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What a classic Chicago moment for a classic Chicago wedding day! From the moment I met creative, determined Charlotte and outgoing, hilarious Stephen, I knew their wedding celebration would be as beautiful as it was fun. And I couldn’t have been more right! Take a look at their incredible City View Loft wedding day through my eyes.
Read MoreI loved getting to meet up with Maria and Matt for their Chicago engagement session, and explore a city they both have known their whole lives. Maria and Matt have been together since the beginning of high school and 11 years later decided it was time to make it official!
Read MoreIt is so fun to photograph in new locations in Chicago for engagement sessions, and when Lili and Jim suggested the Montrose Harbor, I was stoked! Not only is Montrose Harbor dog friendly, which is a must when you’re bringing your four-legged family member, but it also has some incredible views of the Chicago skyline. Located on the northern edge of Lincoln Park, Montrose Harbor is a short walk from Montrose Beach.
Read MoreYou don’t have to be engaged to take photos, you just have to be in love. Which Olivia and Will have absolutely no shortage of. After being together for 7 years, these two have already created a lifetime of memories together in Chicago, Illinois.
Read MoreAfter going over their favorite places in the city for their engagement session, Charlotte and Stephen decided on the Lincoln Park Nature Boardwalk (as it just so happened to be across the street from their house), and the lakeside North Avenue Beach. Funny enough, two nights prior I had a similar itinerary when hanging out with Maria and Matt! What I absolutely love about photographing in the city of Chicago, is just how different every location can look depending on not only the season you go there, but also the day.
Read MoreAmanda and Brian’s love story began in high school, and with Brian’s teddy-bear heart and Amanda’s genuine and warm soul, it didn’t take them long to realize they were a perfect match! From the moment I met them, I was drawn to the way they wear their hearts on their sleeves, openly sharing their sincere emotions with each other and with me! I had a feeling right away that their Bridgeport Art Center wedding day was going to be filled with moments I’d never forget!
Read MoreI was so excited to hang out with Stephanie and Nick again for their Chicago engagement session. After meeting up once to discuss their wedding day, it was a treat to get to take some fun pictures together at the incredible backdrop of Milton Lee Olive Park! This is definitely one of my favorite places to go for engagement sessions, or even wedding photos, as the skyline of Chicago is just absolutely stunning, even on a cloudy day.
Read MoreNeither Covid, or a rainy Chicago fall day could stop Carol and Kevin from getting married this year. Carol and Kevin were married at an intimate ceremony at Loft Lucia in downtown Chicago, Illinois. When their 150 guest count was brought down to 30, these two focused on a relaxed and intimate wedding vibe. Alas, the only individual missing was their dog Mango, but Carol and Kevin were happy to bring their closest friends and family together for their important day; even if they would rather have stayed out of the lime light. Having not only cut their guest list to legal limits, Carol and Kevin also switched venues to accommodate the reduced guest count, and spaced their table adequately a part so all attendees were comfortable.
Read MoreIt was pretty easy to pick a location for Amanda and Brian’s engagement session, since their one requirement was it had to be dog friendly for their Golden Retriever Charles. We decided to meet up at the Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, IL; home to the famous honeycomb sculpture and picturesque views of the city skyline. I absolutely love photographing at the Nature Boardwalk, as it is truly an urban oasis in the middle of a bigger city. Filled with ponds, and native landscaping, Lincoln Park Zoo’s South Pond has far surpassed its humble roots of mere decoration; into a thriving habitat.
Read MoreWhen talking with Sarah and Kris about their upcoming engagement session, we knew we wanted to photograph in Wicker Park, a super dog friendly neighborhood in Chicago, IL, and create some fun urban neighborhood pictures. Sarah and Kris have an absolutely perfect 8 month of Golden Retriever named Mac, that they like to take everywhere (obviously!). We started our session at The Royal Grocer, a dog friendly bar they frequent often with Mac, and afterwards basically were on the look out for some cool bricks! We eventually found ourselves on the doorstep of the The Charleston Bar Chicago.
Read MoreAlex and Brian had a beautiful fall colored engagement session at the Lincoln Park Boardwalk in Chicago, IL, and honestly the colors could not have been prettier. Chicago, Illinois is honestly pretty year round, but little did we know that the colors in Lincoln Park were going to be on fire during their engagement session. Starting off at the Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo, we walked over to the famous honeycomb, ending next to the Lincoln Park Zoo South Pond. All of these incredible locations are right next to each other, and add for such a fun variety for an engagement session!
Read MoreThese two and their beautiful story in Chicago, IL was featured on Popped!
There is so much that I love about Valerie and Cody and our engagement session around Chicago, IL, but how much they love Chicago is definitely the highlight.
