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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 MoreWhen Joey asked Julia to marry him and the wedding planning kicked into full swing, they had many decisions to make. While most couples have to explore endless options, this couple knew exactly where they wanted to say “I do.” Salvatore’s Wedding and Events Venue in Chicago has been the home of many of Julia’s family’s special moments, and now it was going to be the home of one more!
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 MoreAnni and Robert’s classy Illinois summer wedding in the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort was one I’ll never forget! From a rogue golf ball to Anni’s uncle singing during the reception, this day was full of surprises. And like many couples who’ve been through the struggle of trying to get married over the last two years, they deserved something absolutely magical!
Read MoreIn the heart of Illinois, a white farmhouse is snuggled into a dense garden bursting with flowers. Nearly 70 years (and five family weddings!) after Clara’s grandparents first walked through the doors, she walked through them on her wedding day. Talk about a family legacy!
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 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 MoreThis highly anticipated Illinois wedding was the brain child of Valerie and Cody’s long years of planning, and quite a few tweaks a long the way. With the ceremony held at historical St. Peter's Catholic Church in Volo, IL and their reception at the picturesque outdoor Gardens of Woodstock in Woodstock, IL, I’m glad it was able to come together without a hitch.
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 MoreKaren and Kyle live in Chicago, IL and chose their local neighborhood to start their engagement session out, for none other then their adorable Husky mix Mason. Mason gets a little excited around new people, so it proved best to keep him around his stomping grounds! Afterwards, we drove down to the Chicago Riverwalk in Chicago, IL; to get the skyline views that these two live in Chicago for! Built alongside the Chicago River, the Chicago Riverwalk is home to not only incredible restaurants, but parks, residential areas, and architectural wonders. To see all these things, you can not only walk along the 1.25 mile long route, but also kayak, riverboat, or paddle board.
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 MoreAnni and Robert have been together for 5 incredible years, and it is so easy to see their love by the way they look at each other. We decided to meet up at the Naperville Riverwalk in Naperville, IL for their engagement session, since Rob is from the area and grew up loving the river that ran through the downtown area. These two were originally getting married in Chicago, IL this fall, but just like many other couples, Covid-19 had other plans for their wedding journey.
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 MoreBecca and Mike had an incredible fall wedding at Kilbuck Creek in Monroe Center, IL, and even a little bit of rain could not put a damper on the festivities. It’s hard to decorate a venue as beautiful as Kilbuck Creek, when the surrounding nature does all of the work for you. Leaves were falling from the trees right up until the moment we had to run inside due to rain, and even that did not stop anyone from partying the night away. Becca and Mike had originally toured a ton of venues closer to their home in Chicago, IL, but I am so glad that ended up at Kilbuck Creek for their wedding, as this picturesque venue is truly one of a kind!
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 MoreIt felt like the entire world aligned just right for Tia and Mike’s wedding at Victoria in the Park in Mt Prospect, IL. With their ceremony held at St Paul of the Cross in Park Ridge, IL, and portraits taken at the Dominican University in River Forest, IL; it was definitely an adventure! With a color palette of of blushes and champagne, the decor looked straight out of a fairy-tale. Easily one of my favorite moments of the day was watching the two them enter their reception space, and just gasp at the beautiful display that all of their dreaming had created.
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 MoreLauren and Will’s summer Cantigny Park wedding in Wheaton, IL was what every Illinois bride could hope for! With a stunning post-rain ceremony on the Cantigny East Lawn, portraits around the Rose Garden, and an evening filled with dancing in the Red Oak Room, this wedding was definitely one to be remembered. The only thing missing from this otherwise perfect day was the precense of Lauren and Will’s beautiful pups Lucy and Watson. Lucy was recently featured on Daily Dog Tag if you need to know what all her cuteness entails!
Read MoreThese two beautiful humans and their dog were featured on Daily Dog Tag!
I had the pleasure of photographing these three on the Naperville Riverwalk for their engagement session in Illinois. While most of my engagement session blog posts are about my couples, this one will be a little bit puppy centric; as Lauren and Will are my kind of people, and that kind of people are dog people.
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