Don’t think we’re weird, but one of our favorite things to do is crawl the web in search of awesome Chicago wedding venues that we would love to work with.  We came across Salvage One and were instantly in LOVE!  It’s no secret that we love vintage styling, the DIY feel, and eclectic design.  Salvage One has all of the above!  How perfect is that?!?  Not only is Salvage One a unique wedding venue, they host fundraisers and corporate events.  Plus they’re a green company, preserving Chicago architectural elements from being destroyed.  Visit this link, http://salvageone.com/weddings.php , to view some beautiful work that showcases this amazing venue’s beauty and sophistication.

From Salvage One’s About Us page: http://salvageone.com/aboutus.php

“We Recycle. We Salvage.

We save architectural elements from the wrecking ball. Salvage One works to preserve and pass on our history. We have been helping our customers breathe new life into salvaged materials for nearly 30 years. Our aim is to take salvage further by working with you to add creativity and style to your space. We also specialize in one-of-a-kind items that are unique and of all tastes and styles.

Our store is over 60,000 square feet full of materials and design ideas on four floors. We have a full work shop to do custom work, and a yard full of garden and landscaping ideas.”

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If your thinking about having your wedding reception at Salvage One, we would love to join you in celebrating your marriage as your Chicago wedding photographers!  And guys, if your thinking about popping the question to the love of your life (wink wink .  We also offer Chicago surprise proposal photography!  Its a great way to surprise your future wife with pictures of her saying YES!  Feel free to click the contact us button below, or to your left, or even in the menu at the top…lol.  You can also email us at info@chicagoillinois-weddingphotography.com or call us at 630.800.7582.

Stay tuned for the follow-up to this beautiful wedding!

To see more Patrick Haley Mansion weddings, visit one of these links:

Patrick Haley Mansion Wedding Photography or Patrick Haley Mansion Wedding Photographers

If you’d like Corlis and Megan to shoot YOUR wedding just click the “Get in Touch” button to your right or the “Get in Touch” tab to your left, the “Contact” button at the bottom of this post, email us at info@chicagoillinois-weddingphotography.com, or call us at 630.800.7582.

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Here is the followup post to Tailor and Tom’s beautiful Danada House Wheaton, IL wedding sneak peek.  Visually, the Danada House is a top notch wedding facility.  The main part of the house is a beautiful vintage mansion accented by amazing rich colored woods and a gorgeous courtyard containing a water feature.  The grounds are kept pristine with many trees, flowers, and open expanses.  There are beautiful white stables located in front of the house that give this location vintage charm.

The only thing that gives the Danada House any more character is this wonderful couple.  Taylor and Tom are such an amazing team, and were just so wonderful to work with.  They just oozed love out of every pore.  And fun!  Lemme tell ya, these two knew how to have a great time!  They had me set up an open air photo-booth, but didn’t even get to use it themselves until the end of the night.  You couldn’t pull them off of the dance floor lol.  Their guests on the other hand took full advantage of the photo-booth. There was a line out of the door of people waiting to take some absolutely hilarious pictures.

Needless to say, my wife and I had a wonderful time laughing and celebrating this amazing day with some truly amazing people.

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If you enjoyed this wedding please feel free to comment below.  If you’d like to contact me you may either click the Contact Us icon on the bottom tool bar or click the Chicago wedding photographer contact link on the top menu.  You may also call me at Phone: 630.800.7582 or email me at Email: info@corlisgrayphotography.com.

You can view more Chicago Illinois wedding photography here Chicago wedding pictures Amy + John or here Chicago wedding photography Amy + Chad.

The first question…

The very first question should be directed to yourself.

“Who are the most important people we need to hire, and in which order?”

Whom do I book first…

This is where it gets tricky.  At least for me to try and explain why without sounding bias.  100% of the, over 300, couples that I’ve photographed have booked their reception hall first.  Which has dictated their budget for the rest of the vendors that they’ll need for their wedding.  The next few vendors vary depending on the couple, but it’s a mix of DJ, caterer, florist, photographer, cake, etc…

In no way am I saying that this is the wrong approach.  Especially if you have an unlimited budget.  However, I would like you to consider this question.

