Chicago Athletic Association Wedding Guide

The Chicago Athletic Association is one of the most characterful wedding venues in the city: an 1893 Venetian Gothic landmark on Michigan Avenue, built as a private athletic club in the year of the World’s Fair and reborn as a boutique hotel. Directly across from Millennium Park, it offers something no ballroom-only venue can: history in every room, from a gilded ballroom named for the Fair to an actual historic basketball court.

A Chicago Athletic Association Wedding Film

Watch Cayli & Matt’s wedding: a groomsmen basketball game on the historic court, vows at St. John Berchmans, and dinner in the White City Ballroom.

The Spaces

The White City Ballroom is the showpiece, its name a nod to the 1893 World’s Fair, with ornate ceilings and light that glows on film. The Madison Ballroom handles cocktails and dancing, and Stagg Court, the club’s historic gymnasium, hosts everything from ceremonies to receptions to, in our couple’s case, a pre-wedding basketball game in full morning light. Add the Game Room, the Cherry Circle Room, and Cindy’s rooftop with its Millennium Park views, and a single building offers a full weekend of settings.

Ceremony Options

Couples marry onsite in the ballrooms or on Stagg Court, or pair the CAA with a church ceremony; our couple chose St. John Berchmans in Logan Square, with the hotel anchoring the morning and evening. The Michigan Avenue location keeps any downtown church within a short transfer.

Photo & Video Locations

Few venues sit closer to Chicago’s icons: Millennium Park, the Bean, the Art Institute lions, and the Cultural Center are all across the street, and Cindy’s rooftop frames the skyline over the park. On a tight timeline, you can shoot a full portrait session without ever crossing more than one street.

What a CAA Wedding Costs

Based on comparable Michigan Avenue hotel venues, most CAA celebrations land in the $30,000 to $80,000+ range all-in depending on guest count, spaces used, and season. The hotel’s events team quotes current packages and minimums; treat these as planning figures.

Filming Weddings at the CAA

This building rewards a camera that loves texture: dark wood, ancient tile, stained glass, and the White City Ballroom’s warm gold. We know which rooms need light and which need none, how to stage the basketball-court sequence without eating the timeline, and where the park views land at golden hour. The morning-to-midnight arc inside one landmark building makes for a wonderfully cohesive film.

FAQ

Can you really play basketball on your wedding day?

At the CAA, yes: Stagg Court is part of the hotel, and our groom’s morning game became one of the film’s best sequences. Ask the events team about court access when booking.

How many guests can the CAA accommodate?

The White City Ballroom suits mid-sized dinners, with larger celebrations spreading across multiple spaces; the events team can match rooms to your guest list.

Is the CAA good for photos in winter?

Excellent: the building’s interiors carry an entire portrait session indoors, and Millennium Park in snow is steps away for the brave.

Who films weddings at the Chicago Athletic Association?

We do, from Stagg Court to the last dance. Check your date →