Jenny + Ian Married
I was so happy when Ian reached out to me about photographing his wedding last year. I have known Ian since high school so I was especially excited to photograph their big day. Ian and Jenny are the most amazing couple. You can see just how in love with each other they are once you meet them. They have an adorable son named Elliot who is their pride and joy and who I have been able to photograph during their engagement shoot and of course their wedding.
Their wedding was amazing and their party bus was filled of sing-a-longs and beers. The soundtrack to their wedding included such fine bands as Backstreet Boys, Aaron Carter, and Spice Girls, what more could one want in the music of their day.
Hair- Tamara Makeup – www.tamaramakeup.com
Makeup- Gabrielle Kalnins – O’Hara and Friends Salon
https://www.facebook.com/OHaraAndFriendsSalon
Wedding Venue- Stony Creek Golf Course-http://www.golfstonycreek.com
Reception Venue- Holiday Banquet Hall - www.holidaybanquets.com
DJ – Nick Vera - http://impulseentertainmentdjs.com-
Videographer – Josh Siegers - http://jksproductions.com/
Photobooth – Big Hugs Photobooth- www.bighugsphotobooth.com
Cupcakes/Cake – Naples Bakery - www.naplesbakery.com
Second Shooter- Courtney Scheimann
Paul + Dave
I am excited to introduce you to Paul and Dave, I had the pleasure of photographing them at the Brookfield Zoo a few weekends ago and have the honor of photographing their wedding this weekend at the Brookfield Zoo.
Paul and Dave met while they were both out with friends the night before Thanksgiving in 2000. They started talking early in the night and before they knew it, it was last call.
During the weekend, we like to shop, play games with friends and family (especially mah jongg) and go up to the place they share with family in Michigan.
Dave grew up in Elmhurst and went to Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington. Paul grew up in Deerfield and went to Brandeis University in Boston. Dave can easily find his way around the western suburbs but gets lost up north. Paul can find his way easily around the northern suburbs but gets lost out west. That's why they say they are so perfect for each other. And they have a cat named Delilah.
Hilton Head Island Rehearsal Dinner on a Boat
So it isn't often I photograph rehearsal dinners....but when that dinner is on a boat you can count me in!! The boat was just gorgeous, so much character, and what was even cooler is Mark had images of it when it was a working boat and when it was being built back in 1901. It is a Chesapeake buy boat used to transport oysters from the oyster bed ad back to Chesapeake bay. It was a gorgeous day in Hilton Head Island, Hot but not too hot! The appetizers where to die for, goat cheese pot stickers happened....and it was divine! Those came from a restaurant called NEO The band playing was Mike Walters Orchestra and they where so good that they had an audience on the harbor sitting and watching while enjoying the music. Mark joked we should charge a cover. So take a peak at their start of their wedding weekend! More to come from their wedding in the next few weeks
Caterer-NEO
Naperville Riverwalk Couple Session
I love having photographer friends! Without them I would never be able to test out new lenses, new lighting ideas and new techniques. Take a peak at a shoot I did with my fellow photographer Sarah Barkley of Feather Print Photography and her adorable husband Zac! Thanks again guys!
Matt B and Angela's Chicago Beach Engagement
So you may see some familiar faces here as I had shot Matthew and Angela a few weeks ago in Millennium Park. Angela and Matthew also wanted to do a shoot on the beach but it was way too cold on our original date so we decided to do another engagement shoot at Montrose beach in Chicago. This was a special location to them since this is actually where Matthew Proposed! So here they are! I can't wait to photograph their wedding come this July! I also had my second shooter Kimberli come with me to this shoot so she could meet the couple before their big day!
After getting done on the beach we took a short walk to the wall to check out the skyline as the sun disappeared. There may of been some clouds of bugs as we walked though to get there. Matthew's reaction was hilarious, he really doesn't like bugs! But they soldiered though.
Gay Couple Portrait Session
Amanda and Jess where an amazing couple. I was so happy to get the chance to work with them during my time at Shutterfest this past week.
As some of you may know, I just returned from a photography convention last week called Shutterfest (there will be another blog post on that in the future). It was an amazing time and I was very excited and looking forward to taking two classes in particular, same sex posing for couples along with same sex weddings. I was so happy when on Nov. 20, 2013 Illinois became the 16th state in the United States to legalize same sex marriage. So many couples who have been unable to get married will now have the chance to do so starting June 1, 2014. I have always believed that love is love no matter race, religion, or sex. So the idea of being able to capture same sex weddings in my home state really made me excited. I did have questions though, so these classes, who where taught by the ever so talented Kristin Korpos really helped me figure out the details.
It was during one of these course I met the lovely Amanda and Jess. Now they where both just a dream to work with, I am sure you will be able to tell how natural they where in front of the camera, so really they made my work pretty easy. I got the chance to talk to Amanda after I got home to find out a little more about her and her Jess as I asked them about a million questions.
How did you and Jess meet?
"Weeeelll..we met while i was bar-tending at a bar in Belleville, Il.
Turned out we had mutual friends and i totally stalked until i found her and sent her a friend request!
She asked me out for drinks and food and we became inseparable.
We drank and smoked too when we met then quit BOTH together!!! (each for personal reasons but we became even more attached since we wanted the same things)."
Any Fun Summer Plans?
"Summer plans we are going to Destin, FL with her parents in November! WE CANT WAIT!!"
Do you guys have any fun hobbies or interests you share in?
"Our hobbies, activities, and interests all surround working out, eating healthy, and doing projects around the house together!
The house we live in older and we are updating it before we decide to get a new house within the next couple years or so!"
The mandatory what is your favorite color question.
"Jess's favorite color now is neon green. Mine would probably be pink or black..i think black is sexy!"
If you could go on your dream vacation all expense paid where would it be?
"If we could go anywhere all expenses paid, we would go to Bora Bora! And stay in one of those private bungalows, we think they're so cute!"
"Three words that best describe our relationship:
(me) Soulmate. Perfect. True.
(Jess) Corky. Real. Effortless.
Three words that describe Jess:
Onry. Beautiful. Inspiring.
Three words she describes me:
Loyal. Spastic. Pleaser.
Her favorite food is sandwiches.
My favorite is chocolate!!
She's my blonde haired, perfect combination of handsome and beautiful. Thats what I tell her all the time."
