Zhou B Art Center

t industrial with gorgeous paintings and sculptures complete with a freight elevator that was a hit with our guests! We were able to rent the entire space for our wedding which was unique and very impressive to our guests. (We were also able to rent the neighboring parking lot, I think at least 100-200 parking spaces, which was very much appreciated by our guests especially when attending an event in Chicago). The first floor was perfect for cocktail hour - our 230 guests had plenty of room to eat, drink, socialize and explore the art work. After cocktail hour guests were redirected to the second floor either by stairs or the freight elevator to enjoy the rest of the evening with dinner and dancing. The second floor space is beautiful with large white pillars and concrete flooring and artwork that rotates throughout the year. There is also a bridal suite on the second floor that is spacious and gorgeous complete with its own bathroom. The best part of the Zhou B Art Center is it’s partnership with LM Catering and Vanille Patisseire. This took the guess work out of choosing a caterer and wedding cake/dessert option. Both are SO delicious - we received many compliments on our food and wedding cake, some saying it was the best they had ever had! While working with LM Catering Paulette was our point person and she was a dream. She was flexible and accommodating and always willing to schedule time for us to walk through the venue when needed. We ended up adding bistro lighting and uplighting in our reception space and Zhou B was able to coordinate this with a trusted vendor which again made it effortless for us. I would 10/10 recommend Zhou B for your event, you won’t regret it!

so its a sacrifice you have to decide if you want to make. We knew we didnt want a cookie cutter wedding and we definitely made the right choice. We made sure to check in with them with each step of the way and they were always great at trying to help us have the day of our dreams!!! Our guests are still talking about our big day. We couldn't be happier. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!

ork with as Dee had a lot of information to share with us from being in the industry for over 15+ years. Our first tour was amazing and we felt that Dee would be a great resource as they offered to help with any questions we had throughout the process. Dee answered all our questions and didn't make us feel stupid as we were new to the process. Feeling positive about the experience, we decided to book with ZBAC. We signed our contract in March and our wedding wasn't until December. We had reached out in June regarding a few things and understood that it was peek wedding season so not hearing back right away was not a huge deal. Once August came around, we reached out again and was transferred to a different contact. I scheduled a meeting with the new contact (Ameerah) and during the call, she constantly cut me off as I was talking. I guess my questions were too basic and as if she was too busy to have a conversation/ making my concerns "not that big of a deal". I felt that was rude, but at this point, what can I do? I had a contract with this venue, invitations were sent and I already made my non-refundable deposit. She did send over a few documents that I hadn't received from Dee, which was helpful, but I wasn't too thrilled to be working with someone so careless. Once September came around, my caterer tried to get in touch with Amerrah and hadn't heard anything the entire month. Nonetheless, ZBAC didn't miss a beat for our final payment, but still no response from them regarding our questions. There were a couple additional times where my caterer, photographer, planner, florist and I reached out via email and phone call and didn't get a response. In November, I scheduled a final walk through with my caterer and we were able to get some comfort during the meeting since we couldn't connect with anyone over the past two months. During this meeting, our new contact Chris (yes, on the third one!) made sure everything was in order for our caterer, also agreeing to let the caterer come a day before to setup (this normally is not allowed!). A couple weeks before the wedding, I asked for a few small request which were immediately denied. On to the rehearsal date, caterer was able to get in and setup. Also, on rehearsal date I found out that the caterer was responsible for setting up the entire venue (ceremony, too) which I didn't understand why I needed to share the layout with the venue if the caterer was responsible for it? Day of the wedding, we were able to get into the venue on time. Alcohol can only be in one space, so be mindful of alcohol not being permitted in the bridal and / or groom suite while getting ready. Also, we were kicked out of the space 15 minutes before the agreed upon end time which was a terrible way to end the wedding. Our caterer was extremely apologetic, which it wasn't their fault. Without a doubt, I would recommend this venue as you don't need many decorations as the space is beautiful! However, if you are looking for effective communication, positive customer service, and "WOW-Factor", this is not the place. These skills are not difficult to possess, but it takes an organization who cares about their interactions on others.

endors. I don't know why someone is complaining about AC, it was like 80 degrees outside and inside was cool, even when we were dancing up a storm! I would recommend this venue to anyone. Thanks Zhou B Art Center Team! We will remember our day forever!

he guests were comfortable because that was a big concern to us and they had all the furniture on site so it saved us a TON on rentals. Their vendor policy kept us in our budget and they did a great job giving us recommendations. They were so great at communication and their director made me feel at ease as we were planning because I was so STRESSED! I highly recommend Zhou B!!!

