Lilly + Caleb’s Café Brauer wedding couldn’t be stopped because of the sweltering summer heat! July may have brought some high temps to Chicago, but these two were as cool as they come.

Their Story

Caleb and Lilly first met at Butch McGuire’s through mutual friends in 2020. They spent a lot of time together within their shared friend group. Activities included going to Lollapalooza, watching football on Sundays, and haunting the bars in Old Town. With a mutual love of music and sports, they bonded over time… but only as friends at the start. It wasn’t until a fateful trip to the bar Federales on a Sunday afternoon in 2022 that Lilly turned to Caleb and asked (unprompted and fueled by several High Noons), “so why haven’t you asked me out yet?” Caleb quickly set aside his confusion and agreed to go on a date with Lilly.

Their first date was a Matt Maeson concert at the House of Blues. The rest is history! Caleb proposed in April of 2024 and surprised Lilly with her family and friends. They still enjoy watching football on Sundays (despite being a split Giants/Bears household), sharing new music, and going on adventures to new places. They couldn’t be more excited to start this new chapter of their life together.

Getting Ready, First Look + Portraits

Both Lilly + Caleb got ready at Claridge House in River North. It was just a short drive to the Lincoln Park Conservatory, where the two had their first look. Unfortunately for us, it was 90° out with some insane humidity. Inside a greenhouse made it feel like a sauna! We only spent 30 minutes there before heading over to Café Brauer for additional portraits and family photos.

Café Brauer Wedding

After the ceremony, guests made their way outside for cocktail hour. Thankfully it was starting to cool down by then! We listened to a few speeches during dinner before Lilly + Caleb danced with their moms. After some time on the dance floor, I took the couple outside for the classic shot outside of the Café Brauer neon sign. The giant floral disco ball structure hung over the party for the rest of the evening as guests enjoyed the wide array of desserts. It was still toasty outside once the wedding was over– definitely hard to tell if that was the summer heat or the rambunctious dance floor!

Venue: Café Brauer / Getting Ready Hotel: Claridge House / Planner: Ohana Events / Florals: Flowers by Stem / Hair: Ronnie Wozniak / Makeup: Lueur Beauti / Dress: Millanova / Bride’s Shoes: Loeffler Randall / Suit: Suit Shop / Catering: Tigerlily Events / Dessert: Sweet Mandy B’s / DJ: Style Matters DJs / Content Creator: La Novia Creations