City Winery Chicago

ll-established venue with included staff and catering, the whole planning process was painless. They have great relationships with all of the major wedding vendors in the area, from florists to DJs to photographers, all of whom have worked in City Winery’s space before and know how to make a memorable wedding there. The dining room was completely transformed and is ideal for a ~100 person wedding. The windowed space by the street served as a perfect ceremony spot—while it was too cold in April to use their beautiful outdoor space with vine-covered brick wall, they were able to effortlessly move to the cold-weather option and gave us zero day-of stress in figuring out a rain plan. Their upstairs mezzanine did great not only for our rehearsal dinner but as a convenient staging area for us and the bridal party. The feeling running up there after the ceremony for a moment alone with champagne waiting for us was a moment we’ll never forget. I’ll also mention that because City Winery is a large establishment, they have live music in the music space while weddings occur in the dining room—they worked this out to a tee so we never noticed the music attendees or the music itself. I also want to give a massive shout-out to the kitchen, wait, and bartending team for a phenomenal dining experience. In particular, the bartending team accommodated our rather complex signature cocktails with an uncanny level of quality and was even able to source rare liqueurs for them--we really tested the bar team and they passed with flying colors. A huge thanks to the whole team for a job very well done; we wholeheartedly endorse future couples to go to City Winery!

s, and the staff! The entire venue is gorgeous and it is in such a cool area with plenty of things to do for everyone coming in from out of town. The outdoor area was my favorite part - such a gem compared to other venues we looked at in the city! We are so appreciative of the staff at City Winery. They truly went above and beyond to make sure everything was organized and ran smoothly on our wedding day. We also got so many compliments on both the wine and the food. My parents have been talking about it ever since we had our tasting nine months ago :) My husband and I were so happy we had our wedding at City Winery and would recommend it to anyone else!

r vision of our day, and she was so much fun! We feel lucky to have chosen CW as our wedding venue, and recommend Emily specifically to anyone who has their wedding here. One thing we will say, if we are to share any negative feedback, is that the food staff was very disorganized and delayed on the day of our wedding. All of our guests had selected meals when they RSVP’d, yet day of, the staff was taking everyone’s orders, as though they had somehow gotten lost. Apart from this delaying our timeline a bit, everything was fantastic!

w our perfect wedding day. Everything with the venue was so seamless from the band, decorations and dropping off any special requests. The food and wine here are also amazing! It was such a special night for us and can't thank Emily Fitzgerald and City Winery enough for all their help!

led on me out of the blue - so with 6 months until my wedding my hopes were very low. I contacted City Winery and it was like the stars aligned and the couple getting married on my date had just decided to postpone their wedding. We went to see the space (during a snow storm), Nathan was sooo helpful showing us the space answered all of our questions and sent us home with a bottle of wine. From the moment we walked in the doors I knew it was perfect ( a million time better than our original venue). Getting the contract and signing that was so easy and they answered all of our questions. Couples - City Winery does everything for you food, venue, table clothes, tables etc. I can't tell you how rare this us! We worked with Emily who literally made my day perfect and made planning so easy even in the middle of a pandemic where rules were changing constantly, she coordinated with all my vendors the day off and literally handled everything - if there were issues I would have no idea because I was never bothered once and everything went so smoothly. The day was perfect and she organized a special moment for just me and my groom. People still rave about the food, wine and venue. The hardest part of wedding planned was deciding what to serve because we LOVED everything at the tasting - I mean everything. Also - they included Cava (sparkling wine) in the package. Everything was perfect - I love Emily and City Winery - everyone should get married here. We added on late night pizza and charcuterie boards to our happy hour - and the pricing was very reasonable. Oh the staff the day of was wonderful and had boxes for people to take pizza and cake to go - the pizza was incredible and Jessica (who helped us that night, handed me a box when I was walking out incase I hadn't eaten any - soooo nice). I mean they made everything so wonderful - I am probably forgetting 1000 things they did that put a smile on my face and made planning so easy! Seriously contact them you will be so happy you did!

