By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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- See video inside the space here or embedded below.
ROCKFORD — About a quarter century ago Angie and Jay Maggio celebrated their wedding inside the Clock Tower Resort.
This year, their daughter will celebrate her wedding in the same location, albeit a different venue.
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Gina Maggio and Thomas Ballweg will be the first couple to celebrate their wedding inside the future Hard Rock Live, the 1,600-seat concert and entertainment venue that doubles as a banquet hall and event space at the future casino. The attraction is being built on the site of the former Clock Tower, a resort that operated for about 50 years and was recognized by its 100-foot tall grandfather clock.
“We couldn’t be more grateful to have this space and remember this day for the rest of our lives,” Gina Maggio said Saturday as she and her fiancé got their first look inside the more than 13,000-square-foot event space.
Maggio and Ballweg’s tour of their future wedding space provided an opportunity to show off an early look inside the casino building, which has been under construction since September 2022. Ringland-Johnson Construction, which is leading the project, has completed the majority of the exterior of the facility. The interior is largely in skeletal stages now, but Hard Rock says it’s on track to open by Labor Day this year.
Hard Rock Live is primarily a concert venue, but it has motorized retractable stadium seating to make way for banquets and other events. Tables for about 600 to 800 people can be set for conferences, weddings and other events.
“It can be whatever anyone wants it to be,” said Lorie Moran, director of food and beverage at Hard Rock Rockford Casino. “We’re here to make dreams come true.”
The future 180,000-square-foot Hard Rock will have 65,000 square feet of casino space covered with 1,300 slot machines and 44 live table games including six poker tables and a sports book.
Maggio, a hair stylist, and Ballweg, a civil engineer, met about two years ago at his cousin’s wedding and hit it off on the dance floor. She added him on social media that night and they’ve been together ever since. He proposed in August on the beach in Destin, Florida. They’re scheduled to marry on Sept 21.
Maggio said they have a large family and needed the big space the Hard Rock Live provides. They’re expecting about 500 people.
“It’s huge and we’re just so grateful to have this space, and we’re so grateful to be the first wedding here,” she said.
Booking | Hard Rock Live
If you’re interested in booking Hard Rock Live for an event, email party@hrcrockford.com.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas