Galleria Marchetti Wedding | Venue Spotlight and Modern, Classic, Fall Wedding at Galleria Marchetti Wedding Feature: Sydney and Macintosh

We are updating this blog in 2026 because we wanted our couples that are venue searching for their wedding to have as much information as possible for one of our favorite Chicago wedding venues. With our knowledge and experience, we want to help couples know which space is right for them and helping find a wedding venue for our Chicago couples is one of our major goals.

As a Chicago wedding coordinator and planner, we have tons of experience in all kinds of wedding venues from banquets halls, to restaurants, to tented spaces, to antique shops. As a team that has coordinated and planned over 150 weddings, we know which of the Chicago wedding venues are truly some of our favorites, and one of them happens to be Galleria Marchetti. This Italian or European-style wedding venue has so many features and perks that we absolutely adore and we want you to know that this space is truly the best hidden gem in the city. We wanted to round up everything that you need to know to pick Galleria Marchetti for your Chicago wedding venue!

photo: Emma Schlie photography


The Space

Galleria Marchetti weddings are great because they have two amazing spaces that we always tell couples have so little overlap with sound and spaces that you wouldn’t even know there are two weddings happening! The venue itself is right in between West Loop and River North but it’s in an area that actually somehow feels pulled away from the Chicago hustle and bustle, but is still downtown and local to really anything you might need.

There are two main spaces to accommodate your guest count best. Each side of the two spaces has their own room for wedding suites, storage, and cocktail hour indoors if needed.

The first, larger space is The Pavilion. There are three main elements to this side and the guest count has a capacity of up to 450 guests (or 400 guests for a seated reception and dance floor, and a 380 guest count for a seated reception, dance floor, and stage). The Pavilion is a great venue for your larger wedding guest count for sure. There’s an outdoor courtyard called Il Cortile that has a brick patio, built-in arbor or arch that you can utilize for florals, and is filled with lush foliage even if you leave the space as is. This courtyard sits right next to the outdoor patio space that has a covered patio that is perfect for cocktail hour outdoors too and these outdoor spaces have a capacity of 200. If you need or want to have your cocktail hour indoors though, the second space is great for overflow in the Montecatini Room which also has a capacity of 200. This room is 3,000 square feet that really brings in that Italian feel with the antique bar, marble furniture, travertine flooring, and door surrounds. The final, largest area is the 6,500 square foot tented ballroom called The Pavilion. This space with a maximum guest count of 450 guests is dripping with crystal chandeliers, sconces, more of that travertine flooring that makes that Italian-style feel, and even travertine mobile bars.

The second space is La Pergola which is meant to have up to 160 guests (or 150 guests for a seated reception with a dance floor). This is for the more intimate crowds and smaller events but it really packs a beautiful, Italian punch that we adore. If you had your ceremony onsite, you would have your ceremony and reception in La Pergola with the cocktail hour in The Lucca Room. La Pergola is 3,000 square feet and what we really love more than anything about this space itself is that when the weather is nice, the ceilings can open with its motorized retractable roof for the most natural light of any Chicago wedding venue without being outdoors, and it really makes your guests have a memorable time with the “open air” concept. It is stands out with the moroccan brass sconces, travertine flooring, and heating and air conditioning to help with the unique space. The Lucca Room is right next to it and it is 1,500 square feet with a guest capacity of 100 people and as all of the spaces do, it really ties in the European style beautifully with the exhibition kitchen, marble cocktail furniture, and authentic Italian plaster walls.

We always tell guests - even though the spaces are right next to each other, when we have worked there before we have never had any issues with overflowing sound or guests since it is very separate. Each of these guest counts listed above are also the seated guest capacity - if you’re planning a cocktail-style event, you can fit 900 guests in the Pavilion, 300 guests in The Courtyard, 450 guests in The Montecatini Room, 200-250 guests in La Pergola, and 160 guests in The Lucca Room.

If you want to see the space virtually, they have a virtual tour that you can look at here and if you’re looking for sample floor plans you can find them here.

Photo: fox and ivory


About Galleria Marchetti

Galleria Marchetti’s story actually began over 100 years ago with an Italian immigrant in 1924 named Giuseppe Marchetti that opened a world-famous Como Inn restaurant in Chicago. The Marchetti family built a name in the restaurant and hospitality industry, and later Giuseppe and Yolanda’s son Joe Marchetti bought the property that is now Galleria Marchetti in the 1970s. Joe wanted to continue his pride in all things Italian and actually started Galleria Marchetti as a car business that was later changed to an event space in the mid-1990s. The owners are still from the Marchetti family as Joe’s only child, JP, and his wife, has since claimed ownership after his father’s passing.

In 2007, Galleria Marchetti was featured in the “Wedding Wars” episode of Top Chef. Galleria Marchetti has also undergone renovations with the most recent addition being the couple’s suite in 2022.

