Caroline & Drew’s Amazing Artifact Events Wedding

Caroline and Drew met the summer of 2016 at a nightclub in Chicago – they were reluctantly dragged there by their respective friends and started talking as it was clear that neither of them wanted to be there. That night sparked a relationship that would forever change both of their lives. Caroline and Drew quickly engrained themselves in each other's lives – they met each other's friends right away, met each other's families within 6 months and were basically inseparable. They adopted a puppy named Penny in Fall of 2019 who very quickly became the center of their universe. They got engaged in November of 2020, they would say it was the only bright spot of the whole year. During the pandemic they would take long walks along the lake a couple times a week, both for their benefit and for Penny's. Drew picked out one of the best overlook spots along the lake and got down on one knee with Penny in one hand and the ring in the other and asked "will you marry us?"

I was lucky enough to visit Caroline and Drew (and Penny!) at home for the first part of their engagement session last summer. Caroline and Drew share such a natural love, it was plain to see from the moment I met them that they were made for each other. When it came time to celebrate their wedding this Fall we were all so happy to be a part of this beautiful day in our beloved hometown. Chicago has never looked better than it did for Caroline and Drew’s wedding day. We met at the gorgeous Hotel Zachary where Caroline got ready with an amazing view of Wrigley Field. Caroline looked INSANE in her sleek and modern Vagabond gown – judging from the reactions of both her bridesmaids and groom everyone agreed that she made an absolutely stunning bride. We traveled to Olive Park for wedding party photos and had so much fun with Caroline and Drew’s sweet and supportive friends.

When we arrived at Artifact Events everything was perfectly set for an unforgettable night. Caroline and Drew stole away some quiet moments together before their emotional ceremony, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house as Caroline walked down the stairs to meet Drew at the altar. As Drew smashed the glass and they were pronounced husband and wife the crowd went wild and we didn’t look back for the rest of the night. It was the best party, a celebration worthy of this amazing couple.

Congratulations, Caroline and Drew, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Caroline and Drew’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
Something Blue

VENUE
Artifact Events

DAY-OF COORDINATION
Cheers Chicago Events

FLORIST
Lyssco Designs

HAIR AND MAKEUP
Rare Bird Beauties

WEDDING DRESS
Vagabond Bridal

BRIDESMAID DRESSES
Dear Cleo

WEDDING RINGS
Ethan Lord

WEDDING DJ
Toast & Jam

WEDDING CAKE
ECBG

Susan and Zach’s Love is Essential Wedding

In the Spring of 2020 our world came crashing to a halt when the threat of Covid-19 forced us to shelter in place. As wedding vendors, we watched helplessly as countless couples rescheduled their weddings and wondered when we would get back to doing what we love. A wave of support for essential workers took hold of us and we desperately wanted to do SOMETHING to give back to those who were selflessly giving of themselves to our community.

Inspired by the Gratitude Project, Conrad and I had the idea to give a FREE wedding to two deserving essential workers. Knowing this idea would be an enormous undertaking we enlisted the help of some of our favorite “friendors” and called Jenny of JPB Designs Wedding & Event Planning and Ken of Amp Event Professionals. Jenny and Ken’s enthusiastic response to Love is Essential laid the groundwork for what would become an 18+ month project to plan the perfect wedding for two deserving essential workers.

We met every week over Zoom to plan this wedding, and as our vendor team grew so did the love and excitement we all shared. After an extensive search and application process we chose Susan and Zach to be our Love is Essential couple. Susan and Zach both work at James A Lovell Federal Health Care Center where they serve our veteran population. They were forced to reschedule their wedding twice because of Covid and had all but given up hope that they would ever have the wedding they dreamed of having.

As we got to know Susan and Zach we fell in love with their humility and loving kindness. We could not have possibly found a more deserving and wonderful couple to gift this wedding to. It was such a joy to plan their dream wedding with our incredibly talented and generous vendor team at the absolutely gorgeous Old Post Office. For all of the hard work and investment of time and resources we would do it all over again in a heartbeat. We only hope that our photos and videos do justice to the beautiful scope of Love is Essential.

Love is Essential was featured on WGN, click here to watch the segment!

Congratulations, Susan and Zach (and Shiloh!), we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

And to every single individual who worked to make this unforgettable wedding possible. thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We are in awe of your talent and generosity and so grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside you on this project.

