Let’s start by saying what a great couple Jaime and Brian are. This couple is really in love and you could see it. They are warm and inviting, a pleasure to be with. Christine and I had a great time photographing this couple and their families. I can’t say enough about them and their crazy Cousins. There were a few firsts for me at this wedding that made a unique and fun to be at, as you will see in the photos.
The day he started out cloudy and overcast and all I can think was the day was going be a long and wet. The day changed rapidly and turned out to be a gorgeous day, with bright blue skies, we lucked out again! We started out at Naper Settlement Chapel in Naperville, IL. When we arrived it started drizzling and we’ve had so much rain as of late. As always the Naper Settlement Chapel is a little dark, the chapel needs some additional lighting for ceremonies. Other than that it is a great place to get married. The chapel is warm and inviting, with great atmosphere and unique setting one can have a great wedding there and they did.
When we arrived the usual hustle and bustle of everyone getting ready was on. The girls with Jamie in the basement with the flowers, with the flower girls and the moms all scurrying around. I really enjoy this time with the girls. There is a sense of excitement that I crave while shooting. As a photographer this time is the time I get to spend fun time with the bride. Sure, the rest of the day is all fun, but there is something about this time that I can’t just spell out. It has to be the excitement of the moment.
The ceremony had a sense of enchantment, that made this emotional ceremony special. The minister, Reverend Jim Rehnberg, made this event spiritual and meaningful. I have worked with this minister many times and enjoy his sense of ceremony.
After the ceremony we took a few group photos and some special photos of the bride and groom on the grounds of the Naper settlement. It is a special place to do this, a little inconvenient, with all of the visitors to the site, but one can work around it. If the pictures turned out great, I love what I shot there.
Next stop was the Westin in Lombard. When I walked in the room I was totally blown away by the decorations and the atmosphere the room carried. The decorator did a wonderful job decorating this room. It had a sense of wonderment, I feel it was one of the nicest rooms that I have been in an long while.
I did some additional portraits outside of the hotel that turned out great and will be on our site for sure. The restaurant Harry Carey’s and Holy Mackole’s is connected to the Westin and they have a painted cow from the art exhibit that stretched down Michigan Ave. in Chicago a few years back, that we used as a prop. I just love this setting, it was fun a different!
Christine and I had the pleasure of dining with Brian’s Aunts. What great table partners. After dinner we dreamed up the following shot.
The lighting of the hall made photographing the first dance, father daughter and mother son dances little works of art. I wish more halls would invest in better lighting so this could be used more often. Maybe the answer is to bring my own lights, we will see. Over all as always I enjoyed this wedding.
Biff
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It has been brought to my attention that I always say that “How great each couple I photograph is really great and awesome or how wonderful, and terrific, all around nice folks”. Well all this is true! I do really enjoy the families and couples I shoot at my events, mostly weddings. It is a happy day, with everyone enjoying the union of the couple. So there, I like my bridal couples! HA!
It seems as of late, the threat of stormy weather again was a upon us. It was grey and overcast, and drizzle was coming down. Again we lucked out, by the time we were finished with the ceremony, blue skies and fair weather returned. Allowing this to be a magical day.
Well this again is easy to talk about. Erin and Tony families are genuinely nice and warm people. Starting at Erin’s parents’ house, I found the girl’s of the bridal party in the usual pre-wedding frenzy. People running around doing the last minute details that one sees at most weddings. Erin wasn’t quite ready yet but had her makeup and her hair already done. All she needed was to put on her dress, so we went upstairs to her parents’ bedroom and it was a grand room, with ample space to move around and get the pictures I was looking for. Erin’s dress was classically beautiful, with great lines and detail. She looked absolutely beautiful in it. Tony is a lucky guy! Starting at the house the details started adding up. The flowers, the dresses and the atmosphere were all top notch.
Next off to the church, St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Downers Grove IL., is a little strange, lighting was uneven and thin. Lighting at first seems adequate, but really not. Next time I will bring additional lighting. The sanctuary is set in the center of this long church. Enough complaints about the church. I could not find a more helpful, warm and inviting church staff. Father Ruby had no restrictions on what I could shoot and where I could be. This allowed me full access to capture the moment. The ceremony was touching and emotional. With the bridal couple front and center and easily seen through the whole church. I feel I have photographed some really beautiful images here and would feel comfortable shooting here again.