One thing that we absolutely adore about Galleria Marchetti and tell all couples that are planning their wedding here is that the in-house catering team is absolutely incredible. They are one of the only teams in Chicago that feels like the staffing is adequate, which means that the dinner and bar service is always the FASTEST in the entire state, frankly. They not only the best-staffed, but they are all incredible to work with, accommodating to your vision and needs, and generally a group that we highly recommend for any couples looking for a Chicago wedding venue. Galleria Marchetti is family-owned and operated. If you would like to check out their wedding food and bar menu, check on this link.

photo: emma schlie photography


Flow for Chicago Weddings

when the rental begins, how the space is broken down, wedding suite, talk through a wedding (directing guests, actual example of a wedding or multiple ways to do it if you can tell the there’s variety), when the rental usually ends

Most couples begin their wedding day off-site for a first look and photos, but usually the couple and wedding party are able to stop in a few hours before the ceremony would begin to get settled in the wedding suite, pack their personal items into the storage spaces, or just prepare for their guests in the Montecatini or Lucca Room.

The vendors are allowed to start their setup 2 hours before the rental, which might be able to be extended for an additional cost if needed.

The parking in the area has open street parking in some spaces and paid street parking in others, but be careful since there are spots nearby that require a permit and there is also a parking lot across the street that doesn’t belong to the venue. Some couples opt to book a valet so that their guests don’t get confused.

For weddings on the Pavilion side, you’ll have your guests have easy access through the gate straight into the courtyard and outdoor patio. Both weddings have some signage outside so the guests know where exactly to go. For weddings in La Pergola, there is a second gate that they will enter to bring them straight into the place they need to be.

Once the ceremony is over on The Pavilion side, your guests can go right over to the covered outdoor patio area to the bar for drinks and appetizers. At La Pergola, your guests will head into The Lucca Room so the amazing staff can flip the ceremony to the reception space. When cocktail hour wraps up, your guests will be directed to The Pavilion or La Pergola for the reception room reveal. Once we kick off the formalities, your guests will have the fastest dinner service they have ever had that will lead you right into dancing! We especially love the black and white checkered dance floor upgrade available for this too.

Your wedding guests can always get away from the music in The Montecatini or Lucca Room which we know some guests really appreciate.

The reception end time is suggested to be 30 minutes before the event end time to make sure that there’s enough time for teardown and clearing the space in 90 minutes instead of only 1 hour.

Photo: fox and ivory


Amenities At Galleria Marchetti

The amazing, beautiful venue itself includes many additional, state-of-the-art amenities you’ll love, like:

  • Private wedding suite

  • In-house bar and catering

  • Rentals

  • Venue rental

You can also have tons of add-ons if you want to add that to your package, such as:

  • Coat check

  • Valet parking

  • Upgrades to rentals

  • Hanging greenery in La Pergola

photo: emma schlie photography


Pricing for Galleria Marchetti Weddings

As of April 28, 2026, there will be a food and beverage minimum of $20,000 for La Pergola and $42,000 for The Pavilion that you must meet not including the venue rental fee.

We had a wedding in La Pergola for a 140 guest count on a Friday in August of 2025 that was $37,000. This included the food, bar, venue fee of $3,000, ceremony fee of $500, dance floor rental, bistro lights and faux greenery for $2,400, rentals, and valet onsite for $300 for guests to pay the fare. This also included other fees like the production fee and taxes.

We also had a wedding on a Saturday in September of 2024 in The Pavilion that was a total of $72,000, which included the food, bar, dessert, late night snacks, venue fee of $10,000, ceremony fee of $1,000, rentals, and valet onsite for $300 for guests to pay the fare.

To get the most accurate pricing, we highly recommend reaching out to the venue at their contact form, as this might depend on the season, day of the week, your guest count, and other factors.

photo: emma schlie photography


We have worked at so many different wedding venues, but Galleria Marchetti surely is one of our favorites. It’s really a lovely space that is on top of their game to provide you an amazing wedding venue for your wedding day. We as wedding coordinators have seen it all, but Galleria Marchetti surely is one that gets us excited each time we work there. If you’re looking for a European or Italian-inspired style for your wedding day in the heart of the city of Chicago for any small or large guest count, we highly recommend you check out Galleria Marchetti.

If you’re looking for more information, we recommend you head to their contact form, email at info@galleriamarchetti.com, or call at 312-563-0495.

Need help coordinating and planning your Galleria Marchetti wedding?

Reach out for more information on our experience at this and many other Chicago wedding venues.

Want to see a real example of a Galleria Marchetti wedding?

Read more about Sydney and Mac’s wedding day!

