We loved having our wedding at Floating World Gallery! There were so many things to like: The venue itself is elegant and impressive all on its own. It is in a great location, with lots of small businesses around for guests to patronize before or after the wedding. The size was perfect for our ~110 person wedding. Allen, the venue manager, was great to work with (responds to emails within hours, not weeks). He makes wedding operations really easy with flexible load-in, load-out times. We also loved that we could choose the vendors we really wanted to be there on our special day, especially catering and bartending/alcohol. 10/10 would recommend for all Chicago couples! read more

My fiancée and I liked the venue during walkthrough, but the communication with the event manager is very poor which is the reason we decided to walk away. read more

I just had my wedding here on Friday and it was amazing! The venue really sells itself with the exposed brick walls, glass back room, and beautiful lighting. Allen, the event manager, was the absolute best! From the fist time I met him, I knew we were going to book FWG for our wedding. He is on top of everything and so organized that it just made everything easy on my end. All of my guests really enjoyed the space and the personal posters that were put up in the large frames. We honestly did not do that much decorating because the space is beautiful in itself. I highly recommend using FWG for your future events! read more

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My daughter recently had her wedding and reception at the marvelous Floating World Gallery. We could not have been happier. From the very beginning the manager Allen could not be nicer or more accommodating!! A pure pleasure to work with and great suggestions. His list of vendors was spot on and should the need arise we will utilize again. The space easily held our 120 guests with its split rooms. We went from a beautiful front area to a cool pub atmosphere in back.. Anyone having a gathering up to 150 people should definitely consider the Floating World Gallery! read more

This review is a year overdue. A complete departure from the usual banquet hall, the Floating World Gallery was our first stop while searching for a venue. Initially, my husband did not understand my intimate art gallery wedding vision but once he saw the space he was sold. No other galleries compared. Located in Lincoln Park, FWG is close to Downtown. Mr. Allen Nichols (Event Manager Extraordinaire) was a dream to work with and a respite from the stress of dealing with my other vendors. Allen was attentive, insightful, thoughtful, professional, flexible and accomodating. Allen is a true asset to the FWG staff. My ideas were my own and they (mostly) came to fruition on my wedding day. One year later, my guests are STILL raving about the venue and how beautiful it was. Above all, my husband has memories he won't soon forget: Me walking down the aisle past the art Canvas photos of us during our courtship on display He and his groomsmen on the patio smoking cigars Cocktail hour in the glass brick room Violinist playing during pre-ceremony 1st dance with my husband (with a broken foot) Of all the vendors, my venue was the best! I highly recommend the Floating World Gallery for your next celebration. Allen, you are find!!! read more

Floating World Gallery - Altar - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I had my wedding at floating world gallery and it was amazing. Allen was great to work with and very professional. They gave us a lot of flexibility with the venue. They allowed us to bring in our own caterer and alcohol, not through predetermined vendors. They were also flexible with timing of setting up and taking down the decorations and tables. The venue was very beautiful, unique, and modern. It was perfect. I did take away one star because the air conditioning was broken for the back room (in August). They were installing a new HVAC system right before my wedding and it unfortunately brown down. My guests were drenched in sweat by the end of the night. However, the owner felt so bad that he gave me a 10% discount from the fee. Very stand up guys. I would highly recommend FW. read more

Floating World Gallery - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Floating World was simply a dream to work with. We had to book our wedding last minute after our original venue (booked a year in advance) sold unexpectedly. Floating World stepped in and did everything they could to make our wedding as perfect as we had hoped it could be - and it was! If you have the pleasure of working with Alan, you are in good and very capable hands! He's a gem. One thing to keep in mind, especially if you have larger wedding parties, the green room upstairs (the room where we got ready, did hair/makeup) is off limits once the wedding starts and they asked us to our things from there about an hour prior to the end of the reception. It's certainly a good space to use for getting ready, but I would keep in mind that you don't have access to it throughout the whole event/evening. That said, they were more than happy to accommodate for a nursing family member, so it is still available for that. The room is located by the offices of the gallery staff, so they don't want people freely walking around up there. After all is said and done, we cannot think of a better place to have a wedding in Chicago. read more

We held our wedding at FWG this past October and it was perfect! The location is easily accessible and the layout allows you to have everything in one place. While you could easily create a lavish event, we kept things simple by using the provided tables and chairs, some rented uplighting, and a few DIY touches to create a fun, cat and Chicago-themed event. Our guests loved it and kept coming up to ask us, "How did you find this place???" Allen was a godsend when it came to planning and helped us ask the right questions or our vendors. He helped organize the drop offs for alcohol and gave us extra time to pick things up after the weekend. Karen kept things moving the night of the event and was also a pleasure to work with. We can't say enough good things about this beautiful location or the wonderful staff. Thank you! read more

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We used FWG for our wedding, November 2016. I actually first saw the venue while it was under construction (they were doing some updates to the space) and when I walked in I knew it was the one! It was the perfect space for both my wedding and reception which was important as I had 50% of my guests coming from out of town so they didn't have to travel to and from multiple venues. Nevertheless, the minimalist design, exposed brick, beautiful wood floors were perfect for my vision. I was able to comfortably fit 140 guests and my caterer had a large space to plate food and do what they needed to do as well. I think what made the entire experience what it was for me was Alan. He was a delight to work with, always accessible and flexible with my wants/needs. I've already referred another bride who quickly booked. I couldn't recommend FWG more -- they're utterly amazing! - The Alaribes read more

The wifey stumbled upon floating world gallery as our wedding venue and not only was it perfect for our wedding, it went above and beyond for being a wonderful spot in the city! We got married on 10/8/16 and it felt perfect. Some details: We had about 85-95 people at our wedding and the size was perfect. The floor space makes sense and easily can be flipped. Staff is super friendly and was available to us on the day of! (Thanks Allen!) No vendor list, very free to do what you want with the wedding! Open kitchen space, only kitchen sink installed, allows some appliances to come in The venue was open to letting us come in early the day before and set things up (luckily no even was scheduled that day). Space was nice enough to let us rest the day after and come finish cleaning and picking up stuff on Monday The only hiccup we ran into was parking as the parking garage next to the building is small and wasn't the best option for us (but this was also influenced by the Chicago marathon being the same weekend). But luckily the venue knew what to do, and people were still able to park elsewhere. Highly recommend this venue for small, personalized weddings. read more

My wife and I had our wedding reception at Floating World Gallery this past weekend and they were FANTASTIC!!! They did an absolutely perfect job and I wouldn't change a thing about the whole experience with them. We first met with Allen a year ago and knew he would make the whole process go as easy as possible. He is organized, knowledgeable, and helped guide us throughout. Whatever questions you have about your wedding or event, Allen has handled before so he'll tell you what he thinks but also wants to tailor the event to your preference. If my wife and I ever emailed him, he usually responded within the hour. The night of the event, Taylor was our contact and he also did a perfect job. He met my wife and I in the gangway so we could make our entrance, checked with us to make sure the temperature of the room was just right, and brought out the parting gifts we got for our guests. He was never in the way, but always behind the scenes helping out. So to sum it up, Floating World Gallery is a great space with an even better staff. You will not regret working with them!!! We were treated so well and would work with them again in a heartbeat. read more

Allen Nichols is absolutely phenomenal to work with. He is responsive, creative, helpful, and well-informed about local vendors. We had our wedding at FWG, and it was beautiful. Our guests could not stop raving about how classy, elegant, and Chicago-chic the venue was. We were also able to secure parking spots in the parking garage next door--which itself is a hidden gem. We would definitely choose Floating World twice over. It's the perfect space for a small-medium sized wedding. read more

What an incredible event space! We had our wedding celebration here and they were such a pleasure to work with. Allen couldn't have been more helpful, and we would highly suggest going with Floating World for any event. read more

We loved Floating World Gallery! You won't regret hosting your wedding here. It is the perfect solution for having a city wedding that doesn't blow through your budget. It is affordable but has everything you need (and it is gorgeous!). Allen is incredible to work with. He's a pro. Super attentive, helpful and responsive. He is well respected by all the vendors we worked with and made everything so easy in terms of coordinating. For not having a wedding planner, he was a lifesaver when it came to helping us figure out small details. Floating World is so great because you can easily have the ceremony and reception in the same venue. We had our ceremony in the front gallery room, cocktails in the back room, dinner in the front room and dancing in the back. The flow worked super well. It was a great size for a group of 130. There are also nice photo opportunities in the gallery. We did family formals in front room and lots of portraits and wedding party photos on the roof and in the stairwell. There's truly not a bad thing I can say about Floating World. Thanks to Allen for helping us have the perfect day! read more

If I could give 20 stars, I would. We had our ceremony and reception at FWG this past weekend. Not only is the venue drop dead gorgeous, it's incredibly affordable for what is included and an open canvas. You can bring in your own vendors and make it as affordable or as expensive as you want and we loved having that flexibility. The best part was working with Allen. He is incredibly accommodating and knowledgeable. He knew exactly what we wanted before we even did and worked hard to make sure the day was perfect. He even let us drop off decorations days before since the venue was empty and that made a world of a difference. Pick this venue for any occasion, you will not be disappointed. I'm already planning an anniversary there 10 years from now! read more

The best Japanese art gallery probably in the world outside of Japan. Elias Martin's knowledge and passion will educate you and amaze you. A must see in Chicago. read more

I cannot recommend Floating World Gallery enough for your wedding or next event. We got married at Floating World Gallery this past weekend and it was perfect. Guests commented on how lovely the venue was. Allen Nichols was absolutely amazing to work with. He answered all of our random questions about the venue that came up along the way and was so prompt and friendly. Allen let us drop by a few times to see the venue. The week of there was no other event going on so he let us drop stuff off and set up early. He even offered to hang this beautiful tool backdrop that looked awesome. He also recommended some excellent vendors. What we also loved about Floating World Gallery is that you can bring your own vendors in allowing you to truly customize your wedding. We hired Carol's Event Staffing to bartend and assist with cleanup. Carol's also flawlessly executed the ceremony to dinner room flip during cocktail hour. The venue was beautiful and perfect for an intimate wedding. Thank you again so much for everything Allen and everyone at Floating World Gallery! We will never forget how great you were! read more

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Whether you want to go to a unique and wonderful art gallery or use this space for an event, it's wonderful. Our wedding was here this summer, and it could not have been more perfect. Allen came in halfway through the planning process and just shined. Everything worked out perfectly, and even the day after when we needed to pick things up, Allen went above and beyond. The space is perfect for a 100 person wedding reception or event, the exposed brick is lovely paired up with the artwork on the walls. The area is great (it's the heart of Lincoln Park) so the red and brown line are near by and cabs are always there...just not much parking, but where is there in Lincoln Park? I hope that I need to throw another event in the future just so that I can work with Allen again and have an event in this beautiful space! read more

We used floating world for our wedding reception, loved it, and got rave reviews from our families and guests. The front room is great for dinner, the back for dancing and cocktails, and guests will enjoy having a little outdoor space for the cocktail hour or just to enjoy being outside if the weather is nice. Allen was accomodating and helpful in preparing for our big day and worked seamlessly with our caterers and organizing deliveries, etc. The one thing to be aware of is that the space is a loft type, kind of "raw" space but it was easy to make your own with curtains in the back room, lighting, table settings and small centerpieces. Highly recommended! read more

We just had our wedding here a week ago and couldn't be happier with the venue and staff. Allen was an absolute pleasure to work with through out the process. He was extremely accommodating and responsive - every time we had a question or concern, he would literally provide us with a response within minutes. He also made himself available whenever we or our family wanted to stop by to check out the venue. Not to mention the great advices he gave us on how to stay on budget! All our guests were impressed by how unique and beautiful our venue was and we got a ton of compliments during and after the wedding. We would recommend Floating World Gallery to anyone that's looking to host a wedding or just about any event! read more

Where to begin? Allen is magnificent; his wealth of knowledge regarding event planning and weddings came into play multiple times over the course of our year of planning. He encouraged us to visit the space as much as we wanted running up to the big day, provided us with tips and ideas, and connected us with two of the vendors we used. The Floating World also allows wedding party's access to the space the Friday before a Saturday wedding for set up, it's the perfect place for a DIY wedding. You really get the opportunity to make the space your own. Allen even switched out some of the gallery artwork with photos from my sister and brother-in-law (both photographers) to personalize the event even more. We had our wedding on 10.12.13, with the ceremony in the back room, reception in the front, and returned to the back for dancing. Can't say enough about this excellent space and awesome staff led by Allen! read more

Floating World Gallery - Prior to the reception. Front room of Floating World. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This venue was incredible and Allen was a dream to work with. He held our hand throughout the entire process and kept our nerves calm. The venue was perfect for what we wanted with 2 separate areas. We were so happy to be able to have the ceremony and reception in the same place and it kept it easy for us and our guests. Everyone kept complimenting the venue and how beautiful and "us" it was. We also loved the flexibility of what vendors we could use as we wanted to do a more fun food option (food truck) rather than the traditional caterer and this venue was great at helping us get everything coordinated. Thank you!!! read more

My husband and I recently had our wedding at Floating World Gallery and everything was fantastic! The moment we stepped inside the space we fell in love. We loved the feel, the exposed brick walls, and how we could have the entire wedding and reception in one location. After talking with Allen, we knew it was the one. He was always so accommodating and willing to help us in any way, whether it was venue related or not. Allen is a true gem and I'm so grateful for him and his staff for making our wedding day so wonderful! read more

