Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
Marriage. Marriage is what brings us together today. ❤️
Specifically, the high cost of celebrating a marriage in Chicago.
In today’s newsletter, we’re looking into how some local couples are getting creative to save money on their wedding days.
Plus, we’ve got reporting on a heroic CTA bus driver, a list of five artists to see in Chicago this month and more community news you need to know this afternoon.
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)
TODAY’S TOP STORY
$56K for a wedding? It’s the average cost in Chicago, but not for these creative couples
Reporting by Olivia Dimmer | For the Sun-Times
Love is ... $56K in Chicago: Chicago couples looking to get hitched this year are feeling the squeeze, wedding planners say. The average cost of a Chicago wedding, including the ceremony and reception, was $56,000 in 2023, according to a survey released last month by popular wedding planning app The Knot.
How Chicago stacks up: When looking at the average wedding cost by the 20 largest U.S. metro areas, Chicago ranked No. 2, behind New York, where the average cost was $63,000. Nationally, The Knot said the average price of a wedding in 2023 was $35,000, up from $30,000 in 2022.
Getting creative: Despite the price hikes due to inflation, it’s still possible to pull off a dream wedding in the Chicago area and stay within budget, local wedding planners and couples said.
Nontraditional venues: Asher Crawley turned to Peerspace, an Airbnb-like platform where Chicagoans list venues for rent. Crawley booked a converted Logan Square storefront loft that could accommodate her wedding guests for less than $100 an hour. After signing their marriage license in November at Cook County Marriage Court, Crawley and her partner hosted their 12-person ceremony at the loft.
Pizza party: Bridgette Custis is getting married in October and wants the ceremony to reflect the couple’s fun-loving style. That’s why it’ll feature beer pong and wood-fired pizza, she said. Custis, who budgeted $15,000 for the wedding, said it didn’t make sense to spend more on a plated dinner service.
Heading to the courthouse: Clad in a black velvet dress with a flower crown, Emily Matkovich’s wedding was anything but traditional. Opting to have it on Friday, Oct. 13, at Cook County Marriage Court, Matkovich and her husband, Nic, spent less than $500. “We got some good pictures downtown, and ultimately, being cheaper was the better option for us,” she said.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
- Insiders wanted leniency for Madigan aide: A former Illinois Supreme Court chief justice, a retired congressman, the sister of a convicted Springfield powerbroker and an array of other political insiders wrote letters to a judge seeking leniency for Timothy Mapes, the convicted top aide of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Mapes was sentenced to 2½ years in prison for lying to a grand jury.
- Bus driver to the rescue: After spotting a fire while on his route in South Shore, a CTA bus driver and passenger stopped and ran toward the flames, rescuing 14 residents from burning homes.
- Lurie Children’s Hospital outage update: The hospital has restored its electronic medical records platform after being down for over a month because of a cybersecurity threat, the hospital announced. MyChart remains offline.
- Double play? Curt Bailey, president of Related Midwest — the developer working with the White Sox to build a new stadium in the South Loop — said Monday he is trying to forge a “financing partnership” with the Bears that could pave the way for Chicago to build two new stadiums.
- Purdue-Illinois matchup: There should be no more questions anym about the pecking order in the Big Ten. It’s the Boilermakers, the Illini and everybody else, writes Sun-Times sports columnist Steve Greenberg.
EXPLORING THE CITY 🎶
5 artists to catch in Chicago this month
There’s no better way to shake off the frost of winter and ease into spring than catching some live music at one of our city’s many venues.
Today, we’re highlighting some must-see shows you can find this month at Chicago’s more intimate venues.
Arlo Parks
Saturday, March 16
📍Thalia Hall, 1807 S Allport St.
The English singer-songwriter will take the stage to deliver the honest, probing lyricism and laid-back indie rock heard on her latest album “My Soft Machine.” Los Angeles-based musician Chloe George opens.
Tickets: Presale tickets are sold out, but a limited number will be available at the door the day of.
Kenny Mason
Saturday, March 23
📍Avondale Music Hall, 3336 N. Milwaukee Ave.
A musician and producer who sits at the intersection of hip hop and alternative rock, Kenny Mason’s music is sure to make for a high-energy performance. Rapper and electronic artist Skaiwater will open.
Tickets: $20
Lee Fields + Y La Bamba
Sunday, March 24
📍Metro, 3730 N. Clark St.
Soul singer Lee Fields will draw from his decadeslong discography to deliver a heartfelt performance, while indie-experimental artist Y La Bamba will present their interpretation of soul and R&B themes.
Tickets: $29+
Priya Ragu
Wednesday, March 27
📍Subterranean, 2011 W. North Ave.
Another artist blending genres and performing in Chicago this month is Swiss artist Priya Ragu, whose work takes elements of rap, pop, Tamil folk and more. New Zealand pop artist Georgia Lines opens.
Tickets: $17
Amirtha Kidambi’s Elder Ones with Angel Bat Dawid
Sunday, March 31
📍Constellation, 3111 N. Western Ave.
This ensemble is set to explore the boundaries of free jazz and definitions of avant-garde. Their new album, “New Monuments,” out March 15, will serve as the jump-off point for sonic exploration. They’ll be joined by prolific composer and clarinetist Angel Bat Dawid.
Tickets: $15
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Chicago newcomer found solace in a strange place — the rat hole. Now he tattoos it on his clients.
Reporting by Mary Norkol
It’s safe to say the infamous rat hole has cemented its place in the hearts and lives of many Chicagoans.
In recent months, the rodent-shaped cement indentation in Roscoe Village has been the subject of grandiose fanfare, from flowers and memorials placed at the site to actual weddings and proposals.
The rat hole, a charming yet head-scratching display of internet humor and Chicago culture, now sits prominently on some Chicagoans’ bodies in the form of a tattoo, thanks to artist Nick Hatheway.
Hatheway is new to the city, moving to Ravenswood from a small town in Connecticut just three months ago. The dedication to humor and whimsy that the rat hole represented, he said, was a symbol of everything he was looking for when leaving his hometown, Southington.
“It gives people something to collectively laugh about all together. I appreciate that cause I didn’t get to have that for a while,” Hatheway told the Sun-Times.
Hatheway, 22, added the rat hole to his selection of flash tattoos, which are designs prepared by tattoo artists in advance to avoid the hassle of a custom design. It was kind of a joke at first, but the demand was astounding, and he continued to schedule appointments at Noble Coyote Tattoo in Ravenswood, he said.
His first canvas for this design, though, was himself.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
The average cost of a wedding in Chicago is $56K — what’s one tip you have for couples who want to wed economically?
Email us (please include your first and last name). To see the answers to this question, check our Morning Edition newsletter. Not subscribed to Morning Edition? Sign up here so you won’t miss a thing!
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Editor: Satchel Price
Newsletter reporter: Matt Moore
Copy editor: Angie Myers
