Grand Piazza

We got married here over Fathers Day weekend and this venue could not have been more amazing. The view during the ceremony was breathtaking and our guests loved taking pictures during the cocktail hour with the skyline in the background. Shannon and Chris were great to work with, we used Victoria Banquets to cater the event and many guests commented to us about how wonderful the food and staff were. Another bonus is that our guests could check out all the cool memorabilia in the museum during the wedding. Overall amazing wedding venue and I highly recommend it!

I coordinated a wedding at the Grand Piazza over the weekend and am absolutely thrilled with how wonderful they are! I worked with Shannon during the planning process and she was incredible. Some of the vendors made requests regarding setting up early that I know most venues would have turned down. Shannon was very accommodating with the requests and ensured that she did all she could to make things easier on the vendors and the bride and groom.
On the day of the event, Chris was our site manager and he was so helpful! We ended up needing a few more tables and chairs than originally anticipated. Chris was quick to take care of it and he never was irritated or annoyed by it. He was a huge help in ensuring the reception went smoothly.
In addition to how fabulous they are to work with, the Grand Piazza really is a hidden gem. You HAVE to see the view is the skyline from the terrace. I highly recommend this venue to couples!

Looking for a wedding ceremony/​reception venue in Chicago? GO! Now. Not only do you get an awesome rooftop view of the entire skyline to the east, but the museum adds an interesting, unique touch, and the ballroom is large and can be transformed to be whatever you want — don’t let the red carpet scare you! It really does hide once everything else is going on :) Oh, and the price… SUCH a good deal for the location (in the city) and venue itself. Guys, the entire Chicago skyline can be the backdrop for your ceremony — what could be better for a Chicago wedding?! When wedding planning, I did my research of venues quite thoroughly and was so surprised by the price point at Grand Piazza. It truly is a hidden gem like other reviews mentioned. I’d rather not post pricing, and of course this changes with time since we booked in 2013 for our September 13, 2014 wedding there, but free to contact me to chat more about that or anything related!
There’s parking for guests behind the building (self park or valet) which was important to us as we had many guests from out of town. and a choice of 3 caterers — one of which is in the suburbs so the prices a bit lower but the quality still great. We worked with Shannon to coordinate all of the venue details and she was very helpful and easy to work with. She also checked in from time to time with me to see how things were going, gave a reminder before the 2^nd half of payment was due so we didn’t forget (which we likely would have… I had a bad case of «bride brain») and the other employees were always friendly when we stopped by to show family the space or drop off things.
We booked a little over a year out for our Saturday wedding, and had a few options for dates which was better than some venues I contacted, but I don’t think this place will stay a secret for long, so check it out sooner than later! You won’t be disappointed!

This venue is about as good as it gets! I had my May 2014 wedding reception here, and could not have asked for a better experience! Working with Shannon and the staff is about as good as it gets!
My now husband is from a very small town in western Illinois, so when we were looking for a venue we wanted something that had a strong city feel. When we looked at the Grand Piazza we knew it had to be our venue! The rooftop views of the city are so amazing and really set the tone for the evening. All of our guests could not stop raving of the view during our cocktail hour! The Grand Ballroom is a great space as well. It is big with enough room for a few hundred people with tables, bars, and a dance floor.
You cannot beat the price to rent this space for Chicago. We looked at several places, and the Grand Piazza fit perfectly with what we wanted and our budget. It really is the best kept secret for Chicago weddings!
Shannon was such a great help throughout the entire planning process, and the staff the day of the reception were exceptional! Could not have asked for a better wedding day!

