Planning your wedding can be very difficult if you don’t know where to start. Once you have decided your priorities for the wedding and created your budget based off of this blog post, it is time to start the fun stuff and get your venue settled! If you’ve been to a bunch of weddings and want something a little more personal and unique, it can be hard to find something that isn’t your typical ballroom. These are some of my favorite venues that have a more personal, unique touch that will really wow your guests.

Photo from website, Photography: Elizabeth Greve Photography

1. Greenhouse Loft

I love the way Greenhouse Loft looks and feels if you’re looking for a modern, interesting venue with lots of floor-length windows! You can have your ceremony in this main room and then flip the room while you’re in their separate space for cocktail hour, but there also is an outdoor patio that you can have your ceremony at if you’re set on that. This space is meant for about 150-175 guests for your classic wedding and it is a beautiful place to have your guests celebrate your love in Chicago.

2. Lacuna Lofts

Lacuna Lofts is one of my favorite, unique venues in Chicago for sure! There are multiple different venues inside that have a lofty feel, but with all of the art pieces and murals throughout the building it really will intrigue your guests and give them a space they won’t forget. La Galleria upstairs can hold 150 people and the space photographed, Reverie Gallery, can hold 350 people so any guest size can be accommodated and each of them come with a wedding suite for you to put your things. My favorite part is their SkyDeck on the roof - there is a perfect view of the Chicago city skyline that really shows off the beautiful city we are in, and if the weather is nice you can have your cocktail hour or ceremony up there! Their in-house caterer also was fantastic when we were there too, which is always a huge plus! From the beautiful SkyDeck to their iconic “I Love You” mural or their painted, life-size rhinos, you definitely will have a blast in this space and with the experiences we have had here, I highly recommend it.

3. The Arbory

The Arbory is a perfect blend of modern, rustic, and lofty where it can really fit with any couples’ visions. The space is for about 180 people and I personally love the plants that are on the wall shown here and also the plant wall that is perfect for photos when you enter the space. You can have your ceremony in the dancing area, which is something that I have grown to really love about a space to separate the dinner and the dancing. This gives your guests an opportunity to be away from the music and mingle, but the dance floor with a disco ball they can provide truly has some of the most magic I have ever seen out there! The Arbory is also home to one of the cutest wedding suites I’ve seen! I definitely have loved my experiences working in this venue and would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves this vibe pictured.

Photography: Benjamin Lohman Photography

4. The Adler Planetarium

Having a wedding at the Adler truly is an iconic way to show your guests what Chicago is made of. If you have good weather, you can have your ceremony right outside overlooking Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline which is always lovely - we almost couldn’t make it happen last May but the weather cleared up just in time! The indoor space is of course unique with the floor-length windows, and you can also use some of their halls for cocktail hour inside of the museum which your guests will definitely love. They have a huge range of guest counts depending on the amount you need, but you’re surely going to bring a wedding that isn’t your average venue with a space like this.

5. Salvage One

If you’re looking for something unique and personalized, this is the venue for your wedding! The venue itself is an antique shop that actually sells its pieces during the week. The built-in ceremony spot set for 175 guests photographed here is already set for you to have your ceremony, and the upstairs reception area for 250 guests is full of antique dining tables to seat your guests. Having individual, classic, wooden dining tables really allows your guests to have an intimate dinner feeling while still being wowed by the what the venue has to offer. The outdoor cocktail hour patio also is a winner with a lit up “Chicago” sign and the brick, ivy walls. The dance floor also has a disco ball opportunity which anyone would love and the wedding we had here was all about!! A nice feature about the space too is the wedding suite is large for you to put your things out of the way. This space is highly recommended if you’re sick of the classic venues and want something with a unique twist.

6. The Rookery

If you love a good sky light and want a really cool venue, this is definitely a venue to knock your socks off. The grand staircase pictured here leads up to the cocktail hour space, where guests can get a view of the wonderful night they are about to have. This space can hold up to 200 guests and is a perfect place to show a unique elegance of Chicago. The coolest part to me is their winding staircases on the other side - the couple was allowed to go up to the 5th floor with the photographer and get some of the coolest photos in your gallery! It definitely is a venue that your guests haven’t seen before and it really is a great experience working with their team and their caterer as well. We definitely enjoyed the experience working there and would recommend it for sure!

7. Ignite Glass Studios

There is definitely something to remember at this venue if you’re looking for something cool and unique! The outdoor ceremony/cocktail hour Urban Garden against the colorful, glass-filled wall is iconic and something your guests won’t ever forget. The indoor space is like a modern warehouse that holds up to 220 guests and truly is a lovely space! The venue itself is really interesting with the blown glass and the ability to open up the floor-length window walls to lead outside as well. You can really dress up the space inside to match whatever your vision is and it surely is a space that lends itself to be extra special for any wedding.

8. City Hall Events

City Hall Events is a showstopper from all angles. The long tables and chairs give an intimate feeling even while being able to host up to 300 guests. The large, floral mural is a perfect place for photos and also means you don’t have to decorate up the space as much, and the marble bar that spans nearly the entire back wall is something out of a magazine that everyone will enjoy! The upstairs getting ready space is a perfect place to drop your things so you can go down and party with your family and friends. After that, you can rent out their neighboring spaces for an afterparty if you just don’t want the night to end. With this venue, you really have a sliding scale of possibilities for themes and decorating where you can’t go wrong. The venue staff are amazing to work with and I would highly recommend looking into it!

9. Columbus Park Refectory

The last one holds a special place in my heart, as this was my own wedding venue! We’ve also worked weddings in this space and this truly is a place you won’t forget. The thing that I personally had focused on was a space with some personality and no bland carpets or flooring. When you rent the whole space, you have access to their covered patio perfect if you want an outdoor ceremony or cocktail hour, a dining area with lots of windows, and a dancing room separated with a classic, mosaic, black and white tile for tons of fun. This was the first time I was exposed to the dinner area being in a different room from the dancing and I think it totally works! Its nice to have a separate space to mingle and dance depending on what you and your guests are looking to do. The space is in a park that is perfect for photos and the water feature in the back also makes it feel like it’s outside of the city. My personal favorite part about the venue are the splashes of teal throughout the space to really give it some extra personality. There are quite a few logistics involved with the multiple spaces in this venue, so I would definitely recommend at least having a coordinator to help facilitate the moving and bring everything together. As a bride and as a wedding vendor, I definitely recommend this space!

If you need some help finding wedding venues that will fit your personality, you can set up a quick consultation here and we can talk further about what services you might need from a planner and how to ensure you, your family, and your friends are able to have a wedding that you all can truly enjoy together.