B+A Wedding

I am SO glad that I got to capture the memories from Brenda and Andrew's wedding! Their day was so beautiful and pretty perfect. Brenda and Andrew are very close friends of mine, which made their day even more special for me to photograph.

It was a little chilly out (early March days in Chicago typically are a little chilly), but the sun was shining from sunrise to sunset. Honestly, the lighting throughout the day was a photographer's dream.

We went to Graue Mill for their first look and bridal party photos. I had never been there before, but I will definitely be returning for future sessions. Their ceremony was at Faith Christian Reformed Church in Elmhurst. It was such a simple and lovely ceremony, and you could see the love beaming from both of their faces while exchanging vows. After the ceremony, we hopped over to Ruffled Feathers Golf Club in Lemont. We even arrived there in time to have their bridal photos taken at the gazebo at sunset. Seriously, perfection. Also, the entire room where dinner and dancing took place is covered in windows. *Swoon*

Check out some of my favorite memories from this amazing day below!

O+D Wedding

Oona and Don's wedding took place at the end of September (I just love me some fall weddings). Let me tell you: It was one of the hottest autumn days I can remember! Despite the heat, everything about their day was just amazing.

The ceremony was outdoors at The Wayside Chapel in Palos Park. There was talk about moving it inside the chapel, but I'm glad it was outside (even though it was about 300 degrees). The location was simply gorgeous, and the lighting was so dreamy. It's such a neat little place. Both Oona and Don have children from previous marriages, and they included them in their ceremony, which was truly beautiful. They performed a sand ceremony, where each of the children poured his or her own glass of sand into a larger glass, representing them as one family. I had never seen something like that before, and it was breathtaking.

This couple was just an absolute blessing to work with. Check out some of my favorite moments from their special day!

J+A Just-Married Session

Justin and I have been friends for 12 years. We met our freshman year of high school and pretty much clicked instantly. He became a family friend and also best friends with my late husband. Justin is such an amazing human and friend, and has been there for me through so much, even from afar, as he now resides in California.

He and his other half, Andy, got married this past Saturday at Pine Lake Camp in Wisconsin. It was such a simple and beautiful wedding. We all slept in bunk beds in cabins, had bonfires, spent time in the lake, watched a meteor shower, and got to celebrate the love between two awesome people. I wasn't able to photograph the wedding because Justin asked me to stand up as his Best Woman! I was sad I couldn't capture their special day, but so honored that I could enjoy the wedding without my camera in-hand.

I decided to do a post-wedding session the day after the wedding, after everyone left camp to head home. We drove a couple miles to a place called Red Mill. There was a creek, a cute chapel, and some pretty walking paths. I typically shoot my sessions early in the morning or before sunset because the lighting is perfect at those times. The lighting in the afternoon is too bright and the shadows are too harsh, but I made an exception for this. I struggled a bit to find spots with appropriate lighting for posing, but got a little lucky. I also looked over at the creek and had some ideas in mind for photos. I thought, "How amazing would it look to get them standing in the middle of the water?!" Justin was pretty against it at first, but I convinced him these photos would look great and perfect for displaying on the wall. "What's a few minutes of muddy, cold water?" He finally agreed and thank goodness he did because the photos turned out beautifully!

More importantly, thank goodness for a lifelong friendship with these men, and I wish them nothing but happiness and health in their marriage!

B+A Engagement

Oh, my goodness! I don't even know where to start with this session! The lighting was gorgeous, the location was beautiful, and this couple is just amazing!

I met Brenda as an acquaintance about 5 years ago through one of my best friends, and she introduced me to Andrew a couple of years later. Brenda reached out while my husband was sick in the hospital. She would bring me home-made goodies and movies and spend time with me while I was in the waiting room. She spent a few hours with me at a time to help me keep my mind off of things. She and Andrew were there for me when my husband passed away, and even checked up on me often long after. They have become good friends of mine, and they are a couple of the sweetest people. I was so honored when they asked me to photograph their engagement session and wedding!

We did this session during Golden Hour, a magical hour that is basically every outdoor photographer's dream. The sun is low, the shadows are long, the colors are magical... It just makes for amazing, dreamy, and romantic photos!

Also, if you have never been to Danada House in Wheaton and the property surrounding it, I suggest you go! It's so beautiful. We wandered around the property, exploring the outside of the old home (now a perfect location for weddings and other events) and walking the trails. During this time of the year, there are so many flowers in bloom, which I took advantage of for ring shots!

I hardly posed Brenda and Andrew - they were silly and romantic all on their own, which is exactly how I love my sessions to go! I'm excited to see how amazing their wedding will be next March!

xo

E+N Engagement

I went to school with Erica since grade school and was so honored when she messaged me, asking me to photograph their engagement and wedding! She and her fiancé are the cutest and their engagement session reflected that. They drove from Ohio, where Erica moved to be with Nick last year, for their session. We went to Cantigny Park in Wheaton at 9:00am (my favorite sessions take place in the morning!), and it was 20-something degrees. They both braved the cold and took their jackets off in between poses. Their faces and hands were cold, but you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at their photos! They were so sweet and fun to work with, and made getting up at 8:00am so worth it! I'm very much looking forward to their wedding in November and can't wait to share the documentary of their special day on here with you all!

xo

L+T Wedding

I love that Lauren and Tommy trusted me with their special day! I did their engagement session the previous fall and they asked me to document their wedding. Originally, they chose October 15, what was supposed to be my husband's and my wedding date (if you don't know me and the amazing and heartbreaking story of my husband, I'll have to make a blog post about all of that at another time!), and I had to tell them I couldn't do it. Lauren messaged me a couple days later with a new date, October 22 (my birthday!), when my husband and I would have been on our honeymoon, but we decided to push off our honeymoon until the following week because I really wanted to be their photographer. Seriously, what couple changes their wedding date around so they can use the photographer they want? I was honored.  

I had never shot a wedding and was so nervous, but Lauren and Tommy are so in love and laid-back that I wasn't even nervous when the actual day came. They had an intimate ceremony outside on the balcony of a golf club in Bartlett. The weather was perfect, so taking pictures after the ceremony was actually a treat! Their friends and family were just so fun and lighthearted during the reception, the music was romantic and fun, the food was awesome... Honestly, though, my favorite part of the night was the Cubs making it to the World Series. The guests were watching the game and I (of course) kept peeking over to check the score. I'll never forget when they won. Practically every guest cheered and hugged each other, and the DJ played "Go, Cubs, Go" for everyone. My birthday AND the Cubs moving forward to the World Series? What a great day for a wedding!

xo