Jackelyn and Peter met at work five years ago... and now, they are engaged to wed! For their engagement session, we walked along the city streets that they walk together each day on their way to work. We then hit Fullerton Beach for some gorgeous city views. Throughout the entire session, Jackelyn and Peter were so incredibly comfortable with one another and made each other laugh with ease.
I truly couldn't be more excited for these two as they plan to commit to forever together. <3
One of my favorite parts of a wedding day is seeing a bride's dress for the first time and getting the chance to swoon over it during portraits. So when Jill Fager of J.M. Fager contacted me to help her take bridal portraits for Bridal Boutique by New Name I was over the moon with excitement! Not only would I get to capture gorgeous gowns, but I'd also get to help support an amazing nonprofit that sells wedding dresses at a discounted rate and then one hundred perfect of its proceeds go towards helping exploited women. How amazing is that?!
Many talented women came together to make this shoot happen (see below!), and I am so honored to have been apart of this incredible team.
Organization - Bridal Boutique by New Name
Makeup Artist - Ashley LaHood
Hair - Unwana Rose
Studio - Mingo Gallery
Models - Geneva, Dana, Tamara & Jenna
Photographers - J.M. Fager & Erika Mattingly Photography
ALSO - On May 5th there will be a New Name Bridal Boutique Sale and Dress Drive! If you're in need of a dress be sure to stop by, friends!!
When Maia and Mike first started dating, they lived just down the street from each other. Each time they went to see each other they had to walk across Kinzie Street Bridge. And, just down the street from Kinzie Street Bridge is the location of their first date, Gilt Bar Chicago. Flash forward two years later, when it came time to plan for their engagement photos we of course went back to where it all began.
I have been wanting to have a session at Salvage One for what feels like forever! So when Claire and Scott suggested the idea when we were planning for their engagement session, I was so stinkin' excited about it. This place gave us such a unique space to work with and capture their fun, sweet love for one another. Claire and Scott were so easy-going and it was such a joy to work with them. These two will be tieing the knot next winter and you bet your bottom dollar, I am so stinkin' excited about it.
After taking about a three month break from photography for maternity leave, I could not think of a better session to come back to. Lacey and Tyler are one of those couples that is absolutely up for anything - even go out in the freezing cold to get some gorgeous winter wonderland-esque engagement photos at Bemis Woods South. These two just so naturally fell into laughter with one another and their love seems so effortless.
Lacey + Tyler - Thank you reminding me so much of why I love what I do. So thankful to have been able to capture a glimpse of this season of life for you, and cannot wait until your wedding day this Fall.
Back in December of 2016, I met Gina and Greg for coffee and they shared their story of how they met in undergrad and how Greg proposed at Glacier National Park (how AHH-mazing is that?!). Fast forward 10 months later and I had the honor of capturing their wedding day at Cafe Brauer.
Gina and Greg had so many gorgeous elements to their day and I have to give a shoutout to Samantha Helmig of Shannon Gail Weddings and Events for coordinating it all; she did such an incredible job! One of Gina and Greg's loves is all things tiki. So we decided to do photos at the gorgeous Lincoln Park Conservatory and, to tie this look into Cafe Brauer, Kloeckner's Events provided stunning arrangements of banana and palm leaves throughout the venue.
While all their wedding day details were so beautifully done, Gina and Greg's day was also overflowing with so much love and happiness. Some of my favorites moments included: Gina's dad seeing her for the first time; Gina and Greg's first look on the rooftop of Hotel Lincoln; their bridal party was so hilarious and such a blast to work with; the look from Greg's mom as her son said "I do" to the love of his life; and, the dance party - I'm such a sucker for a good dance party and there are many photos to prove how good this one was. All these moments and more can be viewed below! Hope you enjoy looking back on this day as I did!!
