The Top 5 Chicago Hotels to Get Ready In On Your Wedding Day

As event planners in Chicago, the Fierce Productions team has been to many hotels. We might be known to assist, produce, and pan the actual celebration, but we also support the couple and wedding party while getting ready. From the multiple weddings we have worked, we have formed a list of our top Chicago hotels to get ready in. We even asked some of our favorite vendors to share their favorites too!

Here are the top 5 Chicago hotel rooms to get ready in on your wedding day:

The Viceroy Hotel

The Viceroy Hotel is located in the Gold Coast and has plenty of spacious suites, but if you are able to snag the Penthouse you won’t be disappointed. The suite has space galore - 1,675 feet to be exact! It has a living room, an outdoor terrace, two bedrooms, dining table, media room, two bathrooms, high ceilings, and high windows with gorgeous views and gorgeous natural light. It’s the perfect suite to handle a larger wedding party.

Note: A thing to look out for when selecting your hotel is lighting. Is there enough lighting in the room when getting ready? Consider window space and natural lighting. Natural lighting is key for your make up artist, cute design features for flat lays, and even photography. You want to make sure there is plenty of lighting otherwise your photos will be dark, or your make up artist won’t know the correct shade. Lia, of Nika Vaughan Bridal Artists says, "The best locations for hair and makeup are equipped with natural light, enough counter space to set up hair tools and makeup, director's chairs for makeup, lots of outlets for hot tools, and regular height chairs for hair. "

Pro Tip: Tell your make up artist to bring their own “director chair” or stool. If they don’t have one, inform the hotel to bring up a stool for your artist and position it to where your face is well lit.

The Thompson Hotel

The Thompson Hotel also multiple suite options such as: The Skyline Loft Suite and the Thompson Suite. Though it’s another Penthouse Suite taking the lead! Nancy, from Fearless and Bella shared “I love that the space is separated in two floors. The top floor has the bedroom and a bathroom and the bottom floor has a lounge area with ample table space! The bottom floor has an attached balcony with nice city views - great for robe/pj pictures!”

Note: Space is important when you consider your location. Make sure there is enough space for you, your wedding party, your make up artist(s), and event planning team. Having a conjoined suite, multiple bathrooms, and/or a place with a living room space is the ideal plan.

Pro Tip: Make sure to call housekeeping and have them clean the suite before you return at the end of the night. Wedding parties can leave a bit of a mess, and you don’t want to return to that after your memorable day.

Intercontinental Hotel

Found on the Mag Mile, the Intercontinental Hotel has some spacious rooms. Their suites though are not one to miss! They feel like mini houses! Nancy from Fearless and Bella remarked, “Their specialty suites are probably the biggest I have ever seen! They have separated areas, great for bigger bridal parties to not feel cramped in one room.” We definitely recommend the The Presidential Suite and the Royal Suite.

Note: It’s important to have a designated room or area to keep everyone’s belongings. It keeps the space tidy, plus, if everything is scattered, it can get messy, stressful, and make the space feel clamped.

Pro Tip: Ask housekeeping to bring up ice and water as you and your party are sure to get thirsty. Also keep note of what food/catering is offered at the hotel, or where you want to order from. Make sure to have your food ordered and delivered while you are getting ready so you are well fed before the ceremony. Don’t forget that you need to take care of yourself on the big wedding day!

The Renaissance Hotel

Photo by Sprung Photography

The Renaissance Hotel has great suites to get ready in! You can choose a bigger suite like the Riviere Suite, or a smaller Junior Suite. Though we truly want to shout out this hotel for their interior look. The Renaissance Hotel has some gorgeous areas that can really spice up your photos. It’s important to think about room sizes when selecting a location to get ready in, but we do also recommend keeping first look images in mind when selecting your hotel. Even if the hotel isn’t your first choice for photos, it makes for a great rain plan.

Note: Ask the hotel if there is a place to hang wedding attire. Not just necessarily a closet space, but for images. Photographers love to get detailed shots of your wedding attire. (Trust us you’ll love them.) If the hotel doesn’t have hooks, ask if you may bring command hooks.

Pro Tip: Have housekeeping bring an industrial steamer to your room before you get ready.

The Gray

The Gray Hotel has beautiful natural light. You can do well with a smaller wedding party in their One Bedroom Suite, but if you are feeling extra special, you can book the Presidential Suite. It even always comes with fresh cut flowers and a signature welcome amenity. The Gray also has a lovely rooftop restaurant called Boleo that would be perfect for a rehearsal dinner, catering while getting ready, or even a lovely date before the big wedding!

Note: If you have a large party or everyone is getting ready in the same space, it’s important to make sure you have enough outlets for everyone to plug in hair curlers, phone charges, etc. You may want to bring along an extension chord just in case!

Pro Tip: Don’t overdo it on the drinks! Providing some mimosas or beers is always fun, but don’t go crazy. Two drinks each is a good rule of thumb. Be sure there is some food to snack on as well, so no one is drinking on an empty stomach.