Elegant, beautiful, indoor, and intimate, the Crystal Gardens wedding venue at Navy Pier is a stunning place. This is a great place to host your dream wedding! 

About Crystal Gardens Wedding Venue

Located at 700 East Grand Avenue, Crystal Gardens wedding venue at Navy Pier is a unique botanical garden. It is located in historic downtown Chicago. Crystal Gardens has been a landmark attraction along the lakefront at Navy Pier for over 20 years. It is free to visit regularly, offering a wonderful walk-through place to visit during a trip to the Navy Pier. This place truly makes an excellent spot for a wedding!

Details of the Grounds

With a max capacity of about 225 guests, Crystal Gardens at Navy Pier is an indoor one-acre botanical garden. It features 50-foot arched ceilings, over 80 live palm trees, lush foliage, hanging twinkle lights, and dancing fountains within the six-story glass atrium. An entire garden rental can accommodate up to 525 guests. A dance floor is available for rent. This floor gives you a 21’ x 21’ space for dancing, coat check, directional signage, parking passes, and security. 

Photography Opportunities

The Crystal Gardens at Navy Pier offer unlimited photography opportunities with its stunning features and unique location! The gardens provide a warm and lively atmosphere. They can be used as a timeless, neutral backdrop or as a beautiful featured photo prop. The gardens are perfect for landscape images with wonderful greenery and palms to make wedding dresses and couples pop. Other features like the fountains and atrium walls can be wonderful posed image focuses. The entire space is perfect for candid, romantic photos you’ll want for your wedding album! Dancing around fountains and through a magical garden sounds like the ideal setting for newlyweds!

Wedding Details

Crystal Gardens has quite a few inclusions for events and weddings when rented out. Besides the stunning indoor venue space and ceremony area, there are onsite accommodations, a reception area, and equipment and rentals available. Rental items include tables, chairs, videography and photography equipment, linens, and more! Crystal Gardens also features a dedicated event and service staff provided by Navy Pier. They ensure your day goes perfectly and help you plan every little detail! Crystal Gardens at Navy Pier also offers onsite catering through their catering service. They have an exclusive food, beverage, and hospitality partner, Levy, who provides top-tier culinary dishes and refreshments to any events held at Navy Pier venues. 

You will create a customized menu, from the wedding cake to include any specialty cuisines like kosher meals and authentic ethnic options. Onsite catering managers, event managers, and stewards are specifically appointed to ensure your exquisite wedding catering portion! Crystal Gardens wedding reception package includes a one-hour cocktail reception with four passed hors d’oeuvres and china and glass place settings for each guest. Other items in the package include the following: tables, chairs, white linens, chair covers with an upgrade option, a selection of entrees, salad, vegetable, and starch, gourmet artisan bread baskets for each table, a 5-hour call bar package, red and white wine service during dinner, a champagne toast, and coffee and tea service. 

Food Selections

Entree selections include poultry, short ribs, seafood, beef, vegetarian, and duet plates. A few hors d’oeuvres displays include a fresh raw bar, antipasto displays, fresh fruit displays, and a sushi station. Passed hors d’oeuvres options include the following: chicken sate, brie with pear, lobster bisque shooters, mini potato latkes, pancetta-wrapped shrimp, and stuffed cherry tomatoes. Salad options include baby spinach salads, caesar salads, mixed green walnut gorgonzola salads, iceberg wedge salads, and mesclun greens with a poached bartlett pear salad.

The venue’s preferred bakery, Magnolia Bakery, provides wedding cake for the reception. They give you various custom options, complimentary delivery and set up a complimentary cake tasting, and a discount on any packaged favor items! Catering upgrades include intermezzos, bar upgrades, super-premium brand liquors, late-night sweets, and dessert station options like mini cupcakes, sorbet bars, and gelato. Navy Pier catering also has an extensive Asian cuisine-themed catering menu that features many other dishes!

Crystal Gardens Wedding

The Crystal Gardens wedding venue at Navy Pier is a cherished one-of-a-kind wedding spot that is perfect for any wedding couple, suited for all styles and themes! Don’t miss out on this terrific quaint location with fantastic hospitality, service, and catering! 

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