Winter Bridal shoot Chicago IL [Trash the dress] Winter wedding fun Illinois
Yes, she was cold. Yes, she’s awesome for doing this in nothing but a shawl. Yes, we had a great time shooting :)
Red X 3!!!
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Photo of the week Tanya [adorable flower girl dress Chicago]
Shot on location at Belle Vie Bridal Couture Chicago. Isn’t she beautiful? Perhaps she’s dreaming of the day she gets to be a Bride 
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I’m a featured member on the DWF blog!!
I’m so exited to be a featured member on the DWF blog!! The DWF (Digital Wedding Forum) is the largest on line community of professional photographers from all over the world, with over five thousand members! If you have a minute, please take a look Link here.
BTW I submitted over 40 photos for the article because I simply could not choose a ‘few’ favorites, so I just asked them to choose.
If you haven’t done so yet, please take a second to click ‘Like’ my Facebook page, thank you!
And since blog posts are dull without photos, below are some favorites.
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Kim and Justin, Grayslake Illinois Wedding fun couples photos at the Byron Colby Barn
Kim & Justin’s wedding is going to be posted in parts so I can make a point. These photos were taken after the ceremony just before the reception. (The Byron Colby Barn) This little mini romantic shoot took about 30 minutes, and we were within a block of the reception hall. So the point I’m trying to make is that I don’t need hours, or a ‘magical’ location, I just need a happy willing couple and time. Kim gave me total freedom when it came to photography. Honestly I have never felt freer or more creative…and that’s why the photos are so fun
No hesitation whatsoever when I asked them to sit in the grass
Kim listens to my funny dialog…
…then decides I’m completely hysterical!
Oh looky looky, the groom wore red socks, how happy was I? VERY!
I was obsessed with these clouds, they were perfection.
Favorite!!! LOVE!!!! Canvas print for my office? Yes, please!
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Ohhh Love! What a handsome couple they make.
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Great job Hilda. Photos look like you all have so much FUN.
Three little friends
Once upon a time there were three little boys who played together a lot. They were neighbors and their Moms were friends. One of the Moms had dreams of becoming a photographer and she took photos of all the children in the neighborhood. This day happened to be a warm rainy day, and the boys all ran home to put on their firefighter rain-gear so they can keep having fun splashing in the puddles.
They all looked so cute that the Mom photographer asked them to play in from of the red fence. Many years later these boys are now teens and they no longer fit in their little firemen outfits, but the Mom photographer made her dream into reality and not gets to play with Brides on rainy days
P. S. Please excuse the quality, these were scanned from old 4×6′s.
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Renee and Sanoj Wedding, The Crystal Gardens at Navy Pier Chicago Illinois
A few years ago I was shooting an engagement session at Navy Pier, and we walked into the Crystal Gardens…after I was done drooling I said to my couple ‘someday I WILL shoot a wedding here’. I’m happy to say that, that day has come (and now gone) and I have the pictures to prove it Renee is THE most organised Bride ever. Indian wedding always have a lot of events going on, and sometimes they do not run on time, but not this wedding! The whole day went off without a hitch, everyone stayed on schedule (one of the bridesmaids sole job was to make sure everyone stayed on schedule)….and Renee and Sanoj managed to pack 3 days worth of fun into one. I’m happy to say that I ended this season on a very high note
Makeup & Hair — Tamara Lathrop
Well it didn’t hurt that Bride looked like she was straight from a magazine.
Dress by Maggie Sottero.
Flowers by Shamrock Garden in Lombard, IL.
Cute note from the groom. BTW did you know a lot of my couples meet their significant others on line? If you’re single, I highly recommend it!
The ring-bearer did such a good job.
I turned to see the commotion behind me, and see the cheer section for the little flower-girl to make sure she made it all the way down the isle.
For someone so young, she did a fantastic job!
Renee and her dad.
I saw Sanoj fighting back some tears
The Catholic ceremony took place at St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Cathedral in Belwood, Illinois.
The Wedding Saree is placed on the Bride to symbolize that the Groom is committed to clothe and protect his wife.
How cool is it that the boys got to wear Converse All Stars?
Congratulations!!!
Sanoj and his friends are sooo fun the photo ops were endless with this bunch!
At Navy Pier. One of the benefits of having your wedding there, you get your own private escort to the front of the line at the Ferris wheel.
