Chicago Cultural Center

The Whimsical and Historic Wedding Venue in Chicago

Choosing a wedding venue to host the most special day of your life can be a very notable decision of your wedding planning process. However, along with picking the wedding venue, another decision that remains vital is choosing the destination of your wedding. Whether you want an intimate wedding in your grandfather's backyard, a budget-friendly wedding at City Hall, or a luxurious wedding affair in a premier hotel, your wedding destination will play a key role in delivering you with a list of wedding venue options. 

Talking about popular wedding destinations in the US, Chicago, Illinois has been a forever favorite among newly engaged couples to host their wedding day. Ranging from the bustling metropolis lifestyle of Northern Chicago to the farmlands in Southern Chicago, the unmatched diversity of wedding venues that this Illinois city has in store for hosting weddings is truly praiseworthy. Ranging from quiet waterfront settings to world-class luxury hotel wedding venues, from rustic barn wedding venues to an intimate restaurant setting, wedding venues in Chicago can turn every wedding vision into a reality. 

The historic land of Chicago is home to some of the most impressive theaters and museums in the entire country, which makes it a wonderful place to tie the knot, as the landmarks blur in the background in the wedding photography session. From the urban landscape sparkling with a mid-western charm to getting wedding plan checklists readied by some of the most professional wedding planners in the US, Chicago weddings are once-in-a-lifetime celebrations.

Nestled right in the heart of The Loop, across Michigan Avenue from Millennium Park, the Chicago Cultural Center is a national landmark that can be the most perfect wedding venue that you have been looking for. Registered on the National Register of Historic Places, the historic wedding venue in Chicago was opened in 1897, and has been the city's official reception for welcoming presidents, royalty, diplomats, and community leaders since its inception. Standing tall for over a century as a witness to the rich art and culture of Illinois, this popular tourist spot in Chicago is also a stunning wedding venue for both big and small events. The original central library building was converted into an art and culture center in the year 1977. 

Recognized as the most comprehensive arts showcase in the United States, the Chicago Cultural Center is an architectural brilliance that was designed in neoclassical style with Italian Renaissance elements. This historic Chicago wedding venue features Doric columns, mahogany doorways, masonry walls faced with Bedford Blue Limestone on a granite base, an entry hall with coffered ceiling, and walls of green-veined Vermont marble, that makes it an architectural gem of Chicago. 

Perfect to host both big and small weddings, along with wedding activities ranging from bridal showers to rehearsal dinners, the stunning landmark wedding venue of Chicago features magnificent stained-glass domes, one of which is known as the largest Tiffany dome in the world. Along with the brilliant architecture, the charm of the historical wedding venue in Chicago lies in its proximity to all the important and popular Chicago landmarks and spots like The Millennium Park located just across the street.

Designed and built by some of the finest architects and craftsmen of the US, this stellar structural showplace homes imported marble, polished brass, fine hardwoods, mother-of-pearl, and colored mosaics, to create fine details for your wedding photography session in Chicago. Also known as the 'People's Palace', this wedding venue is managed by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Let us explore some of the wedding event spaces of this popular wedding venue that are loved by our Chicago wedding photographers. 

Preston Bradley Hall 

The stunning and spectacular glass dome of Preston Bradley Hall is the world's largest Tiffany glass dome, which is also classified as the crown's jewel of the Chicago Cultural Center. This indoor wedding event space features awe-inspiring arches decorated with sparkling mosaics, along with 25 Tiffany glass chandeliers aligned throughout the room. With a capacity of hosting up to 320 seated guests and 700 cocktail reception guests, this unique wedding reception event space offers panoramic views of The Millennium Park at a distance. Our Chicago wedding photographers will never have a dull moment on your wedding day, as the large and ornately patterned room made out of Carrara marble and capped with an austere 38-foot Tiffany glass dome designed by artist J. A. Holzer, creates an inspirational backdrop for professional wedding photography and videography. 

GAR Hall & Rotunda 

The palatial hall of Chicago Cultural Center was originally dedicated to the Grand Army of the Republic for honoring veterans of the Civil War. This indoor wedding event space with a capacity of hosting 300 to 550 wedding guests, is the second wedding event space with a glass dome ceiling that was designed by Healey Millet Glass Company. The remarkable wedding space features soaring walls that rise to a coffered ceiling, carpet flooring, a sprawling dance floor, warm accent lighting, and artistic arched windows offering impressive use for your professional couple photography session in Chicago on your wedding day.

Sidney R. Yates Gallery 

One of the most picturesque and the largest rental spaces in the Chicago Cultural Center, this sprawling event space encompasses nearly half a city block. The sparkling gold details, crystal renaissance ornaments, the huge floor-to-ceiling windows leading up to a coffered ceiling, this wedding event space is an amazing space for hosting your rehearsal dinner and cocktail reception with a capacity of 400 to 800 guests. Our professional Chicago wedding photographers love to capture detailed shots of the gleaming and thoughtful decor, intricately woven across the floor. 

Millennium Park Room 

Ideal for hosting an intimate wedding ceremony or cocktail reception, this urban reception space is sure to delight you with its stunning and chic details. The panoramic views of the Park’s signature attractions, including the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and Cloud Gate through the floor-to-ceiling windows and glass walls, along with the warm lighting reflecting on the intricate hand-carved walls and ceilings, create a mesmerizing ambiance for your Chicago wedding photography session. 

