Liz Schrenk 11/1/24 Liz Schrenk 11/1/24

Julie & Shane’s Gorgeous Cafe Brauer Wedding

Julie and Shane met the old fashioned way – on a dating app – although he likes to tell everyone she was waiting for him at baggage claim at O'Hare when he arrived after transferring for work from Ireland in 2019. Their first date was in November 2019 and a few months later they spent quite a lot of time getting to know one another when COVID-19 hit and they quarantined together. Shane proposed to Julie on top of O'Brien's Tower at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland the Summer of 2022.

Julie and Shane dreamed of having their wedding at the truly gorgeous Cafe Brauer in Lincoln Park and decided to wait so that they could have their dream wedding there. In December 2023 they welcomed their adorable daughter Niamh to the world and started earnestly planning for their wedding at Cafe Brauer the following Summer.

Conrad was honored to join Julie and Shane as they celebrated their wedding with their closest family and friends. Many of their guests came in from out of town for the occasion and Julie and Shane made sure to connect with as many of their loved ones as possible throughout this gorgeous day. It was truly a joy to be alongside this warm and loving couple as they officially began their journey together as husband and wife!

Congratulations, Julie and Shane, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Julie and Shane’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Something Blue

VENUE
Cafe Brauer

FLORIST
Flowers for Dreams

DJ
Chicago Catz

HAIR & MAKEUP
Elle Artistry

WEDDING GOWN
Mira Couture

WEDDING RINGS
Steve Quick Jeweler

MENSWEAR
Suit Supply

Liz Schrenk 12/13/21 Liz Schrenk 12/13/21

Patrice & Kevin’s Gorgeous Cafe Brauer Chicago Wedding

Patrice and Kevin’s relationship was built upon a strong foundation of friendship. They first met in high school and loved spending time together with mutual friends. But it wasn’t long before they realized that there was something more . . .

I met Patrice years ago at a shoot for a group of realtors. She immediately struck me as incredibly beautiful but also unassuming and kind-hearted. I was honored when she reached out after getting engaged to ask me to photograph her wedding.

After waiting a bit longer than expected thanks to Covid, we were all so excited when Patrice and Kevin’s wedding day arrived. We met Patrice and her bridesmaids at the beautiful Gold Coast Salon downtown where they were glammed up by the sweetest team of hair and makeup artists. From there we went to the stunning St. James Chapel on Rush, our absolute favorite church for a traditional ceremony in Chicago. After Patrice put on her gorgeous Haley Paige gown she had the sweetest “first look” moments with her niece and Dad before walking down the aisle to marry Kevin. Kevin was so sweet when he saw Patrice for the first time as a bride and he could not take his eyes off of her for the rest of the day!

Following their beautiful ceremony we went to some of our favorite spots in the city for photos. First we stopped at the Wrigley Building for wedding party photos before heading on the trolley to North Avenue Beach. As we got close to the lake and set up for a full wedding party picture a flock of geese took off flying TOO close to everyone’s heads, it was an absolutely hilarious moment!

We finished photos and settled in at the absolutely stunning Cafe Brauer at the Lincoln Park Zoo. It was a dream to shoot there, the space looked absolutely perfect thanks to the help and guidance of the amazing Michelle of NORA Events Chicago. After a delicious meal and some hilarious toasts the guests were treated to a rocking performance by Rod Tuffcurls and the Benchpress that had EVERYONE dancing. It was truly the perfect wedding, a day we won’t soon forget.