Vendors:
Photography - Erika Mattingly Photography
Venue - Cafe Brauer
Wedding Planner - Shannon Gail Weddings and Events
Florist & Tablescape Rentals - Kloeckner's Events
DJ - Okyne Media Labs
Hair - Jimmy Narducci
Makeup - Deco Adamo
Invitations - Minted
Bridal Dress - Simone Carvalli
Officiant - Jarrod Gaither
Caterer - Tiger Lily
Cake - Chicago Pastry
Kristin and Pavel's winter engagement session was the last engagement session of 2017 and I haven't had a chance to blog these until now since I've been on maternity leave the past couple months.... so without further ado, here are some of my favorites from this chilly day back in November. Cannot wait to capture their big day this August!
Gosh, I love the Fall! Not only are the colors of the trees gorgeous, but it also such a great time for family photos! I had such a sweet time with Chris, Ellen and their sweet baby girl, Brooklyn. The morning of the session, Brooklyn starting doing this thing where she'd stick her tongue out. So throughout the session, she stuck her tongue out and it was the cutest thing!
One thing about family sessions that I've come to learn is that you truly don't know what to expect when children are around. You may have a baby that is happy the whole time, or you may have a baby that isn't really feeling it that day... towards the end of this session Brooklyn really wasn't feeling it. BUT there are some hilariously cute teary photos of her that her parents will equally cherish because sometimes that's real life. Babies aren't going to be smiley all the time and that's okay! My thought is this - Those teary moments are great to capture too because they will certainly be apart of your journey as a parent and having moments like these to look back on when your kids are older will give you all a good laugh or two!
This wedding is definitely one of those days I will never forget. On Mary and Sean's wedding day it rained. Not just a light drizzle; I mean downpour all. day. long. But despite the crazy weather, we were able to find some pockets of natural light inside Thalia Hall Chicago and the results are stunning! They are easily some of my favorite portraits to date. You know that saying that having rain on your wedding day is good luck? I think that saying surely rang true for Mary and Sean's day. This wedding was so unique and so sweet to have been a part of.
Mary and Sean live in California so I hadn't officially met with them until their wedding day. From the moment I met them, they treated me with such grace and kindness. After seeing them together at their first look, I could so easily see the love they had for one another. It was so sweet to witness. Not only did they so clearly love one another, but their family and friends had such a clear love for them as well. Just so you know what I mean... when Mary and Sean walked on stage for their ceremony they received a standing ovation from all those in the audience! That was a first for me. From there, love and joy were just radiating throughout the whole day.
This day could not have been complete without the help of an outstanding vendor team. Elizabeth of Anticipation Events did an incredible job organizing this event. Just wait until you see the floral arrangement for the huppah; La Rue Floral work was insanely gorgeous. The Chicago Players seriously know how to put on a show and get people on the dance floor - SO many hilarious dancing moments in this post. Full vendor list below!
Enjoy!!
Vendors:
Photography - Erika Mattingly Photography
Venue - Thalia Hall Chicago
Wedding Planner - Anticipation Events
Florist & Tablescape Rentals - La Rue Floral
Band - The Chicago Players
Hair + Makeup - Charles Ifergan
Photo Booth - Magic Moment Photo Booth
Caterer - Dusek's
Sarah and Mike’s engagement session was truly so sweet. We went to Fullerton Beach and the sun was setting just perfectly throughout their session, and the Fall colors were popping through the trees. Sarah and Mike made each laugh with such ease, and they were down to try all my weird ideas - so appreciate couples that are willing to just roll with things and see how they turn out! Looking forward to capturing their love and laughter again on their wedding day next year. <3
Megan and Joe tied the knot in late September. Their day was filled with so many sweet and meaningful moments — I had such a hard time narrowing down the photos I would share for this blog post!
Some of my favorite moments from their wedding day included: their bridal party photo session was hilarious - they seriously have such a fun group of friends; Megan and Joe’s portrait session was gorgeous and sun-filled; the entrances of the bridal party were too funny - they each walked into a unique theme song from a TV show (love this idea!); and, let me tell ya, Megan and Joe’s friends and family sure know how to throw a dance party. See all this and more below!
Vendors:
Photography - Erika Mattingly Photography
Reception Venue - Glen Flora Country Club
Coordinator - Charlotte Winters
Officiant - Henry Hurt
Florist - Larsen Florist
Bride's Attire - Mackenzie Michaels
Hair - Dapper Classic Barbershop
Make-Up - Sierra's Makeup Artistry
Mid-September Robin and Taylor tied the knot on what turned out to be a beautiful summery day that also had some gorgeous Fall colors - the weather these days has been so unpredictable but I wasn't complaining! Love those Fall colored trees!
