We can’t say enough wonderful things about our experience at Cafe Brauer and with Tigerlily Events as our caterer—our wedding day was truly perfect, and so much of that is thanks to this incredible team.

From the very beginning, working with Ellen, our event coordinator, was an absolute dream. She was unbelievably organized, incredibly responsive, and endlessly patient. Her knowledge, calm demeanor, and clear communication made planning feel manageable and even fun. We truly owe so much of our stress-free day to Ellen—she thought of everything before we even had to ask and handled every detail with such care and professionalism.

Our guests are still raving about the food—it was creative, flavorful, and beautifully presented. From passed apps to dinner service, everything was top-notch. And the service throughout the evening was just as impressive. Everything ran smoothly from start to finish, with no hiccups at all. We felt so well taken care of, and so did our guests.

The venue itself is absolutely stunning, and the layout worked perfectly for our group of about 165 people. We rented the Honeycomb for our ceremony, which was a gorgeous and unique setting to exchange vows. The Loggia was ideal for cocktail hour—spacious and scenic—and we had zero issues with bathroom capacity even with our full guest count. The main reception space felt full of energy but never overcrowded, and the dance floor was lively all night without ever feeling cramped. Our wedding party loved having access to the upper balcony to tuck away bags and take a breather when needed.

From start to finish, we felt completely supported and so grateful to be in such good hands. The beauty of the venue speaks for itself, but it’s the people behind it—especially Ellen and the Tigerlily team—that make it truly exceptional. Thank you for helping us create the most unforgettable day! If you’re considering booking Cafe Brauer for your wedding, just know you will be in great hands, and you are choosing one of the most beautiful, vintage, unique venues in Chicago!

There isn't a more beautiful venue in Chicago, hands down. On top of that, the kindness and professionalism of our point-of-contact Natalie made it clear we made the right choice in booking Café Brauer for our November wedding. Natalie was incredibly thoughtful and responsive throughout our time working together, answering tons and tons of questions from us. The day of our wedding went so smoothly (seriously, it was perfect?!), and we know Natalie had a big hand in achieving that. If you're looking for a beautiful, bespoke venue with gorgeous views of the city that will awe both you and your guests, you've found it. And if you're looking for catering services, go with the in-house option: Tigerlily Events! The chefs were so accommodating of dietary restrictions (my husband is allergic to the major eight, and then some), and we received SO many compliments on the food.

I knew as soon as I walked into the venue that this was where I wanted to have our wedding. The architecture alone is beautiful, and when decorated and lit for a wedding turns into a magical place. Our coordinator Molly Finn was the absolute best. She also coordinated our catering through Tigerlily Events. Everyone raves about the food and the venue, and Molly helped make the process as seamless as possible. Highly recommend especially in fall/winter when it is dark outside early on, it adds an extra glow and ambience.

We are so happy we chose to get married here for our August 2021 wedding. This is a classic Chicago venue with absolutely stunning architecture and views of the skyline. I particularly appreciated that the outdoor space was covered so you never had to worry about inclement weather. It was the perfect size for our 150 guest count with a sizable dance floor and 5-person band. You have to choose from an approved list of vendors for catering, floral, live music, etc. which was honestly kind of nice since it narrowed the searching. The only thing is that you do have to use Brauer for your beverages, which ends up being quite expensive if you want to serve wine with dinner (it’s an additional cost above the bar package that you use for the rest of the night). Overall excellent choice if it’s in your price range! Our guests are still raving about how beautiful it was.
(Photo credit to Pen & Lens Photography)

We had our wedding here in April 2018 and absolutely loved it! We couldn't have picked a better venue. The venue itself is beautiful and the staff is amazing! Gianna helped us with everything we needed and was always quick to respond. She was also so helpful the day of the wedding, making sure everything was perfect! We also used their catering service - Tigerlily Catering and would absolutely recommend them. We had a brunch wedding and our guests still rave about their amazing waffles and food.

We had our wedding here in December 2014. We fell in love with the vent space, and it was a gorgeous backdrop to our wedding. We worked closely with Jennifer, who was phenomenal at customer service, communication, and planning. Everything was executed to perfection. We also highly recommend the on-site catering service: Tigerlily Catering- they were great and an affordable option! Highly recommend this space- we are glad we selected it and our guests haven't forgotten it!

One note is that if it's really cold out: be sure to ask for extra heaters for the side porch areas!

Such a beautiful and timeless venue.

Cafe Brauer was my dream venue. It is naturally beautiful, and the perfect size for my guest count of 150. The staff did a wonderful job, and I was even able to get into the venue a little early to take first look photos with all of my ceremony decor set up. It was probably my favorite memory of the day.

I got countless compliments from my guests about how good the food was. Shannon was my main contact once we were closer to the wedding, and was very responsive, and even made sure I had a glass of champagne right after the ceremony.

My only complaint would be that the bar is priced pretty high, and the minimums can be frustrating with a lower guest count. Also, communication around the event contract could have been a bit more clear.

All you have to do is walk into Café Brauer to know you’d be hard pressed to find another venue as beautiful anywhere in this city. Add to this the beautiful views in the surrounding area, from the lily pond just nearby to the bridge overlooking the skyline, and you have a recipe for all the beautiful wedding photos you could ask for.

There was never any question that this was where my wife and I would hold our reception.

The rental on the venue is very reasonable for one of the premier locations in the city, but make sure you book your dates early—we were looking over a year ahead of time, and still ended up booking a Friday because all the Saturdays were taken.

Carrie Woods, the manager, is incredibly helpful at guiding you through all the ins and outs of using the venue. There is, unfortunately, a limited vendor list, but Carrie was happy to work with us on all of our needs and give us recommendations for our budget and plans.

If you’re considering Café Brauer, I can’t recommend it more. And if you want an idea of what a reception there can be like, just take a look at this, a timelapse we did of the day there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc2IUWv8RjU

We could not have had a more perfect venue- set in Lincoln Park with an amazing view of downtown. We had our ceremony and cocktail hour on the covered loggia and the reception indoors in the great room- perfect combo. Jennie was our contact person- she is amazing, sweet and responds rapidly. She always answered all of our silly questions quickly and thoroughly. The only downside is that you have to get your alcohol through Brauer which isnt cheap but we knew that before we signed the contract and felt it was worth the cost- and it was. Our guests ket telling us how much they loved the place and we could not agree more.