows the bride to imagine their own dream wedding by creating a picture perfect scene.

The Chicago edition of the tour was held at the opulent Builders Building. It featured touches of vintage Victorian decor with marble accents and Roman columns. Perfect for the bride with refined taste.

When walking in, a tower of champagne and cocktails await at the entrance for guests. An elaborate display of BomboBar donuts is equally enticing. It definitely appealed to my sweet tooth and I couldn’t wait to have a taste.

Golden enlarged balloons form a welcome sign. By the way, these decadent sights all occurred with just 1 minute into the space. And this was only just a taste of what’s to come.

Welcome to the Ceremony

The main ballroom of the venue featured an array of tables that displayed centerpieces that ranged from the simple to the opulent. Chicago favorite Lil’ Epic Design decorated the scene and brides were able to sit wherever they found most suited to their taste.

A vintage cart featured an array of delectable jarred cakes from Sugar Path Bakery. The dessert table was incredibly enticing for guests as each bride-to-be carefully tucked cakes and sugar cookies away in their goodie bags. By the end of the night, there wasn’t a cake in sight.

As we nibble on our sweet bites we sip on our candy cocktails as we wait for the ceremony begin.

Renewing of the Vows

Audrey Austin of Audrey Austin Music kicks off the ceremony with Avé Maria. The bridal party walks in with elegant teal and blue patterned dresses from Brideside. The groomsmen arrive with tailored tuxedos that featured a similar color scheme.  The Cyanotype color palette seamlessly complimented the elaborate Lil’ Epic Design backdrop.  This became a highly photographed moment of the night.

Once the wedding party got situated, in walks the bride in a white strapless gown. As we briefly learn about the bride and groom, we soon learn the fun fact that we would witness a real vow-renewal ceremony. There was even a priest present to officiate. Guess, the wedding wasn’t so fake after all.

The bride and groom exchanged vows, and oddly-enough you almost forgot you were at a fake wedding. Like the real thing, it was still heart warming to watch a couple profess their love for one another.

The Big Fake Wedding Experience

Next up was the decadent meal that awaited guests for the reception. True to a wedding experience, you can’t leave your guests hungry. We walk upstairs the elegant stairway and what awaits are the most delectable dishes from Dine Amic Group and Prime &  Provisions.

Dine Amic Catering had one of their première chef’s prepare the dish live. The aromas were so enticing that the line wrapped around the venue. After waiting in line for about 15 minutes, I can assure you that it was well worth the wait. I’m actually wishing I got seconds since there were many in line who didn’t mind getting their fair share of this tasty dish.

On the other side of the hall were the perfectly tender steak of Prime & Provision. For those who wanted to savor their signature taste, bottles of spice were given out as takeaways.

The corridor also featured various bridal vendors for jewelry, bridal gowns and decor. One of my favorite stations were the Rosé gummy bears at Brideside and the succulent plants from Elena’s Garden Events. Brideside had outfitted the bridal party and they had an equally charming selection of gowns available for view.

Chicago party favorite Paris312 were on hand were their lively confetti poppers. Their larger than life balloons decorated the space and created a lovely photo opp for guests.

Dance Party

The night ended with a lively dance party complete with the lively and energetic Bluewater Kings Band. Attendees rushed to the dance floor along with the bride & groom and danced the night away to popular Top 40 hits.

I think at this point we completely forgot we crashed the wedding of strangers and it was totally fine.

There was great food, dancing, beautiful decor and great takeaways to commemorate the experience. The perfect recipe for a great event.

I think when it’s time for me to prepare to walk down the aisle I’m definitely adding “The Big Fake Wedding” to my calendar.

Check out The Big Fake Wedding to find out what city they’ll be popping in next!