You could see the excitement, joy, happiness and overall thrill of this couple. After the ceremony the couple relaxed and their facial expressions changed to one of easy that the hard part was over. We did the usual after ceremony group shots, with the hope of photographing the couple, bridal party and parents outdoors at the Marriott in Oak Brook. So we took the trolley to the hotel and started doing some group shots, when a change our minds sent us Butterfield Country Club where the reception was being held. There was apprehension about doing the outdoor photographs there, because the grounds and golf course are under $13,000,000 repair. As always I found locations that worked for us and got great images. I feel that Erin and Tony will be will be happy and thrilled. By the time we arrived at the country club, we had golden light and adequate time to take some meaningful and lasting images.
The bride’s family surprised Erin and Tony with an bagpiper. While the receiving line was going on you could hear the sweet melody of the bagpiper. What a great surprise for Erin. You should have seen her face when the bagpiper started playing, it was awesome!
Before the cocktail hour, I had the time to photograph the room, details and the cake, before many of the guests arrived. The room looked just wonderful, unique flower arrangements and table settings in this beautiful warm yellow room. Ample space for the band onstage, a large dance floor so that the 250 guests can move around and have a great time. And they did, the crowd was eager to dance the night away. The couple did their first dance before having dinner, I like this! It doesn’t force the entertainment to start while dinner is still being served. We also cut the cake beforehand, allowing the staff to cut the cake for dessert. Doing these two events before eating dinner, has allowed the wedding party to have more fun, with less breaks. Overall I had a great time photographing this wedding, again not all weddings are like this and as long as they are I will still photograph weddings.
Coming soon! Check out our new podcast, “So You Want To Be a Wedding Photographer”. This podcast will be dedicated to people who want to get into the wedding business and need knowledge on how to do so. Such as camera equipment, what shots need to be done, what exposures and all things about wedding photography.
Biff
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Sandy and Kurt’s wedding was the fifth couple in a large group of friends that I have photographed their weddings. This whole group of friends have been fun and inviting to me and has given me great pleasure to continue.
Starting on the southwest suburb Palos Heights, was a trip down memory lane for me. Growing up on the Southside of Chicago and starting my career there is always fun going back and working in my old haunts.
Sandy’s parents home had all the excitement and fun one experiences at the beginning of the wedding day; hair and make getting done, flowers arriving, girls running around. You could feel the anticipation in the air. Sandy was full of joy, her dress was beautiful. Mom glued a penny in Sandy’s shoe for good luck, her dad, cool as a cucumber, was just taking it in, her sisters fussed over the last minute details. The on lookers were all full of happiness and joy for the bride. It started out beautifully!
I met Kurt at the church to photograph the guys before the ceremony. They all looked great and were ready to go. A fun crowd. It makes my job that much easier!
It has been 15 years since I did a wedding a St. Julie. The last was very different for me. Before the the church was a very new parish and mass was held in a community hall. Now it is a brand modern catholic church, extremely well lit, spacious, inviting and easy to get around for photography. Don’t get me wrong, classic churches are beautiful, wonderful works of art, but, generally the older the church is the darker and more restrictive it is.
Over all I really liked this couple and found that the time I spent with Sandy and Kurt was a true pleasure!
Biff
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From time to time I have done still photography for a television production company here in Chicago, Big Shoulders Digital Productions. A very well respected company and headed by Frank Hanes, a awesome talent in his own right! This long time client has been very good to me and has allowed me to be part of some awesome opportunities. The latest adventure has lead to another fun and unique photo gig.
The client called and I was asked if I was available to do some corporate headshots and he would get back with the details later. No problem, I am available! Well a couple days before the shoot all the details are finally in my hands. The photo shoot will be in the Chicago regional corporate headquarters in the Aon building for Microsoft. WOW! Blown away again! Now what do I do? The place is a logistical nightmare just getting through the front door with all the equipment. I need help! So after begging Christine to be my assistant off we went!
The subjects were all power brokers for Microsoft and the images were for their internet site. I have meet many computer people in my time, but not many were women. What a privilege! As always we worked very hard and got the images the client needed. Another fun and awesome adventure!
Biff
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Well another Mothers Day has past and after a nice meal and presents opened, I decided to add one more present to the mothers I was spending time with.
My family (Christine, my most amazing wife and our two awesome kids Jessica and Ruby) went up to Wisconsin to celebrate Mothers Day with my wife’s mother and father. In attendance was my sister-in-law Melanie and her two wonderful children Billy and Bailey, my brother-in-law Ben and his wonderful wife Trina and their three amazing children Nolan, Carson and the ever smiling Daisy.
It is always nice to turn the camera away from clients and toward your family. It is hard to remember that though. I loved doing this, I now have really great pictures of my family and the all received a gift from me. Let’s do this more often!
Biff
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