Our engagement session tracks their love story, and the places they went leading up to Cody’s winter proposal. We started off our engagement session at Elaine’s Coffee Call in Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL; the very first coffee shop these two frequented together, and traveled out to The Art Institute of Chicago in downtown, where they would wander around the art, or Cody would wait for Valerie to get out of class. Our last stop was definitely the most meaningful, as Cody proposed to Valerie on a winter Chicago, IL day at the Oak Street Beach, a few minute walk from the picturesque North Avenue Beach.
Read MoreI occasionally get the chance to participate in a beautiful wedding photo shoot with other photographers at venues like City View Loft in Chicago, Illinois! For this particular day, we went for an industrial chic vibe, with pink and blush accents. City View Loft provided the perfect urban backdrop with their warm brick walls, and wrap around windows for a great view of downtown Chicago. We did not shoot into the night, but I can only imagine what those twinkling lights would look like when photographing a wedding reception!
Read MoreIt was such a blast traveling around Downtown Chicago, Illinois for Ann and Song’s engagement session! Something I have always loved about Chicago, Illinois is how centrally located so many beautiful places are. We were able to walk from The Art Institute of Chicago next to Millennium Park over to the incredible Lurie Garden filled with colorful tulips. We ended the session outside the Adler Planetarium, with the Chicago skyline in the background.
Read MoreApril showers bring May flowers, and luckily for Jeremy and Allison, it also brings beautiful light in Chicago, IL. It really does not matter where you are when it starts to rain, but the rain in Chicago truly lights up everything it touches! Including Buckingham Fountain, the Lakefront trail, and all the way over to Olive Park. It was just a matter of Chicago spring luck that the day Allison & Jeremy's 4 year anniversary shoot was planned that it called for torrential downpour. This in no way hindered our plans, and encouraged the tourists to stay inside; allowing us free reign of several popular destinations that would otherwise be quite crowded.
Read MoreIntimate weddings come in all shapes and sizes, and for Takesha and Vincent’s they chose one with a small group of their friends and family in Chicago, IL. Held at the First Baptist Congregational Church (otherwise known as the Union Park Congregational Church) in Chicago, IL, these two had a short religious ceremony before a quick first dance and dinner. Before parting ways with their small group, they went and around the room and each attendee gave the couple their well wishes!
Read MoreI am so in love with the Chicago, IL skyline, and how many places around the city you can view it’s picturesque beauty for engagement pictures! Julie and Jon chose the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool and the Lincoln Park Zoo for our photo locations, and they definitely did not disappoint. Filled with so much greenery, they were a perfect compliment to our spring day walking around. I love getting to hear my couple’s stories, and especially when they meet online! These two met on Match.com, and had their first date back on 12/13/14. I’m so excited to get to photograph their wedding later this year at the Eagle Brook Country Club and it was definitely such a fun adventure to walk around the city exploring. Check out their proposal story below, and see just how cute they are.
Read MoreWhen I told everyone that I wanted to start shooting in Chicago, IL regularly, people thought I was insane. I was told that Chicago has no sunsets, it will never match what I’m used to photographing out in California. I was told it was cold, and at the end of the day, I was going to hate it. Well, they say the grass is always greener, but I have to say I still believe that the Chicago grass is pretty dang awesome.
I had the chance to meet with and photograph Alyssa and Andrew during their short stint in Chicago, before moving to Portland, Oregon. These two were absolutely the best to get to photograph and explore Milton Lee Olive Park, especially since it was the middle of winter and a bit cold outside. Besides walking down to the nearby beach, we also explored the entire boardwalk- while the beautiful Illinois sun was setting! Alyssa and Andrew could absolutely not be cuter, and are the epitome of a couple completely in love, and their wedding rings are just to die for. Not to mention the iconic view in front of the Chicago skyline made the whole evening just complete.
Chicago skyline, snow, and a puppy equal basically all of my favorite things. Chi thee Wed agreed and featured all this beauty on their site.
When it snowed in Chicago, IL during one of my brief trips, I knew that I had to photograph someone in all this beautiful winter wonderland. Diana and Darek and their gorgeous dog Dustin was the perfect family to get to explore with. They were married a few months prior, and were unable to bring the third member of their family to the big day.
Kelsey and Jordan got married in Asheville, North Carolina, so it was such an amazing honor to get to do their engagement photos in Millennium Park in Chicago, IL where they live! We decided on Millennium Park in the heart of the city, as the two live downtown- and absolutely love all of the picturesque architecture. As unpredictable as the weather in Chicago is, we were super lucky to get a clear winter day with the sun peaking through the buildings. Also as popular as this spot is for weddings, we were blessed to get to spend it alone. These two lovebirds were an absolute treat to get to spend the afternoon with, and I cannot imagine a more gorgeous couple to get to tie the knot together.
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