To see all of Susan and Zach’s gorgeous wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Something Blue

PLANNING + COORDINATION
JPB Designs

VENUE
The Old Post Office

FLORALS
Vale of Enna

CATERING
Blue Plate Chicago

DJ
Amp Event Professionals

CEREMONY BAND
J Livi & The Party

HAIR AND MAKEUP
Tricia Clarke

EVENT DECOR
Yanni Design Studio

LINENS
BBJ La Tavola

RENTALS
Tablescapes Chicago

INVITATIONS
Ink Love and Paper

STATIONERY
Simply Scripted Ink

CAKE
Defloured

DESSERTS
Vanille

BRIDAL DRESSER
The Wedding Dresser

BRIDES DRESS
The Altar

BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES
Anthropologie

MENSWEAR
Emanuele Tuxedo

Meredith and Okoye’s Romantic New Year’s Eve Wedding

I vividly remember the first picture I ever took of Meredith and Okoye. I was photographing the cocktail hour at her friend Catherine’s wedding at Chevy Chase Country Club and snapped this quick picture of Meredith and her boyfriend Okoye:

After I shot this I joked that they needed to call me when they got engaged. We got to know Meredith and Okoye over the years through mutual friends, and they kindly once modeled for a special styled shoot we did at Room 1520 in 2018. When Okoye popped the question last summer I was SO excited when Meredith reached out to ask if I would photograph their wedding!!

Meredith and Okoye chose the beautiful Hyatt Lodge in Oakbrook for their New Year’s Eve wedding. When we arrived it was SO great to reconnect with Meredith and her bridesmaids, anyone would envy this incredibly supportive girl-squad! I absolutely LOVED their reactions when they saw their gorgeous friend as a bride! First looks will always have a special place in our hearts, and the moment when Okoye saw Meredith on their wedding day was so incredibly sweet. After some quick (and chilly!) pictures outside of the Hyatt Lodge we traveled to Visitation Parish in Elmhurst for their traditional and emotional ceremony.

After making things official then the party kicked off, I can’t think of a better way to ring in the New Year than celebrating a wedding with friends!! We settled back in at the Hyatt Lodge for a night of delicious food, drinks and dancing, it was the perfect night!

Congratulations, Meredith and Okoye, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Meredith and Okoye’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Something Blue

VIDEOGRAPHER
Vanilla Video

WEDDING COORDINATOR
Danielle Kolb Events

VENUE
Hyatt Lodge Oakbrook Chicago

FLORALS
Pesche’s

HAIR AND MAKEUP
Pin Me Up Chicago

WEDDING GOWN
Van Der Velde

WEDDING SHOES
Loeffler Randall

WEDDING RINGS
Ed Schmelzle & Sons

WEDDING CAKE
Creative Cakes

BRIDESMAID DRESSES
Hayley Paige

MENSWEAR
Emanuele Tuxedo Elmhurst

DJ
DJ Chris Kidd

Patrice & Kevin’s Gorgeous Cafe Brauer Chicago Wedding

Patrice and Kevin’s relationship was built upon a strong foundation of friendship. They first met in high school and loved spending time together with mutual friends. But it wasn’t long before they realized that there was something more there and that friendship blossomed into a beautiful relationship.

I met Patrice years ago at a shoot for a group of realtors. She immediately struck me as incredibly beautiful but also unassuming and kind-hearted. I was honored when she reached out after getting engaged to ask me to photograph her wedding.

After waiting a bit longer than expected thanks to Covid, we were all so excited when Patrice and Kevin’s wedding day arrived. We met Patrice and her bridesmaids at the beautiful Gold Coast Salon downtown where they were glammed up by the sweetest team of hair and makeup artists. From there we went to the stunning St. James Chapel on Rush, our absolute favorite church for a traditional ceremony in Chicago. After Patrice put on her gorgeous Haley Paige gown she had the sweetest “first look” moments with her niece and Dad before walking down the aisle to marry Kevin. Kevin was so sweet when he saw Patrice for the first time as a bride and he could not take his eyes off of her for the rest of the day!

Following their beautiful ceremony we went to some of our favorite spots in the city for photos. First we stopped at the Wrigley Building for wedding party photos before heading on the trolley to North Avenue Beach. As we got close to the lake and set up for a full wedding party picture a flock of geese took off flying TOO close to everyone’s heads, it was an absolutely hilarious moment!

