St. Michael Catholic Church will always be a special place for me as it was the church that Sue and I were married in 9 years ago. I’ve been to quite a few weddings at St. Michael but Brittany and Zach’s came with a surprise from Father Sonny. You’ll notice him playing guitar in the middle of this movie. He stopped and sang them a song while he played mid ceremony. From the look on their faces it was pretty special for the bride and groom.

Post ceremony we headed west to the St. Charles Country Club. If you have not been, it is a Country Club worth visiting. Tucked back in the trees and on a rolling hill, the club provides wonderful backdrops for wedding pictures. Lookout for pictures of the dessert trays that came out late in the evening. They really spent a lot of time making all of the details perfect for Brittany and Zach.

Enjoy the movie!

The Chicago Style Unveiled team recently made a trip to some of their favorite Chicago wedding related shops. Take a minute to read their feature on The Left Bank, where you will find everything but the dress when it comes to wedding accessories in Chicago.

Most of my brides know I’ll go anywhere to get a great picture. I say anywhere because I have yet to run into a location that I couldn’t make work. I would be lying if I told you this spot didn’t make my palms sweat a bit. If you have ever been to the top of The Allerton Hotel in Chicago you know there is a great view of the Magnificent Mile on Michigan Ave. What you may not know is there is a set of fire escape stairs located outside of each of the towers. I don’t remember the exact floor count, but if there were an actual emergency I might take a chance and use the elevator. Thanks to Leah and David for braving the heights!<br>

Most brides dismiss their church as a good location for wedding photography. The assumption is that plenty of pictures will be taken inside the church, let’s move on to another spot after the wedding. This was my first trip to St. Josaphat Catholic Church in Chicago. I always like to walk around a church in search of a few places to shoot. The fountain was of course an obvious spot, but with a little searching I found an alley on the side of the church. It was dark and not really appealing however the red door caught my eye so we ventured toward it for a few shots. If you’re still planning your wedding please don’t discount your church as a great spot for pictures. You never know what your photographer might come up with.

Hopefully the five images below show you why I love Olive Park. For those that like to read: It’s hard to find shooting locations that offer easy access, a lake, trees, a view of the city, and enough room to photograph without tons of people in the background.

Jessica and Mark were lucky to avoid the rain most of their wedding day. However, the Chicago Museum Campus was our last picture location and there was no avoiding it. The rain came and we improvised. Wedding photography seems to resembles my love for jazz. You start with a plan and you never know where you will end up. Some people would look at rain as something to avoid on the wedding day. I say make it work!

I find many of my brides spend quite a bit of time picking out the perfect Chicago wedding reception venue, only to dismiss it when it comes to photography. I know you are ready for a break, but giving your photographer a little time at the reception will be worth it. I usually take 15-20 minutes to hit a spots at the reception that really standout for great pictures. These often turn out to be some of the best images of the day. Here are just a couple images taken at the Murphy Auditorium just before cocktail hour.

We have been spoiled in Chicago lately with 40 degree weather. I find that my thoughts are already drifting to summer time. Then, like the rest of you my dreams are shattered when I look at the weather for next week and I see snow seven days in a row. So, if we can’t have nice weather why not look at wedding pictures that remind us of how great summer can be in Chicago. Nothing says summer like a linen suit and a golf course wedding.

It’s June, it’s hot, and we’re on a golf course at the Hilton Chicago Indian Lakes Resort.

A note to all wedding party members and bride and grooms. It may not look pretty when you’re standing in front of it, but don’t worry I have a plan. Most people don’t walk through their day and have brief moments where they find themselves thinking, “Wow, that decrepit wall would make a killer background at 2.8″
Welcome to the burden of thinking like a wedding photographer. When watching movies we see catch lights in an actor’s eyes and drift off into thoughts of the light source creating it. I can’t make it five minutes into my day with my boys without seeing the way light falls on their faces.

My point you ask? Simple, I promise I won’t let you down. Give me the benefit of the doubt and you’ll love what you see in the end.
Walking up to this location in downtown Des Plaines, I heard whispers and some times louder than whispers, “Seriously, we’re going to shoot here.
{Insert heavy sarcasm} This will look great.” I’m not going to lie, I like a challenge.

These images are the end result of what seemed like a strange place for pictures of a bride and groom. When I delivered the album to Michael and Jill, Michael mentioned that these turned out to be their favorite shots.

The challenge for any wedding photographer is walking into a room that you have never been in and quickly finding places to shoot. Finding light and finding spaces that work for a bride and groom can be tricky, but that’s part of the fun of photographing weddings. You never know what you might stumble upon.
Upon entering a room I immediately put together a plan to use as much of the space as I can. The easy way out would be to shoot everything in the same location. So I am slightly type A and and self diagnosed with ADD. I can’t sit in a chair by the beach for more than 5 minutes, so I certainly can’t shoot all wedding pictures in one location.

Jessica and Mark had their first moment on the wedding day in their suite at the Chicago Trump Tower. You’ll see in these three images I used the light from the giant windows in three different ways.