Galleria Marchetti Modern, Fall Wedding

Sydney and Mack’s wedding was truly one to remember! The two got to enjoy some beautiful - even a tad toasty - sunshine for such a lovely wedding day in mid September. We provided day-of coordination to make sure that they could really enjoy themselves with their family and friends for their ceremony and reception at Galleria Marchetti in Chicago, and it was surely a fun time from start to finish! Mack has been known to be a good time among his loved ones, and Sydney loves taking care of her friends and making sure they are enjoying themselves, so of course they really value a great guest experience for their wedding day. Mack really prioritized a sweet ceremony and a good dance party and Sydney really wanted all of their family and friends to have an amazing time at their wedding. They also wanted to add some personal elements to their wedding day and they did just that. It was truly one of the most fun wedding days!!

The couple got ready at Kimpton Gray Hotel which was nice and convenient for everything! They did their hair and makeup there as well as having the guys getting ready in another room so the photographers could freely go from space to space to make sure to capture everything.

Sydney and Mack both wrote letters to each other to read the morning of the wedding and it was super sweet. We love having some extra sweet, personal elements in your wedding day to really make it something to remember.

First Look and Photos at Lurie Gardens

The first look was highly debated for the two of them while wedding planning at first, but we always recommend it because it makes your wedding day run so much more smoothly if you really value the guest experience. It also is a wonderful, intimate moment between the couple that you wouldn’t get otherwise! They did their first look and all of their wedding party photos at Lurie Gardens and they turned out beautifully! Their wedding party all in black really made the wedding feel more classic, modern, and classy. We loved how everyone looked and how excited everyone was while we were handling the logistics of the day.

After the photos, the wedding party took the trolley to the venue to get ready for the ceremony. They actually were incredibly ahead of schedule so when they arrived they were able to relax in one of the common spaces while we were getting everything ready for them!

Decor and Details at Wedding Ceremony

Sydney and Mack did a great job planning to dress up Galleria Marchetti with some personal, classic decorations. We love the mirrors and glass to really compliment the modern look and feel of their wedding day. Sydney also had her sister paint the signature drink signs featuring their cats - they were beautiful and the guests really loved them too!

Outdoor Wedding Ceremony at The Pavilion of Galleria Marchetti

With such beautiful weather, we had no problem having the ceremony outside. The live musicians were incredible, the vows were emotional for everyone, and the ceremony was lovely.

After the family photos were finished, the couple took some time to themselves up in their suite space in the venue. The guests were excited for cocktail hour with delicious appetizers and a beautiful patio to celebrate! We also loved the “generations of love” table set with all of their families’ wedding photos - including the photo they took in Paris when they got engaged!

Surprise Performance for Outdoor Cocktail Hour

Before the guests made their way into the reception after cocktail hour, Mack was in an a capella group in college and so 10 of the guys from that group sang 2 songs and people loved it. Sydney really enjoyed watching him and they added some jokes to the songs that really go everyone so hyped for the rest of the night!

Wedding Reception in The Pavilion at Galleria Marchetti

The reception space in the Pavilion was something out of a fairy tale. The black linens really brought that modern feeling, but we really loved the way they decorated. They used photos of themselves at the ages of their table numbers which is so cute and the garland on the ceiling really took everything up a notch. Steve’s Flower Market did an amazing job decorating an already-beautiful Chicago venue like Galleria Marchetti!

First Dance and Formalities

As it was the twenty-first night of September, Sydney, Mack, and their wedding party did their grand entrance to “September” by Earth, Wind, & Fire. We definitely knew that would be a popular theme for the wedding as it was a really popular wedding date too! It was really the perfect way to kick off the celebration and really get everyone excited. After that, we had dinner, speeches, and their first dances to kick off the dance floor which everyone was SO excited about. The day ran incredibly smoothly and we loved seeing just HOW MANY people were on the dance floor all night! They really knew their family and friends were ready to dance and party and we made sure that everyone was able to get out there as soon as possible - especially with Galleria Marchetti’s catering team working WICKED fast.

Black and White Dance Floor for Wedding Reception

The black-and-white, checkered dance floor was large and FULL all night. Sydney and Mack also took extra care of their guests with doughnuts, ice cream, and late night pizza! People truly partied all night with the after party in the neighboring common room. Mack and Sydney changed outfits (Mack during dancing, Sydney for the after party) and their guests had such and amazing time. They really wanted an amazing time with their family and friends and they truly were able to have that!

Overall, Sydney and Mack had a beautiful and fun wedding that we adored and we were so grateful to be a part of. We wanted to take care of all of their details, decor, and logistics to really allow them take it all in and focus on having fun with their family and friends, and they really were all smiles all day and night. We loved how much everyone enjoyed their time and clearly were ready to have a great time with each other! Sydney and Mack were really able to pass off their wedding plans to their vendors and have a great time.

If you’re looking to have a wedding where you can focus on the fun and not on the details, reach out to us at our contact page and we would be happy to help you have a great time on your wedding day!

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