We finished photos and settled in at the absolutely stunning Cafe Brauer at the Lincoln Park Zoo. It was a dream to shoot there, the space looked absolutely perfect thanks to the help and guidance of the amazing Michelle of NORA Events Chicago. After a delicious meal and some hilarious toasts the guests were treated to a rocking performance by Rod Tuffcurls and the Benchpress that had EVERYONE dancing. It was truly the perfect wedding, a day we won’t soon forget.

Congratulations, Patrice and Kevin, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Patrice and Kevin’s gorgeous wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
Photography & Videography
Something Blue

Wedding Dress
Hayley Paige from Bella Bianca

Hair & Makeup
Ina Evtimov

Wedding Shoes
Jimmy Choo

Menswear
Ted Baker & Black Tux

Florist
Vale of Enna

Band
Rod Tuffcurls and the Benchpress

Krista & Blake’s Romantic Arrowhead Golf Club Wedding

We first met Blake as he was preparing to propose to Krista. He planned the perfect moment for when he got down on one knee at the Naperville Riverwalk. Of course she said yes, it was so incredibly sweet to be there celebrating their proposal along with the people who love Krista and Blake the most!

Conrad shot Krista and Blake’s proposal and was so excited to see them again for their Busse Woods engagement session. They happened to be there as a big bouncy house event was going on and Conrad took some super fun pictures of them bouncing together to finish their shoot! We loved seeing that some of those happy bouncing pictures ended up on Krista and Blake’s Change the Date card, talk about making the best of a difficult situation!

When their wedding day finally arrived, Krista looked radiant in her beautiful gown from Here Comes the Bride. She did the sweetest first look with her grandfather before heading out to see Blake before their ceremony. After their first look, Krista and Blake’s Australian Shepherds Odin and Wally arrived in their coordinating doggy tuxes, they were totally the highlight of the day! Odin and Wally were such good boys in their little tuxedos, posing and smiling and having the best time celebrating their Mom and Dad’s wedding. It was the perfect day for the perfect couple, we were so happy to be there!

Congratulations, Krista and Blake, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Krista and Blake’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS

Photography
Something Blue Photography

Wedding Dress
Here Comes the Bride

Wedding Shoes
Steve Madden

Stephanie & Devin’s Seville Vow Renewal (and Pregnancy Announcement!)

We were originally scheduled to photograph Stephanie and Devin’s wedding the summer of 2020, but like so many of our Something Blue couples their plans had to change in light of the pandemic. Stephanie and Devin tied the knot last summer in Arizona, and this July they returned back to Illinois to celebrate along with their family and friends at The Seville in Streamwood. We were excited to be a part of their celebration this year, but even more excited when we heard the news that Stephanie is expecting!! And that they planned to make the announcement during their reception! It was such an exciting and sweet moment when Stephanie pulled out her ultrasound pictures during dinner, the whole room went wild cheering for this sweet couple! It was a perfect day, we were so thankful to be a part of it!

Congratulations, Stephanie and Devin, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Stephanie and Devin’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS

Photography:
Something Blue Photography

Wedding Dress:
Morilee From Here Comes the Bride

Hair:
Kristy Nickol

Makeup:
Deco Adamo

Bridesmaid Dresses:
The Dessy Group

Wedding Shoes:
Jewel Badgley Mischka

Menswear:
Calvin Klein

Floral:
Something Borrowed Blooms

DJ:
Mickey from Time of Your Life Entertainment

Caitlin & PJ’s Romantic Bolingbrook Country Club Wedding

Caitlin and PJ met with a little prompting from some mutual friends, PJ’s retelling of their love story is too sweet for us not to share:

