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Music by Non-Stop Entertainment, Inc. : Flowers by Wild Rose Florist : Hair and Makeup by Tantress Salon and Outer Beauty Make Up
Officiant Kyle Klorczak : Videography by Ginger John Thomas
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Music by Asoundz DJ Service : Getting Ready at Hotel Chicago : Ceremony and Reception Venue: Untitled Supper Club
Flowers by Fasan Florist : Hair by Sweet Violet Wedding
Music by Asoundz DJ Service : Getting Ready at Hotel Chicago : Ceremony and Reception Venue: Untitled Supper Club
Flowers by Fasan Florist : Hair by Sweet Violet Wedding
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"The goal is to laugh forever with someone you take seriously"
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Scroll down to see the GIANT earth balloon! Yes, this wedding took place on Earth Day and it happened that Hosanna Lutheran Church of St Charles had the perfect prop to represent the day. Although it is not a the theme for the wedding but we definitely had fun with it. Another unbelievable backdrop for photos was the windmill of Fabyan Forest Preserve. For locals this might be a familiar landmark but it is an amazing site to see if you have never been to the park. We got really lucky with some perfect sun flare in the photos as well.
There was one more unique element during the reception at The Riverview Banquests of Batavia IL The venue is right off of the Fox River which provided amazing light reflection for the lantern release. That's right the bride and groom had an intimate lantern release with immediate families which was inspired by one of my favorite Disney film Tangled.
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The bride’s first look with dad was so touching that I (the photographer) got choked up with emotions. Only about 30% of my brides do a reveal with dad. It is climbing up the ladder to be one of my favorite times of the day. I would love to see more brides incorporate this into their day.
This newlywed sprinkled little dashes of the past through out their wedding. We stopped by the groom’s childhood church for the wedding portrait. The church had historic beauty at the same time represented personal significance to the couple. The bride and groom opted out on the sand / candle ceremony that we often see. Instead they chose to do a soil ceremony where they combined the grounds of important landmarks of their past. Now that is a unique and original idea.
I love the idea of a generational tradition at weddings. The bride ordered a small second cake from Jarosch Bakery. This is the bakery her grandmother used for her own wedding back in the 40s. The mother of the bride also ordered her wedding cake from the same bakery. I love the idea of continuity from a local business that have been around for so long.
One of the sweetest moments was the transition from the father of the bride speech to the father daughter dance. It was so smooth and seamless. The father was sharing stories of how the bride loves to play princess then the song Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman came on. He then reached out his hand to lead the bride onto the dance floor like a scene from a fairy tale. It was a wow moment for me followed by awwwww.
Wedding Ceremony: First Congregational Church of West Dundee IL
Wedding Reception: The Seville of Streamwood IL
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The wedding party were a blast to spend the day with. Upon our arrival at The Seville of Streamwood IL is when I found out that I am further blessed with guests who are very talented dancers! The night partied on with the amazing music and lighting provided by djpatufiesta.com who specialize in bilingual events. The vibe of the reception was intoxicating. The Seville delivers once agaain with their interior ambiance, great service, and delicious food.
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Upon arriving at the Hawk's View Golf Club, I was immediately impressed by the flow of the floor plan. Everything just made perfect sense. There's this amazing heated covered outdoor seating area that allowed for late fall weddings over looking at a to die for golf course sunset view. Fireplace, roomy bridal suite, and a separated full bar are some of the other features of this venue. Did I mention that the entire building is wrapped around with breath taking golf course view? Check out those clouds! We were able to get a variety of different settings for the wedding party portraits simply by moving from one side of the building to another. That's a dream situation for a wedding photographer.
As a photographer I had the perfect day. My clients and their families are a dream to work with. The wedding party was cooperative and fun. I worked along side with some great vendors such as Andrew the videographer from Aerodef Production and Jason from Elite Mini Bus The only thing that I would change is to increase the temperature by 10 degrees and tame the wind. My girls brave through the wind though and pulled of great smiles for the pictures!
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Now back to my admiration for Tracy and Erick's detailed step by step wedding schedule, checking out portrait locations, and sending me screenshots of each setting. Their cooperation lead to more time for formal portrait at THREE different settings! We started wedding pictures at the pier of William's Bay Park and then moved on to the board walk of the forest. The newlyweds know what they wanted but at the same time flexible with changes as they happen. This really helped me as photographer since there were guidelines but also room for creativity. During sunset time we stepped out during the reception with the wedding party for part 3 of the formal portrait. When we talked during the consultation I imagined sunset with bright orange and red. However the position of the trees and the sun we ended up with beautiful soft pink, blue, and golden glow. Sometimes things don't play out exactly how we plan it but that should not stop couples from planning out the details as much as possible. It's always better to over plan ahead of time and then approach the wedding day with an open mind.
