Parry and Michael had a Cafe Brauer Wedding reception with the ceremony at St. Clement Catholic Church in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, one of the most iconic cathedrals in the city.
I started with Parry with at her parent’s condo downtown while all the ladies got ready. Michael came down to see his bride for a low-key first look. My friend and second shooter for the day, Amanda Schwengel, joined us there as well.
We were able to sneak in some portrait time downstairs and when we arrived at the church well the wedding party got on and off the bus.
The ceremony was beautiful and full of emotion. I loved Parry’s reaction as she walked down the aisle with her father! At the end of the ceremony, Parry and Michael also stayed up front to sing along during the closing hymn rather than exiting immediately. It was a really nice moment as I could see them taking in the faces of all their guests.
Once we finished the formal family photos we headed to Cafe Brauer because we had limited light and we wanted a few Chicago skyline pictures. The bridge just south of the venue offered a perfect view. Lincoln Park’s ZooLights holiday festival was also happening just behind the venue. Parry and Michael did some scouting and asked if we could make a picture with the lights. Luckily, they found a great spot close to Cafe Brauer and we managed to get a colorful archway of lights, with a little blue still in the sky, and if you look close you can see the Hancock Building.
Parry and Michael had an extra long cocktail hour, which gave us plenty of time to make some great outdoor portraits and still capture their beautiful details inside. Love the oranges! It was a treat to run into a former bride, Molly, with Limelight Catering.
The toasts had everyone laughing but nobody more so than Parry’s dad with his take on “I Loved Her First. Quite a performance.
After Parry and Michael’s first dance and the parent dances, Toast & Jam kicked off the party.
It was a pleasure working with your entire families and working in such beautiful venues, thank you!