“When I was running the gym, we had members who worked at the same school Caitlin did. I wasn't looking for a relationship at the time but they told me they had a girl for me. They described her and said she is a special ed teacher and cheerleading coach. I said, "absolutely not" because I had been to hundreds of cheerleading competitions from when my sister Jess cheered in high school so I knew a weird amount about competitive cheer. My family also has family members with diagnosis of autism and down syndrome whom we love unconditionally. I said "we would have too much to talk about and I know I'm going to like her." We connected and had our first date that upcoming weekend. As romantic as we are, we went to Chili's and when we sat down, she immediately put in her rewards code for free chips and salsa. Those who know Caitlin know she has a coupon for EVERYTHING. We couldn't stop talking and I'm not even sure if we ate. From that day on, we've been working together to be the best versions of ourselves and remind ourselves that "when I found you, I found me." One day I took her Dad, John, golfing on the 15th hole, I asked for his blessing to marry his daughter. I couldn't risk asking before we teed off in case he said no, well that would be an awkward 18 holes. He graciously gave me his blessing and I began planning right away. In July 2020, we came back from a family trip in Hilton Head and I invited both her immediate family and mine over for dinner. Caitlin's best friend Erin and sister-in-law Cassie helped me coordinate that she would dress nice and distract her enough to bring her to the front yard while we all snuck to the back. After 5 minutes but felt like an hour, we surprised her and I proposed surrounded by our loved ones. She did a happy dance as I fumbled through my speech and she said yes without hesitation.”

Last fall Conrad had the opportunity to get to know Caitlin and PJ a bit at their Cantigny engagement session. When the day came for Caitlin and PJ’s wedding at the beautiful Bolingbrook Country Club we were both so excited to celebrate with this awesome couple. Their day was really perfect – we loved Caitlin’s sweet first look with her Dad (where she loudly and hilariously told off some boneheads who drove their golf cart right through our photo opportunity). Their ceremony was filled with emotion (made even more powerful thanks to some next-level DJ expertise by our friend Ken of Amp Event Professionals). And while the weather was gloomy all day the sun cooperated and peeked out at the perfect time for some beautiful golden hour photos. We absolutely loved celebrating the love between Caitlin and PJ and wish these two a lifetime of happiness together.

Congratulations, Caitlin and PJ, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Caitlin and PJ’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDORS:
Photography
Something Blue Photography

Wedding Dress
Crystal Bride

Hair
Erika Romero

Makeup
Rose from Zano Salon

Bridesmaid Dresses
Azazie

Menswear
Black Tux

Floral
Floral Expressions

Cake / Desserts
Ciambella Bakery

DJ
AMP Event Professionals

Reception Coordinator
Nikilett Dieter

Hannah and Andrew’s Marriott Lincolnshire Summer Wedding

Hannah and Andrew met on a birthright trip to Israel when they were only teens. They had instant chemistry and have been together ever since. Hannah was barefoot when she met Andrew (blame 18 year old logic thinking Crocs would make suitable hiking shoes). On their wedding day Hannah was barefoot again, a sweet nod to when she first met her groom.

We met Hannah and Andrew at the Marriott Lincolnshire on a day that was threatening rain. Before the raindrops started to fall Hannah and Andrew sweetly saw each other for their first look. Hannah’s Dad had created a beautiful chuppah for his daughter’s ceremony, but as the rain started to fall the decision was made to move the cermeony inside. A team of family and friends worked to dismantle the beautiful chuppah to bring it inside the Marriott, and it was held up during the ceremony by several friends. After the moving ceremony Hannah and Andrew moved into the Lakeside Pavilion for their reception – there were so many sweet moments throughout the day, it was such a joy for us to be there!

Congratulations, Hannah and Andrew, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Hannah and Andrew’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
Photography
Something Blue Photography

Wedding Dress
Martina Liana From Volle’s Bridal

Hair
Tiffany Deliberto

Makeup
Viktoria Zarovsky (Beautoria)

Menswear:
Mr. Tux’s Formal Wear

Floral:
Mayfield Flowers

Wedding Rings:
James Allen

Wedding Cake
Lovin Oven Cakery

DJ
Music by Design

Ceremony Harpist/Violinist Duo
Michelle Campbell Harp

Videographer
Something Blue Videography

Lauren and Ian’s Chevy Chase Summer Wedding

Lauren and Ian used to work together, but she didn’t see him as more than a coworker until she ran into him years later. Their paths crossed again at a friend’s birthday bar crawl, and Lauren won Ian over by buying him shots that night at the bar.

After that night Lauren and Ian were inseparable, and soon they were engaged. Conrad loved doing a fun Blackhawks engagement session for this sweet couple in the winter of 2019. Lauren and Ian’s path to their big wedding day was long and winding due to circumstances beyond their control. Covid pushed them to have an intimate wedding celebration last summer, which was one of our favorite backyard weddings of the pandemic. Their love for the Blackhawks was sweetly woven into the details last summer, and when we all gathered again in 2021 for their big celebration at Chevy Chase there were lots of fun Hawks details to go around.

