The Rookery Building

Timeless Elegance

4.9

Verified reviews from real couples

We had our wedding at The Rookery, and it was absolutely perfect. Greg gave us a tour early in our planning process and truly sold us on the space. His passion and knowledge made it clear this was the place for us. The Rookery is such a beautiful, historic Chicago landmark, and our guests couldn’t stop talking about the stunning architecture and how unique it was. Because the building itself is so elegant, we didn’t have to add much decor. The space really speaks for itself. We had 176 guests, and the venue was perfectly sized for that number. It never felt crowded, but it still had an intimate, warm atmosphere that made the night feel special and personal. The Oriel Staircase photos we took are absolutely stunning. It’s truly one of the most beautiful and iconic spots in Chicago for wedding portraits. The building’s architecture and natural light made for incredible photos throughout the day. The central location was another huge plus. With so many hotels nearby, it was easy for our out-of-town guests to find accommodations and enjoy everything downtown Chicago has to offer. Everything came together beautifully, and we couldn’t imagine a more timeless, breathtaking setting for our wedding day. Just FYI for future couples: The Rookery has exclusive partnerships with Jewell Events Catering (for catering) and Art of Imagination (for drapery). Both are excellent and know the space inside and out, which made planning even smoother.

Christianne W.

5.0

The perfect venue! We had our Christmas wedding here and it was more amazing than we ever thought possible. The giant Christmas tree, the grand staircase, the gold details, the second floor cocktail hour space. Everything was amazing. We are so glad we chose The Rookery for our venue. So many guests complimented us throughout the night on how amazing the space was and also how it was so "iconic Chicago", something that was very important to us.

Megan L.

5.0

Located in Chicago, IL, The Rookery Building is a banquet hall venue that hosts weddings and special events. This property is set in the heart of downtown Chicago and dates back to 1888. At the time, it was one of the tallest buildings in the world, providing a blueprint for today’s modern skyscrapers. It offers a serene and intimate space for nuptial celebrations while being close to the hustle and bustle of the city. The Rookery Building offers a truly spectacular setting for newlyweds-to-be who want to celebrate their day in style. You and your guests are sure to be delighted by the incredible circular event space, which boasts double-story ceilings finished with class. A balcony surrounds the main floor, providing guests with a view of your ceremony or reception. Draped with soft white chiffon details, this space offers a romantic and sophisticated ambiance for your day. The Orial staircase is one of the most notable features of this property and provides a myriad of opportunities for stunning wedding photos. The Rookery Building offers a myriad of options for couples who are planning their big day. You will have the assistance and guidance of a personal event supervisor, who will work to ensure that every detail is flawless. Catering will be provided by the venue’s exclusive caterer, Jewell Events Catering. Their dedicated team will work with you to create a custom menu and bar package to suit your needs and preferences. This property welcomes all ceremony types, including religious and non-religious events, civil unions, and commitment ceremonies.

Speaks English

Amenities + details

Amenities

Dressing Room

Handicap Accessible

Indoor Event Space

Liability Insurance

Reception Area

Wireless Internet

Ceremony Types

Civil Union

Commitment Ceremony

Interfaith Ceremony

Non-Religious Ceremony

Religious Ceremony

Second Wedding

Vow Renewal Ceremony

Settings

Historic Venue

Venue Service Offerings

Bar & Drinks

Food & Catering

Planning

Any questions?

4.9

out of 5.0

15 reviews

Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.

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Christianne W

Highlighted review.

10/15/2025

We had our wedding at The Rookery, and it was absolutely perfect. Greg gave us a tour early in our planning process and truly sold us on the space. His passion and knowledge made i...

t clear this was the place for us. The Rookery is such a beautiful, historic Chicago landmark, and our guests couldn’t stop talking about the stunning architecture and how unique it was. Because the building itself is so elegant, we didn’t have to add much decor. The space really speaks for itself. We had 176 guests, and the venue was perfectly sized for that number. It never felt crowded, but it still had an intimate, warm atmosphere that made the night feel special and personal. The Oriel Staircase photos we took are absolutely stunning. It’s truly one of the most beautiful and iconic spots in Chicago for wedding portraits. The building’s architecture and natural light made for incredible photos throughout the day. The central location was another huge plus. With so many hotels nearby, it was easy for our out-of-town guests to find accommodations and enjoy everything downtown Chicago has to offer. Everything came together beautifully, and we couldn’t imagine a more timeless, breathtaking setting for our wedding day. Just FYI for future couples: The Rookery has exclusive partnerships with Jewell Events Catering (for catering) and Art of Imagination (for drapery). Both are excellent and know the space inside and out, which made planning even smoother.

Megan L

12/26/2021

The perfect venue! We had our Christmas wedding here and it was more amazing than we ever thought possible. The giant Christmas tree, the grand staircase, the gold details, the sec...

ond floor cocktail hour space. Everything was amazing. We are so glad we chose The Rookery for our venue. So many guests complimented us throughout the night on how amazing the space was and also how it was so "iconic Chicago", something that was very important to us.

Any questions?

Ashlee G

10/26/2020

Gorgeous venue!! All of our photos from the space were absolutely gorgeous and will be a venue that all of your guests will remember. So unique! The exclusive caterer (Jewell) is p...

henomenal. You won’t be disappointed! We had a small covid friendly wedding here and they were very accommodating. 10/10!!

