Bridgeport Art Center Wedding Venues: Your Expert Guide

As we did our very first venue highlight, we looked back at all our past weddings and events, and one venue truly stood out as one of the most visited by our team here in Chicago: Bridgeport Art Center’s Wedding Venues. It is STUNNING with 2 different venues on site you can choose to celebrate.

The iconic Chicago Bridgeport Art Center’s wedding venues are located in a historic 1911 building right off of I-94 & I-55, and right down the street from the White Sox Stadium. This gorgeous, loft, & unique venue offers two different options for wedding ceremonies & receptions that are perfect for all types of events & guest counts!

In addition to the grand beauty of the Bridgeport Art Center, our planners at The Simply Elegant Group love working with their team! Eleanor, who owns the venue through Venue Logic, is not only kind and professional but also incredibly detail-oriented. She ensures everything is perfectly handled for each client, making her a true pleasure to collaborate with. Their team makes our job easier, and we really enjoy working with them!

Our planners are share their expert tips and all the gorgeous details about weddings at Bridgeport Art Center!

Ceremony Spaces for your Bridgeport Art Center Wedding

The Sculpture Garden is a covered outdoor space that has beautiful arch windows! The aisle is a row of gorgeous chandeliers that are definitely a WOW factor! Most clients will rent a stage to go in front of their large arch windows at the Skyline Loft: The gorgeous ceiling windows are what line this aisle – almost like the heavens are above the couple/the bride walking down the aisle end of the aisle! But either way, the backdrop cannot be beat!

Skyline Loft offers another stunning option for wedding ceremonies at the Bridgeport Art Center. The aisle is framed by gorgeous ceiling windows, creating the effect that the couple is walking beneath an open sky—an incredibly dramatic and beautiful setting for your big day.

Wedding Receptions at Bridgeport Art Center’s Skyline Loft

Skyline Loft, which is on the 5th floor of the venue, is the ultimate blank space where your vision can be created into reality! Asking why it is called Skyline Loft? Well not only is the space beautiful, but it also has stunning panoramic views of you guessed it… the Chicago Skyline!

We absolutely love this space for not only being a blank canvas where you can make it your very own, but it also is set up perfectly to easily transition your guests throughout your events!

Wedding Details about The Skyline Lofts:

• Accommodates 100-900 guests for a Cocktail Party reception, or 100-500 guests for a traditional sit-down Reception
• Solid wood flooring with dramatic inlays
• Unobstructed views in the main dining area
• Exposed brick walls & 15 foot wood beamed ceilings
• Over-sized 120-foot skylights over inlayed runway
• On-site comprehensive catering kitchen
• Unique draping included
• Coat Check

Weddings at Bridgeport Art Center’s Sculpture Garden – An Elegant Raw Urban Venue

The Sculpture Garden Venue at Bridgeport Art Center offers an unforgettable experience from the very moment your guests arrive. Located on the ground level of the venue, it is one of our FAVORITE spaces for a wedding ceremony!

The entryway, featuring stunning chandeliers leads them directly into the expansive 12,000-square-foot event space. The grandeur of the space is immediately apparent, offering an elegant backdrop for any occasion.

The garden’s courtyard located right outside of the ballroom where you could host your dinner reception, has been created perfectly for a stunning aisle, including white drapery & chandeliers going right down the center that will leave your guests in awe! The dinner reception area is also a blank space & allows you to easily bring your vision to life!

Wedding Details for The Sculpture Garden Venue

• Accommodates up to 900 guests for standing receptions, and up to 550 guests for a traditional sit-down Reception
• Solid wood flooring
• Exposed brick walls
• 12 foot wood beamed ceilings
• Floor to ceiling French doors facing the sculpture garden
• HVAC for year round comfort
• On-site comprehensive catering kitchen
• Taupe draping included
• Artistically designed bathrooms
• Bride and Groom Suites
• Coat Check

Advice from The Simply Elegant Group Wedding Planners

What type of couple will love Bridgeport Art Center for their wedding?

I would say ANY couple – but definitely, a couple that LOVES a loft space as both options are loft style. A couple that loves the fact that it is a blank canvas – the rooms are empty and made to do anything your heart desires! 

A couple that wants an outdoor ceremony/cocktail hour, but also has the comfort of knowing that no matter what the weather is, they can have it in the same location! The Sculpture Garden has that outdoors feel (if weather permits – windows can be open and their “walkways” do not have glass coverings), but it is also covered, so rain and even storms wouldn’t stop them from having their ceremony there! That’s huge for couples – especially in Illinois! 

If the couple loves the arts, this is even more of a bonus as it serves as not only a wedding venue but as an Art Exhibit as well on some floors! 

How have you transformed this venue in different ways?

We have had clients do both open seating and assigned seats/tables. We have had clients that do both ceremony and reception here, or just the reception. We have had Indian weddings in both spaces, where we utilize their parking lot for the client’s baraat. 

Any insider tips for weddings at Bridgeport Art Center?

Absolutely! For weddings at The Sculpture Garden, we recommend you have the cocktail hour and ceremony in their outdoor space! It not only allows more time for set-up inside, and your guests will LOVE being out in that space no matter what the weather is!

Also, reuse the outdoor space later at night – sparkler exit, photo booths, cigar bar, or just having cocktail tables available outside for guests to use if they want a moment away from the noise! You can also bring in a fun food truck there for late-night snacks!

For weddings at the Skyline Loft we always suggest some sort of fun element in the large elevator guests take up to the Loft! We love it when clients get creative in here – examples of this would be: having a live musician playing (violin is pretty epic), or having a full-on bar, trays of wine, or even a champagne tree in the elevator! Guests can grab a quick drink or a glass of champagne as they head upstairs.

What is one idea you’d love to implement here but haven’t yet?

 We would LOVE to have a client that would rent out the entire building and utilize every space available! Having a ceremony in the Sculpture Gardens outdoor space, and then moving inside the Sculpture Garden for the Cocktail Hour. Then we would send all guests upstairs in the large elevator (with some sort of fun element), to enjoy the reception/after-party in Skyline Lofts! 

Another unique and interactive idea we’re excited to bring to life for a couple who selects the Sculpture Garden is offering a variety of food trucks outside for a fun, casual dining experience. This concept not only adds a playful and modern twist to the event, but it also gives guests the opportunity to interact with different vendors and choose from a variety of delicious options. It’s a great way to encourage mingling and create a memorable, hands-on dining experience that’s as much a part of the celebration as the food itself.

How much does it cost to get married at Bridgeport Art Center?

Budgets for our clients’ weddings at Bridgeport Art Center typically start at $65,000.00. They require the use of specific caterers and decor vendors. Drink packages are through Venue Logic, and that is added onto your rental fee, which typically sees our clients hit at least that $60/$65K mark, and of course, could go up from there based on your vision and vendors booked! 

Bridgeport Art Center Weddings: The Perfect Blend of Downtown Charm and Convenient Location

The Bridgeport Art Center’s close proximity to downtown makes it an ideal choice for couples who want the best of both worlds. Many clients choose to stay downtown and take their wedding photos in the heart of the city, before heading to Bridgeport for their ceremony and reception. This offers couples, your photos, and yourguests two distinct atmospheres throughout the day, creating a memorable experience.

They also have a FREE and large parking lot – which in Chicago is RARE!

We truly LOVE this location, their team, and the weddings we have done here, and we cannot recommend Bridgeport Art Center wedding venues enough for your dream day! xoxo

Bridgeport Art Center Wedding Venue Details

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