Most couples walk in and immediately start planning how they’ll use the space. Then they see the barn doors that separate the East and West sides, and the questions start: What if we rented both? How would that change our day? What could we do with 4,800 square feet that we can’t do with just one side?
Renting both sides of Le Loft gives couples 4,800 square feet to separate ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception into distinct spaces. This allows smoother transitions, a flexible timeline, dedicated areas for guests, and comfortable hosting for up to 99 guests cocktail style or 78 seated without rushing room flips.
We’ve hosted hundreds of weddings where couples rented both sides of the venue. It’s not just about having more space. It’s about creating distinct experiences within your wedding day without your guests ever leaving the venue. When you rent both sides of Le Loft, your wedding stops feeling like a single event and starts feeling like a journey.
Why Couples Choose to Rent Both Sides
Renting both sides isn’t just about square footage; it’s about control. You get to separate ceremony from celebration, give cocktail hour its own breathing room, and let your timeline unfold naturally instead of racing against a flip schedule. The barn doors become transitions, not interruptions, and your guests move through the day feeling like each moment was designed specifically for them.
You Create Separate Moments That Feel Intentional
Renting both sides lets you design your wedding with natural transitions built in. The East Side becomes your ceremony space with natural light flooding through floor-to-ceiling windows. The West Side transforms into your reception with a built-in dance floor ready the moment dinner ends.
Your guests move from one side to the other through the barn doors, and that simple shift marks the change from ceremony to celebration. It feels deliberate. Your photographer captures the transition, and your guests experience the energy shift without anyone needing to explain it.
Your Cocktail Hour Gets Its Own Space
When you rent both sides, the cocktail hour happens on one side while the reception setup happens behind closed barn doors on the other. Your guests aren’t squeezed into a corner or rushed through appetizers because the team needs to flip chairs. They’re enjoying drinks, reconnecting with family, and settling into the celebration while your reception space is being set up privately.
This matters more than most couples realize during planning. Cocktail hour is when your guests reconnect, when the day’s energy starts to build, and when your photographer captures candid, joyful moments. Giving that hour its own dedicated space without the pressure of a ticking clock changes how your wedding feels for everyone.
You Can Host Up to 125 Guests Comfortably
The West Side holds up to 90 guests standing, and the East Side holds up to 70 guests standing. When you rent both sides together, you’re working with the full 4,800 square feet, which comfortably accommodates up to 99 guests for cocktail style events or 78 guests seated for a formal dinner.
That guest count sits in a sweet spot. It’s intimate enough that you’ll actually talk to everyone, but large enough that the space feels full and energetic. The soaring ceilings and open floor plan mean 99 people never feel crowded, and 78 seated guests create the kind of atmosphere where conversation flows easily.
The Blue Disco Room Becomes a Third Space
When you rent both sides, the Blue Disco Room stops being a bonus feature and becomes part of your strategy. Some couples use it as a lounge during cocktail hour. Others turn it into a kids’ area so parents can relax during dinner. We’ve seen it work as a private late night dance floor, a quiet space for older guests, and even a surprise dessert room that guests discover halfway through the reception.
The Blue Disco Room gives you the flexibility that single side rentals don’t offer. It’s a space that adapts to whatever your wedding needs in the moment.
Your Timeline Breathes
Single side rentals work beautifully for intimate weddings, but they require precise timing. Ceremony ends, guests move to cocktails, the team flips the space, and the reception begins. It’s efficient, but it doesn’t leave room for the unexpected: a ceremony that runs long, a cocktail hour your guests don’t want to leave, a sunset too good to ignore.
When you rent both sides, your timeline has room to flex. Your ceremony can run ten minutes over without stressing your caterer. Your cocktail hour can stretch if guests are having a great time. Your photographer can pull you aside for golden hour portraits without worrying about holding up dinner. The space accommodates the natural rhythm of your wedding instead of forcing you into a rigid schedule.
How the Two Sides Work Together
The beauty of renting both sides isn’t just the square footage; it’s how the East and West sides complement each other. Each side has its own character, its own energy, and when you use them together, they create a wedding day that feels layered and intentional. The barn doors act as the hinge between ceremony and celebration, giving you control over how your guests experience the space and when they move from one moment to the next.
East Side: Light, Bright, and Ceremony Ready
The East Side is where most couples hold their ceremony. It’s light, airy, and filled with natural light from factory windows. The white brick walls and clean lines create a backdrop that lets your florals, your dress, and your vows take center stage.
For 78 seated guests, the East Side provides enough room for traditional ceremony seating with an aisle down the center. For smaller ceremonies, it feels intimate without feeling empty. The Bridal Suite sits off the East Side, so you’re steps away from your getting ready space when it’s time to walk down the aisle.
West Side: Warm, Moody, and Built for Celebration
The West Side is where the energy shifts. It’s warmer in tone, with design elements that create a moodier, more intimate atmosphere. The built in dance floor sits ready, so you’re not paying for rentals or waiting for installation. The bar area is positioned for easy flow, and the layout naturally guides guests from dinner tables to dancing without awkward transitions.
