$25,000 starting price
201-250 guest capacity
This venue can host up to 250 guests
About this vendor
Located on 21st street in the South Loop, the landmark Mae District of Chicago is a profoundly historical yet contemporary 10,000 square foot space. The original exposed brick and steel beams of Mae District has set a standard by which all other event spaces are judged.
Mae District is a time traveler. Imprinted in the steel beams and brick walls is a storied past echoing tales of Chicago. Composed of secrets of many kinds, doors open to reveal festive events, charming spaces and tree-lined terraces. A cultural landmark, inspired by Mae herself, speaks to events filled with pleasure and leisure, fleeting moments and pure bliss — a historical story with new beginnings.
The unmistakably novel environment is just blocks away from the vast Lake Michigan and overlooking the vibrant beloved city. Steps from the McCormick Center, this two story space is nestled within the redstone brick buildings offering a rare vantage point of the city with an exceptional history. It is the perfect getaway on the doorstep of Chicago.
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Covered Outdoors Space
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Guest Capacity
- Up to 250
Settings
- Ballroom
- Historic Venue
- Industrial & Warehouse
- Loft
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Cakes & Desserts
- Destination Weddings
- Destination Wedding Packages
- Destination Wedding Planning
- Food & Catering
Reviews
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5
out of 5.014 reviews
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Our wedding about a month ago we are still in awe of just how beautiful Mae District is, and how their staff is just as wonderful. The space is gorgeous and Mae District/Food For Thought helped all of my decor and design dreams come true. It was everything my husband and I hoped for! Few things that make this venue and the people stand out (besides how stunning the space is):
1. Bridal Suite/Getting Ready Area: There is a huge space to get ready in and keep your belongings in. My bridesmaids and family felt so comfortable in the big airy space and it was the perfect place to get ready for the big day in
2. Outdoor Space: For our fall wedding, this was the most complimented part of the venue. Our guests loved having a drink outside on the nice fall night and it offered a space that felt just as fun as the dance floor.
3. Food: Food for Thought does by far the best wedding food we've ever had. Also very much complimented by our guests. I also just felt so taken care of by the wait staff - they offered us (as bride and groom) such a kind and accommodating server and had hors d'oeuvres and his/her cocktails waiting for us after pictures.
Highly recommend :)
My husband and I married in June 2023 and hosted our reception at Mae District! Thanks to Mae District and Food for Thought team, the event went flawlessly. We worked directly with Kaci, and from the beginning, she was super organized and thoughtful, often going above and beyond to advise us on what elements would help our wedding reception succeed! Walking into Mae District for the first time on our wedding day was surreal. The venue looked incredible, and the staff were so welcoming and helpful throughout the night. Our guests even commented about how the venue/FFT team provided the best wedding good they've ever had. We'd recommend working with the Mae District and Food for Thought teams for your wedding!
We had the best time hosting our wedding at Mae District last weekend! Anna was fantastic to work with in the lead-up to the event. Having all of the furniture in house made it so much less stressful to plan, and everything from Food for Thought was fantastic. We got so many compliments from guests who loved the food and the space.
Aside from being beautiful and historic, the flow of the venue made for such a great event. Having the ceremony in the front room, cocktails in the next room over, and dinner in the back room (followed by dancing back in the middle room) made the event feel seamless while having distinct spaces for everything. Mae District's BYOB option also allowed us to bring in our own alcohol, which worked out great. We were very budget conscious throughout our planning, and although Mae District has the feel of a high-end space, it was very comparable price-wise to other places we looked at, while also being unique, beautiful and with fantastic service.
I couldn't be happier with how the day went and am so grateful for Mae District (and Anna's!) role in making our day so special.
We cannot say enough nice things about Mae District. Anna put us at ease and was super responsive and communicative. The space is just beautiful and we loved that we could do the ceremony and reception easily in one space where each event could feel special. The suite for getting ready is top notch, we had a 8 person wedding party (bride and groom) officiant, us, and my mom all able to comfortably get ready in the same space. Our guests with sound sensitivities also used it as a quiet spot and we loved that they had that option. I also wanted to highlight that so many of our guests told us the single stall restrooms made a huge difference to them, it definitely helped our wedding be more LGBT+ friendly. Spaces were well lit and even with the light decorating we did, still looked stunning. Our guests loved taking photos with the large paintings around the space.
The cost of the venue fit well for us and the in house catering was comparable to other estimates we had for our area and guest count. I can’t recommend this venue enough. Our guests loved it and Mae District was super collaborative with us along the way, which is saying something given how packed we know 2022 is for vendors!
The Mae District was a dream wedding venue from the initial planning to the actual event! We worked with Anna as our coordinator, and she was not only friendly and approachable but also super responsive. We ended up requiring several additional trips to the venue for vendor organization and planning, and she was able to accommodate those requests. She also helped us reschedule the wedding date 4 days prior to the initial date due to a COVID spike. She made that stressful day so much easier (thank you again, Anna)!
The actual wedding day was smooth and seamless. The Mae District staff was wonderful! We had so many compliments on the food and service! Because it was a NYE-themed event, the venue hosted a champagne toast at midnight and let us use confetti poppers. It was a truly magical night, and we are so glad we used the Mae District!
