We built Le Loft for couples who want an intimate wedding, not a ballroom full of faces they barely know. The kind of celebration where conversations happen naturally, where guests actually connect, and where the room never feels too big for the moment.
Planning an intimate wedding in a female owned and operated loft offers a more personal, thoughtfully designed experience. Smaller guest counts fit comfortably, timelines feel relaxed, and services are built around real planning needs. The space supports meaningful connections, flexible layouts, and hands-on support from owners who are present and involved throughout the day.
At around 78 guests, that intimacy holds. You know every name. By the end of the night, your guests know each other too. In our 4,800 square foot loft, that number feels comfortable, intentional, and just right.
Designed for a Guest List Where Everyone Matters
We can fit 90 people standing for cocktails, but when you seat 78 for dinner, the space breathes. You’re not cramming tables into corners. You’re not sacrificing the dance floor to fit one more round. You’ve got room for your photographer to move, room for your caterer to work, and room for your guests to find the bathroom without asking.
Our West Side holds your reception with a built-in dance floor that doesn’t eat into your seating area. Our East Side gives you a separate ceremony space with those factory windows everyone wants in their photos. With 78 guests, you use both sides fully without either feeling empty or packed.
We include tables, chairs, and linens for up to 70 seated guests in every wedding package. For 78, you’re just slightly over, which means one or two extra table rentals through our preferred vendors.
What Female-Owned Actually Means Here
Emily, Maggie, and Kelly, three women who’ve worked in Chicago’s wedding industry for over 15 years before we opened Le Loft. We’ve been the coordinators, the florists, the planners who show up at 6 AM to fix what the venue forgot.
So we designed this space with the stuff we wished every venue included. Day-of coordination is available as an add-on because we know what happens without it. In-house florals are an option because we’ve seen couples overpay for arrangements that don’t fit the vases. Setup handled by our team because your caterer shouldn’t be assembling chairs an hour before guests arrive.
When you tour with us, you’re talking to the people who own the building and run your event. Not a sales coordinator who disappears after you sign. We answer our own phones. We meet every couple. We’re here on your wedding day, making sure the disco ball drops when it’s supposed to.
The Layout That Works for 78 Without Feeling Cookie-Cutter
Your ceremony happens on the East Side. Light, bright, white walls, hardwood floors. We set 80 padded folding chairs facing the wall of factory windows. Your 78 guests sit comfortably with an aisle wide enough for your dress and a front row that’s actually close enough to see your face.
While you’re saying vows, our barn doors stay closed. Your caterer is on the West Side setting tables, building the bar, and plating appetizers. Two kitchenettes, one on each side, so they’re not hauling food across the loft. By the time you walk back down the aisle, cocktail hour is ready on the East Side, and dinner is set on the West.
After 30 minutes of drinks and passed apps, we open the barn doors. Your guests walk into the West Side, where the vibe shifts completely. Warm tones, color-blocked walls, a built-in dance floor, and tables arranged however you want. Long farm tables if you’re going family style. Rounds if you prefer traditional seating. A mix of both, if that’s your thing.
You get the venue from 12 PM to 11 PM, with next-day pickup from 8 AM to 10 AM. That’s enough time to get ready here, shoot first look photos in the space, and not panic about load out at midnight.
The Service Style That Matches Your Size
78 guests’ capacity is small enough that you can do passed appetizers during cocktail hour without it feeling like a stadium buffet. It’s big enough that a plated dinner makes sense if you want that formal moment when everyone sits down together.
We allow outside catering and BYOB, which gives you full control over your menu and bar. You’re not locked into a hotel’s chicken or salmon. You’re not paying per glass of wine. You hire the caterer whose food you actually want, and they use our space to make it happen.
We also offer in-house florals as an add-on. Not required, but available if you want someone who already knows the space, knows which arrangements fit on our tables, and knows how the light hits the East Side at 4 PM. We’ve done this before. We’ll do it again on your day if you want.
What We Don’t Make You Rent or Buy
The stuff we include: tables, chairs, and linens for 70 guests. Eighty padded folding chairs for the ceremony. Bar setup, altar arrangements if you want them. Two bathrooms, high-speed WiFi, Sonos sound system, and a projector. A rotating disco ball because every wedding needs one.
The stuff we don’t include: catering, alcohol, florals beyond our optional add-on, day of coordination beyond our optional add-on, extra furniture if you go over 70 seated. But because we have an open vendor policy, you’re not starting from scratch. We have a curated list of preferred caterers, florists, and rental companies who know the space and deliver on time.
You’re also two blocks from Wicker Park, 15 minutes from downtown, and five minutes from I-90. Your out-of-town guests can Uber here without hitting some suburb they’ve never heard of. Free street parking for anyone driving. The neighborhood has coffee shops and vintage stores if people want to kill time before the ceremony.
Why We Love This Guest Count
We’ve hosted weddings for 40 people and weddings for 99. The 78 guests’ weddings always photograph the best. The dance floor fills, but doesn’t feel mobbed. The toasts are short because you’re only hearing from people who really matter. The couple actually eats their dinner because they’re not table hopping for two hours.
And in a loft designed by three women who’ve spent over 15 years watching couples navigate Chicago’s venue options, that number keeps coming up. It’s the size where intimate doesn’t mean you’re excluding people, and celebration doesn’t mean you’re managing a crowd.
Conclusion
We’re located at 2418 W North Ave in Logan Square. The space is industrial but not cold, modern but not sterile, flexible but not blank in a way that makes you panic. If you’re planning for 78 and you want a venue that actually fits that size instead of trying to shrink a ballroom or stretch a micro wedding space, this is the tour you should take.
Ready to see how 78 guests fit in our loft? Call us at (872) 221-2441 or visit leloftchicago.com to schedule a walk-through. We’ll show you both sides and talk through exactly how your day would flow.
FAQs
Do you charge more for 78 guests versus 70?
No. Your rental rate stays the same. You’ll need to rent a few extra chairs and add one or two tables beyond what’s included, but that’s handled through our preferred rental vendors, not through us.
Can we use the bridal suite all day?
Yes. You have the venue from 12 PM to 11 PM. The bridal suite is yours for getting ready, touching up makeup, or taking a break during the reception. It’s a separate room off the main space, so you’re not hiding in a bathroom.
What if some guests RSVP no and we drop to 70?
That’s fine. We include tables, chairs, and linens for 70, so you’re already covered. Your caterer adjusts the head count, and your floor plan gets a little more spacious. No penalty, no awkward conversation.
How does the barn door setup work if we’re doing a ceremony and reception?
Your ceremony happens on the East Side with barn doors closed. Your caterer sets up the West Side during that time. After the ceremony, guests stay on the East Side for cocktails while you take photos. Thirty minutes later, we open the barn doors, and guests walk into the fully set reception. No waiting, no wandering, no confusion about where to go.