Calling all Chicago (and Chicago-adjacent) brides! If you’re preparing to say “I do,” you’ve come to the right place. Finding a Chicago wedding venue is one of the first things you should cross off of your planning to-do list, and in a big city like Chicago, the search can be overwhelming in the beginning. If you don’t know where to start, or simply want a few different options, we’re here to help.
We’ve rounded up our favorite windy city venues, from a renovated firehouse to a planetarium right on Lake Michigan. Whether you’re looking for a blank space to make your own or a venue that comes with built-in charm, you’re sure to find your dream spot below.
Room 1520
Address: 1520 W Fulton, Chicago, IL 60607
Price Range: $$$
Why We Love It: For starters, the location. Room 1520 resides in the heart of the artistic West Loop neighborhood. The venue itself features high ceilings, polished cement floors, portrait windows, and exposed brick, and more — meaning you can get away with doing nothing in terms of decor, or use it as a blank slate for any wedding theme.
Also Read: The most gorgeous bridesmaid hairstyles you can actually do yourself
Read our Wedding Venue Review (with pricing info) here.
Firehouse Chicago
Address: 1545 W Rosemont Avenue, Chicago, IL 60660
Price Range: $$
Why We Love It: This venue has an authentic charm that can’t be replicated. The building’s owners have maintained its original features from when it was an actual firehouse through renovations, and today it makes for the perfect space for intimate and cozy weddings
Read our Wedding Venue Review (with pricing info) here.
Waldorf Astoria Chicago
Address: 11 E Walton St, Chicago, IL 60611
Price Range: $$$
Why We Love It: You get an entire floor for your wedding, with a variety of spaces like a ballroom and three different salons. In the warmer months, you can also have your ceremony in the hotel’s cobblestone courtyard. The best part? You and your guests can stay on-site, and in some of the largest city hotel rooms we’ve ever seen.
Read our Wedding Venue Review (with pricing info) here.
Go to Waldorfastoriachicagohotel.com
Skyline Loft
Address: 1200 West 35th Street, Chicago, IL 60609
Price Range: $$$
Why We Love It: The views of the Chicago skyline. At 18,000 sq. feet, this loft is also huge, meaning you can divide the space into different sections for your ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, and dancing.
Read our Wedding Venue Review (with pricing info) here.
University Club
Address: 76 E Monroe St, Chicago, IL 60603
Price Range: $$
Why We Love It: The stunning exterior and interior. Guests can even roam through different parts of the building, which features a library, a Cathedral Hall with stained-glass windows and wood-paneled walls, a pool, squash court, and more.
Read our Wedding Venue Review (with pricing info) here.
The Newberry Library
Address: 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL 60610
Price Range: $$$
Why We Love It: The library is located directly across the street from Washington Square Park, where many couples choose to have their ceremony. However, couples can hold both their ceremony and reception in the library with no additional cost as long as it fits into the contracted window of time. The biggest bonus? You can bring your own alcohol.
Read our Wedding Venue Review (with pricing info) here.
Café Brauer
Address: 2021 N Stockton Dr, Chicago, IL 60614
Price Range: $$$
Why We Love It: Not only does this historical venue have a great mix of inside and outside space along with a beautiful, stained-glass ballroom, but the location can’t be beat. Café Brauer resides in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago, and there are a ton of hotel options nearby which makes it ultra convenient for you and guests.
Read our Wedding Venue Review (with pricing info) here.
Chicago History Museum
Address: 1601 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614
Price Range: $$$
Why We Love It: As Chicago’s oldest cultural institution, the museum is iconic. Having that kind of history, along with a unique layout and a ton of space — which won’t require much decor at all — is rare, especially for a city as big as Chicago.
Read our Wedding Venue Review (with pricing info) here.
Loyola University Chicago
Address: 6453 N Kenmore Ave, Chicago, IL 60660
Price Range: $$
Why We Love It: The price, which is even lower during off-season months with a 20 percent discount. There’s also a number of different reception venue options.
Read our Wedding Venue Review (with pricing info) here.
Adler Planetarium
Address: 1300 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605
Price Range: $$$
Why We Love It: The outside space. There’s a terrace right on Lake Michigan, offering perfect views of the Chicago skyline. But don’t worry, if the weather isn’t cooperating, you can still see for miles in the Skyline Solarium.
Read our Wedding Venue Review (with pricing info) here.
Loft on Lake
Address: 1366 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60607
Price Range: $$$
Why We Love It: A loft space with wood trim, chandeliers, and exposed brick, this venue can be configured in a variety of ways. In addition to being flexible, you can also BYOB.
Read our Wedding Venue Review (with pricing info) here.
The Crystal Gardens Navy Pier
Address: 700 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
Price Range: $$$
Why We Love It: There’s no rental fee, just a food and beverage minimum. The venue’s natural aesthetic — the result of 50-foot arched ceilings that hold over 80 live palm trees, lush foliage, hanging twinkle lights, and dancing leapfrog fountains — is probably the best part, though.
Read our Wedding Venue Review (with pricing info) here.
Go to Crystalgardensevents.com
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