About this vendor
Situated in Chicago, IL, Chicago Theater Works is an award-winning, family-run venue committed to providing 5-star service for weddings and other special occasions. We are the perfect venue for casual and affordable events. Our customer reviews consistently demonstrate our commitment to making every event memorable, stress-free, and fun. Located in the Lakeview neighborhood, our venue has all the basics you need to create a spectacular event. We are just two blocks east of the Red, Brown, and Purple lines and on multiple 24/7 bus routes.
It's the ideal setting for your special day, with a versatile space that can accommodate up to 180 guests for a sit-down dinner and up to 200+ for a stand-up reception. Our facility is fully furnished to meet your needs. We provide 220 banquet chairs, along with a variety of tables, including fifteen 30" rounds, twenty 48" rounds, six 60" rounds, a buffet table, several 6' tables, and five 2'x4' tables.
We offer a staging kitchen equipped with a 3-compartment sink, commercial refrigerator, ice maker, convection oven, microwave, and stainless prep table for catering. We have a full bar with flexible plans and packages to meet any budget, offering a wide selection of beers, spirits, and wines. We can accommodate both host and cash bars to fit your needs. We have a great team who love working with people and making your event go off without a hitch! Please reach out to us; we would love to introduce you to our venue!
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Covered Outdoors Space
Outdoor Event Space
Business Attributes
- Black-owned Business
- Hispanic or Latinx-owned Business
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Settings
- Ballroom
- Historic Venue
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Planning
- Rentals & Equipment
Awards and Affiliations
4-Time 'Best of Weddings'
2024.2023.2022.2019.
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
Hall of Fame
Earned by winning 'Best of Weddings' four or more times.
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Reviews
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5
out of 5.066 reviews
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 6
If you’re looking for a simple, minimalistic type of venue for your wedding, I highly recommend Chicago Theater Works.
First, thank you to Dawn, the venue coordinator, for helpin...
g us create the perfect wedding reception. Dawn was excellent to work with. She was communicative and flexible and went above and beyond.
The two bartenders were exceptionally talented. They cared for our guests and ensured everyone had a drink in their hand all night.
I would also recommend hiring the two servers through the venue. They know the place inside and out. We did not have to give them any instructions. They just knew what to do, and they did a fantastic job.
We couldn’t have picked a better venue. Thank you again, Chicago Theaters Works!
I recently had the pleasure of catering a wedding with Kuma's Catering at Chicago Theater Works, and I can honestly say it was an outstanding experience from start to finish. The s...
pace itself is beautiful, well-maintained, and incredibly versatile.
What truly stood out, though, was the staff. Every single team member was professional, friendly, and genuinely invested in making the event a success. Communication was smooth, coordination was effortless, and their attention to detail made our job so much easier.
It’s always a joy to work with a venue that feels like a true partner, and this one absolutely delivered. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for an awesome event space with an exceptional team behind it.
Beautiful day everyone was very nice place was beautiful and the party came out beautifully I highly recommend a matter fact having another party this year can't wait
We recently celebrated our vow renewal at Chicago Theater Works, and it was an absolutely amazing experience from start to finish. The staff was incredibly flexible and accommodati...
ng to our needs, especially when we had to postpone our event. Their willingness to adjust and help us get the most bang for our buck was truly appreciated.
Working with Dawn was an absolute delight. She is such a sweetheart and made the planning process so smooth and enjoyable. The staff collaborated seamlessly with our wedding planner and other vendors, ensuring that everything went off without a hitch.
The venue itself is stunning, especially after some of the recent remodeling. It provided the perfect backdrop for our special day. On the day of the event, my husband and I were able to fully enjoy ourselves without any worries, thanks to the excellent coordination and support from the team at Chicago Theater Works.
If you're looking for a beautiful venue with a supportive and sweet staff, I highly recommend Chicago Theater Works. They truly helped make our vow renewal an unforgettable experience.
We were truly blessed with an introduction to this PERFECT venue for my husband's 50th birthday celebration! With exposed brick and a gorgeous bar to anchor the beautiful open spac...
e, the set-up options are
versatile. Great sound system for our DJ/music. I'd given no thought to the lighting, so was impressed to see how they featured in our evening's pictures (total bonus!)
The entire team was wonderful to work with; Nick was amazingly accomodating and attentive, and Dawn was equally responsive and invested in ensuring we had all
we needed before and during our event.
CTW will be my first choice for any future events and I highly recommend it for your very next one!
