Chicago Illuminating Company

My husband and I knew we wanted to get married at Chicago Illuminating Company several years before we were even engaged after seeing a picture of the venue on Instagram. It truly is one of the most beautiful venues in the entire Chicago area (and beyond) and is such a lush hidden gem in the middle of busy South Loop. Marta, the owner, is amazing. It was so helpful to be able to lean on her expertise and recommendations because she knows what works well in the space better than anyone. Both the indoor and (covered!) outdoor spaces are stunning in their own right so it was super easy and fun to add our personal touches. We really couldn't be happier with the experience and space. Highly recommend!!!

The previous reviews about the sales manager not responding to inquiries are true. Not sure why, but never got a follow-up email with pricing and package details. Maybe they’re straying away from weddings?

Racist! From beginning to end of our conversation about reserving the space it seemed that our business was not welcomed. She said the date you definitely available but it so many words we wouldn’t be able to afford it! I’m guessing she could see my bank account summary though the sound of my highly educated African American voice. We were referred to her by a vendor that had worked worked with the venue but she couldn’t recall. She went as far a asking me would I be selling tickets for my event, once again implying I couldn’t afford to booked with her. Please beware and read the other comments before booking! I wouldn’t dare spend a dime with this venue.

Just leaving a review saying THANK YOU to all the people who took time to review this place. I was going to reach out about a tour and now 1000000% will not thanks to the reviews. AWFUL.

The moment my husband and I stepped foot in Chicago Illuminating Company we new it was the perfect venue for us, and we didn't end up looking at any others! The outdoor tent area is beautiful and allows for a ton of flexibility for decor, and the indoor space is just lovely. Marta was amazing to work with. She served as more than the venue owner and was super helpful in planning our event. She recommended talented vendors based on photos I sent her of what I was going for and our budget and they were fantastic!

We are so happy we were able to get married here. The space is gorgeous inside and out and Marta and her team are FABULOUS. She is so on top of every tiny detail. Our guests raved about our space - it was completely magical.

This was one of the most beautiful venues! Exactly how I pictured the day to look. Marta was amazing to work with and made my special day seamless.

RATS 🐀 and ANTS 🐜! All the positives about this venue were ruined as I sat down at a dining table and there were ants crawling on the white tablecloth. During the Father of the Bride speech we saw RATS running along the wall behind the speaker! Appetite completely ruined and this is unacceptable! Beware !

The reviews of this venue are not exaggerated, specifically Marta. She is very rude, won't give you any information until you tell her your budget even if you specifically say you aren't sure. To be so rude and then not even respond, not even a "weddings here are usual $X so I'm not sure we would work" is a perfect way to lose business.

This venue has awful communication. I’ve reached out to them multiple times, after months of emails and calls they finally picked up. The woman was extremely rude over the phone. She asked me what my budget was and I said I want to keep things as low as possible. She then proceeded to tell me that any and everything I would want would not be in budget , even though I never gave her an actual number. The whole conversation was rude and offputting. She just lost out on a $100,000 wedding. Word of advice , don’t assume someone’s budget without asking.

I reached out twice asking Marta (who is apparently the owner) to give me information. She first told me I didn’t have the budget to afford her venue, and I told her I would still like the information since so much was included. She then talked down to me and was very condescending, explaining I clearly don’t know that “everything” is not included and I would need to hire a florist, DJ, photographer, videographer, etc separately (very obvious that I would know that.) She said she would follow up and never did. I emailed her again asking for the information and she didn’t respond. She clearly doesn’t want my business. RUDE and unprofessional. I feel like I dodged a bullet because she has many poor reviews, and she would likely be a nightmare to work with during the wedding planning process.

Our wedding at Chicago Illuminating Company was perfect! We had to reschedule our wedding multiple times due to the pandemic, and our original venue ended up closing. We were so lucky to find Chicago Illuminating Company because they have the absolute best setup for social distancing and Covid-19 precautions. Their outdoor space is gorgeous, and the indoor space (used for cocktail hour only) allows for open air flow through their multiple huge doors. Marta was very easy to work with. She was extremely flexible and supportive given all of the circumstances and adjusted her cancellation policy to allow for any last minute changes. Thankfully, we didn't have any issues and we were able to have our beautiful event. We highly recommend Chicago Illuminating Company for a gorgeous wedding in Chicago, either during or after the pandemic!

Tried to get information to explore this venue as an option and the woman in charge of this place is a HORRIBLE! communicator. Said she would send information to my e-mail and never sent it, even after me reaching out several times asking for it! Definitely wouldn’t want to plan my wedding with someone so unreliable.

We LOVED having our wedding reception at the Chicago Illuminating Company! The venue was just what we wanted: a hidden garden in the city. The tent was spectacular, the indoor cocktail and dancing area was perfect for our wedding of 180 people (and definitely could have fit many more). Marta was very helpful throughout the process and suggested a number of our other wedding vendors who also turned out to be fabulous. She cares about the space and the quality really shows. We truly had our dream wedding at CIC!

