CHICAGO WEDDING VENUE
Weddings at The Drake Hotel Chicago | Guide & Tips
Real tips on lighting, locations, logistics, and the small details a photographer knows about this Gold Coast landmark that has been marrying Chicago couples since 1920.
I have lived in the Chicago area my whole life. I still remember watching the first Mission: Impossible movie with Tom Cruise, where they reference the Drake Hotel in Chicago. I grew up in Chicago, yet somehow had never stepped inside The Drake until I photographed my first wedding there.
Then I photographed my first wedding there, and I understood.
When you first walk into The Drake, you walk up a flight of stairs into the lobby, where a large floral display welcomes you. Because you are walking up the stairs, you have time to notice the ornate details in the woodwork along the ceiling and walls. When you reach the lobby and look to the left, another flight of stairs leads up to the Palm Court, where they host their famous afternoon tea. There is a small fountain under another large, majestic floral piece.
You feel like you have stepped back in time into classic architecture that is totally unique in Chicago. This lobby was not built recently to copy a style. It is classic Chicago, and it feels like it.
Since then, I have photographed many weddings at The Drake, including two unrelated couples whose parents were also married there. How many venues can say that? It is a generational wedding venue. There is something special about marrying in the same hotel as your parents. And it is timeless. They take such good care to maintain the elegance.
QUICK FACTS
Style: Historic Luxury
Capacity: 80-500 seated
Ballroom Size: 6,838 sq ft
Ballroom: 19.6ft ceilings
Location: 140 E Walton Pl
Investment: $$$$
What Couples Say
"Kenny is an artist in how he is able to capture the moment. He makes the pictures look like art — nothing looks posed or fake. He brings out the beauty of the city, the hotel, the people, and the moment."
BRIANNA & JIM
What Most Drake Chicago Hotel Wedding Guides Won't Tell You
The Rooftop
This bit of information does not come from any guide. It does not come from anything you can find online. You only know this if you have been up to the rooftop of The Drake.
For most of the hotel's recent history, the rooftop was not an option for wedding photos. At some point, someone did it once, and it became a thing. Getting up there is an experience in itself: you go up through a rooftop suite, walk across a steel catwalk, and arrive at the flat rooftop space for pictures. You are not allowed to move around much because there are no railings up there. That is exactly what makes it thrilling, and what makes the photos feel cinematic. It does not look like a normal rooftop because it is not one. This is not a space where just anyone can hang out. A security escort comes along to make sure everyone is safe and following protocols.
Since we are pulling you off the dance floor for these photos, we work quickly. Plan on roughly 20 minutes total from leaving the reception to being back on the dance floor. Worth every second.
— Photographer's Note
Many photographers take photos on the Drake rooftop now. What I bring is my use of flash blended with ambient light to make the most of the scene. The throwback glow of the neon Drake sign overlooking Lake Shore Drive and Lake Michigan is unparalleled in our city. They don't make signs like that anymore.
The Gazebo Out Back
The gazebo on the north side of the hotel sits in a rare pocket of green space in the heart of downtown. It offers a completely different feel from the urban photos inside and around The Drake. If you are lucky enough to be there in the fall, you can capture some beautiful fall colors just steps from the hotel entrance.
Their Pride and Joy
Here is something you only notice when you take the time to notice: many of the Drake's employees have worked there for a long time. The hotel takes care of its staff, and they are almost like family to each other. They take real pride in doing their jobs well. In an industry known for high turnover, it says something about The Drake that its employees have worked there for decades.
Why I love photographing weddings at The Drake Chicago Hotel
The Getting Ready Suites
The Princess Diana Suite. Named for a reason. The furniture, the decor, the details of the space itself all feel like a movie set. It photographs like a period drama, which means your getting-ready images from this room look completely different from anything shot in a standard hotel suite. The room does half the work for you.
The Gold Coast Ballroom
I will never forget walking into the Gold Coast Ballroom for the first time. It is ornate, majestic, and feels like it belongs in a movie. Large windows overlook Lake Michigan, which is rare for a ballroom of this caliber. There is no other ballroom like it. They don't make them like they used to, and that applies to the whole hotel. The details in this room add luxury to your wedding photos without even trying.
The Grand Ballroom
The Grand Ballroom has one feature I love as a photographer: a second floor wraparound balcony. It is a different view and an opportunity for photos you simply cannot get at other venues. During a first dance, it is fun to either run up there myself or position a second photographer up there. Looking down on a couple's first dance from above, with the whole room glowing around them, is a photograph most venues cannot offer.
The Grand Ballroom has one feature I love as a photographer: a second floor wraparound balcony. It is a different view and an opportunity for photos you simply cannot get at other venues. During a first dance, it is fun to either run up there myself or position a second photographer up there. Looking down on a couple's first dance from above, with the whole room glowing around them, is a photograph most venues cannot offer.
Both ballrooms are very large rooms. As a photographer, it is great to have space to move around and not feel cramped. Your guests will feel it too.
