Wedding Venue Spotlight - The Lytle Auditorium in Downers Grove, IL Wedding Venue Guide
Being a Chicago day-of wedding coordinator and planner that has worked more than 100 weddings, we see a lot of wedding venues in the Chicago suburbs and Chicago area. We know so many spaces that know exactly how to cater to their couples in the best ways. Surely one of our favorite, natural-tone wedding venues is The Lytle Auditorium - it is such a wonderful space with all of the natural lighting with so many benefits you should know.
PHotO: Abigail Anne Photography
The Space
The building itself is just 25 miles away from Chicago in Downers Grove, Illinois. It’s actually right across the street from the Metra stop, which is convenient for guests traveling in (and don’t worry, the sound isn’t intrusive either!) or even for your wedding party traveling in from Union Station (which is a great place for photos in the city if you want to have some of the day in Chicago!). The venue has over 3,000 square feet in the entire space with two private studios joined by a shared lobby in the center. The capacity for the venue is 96 guests, which is perfect for an intimate, micro wedding of any kind.
The East Studio is 1,100 square feet with 13’ ceiling and a massive skylight down the center. The skylight and the window perfectly light the space and really make the white walls pop, and the growing plants and the home-grown, indoor ivy wall is an absolutely stunning place for a wedding ceremony. The Lytles actually designed the foundation of the building to have a break in it that goes directly into the dirt for the creeping fig to be the focal point of the ceremony. They even considered having the floors be the slightest bit tilted so they can tend to the ivy and maintain it with ease! As a wedding vendor that also loves plants, this is a really unique, special feature that we love.
The West Studio is a forest-green room that is great for the reception festivities with 1,500 square feet and 18’ ceilings. There are also windows on this side of the building for some natural light too, but one feature we love are the custom hanging lights that can be adjusted to different heights and dimnesses with a pulley system. This is also where you’ll find the wedding suite on the second floor - which is a perfect place for couples to have a minute alone after their ceremony.
The venue is BYOB, but does have a list of approved caterers to choose from. You can bring in other vendors of your choosing, as long as they can provide proof of insurance. If you’re looking for areas off-site and nearby for photos too, there are local parks that are right next-door to make it easy for you too!
photo from website
About The Lytle Auditorium
The Lytle Auditorium was first built by Robyn and Michelle Lytle in 2023 and they had their first wedding in August of 2024. Robyn and Michelle began their work at The Lytle House in Chicago, and with their background and experience with that space and with Michelle’s experience as a wedding photographer with almost 20 years of experience, they are well-equipped with all of the best knowledge of what makes a wedding venue run seamlessly. Every room had been catered to creating the perfect wedding photos, the best natural and unique lighting, and the best use of the space for a micro or more intimate wedding.
The Lytle Auditorium is used both as a wedding and private event venue, and a space for businesses and community events. The Lytle House in Chicago shares a similar mission with events like The Lytle House Art Initiative; but as Robyn and Michelle are from Downers Grove, they wanted to be able to give back to their community. They offer their space for thing like yoga, kid’s parties, private workshops, presentations, art classes, self-defense classes, magic, non-profit events and more. They plan to develop and work with programs that foster entrepreneurship with their local youth.
“Now is the Start” is stamped into the ground at the center of the space where the couple should for the ceremony, which is a great indicator for the center of the room, but also was the name of the song that Robyn and Michelle did their own wedding recessional to. We love that the venue itself has personal touches like this - in a time where couples really want their day to stand out, it’s really cool to have details like that in the venue space that are creating a legacy for your wedding day details too!!
photo from website
Flow
The rental begins 2 hours before your ceremony time for setup to begin - you’ll have plenty of time to get everything set and ready for your day! Your event can be 5.5 for Sunday weddings and 6.5 hours for Saturday and Friday weddings.
