Local News

Best Venues For A Fall Wedding In Chicago

September 2, 2014 / 7:00 AM CDT / CBS Chicago

Conventional wisdom tells couples that June is the finest month to get hitched, however, you'll pay prettily for that luxury. Why not get married during fall when the weather is still gorgeous and you don't have to book your space three years in advance? Here are some terrific ideas of where to celebrate connubial bliss in autumn in Chicago. Click here for even more.

Chicago Firehouse
1401 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 786-1401
www.chicagofirehouse .com

This South Loop restaurant was once home to Chicago Firehouse Engine company 104, the team who made sure the mansions of the city's elite (who moved south after the Great Fire) stayed flame-free. The historic building is gorgeous inside and out and offers the happy couple and guests floral, specialty table linen and chair covers, A/V screen, projector, mic, podium, mixer/sound system, custom cakes and menus, themed/custom cocktails, a dance floor and outdoor tenting on the serene patio. Plus, the firefighter's pole in the dining room invites plenty of clever joking among guests.

Lacuna Artist Lofts and Studios
2150 S. Canalport Ave.
Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 583-7370
www.lacunaentertainment.com/weddings

What was once the largest macaroni factory on the planet is now a gleaming, colossal entertainment venue in Pilsen that welcomes concerts, art shows and events of all ilks, including weddings. The various spaces include The Reverie, a sprawling, unconventional space with wall-to-wall wood, custom artwork and neon signage; The Skydeck, a rooftop patio deck with stunning views of the city's iconic architecture; Magik Street Bazaar & Deck, a refurbished semi-trailer with a capacity of 250 that's now a unique outdoor patio with a smoking lounge; and a couple gallery spaces. Guests will comment for years about your high score on the hipness scale.

Park Grill
11 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 521-7282
www.parkgrillchicago.com

Spend your most important day in the shadow of the Bean. Located in Chicago's world-renowned Millennium Park, Park Grill boasts floor-to-ceiling windows for views of Millennium Park and Michigan Avenue. Seating capacity ranges from 25 to 800 with choices that include the Founder's Room, the Plaza at Park Grill (Chicago's largest alfresco venue), the Park Grill itself and Chase Promenade, located next to the quirky and popular 110-ton Anish Kapoor "Cloud Gate" sculpture and directly above Park Grill.

Quince
1625 Hinman Ave.
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 570-8400
www.quincerestaurant.net

Book the entire venue and lounge or one of the intimate rooms and guests needn't worry about getting home after commemorating your connubiality. They can stay at the on-site Homestead Hotel. Quince's main dining room offers fireside dining, banquet seating along two walls and free-standing tables. Count on extra space for a gift table or even a musician in the space that hosts up to 50 people. Quince's smaller room, aka the "terrace" or the "garden room," is perfect for smaller groups, up to 24 people. If it's 14 people or fewer, then Quince can host your private event in the Library, the most intimate room adorned with cherry wood bookcases. Q2, Quince's cozy, cocktail lounge, can fit up to 50 guests standing or 30 seated or pray to the weather gods and book the outdoor space. The menu is global, seasonal and spectacular.

The Crown
Tribune Tower
435 N. MIchigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 262-5310
www.thecrownchicago.com

Ripe with metaphors, getting hitched in the Tribune Tower provides a lifetime of visuals. The Crown, located on the 25th floor of one of the city's most unique skyscrapers, is a myriad of gargoyles, spires and Neo-Gothic flourishes and its strong vertical lines lend a sense of great height. The outdoor space offers 360-degree views of the city which are breathtaking by daylight or at night. The Crown may also be booked in conjunction with event space at Howells & Hood on the ground floor.

Jacky Runice has been a columnist with the Daily Herald Chicago since grunge music and flannel was the new black. Her fingers and gray matter have been busy as travel editor of Reunions Magazine; penning a column that was syndicated around the nation via Tribune Media Services. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.