KCR_Kendall County Magazine_Weddings 013025 by Shaw Media

Passion for the Pursuit

Photographer captures authentic and natural moments page 10

Wedding Venues

Kendall County + Surrounding Areas page 4

The Traveling Chef offers a distinct wedding experience page 7

Kendall County + Surrounding Areas

Wedding Venues

Choose a local venue for a magical and economical wedding celebration. Check out these options in Kendall County and the surrounding areas and find the aesthetic that best fits your style.

Ashley Farm Weddings

Address: 9111Ashley Road, Yorkville Capacity: 250

Phone: 630-277-1088

Online: ashleyfarmweddings.com and Facebook

Features: Host your reception in the rustic barn with elegant chandelier lighting and spaces for an outdoor ceremony, inlcuding areas for each bridal party to prepare for the day.

BrighterDaze Farm

Address: 10978 Crimmin Road, Newark

Capacity: 280

Phone: 630-774-0042

Online: brighterdazefarm.com and Facebook, Instagram

Features: The family farm has become a destination for weddings with 50 acres of land and an elegant barn space.

Ellis House and Equestrian Center

Address: 13986 McKanna Road, Minooka Capacity: 200

Phone: 815-475-4035

Online: kendallforest.com

Features: With an event tent available May through October, host your special day on the beautiful grounds. For a more intimate wedding, use the house with a capacity for 40 guests.

Harvest Moon Barn

Address: 14905 Hughes Road, Newark

Capacity: 250

Phone: 630-768-5128

Online: Facebook

Features: Rustic barn provides simple, country location for a wedding and other special events.

Heritage Farm Banquets

Address: 5438 Schlapp Road, Oswego

Capacity: 250

Phone: 630-405-3117

Online: heritagefarmbanquet.com and Facebook, Instagram

Features: This destination features the beauty of the countryside with easy access for guests coming from throughout the region.

Northfork Farm Weddings

Address: 1998 Johnson Road, Oswego

Capacity: 315

Phone: 815-768-5400

Online: nforkfarm.com and Facebook, Instagram

Features: This family farm invites couples to wed on their property with options for a ceremony only as well as ceremony and reception. In addition to serving as a wedding site, the location is used to raise and training horses.

Sable Creek Homestead

Address: 4405 Van Dyke Road, Minooka

Capacity: 200

Phone: 630-809-8772

Online: sablecreekhomestead.com

Features: Includes a restored barn from the 1930s fitted with modern amenities, a creek and an acre of wildflowers.

The Homestead 1854

Address: 611 E. Main St., Plano

Capacity: 125 outdoors; 50 indoors

Phone: 630-552-4322

Online: thehomestead1854.com and Facebook, Instagram

Features: The restored property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is known for its charming, historic architecture.

The Venue at Kendall County Fairgrounds

Address: 10826 Route 71, Yorkville

Capacity: 450

Phone: 630-708-8827

Online: thevenueatkcf.com/wedding and Facebook, Instagram

Features: The fairgrounds has two indoor spaces, The Hall and the Gallery, available for use and a large, covered pavilion.

Venue 5126 * featured on our cover!

Address: 5126 Stephens Road, Oswego

Capacity: 250

Phone: 630-554-7100

Online: venue5126.com and Facebook, Instagram

Features: Includes seven acres of farmland and a renovated barn. Rental boutique provides couples with access to items for their special day.

White Tail Ridge Golf Course

Address: 7671 Clubhouse Drive, Yorkville

Capacity: 350

Phone: 630-882-8988

Online: whitetailridgegc.com

Features: Beautiful banquet space overlooking the greens.

Chef offers distinct wedding experience

By Melissa Rubalcaba Riske

He’s crafted a plated dinner for 300, prepared multi-course meals for 12, and designed day-after wedding brunches that are delicious and elegant. No two menus are the same for professional personal chef Jonathan Hinds.

Hinds created The Traveling Chef, in pursuit of his passion for culinary creations. While catering services prepare dishes and bring food to a venue, a personal chef like Hinds will prepare foods onsite. He has managed kitchens inside venues and has taken over a client’s kitchen to craft meals.

As a personal chef, Hinds can play with menus for his clients, from crafting 12-foot-long charcuterie boards for a large party’s cocktail hour to multi-course meals that engage the senses.

“Color, texture can shape the dining experience. It adds to the overall experiences,” Hinds explained.