Mae District is incredible!!! Our wedding was a few weeks ago, and after an almost two year planning period my husband and I cannot recommend this venue and team enough.
Meaghan and Kaci were an absolute dream to work with. My wedding vision changed quite a bit from the beginning of our engagement to the end, and Meaghan could not have been more helpful or patient in helping me find the perfect combination of chairs, silverware, linens, etc to bring what I wanted to life. In addition, she put in so much work to fine tune our proposal to exactly what we were looking for (inclusive of a fully customized bar package).
We were able to come see the venue as many times as we wanted/needed throughout the planning process, and were actually able to do a 2nd tasting after we couldn't decide on a 2nd signature cocktail and which steak to choose at the 1st tasting. Both of these were so much fun and helped to get the full experience of food, cocktails, wine, and decor options. We were also able to drop off all inventory the week before the wedding to be able to check that off and not worry about it the day before/day of!
On the day of, the team took SUCH great care of us. My bridesmaids and I actually got ready in the stunning bridal suite upstairs before leaving for the church, and it was absolutely perfect - makeup chairs, tons of mirrors, clothes racks, a kitchen... Then when we got back after the ceremony, Kaci was waiting by the door for my husband and I with our signature cocktails as soon as we arrived at cocktail hour, and a server brought over a tasting tray of all the appetizers for just the two of us to have a chance to eat before guests arrived. Everything was absolutely seamless throughout the night, and many, many guests commented on how beautiful the venue was, how great the food and drinks were, and how friendly all the staff was!
We are so, so grateful for our wedding day experience and a huge part of that was due to the team at Mae District. Look no further for an amazing choice for your wedding venue!!
Nathan was so amazing!! 19 East is such a beautiful venue, it doesn’t take much to turn this place into whatever theme, idea or vision you have in mind. Nathan and the staff were very linient and patient with us and completely catered to our needs!
19 East was the perfect venue for our August Chicago wedding. The multi-room layout stood out during our venue search which allowed for three unique styles during the event. The white ceremony room has great natural light and the art fixture was the perfect backdrop for our ceremony. The middle room was enough space for our 7 piece band and a large dance floor. It was great weather so we were able to utilize the outdoor alley space which was a nice addition and allowed for another great place for group pictures. The reception room has a great high ceiling and the upstairs bridal suite was more than enough space for the entire wedding party to hang out ahead of time. The stairs from the bridal suite lead to a great entrance as well. It was a pleasure working with Anna Boltz. She was very quick to respond to our questions and even accommodated additional venue visits when our parents were in town. She worked seamlessly with our planner and other vendors making the process so easy. Food for Thought blew us away with the quality of food as well, we received so many compliments from our guests. They were also so helpful when we had a few very specific dietary restrictions pop up with a few guests the week before. We were very lucky to have found 19 East and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun wedding location!
My husband and I got married in July of 2017 and Kendall was our event coordinator. We could not possibly have had a more perfect wedding day from start to finish. Kendall was so amazing throughout the entire process - she was so genuine, thoughtful and kind, so willing to assist with anything we may need, and went above and beyond in giving advice that Brides need to hear leading up to their wedding day. The tasting we had with her was so memorable - she made it so fun and both of our parents had such a great time. Not only was Kendall a 5 star event coordinator, but 19 East is an AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL venue! I would encourage anyone to get married there. The space is so versatile and beautiful, it's easy to get to in the city, and the upstairs bridal suite really makes an amazing space for pictures, parents with children to hang out, or if the Bride and Groom need a moment away. There's not enough great words I can say about Kendall and Food for Thought and 19 East!
It was our great pleasure to work with Anna Boltz planning my daughters wedding. Anna is a true professional, extremely knowledgeable and competent, very reliable and very easy to work with. Anna returned emails in a very timely manner and kept us updated on any cost changes. Anna also made great recommendations to us for other vendors such as wedding planners and photographers, etc. 19East is an incredible venue with very professional management...it was an incredible experience from start to finish. Thank you Anna!
19 East is such a beautiful loft space to create your dream wedding in! It was a pleasure working with Anna from the start!
Planning our daughter's wedding reception with Anna Boltz was a very pleasant experience. Ms. Boltz was an expert at executing our designs and decorations. She is professional and patient. It was a joy working with her. Our guest throughly enjoyed their experience at 19 East!
We have been working closely with Anna Boltz and the Food for Thought/19 East Team as we get closer to our wedding day and are so impressed with her organization, willingness to help and make this a great occasion. Anna is constantly looking out for her couples and always happy to make recommendations.
While our wedding isn't here yet I'm so grateful to have Anna throughout this process and get married at the 19 East space!
19 East is a beautiful loft style venue with great architectural design. It is the perfect space to make entirely your own.
We used the venue for both our ceremony and reception. Plus they have a secondary space upstairs that allowed my bridal party and I to have our hair and make-up stylists come to us so we didn't have to worry about stopping a multiple places.
Great time had by all!
Contact
19 East 21st Street, Chicago, IL
Mae District's photos