We were delighted to get married here a few years ago. The venue was lovely without breaking the bank. More importantly, we wanted to have OUR wedding; most places required we use ...
their list of options, but Chicago Theater Works was happy to accommodate whatever we wanted, and help us out where asked. They provided staff to help things run smoothly, gave clear expectations at every step of the process, and facilitated what was an absolute blast of an event.
The absolute best venue out there!! We had the honor to host our wedding there and we couldn’t have asked for better. Dawn and the owner of the venue were incredible. So kind, welc...
oming, big hearted and just incredible people. Our day was unforgettable all thanks to them. The experience they gave us was one of a kind. We felt so important and taken care of. Dawn was very detailed with us and made every step of the wedding planning less stressful and super organized. We absolutely love this place and the people! ❤️
We just got married in October & we couldn't have chosen a better venue! Dawn was an absolute joy to work with. She was very helpful and we loved visiting her during our entire wed...
ding planning process. Please chose CTW for your next event.
The Loves loved it! My husband and I recently got married at this wonderful venue. We were hooked from our first meeting when we first booked the place months ago. The communicatio...
n was well timed and thorough. There’s a great sense of intimacy here and care that made us feel comfortable. The planning showed expertise and attention to detail. We love Dawn! She made it very easy for us leading up to, during and after the wedding. We highly recommend this venue!
The Theater Works team was incredibly responsive and helpful from the first day I got in touch with them. I was able to lean on Dawn's experience when it came to planning the event...
, but she was also more than willing to accommodate any of our requests. 5/5 stars!
We absolutely LOVED working with Chicago Theater Works for our wedding this December!! Dawn and Bill went above and beyond to help us create the Christmas wedding of our dreams! Th...
ey are some of the nicest people we have ever met. They are more than accommodating and work your wants and needs into their schedule and venue space. They respond very promptly to emails and are very flexible with using their venue and resources to create the exact vision that you have in mind.
Dawn is incredible! She is so sweet and personable and it was a pleasure to have her as part of our big day. Dawn felt like a part of the family! The venue is a blank slate which allows you to truly create the atmosphere of your dreams. Our wedding felt very intimate and was great for our "smaller" wedding of 100 guests. With the layout of the venue, we were able to see all of our guests and talk to everyone with ease.
We catered pizza and pasta and utilized the venue's buffet tables and it was absolutely amazing! We also LOVED the placement of the dance floor in the middle of the event space as it encouraged more dancing and guest interaction. Our wedding at Chicago Theater Works was absolutely perfect and we can not wait to come back in the future! Without a doubt, you must add Chicago Theater Works to your tour list when on the hunt for the perfect wedding venue!
Dawn & Bill are absolutely wonderful to work with! And the space is great for a wedding!
Chicago Theatre Works made our wedding dreams come TRUE!!! We could not be more grateful for how helpful and thoughtful they were through the whole process. I had some big DIY drea...
ms, and they were clear and communicative the whole time. I cannot overstate how much we valued Dawn as our venue coordinator, who was so personable and kind! The venue price is very reasonable, the bar package was perfect, and do not sleep on those metal ceilings for hanging decor! :D Thank you Bill and Dawn for a magical day!
Dawn and the team at CTW are wonderful! They went above and beyond to make sure that the event went so smoothly. Working with Dawn during the planning process was easy and commun...
ication was great! My clients loved the flexibility in getting to choose their own vendors, especially for the food. Reasonably prices venues are hard to find, especially in the city, Chicago Theater Works is a great option! Thanks Dawn and Bill!
My twin sister and I threw a BANGER of a birthday party/fundraiser all with the help of CTW. We raised $10,000 and hosted approx 100 people all dancing/drinking/eating/donating. Bo...
th Dawn and Bill were very helpful and attentive to our needs. We came in two weeks prior to the event and had everything laid out very easily. Would do again, and we very well might!
Chicago Theater Works was an amazing venue! The owner was extremely responsive and his event planner Dawn was professional, helpful and kind! The space was clean and there was plen...
ty of room for our guests, the food, the bar, and a dance floor!
This venue is a great for its value. We were able to plan the event without an issue with the event coordinator, Dawn. She was great to work with before and during the event. I ...
was able to enjoy the party knowing the details were being handled by her. I highly recommend this venue for your next event.
Chicago Theater Works was wonderful throughout our entire wedding process. Our coordinar Dawn was extremely helpful and responsive making it the perfect place to get married. Would...
recommend for anyone!
Dear Dawn & Bill,
Thank you so much for being a part of our wedding day on Mother's Day! Trina and I really enjoyed getting to work with you to bring our wedding day to life. Our f...
riends who assisted with set-up and decorations appreciated your help as well in creating unforgettable moments that will last a lifetime.