As soon as we stepped foot in this venue we knew it would be where we got married! We wanted our wedding to be elegant, classy yet have an outdoor, natural element. We didn’t feel comfortable choosing an outdoor space in case the weather didn’t corporate. This venue had it all! A beautiful ballroom that stood out even without decor and an outdoor courtyard with a built in rain plan. The string lights and beautiful lush greenery outside were the perfect compliment to our wedding theme and vision. We didn’t need much extras to make our wedding totally beautiful. Working with Marta was such a pleasure. She is a true professional. She is firm, decisive and there is no question that she has the best interest of her clients in mind. That venue is her baby and there is no way she will let anyone not be completely satisfied with their wedding. Having her guide me and help navigate the process allowed me to save money for other details instead of hiring a wedding planner. The venue, Marta, and the security team were worth every penny!

I didn’t use this venue, I really wanted to, but I could never get any information from them. I reached out saying I was interested in touring because the photos look absolutely spectacular and they had good reviews, but twice Marta said she would send me information, and twice I received nothing, and no follow up. My wedding is still over a year out, but they didn’t seem interested in our business. Giving two stars because the venue really does look lovely.

A friend recommended this hidden gem and the second we walked in we instantly knew it was going to be our wedding venue. The indoor space is elegant and gorgeous, and the beautiful tented courtyard was the perfect way for us to achieve an outdoor ceremony without the stress of Chicago's unpredictable weather (and yes, it did rain on our wedding day). Both spaces are big enough to accommodate a large guest count, but small enough to still feel intimate. The venue manager, Marta, is a no BS straight-shooter who doesn't shy away from giving advice and recommending vendors she trusts. On our wedding day we learned first-hand why. Having a team that had all worked together before (coordinator, caterer, florist, lighting, DJ) made a huge difference when our timeline got thrown off thanks to the guest shuttle being an hour late. Bride tip: stay FAR away from Infinity Transportation. Marta also went to bat for us on a few occasions during the planning process and used her relationships to get us discounts so we could afford to create a beautiful event that was within our budget. I don't suspect she does that for everybody but we always felt a mutual respect and she really helped my husband and I out in a bind. Our wedding at Chicago Illuminating Company was magical, romantic, and everything we dreamed of <3

My husband and I got married here in November of 2017. The outdoor area was beautiful, with a magical feel from the lighting. And of course the interior is very elegant and our guests loved the ambiance. Marta was lovely to work with and made the entire process very effortless. She was on-site the entire day of the wedding to keep things running smoothly and it ended up being the perfect location for our dream wedding!

We're so happy that we chose Chicago Illuminating Company for our wedding venue. It was absolutely perfect for our multicultural wedding! Here are a few aspects of the space that warrant a 5-star rating in my book: - GORGEOUS outdoor courtyard: It initially attracted us to the space! The ivy walls give it a natural beauty by day, and the canopy looks absolutely gorgeous when it is lit up at night. - It also rained during the reception (I know, cue the Alanis Morissette), but the canopy totally saved the party! Everyone (and the decorations) seemed minimally affected by the rain, thanks to that cover! - Beautiful iron gate with big split door; allows for grand opening into the courtyard. - Large and spacious bar to give guests more room to spread out - the only bottlenecks should be from the guests' drinks and not the guests themselves! - Indoor and outdoor space with seamless transition to accommodate various needs. - In an area of the city with less traffic so there is less congestion. - Large, roomy changing/prep/staging room. - Venue contract requires security (they have their own company so you don't need to hunt around for someone), but this stipulation is a plus in my book, as it helped us feel safer. - In some regions of India, a baraat (parade) is customary for weddings, so the alleyway behind the venue and the street around CIC worked perfectly! There was a lot of space for a 200-person parade, complete with horse, and since the venue is a bit out of the way from more of the high traffic areas of Chicago, we did not have to worry as much about pedestrian safety and/or causing a traffic jam. The venue owner, Marta, was really FLEXIBLE - for which we are super grateful! To elaborate on the flexibility, we had a *very* tough time finding a venue in Chicago proper that would allow us to have an open flame, which is an integral part of a traditional Hindu ceremony. Marta totally understood, and we were able to light the flame in the open courtyard. While this stipulation may not seem like a huge deal, I can't describe how much performing this part of the ceremony "properly" meant to my husband's family, especially his parents and sister; it was a make or break point, and luckily, it made the ceremony! Except for having to use a particular lighting company if we wanted extra lights (we didn't end up needing them anyway), Marta gave us great leeway with our vendors, which proved to be key for hiring our ideal caterer (who she also suggested), when a majority of the other venues we considered had big catering restrictions and very limited food options. Finally, Marta allowed us to start setting up and bringing some supplies to the venue the night before (unless it was booked, and even then, she would have given plenty of notice), so that was really helpful in allowing us extra time to get organized. Overall, the natural beauty of this unique, seamless indoor/outdoor space and Marta's awesome flexibility helped make our dream wedding a reality. We could not have picked a better venue for our special day!