Their big party was well worth the wait, we had the best time celebrating with Lauren and Ian’s family and friends. During their vow renewal, Ian (a man of few words) sweetly told his wife “I love you so much I would marry you twice.” And we love this couple so much, we would happily photograph them over and over again.

Congratulations Lauren and Ian, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Lauren and Ian’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS

Photography
Something Blue

Videography
Our Wedding Movie

Wedding Gown
Jenny Yoo From Brideside

Wedding Rings
Helzberg

Florist
JH Events and Flowers

Wedding Cake
Lovin Oven

DJ
Spin N Play

Wedding Coordinator
Josh Nilsson

Wedding Shoes
Badgley Mischka

Menswear Designer
Men’s Wearhouse

Ashley and Ryan’s Magical Makray Wedding

Ashley and Ryan met over a decade ago, but they travelled a long and winding road to find themselves at the altar. While they ran in the same circles the timing was never quite right for them to start dating. They finally made things official in January 2018, and before long these two knew they were meant to be together forever.

When Ashley and Ryan’s wedding day arrived, there was SO much positive and supportive energy surrounding this sweet couple. After Ashley slipped into her gorgeous Maggie Sottero gown we arranged a super cute reveal for her girls, they were all really happy and excited to see their gorgeous friend as a bride. Talk about the ultimate squad goals!

It was an unusually hot day for Ashley and Ryan’s June wedding, the complete opposite of their beautiful winter engagement session. Once it was just Ashley and Ryan together the two of them were calm, cool and collected. Ryan’s response to seeing Ashley was SO cute, he totally became the human mind-blown emoji! Our favorite part of the day was when we had those quiet moments with just the two of them, they are so in love and perfect together! After their ceremony their wedding party celebrated with a fun champagne toast, the best transition to the epic party they threw at Makray Memorial Golf Club.

Congratulations, Ashley and Ryan, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Ashley and Ryan’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
Photography
Something Blue

Videography
Daniel Bragiel

Hair and Makeup
Deb Petrelli & Team

Wedding Gown
Maggie Sotero from The Crystal Bride

Florist
Fabbrini’s Flowers

Wedding Cake
Lovin Oven

Wedding Rings
Jared

Bridesmaid Dresses
David’s Bridal

Menswear
Calvin Klein

Live Band
DeJa Vu Band

Val and Brad’s Hotel Baker Family Affair

Val and Brad have been friends for a long time, and they found their friendship grew after they each navigated divorce after kids. They bonded and soon fell in love, but their amazing children also developed a beautiful connection with each other. As this family relationship grew stronger, Val’s daughters and Brad’s son REALLY wanted them to get married. Val and Brad’s kids were the driving force behind them deciding to get married, and they were SO excited when that day finally arrived.

Set against the charming backdrop of the Hotel Baker in St. Charles along the Fox River, Val and Brad’s wedding day was nothing short of perfect. Our friend Elyse of Two Sisters Events served as day-of coordinator to make sure everything went smoothly and created the most GORGEOUS bouquets and arrangements for the wedding. Val looked absolutely STUNNING in her form-fitting gown from Crystal Bride. It was such a sweet moment when her daughters helped her into her wedding dress!

Congratulations, Val and Brad, we wish you and your beautiful family a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Val and Brad’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
VENUE
Hotel Baker

PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
Something Blue

FLORALS & DAY-OF COORDINATION
Two Sisters Events

DJ
That’s My DJ Entertainment

Amanda and Zach’s Intimate Backyard Wedding

Amanda and Zach always wanted to have a small, intimate backyard wedding. When so many couples were forced to go in that direction because of Covid, these two embraced the opportunity to plan the wedding of their dreams. Zach is a firefighter and Amanda is a nurse, celebrating these two essential workers like this was so perfect. They invited only their closest family and friends, and Conrad got to go along to photograph this beautiful day (his friend’s Mom is the groom’s Aunt and officiated the ceremony).

Zach’s Mom helped pull together all of the pretty details to transform Zach and Amanda’s backyard for their wedding day. Their yard was the perfect backdrop for their joyful ceremony, once Amanda and Zach were declared husband and wife there was a lot of clapping and hugging to go around!