We appreciated having our favorite caterer (Sinha’s, Brazilian restaurant) join your venue too and being allowed certain beverage privileges. Dawn, you and your daughter were incredibly welcoming and helpful. Your energy was always great! You guys were great listeners when helping decide our floor plan layout. Your reception suggestions were definitely on our radar. Our wedding theme was, ”Simple & Elegant” and your professional experience at Chicago Theatre Works certainly made it happen! For a wonderful experience, thank you once again.
-Adam|Trina Carter
-Chicago Illinois
Booking CTW for our venue was the best thing we did for our wedding! Dawn and Bill were incredible to work with. They were flexible, responsive, and easy to work with! I cannot rec...
comend them enough!
CTW was great to work with! They were professional from start to finish and went out of their way to make our wedding special. There was a plumbing issue (a toilet backed up) the n...
ight of our wedding, but the management team made sure everyone knew about it and it was dealt with speedily and appropriately. They worked wonders with our other vendors and tried to be as accommodating as possible. Some additional costs incurred trying to get in early for vendor delivery, which kinda stunk, but overall a great experience!
Dawn was wonderful to work with on-site!
Having our reception at Chicago Theater Works was a dream! Dawn and Bill were very helpful and communicative, the venue was gorgeous, and it was very affordable without having to c...
ompromise our wish for a Chicago wedding! They have chairs, tables, a kitchen, bridal suite, and sound system-- all perfect for a DIY bride or a bride who's planning a lavish affair. If I could go back in time, I'd choose CTW all over again!
"Where do I begin? The choices for spaces are so inviting, but once I narrowed my choice to the Chicago Theater Works, it was seamless. Bill was prompt to reply to my request and c...
onnect me to Dana who was amazing in helping with all the details. After the initial meeting, we had a walk through two weeks before to solidify the plans. She was also quick to respond to my questions. And then... at the event, they were both present and incredibly helpful. It's wonderful to work with nice and professional people. CTW is a great location with lots of street parking available. We were able to decorate it the way we wanted and got so many complements. My guests were delighted as they didn't know it existed. The room is spacious and I had over 100 guests. The bar was plentiful, the kitchen has all you need, there are guests and host bathrooms as well as a changing room. I would definitely recommend as well as use this venue again. Thank you Bill and Dana! You're the best!"
I've used CTW twice - not for weddings, but for memorial celebrations for my parents. The venue is cozy, intimate but still roomy, and unpretentious. Bill, Dawn, and the staff ar...
e thoughtful, invested, diligent, and responsive. Highly recommended.
The venue is as cute as it looks on the photos. It was the perfect size for a 100-person reception. Dawn is amazing! Not only is she professional and on top of things, she is kind,...
accommodating, and full of positive energy.
The Chicago Theater Works staff were absolutely wonderful to work with! They made sure that our day turned out absolutely perfect. Everyone was extremely accommodating and helpful ...
throughout the whole process. And the venue was absolutely stunning!!!
We held a small benefit event at the space and it was perfect for our needs. Great vibe, kind staff, good prices and great location. I would definitely recommend Chicago Theater ...
Works for your event.
CTW was the absolute best all around. The venue is so cute and full of personality, and the team is so helpful, before and during your event ! We used CTW to have an event post our...
destination wedding, and we could not have found a more perfect place. It’s truly a hidden gem.
A totally unique and awesome venue for a wedding reception!
Dawn, the venue manager, was great and very quick to respond. The on site staff was helpful and super friendly!
So h...
appy catering at this venue and I highly recommend it!
I cannot emphasize enough how wonderful Chicago Theater Works is! Bill and Dawn were incredibly friendly and so easy to work with; they always responded to my messages within an ho...
ur of me sending them, no matter the day. The venue itself is beautiful and the perfect size for an event capacity of anywhere between 50-150 people. I hosted a formal dance for my university's club and we had about 50 attendees, all of whom had plenty of space to dance, walk around, and mingle comfortably in the space.
The venue has a spacious kitchen, private bathrooms, an extra room to get ready in, a stage, fully stocked bar, speaker system, and basically anything else you would need for most formal events. It has an extremely convenient location for any form of transportation, with free street parking on nearby side streets after 6pm and several public transportation stops within a 5-10 minute walk. Furthermore, the rustic aesthetic of the venue is absolutely gorgeous and helped all of our event photos look beautiful! All of our attendees loved the space and gave us great feedback, so I would absolutely recommend this space for anyone looking to host a wedding, formal dance, or any other type of event!
Chicago Theater Works is Chicago’s hidden gem. The space is so classy and beautiful and has everything a great event needs - perfect location with plenty of parking around, a stage...
