Eco-friendly weddings have become the trend and rightfully so as “going green” has become such an important movement worldwide. As the warmer weather approaches, we have caught ourselves thinking about how naturally beautiful events can be! With this on our mind, we thought to fill you in on some great environmentally savvy wedding venues in Chicago.

Keep in mind, an “Eco-friendly” venue simply means that they have given attention to and are dedicated to the mission of respecting and preserving the earth through their space. Green weddings are absolutely stunning and there are several Chicago venue spaces who are actively involved in creating this style of event.

Catalyst Ranch:656 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL

Catalyst Ranch is an amazing and “zainy” space located in the West Loop.  It is filled with vibrant colors and a lot of quirks. They are an actively “green” event space, and they are dedicated to recycling with their vintage furniture, décor, and embellishments.  They use recycled paper products in-house and operate a printer-free invoice system.  Besides recycling, they have energy efficient LED lighting in their space.  Catalyst Ranch has a lot of personality and can add great vibe and energy to your wedding guests’ experience.  Not only does it allow space for creativity and provides a great deal of it! 

Greenhouse Loft: 2545 W Diversey Ave., Chicago, IL

The name Greenhouse Loft can tell you a lot about what to expect from this venue. However it is also a versatile space and a blank canvas.  Let your imagination run wild here!

The venue offers both an indoor and outdoor space as well as a rooftop. Greenhouse Loft is passionate about being eco-friendly, and it is located in the largest sustainable business community.  It is a certified Historic building with a high-efficiency heating and cooling system that reduces the building’s energy use by 22%!!  The Greenhouse Loft also has a 41,329 gallon rain cistern which allows storm water to be used for irrigation and water features.  They also have solar thermal panels which provide their hot water and air-conditioning. 

One of our favorite features of the space is their use of windows that capture the lights from the city at night. It is picturesque, and will leave your guests gushing over your beautiful event!

Loft on Lake:1366 W Lake St., Chicago, IL

Loft on Lake is another venue located in the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago and has a completely unique vibe.  Between the 65 foot skylight and 20 foot ceilings, this space feels like a quintessential Chicago Loft space. It has exposed brick and beautiful timber to give it a very raw flavor.  With their large skylight they are able to utilize natural light during the daytime as well as capture the reflection of lit décor at night.  Loft on Lake recycles fervently and encourages their vendors to waste the least amount of product necessary.  They also like to re-purpose items left after events.  Loft on Lake is the perfect marriage between urban chic and glamour.

We hope that these venue highlights will inspire you to “Go Green” for your wedding and help you realize that the sky is the limit when planning an eco-friendly event.  Here at Storybook Weddings & Events, our team enjoys working with earth-loving couples! Contact us at info@storybookchicago.com to learn more about how we can help you stay conscious of the environment while enjoying the night of your life!

-Storybook Chicago