Adler Planetarium

place to capture our moment with skyline views, beautiful glass interiors, and the aqua colors of Lake Michigan. But what really makes Adler worth the price is the team. We worked primarily with Lauren through the planning, and she knew the answers to every question we had - logistics, insurance, guests, vendors. She was always quick to answer and super organized. We had no major hiccups. HOWEVER, it was a bit confusing for some guests on arrival. Some guests did not know where to enter the building. For the price of the venue, they should really step up that aspect and provide better signage. Also, Because the venue has to abide by very strict fire safety codes and building codes, we were not allowed to light the tall candles at the indoor ceremony altar space because they were on the floor. So, my suggestion is to give all details from vendors to Adler so that this can be avoided. But this was such an insignificant thing that was vastly overshadowed by all the wonderful, positive things from the initial booking to the end of the wedding. Food For Thought: The food was excellent - the Chilean sea bass was flaky, buttery, and perfectly cooked. The beef short rib was rich and flavorful. Guests loved the appetizers! FFT put together a custom menu based on our preferences and vision for the night. Initially, we were skeptical of FFT because our experience with catering companies is not superb. We are huge foodies and food was a deciding factor in our decision. We were not able to try FFT’s food before committing to the contract so it was a step of faith. But, we were supremely happy with the quality, diversity of flavors, and great textures. After committing to the contract, we were able to try the entire menu a few months before the wedding and make edits and suggestions. We wanted a little bit of Asian fusion and FFT did a very good job. The appetizers were unique and received so many compliments. The main dishes were very satisfying. Overall, Adler is worth the price and booking if it is in your budget. It is truly a one-of-a-kind venue.

g architectural presence and views made the celebration truly unforgettable. Our caterer, Food For Thought, delivered a fabulous performance at every turn. The food was delicious, beautifully presented, and the entire setup—with elegant florals, chargers, gold silverware, and gold-rimmed dinnerware—elevated the room’s ambiance to something out of a fairytale. Equally noteworthy was the stellar service: Annie and Lucas were exceptional from start to finish, and their team’s professionalism ensured that our clients felt like royalty. A heartfelt thank you to Food For Thought for orchestrating another spectacular wedding at the Adler Planetarium. Your dedication to excellence and eye for detail made this event shine.

able, and patient with all of our myriad questions! The team was really professional and the whole night went very smoothly. We spent the last hour of the night dancing in the Sky Theater with projections of stars and planets on the dome, which our guests absolutely went crazy for.

taff were amazing, nailed the details and worked diligently throughout sporadic rain pours to keep the ceremony outdoors. Highly recommend Adler for an exceptional wedding experience that your guests will talk about for years!

tiful. We felt like we were dreaming the entire day with how it all came together. I cannot recommend them enough and their team is just OUTSTANDING. Annie and Lauren especially! The food is also wonderful through their caterer Food for Thought!

ng and truly provided the wedding of our dreams. The food was DELICIOUS, highly recommend the salmon. beef medallions, and ricotta gnocchi. Everything about the day was absolute perfection and our guests had a blast. Thank you Adler!!

dination. Lauren, Annie, and the entire team at the Adler not only met these expectations but exceeded them in every way possible. From the very beginning, the staff was incredibly accommodating and always willing to help. Their attention to detail and commitment to excellence made the entire planning process seamless and stress-free. The loading-in process, which can often be a hassle, was an absolute breeze thanks to their efficient and organized approach. The Adler team demonstrated exceptional professionalism and hospitality throughout the event. Their proactive attitude and willingness to go above and beyond ensured that every aspect of the wedding was executed flawlessly. The quality of service provided was outstanding, and the venue itself was impeccably maintained and stunningly presented. I cannot express enough how wonderful the entire experience was. It was truly a pleasure to work with such a dedicated and talented team. I eagerly look forward to planning future events at the Adler and highly recommend Lauren, Annie, and the rest of the team for anyone seeking an extraordinary venue with exceptional service. Thank you for making our event unforgettable! Shaun Rajah Owner & Principal Planner Events by Shaun Rajah