We couldn't of chosen a better venue to host our wedding! There is truly no other place in Chicago that offers the amazing Indoor / Outdoor space that CIC does! Our guests were truly in awe of how beautiful everything was and we couldn't be happier with how our wedding came to life! The venue owner Marta allowed us to really transform the entire space into the perfect wedding we wanted. From bringing a 13 piece band under the tent to adding additional lighting inside and out. Never once were we told "no you can't do that" which was told to us a lot by other venues we visited. We cannot say enough with how well everything was taken care of and how easy Marta and her team were to work with not only before and during but also after the wedding with their flexibility of allowing us to come back into the venue a couple days later to pick up any left over items, instead of demanding that everything was to be removed the same night or charging extra "late exit fees" that some other venues put in place.

Beware of this venue manager - MARTA! She is not to be trusted in addition to being VERY difficult to work with - or even get ahold of since her office and cell phone voicemail boxes are full and "cannot accept any messages". How a person can run a business this way I have NO idea! When my card was charged for the deposit on my daughters wedding, Marta charged more than the agreed upon amount stated in the signed contract. When my daughter approached her for a refund of the additional amount, she was belligerent and insulting to her by making comments that if a small up charge on the deposit was a concern - she stated "you may not have the budget for a wedding and that many additional charges would come her way while planning her wedding so this should not be a big deal". Marta continued to insult my daughter's work profession and character. During her contacts with Marta over 30 days from signing the contract, Marta still NEVER refunded the additional amount charged for the deposit. At this point, we chose to cancel the wedding at the venue based solely on our experiences with Marta mentioned above. After cancelling, she promised numerous times to refund our full deposit even if she DIDN'T rebook the date. She continued to pronounce how confident she was in being able to rebook the date given we cancelled 10 months prior to the scheduled wedding date in addition to her having the deposit + extra she decided to charge - for only 30 days of signing the contract. After numerous calls over a five month period she continued to give us promises of refunding the full deposit and to date has not - her word means nothing and her attitude has been highly unprofessional! She is not true to her word, highly unprofessional and very untrustworthy. Beware!!!

Beware of this venue manager - MARTA! She is not to be trusted in addition to being VERY difficult to work with - or even get ahold of since her office and cell phone voicemail boxes are full and "cannot accept any messages". How a person can run a business this way I have NO idea! When my card was charged for the deposit on my daughters wedding, Marta charged more than the agreed upon amount stated in the signed contract. When my daughter approached her for a refund of the additional amount, she was belligerent and insulting to her by making comments that if a small up charge on the deposit was a concern - she stated "you may not have the budget for a wedding and that many additional charges would come her way while planning her wedding so this should not be a big deal". Marta continued to insult my daughter's work profession and character. During her contacts with Marta over 30 days from signing the contract, Marta still NEVER refunded the additional amount charged for the deposit. At this point, we chose to cancel the wedding at the venue based solely on our experiences with Marta mentioned above. After cancelling, she promised numerous times to refund our full deposit even if she DIDN'T rebook the date. She continued to pronounce how confident she was in being able to rebook the date given we cancelled 10 months prior to the scheduled wedding date in addition to her having the deposit + extra she decided to charge - for only 30 days of signing the contract. After numerous calls over a five month period she continued to give us promises of refunding the full deposit and to date has not - her word means nothing and her attitude has been highly unprofessional! She is not true to her word, highly unprofessional and very untrustworthy. Beware!!!

My husband and I recently had our July 2016 wedding at the Chicago Illuminating Company and I can’t tell you how amazing it was. Marta, the venue owner, is the type of owner that you want in this process. She was great at helping us make decisions on vendors and how to develop a timeline and general flow for our wedding day. Marta has done so many weddings, especially at this venue that she knows what works and what doesn’t. We had run some ideas by Marta for the sequence of our wedding and she quickly informed us what would be the best option for the space and why. She was more than open to suggestions and was very flexible at accommodating our wants and needs. Marta’s professionalism is unmatched. She literally called me multiple times in the weeks leading up to the wedding to update me on the progress with our décor and caterer since that was an issue. Now for the venue— Literally. To. Die. For. It is beyond perfect and for sure a diamond in the rough in the city. There is nothing quite like it. Its beautiful, big, modern and basically a blank pallet you can do a lot with. All of the fixtures are gorgeous. The bar inside is stunning. Trust me once you go see it, your jaw will drop. When my husband and I were looking at various venues in the city, we wanted one that really spoke to us and that was special, different and not super popular. The second we got to the Chicago Illuminating Company we knew it was the venue we wanted to have our wedding at. We had our ceremony outside. The trains didn’t affect us at all the whole night. We had our cocktail reception in the back of the courtyard, which worked well with the flow to carry on from ceremony. We had the dinner inside which was also a good transition from the courtyard to the dinner as a change of pace. After our cake cutting and dinner our guests joined us in the courtyard for more drinks and dancing for the rest of the evening. All in all it was a lovely, picturesque night. The venue is so fabulous on its on that it doesn’t require much extra décor. I would strongly, strongly encourage you to get in contact with Marta and meet her in person and go see the venue. You will be so glad you did. We got countless compliments from guests about how amazing our wedding venue was and how they never have been to something quite like it. If you are looking for a venue that will impress your guests this is the one. All in all our wedding was amazing. Literally something out of a magazine. All of which would not have been possible without the exquisite venue and professional assistance of Marta.