And you can’t beat the view!
Look at these gentlemen, they all gave up their jackets for the ladies, it was so cold and windy.
But when you have the Crystal Gardens to play in, you don’t need to worry about the weather.
Carolyn’s view of me taking the above photograph.
Favorite!
Favorite #2!
The Groomsmen decided to wear Superhero T-shirts under their suits. But the Groom couldn’t find out until the intros because the boys wanted to surprise him. So I had Sanoj come closer to the camera and made him promise not to look back, and that’s how my favorite Groomsmen photo came to be. (PS. My husband was jealous when I told him about the Converse and the Superhero shirts, they are two of his favorite things and wishes he would have done something like that at our wedding) Favorite #3!
While Renee changed into outfit two, we had some fun with the ladies.
The cake topper was a replica of the B&G and on the laptop is the name of the on line dating website where they met.
I love the reactions to the custom cake topper. ( http://microdwarf.com/ )
Bears colors anyone? Yes, please! Cake by Flour, Cake, & Pastry from Chicago, IL.
The appetizers looked and tasted delicious! If you want to have your dream wedding at the Crystal Gardens please contact Samantha Bauman sbauman@stefanigroup.com (312) 595-5446
Outfit two! I love this photo!
The intros where the groomsmen do their big reveal. I love the reactions!!!
Fist dance.
Some of the Bridal party and their friends surprised the couple with the most amazing performance. Seriously, I can’t describe it, but you can watch it >>>here<<<.
Video by the handsome and talented Albert Alunni alunni@att.net
Kudos to all the performers, you were outstanding!!
Outfit three, comfortable enough for dancing and for being carried around on people’s shoulders Love this photo so much, look how happy they look!
The grooms Converse All Stars. Bears colors and their wedding date…LOVE it!
Party!!!
Vogue!
This kid’s dancing blew me away, seriously. He has more natural talent in one little toe than I do in my entire body.
And if you think he’d back away from a dance off challenge, you’d be wrong.
From Renee & Sanoj…
“Dress – I bought it from a consignment store in Philadelphia, called Sabrina Ann. It’s Maggie Sotero gown, and got a deal on it.
Flowers — Shamrock Gardens in Lombard, IL. Linda took care of all of our flowers, reception table centerpieces, and the odd knickknacks at the wedding. She was awesome to work with, and threw in a few things for us. She also worked well with our budgets.
Makeup & Hair – Tamara Lanthrop. She was one of the top three BEST investments we made for this wedding. Being the insane planner I am, I had a schedule ready to go, but we actually finished ahead of schedule for makeup, which never happens at weddings. All of the girls, my mom, and I had our makeup and hair done by Tamara’s team. Throughout the day, everyone kept asking who had done our makeup and hair. They did an amazing job and at a very cost effective package!
DJ – DJ Raja. I really wasn’t happy with his service (because he didn’t follow the instructions we asked him to, and he was rude about getting paid at the beginning of the wedding), but he played good music, and none of the guests complained. Everyone was dancing, but I still wouldn’t recommend him to anyone.
Cake — Flour, Cake, & Pastry from Chicago, IL. It was so much fun to do the tasting with Janet, and she was good to work with. All of the guests kept praising how good the cake tasted. Janet was easy to work with, when we had to make some last minute cake dimension changes, because of the changes on our cake topper.
Cake Topper – Microdwarf.com – It was kinda weird working with an online vendor, but they worked with us and made sure the figurines for our cake topper looked just like us. Everyone loved it and had a great laugh!
Tuxes – They were from Saavi Formalwear in Niles, IL. And to be honest it was like working with members of the Rat Pack. They were so cool, and they offered great tips in terms of color and styles. Their customer service was awesome and they worked with any unique situation we had (like out of town people coming in at the last minute).
Shoes – Converse – Hands down, one of the best decisions we made in terms of making the wedding look more unique. Everyone loved them, and the groomsmen loved the fact that they had new shoes that looked and felt awesome.”
Sanoj’s favorite memory – Seeing everyone coming down the aisle, especially to fun music was great. But what took my breath away, was seeing Renee in her dress for the first time as she walked down the aisle. That’s when everything came together and the fact that we were getting married, really hit me. She looked so unreal and beautiful, it was like a movie.