ceremony, but given the unpredictable Chicago weather in May, they weren't sure if it would be possible. Fortunately, the weather was perfect that day, allowing them to have their dream wedding with stunning views of the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan. The Adler Planetarium boasts the best views of any venue in the city. However, what truly sets it apart and keeps it consistently booked is the exceptional service provided by the Food For Thought team, led by Annie DeKock. Their meticulous attention to detail and commitment to excellence ensure that every aspect of the wedding day is flawless. The staff's professionalism is unparalleled. They anticipate every need and handle all logistics seamlessly, allowing couples and their guests to fully enjoy the day. The food was exquisite, receiving high praise from everyone in attendance. If you're looking for a wedding venue that combines breathtaking views with top-notch service and delicious cuisine, do not hesitate to book the Adler Planetarium. Your special day will be in the best hands, guaranteeing a memorable and stress-free experience.

was perfect! She and Food For Thought played a vital part in creating the wedding of our dreams!

food (Thai, Japanese, and Korean buffet stations). Everyone loved the food and could not stop raving about it afterwards!

who showed up was in nothing short of awe at how special the experience was.

Annie and their team here.

to life. The venue was stunning, the food was out of this world and I could not have dreamed on a better place to have my wedding!

met them. They had a wonderful catered tasting ready for us at their test kitchen. They were prompt in communications. They ensured that all of the food options met our guests' needs. They did a wonderful job managing our venue space. Their servers made the meal feel elegant, rather than catered. But above all else, Diana personally made sure that me and my wife felt taken care of, including helping us with other troublesome vendors. I would highly recommend FFT to anyone booking a wedding in Chicago. 5 star experience.

We got married May 6th, 2023, and while the weather was a source of anxiety, the weather turned out perfect. We got married right around golden hour, with sunlight peaking through wavy clouds and the lake and skyline looking mesmerizing. Cocktail hour on the steps worked very well and allowed guests to continue to take in the sweeping views. The space inside looks amazing and they do a great job with the set up and uplighting. We almost didn't add the Grainger sky theatre on for the last 1.5 hours of dancing but boy am I glad we did!! People were absolutely floored by it, well worth the money and something people will be talking about for a long time. It also offers a bigger dance floor than the one in the main room. All in all, what a great experience. Getting married at Adler is a dream!

they were a joy to work with the night of. Would highly recommend!

cked for my wedding had a good plan A and B space in case of rain. The Adler space is all glass inside, also overlooking the city, so it was perfect. I love the venue space and was able to have a variety of seating options inside to fit my cocktail style reception including large rounds, small rounds, high tops, lounge furniture, etc.. Their new large dance floor was fully packed as we danced all night...I highly recomend this gorgeous venue!

ple. We had perfect weather for an evening wedding. They section off the outdoor area after closing time and everything was set up with plenty of time to spare. Cocktail hour was split between the Welcome Gallery and outside with high tables. The dinner and dance floor in the main area. Each stage of the wedding felt like a new event and it all worked seamlessly. We worked with Dana from Food For Thought, who did a wonderful job making everything run smoothly. The staging area for the ceremony is a little underwhelming in a conference room, but ultimately it was clean and quiet. Pictures from the wedding night were amazing, you literally cannot beat the city view from the Adler. Stunning both during the evening and late night. We got compliments throughout the night about the venue. Wonderful experience.

other venue. We worked alongside Food For Thought Catering throughout the entire process: wedding date inquiring & scheduling, day-of itinerary, venue site visits, menu planning, floor plans, and day-of execution. Food For Thought is AMAZING, and we can see why they are the exclusive caterer and coordinator for Adler. Adler was GORGEOUS and everything we hoped it would be. Since Adler is quite big, we were a little worried that the layout would be confusing for our 130 guests, but everything ran smoothly. There was enough signage, and we had ushers to help our guests get acquainted with the space before the 6:30 PM ceremony. Adler was not available to us until the museum closed for the day, but the timing was perfect because our ceremony happened during sunset & golden hour. We also had beautiful blue hour and nighttime photo ops, especially with the lake and skyline. Our photographer and videographer got some amazing shots both inside and outside the building - at least, based on the teasers our photographer John Foley showed us. We reserved the Grainger Sky Theater for our cocktail hour and added on the moon projection; it was definitely a showstopper with lots of "ooohs" and "aahs" from everyone! Security and staff members (coordinators, servers, bartenders) were friendly, accommodating, and extremely helpful to both us and our vendors. We highly recommend booking Adler and Food For Thought!

