Yet another perfect fall Chicago day. Yet another set of reasons why I love what I do.  Yet another couple who is truly in love.  Jay and Shannon found me online and although I was in my year of travel and unable to meet with them in person, we scheduled a Skype video-conference and immediately hit it off.  When I finally met each of them on their wedding day, I knew it was a perfect match between the two of them, of course!!  I also knew Shannon was my perfect bride bc of her stunning two dresses and two pairs of shoes! I love a little outfit change during the reception.  I have much, much more to say but I just wanted to get these teasers up before the holiday!!!!

There are times when I really connect with my clients and become more than a photographer, I become a friend and part of their family.  This is just one of those examples.  I have been working with Hilary’s family for the past five years and they have welcomed me to special events and milestones with open arms.  I joke that I am an honorary family member, but really it’s not a joke, it’s true!

Hilary and Wayne are totally a Happily Ever After and it warms my heart to see them together. I was incredibly honored to be the one to capture their day, forever.  I know in my past interactions, both in a professional capacity and in a friend capacity, I have laughed and laughed with the two of them.  I love it when people have a great sense of humor and can laugh at life.  These are also the two crazy kids that I went winter camping with in Illinois two winters ago.  It was a frigid December night in Rockford and the low was 19 degrees.  Yes we can laugh at how nuts we were!  But we survived!

Thankfully their wedding day in October was much more pleasant weather-wise!  In fact the lovely blue skies and comfortable fall temps were ideal for a wedding day in the Midwest, if you want my opinion.  I was the first one to arrive where Hilary and her mom and sis were getting ready and I felt like I had just arrived at home, that’s how comfy I am around them.  And that’s exactly what I did, I made myself at home and began my photographic journey of documenting Hilary and Wayne’s wedding day.

Here are just of a few of my favorite images:

Without further ado, here’s just a sampling of some of the images from Jamie & Tom’s wedding day – which was indeed a perfect fall weather day in Chicago!  Over the years I have seen October transition into the new June where Midwest weddings are concerned!

Jamie and Tom booked me TWO years prior to their wedding day, after seeing my work from other friends weddings and me in action as well.  I guess when you know, you KNOW!  I’m totally loving Jamie’s love for all things leopard print and that her mom bought two gorgeous tall chairs in a leopard print just for the getting ready festivities.  Throughout the day the little touches that Jamie and Tom put into their wedding were very evident.  And can we please talk about the reception decor… stunningly rich colors and shiny baubles that adorned the vases… again LOVE!

Leopard LOVE! Of course the bouquet is just gorgeous too!

There’s always room for the doggies on the wedding day!

The bride’s uncle brings his band!!!

Guster is a big dog. A very big dog.  As far as Bernese Mountain dogs go, even he is a large specimen!  But he is also a gentle dog and warmed up pretty quickly to my “studio.”  I just want to roll around on the floor with such a loving animal!!!  We even got his new girlfriend, Tess, to pose for a few and she gave her best “I’m a model and I am bored,” face.

Never too big to be a lapdog!

Annnndddd here’s little Gem-Gem as a not so little babe anymore!  She is two and as cute as ever! Chit-chatting and interacting and she LOVES to show off her little tongue.  We got some holiday pics, family pics and of course a ton of Gemma and her little girl antics.  See you again in 6 more months!!!

It’s been an amazing journey with the M family, one that is not completely over yet.  I’m banking I will hang on until both Toni and Bianca get married!!!  From photographing their mom and dad’s wedding four years ago to photographing Toni’s first year milestones and now completing Bianca’s first year milestones, I honestly have become a part of their family.  Not to mention that mom and dad are pretty darn fun to just hang out with and we always find ourselves laughing together.  I cannot believe what a little lady Bianca has become and she is indeed the ringleader of all the antics between her and older sis’ Toni.  I just love the way they interact and of course I am in awe of how gorgeous and well spoken little Miss Toni is now at three years of age!  Of course not that I expected any less from her parents!  Now I will have to find excuses to see them every few months instead of just waiting until the annual portrait session.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for entrusting me to creating your photographic memories for so long!!!

Somehow we absolutely lucked out last Sunday with some fantastic fall weather.  I am just now, one week later, getting over my annoyance at the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pond being closed and locked for the day!  We still made it work with a lot of backgrounds in the area and I had a blast working with Emily and Michael.  We even worked our way around some of the lovely Chicago wind and still got some fantastic engagement shots.  See you guys in April!!!

I love photographing newborns.  They’re so sweet and sleep part of the session and you can pose them pretty easily.  I had previously photographed Mom and Dad’s wedding in 2010 and now I am back to photograph their lovely new addition, Adelyn.  She was indeed a very sweet subject for her very first Metropolitan Imageworks portrait session.

Maisy and Leah are sisters and the awesome, lovable pooches of my cousin.  I’ll take more photos of them this Thanksgiving weekend as we all camp in the Mojave Preserve!  Bring it Turkey Meatloaf!!