Renee’s thoughts — Seeing the pictures that you’ve put together, make me believe that the best wedding investment we made was the photography. The magic that you do, if only we give you a good venue and quality time, is amazing. Sanoj and my wedding was the last happiest memory my sister had. My family and I have been missing my sister a lot lately, and your pictures have really helped us get through the hard days. You captured her smile, joy, and caring personality in your picture so well, that I cannot wait to see the rest. Secondly, I’m sooooooo glad we picked the Crystal Gardens to have our wedding reception at. All of our guests were so amazed by the venue, and had no words to describe the excitement. Nonstop, our wedding guests have been telling us that it was the best wedding they’ve been to (because of the venue, quality of food, and organization/time schedule). Samantha Bauman is the best coordinator I’ve ever met, and I’ve met with a few. She was so amazing to work with.
Renee’s favorite memory – I loved the Ferris wheel ride we had in between the ceremony and reception. In our cabin, were the most important young adults I have in my life…my new husband, my new sister-in-law, my dear sister, and my little brother…and of course, Hilda! It was definitely a memory that I will keep in my mind for many years to come.
We honestly wouldn’t change anything about our wedding. It really went much better than we could have imagined. So yay! Planning a lot helps.
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Addy and Griffin Wedding at The Vault / Vivo Restaurant, downtown Chicago IL
Addy is one lucky woman. Carol (my assistant) and I were nearly sobbing when Griffin read his vows to her. OMG! It was like a movie, but better because it was real!! It was such a joy to witness two people so obviously in love
Keara from XEX Salon in Chicago did the Bride’s hair, I’ve never seen such a unique hairdo!
How gorgeous is this? Love all the different shades of purple. Addy’s friend Melissa made the bouquet.
Jasmine Bridal Gown purchased at Eva’s Bridal on Harlem in Chicago.
Custom sash made the seamstress.
Wendi from Curious Beauty did the Bride’s make up.
Shoes by Kate Spade “Gracious”
I love my beautiful City!
Looking great Addy, work that light girl ;)
The groom’s suit was from Nordstroms.
Isn’t he so handsome? He’s also super sweet and incredibly romantic. Griffin and the best man took the subway to Millennium Park, how fun is that?
Their choice for a first look was in front of the ‘Bean’ (Cloud Gate) at Millennium Park Chicago.
Showing off the dress
Love!
Favorite 1!
A quick stop at Carnivale for a pre-wedding cocktail and some photos
The ceremony and the reception took place at The Vault @ Vivo Restaurant, Chicago. Here’s a Bride who got to walk up the isle!
BEST. Groom. Vows. EVER!!!!
First dance.
Favorite 2!!! LOVE-LOVE-LOVE-LOVE-LOVE-LOVE-LOVE!!!! Did I mention how much I love this photo? LOVE!!!!!
From the Bride & Groom…
“Restaurant -The Vault @ Vivo Restaurant, Chicago. This restaurant was spot on for what we were looking for. We wanted a no mess, no fuss, no worry kind of venue. The best parts about “The Vault” was the ambiance and the food. The Gnocchi was amazing and it was something they don’t generally do for catering but they did it for us because they really strived to accommodate all of our requests. (Although Vivo was perfect, we would maybe have had a slightly bigger place with a little bit bigger dance floor.)
Dress- I had quite some apprehensions about my dress. It is a Jasmine Bridal gown and I had some alterations made so it would be more my style. I knew from the get-go I wanted a flowing, easy to wear dress and I for some reason HAD to have my purple sash. It took until just a week before the wedding to finalize the details. I bought the dress at Eva’s Bridal on Harlem and had the alterations done privately. My seamstress made the sash for me!
My shoes: I think they are amazing. The are the Kate Spade “Gracious” heels in purple. It took me months to find the shoes and then one day, in San Francisco, after shopping all day with my friend Melissa and nearly giving up on the perfect purple shoes, I went into a “Crossroads” store and BAM! On a shelf, still in the box, pretty much never worn Kate Spade purple shoes. SOLD! To one happy happy bride-to-be!
Tux- Amawzin’ suit is more like it! Griffin and I decided that buying a nice suit he could wear again was a better deal specially since we really didn’t see the need for a tux! We bought it at Nordstroms. Everything from top to bottom was purchased and tailored there. A word of caution: If you go there, make sure you buy your suit from someone who works in the suits department….otherwise pick up after alterations is tricky.