, jumbo screen, dance floor, tons of tables, beautiful bar and reception area, large enough to accommodate up to 175 people, and all the audiovisual equipment you will need at no additional cost. Beyond all this, the staff from the owner to the bartenders to the events coordinator (Dawn), were just amazing. We held our Gala at CTW- it would not have been the success that it was without the CTW team. The team put me at such ease because they had everything covered and went over and beyond to give us everything that we needed.
I can go on and on. Dawn was so organized and had everything handled in the most professional way going over and beyond for us every step of the way. Jordin went out of his way to keep me on schedule. Wow- I really didn’t expect to have a party planner on top of everything else. Everyone was so kind as well and just so invested in the success of our event. I had my wedding at a fancy hotel in Beverly Hills. CTW was just as good if not better and a lot more affordable!!!
We can’t wait to have our next Gala at CTW. So many people were impressed with the venue and I’m sure will be holding their event with them future. I received so many comments about how wonderful the venue was throughout the night.
I would not change a thing. I wish I could give CTW more than five stars. Thank you CTW for everything!! Our gala would not have been the success it was without you!! Until the next one!
The team at Chicago Theater Works was incredible! We booked the venue in November, and they helped me host a beautiful New Year's wedding. I viewed several venues in Chicago and CT...
W was by far the best! The communication, flexibility and value allowed me to have an incredible event in my own neighborhood. I highly recommend this venue...everyone loved it!
Hello all! My husband and I were lucky to have booked Chicago Theatre Works for our wedding. Dawn, Bill and Lisa were absolutely amazing at responding and helping us out with any q...
uestions we had. Thank you for making out wedding night so special!
We had a Art Market pop up at Chicago Theater Works. The space is ideal for all types of events. Ryan and Lisa were welcoming, professional and present the entire time of the event...
. The room can be customized and tables and chairs and provided.
Our event was an success and we will be using the space for future events.
As an event planner I have recommended this venue to several of my clients, upon my visits Bill, Lisa and Ryan are always pleasant, accommodating to special requests, and responsiv...
e to questions that may arise during the planning process. What I love most about this venue is the flexibility in setting up the room to meet your own personal style.
I have used Chicago Theatre Works for three company events within a 90 day period. The team is extremely responsive, professional, and accommodating. I highly recommend this locati...
on for an event space.
I could not have picked a better venue to choose. The staff felt like family and everything was put together so beautifully with their help.
If you’re looking for affordable and great quality, use Chicago Theater works!!! The staff and the venue are amazing!
Chicago Theater Works was my dream come true wedding! Bill and Lisa were helpful from start to finish whether that was answering simple questions all the way to last-minute request...
s with the help that was needed to help ensure my perfect day!
I could not thank them enough for everything that they did to help ensure my wedding was amazing!
We had the opportunity to work with the amazing team at Chicago Theater Works this weekend for a mutual clients wedding - from the start, the staff was offering to help us unload o...
ur car, offered carts, offered to help set up decor...we didn't know how to respond as we usually have to handle everything ourselves! This is a beautiful historic venue that is perfect for your intimate wedding with attentive staff, bridal suite, private rest rooms for the bridal party, sufficient kitchen for your caterer and even an option for vip/vendor parking offsite - only 2 blocks away. We hope to bring more of our weddings their way as the entire team was a perfect match with our service levels! Thank you to the entire Chicago Theater Works Team!
My fiancé and I were beyond excited to hold our ceremony at Chicago Theater Works. Unfortunately due to the current climate we had to cancel our original plans. Lisa and Bill were ...
extremely understanding and so helpful! With all of the stress surrounding the pandemic they made the process of having to cancel completely stress free. I hope we get to work with them in the future but as far as customer service goes they are incredible.
I seriously don't know where to start! I found Chicago Theater Works on Wedding Wire, even though I have passed this venue so many times! As soon as I saw them on here I knew I had...
to go check them out. From the moment we walked in I knew it was the one. It's large enough but still feels super homey and intimate, all our guests even commented on this. Bill and Lisa were absolutely fantastic to work with! They were quick to respond to all my questions and ease all my worries! They made sure they day went off without a hitch! Not to mention you couldn't find a better value, the space is beautiful and unique. I simple couldn't recommend a better venue or better people to work with!
Let me start by saying that we were very picky about our venue and wanted very specific aspects for our wedding. Chicago Theater Works delivered on EVERY LEVEL. They were fairly ...
priced, excellent bar package, flexible on our vision and a dream to work with throughout the process. Bill and Lisa are total professionals with a heart. Lisa was so helpful and calming with us and all of our vendors and Bill was just a dream to work with.