Grand Piazza is one of those pleasant little secrets you are unaware of if not for the posting prowess of other Unilocalers.
My (now) husband proposed to me on February 14, 2013. That started a grand cycle of comparing and contrasting potential venues in the city of Chicago to host the moderate affair that would become our wedding ceremony and reception.
I did not have a wedding planner as my budget would not allow for one. A lot of the footwork on venues and such was done the old fashioned way: calling, stalking, and scouring webpages. The initial plan was to have a wedding and ceremony in Chicago Parks. No way, Jose, all of the hidden fees and extra planning was just too much for a broke ass bride in training. We still wanted an outdoor ceremony, though.
On a whim, we googled ‘rooftop lounge’ and ‘rooftop venue.’ Grand Piazza pops up. The pictures on the website do not do this venue any justice — however we booked the venue sight unseen. The idea was novel enough — marrying with the city as our backdrop.
This venue is very affordable. I emailed Shannon at least a thousand times before sending in a deposit just to make sure things were up to par. Everything about this venue is amazing. It is clean, easily accessible, and employs staff that are helpful (Dan, the engineer, omg, he also is a DJ and just the most HELPFUL guy I ever met).
Catering was done by Biagio Catering — also affordable and delicious. I opted for a buffet meal and honestly, the waitstaff was so helpful I could not tell it was not a plated dinner reception.
There are not enough good things for me to say about Grand Piazza except I truly and highly recommend it for any special occasion you can imagine, but especially for wedding ceremonies and receptions.

I also had my wedding at Grand Piazza on June 23, 2012. I was very pleased with everything. Christine (with Levy, the caterer) and Shannon (with NIASHF) were both great to work with and replied to all of my questions very quickly throughout the last year of planning.
Our guests LOVED the venue from the Sports Museum on the ground floor to the rooftop desk where we had our cocktail hour to the ballroom where we had the dinner and dancing. We were lucky that the weather was perfect for our date. I agree with the other reviews that this venue is reasonably priced for a Chicago wedding venue and it is very unique. It can also fit a good amount of people, we had about 240 guests although I wouldn’t recommend squeezing in much more than that or it could get too cramped in the ballroom.
I would definitely recommend Grand Piazza for a summer Chicago wedding!

We just had our wedding reception at the Grand Piazza, and it was absolutely AMAZING! Cocktail hour was on the rooftop with a beautiful view of the city, and perfect weather. We were a little worried that it was going to rain or be too hot, but lucky for us it was absolutely perfect. The rooftop was also available all night for guests to get some fresh air and enjoy the skyline at night. It being 4^th of July weekend, we were also able to spot some fireworks.
The reception was in the ballroom, which I have to admit I wasn’t too excited about the first couple of times we saw it, but the night of our wedding with up-​lighting provided by our DJ, and all the tables set up, it really looked great!
I agree with a previous post in saying that rates were VERY reasonably for a venue in the city, and Levy Events (caterer) did an incredible job! I cannot say enough good things about Christine and the staff! We ordered a specialty cocktail (pomegranite margaritas) that was to die for! Guests consistently complimented the food saying «it was the best wedding food we have ever had!» The staff was on top of their game the whole night, and went out of their way to make sure my groom and I had everything we needed.
I highly recommend this venue to anyone planning a wedding in Chicago.

We had our ceremony and wedding reception here in March 2010. It was perfect. The food was simply delicious, the service and staff were outstanding, and the best was Natalie: the event coordinator. She handled everything and was so professional. It was a delight to work with them. The prices are also Extremely reasonable for the city of Chicago and the event space is lovely. The guests raved about how fun the venue was and everyone had the best time. The venue is just fantastic.

Grand Piazza was perfect for our July 2009 wedding. Our guest were blown away by the cocktail hour we had on the rooftop terrace overlooking the Chicago skyline. The ballroom was a great place to have the reception and the dancefloor was filled the entire night. The staff was great and so attentive the entire night. All of the requests I had given to Natalie were handled perfectly as well.

Grand Piazza is hidden inside the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. I thought «the piazza» was just the courtyard with the fountain across the street…
Friends got married here this summer, and it was beautiful. The ceremony and the reception took place on the rooftop terrace, where we had a gorgeous view of the skyline and Little Italy. Dinner was held in the grand ballroom, which was large and accommodated friends, family, buffets and a dance floor.
The website says that the event company (Levy Restaurants) is the exclusive caterer, and they work with the clients to make customised menus, so they must have been responsible for the delicious food. Both the bride and the groom are vegan, so all the food was vegan. There were three dinner buffet stations: Mediterranean (falafel, couscous, hummus and veggies…), pasta bar (red and white sauces and various toppings) and make-​your-​own stir fry (which I didn’t get to as I was full from everything else!). Ok, not every item was the best I’ve ever had, but it certainly beat my expectations overall.
I’m not sure when I’ll next be at an event here, but I was impressed by this venue, which I hadn’t even known existed before.