For a personal chef, every ingredient matters. Hinds takes pride in working to provide his clients with meals that delight and excite them. Dietary restrictions are not an issue for a personal chef. “Every menu is 100 percent customized,” Hinds added.

Photos provided by Jonathan Hinds

This service and high-quality food isn’t inexpensive, Hinds explains. One of the ways families have capitalized on his culinary expertise is hiring him to prepare day-after wedding brunches. Hinds steps into the home of one of the parents or close relatives of the bridal couple and prepares delicious brunch fare, with options such as made-to-order omelets, yogurt bars, and waffle bars.

“That is really popular,” he said.

The day-after wedding brunch allows the couple and close relatives to connect in a more intimate setting. While the wedding day can be busy and filled with much to do, the day-after celebration is a more lowkey event where guests can catch up over mimosas and omelets. Having a personal chef allows the hosts to enjoy their event, rather than be tied up in the kitchen with food prep and cleanup.

“When I’m working in a client’s home, I can feel the energy in the room,” he said.

For Hinds, the quality of the meal is as important as the production and the ability for his clients to enjoy the company of their guests, whether hosting a couple and relatives or even high-profile celebrity guests.

Oftentimes, Hinds says, by the end of the meal, his client’s kitchen is often even more pristine than when he started.

“I want them to spend time with their family and this is their time to spend time and come together as a family,” he said.

Hinds has more than 20 years of fine dining experience under his belt. His love of math led him to study engineering, but he was pulled to pursue culinary arts, working with a professional chef. He credits tremendous support from his first clients, who helped him along his culinary journey and helped drive his business.

True to his name, he does quite a bit of travel for his clients, whether he’s preparing for an event in Yorkville or Naperville and throughout northern Illinois. Hinds said he averages around 150 events a year with a high percentage of repeat clients. He’s earned accolades including Best of the Fox.

Passion for the Pursuit Photographer captures authentic and natural moments

By Melissa Rubalcaba Riske | Imagery by Joy Phillips

With 19 years of experience shooting wedding photos, Kendall County resident Joy Phillips has seen plenty of changes, from film to digital, the rise of rustic elegance, and the return to classic photos. What hasn’t changed is her passion for the pursuit.

“I love it. I really do still love it,” Phillips said.

Behind the business of Joy Lyn Photography and behind her camera, she sets her focus on capturing a couple’s special day. For Phillips, it’s more than the wedding day, as she said it’s important to understand the couple’s style and expectations. “I am capturing their authentic, natural moments,” she said.

Phillips describes her style as more in line with photojournalism, catching moments that are natural as they unfold. She’s happy to balance this style with making sure she takes photos of the couple with their family and friends.

“It’s a balance of giving directions and capturing the natural moments as they unfold,” she said.

Phillips said understanding the photographer and their style is important for every couple to make sure the final images meet everyone’s expectations. Her advice for couples, as they review photographers, is to review their work and take the time to talk with them about their style and manner.

“I try to be very consistent in how I shoot,” Phillips said. “You want to see their work and see the same style of editing.”

Cost and the wedding budget are factors as well, but Phillips cautions couples to make sure they understand what they want and what they will receive from their photographer.

“It’s important couples educate themselves on what photographers cost,” she advised, adding that it’s more than just one day of work. From the prewedding preparations to engagement photos and to the post-wedding editing which can take at minimum several days.

One helpful way to find a photographer that also understands your venue is to see if there is a preferred list of vendors. Phillips said she has been honored to be listed with locations, such as The Rookery in Chicago. “I love that venue. It’s very iconic, classic architecture,” Phillips said.

Downtown Chicago or in the suburbs, Phillips said couples should find out

if their photographer is at ease with their location and if there are additional costs for travel. Phillips said she is as comfortable taking photos in The Rookery’s spiral staircase as she is next to a cornfield at sunset. She’s had couples who reside in Chicago but marry in Kendall County and enjoy the beauty of both locations, using Chicago for their engagement portraits and marrying in a rustic location near their hometown.

Ask if the photographer is insured, Phillips said, adding that when a photographer doesn’t have insurance it’s a red flag. From insuring gear to taking the time to insure against accidents, editing and more, a good photographer will take the extra step to protect their work and themselves, she said.

Also, know the photographer’s backup plan. Illness, car breakdowns and life can all occur, and she said it’s important a couple know their photographer’s backup plan for the ‘What ifs’ that can occur.

“Emergencies happen, but that doesn’t mean things stop, I’m still responsible for getting someone in my place,” she said.