My daughter got married at FWG in March. We looked around quite a bit and settled on FWG due to location, space, and flexibility. We took advantage of both rooms-- the "glass block" room was set up for the ceremony of 100+, later reset as a lounge area and buffet. The larger room up front was used as the dance floor/ DJ/ seating/ bar--- we did the wedding party more of a cocktail style venue-- worked great getting people to dance, mix, float from room to room. We received outstanding help from Allen from beginning to end. He was really easy to work with, patient, and provided many helpful suggestions to plan the space/ event. He let us set up day before and even mounted photos of the bride and groom on the wall in the gallery. We mounted a projector to the ceiling for a slide show that worked out well; would be better if FWG had that available as a plug in option vs bring your own. We catered with Fig Catering (A+, separate review), used Binny's for alcohol (free delivery and buy back of unused alcohol), and Millennium for lighting. Guests stayed at Hotel Lincoln-- was OK, but not walking distance. The only negative was lack of parking (or more DIY in the neighborhood- but believe a parking garage next door should be operational now-- bonus. FWG is highly recommended! -- Steve from Chicago read more

We just had our wedding at FWG this weekend (9/24/16) and had the most fantastic evening. When we began looking at venues almost a year ago, we knew we wanted a space that was fun, easy to decorate, and beautiful. From the moment we walked into the gallery, we knew this was the place. The front room was perfect for the ceremony and dinner, and the back room was exceptional as a cocktail hour space and then ready for a night of dancing! What really sealed the deal for us was Allen. He was instrumental in planning the entire event, from recommending an exceptional caterer and DJ, to being constantly available for advice, and having an open-door policy so we could stop by anytime to view the space and brainstorm ideas! We would have been completely lost without him. Everything day-of was fantastic, and he even helped my parents set-up our alter space when some complications arose. I would highly recommend this venue for any event, especially due to Allen's impeccable work. read more

Floating World Gallery is a class act! Not only were Allen, Jeff and Lauren an absolute pleasure to work with, they were so accommodating to our needs. We felt completely supported by the entire team and no detail was overlooked. As far as I am concerned this is the premier event space in the city and we cannot wait to host another event in the space. Thank you to all at Floating World for making Twist Out Cancer's premier launch event a smashing success! read more

As a wedding officiant, Floating World Gallery is such a very nice and easy space to work in. The space itself is very adaptable and can be turned into whatever the couple might want it to be. The staff there cannot be beat. Allen Nichols goes out of his way to accommodate his couples and help them to have the best experience possible. I know this from his work at an earlier venue as well. If asked to recommend a venue that is beautiful, reasonably priced and with a great and helpful staff - Floating World Gallery is at the top of my list. read more

Interesting layout and concept. Not what I expected. Worth checking out when you have time. Probably geared more towards creative adult side

We couldn't have asked for a better place to have our wedding. Allen Nichols and his staff helped us with anything that we needed and made it super easy. The gallery's simple and elegant decorations matched us perfectly. We hosted 80 people for the wedding ceremony and a reception with dinner in the front and dancing in the back. A cocktail hour in between to allow for DJ and caterer to flip the room. Allen welcomed and was able to give directions to a first time caterer of the gallery so everything went smoothly. Great Venue within our budget provided for a perfect wedding for us. read more

Love this place :) It is so unique and perfect for a small wedding. We had a 110 guests and everyone was blown away by how classy, cool, and different the space is. If you are looking for a one of a kind wedding--or any event actually, this is perfect for you! It is a raw space so you have the opportunity to bring in rentals that suit you perfectly. The Floating World rental price is reasonable enough to allow for this so no need to worry about over the top expenses. Allen is amazing and will help with ANYTHING you need. He is a great resource for vendors and suggestions. He quickly answers emails and goes above and beyond. To top it all off, his personality is as good as it gets:) He is kind and fun to work with and only wants the best for you and your special event. I do hope we get to work with him again and would recommend Allen and Floating World to anyone. read more

We booked Floating World Gallery for our August 1, 2014 wedding. Allen Nichols was down-to-earth and a little quirky but more importantly, looked out for us as his customers, telling us what he thought about our setup based on his experiences and guided us in some directions that saved us money with vendors. The venue is beautiful and is a versatile space. And of all of the vendors, we probably stopped by, emailed, called and talked to Allen more than any other vendor and every time, he greeted us with a smile and helped us with everything we needed. He was very accommodating with early deliveries (dependent, of course, on what else is booked near your event) and if you are looking, consider this space! read more

We got married at the FWG last weekend, and it was amazing! The venue is such a cool/unique space, and looked absolutely beautiful for our wedding. Allen was super responsive throughout the planning process, and answered all of our questions in a very timely manner. We could come by the venue any time during the planning process, and Allen was there too, to help if we needed him. Our wedding was about 120 guests, and the space seemed the perfect size. Allen and the space itself are highly recommended! read more

