The Drake Hotel Chicago Wedding Cost Guide

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Planning a wedding at The Drake Hotel in Chicago? As wedding videographers who film there regularly, we get asked about Drake costs constantly. Here is how to build a reliable budget from the hotel’s current proposal.

Venue Rental and Minimums

The Drake’s wedding page does not publish a current seasonal rental fee or food-and-beverage minimum. Ask the wedding team for a dated quote for your preferred ballroom and date, including any ceremony charge, included hours, setup time, and minimum spend. Do not treat a general off-peak estimate as a guaranteed rate.

Food and Beverage

An undated wedding banquet menu hosted by The Drake lists three examples: Dream at $200 per guest, Devotion at $240 per guest, and Destiny at $280 per guest. The PDF does not state an effective pricing date, so these are reference figures, not confirmed current rates. They do not establish the complete venue cost or tell us which taxes, service charges, ceremony fees, or minimums apply to your booking.

Ask the hotel which menus remain available, what food and bar service each includes, the current per-guest rates, and whether your date has a food-and-beverage minimum.

Other Costs and a Sample Quote Checklist

A total for 150 guests cannot be responsibly calculated from an undated menu alone. For a comparable proposal, request these line items for your guest count and date:

• Venue and ceremony: room rental, ceremony fee, minimum spend, included hours, and overtime.
• Food and bar: current per-guest menu, beverages, upgrades, vendor meals, and staffing.
• Required charges: service charge, applicable taxes, parking, and any other venue fees.
• Outside vendors: photography, videography, florals, music, planning, and transportation.

Ask for an itemized grand total and a list of exclusions before signing. The hotel’s wedding team can confirm current terms for your date and ballroom.

Is The Drake Worth It?

In our experience filming weddings across Chicago’s luxury venues, The Drake delivers something none of the newer venues can: a century of history. The gilded ballrooms, the sweeping staircases, and Oak Street Beach minutes from the front door give a wedding film a timeless quality that modern spaces have to manufacture. See our Drake Hotel wedding films and full venue guide.

Drake Hotel Wedding Cost FAQ

What is the minimum cost for a Drake Hotel wedding?
The hotel does not publish a current minimum wedding total on its wedding page. An undated menu shows example per-guest packages, but ask for a current quote covering your preferred space, date, guest count, minimums, service charges, and taxes.

How can we save money at The Drake?
Ask the hotel to compare proposals for different dates and guest counts. An off-peak date may change availability or terms, but confirm any savings in writing before planning around them.

Getting married at The Drake? We have filmed there for years and know every corner. Check your date →

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