Chicago couples say 'I do' to micro-weddings

2020 has become the year of small gatherings, and major life events such as weddings are no exception. But thanks to area venues offering micro-wedding packages, Chicago couples have no shortage of opportunities to make their big day a special and meaningful experience. 

West Loop residents Kayla and Michael Belmont tied the knot July 17 in an intimate rooftop ceremony at the Loews Chicago Hotel in Streeterville. The newlyweds both have careers in healthcare; Kayla is a speech pathologist at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, while Michael works as a hospitalist at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital.

The couple met through a mutual friend while living in Boston and got engaged in May 2019. Their original plan for their July 2020 wedding was to get married in Naples, Flo. and invite 160-180 guests.

"About a month before, when the cases started rising significantly in Florida, we switched to Chicago at the last minute," Kayla said. "So, we had three to four weeks to plan everything."

Kayla said she and Michael were already familiar with the Loews because Michael's parents had a condo overlooking the hotel. When they discovered that the Loews still had availability for weddings, they decided to get married there.

The couple had around 40 people at their wedding and were able to take advantage of the hotel's large terrace to set up socially distanced seats for the ceremony. 

"It didn't look strange at all," Kayla said. "It just looked like a traditional set-up. I didn't think twice about it. I think part of it is that Loews is such a big space that we really were able to spread out."  

Kayla said she recommended that other couples considering a microwedding "just do it, and try to be decisive and don't stress about the little details."

"At the end of the day, we're just thankful to have gotten married during COVID, and it's definitely going to be something we remember for the rest of our lives," she said. "And I don't feel any sadness about not getting to have my big wedding. I feel just as happy and settled and content with the small wedding that we had." 

Melissa Cesario, director of catering and conference management at the Loews Chicago Hotel, said the hotel resumed operations July 7 and several couples have gotten married there since the middle of July.

"The wedding and catering industry as a whole has seen a lot of changes this year," she said. "Weddings and events have had to be postponed. Following CDC, state and local guidelines, events can now happen with safety measures in place and with a maximum capacity on attendees."

Cesario said the Loews' micro-wedding package includes private use of the rooftop terrace for up to four hours, a three-hour premium bar package, a champagne toast, a bartender, a tent canopy with string lights, a ceremony set with white folding garden chairs, a microphone, speakers, mixer, lounge furniture, highboy and cocktail tables, barstools and lawn games.

Inclusive of taxes and service charges, the pricing is $5,750 for 30 people, $6,500 for 40 people, and $7,500 for 50 people, not including catering. More information is available by contacting [email protected].

"Having a smaller, intimate wedding allows couples to focus on their love for each other and celebrate with their nearest and dearest while they say 'I do,'" Cesario said. "It also gives them an opportunity to focus on elements of their special day that they may not have had in their budget originally for a larger affair, whether it’s the food, décor, or venue."

Pinstripes

Pinstripes Chicago is also working closely with couples looking to celebrate their special day with a smaller wedding. The Streeterville venue features 33,000 square feet of space that includes ballrooms, outdoor patios, private reception areas, bowling lanes, bocce courts and a fireplace, and in addition to offering flexibility with private events, the venue is following an enhanced sanitation program to ensure guests' safety.

According to Don Hoffman, the company's Chief Marketing Officer, Pinstripes is offering a special "Pick a Perk!" offer for couples who book their event at the venue by Oct. 31 of this year. Couples can choose a complimentary gaming with their event, an additional 30 minutes of bar and beverage service or a choice of complimentary appetizer or dessert with their meal package.

Chicago's First Lady Cruises

Chicago's First Lady Cruises is able to accommodate weddings of up to 50 people. While the company would normally have hundreds of cruises this season, because of COVID-19, staff members are anticipating fewer than 20 weddings this year, said Clare Agra, the company's director of charter sales.

"Our wedding package is much more affordable than other downtown venues, at a flat rate of $500, which includes the upper deck setup for your ceremony and switch over to reception layout, a microphone and stand for their officiant and a white ceremony aisle runner," she said. 

Chicago's First Lady Cruises offers an array of boats of different sizes, and the smallest boat, Lady Grebe, is "perfect for super intimate weddings of six guests or less," Agra said.

"One of our brides was supposed to have a large wedding ceremony and reception onboard this June, but, due to COVID, adjusted her plans," Agra said. "So she, her husband and their closest friends sailed on Lady Grebe instead and had a small, beautiful ceremony on the day they were supposed to be married originally. And next year, they're coming back for their reception on our biggest boat with all their friends and family."  

The Mid-America Club

The Mid-America Club hosted its first small wedding since the reopening on July 11, said Samantha Michaeloff, the venue's private event director. 

"We have a modified intimate wedding package, she said. "If people need a place for a ceremony, we can accommodate that ... everything's here. We're like a one-stop shop, which is awesome. They just need to show up. All they need to do is bring flowers and a photographer, if they want one, or if they want some sort of musical entertainment, we're allowing that as well."

The Mid-America Club offers a variety of different rooms, depending on the number of guests, Michaeloff said. To ensure guest safety, the venue has installed barriers on the bars, requires the use of masks and makes hand sanitizer available throughout the property.

"It's ever changing, but we're reminding people that we're here and we're open if you need us," Michaeloff said. "We're taking the proper steps and following all the guidelines to make sure that people, if they still want to have these celebrations, that we're willing and able to accommodate them."