5 Chicago Venues with City Skyline Views
Photo: Anna Zajac
We get it, the Chicago Skyline is gorgeous! As Chicago Wedding Planners, we always love those sunny, clear, blue sky days. It’s truly the most iconic way to say “Chicago Wedding.” We have designed, and coordinated tons of weddings in the city, and we never get tired of it. From our experience, here are personal 5 favorite venues with views of the skyline.
The Skydeck at Lacuna Events
Photo: Sprung Photo
Located in the west loop, this artsy venue has a gorgeous rooftop deck that looks directly towards the Chicago Skyline. It’s the perfect spot if you want the skyline to be your actual ceremony backdrop. This venue can hold up to 200+ guests, and has a built in bar. It can also be a lovely location for a cocktail hour, birthday celebration, or corporate event.
Note:
Should it rain, the venue has multiple potential locations. The spaces are lovely, but the city skyline views truthfully are not the strongest inside. The second best skyline view location is their La Galleria space, and it’s only from one angle. We understand that could be disappointing. That being said though, the venue is filled with such personality, transformative brick spaces, and art deco that can become an iconic backdrop! We always say—make sure to be just in love with your rain plan!
Adler Planetarium
Photo: J. Brown Photography
The Adler Planetarium is at the end of the Museum Campus, and truly has 360 views of beauty—whether it be the lake, or the iconic skyline. This space has a few locations to host your event, with the largest space being able to accommodate 500+ guests. If you want exterior spaces for your wedding, you can select from their Sundial Plaza, or their Skyline Terrace. Both have direct views of the skyline. As a potential rain plan, or interior option, their Solarium is an elite choice. Due to the space being made up entirely of windows, the Chicago skyline becomes almost a subtle backdrop. Not to mention full views at night, where depending on the date, you can catch some fireworks off Navy Pier.
Note:
The location can be a bit higher in budget due to it being a museum, its partnership with a higher budget catering company, and its location. Also keep in mind that due to the Planetarium being a public location, your wedding ceremony can not begin until after the museum is publicly closed. The earliest time would be about 6pm.
Honorable Mention: The Shedd Aquarium is an honorable mention as they too have a gorgeous exterior space and skyline views. The Shedd Aquarium is very similar to the Adler Planetarium, with the exception of their interior space not having skyline views (it has lovely views of fish!).
Cafe Brauer (The Honeycomb)
Photo: Alexandra Lee Photography
If you’re lucky, you can book your wedding under the Honeycomb as part of Cafe Brauer (its official name is People’s Gas Pavilion). Being located in Lincoln Park, you get a gorgeous view of the John Hancock building, and downtown Chicago, as well as beautiful views of greenery. The space can hold around 200+ people depending on the set up, and is a lovely location to have a “Chicago Wedding.” It also is a gorgeous location for first look photos, as you can walk through the park, or the zoo, or the lily pad garden.
Note:
The rain plan for this location is Cafe Brauer, which doesn’t include views of the skyline. It does though have a classic brick interior with green architectural moments, and an exterior neon sign. Due to the Pavilion also being a public place, you won’t have absolute privacy in the pavilion, and you may have some people take photos from a distance.
Cabana Club (Hotel Robey)
This venue is located in the heart of Wicker Park. The Cabana Club is technically a rooftop bar as part of Hotel Robey, so why not enjoy the skyline while sipping on a cocktail. (There is even a pool!) This space can hold up to 50 guests, and is perfect for any intimate celebration, first looks, or cocktail hour. You can even host guests at the hotel overnight in preparation for your big event! It even recently rebranded itself into a “Mediterranean Oasis”.
Note:
The views are rather limited from the inside, but it still has a classy, and comfortable interior space, that is sure to make your event feel stylish. There are also other interior locations you could book as alternate areas.
VU Rooftop
Photo: Anna Zajac
The VU Rooftop is a hotel bar located in the South Loop area. Due to it’s southern location, and its height, it makes for a gorgeous view of the skyline. This venue is made up mostly of windows, and includes two rooftop areas with fire pits. It’s the perfect location for rain, shine, summer, or fall. This venue has multiple micro locations that can be booked separately, or together to book the entire space. It’s perfect for weddings, birthdays, gatherings, or cocktail hours. If you book the entire space it can hold around 500 people standing.
Note:
The venue is part of a hotel bar, so it could be a bit more on the expensive side should you desire to rent the whole place. Street parking might also be limited, so you may have to use the hotel valet services.
If none of these places float your boat, or you want to be less committed to the Chicago Skyline, you can always plan on taking photos on the Museum Campus, Lincoln Park, or the Lake Shore. Just keep in mind transportation!
Photo: Allie Idrac
DO YOU HAVE A BOLD VISION FOR YOUR WEDDING?
Fierce Productions is a Chicago based event planning company specializing in curating unique, bold, non-traditional weddings and events. Our talented team of professionals can handle all of your event needs including planning and coordination, design and styling, vendor and talent management, fundraising, marketing support and beyond - get in touch to learn more!