When it comes to trying to find your dream wedding venue, it can be tough. Especially if you’re looking to have an intimate wedding, finding the perfect wedding venue can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Okay, maybe not really but you know what I mean. Over the years I have had the honor to capture so many different intimate weddings so I can say with confidence that I know of some pretty good wedding venues here in Chicago. Keep scrolling to see some of the best of the best intimate wedding venues in Chicago.
Firehouse Chicago
Now, this isn’t just your ordinary firehouse. In fact, Firehouse Chicago has got to be one of the most unique wedding venues I’ve ever seen. Firehouse Chicago is located on Chicago’s Northside and is the perfect intimate wedding venue. It offers a vintage & rustic approach as this of course used to be an old firehouse! It offers a beautiful garden, high ceilings, white glazed brick, and historic touches throughout the entire venue.
If you’re reading this and are like “sign me up”, I know. Some of the available amenities offered by Firehouse Chicago are:
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- Outdoor wedding platform
- Vintage furniture
- Full-service kitchen
- 2 private wedding suites
- Lush garden with lounge furniture
Are you officially hooked? Because I know I sure am! To inquire about having your intimate wedding at Firehouse Chicago, click here! If you’re wanting to see more of what an intimate wedding at Firehouse Chicago looks like, check out this blog of Samantha & Rick’s wedding day!
Chicago’s First Lady Cruises
Not all intimate weddings need to be on land, ya know? Chicago’s First Lady Cruises gives you the opportunity to get married floating down the Chicago River. Witness the views of the beautiful Chicago skyline and be captivated by the amazing service you receive while on Chicago’s First Lady Cruises.
Some of the amazing amenities that Chicago’s First Lady Cruises has to offer include:
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- Your own private boat
- Six unique vessels to choose from
- 200 max capacity
- Full-service bar and diverse catering options
- Open-air upper deck with 360-degree views
If you’re ready to have your wedding on the water, click here to check out more of what Chicago’s First Lady Cruises has to offer. Click here to check out Lauren and Michael’s wedding on Chicago’s First Lady Cruises as intimate wedding inspiration.
Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool
In a busy city, it’s hard to come by locations that make you feel like you’re not surrounded by all the hustle and bustle. Lucky for us, Chicago’s hidden gem at the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool makes for the perfect intimate wedding ceremony location. Located inside the Lincoln Park Conservancy, the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool is a nature lover’s dream and sanctuary. Surrounded by blooming trees, wildlife and, beautiful ponds, this ACLP is truly one-of-a-a kind space for your intimate wedding venue. If you’re looking to have an outdoor wedding, then the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool is the place to be.
Reminders: The Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool is only open for limited amounts of time during the year. Keep that in mind when planning your intimate wedding here! It’s also required to have a permit if you’re planning on having your ceremony here. Learn more about the Lily Pool permits here!
If you want to see more of what it’s like to have an intimate wedding at the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, then check out Nikki and Dan’s wedding here or Caitlyn and Nick’s wedding here!
Charcoal Factory Loft
Minimalism at its finest is what I think of when I think of the Charcoal Factory Loft. Don’t be fooled though, depsite its minimal design it still holds so much character and life. As the name suggests, the Charcoal Factory Loft was of course an old Charcoal Factory here in Chicago. It has since been converted into a beautiful event space for intimate weddings. The Charcoal Factory Loft still holds much of its character and design from the original structure, with just a bit of a modern twist.
Some amenities included when you book an intimate wedding at Charcoal Factory Loft are:
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- Outdoor courtyard, second floor terrace, 14’ table with seating for 12 people
- Kitchen and two living room spaces
- First floor is ADA accessible
- Original timber beams, polished concrete floors, custom metal windows and doors
Hey, don’t say I didn’t warn you! The Charcoal Factory Loft truly is one of a kind and if you’re looking to step outside of the box for your intimate wedding, I say go for it! To read more about their amenities and details, click here! For more of an inside look of what an intimate wedding looks like at the Charcoal Factory Loft, check out Maura & Andrew’s wedding here!
Boka
Looking for some award winning cuisine AND an amazing intimate wedding venue? Boka is a fan favorite for intimate wedding venues and I can see why. The interior structure of Boka easily makes you feel transported back to the 1920’s and is the perfect example of elegance and class.
Some of the amazing amenities that Boka has to offer are:
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- Full 100 seated buyouts throughout their terrace, main dining room and front room
- Custom menus
- Award winning culinary team
- Specially curated wine and cocktail list
Since Boka is a restaurant, you don’t have to worry about many decorations as a lot of them speak for themselves. If you’re looking for an elevated intimate wedding experience, then Boka is your best bet. To read more about the experience at Boka, click here! If you’re wanting some more intimate wedding inspiration at Boka, check out Jason and Courtney’s wedding here!
SalonLB
SalonLB is truly a one of a kind event space which makes it perfect for any couple looking to step outside of their comfort zone for their intimate wedding. This venue offers over 10,000 square feet of an industrial, loft-style warehouse. It was originally built in 1936 and still holds some of it’s unique charm. It’s surrounded by tons of windows which makes it any photographers dream to have that much natural light.
Some amenities that SalonLB has to offer for your intimate wedding are:
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- Vintage rental furniture
- Select lighting + rental equipment
- Catering prep kitchen
- Plenty of parking
- ADA Accessible
To read more about the amenities that SalonLB has to offer for your intimate wedding, click here! If you’re reading this and are thinking “yes this is the one for me” – congratulations! To see more of an inside scoop of what SalonLB looks like, check out this blog post I wrote here!