The Elevators
The elevators match the vibe of the hotel. Classic. They are on the smaller side, and one of them has a really cute bench in it. At the end of the night, usually after the rooftop photos on our way back down to the dance floor, we try to catch the elevator with the bench. The couple sits, cuddles, kisses as the door closes. It is the perfect chef's kiss to end the night, and not everyone thinks to do it.
Best Photo Locations at The Drake Chicago Hotel
The Rooftop
I know I have already talked about the rooftop, but it bears repeating. The photos are unforgettable, and it is exclusive. I am not sure you can even go up there without getting married at the hotel. The typography of the Drake sign adds so much character to the photos. The glow of the neon at night is something no other Chicago venue can offer.
Under The Drake Marquee
The intricate details of this hotel extend to the marquee over the entrance: crafted metal with real artistry, paired with the iconic Drake lettering. These are must-have photos on a wedding day. And here is what I love about it. At other hotels, we have to stand in the street, or walk into the street, to get the sign and the marquee in frame with the couple. At The Drake, you can stand on the sidewalk and still capture the intricate details with the name. It is quick and easy. You just have to do it.
The Staircase to the Palm Court
I love the staircase leading up to the Palm Court. It is the perfect size and the perfect number of steps for most wedding parties. You can see everybody, and the symmetry of the railings and the Palm Court itself frames the group beautifully. Because I am shooting from below looking up, the guests dining in the Palm Court are hidden from my photos entirely. You get the gorgeous floral centerpiece in the background along with all the intricate details of the lobby.
— Photographer's Note
Bring a flash for the lobby and staircase. The lighting in the hotel lobby is a little flat and dark, so a flash helps make the photos pop.
Lighting, Timing & Logistics Tips from a Photographer
Take Advantage of the Floor-to-Ceiling Windows
Because The Drake is an older building, the ceilings are not especially high, with the exception of the Gold Coast Ballroom. So make the most of the large windows whenever you are near them. All the rooms you will use on a wedding day face Lake Michigan, and there are no obstructions to the light coming through. That unblocked lake light is one of the hotel's quiet advantages. Use it.
Shoot the Rooftop Day and Night
The rooftop works at two completely different times of day, and if the timeline allows, do both. During the day, you can have first look photos overlooking Lake Michigan and Lake Shore Drive with blue sky and blue water. At night, the neon sign glows and the whole scene changes character.
The night session has to be scheduled into your reception timeline. Unlike other spots we might walk a couple to on a wedding night, the Drake rooftop takes time: the main elevator up, a transfer to a smaller elevator, then a narrow flight of stairs to the rooftop suite, then the catwalk. It is worth it. You just have to be intentional about building it into the schedule.
Use the Chicago Location
The Drake sits at the top of the Magnificent Mile, one block from Oak Street Beach and two blocks from the Hancock Center. That means we have some of the best exterior photo locations in Chicago within a few minutes of walking:
- Oak Street Beach for lakefront portraits
- The Magnificent Mile for architectural shots
- The Hancock Center as a skyline anchor
- The Drake's own historic exterior on East Walton Place
Tips for Couples Getting Married at The Drake Chicago Hotel
Ask for the Princess Diana Room Early
Both getting-ready suites are excellent, but the Princess Diana Room books quickly and is the more editorial option. If you love the idea of period-drama-style getting-ready photographs, request the Princess Diana Room specifically when you sign your contract.
Consider Having Your Ceremony On Site
One way to save time is having your ceremony and reception both at the hotel. Your ballroom flips from ceremony to reception during cocktail hour, and you do not need to go anywhere. With all the photogenic spots surrounding The Drake, you spend zero time in traffic and more time in the actual celebration. And the Gold Coast Ballroom as a ceremony room is pretty amazing.
Build Rooftop Time Into Your Timeline
It is the most memorable photograph you will get from the day, and most photographers either do not know about it or do not want to work through the elevator sequence. Ask for it. Plan roughly 20 minutes into your evening. You will be glad you did.
The Drake Chicago Wedding Information
Quick Reference
CAPACITY
up to 500 seated
STYLE
Historic Luxury
Ballroom
19.6-ft ceilings · 6,838 sq ft
Phone
(312) 787-2200
FOUNDED
1920
INVESTMENT
$$$$
ADDRESS
140 E Walton Pl, Chicago, IL
Real Wedding Photos & Stories at The Drake
Every wedding at The Drake finds its own version of the building. Here are a few I have photographed and written about.
Planning a Wedding at The Drake Chicago Hotel?
If you are planning a wedding at The Drake and want photographs that honor the history of the building and the intimacy of your day, I would love to hear what you are envisioning.
I know the Princess Diana Room, the staircase, both ballrooms, the elevator sequence to the rooftop, and the bench most photographers never think to use. That knowledge means your wedding day is one less thing to figure out, and one more opportunity to be fully present for it.
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