came incredibly difficult. Then, on the day of the wedding, very little went as planned. Despite all of these things being agreed to ahead of time, none of them happened, correctly: Free parking was provided to our guests, but confusing signage was posted, so many of them parked in the wrong lot and almost got towed. Our DJ was asked to make announcements during the dinner and dancing hours, encouraging our guests to leave and move their cars. There was also no signage directing guests where to enter the facility, so many of them came in through a back "kitchen-like" door and never viewed our welcome floral display. A video that I made for my husband and guests never aired. This was particularly emotional and devastating. The air conditioning did not work. At minimum, the temperature of the building reached the mid-80s degrees. No one from the venue addressed the situation with a solution. It was close to unbearable. Elderly guests had to leave the reception early. After returning from our honeymoon, we became aware of another wedding reception held at this venue shortly after ours, in which the air conditioning still did not work. In short, working with this venue was the most horrible professional experience of my life. One of our vendors actually told us that it was "the worst wedding I've ever worked." The whole experience was heart-breaking and the lack of professional accountability and compassion in the aftermath has been shocking. The venue has taken absolutely zero accountability for all that went wrong and has offered us zero money back.

ed the bridal and groom suites which we would highly recommend. It was so nice to be on site and cut out some travel stress. The space was naturally beautiful and guests were amazed by how unique and interesting it was.The whole day was incredible!! Leading up to the day was where our issues were. There were 4 different coordinators we dealt with in 16 months of planning. The final change came very close to the wedding and we did not appreciate our contract (which had been fully paid with an additional hour) being re-reviewed and then balances questioned, even with the space asking for additional money 2 weeks before the wedding. While we dealt with some very kind coordinators, the final team was led by someone who we feel did not understand weddings and was very cold. When we did our walkthrough, they did not want to listen to our ideas or thoughts. They were also completely unresponsive to us and would only correspond with our coordinator which was very unsettling 2 weeks before the wedding. We tried to contact upper management, who did not seem bothered by this. Overall, we loved the space and it added so much to our day. A day that the event manager for Zhou B almost ruined.

class art and industrial warehouse vibe, the space created a unique and intimate event, even though we hosted almost 400 people. Highly recommend the Zhou B Art Center if you're looking for a wedding venue with "WOW" factor!

guests kept telling me how great of a time they had and how much they loved the space. They told me it was the best wedding they’ve ever been to.

and's family all came from out of state for our wedding. They kept complimenting our wedding coordinator, Paulette and my wedding planner, Candy. This was the first venue I actually visited and instantly I fell in love with it. I grew up in Bridgeport, and it showcases how the neighborhood has evolved. I do not regret not checking out other venues. I loved this place so much that if I were to have another event, I will choose this place again. Besides, the cost of the ceremony was totally within our budget--a major factor to look into for wedding planning.

cret" garden for the ceremony and pictures. It has such a cool vibe while being very welcoming and just the right amount of hip... The onsite catering manager was Paulette and we could not have wished for a better person! Paulette took care of every little detail, had some great ideas on how to best coordinate the overall event and was so responsive throughout the entire process. On the actual day Paulette made sure that nothing was amiss and bride & groom as well as all the guests had a blast. Everybody LOVED the food and I was so impressed with the friendly servers who worked extra hard to make everything perfect! I wish I was getting married so I could have my wedding here! :-)

saw they were familiar with all of the MANY bells and whistles involved in traditional Indian weddings. Zhou B is also the ONLY venue in Chicagoland area that offered catering for both Indian and Italian food (everywhere else was either or, OR outrageously expensive to do both). And the alcohol was BYO from Binnies, so we saved a LOT on that. Paulette was an absolute dream to work with, she was so professional and accommodating to the many, many requests that my mother in law and wedding planner made regarding decor, set up and tear down, many specific catering requests and a LONG day-of timeline. The wedding turned out even more beautiful than I could have imagined! The Life Garden was such a gorgeous space for the ceremony, and my guests were blown away by the rest of the space during the cocktail hour and reception. Thank you SO much Paulette and Zhou B staff!! You really blew us away and I'm so grateful.

& her understanding of how to use the space made our day look as amazing as we felt. Paulette helped us pick out a menu that was delicious & covered a spectrum of desires.  And cake...oh, the cake. Not sure it will make it the whole year! The staff kept everything running smooth from cocktails to ceremony to the final wrap. If you’re looking for a place to make your wedding magical and stress-free event, Zhou B offers a unique canvas for your dreams. 

th the artist on display in the upstairs space, this changes monthly. Also BYOB was a major plus!

, it was a constant cat and mouse game for my wife an I to get a response from LM. She would take weeks to respond to our emails and phone calls. It got so bad that my wife and I both took days off of work to show up unannounced at Zhou B as we knew that was the only way they could not avoid us. In addition, on more than one occasion LM misplaced our check payments for the venue. This lack of professionalism proved costly as it brought on vast amounts of stress for family, friends, and most importantly us. The day of the wedding, we did not have the Director of Catering's direct line and needed to speak with them regarding a vendor issue. Members of the bridal party were then forced to leave their respective wedding preparations out of fear that the venue would not be set up accordingly in time before guests began to arrive. Moreover, in regards to the catering service, LM disappointed here as well. A number of guests mentioned to us the day after the wedding how their vegetarian meal did not come as mentioned in the invite. We had selected and paid for roasted cauliflower steaks, NOT RICE AND BEANS as was provided to our guests the day of our wedding. Our contract explicitly states 13 plated dinners of Roasted Cauliflower Steak (coffee, greens, quinoa, carrot pure (gf). I would not recommend LM Catering to anyone.

