Kim + Queen Naperville Riverwalk Portrait Session
Kim and Queen came and visited me on the Naperville Riverwalk for their portrait session, they had contacted me after finding me online for their very first professional photos together after 20+ years. What an honor it is to be able to capture the love between these two! Thanks so much for choosing me as your photographer Kim and Queen I had such a wonderful time photographing you both!
Chicago Gay Wedding at the Wyndham on Wacker Drive
Some weddings just really show how in love a couple truly is and reminds you of what marriage should be. This was the case with Jon and Francisco, seeing how truly happy they make each other and how they always bring smiles to each others faces. They got married at The Grand Wyndham in downtown Chicago which is a stunning venue. The views from their reception room were just out of this world! So take a look at their gorgeous wedding!
Venue-Grand Wyndham Chicago
Flowers-Flowers for Dreams
String Quartet-Cloud Gate Quartet
Desserts-Bittersweet Bakery
Photo Booth- The Traveling Photo booth
Second Photographer-Ania Scheiman
Chicago City Hall Winter Elopement With Two Brides
Chicago gave us one of our coldest days of the year for Sarah and Nichelle's wedding this past weekend but the ladies were troopers and head outside for a few images and I was just in love with the results. Both Nichelle and Sarah had the most contagious smiles and spending their wedding day with them was wonderful.
Same-Sex Brookfield Zoo Wedding
I had the pleasure of photographing Dave and Paul's gorgeous zoo wedding this weekend! What a gorgeous setting for a wedding and no one could of asked for a more perfect day. The weather was amazing, not too hot, not too cold, just right! Their ceremony and reception were filled of laughter and joy. One of the readings from their ceremony you can read bellow their images and was just the most amazing lyrics from a song sang in the musical "Catch Me if You Can". They had delicious signature drinks at the cocktail hour with the giraffes, followed by an awesome reception with some amazing musical choices for the dance floor. If you have never heard Downtown and Mrs.Miller, listen to it....you are in for a serious treat!
A Special thanks to the Officiant, DJ Benson, the couples great friend"She really made it personal and gave us a chance to turn around and take in the crowd. It was a breathtaking moment." said Dave
The venue for the wedding was the gorgeous Brookfield Zoo
The DJ was their friend's brother Jeff Beilfuss
The flowers were by Bride's Choice Wedding Flowers in Lisle. Mary Kenny was the flower designer.
Invites were through WeddingPaperDivas.com.
The cake came from Lezza Bakery in Bellwood which Brooke did.
The suits were through Formally Modern Tuxedo in Countryside. http://www.formallymodern.com/ Carmelo helped them in particular
Also a huge thanks to Ania Scheiman for being my amazing second shooter for the day!
I've seen the seven wonders
if you give or take a few
But all them seven wonders
well they can't compare to you
I've been a lot of places
Yes I've traveled near and far
But now I know that home is where you are
Niagara Falls a leaky faucet that a plumber oughta fix
The Pyramids are really just a dusty pile of bricks
The Taj Mahal a fixer upper
The Grand Canyon just a hole
The Grand Canal in Venice an Italian toilet bowl
I've seen the seven wonders
if you give or take a few
But all them seven wonders
well they can't compare to you
I've been a lot of places
Yes I've traveled near and far
But now I know that home is where you are
The Aurora Borealis just a night light on the fritz
And Stonehenge it's just a bunch of rocks
La Brea's tars the pits
I've seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa it looks like somethin' up and broke
Mount Rushmore someone climb up there and tell them boys a joke
Yes my travellin days are over
You get the check I'll pay the bill
Cause I see all the wonder in your eyes
Just standin' still.
I've been a lot of places
But I've learned now near and far
There's no need to roam
Cause home is where you are
There's no need to roam
cause home is where you are
yes now I know that home is where you are.
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.
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."