We wanted a lot of our personal touches and they accommodated with a smile on every request. Additionally, they have great vision and lots of fantastic suggestions. They made the process and most importantly, the day of, a huge success. All of our guests raved about the space and the service Bill and Lisa provided. Our pictures are spectacular and our wedding was just a blast. Seriously the best day of my life.
My husband and I highly recommend this venue and could not be happier with our choice. Thanks again Bill and Lisa and Chicago Theater Works!!
The staff at Chicago Theater Works, Lisa and Bill, provided excellent service and flexibility prior to and during our event. The space is beautiful, and it is conveniently located ...
within walking distance to the Belmont Red Line. If you have a lot of people driving in, Lake Shore Drive is just a few minutes away, and a nearby parking lot can be rented at a reasonable price. (We had few driving, so we did not rent it, but it's worth mentioning.) They have a terrific variety of bar selections, and their premium bar package was the best price I've ever seen per person. The space rental, which is yours for 10 hours as of this writing, is also the most reasonable we found. They do not increase any prices because you are a wedding. I repeat, they do not increase any prices because you are a wedding. As my husband and I planned our wedding, one of the aspects of we liked least was how every venue increased prices 2-6x just because you said wedding.
For the service, flexibility, convenience, and price offered by the Chicago Theater Works, I cannot recommend them highly enough.
Hidden gem! If you are looking for something unique, this is the place. The staff was amazing and the price was very reasonable. Highly recommended!
Wow, Wow, Wow!!! What a treasure this venue is. The pictures don't do it justice. The space is so very flexible and Lisa had such great ideas--we could make it our own style tha...
t was both beautiful and comfortable for our diverse families. We had originally thought to have just the wedding reception at CTW, but ended up following Lisa's excellent suggestion to have both the ceremony and the reception there. Being theater folk, they cleverly "flipped the room" so that the aisle with seating on either side, became the dance floor, with lots of room for the dinner tables. The rental time is so long, that we could do both, including set up and take down, without an extra charge. Also, being able to pay for drinks consumed rather than a fee per person was a real financial plus. FINALLY, they have a full kitchen, a great sound system and lighting already in place and had great suggestions for a DJ and catering--both were fun and delicious.
My husband and I had an absolutely fantastic experience with Chicago Theater Works! Bill and Lisa were so helpful and courteous throughout the process of planning, and were so flex...
ible in working with us. We wanted to keep our wedding simple and fun, and they absolutely made that a reality. On the day of, they made sure that everything went smoothly so that we were able to enjoy it as well, which we really appreciated! They were so flexible, and really helped us make the event feel personal and special. They could not have been easier to work with, and we are so glad we picked them!
The most beautiful space for our wedding reception. They had everything we needed for our wedding. Their bar packages are more than reasonable, and they were very flexible with al...
l of our vendors. This was the perfect venue for us as we wanted to get married in the city while not spending $$$$.
The best day of my life was at Chicago Theater Works. I booked a wedding package. This venue is absolutely amazing. Large and open with exposed brick. Bill and Lisa are one of a ki...
nd and a treasure to work with. Don't be fooled by the photos. The space is large with high ceilings! The lighting can be dimmed for a romantic feel. It is absolutely BEAUTIFUL and a great canvas for your creativity. I received numerous compliments on how wonderful the venue is. My guests were blown away. The location is ideal for transportation and the cool city vibes will definitely impress your guests! Save yourself the stress and book your wedding here. The space has tables, chairs, sound system, bar, lights, private bridal room, and a stage. There is a kitchen and a large prep area. Your caterer will be very pleased. You can easily book an impressive bar package. I can't thank Bill and Lisa enough! They were very kind, fast to respond, and open to all my ideas. This place deserves more than 5 stars :) Thank you, Chicago Theater Works, for helping me bring my ideas to life!
Chicago Theater Works helped make our wedding so special and intimate. They went above and beyond to help our wedding go off without a hitch. Lisa and Bill, the owners/managers of ...
the space, were responsive, supportive and very kind. They coordinated with our vendors and worked hard to make sure every detail was taken care of. And the bar. The bar was incredible. They allowed us to create 4 signature cocktails (and even went out and got ginger beer just for us) and then created a complete cocktail list to go along with them. All of our guests raved about the bar and stated it was the best bar experience they’ve had at a wedding. I cannot sign CTW praises enough, and I am so grateful to Lisa and Bill for how hard they worked to make our day so special.
Contact
1113 West Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL | IL
Chicago Theater Works