Note: The Cliff Dwellers is a private club honoring the arts founded at the turn of the last century. It happens that I am a member and thus can host events - including YOUR WEDDING! The club is perched on the top floor of the Borg-Warner Building across from the Art Institute on Michigan Avenue. It overlooks Grant Park, Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain and the lake. From the terrace you can see the fireworks from Nay Pier and take in the splendor of the city skyline and the horizon where sky and water meet. With windows on three sides, the view is magnificent from the great room where the ceremony and reception take place. The club can accomodate up to 125 guests for a sit-down dinner. The food is wonderful and the cost for rental and catering is extremeley reasonable. Call Don, the manager to see if your date is available. Tell him Rev. Rebecca sent you!
A New Leaf 1818 N Wells St Chicago, IL 60614-5867 312-642-8553
A relatively new space, this charming venue has great acoustics and marvelous food.
The Margarita Inn, Evanston 1566 Oak Ave Evanston, IL 60201 (847) 869-2273
If you want something very classy near north, the Margarita has been wooing and winning hearts for its amazing food and lovely ambience. The elegant ball room on the first floor can host eighty for an intimate wedding, or you can stroll over a block to the sublime Rose Gardens for the ceremony and come back to dine. A perfect gem.
North Park Village Chapel
5801 N. Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL 60646
Phone: 312-744-5472
You've never heard of this place and it doesn't advertise on ANY of the wedding internet sites. It's owned by a park district and used every Sunday by a wide range of religious groups. But other days and evenings you can rent it for a song and stage a beautiful wedding in a delightful mid-size chapel. The setting is what really moves this site into being highly desireable -- it's in a garden! Everywhere you turn are photo-op vistas. Worth a look!
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ARCHITECTURAL INTEREST
These next venues are all of great architectural interest and are amazing locations for a Chicago wedding.
Here are public buildings in downtown Chicago which are definitely wedding-worthy. It makes you proud to be a Chicagoan when you see how many great public spaces we have!
Chicago History Museum
1601 Clark Street Chicago, IL
(312) 799-2254
Museum of Contemporary Art
220 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611
312.397.3855
Harold Washington Library
400 South State Street
Chicago, IL
(312) 747-4130
Newberry Library
60 W. Walton St.
Chicago, IL – 60610
(312) 255-3595 Karen A. Skubish,
Peggy Notebart Nature Museum
2430 North Cannon Drive
Chicago, IL
(773) 755-5155
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ART GALLERIES
Art Galleries ~ are a hip and happy way to celebrate without breaking the bank. Here is a selection of some favorite ones for me.
Gallerie Marchetti
825 West Erie
Chicago, IL
(312) 563-0495
Chicago Fine Arts Exchange
815 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
312 850-2787 800-799-3463
Steve Waxman
River East Arts Center
435 East Illinois Street
Chicago, IL
(312) 321-1001
Wooden Gallery 1007 N. Wolcott Ave. Chicago, IL 60622 773-342-2550
One of the many Chicago area galleries that opens it space for private events, this funky, offbeat, but still elegant space will appeal to the young at heart!
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CHURCHES AND CHAPELS
Many couples who do not have a regular place of worship still would love to have the feeling of "sacred space" for their wedding. Here is a list of places where you can rent the space without belonging to the congregation. They are all beautiful and historical.
North Park Village Chapel
5801 N. Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL 60646
Phone: 312-744-5472
Colleen Gallagher
Naper Settlement Chapel
523 South Webster Street,
Naperville, IL 60540
Phone: 630.420.6010
Old Stone Church in Lemont
306 Lemont Street
Lemont, IL 60439
630.257.2972
The Chapel at Garrett Seminary
2121 Sheridan Road
Evanston, Illinois 60201
Phone: 847.866.3900
Bond Chapel at Divinity School
1025 E. 58th St.,
Chicago, IL 60637
(773) 702-8200.
Rockefeller Memorial Chapel at U of C
1156 East 59th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
773.702.9202.