Cindy’s Rooftop & Chicago Athletic Hotel
Cindy’s Rooftop Restaurant is located at the top of the Chicago Athletic Hotel. Cindy’s Rooftop serves as the perfect intimate wedding venue with a beautiful open-air terrace that offers panoramic views of Millennium Park, Lake Michigan and so much more. Serving up family-style comfort food and award-winning cocktails, this rooftop dining experience is hard to beat.
Similarly, the Chicago Athletic Hotel holds just as much character as Cindy’s Rooftop Restaurant. This hotel takes you back in time to 1893 to its original history, but adds a modern touch. If you’re looking for old classic elegance, then this might just be the space to hold your intimate wedding.
Some amenities included throughout the Chicago Athletic Hotel are:
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- Multiple ballrooms/event spaces to choose from
- Customized wedding packages w/ special accommodations for out-of-town guests
- Easily accessible to airports, shopping, dining and nightlife
To read more about what The Chicago Athletic Hotel can do for your intimate wedding, click here! I was able to photograph Bella and Kyle’s intimate Summer wedding at both of these locations and it was just beautiful. To read all about that, click here!
The Publishing House Bed & Breakfast
Wanting a more modern version of a bed & breakfast? The Publishing House B&B is an urban loft located in the West Loop. It offers that “home away from home” type vibe and is actually a restored 110 year old historic building. It mixes the hospitality of a bed and breakfast with the unique design of a boutique hotel. It’s the perfect intimate wedding venue that makes you feel warm & cozy but still unique and fun.
Some amenities that The Publishing House B&B offers are:
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- 24 guest room accommodations
- Large space to host reception drinks or catered rehearsal dinner for 25-55 guests
- Natural lighting throughout entire venue
- Partnered with Sola Salon w/ hair & makeup prep
To read more about the amenities that The Publishing House B&B has to offer, click here! I had the honor of capturing Eva & Jerome’s intimate wedding here. If you want to check that out, click here!
Bottom Lounge
If you’re a fan of music and are looking for a much more industrial type look for your intimate wedding, then the Bottom Lounge it is! Located here in the West Loop of Chicago, the Bottom Lounge is an 18,000 sq. foot music venue/restaurant with a few different event spaces. With it’s wide variety of event spaces to choose from, the Bottom Lounge ensures that you will have your exact wedding dream come to life. Bottom Lounge also has an upstairs event space that is 5,000 square feet which is adjacent to their rooftop deck. It offers a sophisticated yet creative feel which is perfect for any couple looking to have a bit of edge on their wedding day.
Bottom Lounge is the perfect wedding venue for intimate weddings based on some of their amazing amenities. Some of these include:
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- On-site event planner
- Warehouse-loft space
- Rooftop Deck
- Easily accessible by car and public transportation
- Staging, Lighting and Video capabilities available
To learn more about what Bottom Lounge has to offer for your intimate wedding, click here! If you want to see some more photos of Bottom Lounge in action, check out Maggie and James’ blog post here!
Big Delicious Planet
For the perfect farm-to-table dining experience, look no further than Big Delicious Planet. This beautiful Chicago wedding venue is one of a kind and is truly one of my favorite venues to photograph at. Not only is the event space beautiful with it’s amazing outdoor pergola and garden area, but they serve food produced and grown in their own urban farm. The freshness of the produce and the incredibly beautiful design of this wedding venue is unmatched. It’s the perfect oasis and getaway from the hustle & bustle of Chicago.
Big Delicious Planet is the perfect wedding venue for intimate weddings based on some of the amazing amenities they have, such as:
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- Intimate wedding packages include a 3 hour event in their Urban Farm or Canteen
- Planning expertise from one of their wedding producers
- Selection of rentals & linens
- Four course farm-to-table meal
- Main farm table that seats 26 guests (additional seating is available)
To learn all about the amazingness that Big Delicious Planet has to offer for your intimate wedding, click here! If you want to see what a wedding at Big Delicious Planet looks like, just click here to check out Brie and Matt’s Intimate Fall Chicago Wedding. For more intimate wedding inspiration, check out Stephanie and Kevin’s wedding here!
Little Goat Rooftop (Hidden Goat)
If you’re someone who loves that intimate “home like” setting, then The Hidden Goat is officially your new best friend. The Hidden Goat is actually located on the rooftop of the Little Goat Diner here in Chicago. The space was made with the pure intention of replicating that comfort that you feel when you step into a cozy home kitchen. The Hidden Goat reflects the charm and history of West Loop, is bright & airy and carries in a ton of natural light. It essentially feels as if you are being served in the comfort of your own home, which is perfect for any intimate wedding.
The Hidden Goat is the perfect wedding venue for intimate weddings based on some of these amenities, such as:
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- 40 guest maximum capacity
- Open concept kitchen
- A dining room overlooking the beautiful Chicago city views
- A bar that is ready to mix up some of your favorite drinks & cocktails
- Open terrace which overlooks Restaurant Row and the Chicago skyline
To read more about The Hidden Goat and what the space has to offer, just click here! I think that The Hidden Goat is the perfect intimate wedding venue in Chicago and actually I’ve written a blog post more about it! Just click here to read all about Caroline & Dave’s intimate wedding at The Hidden Goat.
While I could probably go on and on about some of my favorite intimate wedding venues here in Chicago, I just know that the list would be astronomical. Below is a list of some of my other favorite intimate wedding locations that may be just up your alley.
Secret Garden at Zhou B Art Center
Oh hey there, you’re all the way down here! If you loved reading all about these Best Intimate Wedding Venues in Chicago and are in need of a wedding photographer, I’m your gal! Just click here to fill out my inquiry form and let’s get to chatting!
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