St. Mary of the Angels Wedding Guide
St. Mary of the Angels is Bucktown’s crown: a “Polish cathedral” style church completed in 1920, its great dome inspired by St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and visible for miles along the Kennedy. Rows of angel statues line the roofline, watching over the neighborhood, and the sanctuary below is scaled like a basilica. Nearly lost to demolition in the late 1980s, it was magnificently restored, and today it is one of the most breathtaking places to marry in Chicago. We have filmed two weddings beneath this dome.
St. Mary of the Angels Wedding Films
Watch two real weddings we filmed here:
Denise & Michael’s celebration, from cathedral vows to a moonlit finale at The Murphy in River North.
Claudia & Andres’s micro wedding, proof that an intimate guest list in a vast sanctuary makes the day feel both grand and profoundly personal.
The Ceremony
Weddings at St. Mary of the Angels are traditional Catholic celebrations in one of the city’s grandest sanctuaries. The scale rewards film: the long processional under the dome, light falling from the clerestory windows, and a front-steps exit framed by the church’s monumental facade. Whether your guest list is 300 or 30, the room gives the liturgy real weight; we have filmed both.
Photo & Video Locations
The church’s exterior, with its dome and rooftop angels, is a portrait location in itself. Beyond it, Bucktown and Wicker Park offer murals, tree-lined streets, and The 606 trail, or head downtown, fifteen minutes away, for the bridges and skyline. Our couples have paired the church with receptions at The Murphy in River North and the Thompson Chicago in the Gold Coast, both easy transfers.
Filming at St. Mary of the Angels
Big rooms demand planning: we position for the processional’s full length, expose for the sanctuary’s warm stone and high windows, and use discreet microphones so the vows are crystal clear even under the dome’s acoustics. As with all historic churches, we confirm placement guidelines in advance and film the liturgy without ever intruding on it.
FAQ
What makes St. Mary of the Angels special for weddings?
The dome, the angels, and the scale: it is the closest thing Chicago has to marrying in a Roman basilica. It also appears on our list of the 12 most beautiful churches in Chicago.
Is it a good choice for a small or micro wedding?
Wonderfully so. We filmed Claudia & Andres’s intimate COVID-era wedding here, and the grandeur around a small circle of loved ones made the film feel even more personal.
What reception venues pair well with the church?
River North and Gold Coast venues are fifteen minutes away; our couples chose The Murphy and Thompson Chicago. Bucktown’s own lofts and restaurants are even closer.
Who films weddings at St. Mary of the Angels?
We do, twice beneath the dome and counting. Check your date →