Congratulations, you’re engaged! To plan your wedding, the first step is to choose a venue. With many to choose from in the Chicago area, you have quite a bit of research. However, I can make it a bit easier for you by telling you about the iconic hotel, The Drake! The Drake Hotel is the perfect wedding venue for you and your spouse-to-be!
About The Drake Hotel Wedding Venue
Located at 140 East Walton Place, The Drake is a luxurious hotel within the Hilton empire that also serves as a beautiful wedding venue with the best amenities and inclusions! The hotel first opened its doors on New Years’ Eve in 1920. From there, the hotel started its journey by hosting a soiree for 2,000 elite Chicago residents while continuing to serve kings, queens, celebrities, and real couples throughout its lifetime.
Details of the Grounds
The Drake Hotel has four different event spaces, offering a variety of styles and decor suited for any wedding! Known for being almost the same size as Buckingham Palace’s Ballroom, the Gold Coast Room overlooks Lake Michigan, offering gorgeous views and 6,838 square feet. The Gold Coast Room is the largest ballroom The Drake Hotel has to offer, with the ability to accommodate up to 900 guests and a large dance floor.
Initially built in the 1920s, the Grand Ballroom overlooks Walton Street. It is the perfect space for a live band and second-story photography. Decorated to create an intimate ambiance within its spacious setting, the Grand Ballroom is ideal for a modern romantic wedding with a 1920’s theme. It offers 5,214 square feet and has a max capacity of 500 guests.
Going through many changes before being presented as the French Room, this room is an intimate ballroom formerly known as The French Restaurant. The French Room features a handcrafted ceiling, hand-painted column molding, silk wall coverings, satin damask draperies, custom carpets, and crystal basket ceiling chandeliers, with the same Lake Michigan and Oak Street Beach view as the Gold Coast Room. The French Room offers a 55 x 72.6 x 10.4 space with a max capacity of 350 in a reception setting.
Last but not least, The Drake offers the Camellia Room, it is a recently restyled room previously known as the Drake Bros.’ This elegant dining room overlooks The Magnificent Mile and the lakefront. It also features crystal beaded chandeliers, a trellis patterned wallcovering, wall sconces, marble tile floor, ornate window treatments with beaded valances and tie-backs, and a floral lattice patterned carpet comprised of deep blues and golds. The Camellia Room can accommodate up to 200 guests as a banquet-style room.
Photography Opportunities
The Drake Hotel is the perfect wedding venue for the modern couple that wants to take a step back in time and enjoy a themed 1920s environment! Photography opportunities are endless with the hotel’s various rooms and decor, on top of the grandeur and luxurious backdrops! Perfect for candid images or perfect portrait shots, this venue will not disappoint and is one you will love to look back on!
Wedding Details
Waldorf Astoria leaves nothing out when planning your wedding and providing ultimate services. For your wedding, you’ll get a dedicated team of event staff. The staff includes an event manager and a catering manager. They will help plan every detail of your big day and ensure it is everything you want it to be! Along with the beautiful amenities of the hotel and gorgeous venue rooms, Waldorf Astoria also offers in-house catering. Catering services allow couples to customize their wedding menu, which presents three packages and a variety of meal choices.
The Drake Hotel Packages
The Destiny package includes four hours with five courses of soup, salad, intermezzo, a personally tailored duet, wedding cake, and coffee/tea. This package contains the following: six hors d’oeuvres, a personal chef station, one hour of executive spirits, a signature cocktail, butler passed white wine and sparkling water, a sparkling toast, a sommelier red and white wine selection, table-side service, and a selection of fruits, berries, sauces, petit cookies, and other confectionery.
The Devotion package also includes four hours of five courses of soup, salad, intermezzo, filet mignon or seafood, wedding cake, coffee/tea, and six hors d’oeuvres. Butler passed white wine and sparkling water, one-hour platinum spirits, Drake’s selection of red and white wine with table-side service, and a sparkling toast.
The Dream package includes the following: three hours and four courses of soup, salad, a poultry or seafood offering, wedding cake, and coffee/tea while also having four hors d’oeuvres, butler passed white wine and sparkling water, one hour of platinum spirits, and the Drake selection of white and red wine. Menu choices range from duck and chicken to seafood and supreme beef, with many sides or dish choices for all courses, including carving stations and hors d’oeuvres!
Wedding Menu
The Drake also provides award wedding cakes that you can customize with cake flavor, fillings, and icing. All options include chocolate fudge cake, carrot cake, white buttermilk cake, milk chocolate mousse, coconut cream, creme brulee, tiramisu, raspberry conserve, and Italian meringue buttercream. Its menu is extensive and tasty, ready to serve your wedding!
The Drake Hotel Wedding
The Drake Hotel is the ultimate wedding venue with so much to offer! It certainly fits the bill regarding classy, luxurious hotel wedding venues!
For more Chicago wedding content, check out the blog links below. Then, let’s chat about capturing your dream wedding!
