Wedding flowers by Scarlet Petal Florist Chicago, IL

Cafe Brauer Wedding: Liz and Iain

If you're planning a wedding from another state or country, I can imagine the challenges you must be facing. The upside is that we're living in a highly advanced technological society. Photos can be exchanged via email, chatting can be done live via Skype, and if time permits, even swatches can be sent overseas for a perfect match. You might run into a bit of trouble tasting your food, but hopefully you'll be able to plan a trip to your destination before your wedding day.

Liz and I initially exchanged emails prior to her visit back to the states from England. We scheduled a consultation around the holidays and met for a little over an hour to chat about flowers. From that point on, all communication was done via email and a few phone calls. In the end, it turned out to be a beautiful and happy day for the couple!

The talented Gerber and Scarpelli were hired to capture the memories on camera. Here's a few snapshots I stole off their website. Click here to view more.

Enjoy!

Reception at Cafe Brauer

Cafe Brauer Wedding: Jodi and Justin

Were any of you inspired by the royal wedding? Well, recent bride Jodi sure was. When Jodi and I met last year (thanks to the fabulous Laura Patterson of The Ideal Day), she had a very clear vision of what she wanted for her floral decor. She even went as far as to create storyboards to illustrate everything from color palette to style and design. For those of you that have the motivation to do such a thing I say go for it! It's the best way for a designer to not only understand your vision, but it also serves as a source of insipration.

Jodi wanted a crisp white wedding with accents of chartreuse green. She loved clean lines and modern floral scapes. After the royal wedding, she was so impressed by the tree lined processional aisle that she called me up shortly after to see if we could do something similar. My suppliers managed to provide us with four beautiful 14' River Birch trees. They looked perfect within Cafe Brauer's Great Hall. What's even better, Jodi donated the trees to the zoo after her wedding. They will be planted around the lake for people to enjoy for years to come!

Below are a few beautiful photos captured by the ever so talented Laurie Peacock. You can visit her site to view more of Jodi and Justin's happy day.

Enjoy!

Scarlet Petal and Cafe Brauer in Print!

Natural, Organic, and Vibrant Wedding at Cafe Brauer, Chicago

I'm always so excited for couples who have picture perfect weather on their wedding days. Especially if they've selected an outdoor venue here in Chicago. It's a risky decision given we could get everything from rain, sleet, and sun all in one day. That's why we love Chicago!

Below are some beautiful images taken by Gina DeConti of Imaginative Studios of a wedding we produced at Lincoln Park Zoo's Foreman Pavilion and Cafe Brauer. They offer you a little glimpse of sunshine on this cold and snowy day. Enjoy!

 
 

Bridal Bouquet: Succulents, Lisianthus, Calla Lilies, Delphinium, Hyacinth, and Waxflower

 

Bridesmaids' Bouquets: Delphinium, Gloriosa Lilies, Calla Lilies, and Hyacinth

 

Beautiful Ceremony at Lincoln Park Zoo's Foreman Pavilion

Ceremony Piece: Asymmetric Arrangement of Delphinium, Dendrobium Orchids, Peonies, & Allium

Birch Tree Stump Centerpiece: Mokara Orchids, Gloriosa Lilies, & Hyacinth amongst Candlelight

Tall Centerpiece Spray: Delphinium, Allium, and Dendrobium Orchids

The wedding cake surrounded by family photos

Cafe Brauer Wedding: Karla and Tom

It was a beautiful autumn October day in Chicago when Karla and Tom got married. They chose the natural surroundings of Cafe Brauer for both their ceremony and reception and it turned out to be a stunning affair!

Karla was a simple, yet romantic bride who wanted to incorporate vintage accents to her bouquet and centerpieces. You will see in the photos below her muted "tea-stained" palette of blush, ivory, and sage present in the hydrangea, roses, spray roses, ranunculus, and mokara orchids. We did add pops of gold and fuchsia suggestive of fall.

Thanks goes to out to Tricia Koning for sharing her gorgeous photos with us.

Enjoy!

Cafe Brauer Wedding: Danielle and JT

Thank you Maloman Photography! Not only did they capture beautiful images of our designs from Danielle and JT's wedding day (it's like looking through a window), but they also wrote a cute little story about how the couple met that I had to share.

Enjoy!

"The story: Every weekend thousands of Chicagoans converge on the street festivals of Chicago, on the prowl for music, food and beer. That last thing you’d expect would be to meet the one special person who is destined to change your life forever. It all began at a small Mexican restaurant situated in the middle of the street festival. The story is best told from both perspectives:

JT and his group of friends had been enjoying some food and drinks (emphasis on the drinks) for a couple of hours when a group of attractive young ladies walked in the restaurant and sat at the table next to them. Although noticed by all the single guys at JT’s table no one had the courage to go and strike up a conversation. Unbeknownst to JT, one of his friends had dared his girlfriend to go and make the introduction on his behalf. The next thing he knew, he was being summoned over to the next table.