After some photos and a champagne toast, Zach pulled his motorcycle into the backyard for photos (another perk of getting married at home!) From their yard Conrad took them to downtown Bloomingdale for some golden-hour portraits against the town’s quaint backdrop before they headed back for a relaxing dinner. It was the perfect day for this amazing couple!

Congratulations, Amanda and Zach, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Amanda and Zach’s beautiful backyard wedding photos, click here

Liz and Erik’s Emotional Metropolis Ballroom Wedding

Liz and Erik live in Kansas but made plans to get married at the Metropolis Ballroom in Arlington Heights so that they could accommodate Liz’s Mom who was suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. The pandemic forced Liz and Erik to change and rearrange their plans, moving their wedding date from May 1, 2020 to July 10, 2020 before finally landing on May 1, 2021. Sadly, Liz’s mom passed away from complications due to her MS last fall, but her presence was powerfully felt throughout this emotional wedding day.

When we arrived at the Metropolis, Liz was finishing hair and makeup as her sisters and future sister in law looked on. Conrad and I took photos of her dress and invitation but paused to ask about the yarn wrapped around her bouquet and Erik’s boutonnière. That pretty blue yarn was from Liz’s mom’s collection, and it was wrapped tightly around Liz and Erik’s personal flowers as a reminder that she was there with them on their wedding day. There were SO many tears on this beautiful day, tears of joy mixed with grief as we celebrated this wonderful couple.

Congratulations, Liz and Erik, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Liz and Erik’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR TEAM
PHOTOGRAPHY
Something Blue

FLORIST
Apple Creek Flowers

WEDDING CAKE
Oak Mill Bakery

HAIR AND MAKEUP
Blush and Braids Beauty Bar

DJ
Spinnin Discs

WEDDING GOWN
Stephanie’s Bridal Boutique

BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES
David’s Bridal

GROOMS’ SUIT
Joseph Abboud

WEDDING RINGS
Valina

Anna and Zach’s Romantic Spring Wedding

Over the last year we have celebrated weddings on a more intimate scale than we once did. Covid forced brides and grooms to scale back and rethink their original celebrations, and as wedding photographers and videographers we had to change gears along with our couples. We first met Anna and Zach over Zoom (something I had never heard of in the early part of 2020) and were excited for the opportunity to celebrate their wedding in April 2021.

When Anna and Zach’s big day arrived, we were excited to see a big wedding party ready to celebrate this sweet couple. Their day was filled with memorable moments, but our favorites took place during their beautiful ceremony at St. Celestine church. Zach tried not once but TWICE to kiss his bride at the wrong moment during the ceremony, it was such a funny and sweet testament to how much he loves Anna. When the time finally came for them to kiss and they were pronounced husband and wife then the party began!!

After the ceremony Anna and Zach joined their wedding party for photos at the Monument Park in Rosemont for photos before we settled in at Allegra for a night of celebrating. Our good friend Ken of Amp Event Professionals created the perfect atmosphere for Anna and Zach’s wedding by going above and beyond (like he always does!) and surprised them with an amazing video tribute from their friends and family who couldn’t attend the reception. Then during the first dances Ken had prepared amazing audio of Anna and Zach talking about the love they have each other and their parents. It was really beautiful to watch everyone become so emotional during these special dances!

Congratulations, Anna and Zach, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY // VIDEOGRAPHY
Something Blue

DJ // PHOTO BOOTH
Amp Event Professionals

VENUE
Allegra Banquets

WEDDING DRESS
Reddington Bridal

FLORIST
Quashtoff’s Flowers

JEWELER
Oak Park Jewelers

Ice Castles Dream Engagement Session

Winter engagement sessions are some of our favorites. While we really don’t love being cold, we do love snowy ethereal landscapes and find they can be the perfect backdrop for true love. I have always wanted to photograph a couple at Ice Castles in Lake Geneva, and was thrilled to have the opportunity this January. Conrad and I met Sarah and Hung at the Geneva National Resort for this dreamy engagement session, and it was such a perfect afternoon. As we marveled at the ice formations together Hung could not keep his eyes off his beautiful fiancé, Sarah looked absolutely radiant in her stunning red Betsy and Adam gown. Together these two helped us make the most gorgeous photos and video, we loved having this opportunity!!

LaNece and Ben’s Magical Micro Wedding

LaNece and Ben fell into the swirling chaos and uncertainty of 2020 like so many of our Something Blue couples. Their wedding was originally scheduled for June, but of course the pandemic had other plans. They rescheduled for 2021 but decided that they couldn’t wait to get married. LaNece and Ben eventually settled on a small, intimate wedding planned for their 8th dating anniversary.