Typical weddings start with your guests entering courtyard into the lobby. There is ample parking available onsite, and if it’s not enough space The Lytle Auditorium can secure overflow parking and recommend valet services. This is a perfect place for them to hang their coats, drop their cards and gifts, and use the restrooms if needed before getting ready for your ceremony. The ceremony will be set in the East Studio to the right - your guests will walk in and be astounded by the bright, beautiful space lit by the glass skylight above! While your guests arrive, you can stay in the West Studio or up in the wedding suite.
After your ceremony is over, your guests will be able to use the front lobby as the cocktail hour space. The bar is typically stationed in the lobby with guests going in and out of the East Studio while the vendor team moves the chairs into the West Studio. The room flip will happen from another point-of entry, so the movement of chairs won’t interfere with your guests’ experience! During the reception in the West Studio, the light fixtures can be lowered over the tables so they become floating centerpieces - which is an incredibly unique and cool feature of the space. Having dynamics in the lighting like this with some lights very low and some lights higher really gives your venue a little extra personality that our couples love. The rental must end 11pm on Fridays or Saturdays or 10pm on Sundays. When the reception is over, you and your guests will head out and the teardown will be for 1.5 hours for your vendors - this is actually 30 extra minutes from most venues which is nice to make sure there’s less of a rush!
There are other, separate packages for elopement, ceremony-only, or micro weddings too. For an elopement or ceremony-only event, you can have 1 hour of the venue for up to 25 guests. Definitely check out The Lytle Auditorium’s website for more information on those!!
Photo: Abigail Anne Photography
Amenities
There are many perks of The Lytle Auditorium with the venue itself being so stunning and not needing much for decorating, but here are some of the specific amenities couples like from this wedding venue:
Full venue usage
Private wedding suite area
Coat closet
96 black, steel chairs
12 2.5’ x 8’ custom walnut and steel tables
Skylight in East Studio
Height-adjustable, dimmable lights in West Studio
Prep kitchen
A/C
Off-street parking for up to 10 cars, overflow cars can be arranged and valet can be added on
Onsite venue manager
Photo: Jess Diaz Photography
Pricing
The Lytle Auditorium has their pricing on their website which makes it nice and convenient for couples looking for their wedding venue. As of January 15, 2026, peak-season pricing from April through October, the 10 hour rental is $4,500 for a Friday and $5,500 for a Saturday. The Sunday events are for 9 hours and are $3,500.
For off-season pricing between November through March, the 10 hour rental is $4,000 on a Friday and $5,000 on a Saturday. The Sunday events are for 9 hours and are $3,000.
If you’re interested in hosting a wedding on a weekday or weekend for a different hourly rate, you should inquire with The Lytle Auditorium for more information.
Elopement or ceremony-only rentals are $1,500 on a weekday and $2,000 on a weekend.
If you’re planning for a micro wedding, you can have an hourly rate for $300 an hour for weekdays and $450 an hour for weekends. The pricing is from January 15, 2026 - if you’re looking for updated rates, we definitely advise you to check out their website.
This pricing already includes all taxes and fees as well, so you don’t have to worry about any additional fees on top of the rental!
We also have exclusive pricing and discounts with The Lytle Auditorium for our day-of wedding coordination, so make sure to reach out to us about this space for more information!
Photo: Cassandra photo
As Chicago and Chicago suburb day-of coordinators, we know what works for venues and what doesn’t, and this space is not only great for couples but also great for your vendors. You’ll be guaranteed to have an amazing wedding day if you book with The Lytle Auditorium because of all of the ways they used their experience with owning a wedding venue to make this one just perfect. You can’t help but have amazing photos, a smooth transition from one thing to the next, and can relax knowing that everything will run seamlessly with a venue like this one. If you’re having a micro wedding, or a wedding with under 100 guests, this light, lovely wedding venue is surely one to consider. We definitely recommend checking them out - you can send them an email at hello@thelytleauditorium or calling at 872-228-5591.
Need help with your wedding planning?
Reach out to us at our contact page for more information about our day-of coordination and wedding planning services!
