Caili & Drew’s Timeless Snowy Wedding at Venuti’s Banquet Hall
From high school sweethearts to a Valentine’s Day wedding, Caili and Drew’s story has always had romance baked in. And on a perfect snowy day, the couple’s Venuti’s Banquet Hall celebration was like a scene from a movie.
A bit on the nose, Caili and Drew met in a high school chemistry class. One junior prom date later, the spark was undeniable, and they haven’t looked back. Since then, they’ve navigated college, moved to downtown Chicago and built a life with their two beloved Bernese Mountain Dogs.
When planning their wedding, it made sense to choose a date already oozing romance. And what better date than Valentine’s Day? Caili and Drew leaned into that holiday energy with a vision of “vintage, timeless, old-school winter love.” Guests stepped into a setting layered with romance — candlelit dinners, a champagne tower, a martini bar and a warm gold and ivory color palette. Even the smallest details carried weight: menus printed with their new last name in a golden crest, a cathedral-length veil for the ceremony that gave way to a shorter one for dancing and the same handcrafted cake topper that had once graced Drew’s parents’ wedding cake, made by his grandmother decades ago. In another nod to tradition, the couple used the same engraved cake knife to cut both their wedding cake and later their gender reveal cake — because just months after their wedding, they’re preparing to welcome their first baby this December.
The day began at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Old Town. The historic parish, with its soaring arches and stained-glass glow, reflected both their faith and their desire for something timeless. From there, the party shifted to Venuti’s Ristorante & Banquet Hall in Addison. It was the perfect spot for their big families: spacious, warm and full of Italian cuisine that people are still raving about. Really accenting the romance of the day, midway through the evening, snow began to drift outside the hall’s grand windows. Framing the head table, this scene felt like something out of a classic film.
Looking back, Caili and Drew describe their wedding as exactly what they hoped for. But more than that, it was the beginning of a legacy, filled with traditions carried forward and new ones waiting to be written.
Vendors
PHOTOGRAPHER Jessie Lee Co.
VIDEOGRAPHER Blush and Briar
CEREMONY VENUE St. Michael Church in Old Town
RECEPTION VENUE Venuti’s Ristorante & Banquet Hall
HAIR & MAKEUP Feeling Pretty Inc.
BRIDE’S GOWN The Altar Bridal
BRIDE’S ALTERATIONS Fifi’s Bridal and Custom Tailoring
BRIDE’S CEREMONY VEIL Perfect Wedding Veil
BRIDE’S RECEPTION VEIL LBR Bridal
GROOM’S FORMALWEAR Gentlemen’s Quarters Formalwear
CATERING & SWEETS TABLE Venuti’s Ristorante & Banquet Hall
CAKE The Baking Institute
CHAIRS Chiavari Chair Rentals
ENTERTAINMENT John Marcopulos
TRANSPORTATION Chicago Cloud9 Limo
