Fairlie - Chicago, Illinois

Marissa S.

We got married at Fairlie in November and it was everything we were looking for in a venue! The vibe was everything and made it easy to keep the aesthetic with minimal additional decor. The team was very responsive to our many questions and made suggestions to make sure everything we envisioned was executed perfectly. We also received lots of feedback from our guests on how much they loved the venue and the food (we hired Lula Cafe, one of Fairlie’s pre-approved caterers). Fairlie checked all our boxes, especially that they are BYOB and dog-friendly.

Photo + Video: Ghost Edits
Caterer: Lula Cafe
Dessert: First Slice Pie Cafe
Late Night Tacos: La Catrina
Florist: Southside Blooms
Mariachi: Mariachi Sirenas
Pet Attendants: Sit, Wag, & Wed
Hair + Makeup: Chicago Avenue Salon

Kayla D.

The Fairlie made my wedding dreams come true! Alexis and Alex were so wonderful to work with throughout the process of planning my wedding. They were knowledgable and responsive any time I reached out! The venue had a bride AND grooms suite which made it perfect to spend the entire day there getting ready. The space is clean, beautiful, and easy for out of town guests to access as they have a parking lot right across the street. All our guests were so impressed by how grand the venue was. I can't recommend The Fairlie enough!

Emma H.

Fairlie and the incredible team that works here was the wedding venue of my dreams. The tall ceilings and industrial look was exactly what we wanted, but we received and even larger bonus of the staff that came with it. Alexis and Alex were attentive and responsive. They were able to work with us on all requests big or small. I could have been happier with this choice for our wedding. From the bridal suite to the huge kitchen - everything is all in place for you to have the perfect event/wedding!!

TD T.

We had our wedding here September 2024 on a Friday. We toured in January 2024 and sealed the deal 2 weeks later. What is really great is that they have a calendar already on their website of availability, removing that initial email-tag and we only reached out after seeing one of the dates we wanted was available.

Alex (the owner). Alex and Orlando (Event Manager) were fantastic. Really great communicators, friendly, accommodating, and just good people. We had good vibes from them immediately which put our wedding planning (which was a tight timeline and a destination wedding) at ease. Alex and Orlando were present the day of and everything with the venue was so smooth. Our grand entrance with Orlando driving us in the Tuk Tuk was something our guests still talk about!

The curve appeal has a lot to be desired but that I think that's also the charm of the Fairlie - it's like a hidden gem. The high ceilings are so grand with floor to ceilings curtains which section off the space perfectly so you can have your ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception in one space. The space is that Chicago Industrial vibe but has a lot of potential to create. The double staircase is a showstopper and when I saw, I knew I wanted to dress it up.

There's also a small parking lot which was great for immediate family and plenty of free street parking in the area. Tables and chairs are included as well as the Tuk tuk! They also already have some great uplighting in the space where we felt like we didn't need to purchase any extra.

What really drew us to the space was:
1. BYOB (that was with your caterer). They do have a preferred list of caterers and we went with Hearty Boys.
2. TWO bridal suites for use, a groom suite on the main floor, and a bride suite on the upper mezzanine level
3. Can party as late as Midnight (required to have 90 minute cleanout time for vendors)
4. There is a large space additional space in the Mezzanine level where we able to have our traditional Tea Ceremony before our wedding ceremony for family only (at no extra cost).

Overall, we had a really great experience with Fairlie and would recommend to anyone looking at Chicago venues.

Janina C.

While Fairlie is undeniably a beautiful space for a wedding, my experience with the owner and management was incredibly frustrating, and I feel it’s important to share my experience to help others make a more informed decision.

• Unnecessary Liquor License Request: The owner tried to require a liquor license for our event, even though Illinois state law does not require one. After multiple emails back and forth, we refused to provide this unnecessary documentation, which made me feel like the venue was trying to extract more money from us.

• Setup Hours Were Insufficient: For the amount we paid for the venue, we weren’t given enough hours for setup, forcing us to purchase additional time. It felt like another way to add extra charges.

• Unsafe Conditions on Wedding Day: The day of our wedding, it was snowing, and the parking lot and walkways were not shoveled or plowed. One of my guests slipped and hurt her hand. I had to tell the manager to immediately go shovel and salt the areas before the rest of my guests arrived, which should have been taken care of long before.

• Disruptive Tour During Setup: During the hours I paid for setup, the manager was giving a tour to a group of about 5 people. These guests were in the way of my setup team and even went through the bridal and groom suites while my bridal party was preparing. This was completely unprofessional and unacceptable, as those hours should have been exclusive to my party.
Thankfully, the manager who handled the evening hours was much more professional and helpful, which made the night go more smoothly.

In the end, I would not recommend this venue unless you're prepared to deal with these headaches. For the price we paid, you can find a venue that treats clients with more respect and professionalism, and that provides a more seamless and enjoyable experience.

Sweetteeness

Beautiful!!!! Our #2 but really #1 choice. We haven’t decided yet but Alexis and Alex were fantastic guides and host to our tour. Beautiful venue and probably the one we will choose. Three more to see. We love the suites they offer here as well as the unique bathrooms that are ADA compliant. The Tuk Tuk is cute and the bar options are awesome 🎉We love the staircase !!!!

Mario M.

Great industrial loft venue for weddings and medium sized events. High ceilings and exposed brick give the space atmosphere.
Not many windows but for evening events that does not matter. Nice dual descending staircase for grand entrances and you can put a few musicians in there for a nice effect.
Parking in lot next door so that is convent.
Only real negative is the lack of sound abatement. Quite difficult to hear any announces or speeches. A result of all that open brickwork.

Demi M.

The Fairlie was an incredible venue for our wedding! The staff is wonderful throughout the planning process and assisting with day-of coordination. The space is truly gorgeous at night. Highly recommend!