helped us make our wedding one of the happiest days of our lives.

r a stress free wedding planning process. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

selves (in between 2 very busy jobs and without a wedding planner) and Tanya was a godsend. Can't say enough about how she made this a very smooth process. Venue - we had an indoor wedding and rented the 1st and 2nd floors. We had our ceremony & cocktail hour on the first floor and reception on the second. So everyone was in one place (logistically, this was a blessing) but you still had variety of location because there are different art exhibits on the 1st and 2nd floors. The venue is non-traditional and very chic and the space is roomy - we had about 140 guests and could easily have had 250+ and not felt crowded. Many guests commented on how unique our space was. Staff - I already raved about Tanya and she is representative of the staff as a whole. The catering staff at our event was very professional and friendly. I didn't have to worry about a thing. Food: This is yummy, foodie food. One guest commented that they were expecting wedding food and received restaurant quality. There is a wide variety to choose from at your tasting and the portions are very healthy. LM's chef is top notch and I wouldn't be surprised to hear of him opening a restaurant in the future. Parking. There is a parking lot for those driving and it was a mere $11 uber for those coming from our river north hotel location. Other Vendors - If you go with the space, we would definitely recommend using MK Lighting as your production company. While LM provided all the tables / chairs / linens, the production company can add some special touches to the already artsy venue.

orth mentioning that recently LM Catering kind of took over weddings & events at the Zhou B and judging on other reviews I believe that may have made all the difference!

led our event planner to notify us that they accidentally double booked the space and would have to move our event to the second floor and we wouldn't be able to use the elevator because it was broken. The persons we signed our contracts with were Donna Bliss and Stephanie Galvin. They were very cavalier about all the planning we had put into our event and kept repeating well it's unfortunate. I'm sorry we poured our heart and souls into planning this wonderful celebration. It was very upsetting for them to have the attitude of "oh well it happens". They just did not care and their staff were extremely rude to our guests on the day of the event. They were the most horrible venue/vendors I have ever dealt with. The amount of stress they caused our family is unreal. They only communicated with me when they wanted payment otherwise they would not answer my emails, or return my phone calls. If I couldhave given them negative stars that's the rating I would give them. I wish I had gone with Lacuna artist loft instead of Zhou B it was the worst decision of our lives.

rs were locked, so they unlocked the doors and let guests enter through the cafe even though we did not rent the space. -There was not a convenient place for the bridal party to reside before making the grand entrance to the reception, so they opened the Spirit Space for us to use temporarily even though we did not rent the space. -One of the maintenance men (don't remember his name) and the day of event liason, Kenny, was very nice to work with. Issues 1) We were told just 5 weeks before the wedding that the Venue was going to charging us $400 to use the ceremony site for the wedding rehearsal. 2 hour minimum was required. At contract signing, Donna (event director), did not indicate there was any charge and indicated that all we had to do was give them a week's notice. When mentioning what I recalled to her, she indicated she was talking about letting us use the reception site. I may be totally off, but I would think that a wedding rehearsal would be done at the ceremony site. Her reasoning for needing to charge us was that she would have to pay someone to open the gates for us because the venue was not open to the public. When prompting her further her reason was..."She is running a business!". We were stuck and had no choice. This experience with the Director, who was also our main contact at the venue, made all interactions leading up to the wedding more difficult. 2) A private room was not available for the bridal party to touch up prior to the ceremony When signing this venue, the event director told us that the Bridal party could use a room in the building next to the life garden (the old space of Cataleya) to get ready and touch up before the ceremony. Upon the wedding we asked how we can access this room, and the event director indicated that the only room available is the Foundation room which is the gallery attached to the garden. Traditionally, guests are not supposed to see the bride before the ceremony. The was impossible given the option the venue suggested. Guests come in and out of the building to use the bathroom and shelter from the heat. The "powder room" they suggested is actually the bathroom in the Foundation gallery which is the size of a closet and as mentioned, is also a public bathroom.The director's attitude made it seem like this has always been the case and that what they offered was more than sufficient. 3) The event director refused to give a day of contact to myself or my wedding coordinator After multiple emails and calls, we obtained a contact number the night before the wedding. 4)The bathroom at the ceremony site was out of soap and didn't have a waste basket. 5) We were promised 2 security guards as part of the $350 rental fee of the parking lot next door which typically went for $500. To be fair, my rating is an average between 2 criteria. Customer service:Given the stress and the many things promised but not delivered as expected, a 1. Space itself, 3My guests said they never saw security guards at the parking lot.

what tolerable. The other small issue was that we were not aware of the art that was going to be on display for the day of the wedding and it ended up being naked people and some really revealing pieces that my mom had to contact the artists to have taken down for the day. I have to say that if I didnt have the catering company that I had this day might have been a mess but over all they made it work. I don't know If I would recommended this venue to anyone the staff is hard to work with they are not around most of the time and they always acted like it was an inconvenience to help out.n If some things changed and they had air and the people were willing to help it would be an amazing venue.