Salon 61 Events Wedding | Wedding Venue Spotlight and Features: Sydni and Richie’s Modern Wedding and Marissa and Michael’s NYE Wedding in Chicago, IL
As a wedding coordinator in Chicago that has coordinated more than 150 weddings, we have experience in all kinds of wedding venues and know which ones are the best of the best. If you are looking for a wedding venue in Chicago proper and want a modern and slightly jazzy feel, you definitely need to check out Salon 61 Events. This Chicago wedding venue is the modern couple’s dream that really pulls all of the best parts about the city life into one space.
Photo from website
The Space
This 3,900 square foot venue is truly a beautiful spot for a wedding. Salon 61 Events is right in the heart of River North and it’s so close to the Chicago river that it is perfect to head down there for photos too. The venue itself has two large rooms that each have their own unique feel and decor.
The Library is the first space you come into as you enter and you are welcomed in warmth with wood-paneled walls and coffered wood ceilings. The large bar space can be broken down for size as desired which is great that you can customize it and use multiple pieces for multiple bars. The lighting and the warmth really creates a swanky vibe that we adore.
The second, more prominently featured room is The Atrium and it really speaks for itself. The fully vaulted glass ceiling has great natural light and an even cooler view of the historic courthouse buildings in the area. What our couples have come to love most about this space isn’t just the beautiful chandelier, or the modern, white walls, but the black and white, marbled checkered floor. It’s truly a dream come true to have such a stunning venue that you really don’t need to dress up and that any color palette or theme would work with!
The venue itself has a capacity of up to 100 guests with a seated reception and dance floor, but a max capacity of 150 for a cocktail-style reception with a dance floor. On their website they have multiple floor plan options for both your ceremony and reception here.
Photo: fox and ivory
About Salon 61 Private Events
Salon 61 Events used to be a club called Studio Paris but it has since transformed to a restaurant and private event space. We truly love everything that they’ve done with the space! Salon 61 is one of the Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants which means you’re in for a great meal and great service. The space itself is great for weddings, but it’s also used for welcome parties, rehearsal dinners, and other types of events like corporate events or private parties.
Liz and Gianna are our two main contacts at Salon 61 and they are great to work with. They will help you manage the details with the venue and the catering. Their team as a whole is incredibly organized and accommodating too!
Photo from website
Flow for the Ceremony, Cocktail Hour, and Reception at Salon 61 Events
Many couples start their day in the area because there are so many good photo locations right in the area. The space is walking distance (depending on your footwear and sobriety levels of course) from multiple hotels like The Westin, Hyatt Place, or Langham Chicago. Most people do plan on either providing a shuttle/party bus for their guests or having them Uber themselves, keeping in mind there is very little parking in the area. There’s an elevator right at the entrance of the building too if any of your guests require it.
Depending on the time of your ceremony/cocktail hour, you can have your vendors start their load-in many hours earlier than most other venues as long as they know in advance to have the doors open which is a nice perk you don’t have to worry about adding extra time for. The reception portion usually is 6 hours in the rental which is plenty of time for your festivities too.
If you are planning your ceremony onsite, guests will arrive in the Library and move to the Atrium. Salon 61 has curtains that can close off between the Library and the Atrium, so your processional order will be hidden and can enter at any point, meaning your walk down the aisle can be wherever you imagine! You’ll say your I dos and then your guests will be brought into the Library for cocktail hour. It requires a room flip of 1.5 hours if the ceremony is onsite to transform the Atrium for your reception. There’s a small space that is curtained off in the Library that you can utilize after the ceremony for some private drinks and appetizers to celebrate with your love if you need a moment alone too. When the reception space is ready, the curtains will be opened and the night can really begin. You’ll enjoy food, drinks, any formalities you choose, and dancing the night away. When your reception ends, they also have a 1.5 hour teardown which is longer than most venues in Chicago and your vendors will appreciate too.
Photo: Danielle rose photography
Amenities at Salon 61 Events
When you book Salon 61 Events, everything that is included would be:
Room rental
Catering (food, alcohol, dishware, and service staff)
Tables
Chairs
Linens
In-house AV sound system
Table numbers
Lounge furniture
Dropdown screen projector
Doorman at entrance
Coat check if needed
Venue manager onsite
The restaurant next-door has a valet available that can be added for parking for an additional fee - this is typically utilized by vendors too given that they arrive after 4pm. Feel free to talk with the venue about any additional upgrades you might be looking for to see if they can accommodate it or outsource it.
Photo: fox and ivory
Pricing at Salon 61 Events
As of April 15, 2026, Salon 61 Events had a $15,000 food and beverage minimum for a peak season Saturday in 2025, but the minimum will depend on the day of the week or the season you’re planning on getting married as well as expecting a general increase for the new year. This also doesn’t include the taxes, administrative fees, rentals, or the gratuity that would be applied for the service staff. The venue rental itself was $2,000 and there is a $500 fee to flip the room if you’re having the ceremony onsite, so the total for a wedding with 75 guests is $23,000.
They have their menu options with pricing listed on their website too for some transparency which we know couples appreciate. It’s also incredibly customizable and versatile - as well as it all tasting amazing is a huge plus!
To get the most accurate pricing, make sure to inquire at their website here.