“Which of these wedding vendors is going to provide me with a tangible product that I will have for the rest of my life?”

While the church, reception venue, and any outdoor locations, are important to setting the scene for your wedding, a talented wedding photographer can, and will, create beautiful pictures anywhere.  Sometimes the photographer is one of the last people to get booked.  This is puzzling to me because, the food and cake get eaten, the music stops, the flowers wilt and die, but the memories captured by your photographer last a lifetime.  My mother still sits down with her grandchildren and her wedding album to show them, that one time, her and grandpa we beautiful and in love.

Responsibility…

Equipment…

The pieces of equipment a photographer carries around is not your typical point-and-shoot. High-end camera bodies average around $5,000 each. High-end lenses are around $2,000 each.  Photographers also carry back-up equipment in case their primary equipment fails, which adds to the cost of the wedding photography prices. In case your photographer is living in the Jurassic period and hasn’t switched over to digital (there are a few out there, somewhere), you also have to factor in the cost of film. Good wedding photographers easily can bring over $15,000 worth of equipment to shoot your wedding. Add in the prices of computers and editing programs like Photoshop, and costs begin to skyrocket.

Insurance…

Because cameras and equipment cost so much, photographers are smart to insure them.  Just in case your drunk (who your mom insisted on inviting) cousin Jimmy decides he wants to spray champagne all over the wedding photographer’s equipment for a joke.

Photo extras…

If you knew how much albums cost you’d have a heart attack. Albums are extraordinarily expensive and are often added into the wedding photography prices. Don’t forget the time and skill it takes to design them as well.

Education…

The more educated a photographer is, the better techniques and specializations will be used while shooting a wedding. As everything else, that education comes at a cost through instructors, college degrees, extra classes and seminars, etc. Intangibles such as expertise aren’t easy to measure monetarily, although we try!

So while you may be asking, “why does photographer X cost so much more than photographer Y?” the answer might be simple: Photographer X has spent more money developing his or her business into a full-fledged photography service, which ends up costing more money than an inexperienced photographer who moonlights part time on the weekend.

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Check here for more Naperville engagement photography, and Naperville river walk photographer here.

You can view our contact information here Chicago wedding photographer contact or call us at Phone: 630.800.7582.  Email: info@corlisgrayphotography.com.  You can also just click the Contact Us button on the bottom menu bar, or click the Chicago wedding photographer contact link on the top menu.

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Here is Lisa and Aarons stunning Chicago Botanic Gardens engagement session.  They are such a fantastic couple together!  Although Lisa was VERY camera shy in the beginning, she quickly loosened up and became really relaxed as she gazed into Aaron’s eyes.  (I know, it sounds super cheesy, but it’s true..lol)  You can see more Chicago Botanic Gardens engagement photography here, by Chicago Botanic Gardens engagement photographer Corlis Gray.

Here is a sneak peek at Kari and Brent’s amazing outdoor Oswego wedding.  Oswego, IL is about 38 miles south west of Chicago.  This couple totally rocked my socks!  Fun, energetic, and most of all, in love!!!  We had an amazing time partying the night away during this Chicago-land wedding.

You may remember Kari and Brent from their romantic Chicago engagement photography session here.  You can see more amazing outdoor Chicago wedding photography here.

Here’s a sneak peek at Taylor and Tom’s amazing early fall wedding at the beautiful Danada House in Wheaton.  I love the intimate ceremony and the vintage styling.

Hegeler Carus Mansion has some of the most beautiful architecture I’ve seen.  It allowed  for many photo opportunities throughout the bridal portrait session.  The stair case was a perfect setting for the large wedding party.

Seneca’s Oak ridge is one of my favorite reception sites.  Their staff is always very professional.  Sherry Henkel, their event coordinator, is one of the best in the industry.

I just love being a Chicago wedding photographer!

P.S. Congratulations Amy & John!!!  See more DIY wedding photography here.

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