On their wedding day they met each other under a shady tree in Cantigny Park for their first look. Robin and Taylor decided to keep things more intimate and only invited their closest friends and family to their ceremony and reception at the Lake Ellyn Park Boathouse in Glen Ellyn, IL. The details seen throughout the day were simply gorgeous. Fun fact - Robin made ALL the wedding florals and they were stunning! Also, those cupcakes from The Sugar Path were incredible... I definitely went back for a second.
Now, I'll stop my rambling about this amazing day... See more of their sweet details and watch their wedding day unfold below!
Vendors:
Photography - Erika Mattingly Photography
Coordinator - Sofie and Olive Event Planning Services
Officinet - Janet Volk
Invitation Designer - Minted
Caterer - Chef By Request
Bakery - The Sugar Path
Bridal Attire - BHLDN
Groom's Attire Designer - JOE Joseph Abboud
Vendors:
Photography - Erika Mattingly Photography
Caterer - Grindhouse food truck
Bridal Attire - Cathy Telle
Daphne and Chris met in homeroom during high school... yup, these two adorable humans are high school sweethearts and its the best. After all these years of knowing each other, they instantly become comfortable with each other during their engagement session in the gardens of The Art Institute of Chicago. Their laughter was so sweet! Cannot wait to capture these two tying the knot next May!!
Earlier this year I had the privilege of capturing Tyler and Geneva's sweet proposal on a small beach in Rosewood Park. And now, just a few months later, they are married!!
These two decided to tie the knot in their friend's backyard in their hometown of Houston, TX. This small and intimate wedding was filled with such sweet and meaningful moments. Some of my personal favorite moments from their day include: their emotional first look... and well their whole bride & groom session (I went kind of overboard in sharing these photos! Too many good ones to choose from.); when Geneva was walking down the aisle and seeing the looks on Tyler and Geneva's faces; the pure joy they had after their first kiss; the happy tears during speeches; dancing galore; and so much more... now go see for yourself!
Vendors:
This may be one of my favorite engagement sessions to date. What's funny though is that this session didn't really go as planned.
We had planned to shoot photos in this public garden near Millennium Park; however, there was a huge event going on in the park so the owners of said garden decided to close down the gardens for the night for fear of many people running through/ruining the gardens... eek, right?! Not for these two.
When Celi and Mark showed up I told them the news and we decided to still have the session anyway and just walk around the area. We hit the bridge and gardens by the Art Institute of Chicago. We then walked down Michigan - J walked our way through the streets and had an amazing time. Nothing could have phased them; they were having such an amazing time laughing their way through the session. Our time together seriously included SO much "makes my stomach hurt" laughter and it was the best.
I had such a great time exploring the Art Institute of Chicago with Megan and Joe! Here are a few of my favorites things about their session: the way Joe made Megan laugh at any given moment; their ability to dance freely without a care to who may be watching them; and, those hilarious moments when Megan got lipstick on Joe (he was such a trooper about it all).
Maureen and Scott's wedding was simple, modern and timeless. Their love of Chicago came through with every detail of their wedding day... I mean they had Lou Malnati's for dinner - doesn't get more Chicago than that!
One of my favorite aspects of their day is their clear love for not only each other but also all those they've surrounded themselves with. Throughout the day there was so much joy and constant laughter. There were also some pretty epic toasts that had the whole room cracking up. At one point, Maureen's brother was also DJ'ing the wedding! It was quite the show. Much more sweet and memorable moments from their wedding - see for yourself!
Vendors:
Photography - Erika Mattingly Photography
Coordinator - That Special Event
Videographer - With Love Productions
Invitations - Paper Culture
Florist - Whole Foods
DJ - Style Matters
Caterer - Lou Malnati's
Cookies - Insomnia Cookies
Wedding Dress Designer - White Tree Designs
Groom's Attire - Men's Warehouse
Hair/Make-Up - XO Studio
