For those who aren't aware, we moved back to California this past summer for Alicia's medical residency program. So when Megan and Guy first asked us about photographing their Chicago winter wedding, we were super flattered to be asked to travel so far to cover their special day...but worried that our now thin blood wouldn't be able to handle the "norm" for that time of year -- cloudy, damp/snowy, and icy cold. But we were all pleasantly surprised by a gorgeous sunny day with temps in the low 50s! It was a direct reflection of the happiness and excitement that filled the day for Megan and Guy and their family and friends. Clearly this marriage was one eagerly awaited by literally hundreds of people -- and to prove it they came from all over the world (Europe, South America, and across the US) to share in Megan and Guy's celebration and dance the night away.

Perhaps the most fun we had that day was taking photos at the Chicago Firehouse downtown where Guy works as a firefighter/paramedic. The timing worked out perfectly so that we were even able to use one of the trucks! Nothing like a bridal party hanging around a fire truck with flashing lights to get a couple wedding photographers excited. ;] From there we hit up a few spots on Michigan Avenue with Megan our fearless bride walking all around in the evening wind with no coat and 4-inch purple heels -- and all with a smile! She is seriously a trooper and one of the most go-with-the-flow brides we've ever worked with.

Even in the midst of a jam-packed day filled with lots of excitement and tons of people, the thing we enjoyed watching most was the way Megan and Guy clearly love and care for each other. Just like their engagement session, the cute moments came very naturally to them and we rarely had to prompt them to hold hands, kiss, or look/smile at each other since they couldn't seem to stop doing that candidly!

A special shout-out to Alicia's cousin, Randi, for stepping in and being an awesome assistant. We couldn't have done it without you, and it was so nice being able to see and spend time with you. :]

Megan and Guy -- we had such a great time photographing your wedding and are so happy for the two of you. Thank you so much for letting us be a part of your celebration! We hope you enjoy your wedding images as much as we did capturing them!

Justin was a classmate of Alicia's in medical school, now a pediatrics resident at the University of Chicago. We went on a trip to West Virginia with him and his lovely bride, Rachel (a nurse) a few years ago, and of course we also did a downtown Chicago e-session with them last fall.

Their wedding in Grand Rapids, Michigan was truly a pleasure to photograph. It went SO smoothly from start to finish -- the only wedding we can recall that ran AHEAD of schedule all day! Rachel and Justin made some smart decisions that helped keep us on track and allowed us a huge amount of relaxed photo time.

They trusted us with their "detail" items like rings, dress, and shoes for an hour the evening before their wedding. We've never had the opportunity to do this before, and we loved it! (How often does anyone get a chance to get the moon in a wedding dress photo??) It was great to have time to get these shots in a beautiful setting like the JW Marriott, and it allowed us to focus just on "people pictures" the next morning.

Rachel had prepared a detailed schedule for the day with all events carefully planned out. The two agreed to see each other before the ceremony, so we were able to do a first look and had a leisurely two full hours for the wedding party photos. They had some great photo spots already picked out, so were were able to just go and shoot. Amazing. Their evening reception was at the GRAM (Grand Rapids Art Museum), which was an absolutely phenomenal venue. All in all, Rachel and Justin did everything possible to make our jobs easier and guarantee some great photos. :]

Special thanks to my second photographer and lovely wife, Alicia. You are always an absolute joy to work with, and you get more and more great photos with every wedding we shoot together.

More special thanks to my awesome cousin, budding photographer, and assistant for the day, Liam. You brought such a cooperative attitude and great sense of humor that were both equally important for making it through a 12-hour work day. You didn't have to shoot at all, but you did when you could -- and we were really impressed by the quality of your shots afterwards. (About 5% of our delivered photos will be yours, which is pretty stellar for an assistant.)

I'm going to keep the love going and send a huge shout out to the entire wedding party! You guys and gals were all fantastic -- always graciously cooperating with our many photo requests. You were always on time, looking great, and never complaining all day! You probably have no idea how rare and refreshing this is. It's a great testament to the quality of Rachel and Justin's family and friends. :]

Finally, Rachel and Justin -- you made all of this possible. Thank you!! It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know you these past few years, and we wish you all the best as you start an exciting new chapter in your lives together. Enjoy your photos!!

This is part two of a Catholic/Hindu double-header wedding. In case you missed part one, you can find the Catholic ceremony here, and you should definitely check out the couple's holi powder e-session and downtown Chicago e-session if you haven't yet.

The day after their Catholic wedding, we made our way out to The Meadows Club in Rolling Meadows for Chayal and Emil's second wedding -- a traditional Hindu affair filled with lots of food, dancing, various entertainment, and even the groom entering on a white horse! We were like kids in a candy store trying to capture all of the incredible colors surrounding us that day. From the bridal party's saris to the guests outfits to the colored lights illuminating the mandap, we couldn't help but get a little snap-happy. (Did we mention there was a horse?!)

For a 16-hour(!) day with over 300 guests, it's no small feat to capture all of the special moments and everyone's "good side." I want to especially thank my lovely wife, Alicia, for second shooting and getting all of the angles I might have missed. Also sending a very special shout out to our fantastic assistant, Helen -- an exceptionally talented wedding planner from the UK who recently moved to Chicago. Our only regret is that we didn't meet you sooner before we moved away! Thank you for all of your help, and most especially for noticing and fixing all of the little details that saved me hours later in Photoshop. :]

Chayal and Emil -- thank you both so much for letting us capture your special day! It was truly our pleasure and an experience we're still talking about. We wish you both the best of luck as you begin your new life together in Cleveland!

Emil was one of Alicia's classmates in medical school, and he has one of those personalities you'll never forget -- full of life, always smiling, and enthusiastic about everything. He's the kind of guy whose smiles are contagious and whose energy fills the room. When we first learned he was engaged, we knew we had to meet this girl since it would take someone pretty special to be a match for this guy!