Flowers: Thank you Melissa Appel Spooner, my best friend for making me the most awesomest ever bouquet and all other arrangements. I didn’t have a vendor on this one, we had family . Melissa flew in from Kansas city with her “mobile flower shop” in a suitcase and as soon as she picked up the flowers she had pre-purchased.
. Melissa flew in from Kansas city with her “mobile flower shop” in a suitcase and as soon as she picked up the flowers she had pre-purchased.In place of cake we had cupcakes from “More” in several flavors, giant “Carol’s Cookies”, which to this day people are still talking about, and then we brought out mini Ben & Jerry’s and Hagendaz ice cream cups.
Hair/Make-up: My hair (and my sisters and mom) was done on location by Keara from XEX Salon. She not only added in a last minute person, she also agreed to completely change my hair from what we had originally done during the trial. Keara is professional, friendly and excellent!
Wendi, from Curious Beauty, did my make-up. I chose to do air-brush make up and I am so glad I did! She was also professional, friendly and her work is amazing!
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Now about our photographers: We thought we had found one. Then we just didn’t have a good vibe specially after reading the contract. Then we talked to two others who just didn’t really care about us. They were down to business before they even greeted us. But then I found Hilda. Hilda met us one evening at her office and never even really want to know about the wedding at first. She wanted to know us, who we are and how we happened. It was refreshing, easy going, fun and a couple of hours later we got around to looking at her work. It was SO easy to make this decision. We knew we wanted Hilda to photograph our wedding. We met with her about a month before the wedding to finalize details. She welcomed out idea of going to “Cloud Gate” at night, even bringing in a new nifty light to make the pictures even more amazing. Hilda kept me centered when there were a few too many people around me, she made me comfortable and it was a “ask and you shall receive” situation. Mints? got it, scissors? she had it, help for my mom to understand how my dress closed up? Yup, she did that too! Carol and Hilda arrived early, started taking pictures right away and they made sure we were having a good time. Thank you Hilda for my plate full of food
The pictures you two take are amazing and they truly capture our night! Both of us agree that we hit the jackpot with Angel Eyes Photography!
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I’m putting vendors aside on this one. Hilda, you win the wedding purchase when it comes to vendors!
We had a few favorites: My pendant/necklace, Griffin’s wedding day watch and lastly, our custom “Munny” cake toppers that we commissioned a French Couple to make for us. We have a collection of Munnys and Dunnys and Griffin, again with his brilliant ideas, found this couple to make us custom 4″ Munnys. They will be displayed at home now, alongside our collection!
Our favorite wedding memory : Once Griffin was done saying his vows to me, I just wanted to kiss and hug him. We were in our own world, didn’t care that we still had to wait for an exchange of rings.
Addy: once we were declared husband and wife, we kissed, turned to the guests and I remember just jumping up and down in excitement!
Griffin: Having a drink together and just chatting together right before the ceremony at Carnivale.”
Thank you for visiting my blog, please leave a comment or let’s be friends on Facebook there are always more photos there
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Thank you Hilda and Carol! We love the pictures!!!
My new boots, they’re red….who’s surprised? ;)
How cute are my new boots? Love them!! Got them with the $$ my Mom sent me for Christmas. Thanks Mom Happy Holidays everyone!!! (Photo by Eric Burke)
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Wedding teasers Renee and Sanoj, Crystal Gardens at Navy Pier in Chicago
I was going to do a photo of the week, but I just couldn’t choose one, so instead I’m posting some teasers before the full blog post.
This photo of Sanoj and the groomsmen is my favorite groomsmen photo ever!
LOVE!
More coming soon.
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Love the photos and can’t wait to see more
. Renee and Sanoj were such a fun couple to work with, and you can totally see their personalities in these pictures!!!
Erin and Dom, Mount Prospect Illinois wedding [Chicago IL wedding photojournalism]
I had a blast photographing Erin and Dom’s wedding, they were so happy and in love Erin is the type of Bride who’s sweet and polite, but also knows how to make things happen…I definitely can relate to that.
The trolley ride to the Church with the girls was one of the most memorable of my career, and that is all I’m going to say about it
Dress by Watters, purchased at VIP occasions in Elmhurst.