Danielle and her two friends had been wandering around the festival for a couple of hours and stopped into Fernando’s for a quick bite to eat and a couple drinks. Soon after they arrived, a young lady approached Danielle and said that one of her “shy” friends thought she was attractive and politely asked if he could come over and say hi. Danielle felt flattered because he had “picked” her out of the other two and thought, ‘Sure- why not?’ Her second reaction was, ‘What kind of loser can’t come and say hi by himself?’ A couple seconds later she turned around and was actually “pleasantly surprised”.

JT and Danielle talked for a little under an hour when JT’s friends invited them on his boat the following day. Danielle exclaimed “You have a boat? Why didn’t you say anything?” to which JT replied, “I didn’t want to be THAT guy.” Danielle knew at that moment JT was something special he was not only modest but he actually had a boat (Danielle has a special affinity for boats). The next day, they rendezvoused on Lake Michigan and the rest is history.
We’ve been together ever since that fateful day July 15th, 2007. Exactly two years later, we went on another momentous boat ride. Only this time, JT got down on one knee and proposed."

Cafe Brauer Wedding: Caralyn and Rick

I absolutely loved working with Caralyn and Rick! It was truly a family affair from the day we sat down to chat about their special day. Caralyn's family flew in from New York and she and Rick flew in from California. Regardless of the distance between them, they were as close as any family could be. Sometimes it's difficult to plan a wedding with too many "cooks in the kitchen," but this family had a such positive and supportive energy from the start.

Caralyn and Rick come from Jewish and Greek backgrounds, which were both celebrated on their special day. We snapped a photo of the chuppah used on the south loggia. They wanted it simply decorated with a few flowers used throughout the wedding. It was a smart decision given the gorgeous surroundings of the Chicago skyline.

I love that about Cafe Brauer. The loggias offer gorgeous views and the Great Hall offers stunning cathedral ceilings. We strung over 150 votives to twinkle from the ceiling as the evening grew darker. It was stunning!

Caralyn and Rick wanted to keep the centerpieces low to avoid blocking the view of guests. Since candlelight was a theme we carried out throughout the evening, we decided to incorporate them in the centerpiece by floating a trio in the center cylinders. A lush gathering of green, blue, and purple hydrangea surrounded the trio featuring special blooms like succulents, calla lilies, roses, cymbidium orchids, and vanda orchids. The rich color palette was gorgeous in the venue. 

Here's a storyboard of a few shots we captured to paint a picture of their special day. I promise to post more as the professional shots become available!

Cafe Brauer Wedding: Leslie and Joe

I was just telling another florist that I love working at Cafe Brauer not only because it's such an amazing and unique space, but I also love the the clientèle there.  Leslie and Joe were no exception, married in June on one of those crazy stormy days.  We hope that the old wives tale is true and rain on your wedding day brings good luck!

Gerber and Scarpelli put together a slide show that captured all the fun and more importantly all the love!

Stole this montage from their blog.

We were able to take a room shot before we left.  Tall centerpieces were loose, asymmetric arrangements of hydrangea, dendrobium orchids, mokara orchids, ti leaves, and steel grass complemented by lower centerpieces of submerged mokara orchids.  

  

Cafe Brauer Weddings: Liz and Chris and Chin and Soen

If you're thinking of Cafe Brauer for your wedding day, also consider hosting your ceremony at Foreman Pavillion at Lincoln Park Zoo. Our bride and Groom, Liz and Chris were married there a few weeks ago. Thanks to Gina at Imaginative Studios for capturing the beauty of their special day (see photos below). She always does a fabulous job! Visit her blog for more inspiring photos.

Another beautiful ceremony location is the park in front of Cafe Brauer.  Chin and Stephen made it official in front of friends and family on a gorgeous summer day.  We hope to steal a few pictures from their photographer.  

Ken at Blue Plate served a fabulous Haitian and Asian fusion menu honoring the bride and groom's heritage. Unique dishes like conch fritters with a spicy lime aioli and beggar's purses filled with Peking-style duck were passed as the guests arrived (yum!).

The day went off without a hitch with the help of Charlene from Sweetchic Events.

Enjoy!

Cafe Brauer Wedding

If you recently visited Café Brauer on your hunt for the perfect reception venue, you may have come across this display.

As a preferred vendor, we are occasionally selected to provide a sample table display to help prospective brides conceptualize their wedding day décor.

Being on the grounds of Lincoln Park Zoo, we were inspired by a luxurious African Safari filled with natural elements like stone bowls, rattan chairs, and a chiffon overlay linen atop a Adobe burlap cloth. Our centerpiece was a combination of an illuminated wrought iron lantern filled with pillar candles. Set within the base of the lantern was a lush assortment of floral consisting of roses, brunia berries, leucadendrom, bupleurum, hydrangea, spray roses, phalaenopsis orchids, hanging amaranthus, and craspedia. Mercury glass votive holders glowed from below. 

 

The fabulous thing about Café Brauer is how its natural surroundings really lend themselves to all types of décor.  The options are endless, so think out of the box and find the right décor that tells your love story. We’re here to help.