They chose a beautiful Airbnb in Wrigleyville for their wedding, an airy and modern brownstone with a gorgeous rooftop that made for the perfect ceremony backdrop. Apple Creek Flowers created stunning fall florals to help decorate the brownstone and made LaNece the most dramatic bouquet. LaNece pinned two meaningful charms to her bouquet - a “Something Blue” charm with a photo of her younger brother who passed away in 2014 and a “Something Old” charm handed down from her great-grandmother. The pin represented the goddess Athena and was worn on her great-grandmother’s uniform in the Women’s Army Corps.

I met LaNece at the brownstone, I was taking photos outside of her dress and details when she arrived with her mom. Her makeup looked flawless thanks to Maria of BeauteLuxe and her Hair by Carrieann was just perfect. After LaNece slipped into her gorgeous Madison James gown her mom helped her put on the finishing touches out front before the ceremony began.

LaNece’s grandpa built a lovely arch for their ceremony, and Ben nervously waited there for his bride to arrive. Their ceremony was filled with thoughtful and personal touches, thanks in large part to their officiant, Debra of Vista Events, who took great care to ensure that LaNece and Ben’s wedding was unforgettable. With their mothers and grandparents looking on LaNece and Ben finally became husband and wife, it was an honor to be a part of this beautiful day.

Congratulations, LaNece and Ben, you are so loved! We wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of LaNece and Ben’s beautiful micro wedding photos, click here

Stefanie and Paul’s Elegant Micro Wedding Ceremony

I have so much love for the Madison family, my dear friend Catherine is one of TWELVE siblings and it’s been an honor to get to know them over the years. Conrad and I loved being part of her sister Mary Jo’s wedding a couple years ago, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to photograph another Madison wedding this October when Stefanie married her little brother Paul in an intimate ceremony at St. James in Arlington Heights. Stefanie was the kindest and most beautiful bride, her laid-back demeanor perfectly suited the quiet and unassuming vibe of their micro wedding. I met her at her childhood home in Arlington Heights, took a few pictures while she finished getting ready before she slipped into her awesome Michael Kors white wedding jumpsuit. I secretly hope that jumpsuits become more of a thing for our 2021 brides!!

After Stefanie was ready we stepped outside for a few quick family photos. Stefanie’s childhood friend and neighbor was also planning her own pandemic micro wedding, and she stepped in for a quick hug and a couple pictures before we left for St. James. It was THE sweetest moment!!

When we arrived at St. James I loved catching up with some of the Madisons, with twelve children and many grandchildren their family made this micro wedding ceremony feel pretty big!! Paul had tears in his eyes as Stefanie walked down the aisle, and after they were pronounced husband and wife these two were beaming from ear to ear. After a few more pictures at the church we went to my neighbors stunning backyard to take advantage of the fall colors and a cozy bonfire, it was the perfect day!

Congratulations, Stefanie and Paul, thank you for inviting me to share in this beautiful day! I wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Stefanie and Paul’s gorgeous micro wedding photos, click here

Joanne and Jake’s Intimate Fox River Micro Wedding

Joanne never wanted a big wedding, so planning an intimate celebration in the midst of the pandemic actually suited her quite nicely. I met her and Jake (and their adorable daughter Olive!) for the first time on their wedding day, and it was such a joy to be alongside them as they exchanged their vows above the Fox River at an Airbnb in Cary. It was WINDY on their wedding day, but their ceremony was so still beautiful. After they made things official we took a short drive to Trout Valley, a hidden gem where my grandparents lived and I spent a lot of time exploring as a young girl. I have always wanted to photograph a wedding in Trout Valley so I was thrilled that Joanne and Jake were up for a little adventure! We had a wonderful time exploring together and watching sweet Olive have fun crunching leaves and finding sticks. It was a perfectly simple and beautiful afternoon, I was honored to be a part of it.

Congratulations, Joanne and Jake, thank you for sharing this beautiful day with me!

To see all of Joanne and Jake’s pretty micro wedding photos, click here

Nora and Alex’s Stunning Seven Bridges Country Club Wedding

Nora and Alex feel like family to us. I first met Nora years ago, when she was still single, at a boudoir session. I admired her strength and beauty then, she boldly did that session for herself but joked during and after that the photos would one day be a gift to her husband.