And it may seem like a small touch, but Phillips said she takes extra steps to really understand her couple and their families. When she’s taking the large family photo, she wants to call out to grandma by name, demonstrating a sense of reverence and inclusion.

“To call them by name is to let them know they are being seen and they are known,” Phillips said. “I spend time beforehand memorizing family and wedding party names. For me, that is part of the personal touch. We’re taking pictures because we want to have a legacy.”

Travel Professionals

Craft Memorable Honeymoons

By Melissa Rubalcaba Riske

Hiking waterfalls in Hawaii, sipping Chianti in an Italian vineyard or lying on a beach next to crystal blue can all be great ideas for a honeymoon. Knowing which travel style is best, the costs and how to make it all come together is best left for the professionals.

For 40 years, Cara Purcell Behrens at Travel Services of Yorkville has been helping people make the most of their vacations, honeymoons and destination weddings. She and her team of travel professionals love helping individuals, couples and families discover the world and make the most of their vacations.

In a world where one can book hotels and flights with their phone, there are still plenty of good reasons to utilize a travel professional. For one, the service is free. Second, travel professionals can access some of the best rates, and with status as a preferred vendor, they can sometimes access reduced rates not available in online searches.

The depth of knowledge goes beyond rates and flight costs. “We travel all the time. We know all the ins and outs,” Behrens said.

Behrens and her team know destinations, climate, and costs. While their title is travel professional, Behrens said the heart of the business is understanding the clients and their travel expectations. Are they seeking adventure, relaxation, or maybe a bit of both? How much time are they allotting to travel, and what is the budget?

More couples are choosing delayed honeymoons, opting to wait a week or even several months after the wedding to enjoy their honeymoons. From a client who is a teacher, choosing to delay the honeymoon to have more time to travel to a couple that marked their first anniversary with their honeymoon.

“Your honeymoon is a special time in your life, and you want to be able to enjoy it. Delayed honeymoons are quite popular,” Behrens said.

With any trip, there’s a budget and Behrens said she and her team can help individuals navigate the costs, whether it’s setting up a bridal registry where guests can contribute to the couple’s honeymoon to planning a trip that fits makes the best use of the travel dollars available.

Often a couple will have differing ideas of a honeymoon. One may be looking for relaxation while the other seeks adventure. One might like the idea of an all-inclusive and the other is ready to explore new areas. Behrens said it’s important to meet and help the clients explore their interests and find the right travel destination, often one they may not have considered, thanks to their travel knowledge and experiences.

“I love to do research and education. We can prepare our clients so they know exactly what to expect,” she said. “It’s a fun business.”

A travel professional can assist whether clients are seeking guided travel with itineraries and schedules, private guides, independent travel, or a combination of schedules and independence. It’s all a matter of the travelers’ preferences and destinations.

“It’s a very personal service,” Behrens said. “We treat our clients as we would want to be treated. Service is very important, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

A love of travel is how Behrens found her way into the family business. From a young age, she said her parents loved to take her and her siblings on flights to new destinations. Her love for travel continues to propel her to new destinations, whether it’s untapped locations in Europe or her 2025 trip to Iceland.

Travel professionals can help couples with destination weddings. Behrens said in her office Linda Friedman is the go-to for destination weddings and helping couples.

“There’s a lot that goes into a destination wedding and we can help narrow down destinations and resorts,” Behrens said, adding that once plans are set, her team can also help those traveling to the wedding with their bookings for rooms and flights, making sure they arrive to the correct destination.

She cautions a destination wedding takes time to plan and it’s not necessarily a less expensive wedding option, but using a travel professional can help piece it together and ensure the couple’s plans come to fruition. “There’s a lot we can take care of,” Behrens said.

If there’s one essential piece of travel advice, Behrens said it’s to purchase travel insurance. It’s the best way to protect the investment in the trip. “I practice what I preach,” she said. “I’d rather try to re-do than lose all my money.”

Another benefit to travel professionals is the service isn’t just about planning. If there are delayed or canceled flights, or issues that arise during the trip Behrens and her team are available to help clients navigate and find solutions.

This year marks Travel Services of Yorkville’s 40th anniversary, and while Behrens has seen tremendous changes in the travel industry, she still loves the people who walk through the door of her agency’s office in Yorkville as they plan celebrations, anniversaries, birthdays, honeymoons and weddings.

“You meet a lot of really neat people,” she said.

Behrens loves to travel, making time to explore cultures through history, art, and food. “A good travel agency is something you should have, whether you’re are planning a honeymoon or just love to travel.”