seamless execution. The preparation process was smooth. We had a great and unforgettable special day and our guest enjoyed the food and had a great time (they could not stop talking about the deserts!)

o all of our questions and requests throughout our planning process and even allowed us to push our date due to COVID without any difficulty. Coldplay ended up having a concert at Soldier Field the very same night so we were worried about getting our guests to Adler on time for our event. The Adler team was extremely communicative and transparent with us on how to best handle the situation and helped to ease our stress as well as ensure that our guests arrived safely and on time. The tasting experience was also great. The presentation of the food was exactly the same as the tasting which we appreciated. Our ONLY issue was that on the day of the event, the food seemed to run out quickly at each table and some of our guests did not get to try each dish that we selected as it was a family style dinner. Our recommendation would be to refill dishes or provide more of each dish if possible! On the day of, everything was exactly what we hoped for. We simply showed up and were absolutely blown away at how beautifully the venue was set up. Everything went off without a hitch thanks to Annie and her team! We appreciate everything that they did for us to make our event truly the best night of our lives!

ood for Thought team we worked with throughout the planning process who helped to transform the venue into a fairy tale like atmosphere. And the food that was provided was probably the best I've ever had from a wedding caterer. Our guests could not stop raving about that. I'd recommend the Adler venue and Food for Thought team in a heartbeat to any couple planning their wedding.

Can't recommend this enough!

who delivered them when they saw a drink getting low. I cannot say enough positive things about the staff and those who helped us with all the planning leading up to the big day. The skyline view speaks for itself!

Annie was great to work with and helped us deal with rescheduling our covid wedding. Would highly recommend!

delicious, served hot, and the service was excellent. Elyssa is a great Event Day Coordinator. She could not have been more prompt and helpful throughout the process. Anytime I had a question she responded very promptly and her timelines and recommendations made the planning process go as smoothly as possible. I would definitely recommend Adler and Food for Thought to friends!

ional. Everyone had a blast!!

de us feel safe with COVID precautions. The views are insane no matter where you are in the space. Food For Thought was also incredible to work with and the food was delicious. 10/10 recommend!

need for much decoration. We lucked out with the weather and were able to have our ceremony outside, and they did a nice job keeping non-wedding guests out of the way (it is a public space) and we didn't even notice if anyone else was around. We couldn't have imagined a better place for our wedding and are so happy with the way things turned out. Our Adler liaison for Food For Thought (the catering company Adler works with), Annie, was extremely helpful during the whole process. She met with us multiple times, was very honest and didn't push anything on us, made sure everything went smoothly on the day, and really made it stress-free for us. She is great to work with and we would highly recommend asking for her if you decide to have your wedding at Adler! Side-note: we also looked at Theater on the Lake, which has a view of the skyline as well. It is smaller and doesn't offer as much, and is more expensive. You definitely get more bang-for-your-buck at Adler. Totally worth it!

ose to a beach wedding in Chicago as I could get. Elyssa at FFT coordinated everything so perfectly for us. I never had to worry about a single thing (except Chicago weather in May which turned out so beautifully, much to my surprise!). I wish I could give so many more stars because the venue and the staff deserve it. It is so worth the price tag and all of our guests were so amazed. The added telescopes and signature drinks were so fun and it felt like an evening out of this world. I truly don't think you can get any better in Chicago.

ing at the open exhibits instead.

above and beyond what we could have imagined! Could not have asked for a better place to celebrate our marriage!

rom both out of town and from Chicago all raved about how fabulous the view and the event space are. Anna Ditton and Food for Thought provided the best food we have had at a wedding. Working with Anna was the best - she's easy to talk to and can give honest feed back about what works and does not when trying to stick to a wedding budget. Her helpful hints made our wedding even more than we could have imagined it to be. Working with her is like working with a good friend! No question is too silly to ask! We cannot recommend the Adler and FFT Catering/Anna enough for an event to remember.

