Katie and Cameron’s wedding is one that you dream about photographing.
Downtown Chicago.
On the Lake.
Historic University.
Beautiful Church.
I loved getting to know them at their engagement session at the Garfield Conservatory. Since both of them are finishing their residency in California, they flew in for a weekend to get their engagement photos done. They also had other wedding related events, like tastings, but I like to think it was the highlight of their weekend to get their portraits done. And they weren’t just practice for their wedding day. They were used on the official invitations!
I remember obsessively checking the wedding the day before. It called for rain. I’m not afraid of rain; I’d rather just prefer not to photograph in rain. There was a bit of texting going on reassuring Katie that wedding pictures in the rain can still turn out great. And that they did. We worked in a constant mist all day with some showers throughout the day, made use of shelter whenever we needed to, and toughed out the elements to get some great shots.
The Wedding Team
Photo: Me!
Second Shooter: Dana Magnus
Video: Rhys Ladhani Media
Location: Loyola University Chicago (Madonna Della Strada Cathedral)
DJ: Sound MVMT
Event Planner: Events by Kiersten
Check out their wedding highlights below.
The Rosasco’s are a couple that I have to thank Facebook for. I truly believe that mutual friends was the reason that this wedding was even brought to my attention, and I think that building positive relationships with people ended up landing me this wedding.
Miranda and Jimmy were a couple that took advantage of my engagement sessions that are included in my wedding packages. I love being able to build relationships with couples through multiple photo shoots. It makes the wedding day less stressful, and ultimately, I think it makes them more comfortable in front of a camera.
Their wedding day in Lake Geneva was such an awesome getaway from what I have photographed in the past. I have only been to Lake Geneva a handful of times, so it was such a great opportunity to venture outside of where I am comfortable photographing, and it forced me to do some new scouting for locations.
Their fall wedding was beautiful, but I didn’t think it would be as cold as it was in October. The super high winds didn’t help keep us warm either, and they became more of a challenge than an aide for taking wedding portraits. I feel like Lake Geneva always gives the impression that it is beautiful and warm outside, unless there is obvious signs of winter of their photos. Needless to say, I was reminded that we were in the midwest once the winds hit from the lake.
Their wedding day featured photos at a family lake house, a trolly ride, a beautiful traditional service, beautiful scenery at the pier, iconic backdrops in Lake Geneva, and a beautifully decorated venue that was full of elegance and grace.
It also presented a challenge that happens at some weddings. The ceremony ran late, like 30 minutes late, and we had photos planned at a certain location that unfortunately needed to be cancelled. Thankfully, Jimmy and Miranda were super flexible, and we ended up doing their portraits and bridal party portraits right outside of the venue instead of at the wetlands that we had planned. That’s one thing that I don’t think is communicated often enough to couples. You can plan out the perfect wedding day, but unfortunately, there are some things that are out of your control. Flexibility is key in those moments, and being able to roll with the punches is important.
How could I almost forget this: there was a cocktail party on a boat! For an entire hour, we cruised around Lake Geneva and enjoyed cocktails, hor d’oeuvres, and live music before we settled in to venue at the Riviera. By the end of the night, Jimmy and Miranda surprised their guests with a choreographed surprise first dance that produced plenty of full belly laughs and even some tears of joy for the happy couple.
Here are the wonderful people I had the opportunity to work with on this wedding day
Second Photographer: Sara with Lady Appleseed Photography
Coordinator: Jaffe with Graceful Events Weddings
DJ: Pete’s My DJ
Video: Omar Haro Videography
Floral Design: Pesche’s Greenhouse
Venue: The Riviera
Enjoy some of the highlights from their wedding day!