The impeccably friendly staff and wedding planning team of Chicago Cultural Center wedding venue in the heart of Chicago with their years of experience in giving outstanding services can host a whimsical wedding, the one you have been dreaming of or even better. The tradition of fine food and unparalleled service of Chicago, Illinois is carried out by the experienced wedding planning team who can expertly blend old school hospitality with 21st-century modern wedding amenities, making sure that every Chicago couple who hosts their wedding here can have an unforgettable and flawless experience. The community and philanthropic feeling of this unique Chicago wedding venue packed with its award-winning cuisine and the promise of perfect wedding services are spellbinding and extraordinary in nature.

Your wedding at Chicago Cultural Center, an artistic showpiece that is considered to be one of the city's most popular and famous attractions, will be no less than a dream with our talented wedding photographers and videographers in Chicago capturing every detail as it unfolds on your wedding day. Whether you want to plan your engagement photography session in Chicago before your wedding day, or you want a post-wedding photography session, the list of photo opportunities in and around the Chicago Cultural Center is endless. The dazzling Classical Revival style architecture that was inspired by the monumental structures of ancient Greece and Rome lends an enigmatic charm to Chicago wedding photography sessions at this popular wedding venue, that looks straight from the period of the Italian Renaissance. 

If you haven't already done your engagement photography session, you can plan a day with our Chicago engagement photographers and take a tour of the most photogenic places of Chicago and create an engagement album that looks like a sheer disposition of vibrance and elegance. The engagement spots of Chicago, Illinois are filled with a rich history and timeless grace, that blur in the background of couple portraits, creating a sense of magic and enchantment.

The Windy City lying on the shores of Lake Michigan is very popular for the classic art displays, vibrant cultural attractions, brilliant architecture, and excellent urban hotspots. One of the largest cities of Illinois, Chicago is a focal point of 20th-century architecture and art, displaying timeless artworks from famous artists like Picasso, Mirõ, Dubuffet, and Chagall to renowned architects like Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright. Fill up your heart with iconic meals and views to cultural musts and late-night shenanigans in Chicago for your professional engagement photography session, and celebrate the romantic vibe that this city has to offer you. 

You can start your day by visiting the famous Art Institute of Chicago that showcases a diverse collection spanning thousands of years and then moving onto the Millennium Park, which is a larger part of the Grant Park. The Millennium Park is located just across the street of the wedding venue and strikes your favorite interest inspired pose in front of the famous Cloud Gate, the 110-ton stainless steel sculpture nestled right in the of the urban park. Our engagement photographers in Chicago love the Crown Fountain in Millennium Park, as it enables couples to create amazing portraits filled with a modern interpretation of ancient gargoyle. Visit the serene Lurie Garden and click some golden hour portraits and head to the Jay Pritzker Pavilion to watch performances that take place all year round. 

Head to the waterfront settings of the Navy Pier, which has an amusement area that was opened in 1916, along with 50 acres of gardens, restaurants, shops, concert venues, and parks. The year around festive mood at the Navy Pier can blend in to create magic for your professional photography session. If you have made dreaming of something very exclusive to with your sweetheart, head to the drive-ins located in Pilsen, Lincoln Yards and outside of Soldier Field, and watch a classic movie and enjoy some cozy and romantic time, away from the world, while our professional Chicago photographers reap the best out of these candid moments.

Bring in romantic details for your professional photography session in Chicago by visiting the scenic Chicago Riverwalk and get the best of golden hour photography session when the setting sun evokes a warm glow on the south bank of the Chicago River in downtown Chicago. Talking about photogenic places in Chicago, the list will remain incomplete without mentioning the beloved Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain national right in the heart of Grant Park, which was established in 1927 in the period's iconic Art Deco style. 

Visit the Michigan Avenue and the Magnificent Mile for the perfect evening photography session as our Chicago engagement photographers love to capture couples in front of the luxurious galleries, shops, and boutiques of this extravagant boulevard of Chicago, featuring famous landmarks like John Hancock Center, the Wrigley Building and the Tribune Tower. Our engagement photographers in Chicago love to capture candid laughter and joy of lovestruck duo, in the historic home to Chicago Cubs, the popular Wrigley Field, built in the year 1914. 

The Willis Tower SkyDeck can give you a bird's eye view of the stunning architecture of the Chicago skyline and cityscape from its 110 stories especially during the evening time when the entire skyline starts to glisten like a magical dream. For every fan of architecture, it is delightful to visit the 1988 establishment- the Rookery Building, a 12-story building featuring Roman Revival and Queen Anne-style façade. The ornamental ironwork and elegant staircases look grand in couple portraits taken at this place.

Our Chicago couples know how the Windy City is graced by myriad gorgeous photography locations that can be a part of their pre-wedding photoshoot or post-wedding photography. Right after your spectacular wedding exit, visit all the nearby landmarks and popular spots to bring in an extra amount of love and energy for your wedding photography near the Chicago Cultural Center. The highly customizable and affordable packages of George Street Photo & Video, starting at just $1500, are sure to give you an experience of a lifetime at a convenient wedding budget.