professional coordination of all of the many details which they handle. They were very responsive all through the process. When the wedding day came, they were most efficient. Service and food were outstanding. They made it all look easy!

the staff, the setup of the room, and the food were all incredible. We never could have imagined that our wedding would be so perfect and FFT was the main reason for that. Working with Elyssa as our FFT sales consultant she made the entire process as easy as possible for us, providing us with help tips and suggestions in order to make sure our wedding was what we had hoped for. We can't thank FFT and Elyssa enough for making our special day even more special then we could have ever imagined. We would definitely recommend the Adler Planetarium and FFT for anyone's reception/catering needs!

om day one, Anna Ditton was helpful, fun and always available to answer any question big and small. Food For Thought catering was delicious, just as we had heard from others. We were lucky enough to have our ceremony outside, as well as cocktails and then the reception in the Skyline Solarium which had our guests raving (they are STILL raving). Then to top everything off, we finished the night with an amazing afterparty in the Sky Theater, or Rave Dome as my friends now call it, with lights like you have never seen. I tear up thinking about how absolutely perfect and easy everything was. From start to finish, outside to inside the evening had a great flow and awesome energy. Adler and Anna made our dream come true.

space, the Adler staff and most importantly, the Food for Thought staff worked seamlessly. The room was stunning, the food incredible, and the staff hardworking professionals. Our contact, Anna Ditton, with Food for Thought, made one of the biggest events of our lives, more perfect than we could have imagined. Truly magical.

kyline view was fantastic, and the glass room facing the lake was unique. There was an event at Soldier Field so there were extra fees with parking and buses and we had to hire a lighting company; but if it's in your budget- I'd recommend it! Chris and the Food for Thought team worked hard to help me have a wonderful day.

memories here forever. Book with the Adler if you are able to, no question. Food for Thought acts as both the venue coordinator and the caterer, and they are incredible. Pricey, yes... but worth it! Elyssa from FFT is amazing and worked with us to create the most beautiful day. The FFT food was incredible, and the drinks were flowing all night - their staff created a truly seamless experience. And people are still talking about our appetizers/hors d'oeuvres! I promise you will not regret hosting a wedding at the Adler Planetarium. Elayna & John 5.5.18

t. After the first complaint, I thought perhaps my guests just wanted to complain but then I received many more in the days after the wedding. I even had my own issue with the security team a couple days before the wedding when I dropped off the decorations. I didn't mind my own incident but I was very upset when I heard my guests were treated so poorly and practically like criminals in a space meant to be enjoyed. Very disappointing!

e in the backdrop…it’s stunning. Our guests were simply in awe and it was so fun to see probably half of them change their own Facebook profile pictures to ones from our wedding! Café Galileo was an easy room to transform and they didn’t have a lot of the restrictions other venues in Chicago do, which was an added bonus. Plus, you get to work with Anna Ditton (event coordinator) and Food For Thought Catering, who work tirelessly to make the night perfect (reviewed them separately under Food for Thought). This was by far the best decision we made for our wedding and I promise you won’t be disappointed!

factor. The room was so amazing with the moon and stars on the ceiling! The food is very good and fft does a great job on the presentation of the food. We worked with MDM to bring in up lighting in the room which gives it an added dramatic affect! Overall the venue was great. My biggest complaint was that the main girl we worked with all throughout the process and all the email exchanges and in the final walk through was not there!! She also did not notify our wedding planner or parents of the bride. We had several things that were not executed and not completed during the night because of her absence. In picking this venue Make SURE whoever you are working with will be at your event that night!!! Also make sure you emphasize that whoever is doing your event gets introduced to you in the beginning of the night... (bride and groom) and the parents of the bride and grooms so when you have questions you know who to go to and are not wondering around looking for them and missing the main event...the wedding.....Extremely important!!

tel somewhere. The views are spectacular. If you're lucky enough to have your ceremony outside (thanks to the weather) it will truly make for INCREDIBLE shots and memories that will surely last a lifetime. It is bar-none the best view in the city, and I know I am bias, but 100% the best venue in Chicago.