Within five minutes of knowing Chayal, it was clear how they ended up together. She is just as full of enthusiasm and life as Emil, and when they're together, their energy combines into one big ball of equal parts fun and love for each other. When they got engaged, they chose to celebrate with two e-sessions -- one showing off their fun side, and the other more romantic.

So in true Emil and Chayal fashion, they decided to kick off their marriage with not just one, but two weddings to acknowledge the religion and culture of each of their families.

The first was a reflection of Emil's upbringing -- a traditional Catholic ceremony at St. Matthew's Church in Schaumburg, IL. Surrounded by close family and friends, it was a more intimate gathering followed by some photo time with the bridal party at a nearby park. But between the beautiful contrast of Chayal's freshly Henna'd hands against her bright white dress and the countless saris in the crowd, there were already hints of the next morning's Hindu festivities all around.

For now, enjoy this peek into their first wedding day, and stay tuned for a post from their second one coming soon! :]

It's uncommon for us to meet a couple for the very first time at their engagement session. The situation leaves everyone a little on edge because we are hoping the couple will be fun and relaxed in front of the camera, and the couple is hoping that we will make them feel at ease and get some really great photos of them. Thankfully, with Megan and Guy the initial uncertainty melted away almost immediately. It felt like we had known them for a while because they were easy to get along with, casual, and fun!

One of the first things we noticed was that Megan wore a bright colored dress with some awesome 3-inch heels -- and then proceeded to hike 2 miles from Millennium Park to Adler Planetarium in those heels with ease. Color us impressed! Guy had a great sense of humor and was incredibly sweet to Megan. His down-to-earth personality and their go-with-the-flow attitudes made their e-session a piece of cake.

The cute moments came very naturally to them. We hardly ever prompted them to hold hands or kiss for a photo because they were already doing that candidly, which made our jobs really easy. They clearly make each other very happy. :]

Megan and Guy -- it was so great getting to know you. Thanks for being such troopers with all the walking and unexpectedly frigid winds. (Perhaps it was good practice for your upcoming winter wedding?) ;] We can't wait to be part of your special day in December.

They're back! Do you recognize Chayal and Emil without the Holi powder all over them? ;]

For this more "conventional" second half of their e-session we headed downtown to their favorite spots around the DuSable Bridge on Michigan Ave. It was quite a contrast to running around a park throwing colorful powder, but their fun-loving natures still shone through as they made each other smile and laugh. (We're not sure how Chayal kept smiling while braving the cold Chicago winds and near-freezing temps in a skirt without a jacket!) o_O

Emil & Chayal -- we had a great time working with you again and can't wait to celebrate and photograph your wedding this spring! Enjoy these images in the meanwhile!

Alicia and I had the pleasure of getting to know Justin and Rachel on a service trip to West Virginia a couple years back. Rachel is a nurse, and Justin is a med school classmate of Alicia's at Stritch -- so I'm sure you can imagine that among the four of us, it was quite a challenge to find a time to do their e-session! Thankfully we were able to find just over an hour to squeeze in some shots around Millennium Park and Michigan Ave.

Having less time than usual was no trouble for these two -- their positive attitudes, laid back natures, and comfort with each other after years of friendship had them looking natural and casual in front of the camera right away. (If you've followed our blog in the past, you can probably see a pattern of these traits that make our clients so fun to work with.)  :]  They know just how to make each other laugh and smile and are obviously excited to get married.

Rachel and Justin -- you make such an awesome couple, and we can't wait for your wedding this spring!

Allayne and Mike are great -- for proof, just see their awesome Wrigley Field e-session. We were really looking forward to capturing their wedding day at Garfield Park Conservatory, and it didn't disappoint!

After covering Allayne and her bridesmaids getting ready at the Paul Mitchell salon, we met up with Mike and his groomsmen for the couple's "first look" at Pritzker Pavilion before heading to their ceremony and reception at the conservatory. The weather was perfect, and the guests were pumped to see these two to tie the knot. Allayne and Mike couldn't stop smiling from ear to ear all day. Have you ever smiled so much that your cheeks hurt the next day? Well that's the kind of day they were having. ;] Their ceremony was beautiful, the toasts heartwarming, and the dance floor was packed all night.

Allayne and Mike -- thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of your big day. It was truly a joy working with you, and we wish you all the best in your marriage and future! :]

Emil is one of Alicia's med school classmates, and he and his fiancée, Chayal, decided they wanted to throw Holi powder for part of their e-session. Colorful, whimsical, and fun -- it fit their personalities perfectly, so we enthusiastically agreed!

Emil & Chayal -- this was an awesome idea for your e-session. Thank you so much for choosing us to shoot it! We had a fantastic time and are looking forward to the more "conventional" second half of your e-session later this fall!

Julie and Tim's wedding was a beautiful affair from start to finish, beginning at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Lombard where Julie has been a member her whole life, and ending at Seven Bridges Golf Club in Woodridge -- a lush and beautiful venue for a wedding reception. Both of their awesome families were present in full force, clearly very excited to be present for this occasion!

Remarkably, everyone remained positive and upbeat all day despite a heat index of 104°F, letting their excitement for Julie and Tim overcome any personal discomfort they may have been feeling. For afternoon photos we brought a few umbrellas for portable shade, and they just happened to make for great colorful props as well -- what a coincidence! ;] Seriously -- a big thanks to the bridal party for putting up with the weather for our outdoor photos with smiling faces! And as always, special props to my beautiful and talented wife, Alicia, for second shooting with grace and charm. :D

Julie & Tim -- you two were clearly meant for each other. Thank you for letting us be a part of your special day and for being so flexible and fun to work with. And enjoy your images!