An Intimate Restaurant Wedding at Sepia in Chicago

Black and white portrait of couple seated together at dinner table

Black and white photo of couple kissing at table during dinner

There’s something really special about a wedding that stays small on purpose.

Ali and Lloyd kept things to about 30 people and built the day around being together. It was a sunny afternoon in late March, one of those early spring days in Chicago where everything feels a little lighter.

We started at the Museum Campus, where they exchanged private vows overlooking the lake. It was quiet and a little emotional. A few tears, a lot of laughing, and no one else around.

After that, we made our way to Sepia, where everything else unfolded.

Sepia has a private dining space, so the evening felt tucked away. The room was warm and candlelit, true to its name. Soft, low light that made everything feel a little slower.

Their guest list was small but full. Parents, siblings, grandparents, nephews, and close friends. People who knew each other and could settle in right away.

Ali’s dad married them in a simple ceremony right there in the room. Afterward, we took a few portraits, and then the night opened up.

Dinner, drinks, and a lot of laughter. Glasses clinking. Their nephews ordering Shirley Temples at the bar. People leaning across the table mid-conversation.

That was really it.

It was unfussy in the best way.

Ali wore a navy skirt and sweater, which felt perfectly her.

Photography mattered to them in a quiet, steady way. Not a checklist of photos, just a record of how it felt to be there.