Romantic Chicago Wedding at Cafe Brauer from Heather Parker Photography + I Do Films

Abby Capalbo
October 9, 2013
Categories: Real Weddings, Romantic, Traditional Elegance
Tags: glamorous

Warning: Your jaw may hit your desk when you scroll through all the pretty below. Because this wedding from Heather Parker Photography? It’s dripping with gorgeous. It’s the type of wedding that feels like a fairytale, complete with a reception worthy of your wildest wedding dreams. It’s image after image of pure perfection, and you can see it all right here.

Gorgeous, no? Well it just keeps getting better with this film from I Do Films…

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Colors

Seasons

Fall Weddings

Settings

Ballroom Weddings Religious Institution

Styles

Classic Weddings

Everything about this sumptuous wedding put a wide smile on my face. Nicole and Greg spared no expense in making their wedding day leave a lasting impression on loved ones. From the sweets tables which were opulent treasures themselves, to the hundreds of handmade ornate sculpted sugar flowers that a team of six bakers prepared for months for a seven-tier wedding cake, this wedding would go in the history books as a grand affair. The sophisticated, luxurious floral designs by Rishi Patel of Heffernan Morgan were a feast for the eyes (and nose!). Crinkled taffeta tablecloths in cornflower blue were brought in from New York City to dress up the tables. Accents of gold warmed up the room with the use of handwritten gold-on-ivory table number cards, antique-inspired centerpiece stands, vintage crystal chargers, and gothic gold dessert plates. Crystal chandeliers accented with fresh flowers and countless candles illuminated the Chicago historic landmark. The dessert table was decorated with golden urns filled with white ostrich feathers, antique books, glassware, china, and fresh flowers. The dessert tables themselves, as well as the cake table, were custom designed by Herffernan Morgan – the cake was so heavy, it needed a special table! A wedding of this magnitude was orchestrated with the assistance of Melissa Phillips, of Simply Perfect Events who kept hundreds of guests and hundreds of details organized.

From the Bride… Greg and I met at a summer barbecue at the home of a mutual friend. Prior to the barbeque, our friend (and future bridesmaid) told me terrible things about all of the single men that would be at the party except for Greg, who she said was incredibly smart, funny and kind. She made the same types of comments to Greg about me and the single women at the party. While she thought she was cleverly stacking the deck in favor of us getting together, it wasn’t necessary. We hit it off instantly, bonding over shared interests such as European travel, history, museums and over-the-top desserts.

Two years later, Greg proposed in our home. After following a trail of candles, I arrived in a room filled with more candles and hydrangeas, my favorite flower. Greg, wearing the same outfit he wore to our friend’s barbeque, asked me to marry him and I said yes!

Initially, we wanted a very autumn-themed wedding with a warm palette of peach, pink and gold. Café Brauer, a turn of the century building with a warm brick interior and views over a pond (where fall leaves could be seen from the windows) was the perfect reception location. However, after falling in love with bridesmaid dresses in a very Marie Antoinette shade of blue, our design inspiration changed. We incorporated crystal chandeliers decorated with flowers, elongated gold pedestals for flowers, a relief motif in the invitations, a French dessert buffet with a croquembouche, macarons, eclairs, tartlets, etc. and little packages of fruit pate for favors. Due to an outstanding team of vendors, the wedding turned out beautifully and just as we hoped it would. In retrospect, our decision to move away from an autumn-themed wedding was serendipitous, as the leaves had not yet changed, and the unseasonably warm weather that day made it feel like a summer wedding.

Looking back, our most cherished memory from the wedding day was of us at the altar, exchanging our vows before our family and friends. It meant so much to us that everyone we loved was there to witness our lifelong commitment to each other and to share our special day.