The West Side holds up to 90 guests standing, which makes it ideal for reception layouts that mix seated dining with space for mingling. The soaring ceilings and exposed brick give the room character, and the industrial details photograph beautifully under uplighting once the sun sets.
The Barn Doors Control the Flow
The barn doors between the two sides are both functional and symbolic. During your ceremony, they stay closed, hiding the reception setup and keeping your guests focused on the moment. When cocktail hour begins, you can leave them open or closed, depending on how you want to control the flow.
Some couples open the barn doors wide during cocktail hour, letting guests explore both sides and giving the space an expansive feel. Others keep them closed until dinner, creating a reveal moment when guests walk through and see the reception space for the first time. Either approach works. It depends on how much surprise you want to build into your day.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Here’s how a typical full venue rental unfolds:
12 PM to 3 PM: You arrive for getting ready. The Bridal Suite becomes your home base. Your photographer captures details, getting ready moments, and any first look you’ve planned. The East Side is set for your ceremony, and the West Side is prepped for cocktails.
3 PM to 4 PM: Your ceremony happens on the East Side. Guests are seated, vows are exchanged, and your photographer uses the factory windows and natural light to capture the moment. The West Side stays closed, ready for the transition.
4 PM to 5 PM: Cocktail hour begins on the West Side. Guests move through the barn doors, grab drinks, and settle into the celebration. Behind the scenes, the East Side is flipped into your dinner setup. You take portraits near the factory windows during golden hour.
5 PM to 11 PM: The barn doors open again, and guests move to the East Side for dinner and dancing (or stay on the West Side, depending on your layout). The Blue Disco Room becomes whatever you need it to be lounge, a kids’ area, late night dance floor. The celebration unfolds naturally, and your team has space to manage everything without rushing.
Next Day, 8 AM to 10 AM: You return for next day pickup, grab any items you want to keep, and close out your rental.
What Comes With a Full Venue Rental
When you rent both sides of Le Loft, your booking includes everything from our single side rentals, plus the added flexibility of the full 4,800 square feet. You get:
- Full space access from 12 PM to 11 PM on your wedding day
- Next day pickup from 8 AM to 10 AM
- Tables, seating, and linens for up to 70 guests for a formal dinner
- Setup of tables, chairs, and furniture is handled by our team
- Access to the Bridal Suite, Blue Disco Room, and both the East and West sides
- Open vendor policy so you can bring in the photographer, caterer, and florist who fit your vision
- BYOB and outside catering allowed, or work with a licensed caterer for a full bar
We also offer add on services like day of wedding coordination, on site management, florals, and photography if you want to streamline your planning. Our team knows how to use both sides effectively, and we’ll walk you through layout options during your tour.
When Renting Both Sides Makes Sense
Not every wedding needs both sides, and we’re honest about that during planning. If you’re hosting fewer than 50 guests and want a more intimate feel, one side might serve you better. If your timeline is straightforward, ceremony, dinner, dancing, done, a single side rental can work beautifully.
But if you’re hosting 78 seated guests or close to 99 guests total, if you want distinct ceremony and reception spaces, if you value a relaxed timeline over a tightly scheduled one, or if you want to give your guests room to move and explore throughout the night, renting both sides changes your wedding day in ways that go beyond square footage.
Conclusion
The best way to understand how the full venue works is to walk through it. We’ll show you how the East and West sides connect, how the barn doors control the flow, and how other couples have used the full 4,800 square feet to create weddings that feel intentional, spacious, and personal.
Reach out to us at (872) 221-2441 or visit leloftchicago.com to schedule a tour. We’re located at 2418 W North Ave #2 in Chicago, just blocks from Wicker Park. We’ll walk you through both sides and talk about how the space fits your guest count, your timeline, and your vision for the day.
FAQs
How much does it cost to rent both sides compared to one side?
We keep pricing flexible because every wedding uses the space a little differently. Renting both sides is an expanded option that offers more room, greater flexibility, and the ability to host larger guest counts with ease. For a full breakdown of options, inclusions, and current rates, our wedding pricing guide has all the details.
Can we rent both sides for part of the day and one side for the rest?
Our rentals are structured as either single side or full venue for the duration of your event. We’ve found that splitting rentals midway through the day creates logistical challenges that affect your timeline and guest experience, so we keep it simple: one side for the full day, or both sides for the full day.
Do you have a preferred layout for ceremonies and receptions when we rent both sides?
Most couples use the East Side for ceremonies because of the natural light and clean aesthetic, then move guests to the West Side for cocktails while we flip the East Side for dinner. But we’ve also seen couples reverse that setup or use the West Side for both ceremony and reception while keeping the East Side as a lounge. We’ll help you figure out what works best during your planning process.
What’s the maximum number of guests we can host if we rent both sides?
Up to 99 guests for cocktail style events or 78 guests seated for a formal dinner. Those capacities reflect comfortable spacing that lets guests move freely and enjoy the full 4,800 square feet without feeling cramped.