Cafe Brauer Wedding Cost
The Cafe Brauer, a Chicago wedding venue located inside of the Lincoln Park Zoo, offers both an indoor and an outdoor venue space all in one venue for your future wedding party.
Noted as one of the highly prized rental venues for good reason, according to the official website, this timeless Prairie School- style landmark, finished in 1908, is currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places, noted for its Tiffany-inspired glass chandeliers, stained-glass windows and mosaics.
How much does a Cafe Brauer wedding cost?
The rental fees to have a wedding at the Cafe Brauer are listed on the official website, and as of 2018, the prices are as follows:
| Daytime (9 a.m.-1 p.m.) | $4,000 daytime |
| Evening (5 p.m.-midnight) | - Monday-Thursday: $4,000 - Friday: $7,000 - Saturday and Holidays: $9,500 - Sunday: $4,500 |
| Off-season rates | |
| January-March | - Sunday-Friday: $3,500 - Saturday and Holidays: $4,500 |
| April | - Friday $5,500 - Saturday $6,500 - Sunday $4,500 |
NOTE: These prices were extracted from the official website and are subject to change. Use this as an estimate only and contact the venue directly for more information as to the official pricing for your specific date.
The table above only includes the rental fee, not the food and beverage minimums, as noted below, additional services, if you need it, and the catering fees, which, dependent upon which caterer you hire, can easily cost $100~ per person, aside from the rental and additional fees you need to pay in total. Some of the caterers available, such as Jewell Events Catering, can charge an average of $120 per person, for instance.
Wedding-Spot.com, for instance, notes you should be prepared to spend anywhere from $18,740 to $28,881 for the ceremony and reception for 100 guests.
Food and beverage minimums
The prices above include the rental fee only and will not include the beverage minimums. According to the official website of the venue, there are no minimums for the daytime rental reservations or anytime Monday through Thursday. However, Friday evenings will have a $6,000 beverage minimum, Saturday evenings and holidays will have a $9,500 beverage minimum and Sunday evenings will have a $5,000 beverage minimum, so be sure to add these costs to the rental fees above as well.
For drinks, there is a two-drink limit per person, per order at the bar.
Additional services available
The venue will close at midnight, but for an additional $1,000 per hour, couples can make arrangements to extend the event until 2 a.m.
Hosted valet parking is available for an additional fee.
A coat check attendant can be hired for $150 per attendant and one will be needed for every 100 guests.
Additional security will cost $250 per guard and could be required for every 100 guests.
Restroom attendants are available for $150 each.
Propane heaters are available during the cooler months for $150 each.
What’s included in the rental fee?
As per this official PDF, the rental fee will include the following:
- (24) 72-inch round tables
- (250) Fruitwood Versailles/ Chivari chairs
- (15) Highboys
- (12) Black, wrought-iron tables with 48 matching chair
- (6) 6-foot and 8-foot rectangular tables
- A wedding held November 1 to April 30 will include a heated tent which will enclose the North and South Loggias
Tips to know
Due to the volume of events held, rehearsals are not available.
No outside wine, beer and liquor is not allowed to be brought in. No shots are available, either.
Depending on the exact venue space chosen, the Cafe can accommodate anywhere from as little as 160 to as many as 400 guets inside of the Great Hall.
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Average Reported Cost: $0