I want this shirt!
The adorable flower girls.
LOVED the shoes by Chinese Laundry purchased at Von Maur.
Even though two of them were almost 9 months pregnant, they were all so pleasant to work with, thank you ladies!
I do love me some artistic Bridal portraits. And her necklace? How great is that? Love!
Flowers–Stylish Stems in Lombard
Stunning!!
In the Hotel parking lot….favorite!
The boys looking good in front of the Church.
St. Alexander Church, Villa Park, IL
OMG! These kids were soooo cute!!!
Time to get married.
I love this kid, hysterical!
Gorgeous Church.
Nice shot from the balcony by Carol.
The reception was at one of my favorite venues, the food and service are outstanding.
Victorias in the Park, Mount Prospect.
Some photos on the grounds.
Love!
Bride’s veil by Wedding Etc. in Downers Grove.
First dance.
Party time!
Can I borrow this baby just for a couple of hours please?
From Erin…
“Dress (and reception belt) from VIP occasions in Elmhurst–Everyone over there is so nice down to the seamstress! It was such a pleasant experience and I would recommend them to everyone!
Flowers–Stylish Stems in Lombard
DJ–A Touch of Music–Jack Nicholson. Jack did a great job and really listened to us during our initial meeting. We had seen one of his co-workers and a few weddings and wanted to book him. However, he was unavailable on our date so we went with Jack. It is a hard thing to pick a DJ but Jack did an excellent job!
Cake came with the venue…so not sure where it was from!
Tux–Modern Tuxedo in Glen Ellyn. We enjoyed working with everyone there! They even have a service where they will pick the tux’s up the day after the wedding at the Hotel. The guys just had to leave them at the front desk when they checked out. It was so nice to not have to worry about getting the tux’s to the shop the day after the wedding.
Shoes–I got my shoes from Von Maur. They were Chinese Laundry.
Bridesmaid Dresses–Bridesmaid dresses were by Watters (same designer as my wedding dress) and we got them from House of Brides. This was a tricky part because I knew I was going to have two 8 month pregnant bridesmaids and I wanted something they would be comfortable in. I was so happy with the choice and loved the dresses!
Veil–I designed my veil at this really cute wedding boutique in Downers Grove called Wedding Etc.—Great store!
Our favorite wedding related purchase is a tie, with (what I think are the 2 most important purchases of a wedding) the Venue and the Photographer!
Victoria in the Park in Mount Prospect— We fell in love with the layout of the venue, the staircase, the bar and the chandeliers! From the minute we walked into Victoria in the Park to look at the venue to the minute we walked out after our wedding, we felt fully taken care of by the staff! They put us at ease because you could just tell they knew what they were doing and we just trusted from the very beginning that they would make everything perfect…and the did!
Angel Eyes Photography, what can I say! From the moment I saw your work I knew I really wanted you to photograph my wedding. Once I met you..I was sold! Hilda, you are such a great person and an amazing photographer. I was so excited when I walked out of our initial meeting because I could see how excited you got and how passionate you were about your craft! With the chaos that is 2 very large families and one extremely large wedding party…you and Carol were amazing! You took charge and got everyone in line and we had a blast with you guys! The pictures turned out amazing and I just feel so lucky to have found you!
Our favorite wedding memory would have to be at the church when they pronounced us “Man and Wife”. As we kissed for the first time we was blown away by the large, loud cheers. Once we turned and looked we couldn’t believe the amount of people who were at the church. With getting married on a Friday afternoon, our wedding being 3 hours before our reception and 15 miles from our reception hall we knew some people would not be able to make it and we were OK with that. We never expected the church to be so packed and it was such a great moment for us!
What would we change?
We would change the same thing as most brides and grooms…we would have eaten more! We both skipped the appetizers and had a bit of our dinner. We didn’t have the dessert (which came highly recommended by Hilda) or the late night food. We are still getting compliments on how good the food was so we wish we would have tried more!
Overall, it was an absolutely perfect day!!”
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January 30th, 2012 at 12:15 pm
Oh my gosh oh my gosh OH MY GOSH!!!!!!! These are probably some of my favorite pictures you’ve ever posted. Two of my most favorite things – snow, and red!!
Just beautiful!!