Firehouse Chicago - Chicago, Illinois

Robert C.

We are so happy we chose Firehouse Chicago as our wedding reception venue. They are so welcoming, thoughtful, organized, and understanding of our needs. They provided creative solutions to help us execute our dream wedding reception. Their recommendations for catering and bartending were perfect! We loved that they coordinated with all the vendors to orchestra all the moving pieces so we didn't have to; this gave us so much peace of mind and mental bandwidth to focus on other priorities. We felt our needs were always anticipated, and the staff were waiting to assist at a moment's notice. We also loved that minimal additional decor was needed when choosing this venue. The firehouse's character and courtyard made for a uniquely Chicago experience, which we and our guests loved. Lastly, we loved how all the essential details were managed and kept orderly, so we had one less thing to think or worry about. 10/10 highly recommend!

Alysson G.

Having our wedding at Firehouse was the best decision! Every part of the space is beautiful and we loved the neighborhood feel. Their staff was exceptional at supporting us throughout the planning process and went above and beyond to make sure everything went seamlessly on the day of the wedding. Their recommendations for other vendors were so helpful and they really helped us think through all the details. We are so grateful to their team for making our day amazing!

Sarah N. P.

As a wedding photographer, Firehouse Chicago is a venue that never fails to impress. With its blend of historic charm and modern amenities, it's perfect for capturing unforgettable moments. The outdoor ceremony space is stunning, surrounded by lush greenery and urban vibes. The getting ready area is spacious and well-lit, ideal for pre-wedding preparations. And let's not forget the fun factor – the cool fire pole you can slide down adds a playful touch to the venue. For couples seeking a unique and memorable wedding venue, Firehouse Chicago is an excellent choice.

Jill K.

DO NOT consider a winter wedding here, and absolutely DO NOT expect transparency or flexibility with any hiccups in their formula. Also, they apparently blocked my account on Zola — I can’t find them in a search when I’m logged in anymore. Thankfully I was able to leave a review without being logged in, and am also sharing here.

TLDR: they can’t accommodate winter weddings, despite including those months as available on their website, and they aren't transparent about their inability to do so. They can only provide half a venue, with 40% decreased capacity, but still expect you to pay full price. I was appalled by their poor communication and business practices throughout our experience trying to book them for our January wedding.

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The issues started when booking a tour — their availability is challenging if you work a day job, and we were also limited with my partner’s 24/48 shifts for the city. But I rearranged my work to accommodate their schedule. The day of the tour we received a vague cancellation with 3 hours notice, saying they would work with our schedules to get a new tour on the calendar. They very much did NOT work with our schedules, declined several options I requested that would work without us making major concessions on our end, and only offered a small window later than their once-a-week evening slots. We were once again rearranging our schedule to work for theirs after their cancellation.

When we finally had the tour, I’ll admit it’s a gorgeous venue. We were excited about booking there, but concerned about how they’d handle January events. Since their website includes Jan in their off-peak season rates, I figured they had a plan for accommodating cold weather (they have a tent for the yard, but it’s insufficient for temps under 30 degrees and that’s a heavy gamble for evenings in January). They didn’t seem to have any ideas outside using that tent.

They do have an upstairs to the venue that reflects the ground floor footprint, so I asked if they would include these in the base rate (they're usually an add-on expense) because we were losing space in the yard. They said they would “compromise” by including just one of the rooms, but would reduce capacity to only 70. We had been straightforward that our guest list was 80-90, and their website advertises up to 120 guests for a buffet or cocktail reception, which was our plan.

I understand they don’t do a ton of events in the winter, so I thought maybe they just didn’t have a well-designed plan for colder months and we could find a way to work one out. But they refused to work with us to expand capacity beyond 70 guests AND made no concessions on price. I have no idea what they would have done had we moved forward and temperatures were too cold for a tent (leave our guests shivering? cut our guest list week-of? at the door?) — I asked and and they couldn’t answer. On top of it all, they made me feel like I was a problem for having these concerns.

At the end of the day, I can’t believe that a venue would expect clients to pay full price for half a venue and 40% decreased capacity, especially in a season they admit having little to no bookings. They clearly do not want business in their winter months, but will jerk you around for a month pretending they do.

Jake T.

My husband and I recently got married at the Firehouse Chicago on 11/2/24. This was the first venue we toured and we fell in love instantly. Sarah and Teddy and the entire Firehouse team made wedding planning enjoyable and stress free so we could focus on enjoying our special day.

The opening staff was friendly and took the initiative to set up our decor, programs, signage, floral, and seating with minimal direction from my end. What they put together was a beautiful setting on top of an already stunning venue. The closing staff organized all of our decor and belongings at the end of the night in record time making set up and shut down as painless as possible.

In addition to the beautiful venue and wonderful staff, Firehouse gave us a list of recommended vendors including catering, photography, and DJ. This made wedding planning much easier and we ended up having food, music, and photos our guests are still raving about.

Most importantly, as a gay couple, we were looking for an inclusive venue that was welcoming to all and the Firehouse delivered on all fronts. I cannot recommend this venue enough to anyone looking to get married in Chicago. We saved so many costs and headaches thanks to their organized planning and exceptional service and support.

Bridgette L.

Sarah and Teddy and EVERYONE who worked with us on our wedding was just absolutely amazing. They were so great with communicating and organizing. The venue is absolutely gorgeous and still to this day we get compliments on our wedding. It was such a beautiful and unique place. Thank you Firehouse for making our big day even more special!

Erin C.

Firehouse is an adorable, vintage wedding venue in the city. When my husband and I saw it we immediately knew it was the perfect place for us to get married. We didn’t realize that on top of a perfect venue we would also be able to work with above and beyond staff who made our wedding an absolute dream. Sarah coordinated everything while being so easy to work with including answering all of my silly questions! She made me feel at ease with everything going on, including when a vendor changed their timeline just a few days before the wedding. The day of staff were also amazing, on the ball helping with everything, and so kind. I can’t say enough amazing things about Firehouse! Go check it out and you will fall in love with this space and it’s people!

Ralph A.

I attended a wedding at Firehouse some 8 years back or so now and at that time couldn't imagine getting married but if I did, it would've been at a beautiful venue like that. Fast forward to 8 years later and we got married at Firehouse. My wife fell in love with the venue as soon as we pulled up. Its a 1920s firehouse and alll the beautiful, unique, and intricate details make the venue absolutely gorgeous. The details from outside, inside, and the rooms are beautiful. The location is amazing and everyone at the wedding loved the ambience. You don't even need much decor with how beautiful the space is. Highly recommend the 3 rooms upstairs.

Now for the staff, Sarah and Teddy helped us up to the wedding and were organized and very communicative. They supported us throughout with decisions and made sure the day of went perfectly. I literally cannot think of a thing I would change because how smoothly their help made the event go. The staff who opened put out the decor and it was perfect. They were extremely caring and helpful. One Firehouse member had helped fix our polaroid cause a guest messed up putting in film and he was right on top of it. The staff was so caring and helpful! Thank you all sooooo much!

Book firehouse for all your events. You would not regret it at all!

*Photos taken by Jungle Branch Photography