Photo: Danielle Rose Photography
Salon 61 Events is surely one of the coolest modern wedding venues in Chicago and we would definitely recommend reaching out if you’re looking for a classic-Chicago wedding experience. They will provide a top-of-the-line service in such a beautiful, modern wedding venue that you really can’t say no to! We have coordinated in all kinds of spaces, but the space itself is worth it if it speaks to you. You can reach out to them directly by filling out their contact form, emailing them at salon61events@lettuce.com, or calling them at 312-638-0061.
Want help planning and coordinating your wedding at Salon 61 Events?
We would love to make sure your details and logistics are handled so you can focus on the fun instead.
Want to see more from some weddings we have done here?
Here are Sydni and Richie’s and Marissa and Michael’s New Year’s Eve wedding!
Sydni and Richie had such a sweet wedding that we are so thankful to have coordinated for them! They had both their ceremony and reception onsite at Salon 61 Events in Chicago.
The mid-August wedding date was hot, but that didn’t stop everyone from having a great time. They still were able to take their wedding photos outside, enjoy their first look down the aisle for the first time, and dance the night away without the weather getting in the way. They wanted to enjoy their wedding day with all their favorite people and thankfully we were able to help them with that!
The couple started their day getting ready at The Westin which was right down the street from the venue. They didn’t spend much time offsite from the wedding venue, but we needed to plan the timing so the couple didn’t see each other until they were down the aisle!
First Look at Wedding Ceremony at Salon 61 Events
Sydni got exactly what she was hoping for with Richie’s emotional response seeing her for the first time while walking down the aisle! It was such a sweet moment that we know they will cherish and that they did that with all their favorite people to witness it was important to them.
Wedding Photos Outside Salon 61 Events
After the ceremony had finished, they took their wedding party outside and braved the heat for photos with all of their wedding party. Thankfully it wasn’t too hot and they were able to get some really lovely shots! By this point too, this was late enough in the day that it actually wasn’t as bad as it was prior to the ceremony. So they actually got lucky they weren’t doing a first look and photos ahead of time!
Wedding Reception Room Reveal and Cocktail Hour
Since cocktail hour and the room flip was an hour and a half, Sydni and Richie were able to do their wedding photos, have a room reveal to see the reception space, and mingle with some of their family and friends at cocktail hour without delaying the timeline. It’s nice when you get to do everything like this which is why a 1.5 hour cocktail hour is ideal with not doing a first look before the ceremony!
Dance Floor Surprise for Wedding Reception
Sydni and Richie had their grand entrance, cake cutting, speeches, and first dance all to kick off the open dance floor. Truly one of our favorite moments from this wedding was when they whipped out the bubble guns for the dance floor - it was such a magical moment that we will never get over!
Overall, Sydni and Richie’s wedding was nothing short of magical. There were so many moments that really made this wedding special and we are so thankful to have been a part of making sure it ran smoothly!
Want another example? Marissa and Michael’s New Year’s Eve wedding was something special too!
Marissa and Michael were a much more casual couple if you’re looking for something more “cocktail style” in this space. They planned to start their festivities at 7pm for New Years Eve with no wedding party, no formal ceremony, and no formal dinner. They started getting ready in the afternoon and made sure to take their time since they wanted to skip a bunch of formalities. We can help coordinate any style of wedding so this was no problem for us!
Formal Photos before Cocktail Hour at Salon 61 Events
Marissa and Michael didn’t want to do anything offsite for their day, so we got their couple’s portraits, family photos, and room shots all before 7pm. They also really loved flash photography, so they really leaned on that style for their photos too.
Moody Color Scheme
We loved the vibe they went with with the moody colors - it’s something that definitely pops in the white space!
Marissa and Michael wanted to spend all of their time with their guests and having their specialty margaritas, martinis, and appetizers, so they did just that. Danielle did a great job of grabbing some moody candid shots too while the musicians played for the cocktail hour!
Brief Wedding Ceremony and First Dance
Marissa and Michael asked their guests to gather around while they had a brief ceremony and then did a formal first dance. After that, they opened the dance floor for the night, and then rang in the new year with some streamer shots that we love!
Overall, Marissa and Michael had a lovely day exactly as they hoped it would be without having a big formal affair. It was a perfect vibe for a New Year’s Eve wedding and we are so happy to have helped them have a great day!
Firmly Rooted Events
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!
Sydni and Richie Vendor Credits:
Venue: Salon 61 Events - @salon61events
Photo/Video: Fox & Ivory - @foxandivory
Coordination: Firmly Rooted Events - @firmlyrootedevents
Hair/Makeup: Anomalie Beauty Agency - @anomaliebeautyagency
Florist: Vivian Grace Creations - @viviangracecreations
DJ: All Ears DJ - @allearsdj
Hotel: Westin Chicago River North - @westinchicagorivernorth
Marissa and Michael Vendor Credits:
Venue: Salon 61 Events - @salon61events
Photo: Danielle Rose Photography - @daniellerosephoto
Coordination: Firmly Rooted Events - @firmlyrootedevents
Hair: Fearless and Bella - @fearlessandbella
Makeup: Shannon O’Brien Weddings - @shannonobrienweddings
Florist: House Finch Floral - @housefinchfloral
Music: Midtown Strings - @midtownstrings
Hotel: Westin Chicago River North - @westinchicagorivernorth