Maple Chapel in Lombard
220 S. Main Street
Lombard, IL 60148
Debbie Curtiss
630-629-2630 x 10 webmaster@maplestreetchapel.org
NATURE LOCATIONS
Here are some of my favorite spaces... romantic, lush, personable. Chicago does "green" very well!
Cafe Brauer
Stockton Drive
at Lincoln Park Zoo
Chicago, IL
(312) 742-2400
Garfield Park Conservatory
300 N. Central Park Ave.
312-746-5250
Columbus Park Refectory
5701 West Jackson Blvd.
773-287-0856
Buckingham Fountain
Grant Park Rose Gardens
at Buckingham Fountain
312-742-4847
Lincoln Park Conservatory Gardens
2400 N. Stockton Dr.
312-742-4847
The Grove at Redfield Estate
1421 Milwaukee Ave.
Glenview, IL 60025
Redfield Rental: (847) 298-0095
Montefiore
11250 South Archer
Lemont, IL
(630) 257-6576
Byron Colby Barn at Prairie Crossing
1561 Jones Point Road
Grayslake, Illinois 60030
(847) 543-1202
Stan Rosenberg
Chicago Botanic Gardens
1000 Lake Cook Road
Glencoe, IL
(847) 835-8370
Shakespeare Garden at NU
2121 Sheridan Rd
Evanston, IL 60201
847-864-8384
Margo Brown
Merrick Rose Garden in Evanston
corner of Lake and Oak
847-866-2900
Parks/Forestry and Recreation
Independence Grove
16400 W. Buckley Rd.
Libertyville, IL 60048
847-247-1111
Katherine Legge Memorial Lodge
5901 S. County Line Road
Hinsdale, IL
(630) 789-7095
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CLUBS AND COUNTRY CLUBS
Here are CLUBS and COUNTRY CLUBS with indoor/outdoor options...
The Garden Rooms
Winnetka Community Center
620 Lincoln Avenue
Winnetka, IL
(847) 446-3154
(call Catered by Design)
Oscar Swan Inn
1800 W State St
Geneva, IL 60134
(630) 232-0173
The Woman’s Club of Evanston
1702 Chicago Avenue in Evanston, Illinois
847-475-3800
Contact Facilities Manager, Carol Short
The Winnetka Woman's Club
485 Maple St
Winnetka, IL 60093
Phone: 847-446-1830
Email: Winnetkawomansclub@sbcglobal.net
Ruffled Feathers Golf Course
1 Pete Dye Drive
Lemont, IL
(630) 257-1000
The 19th Century Club in Oak Park
178 Forest Avenue Oak Park, Illinois 60301
708-386-2729 http://www.19thcenturyclub.com
Mission Hills Country Club
1677 Mission Hills Rd
Northbrook, IL 60062-5705
United States
P: (847) 498-3200
F: (847) 498-9107 http://www.americangolf.com
The Hyatt Lodge at McDonald's Campus
2815 Jorie Boulevard,
Oak Brook, Illinois, USA 60523
Tel: +1 630 990 5800
http://thelodge.hyatt.com
Armour House in Lake Forest
1500 West Kennedy Road
Lake Forest, IL
(847) 615-3219
The Cheney Mansion in Oak Park
220 North Euclid Oak Park, IL
(708) 383-2612
ask for Linda
Danada House
3S501 Naperville Rd.
Wheaton
(630) 668-5392
OUT-OF-STATE
If you want to travel further afield, here are some gems you may not have heard about...
The Harbor Grand Hotel
111 West Water St
New Buffalo, Mich.
888-605-6800
Heston Hills Conference Center
1933 E 800 N
La Porte, IN 46350
2197789595
The Barker Mansion
Cecilia Zubler, Center Director
631 Washington Street
Michigan City, Indiana 46360
(219) 873-1520
Boulevard Inn at St. Joseph, MI
521 Lake Blvd.
St. Joseph, MI 49085
269-983-6600
