I am from the Chicago area and have heard OF them but never had an experience with them. I would recommend you or her posting on the local Chicago board on the knot. All the girls there have been extremely helpful to me thus far - nothing like most of the boards there!
I went to 2 weddings there.... one of them I was a BM just this past October. The Abbington is fabulous! The food is wonderful, the place is beautiful.... I would highly recommend it!
I am from Chicago, and have had a few brides host weddings there. In my professional opinion, any venue is subject to personal opinion. Some brides love the banquet hall feel of a wedding, while other prefer a more intimate location.
I know for a fact that the Abbington hosts a number of weddings per night. This means that the bride could run the risk of bumping into other brides...I know some brides (by some, I mean most) wouldn''t care, but other brides that love the feeling of owning the day exclusively and wouldn''t want to see another bride--period. If you''re looking for a lovely venue in or around Glen Ellyn that is beautiful, intimate and outstanding--contact the Morton Arboretum. However, make sure there are no concerts on the day of the wedding
The food is average considering the ammount of wedding put on by them in one evening. I would suggest paying very close attention at the tasting, if she opts for the Abbington. If she is looking for great, amazing, delicious food...I would suggest The Lisle/Naperville Hilton. Although very pricey...the food is out of the world--beyond good!
Service is also a personal thing. Keep in mind, again, the sheer volume of weddings put on there in one evening...the personal, one on one attention isn''t going to be the same. While she will of course get attention from the staff...they also have 3 maybe 4 other brides/weddings who each want premium attention too!