and CW made everything perfect. We could not have been happier with the event and service the CW team provided. All the details, the setup, the FOOD. OMG the food! We have gotten so many compliments on the food. And the urban winery aesthetic was exactly what we were going for. The staff went above and beyond, especially D.J. who made sure my wife and I never had an empty glass and put our night over the top! They were also very gracious with the covid situation. Our original date was in September 2020, and they were very accommodating as we had to “replan” our wedding. They made all our guests feel very comfortable attending an event amidst the pandemic, even as we were able to have a somewhat normal wedding as Chicago had reduced restrictions in July. We highly recommend and cannot say enough good things about City Winery!

our reception. We got engaged in November 2019 and, as wine lovers, CWC was already on our shortlist of venues. In late February 2020 we reserved our May 2021 wedding date. With Covid becoming a reality shortly thereafter we initially sat in the "this should be over by next spring" camp and weren't too concerned. Still, CWC worked us to restructure our payment schedule and we were in close contact with them throughout 2020/2021 as health protocols, capacity limits, social distancing guidelines, etc. were updated. CWC was always open to hosting a walkthrough of the space (with a glass of wine in hand!) whenever possible and answered any and all questions/concerns we had regarding the wedding. The day of the wedding, CWC followed all local health guidelines and the staff were courteous and professional. The outdoor wine garden was a beautiful ceremony spot with a vine-covered brick wall as a backdrop, and the concert venue allowed for social distancing during dinner and reception. The food and beverage was astounding and our guests had an amazing time!

way!

incredibly comfortable with every change and roadblock thrown our way. I also can't recommend working with Emily Fitzgerald enough, she really went above and beyond for us. The lady deserves a huge promotion for everything she had to deal with and how gracefully she did it. We loved the whole team!

ing COVID planning environment. We stopped by for informal tours countless times and had many a late night phone check-in. All of our questions and concerns were met with patience and understanding. The end result was a safe, beautiful, night we will never forget. Would recommend for weddings large and small!

e. I am very type A, a worrier, and a perfectionist, but I know in the end we made the right choice. I am so glad we chose them! The food was amazing, which is not something you always get at a wedding. Our ceremony was in the courtyard. Todd and his team perfectly arranged the decorations that they allowed us to drop off the day before. Cocktail hour went off without a hitch, right at sunset. We moved inside for the reception, where Todd and his team kept us on track for the evening while also not making us feel rushed. He worked well with our other vendors and I never heard of any issues. When we mentioned we were into alternative desserts rather than a traditional cake, he suggested a donut truck. We were able to fit the Stan’s donut truck in the courtyard along with a custom espresso bar, which were big hits of the night. The bar accommodated our custom signature drink requests. It was also so nice to not have to clean up all of our decorations and come back to get them the next day. I cannot stress how great this venue was and how amazing Todd is (sorry for the late review!!). You will not regret booking this venue.

incredible the food and wine was - especially the surprise meat & cheese spread offered during cocktail hour. Huge thanks to Kelsey and Todd for being absolute dreams to work with. When we first met Todd while scouting for venues, we instantly felt this sense of ease due to his friendliness and his experience shining through. Everything was so well organized and we felt confident that our day would have perfect execution on City Winery's side. We worked with Kelsey from there, and her calm, fun manner really made everything feel that much less stressful. The whole process felt so smooth and seamless, and everyone on staff at City Winery made us feel so wonderful and at home. Highly recommended to have your special day here, and we cannot wait to go back and celebrate our anniversary here with many visits in between! Thank you!!!!!

urant area. City Winery staff set everything up and made sure our wine glasses were always full. Our guests complimented the venue, food, and service. Emily was our event planner and she was great to work with. She responded quickly to emails and helped make sure everything ran smooth on the day of the wedding. Cannot recommend enough!