The Ridge Hotel provided the perfect backdrop for intimate getting ready photos. Hair and makeup by Ridge Spa.
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We found this adorable little courtyard hidden between the buildings at the Geneva National Golf Resort to hide from the sun. The lighting worked out perfectly for family portraits. My advice for future bride and grooms are to rely on your wedding photographer's advice on where to do portraits. Lighting come before setting and your photographer will be the one who can see hidden potential for the perfect light.
Ceremony at Pavilion Lawn of the Geneva National Golf Course.
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Cocktail Hour at Lake Geneva Room & Lounge. Flowers by Twisted Stem. Cake by Sugar Circle
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Amazing music and lighting provided by DJ Dave from A Posh Production
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Meagan and Randy's wedding was everything a beach wedding should be. We were lucky to have had beautiful weather with just a touched of breeze. The ceremony and reception site was gorgeously decorated with lantern pieces from Haymond Centerpiece . Did I mention that the reception room was wrapped by wall to wall glass windows overlooking the water? The windows provided us with a wonderful blue backdrop to the first dance after the sunset. A word of advice to future brides who is planning a beach wedding. Try to have your ceremony toward the end of the day like Meagan and Randy did. The closer you have the ceremony to sunset the more flattering the light will be. Although we did have some very strong light during the beginning of the ceremony but at least it was late afternoon directional light. If they had their ceremony toward middle of the day then the shadows on their faces will be much more harsh and unflattering. Beach weddings do provide more challenges for photographer so make sure you discuss the setting in depth with your wedding photographer.
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The last time I photographed a wedding at The Public Landing was during the hottest day of the summer with vibrant green trees. So I was re-inspired all over again with the softer colors of winter at this historic wedding venue. We discovered a brick wall filled with ivy branches plus a rusted ladder in the back alley of the building. The ladder provided the perfect location for Heather to step up and have her very pale pinkish peach gown cascade down perfectly. Also my partner DJ Randy of Affordable Soundz DJ Service came with the most amazing new lights! They provide unbelievable back light to the dancers with every changing colors and patterns. Please scroll down the blog to see the awesome effects of the DJ lights.
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Since I worked with Shannon and Lee before I felt less anxiety the day of the wedding and they trust me more with location selection and posing. Yes, I the wedding photographer also get pre-wedding day jitters like you. I know how important this day is and I mentally prepare myself to do the best job possible for each wedding. I was lucky that Shannon and Lee's family/friends were just as easy going as they are. The staff at Maravela's Banquet were so attentive and considerate. They brought my ice cream out for the cake after I sat down to take a break from the photos so it won't melt. How sweet was that? Shannon's maid of honor helped me the whole day and she was so much fun to work with. At the end of the night I felt more like a guest than a vendor. Shannon told me to go home to be with my family and that was so nice of her. The energy on the dance floor was so great that I didn't want to leave.
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This is my second wedding at the Mayslake Peabody Estate . This time I had the privilege of working with the nicest officiant Pam from Rev for Whatev. Haha, with a name like that you know she is laid back and fun to work with. The historic chapel of Mayslake and main estate provided a dreamy backdrop to the ceremony. The venue also have great shabby chic vintage interior plus outdoor space with mature trees. The whole place looks like the set up from a movie set and I can't believe it located right here in Oak Brook. Sorry Justin, I love a teary eyed groom too much not to share the moment you saw your bride.
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It's so cool that the bride and groom got a school bus to take the guests to the reception at the Crystal Grand Banquet of Lemont. I didn't even know you can rent a school bus! I must say this is a premium looking bus. It just looked shinier than the ones I took to school years ago. The lighting of the day was perfect so we were able to step out and grabbed a few more portraits during dinner. After that? Hours of dancing with music provided by Windy City Mix DJ service until the sparkler grand exit.
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We cooled off immediately once we got inside the upstairs loft with wood beam ceilings and brick walls. This place is definitely not your typical banquet hall. It was actually the former Gaylord building back in 1877. A guest was so sweet to hand me an ice water to whom I am still grateful for til this day. Everyone was greeted with classic wedding tunes from Affordable Soundz DJ and the Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Scallops being passed around were to die for. The party was kicked off with tearful speeches and a special first dance song from the grandmother's youth. The father of the bride was one of the most memorable dads I have met. He was so full of love and did not hold back on showing it. There were kisses flying around all night and it was such a great sight to see. I feel emotions are magnified with a small group. All the guests had a chance to chat with the newlywed instead of just saying congratulations. I feel like Tim and Jenni truly got a chance to enjoyed their families and shared the day with them.
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