Perched at the top of the Magnificent Mile and overlooking Lake Michigan, The Drake Hotel has been a Chicago icon since its grand opening on New Year’s Eve in 1920. Its ornate ballrooms, historic charm, and sweeping views make it a sought-after spot for couples looking to host a classic, elegant wedding in the city.
But what does it actually cost to get married here? The Tulle Together Wedding Pricing Transparency Project is on a mission to collect all of the pricing PDFs for wedding venues across the country. All of the PDFs in our database – 2,500 total and more than 100 in the Chicago area – are contributed by other couples planning their weddings. That means we can walk through the venue costs for you – without you having to email them. Below, we’ve broken down everything in the pricing PDF to help you figure out whether the Drake Hotel fits your budget and your vision.
Want to access the original pricing PDF and help estimating your potential cost? Log in to Tulle Together‘s Wedding Pricing Transparency Project to access the full venue pricing PDF and more than 2,600 other pricing PDFs.
Overall Cost Estimate
Let’s start with some total numbers before breaking down each fee individually. We combed through all the pricing details in the PDF to put together some high level quotes using Tulle’s Venue Calculator tool. This tool allows you to put in the most common elements of venue pricing PDFs to figure out the actual total without having to build a complex spreadsheet.
$62,000 for 200 guests (with the most expensive package)
This takes the most expensive package and incorporates sales tax. This does not factor in an admin fee.
$44,000 for 200 guests (with the cheapest package)
This takes the cheapest package and incorporates sales tax. This does not factor in an admin fee.
You can calculate the rough estimate of what it would cost to get married at the Drake Hotel by using Tulle Together’s Venue Calculator! For the breakdown of the different costs, see below or log in to Tulle Together to access the entire pricing PDF.
Ceremony & Reception Costs at the Drake Hotel
The Drake offers historic ballrooms and elegant dining spaces that can host both ceremony and reception. While the pricing PDF submitted doesn’t list separate fees for the individual rooms, the venue’s spaces accommodate a wide range of guest counts and offer both intimate and grand-scale options, all with the hotel’s signature old-world charm. You can view the different rooms available here.
Venue Rental & Catering Fees
The pricing PDF does not list a separate venue rental fee, but instead lists a per-person cost for different packages, which include:
Destiny Package – $280 per guest
Devotion Package – $240 per guest
Dream Package – $200 per guest
What’s Included in the Per Person Cost
The Drake’s packages are all-inclusive of catering and bar service for the listed per-person price. Here’s what each package includes:
Destiny Package ($280/guest)
- Six hors d’oeuvres
- Butler-passed white wine & sparkling water
- A personal chef’s station
- Specialty cocktail
- Five hours Executive Pour bar package
- Drake Champagne Parade
- Dinner wine service
- Five-course plated dinner (soup, salad, intermezzo, entrée—including duet options, wedding cake)
- Après-dinner coffee & tea
- Choice of dessert display or late-night station
Devotion Package ($240/guest)
- Six hors d’oeuvres
- Butler-passed white wine & sparkling water
- Five hours Platinum bar package (includes beer, wine, spirits)
- Drake Champagne Parade
- Dinner wine service
- Five-course plated dinner (soup, salad, intermezzo, enhanced entrée—including beef, wedding cake)
- Après-dinner coffee & tea
Dream Package ($200/guest)
- Four hors d’oeuvres
- Butler-passed white wine & sparkling water
- Four hours Platinum bar package
- Dinner wine service
- Four-course plated dinner (soup, salad, poultry/pork/fish entrée, wedding cake)
- Après-dinner coffee & tea
Couples can also upgrade the menu with:
- Additional stations ($25–$45 per guest)
- Enhanced entrees (market price or included depending on package)
- Dessert tables or sweet stations ($15–$35 per guest, plus attendant fees where noted)
- Late-night savory stations ($18–$24 per guest)
Venues typically have some kind of service fee or admin cost. While this pricing PDF didn’t include that fee, you might want to include a 20% markup as a buffer if you’re calculating if the cost of this venue will fit into your budget.
How much could your total wedding cost be if you got married at the Drake Hotel?
When you factor in everything — from venue fees to vendor costs — Tulle Together’s Cost Forecast Tool projects that the total budget of wedding at the Drake Hotel could land above $100,000, depending on your guest count (this estimates a 200 person guest count with the cheapest package), design scope, and other vendor selections. This estimate factors in a range of typical wedding expenses beyond the venue & catering itself, helping couples get a realistic view of what their wedding might actually cost before making any commitments. Of course, someone could spend more or less than this (especially if you go with less guests!) – but it’s an average estimate for what that total wedding cost could look like.
The Cost Forecast Tool is just one of Tulle Together’s budgeting resources. On the website, you’ll find a variety of budget tools designed to help couples plan out their total wedding costs before they book anything. Whether you’re estimating expenses, tracking your spending, or looking for real venue pricing, Tulle Together’s tools provide a transparent approach to wedding budgeting—so you can plan confidently and avoid unexpected surprises. Sign up here for a smarter way to plan your wedding!
Final Thoughts
Couples love The Drake for its historic elegance, all-inclusive catering packages, and prime Chicago location. The per-person pricing makes budgeting straightforward, but extras like specialty stations and late-night bites can quickly add up.
If you’re looking for a classic city wedding with everything under one roof, The Drake offers a polished experience steeped in tradition—just be sure to clarify service charges and taxes early in your planning process.
Tulle is here to make wedding budgeting clearer, one venue at a time. Want pricing breakdowns for more venues like this? Explore the full collection on Tulle Together’s Wedding Pricing Transparency Project.
Photo Credit: The Drake Hotel PDF