e moment we stepped inside everything was perfect. We were offered a glass of wine and then we were shown all of the lovely spaces within the venue. All of the communication leading up to our event was quick and easy. Todd and Kelsey were both FANTASTIC and accommodated all of our requests from beer, wine, food allergies, etc. We showed up the day before the wedding to drop off all of our decorations ready to consider the rain plan as the forecast for the next day wasn't looking good. Yet again, Todd and Kelsey were already prepared, going above and beyond to make sure our day was perfect. They came up with a great rain plan to make sure everything was amazing. And our wedding day was just that... AMAZING & PERFECT!

ew took care of everything. The ceremony was going to be in their courtyard and there was even a good chance it was going to rain that day, and Todd had a whole back-up plan laid out. Luckily it wasn't needed. All I had to do was show up and walk down the aisle! I couldn't have dreamed of a more perfect day!

ally small windows of availability when it came to seeing the space, trying the food and meeting with staff. There was one man that made it all possible and feel so incredibly easy... TODD CARR. I am pretty sure I threw the most random requests at him and he didn't even bat an eye. He leads such amazing team at City Winery - they are all organized, professional, and extremely attentive. There are a lot of venues in Chicago, but a lot of them have hidden fees or additional expenses that can really take a hit to your budget. Not at City Winery. They were upfront about everything and wanted to work with us to make sure we got everything we wanted! I truly can not express enough how amazing this venue is. If you are even thinking about this as an option, give Todd Carr a call... next thing you know... you are planning your wedding at City Winery!

nd would look great with or without additional decor. The patio space is a gorgeous ceremony setting and even has heaters if you're interested in an early spring/late fall event. Their wedding package (priced per person) is very inclusive and straightforward. A huge bonus for us was that they provide a custom cake built included in this per person price, although you still have the option to provide your own. They really account for every detail in making the experience of the guests as well as the couple as seamless and enjoyable as possible. The service and quality offered by City Winery is truly an incredible value given its prime location and affordable pricing. Todd was fantastic to work with from the very beginning. He is very knowledgable, professional, and made thoughtful recommendations based on our needs and priorities. With his experience and attention to detail, I felt that I wouldn't even need to hire a day-of coordinator. He really took the time to understand what we wanted and demonstrated this through his suggestions. I particularly appreciated that he is direct and transparent about the entire process. Throughout my venue visits, Todd stood out as one of the most thorough event managers I met with. Bottom line: if you're looking for a charming and affordable Chicago venue with an outdoor ceremony space for your wedding of 80-220 guests that doesn't compromise on guest experience or amenities, I would highly recommend City Winery.

on for room setup and walk through prior to the wedding. The food was phenomenal and they provide the cake as well which made things very easy. All of our guests LOVED the venue as well, we brought in a band and it was super easy since the concert venue at City Winery is state of the art. The team at City Winery is incredibly easy to work with, knowledgeable and very friendly. Whatever we needed they provided. One of the best parts of our day was the private moment Emily had setup for us. Immediately after our ceremony she gave us champagne and had a private setup in the mezzanine with all of our appetizers, so we could try them and reflect on our ceremony before joining everyone for Cocktail Hour. I would choose City Winery 100 times over for our wedding. The outdoor and indoor space is absolutely beautiful!! So thankful for this amazing venue and the team that supports it!

search for a larger venue (for about 150 guests). That was our gain!!! Because we found City Winery Chicago. The.Perfect.Place. The venue is as cool as Chicago gets. Emily Fitzgerald is not only sharp and dedicated as an event planner but also (and most importantly) she is kind. She helped us through the entire process. Menu selection was a blast. Touring the venue was awesome and we took advantage of all their recommended vendors (except for flowers as we went with a florist that has been in the family for years). But thanks to City Winery we found Gerber/Scarpelli Weddings Photo and the great artist Megan Sontag; we also were able to connect with DJSTEP (Ben Stepnowski), amazing DJ who also happens to be a local celebrity as he is the music coordinator for Chicago's Fire soccer club. Ben was incredible. And last but not least, City Winery hooked us with FOTIO, a photo booth team with a vintage vibe that was a total hit. And the day came. The venue looked fantastic. No rain thankfully so we had the ceremony at their great patio area. The setting was just as we expected. The reception was superb. It took place at the concert hall (how cool is that?) and it looked stunning. The food was phenomenal and the cake was just on point (multi-layers with different flavors!). But I think that what really makes a difference was the team helping us through the evening. Emily was there making sure everything run as expected and the Venue Manager Ryan Monahan led a team that made the night an event to remember. We danced with everyone. Took pictures with everyone and our guests had a great time. Every person helping us was friendly and kind. We could have not asked for more. So after all this rumbling all I can say on behalf of Matt and I is THANK YOU City Winery Chicago. You made our day the best day! Gil Sandoval This is hands down THE PLACE for every and ALL Chicago weddings :)

