Chicago’s Best Small Wedding Venues for Intimate Weddings
Lytle House ( Edgewater Neighborhood ) Book The Venue
The Space: Lytle House is a charming, intimate wedding venue housed in a converted early-1900s auto garage that was remodeled into an event space. It beautifully blends industrial architecture with warm, modern touches—perfect for couples seeking a cozy yet stylish backdrop. This venue was built from the bones up by Chicago couple Michelle and Robyn. This was a labor of love as everything from the furniture to the fixtures was hand made and chosen with a gorgeous minimal vibe where industrial meets modern urban garden. Even the metal stamps on the furniture were designed and hand crafted by the couple. This venue has private urban oasis featuring lush greenery, a vibrant cityscape mural, concrete stepping stones and multiple photo backdrops. Ideal for ceremonies, cocktail hours, or receptions under the stars. The front of the venue presents a hidden entrance that has vines grown over the door and features a black and white mural of Dolly Parton.
Ideal Guest Count: 80 Guests
The Arbory ( West Town Neighborhood ) Book The Venue
The Space: The Arbory is a stunning industrial-chic wedding venue nestled in West Town—housed within a beautifully renovated, century-old lumber warehouse .It masterfully blends vintage charm with sleek modernity, creating a warm, inviting atmosphere ideal for weddings and events. This intimate venue features high ceilings, six oversized industrial skylights , exposed brick, and ductwork set a dramatic tone. Over 200 plants, verdant living walls, and vibrant murals add a lush, botanical feel. String café lighting, uplights, vintage chandeliers, custom oak tables and wood chairs, LED candle shelving, and a disco ball help curate an unforgettable ambiance
Ideal Guest Count: 180 Guests or less
Volo ( Roscoe Village Neighborhood ) Book The Venue
The Space: Volo Restaurant & Wine Bar in Roscoe Village is a warmly polished, versatile event space — perfect for celebrations, cocktail receptions, small weddings and rehearsal dinners. Volo features an outdoor cabana patio—a hidden urban garden with heated, retractable awning, cabanas, lush vines, stone fountain, and cafe‑style seating. Volo is a beautifully curated, ready‑to‑go venue perfect for those who want stress‑free planning in a charming, semi‑private setting with standout food, wine, and ambiance. Whether you’re hosting an outdoor patio fête or a cozy indoor soirée, Volo delivers personality and polished service without feeling cookie‑cutter.
Notable Awards:
Chicago Magazine “#1 Hidden City Patio”
Chicago Reader “Best Wine Bar” & “Best Wine List” (2024)
Best Wine Bar — Lakeview/Roscoe Village “Best of Chicago” (2023)
“#1 Hidden City Patio” by Chicago Magazine. Read here.
Ideal Guest Count: 60 Guests or less
Loft Lucia ( West Loop Neighborhood ) Book The Venue
The Space: Loft Lucia is a beautifully curated, light-filled loft venue ideal for chic urban weddings. With its rooftop terrace, all-essential amenities, and flexible pricing, it’s perfect for couples seeking city views and an elegant industrial backdrop. Loft Lucia features a landscaped terrace with skyline views—the picture-perfect backdrop for ceremonies, cocktail hours, and golden-hour photos. Located in The West Loop and very close to the booming Fulton Market, the photo locations just a few blocks away are ENDLESS. This area of Chicago is one of the fastest growing neighborhoods that has hottest restaurants and bars. The Industrial-Chic Aesthetic: Exposed brick walls, Venetian plaster, handsome wood floors, ductwork, and an abundance of oversized industrial windows flooding the space with natural light. The space also has two sleek marble-slab bars, metallic chandeliers, built-in sound system, and in-house furniture included in most packages.
Ideal Guest Count: 120 Guests or less
Pilsen Secret Garden ( Pilsen Neighborhood ) Book The Venue
The Space: The Pilsen Secret Garden is a hidden gem located in the vibrant and artsy Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. It’s typically described as an eclectic garden space with vintage furnishings. This venue is housed in a old Evangelical Church that burned down in a fire in 1979. After the fire of The Lutheran Church the congregants saved the remaining outside walls and turned into a garden. The garden event space is now owned and run by the owners/operators of The Honky Tonk BBQ “The Tonk” that is located just down the street which was founded in 2007 by longtime Pilsen resident and pitmaster Willie Wagner. See restaurant here. The Tonk restaurant caters the events at the now Pilsen Secret Garden and is known for their Memphis-style BBQ and weekly live music. This very unique, all outdoors venue which showcases mismatched antique chairs and artifacts with vine covered walls that carry from the ceremony garden to the open reception space lit with romantic string lights. This is an ideal space for a vintage couple.
Ideal Guest Count: 150 Guests or less