Jules S

11/17/2018

I would have never thought I would be able to afford a downtown wedding ESPECIALLY at the Rookery but they have fabulous pricing. I worked with Bri and Kate- both were so knowledge...

able, helpful, and experienced! It is the most stunning room to be in, an absolute fairytale!

Amanda C

10/18/2017

The Rookery Building is a hidden gem in Chicago. Any bride that is looking to make a statement on her wedding day, this is your venue!! Jewell Catering was amazing to work with and...

the space looked breathtaking for our reception!!

Jessica F

8/18/2017

We had a wonderful experience with Jenna, Jewell, and the Rookery!! We are still receiving rave reviews about the beauty and elegance of the venue. Jenna was extremely patient an...

d helpful throughout the entire process. I highly recommend this venue and Jenna will help you construct the perfect wedding of your dreams.

Anonymous

1/01/2016

Jewell Events catered our daughter's wedding at the Rookery this past October. The cocktail hour, the bar service, the food, the cake--everything was outstanding. Dana and Jenna w...

ere wonderful to work with. Some guests said it was the best wedding they ever attended. If our other daughter gets married in Chicago, it will be a Jewell wedding for sure. They are first rate!

Samantha K

10/29/2015

We used Jewell catering for our wedding in September 2015 at the Rookery. Dana and Jenna were super helpful during the months leading up to the wedding – since they were our main ...

contact for our venue they answered a ton of our questions and met with us on more than one occasion to go over questions. Jenna was also our “on-site coordinator” for the day of the wedding and was so on top of everything during setup, cocktail hour, and the reception itself! We also got rave reviews on the night of our wedding about the food! Many people came up to us and said they loved the food and everyone ate all that was put in front of them. I can’t recommend Jewell enough – for the great service as well as the wonderful food.

Melisa M

10/21/2015

We recently had both our ceremony and reception at The Rookery Building downtown Chicago. As soon as I saw it I knew that was where I wanted our wedding to be. The space is absol...

utely gorgeous and is perfect for a not too big wedding. We ended up having about 130 guests and it worked out perfectly.

Amy C

5/12/2015

Our wedding at the Rookery was beautiful and elegant! Many guests said this was one of the most classy weddings they had been to, with the elegant ambience attribtued by the venue ...

taking much credit. We had both ceremony and reception here and the turn around was seamless. Jewell did a great job with the catering and the food turned out consistent and delicious. The tasting was one of the highlights of the whole planning process. The only reason to take away a star was for value -- the total cost was pricey and they ended up charging for things we wished they would have just comp'ed (coat rack, high chairs, etc). Granted, venues in Chicago are bound to be expensive. Also, it was a real pain to go through the process of buying separate insurance for our friends who were playing in the wedding and did not have their own insurance like established vendors.

Renee S

10/02/2013

When I first walked into the Rookery I knew I had to have my wedding there. It was breathtaking to say the least. I hired Jewell for my caterers and I very pleased with their servi...

ce. I had my fairytale wedding at this venue and with this great catering company.

Bridget T

5/11/2013

We had a wonderful experience working with Dana at Jewell Events for our wedding at the Rookery. From our initial tour of the space to our meetings leading up to the wedding and fi...

nally, the day of, Dana and Jewell Events answered all of our questions and provided impeccable service. We had both our ceremony and reception at the Rookery and didn't have a wedding planner so having Dana available to address any questions was awesome. She worked closely with our other vendors and helped to coordinate everything the day of the wedding. We continue to receive so many compliments on the venue and the food, months after our event. Jewell offered a creative variety of food options and worked with my husband and our families to develop a menu that pleased everyone. We had a truly excellent experience working with the Rookery and Jewell; I can't say enough good things!

Linda V

10/29/2012

I was so happy with Jewell from Day 1. We selected the Rookery as our venue - which only works with two caterers: Jewell and Blue Plate. Immediately Kristin and Dana responded to m...

y inquiry and asked about all our vision they knew who we were and what we were looking for before I even got the automated welcome response from Blue Plate. Throughout the whole process Kristin and Dana worked with us on various changes and answered our hundreds of questions very promptly. Not to mention they are such sweethearts and great to work with! Would I recommend? ABSOLUTELY!

Anne M

11/08/2011

As architects, my husband and I fell in love with the idea of a wedding at the Rookery. Since there were only two approved caterers that handled the rental of that space and we we...

re so anxious to book it, we reached out to both. We had already met with Jewell and signed the event contract before the other catering company even responded. We worked with Emily and Kristin and they were both amazing. They helped us to tailor everything about the event to completely fit our needs, budget, and style. The tasting was thorough and we walked through every detail of the event. Jewell even took care of our wedding favors and just rolled it into the price of our catering package-- can't complain about having one less item to coordinate myself! The staff was totally professional and the food was amazing-- specifically the hors d' oeuvres, which received great reviews from our guests-- and the details from the dessert table layout to the linens to the flatware looked phenomenal.

Sonja S

5/17/2011

We originally saw the Rookery on a Chicago Architecture Tour and when we found out we could rent it for our wedding reception, we had to have it. With our Wedding Consultant, Emil...

y, always being helpful and responsive in our correspondence and the flexibility to bring in our own alcohol, we knew we had a winner. Our wedding turned out beautiful, the Rookery shined, and we received so many compliments on the great venue.

Service area & Contact info

209 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL

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(312) 374-8212

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The Rookery Building

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