he venue was from decor, to food, to service, to sound...we highly recommend City Winery Chicago!

ided an elegant feel, without being the traditional banquet hall or hotel location for the ceremony and reception. City Winery far exceeded our expectations of doing just that for us! Todd and his team put us at ease during the peak of wedding planning leading up to the big day and I knew things would go off without a hitch knowing they were involved. Our family and friends complimented what an intimate event space and how wonderful the food and service was for the whole evening. Thank you so much for being a part of our big day :)

ell me they were shocked this was in the city! We had our reception in the concert venue, which was perfect for a band and dancing! The staff at City Winery were wonderful to work with. They were so accommodating and I loved that they provided so many of the items on our checklist (food, alcohol, cake, tables, chairs, linens, etc)- this made it so much easier than having to deal with so many different vendors. The staff really went above and beyond on the day of our wedding. They gave my husband and me our own private room for a moment alone after our ceremony and gave us our own appetizers so we wouldn't be chasing the servers! It was little things like this that made the day so great!

y feel very unique and special. City Winery was the perfect mix of being able to have a city wedding downtown, but with the touches of rustic elegance that I knew I wanted for my special day. It's also located in the super trendy and fun West Loop neighborhood, making it a great spot for guests to enjoy before and after the reception. Within our wedding package, all liquor, an abundance of passed hor d'oeuvres, plated dinners and our wedding cake was included. City Winery even included a wine tasting with cheese display during cocktail hour that our guests absolutely loved. And they gave my husband and I a smaller cake to take home for our one year anniversary! As for the food and drinks, everything was outstanding. Guests raved about the food and our "his and her" cocktails were incredible and offered throughout the entire night. About two weeks before the wedding, I brought up offering a Kentucky Mule and Paloma to guests and City Winery could not have been more accommodating. As for the service, Todd Carr leads events for City Winery and is INCREDIBLE. Seriously, any bride looking for the best person to work with should work with Todd. He could not have been more helpful or responsive throughout the entire planning process. He worked closely with our day-of coordinator and vendors, and when I entered the reception venue I was blown away by how perfect everything looked. He worked closely with my parents regarding contract and payment details, and my parents also raved about how professionalism and responsiveness. Overall, I couldn't have asked for more from City Winery and I wouldn't change a thing about my wedding. It was the perfect venue and the perfect staff to help us execute the wedding of our dreams!

nce very personal and very easy on us. We didn't want to spend hours fussing over different vendors for chairs, linens, cake, food, beverage, catering staff, etc., but we wanted really good quality stuff. City Winery is a great one-stop-shop for most of these decisions, and they have great food and decor options. Todd also provided us with some preferred vendors that proved to be excellent suggestions. The venue was very accommodating with our requests on how to very specifically set up decor, and when we asked for a chocolate-free, dairy free, gluten free cake for our guests, they came through. Of course, it's also worth mentioning that our photos turned out beautifully against the backdrop of space. Their outdoor patio has a gorgeous green ivy wall, and the interior restaurant space looks nice enough that you don't need to spend a lot on decor. We were very happy with the price of the package, as well. We were able to get top shelf alcohol, great hors d'oeuvres, a very nice plated meal, and cake, plus the set up and space for both a ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception, all at a very reasonable price. All of our guests were very impressed with how great the venue was and how much fun our wedding was, and we know a big part of that was thanks to City Winery. We couldn't have been happier with our choice.