Fast forward to 2017 and Alex reached out to let us know he would be proposing to Nora and wanted to do it during a couple’s session we had planned for that Spring. Conrad and I had the most fun at their proposal and were so honored to be a part of that beautiful moment in their lives.

Nora and Alex had planned to get married in the fall of 2019 but decided to hold off because they bought their first house together. But they could have never realized what was to come in 2020, and when the time came for their fall wedding they had to dramatically change their plans. When their wedding day finally arrived, Nora and Alex managed to limit their guest list to comply with regulations regarding the pandemic. They changed venues and chose Seven Bridges Golf Club in Woodridge because Alex’s grandma’s home backs up to the course. Nora and her girlfriends got ready at Alex’s grandma’s house, they all looked amazing thanks to the team at Windy City Glam. One of my favorite moments was when Nora’s niece Emma saw her aunt in her gorgeous gown from Volle’s and said she looked just like a princess.

After Nora finished getting ready, she had a special plan in place for her first look with Alex. She had her Mom, his Aunt, Mom and Grandma come out to give him special “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” gifts. It was so sweet to watch Alex receive all of these thoughtful gifts before he finally saw his bride!! Of course when Nora came out then we were all emotional, it was just the sweetest moment.

When we arrived at Seven Bridges the scene was set for a gorgeous ceremony. Walden Floral in Downers Grove did an amazing job decorating the ceremony space and creating the most beautiful bouquet and boutonniere. Nora’s cousin officiated the socially-distant ceremony, it was so sweet to see him emotional as he talked about having the honor of serving as the officiant for his cousin’s wedding.

After the ceremony, we took some family photos before heading inside for Nora and Alex’s lunch reception. They had the most DELICIOUS chocolate peanut butter cake from Molly’s Cupcakes in Naperville. Nora had given up carbs for a while before the wedding, it was hilarious to watch her sneak the entire cake away to their sweetheart table after getting a taste! As lunch wound down we snuck out onto the golf course for some beautiful photos with Nora and Alex, including an epic drone moment on one of the seven bridges. It was just the perfect day and we were so honored to be a part of it!!

Congratulations, Nora and Alex, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Nora and Alex’s gorgeous wedding photos, click here

Liz and Mike’s Classic Chicago Celebration

Liz and Mike, like so many of our 2020 Something Blue couples, had to dramatically reconsider their wedding plans in the wake of the coronavirus. They changed venues and landed on the truly gorgeous Kimpton Gray Chicago and Boleo. Their intimate micro wedding was as beautiful as we could have imagined, it was truly a gorgeous and unforgettable day!

We have always loved photographing weddings at the Kimpton Gray, the symmetrical marble staircase is a photographer’s dream for beautiful photo opportunities. As Liz got ready with her bridesmaids and mom, Mike hung out with his guys in the billiards room downstairs. Then the time arrived for Liz and Mike’s first look, and it was so joyful when they connected, from that moment the two of them didn’t take their eyes off one another for the rest of the day.

After some wedding party photos in the Kimpton Gray’s gorgeous lobby, we walked to the Chicago Board of Trade for some classic Chicago portraits. From there Conrad and I ventured with Liz and Mike to the Chicago Theatre and the riverfront together. One of our favorite parts of every wedding day is when we have time with the couple alone; in those quiet moments focused on the love shared between two people we find we make our most beautiful photographs.

When we returned Liz shared THE sweetest moment with her grandmother in her hotel room before walking down the aisle to marry her best friend. Liz and Mike’s emotional ceremony was officiated by our friend Brad Hughes of Love Story Weddings, and as always he created the perfect wedding ceremony for this couple. Once things were official, Liz and Mike relaxed and enjoyed cocktails and appetizers with their closest family and friends at Boleo, the stunning rooftop bar nestled inside the Kimpton Gray. Then they moved onto dinner and toasts with a stop at their gorgeous cake adorned with hand-made sugar flowers from Alliance Bakery. The room looked amazing thanks in part to the florals and day-of coordination by Anthony Gowder Designs. And after the meal we returned to Boleo for an evening of (socially-distant) dancing and drinks, it was truly the most perfect and unforgettable day.

Congratulations, Liz and Mike, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Liz and Mike’s beautiful wedding photos, click here