I recently got married here at the beginning of August and it was more than I could have dreamed of! First, as others have mentioned, Allen is the most incredible person to work with. From start to finish, he answered every question, gave my mom a full walk through and answered all of her questions (she was very skeptical of the non traditional atmosphere and vision) and was always quick to answer emails and let me pop by whenever I needed to. Our wedding was so beautiful. The DIY piece really allowed for us to show our personality. We were able to hang up pictures of ourselves and worked closely with our caterer to make sure everything was perfect. There were no hiccups. We had about 140, and it was intimate. Nobody complained about space issues. It was nothing but compliments all night and even to this day! If you like to be able to take your wedding into your own hands and have it be your vision and a VERY affordable price, this is your place!!! read more

We had our wedding here in September for 150 guests and it was absolutely perfect. If you are looking for a unique or modern venue, this is the place. We had the ceremony in the front gallery and moved our guests to the back room for a cocktail hour while the front room was turned over for dinner. The DJ was stationed in the back for more dancing and drinks throughout the night! I couldn't have been happier with the way our day at the Floating World Gallery turned out! read more

We chose FWG as our wedding venue and couldn't have been happier with our choice. We chose it for many reasons: affordable, includes tables & chairs, byob, choice of caterers, city location, modern space. What we didn't know going into this was how valuable their flexibility would be. We were able to pop by almost any time to check things out or meet with Allen. Our vendors could schedule pick ups for Monday/Tuesday (cost savings) and we didn't need to stay after and gather all of our things at midnight. And most importantly, as many people have mentioned, Allen is just fantastic to work with! read more

FWG was absolutely the perfect venue for our wedding! The space is stunning and very well maintained. We held our ceremony in the front gallery space, and had cocktail hour in the back room while the front room was being flipped for dinner. The two separate areas were ideal for us, as we had a live band in the back room and wanted a spot for guests to be able to hang out away from the music. We had about 100 guests and there was plenty of space but the event still felt intimate. Allen is amazing and was very helpful throughout the entire planning process. We appreciated that we could use whatever vendors we wanted for our event and could personalize the space to meet our needs. Allen hung our photo posters in the gallery and it was such a lovely personal touch. If you are looking for a (relatively) reasonable wedding venue in the city with no preferred vendors, where you can have the ceremony and reception at the same location, look no further! read more

Floating World Gallery was a perfect venue for our wedding! It is an affordable venue that allowed us to pick our own caterer and purchase alcohol. Also, it is located in the middle of Lincoln Park and close to public transportation. We were able to customize the venue with our personal pictures. Allen was incredibly helpful and easy-going throughout our wedding planning. He worked well with our catering company and resolved issues with our alcohol provider. The venue completed a re-design after we signed up and we were really pleased with it; it really helps the rooms flow into one another. The upstairs area allowed us privacy to get dressed before the ceremony and a place to store our personal belongings. The additional FWG staff during our wedding day were friendly and helpful. read more

My husband and I held our wedding reception here back in November and we could not have been more pleased with how it turned out. The space is unique and beautiful. Our guests loved it and many inquired about having their own events there. I cannot say enough good things about Allen. From the first moment to the last he was extremely helpful and accommodating as well as being a real pleasure to work with. I look forward to the day when I have another excuse to work with him and the gallery again. read more

FWG was the venue for my daughter's wedding on New Year's Eve. I can't say enough good about the place. We had about 135 guests and the space was perfect -- not crowded, and it didn't have the cavernous empty feeling you can have with a large loft space. We had the ceremony and then the dinner in the main room and the bar and dancing were in the back room. One of the nicest features of the space was the flexibility; we partitioned part of the front room for a lounge and dessert area where people could sit and talk away from the music. The price was very reasonable, and best of all, they let us bring in our own caterer and alcohol. Allen, the manager, is amazing -- he responded to questions almost immediately, and his recommendations for caterers, DJs, etc. were perfect. The guests all had a great time -- I lost count of the number of people who told me that this was the best wedding they ever attended! read more

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Our wedding at Floating World Gallery in October of 2014 was amazing. We had both the wedding and reception there, with about 100 people. From the beginning, Allen was a pleasure to work with, and was able to recommend all kinds of vendors to fit our budget and needs. Phone calls and emails were replied to promptly, which is important to me. We were able to get in the day before to set up, and the day of the wedding went smoothly. Everyone loved the look and feel of the space; very urban and loft-y. If you are looking for something besides the normal ballroom or church, I would recommend checking this place out. Thank you to Allen and all the staff at FWG. We couldn't have asked for a better night! read more