Samantha & Bobby’s Fairytale Cantigny Wedding
Samantha and Bobby first met when they were kids at karate. They then re-connected through Bobby's brother because he and Sam became best friends in high school . . .
Samantha and Bobby first met when they were kids at karate. They then re-connected through Bobby's brother because he and Sam became best friends in high school. Sam also became best friends with their sister Jessica, and throughout the years Sam and Bobby formed their own friendship. In Summer of 2018, Bobby took a chance and they officially began dating in August. The rest, as they say, is history.
When Sam and Bobby asked us to capture their wedding day they met with Conrad, so I did not have the opportunity to get to know them until their engagement session at The Morton Arboretum just a few weeks before their wedding. I had the best afternoon with these two, we had so much fun exploring together! That session gave me a real view into the depth of the love they share, it was a joy to then look forward to their wedding at Cantigny later that Summer!
Sam had always dreamed of having a fairytale wedding; all of her planning paid off and in the end this was truly a perfect day. She had traveled to NYC to find her dream dress at Kleinfeld Bridal (from “Say Yes to the Dress”) and the gown was truly perfect on her – when Sam floated down the stairs to show her besties her bridal look it was such a special moment!! Her hype crew kept the energy up as we ventured out onto the grounds at Cantigny for wedding party photos. Sam and Bobby were determined to take pictures ON the tanks at Cantigny, definitely a “first” for us and an epic moment we will never forget! Sam had a stepladder handy to scale the tanks like an absolute boss, we loved the energy of this fun and unforgettable moment!
Throughout the day we caught plenty of pop-culture references from Sam and Bobby, including their strong Vanderpump Rules energy when posing together with their wedding party in the gardens at Cantigny. After we wrapped up with photos it was time for the ceremony to begin near the reflecting pool on the lawn of the Cantigny mansion. It was breathtaking watching Sam walk from the mansion down the long aisle to meet with Bobby at the altar, she truly floated in her gown and looked like a true princess. Their ceremony was marked by touching vows and a sweet tree-planting ceremony with dirt from both of their childhood homes. After Sam and Bobby kissed the celebration truly began, but first we had to capture some slow-motion footage of Sam and Bobby running towards their reception and into the sunset together hand-in-hand. We snapped a few romantic pictures during the gorgeous sunset (and even included the tank stepladder for posterity!) before heading in for the perfect party. Sam’s Mom gave an amazing toast and some insight into where Sam gets her awesome sense of humor, her Mom started her speech by saying the pledge of allegiance! This was such a fun and unforgettable day, but through it all the love between Sam and Bobby was truly the star. We are so grateful to have been a part of this fairytale wedding!!
Congratulations, Sam and Bobby, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Samantha and Bobby’s beautiful wedding photos, click here
VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
Something Blue
VENUE
Cantigny
FLORIST
Anna’s Flowers
HAIR
Amiche Salon
WEDDING CAKE
DeEtta's Bakery
WEDDING DRESS DESIGNER
Randy Fenoli
WEDDING DRESS BOUTIQUE
Kleinfeld Bridal
BRIDAL SHOES
Kate Spade
BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES
Azazie
MENSWEAR
Suit Shop
Angela & Anthony’s Beautiful Venuti’s Wedding
Angela and Anthony’s journey began in the hallways of high school, where a simple "hello" turned into a friendship that neither of them could have anticipated. As they navigated through their late teenage years, Angela and Anthony learned a lot . . .
Angela and Anthony’s journey began in the hallways of high school, where a simple "hello" turned into a friendship that neither of them could have anticipated. As they navigated through their late teenage years, Angela and Anthony learned a lot about each other and began to grow closer and closer. When college came around, their love blossomed in ways they couldn't have imagined. They faced new challenges and adventures together at Dominican University. It was during these years that Angela and Anthony truly realized we were meant for each other.
Angela and Anthony spent their college days cooking together, having cozy movie nights, and exploring new restaurant spots. After 7 years together, Anthony proposed on a vacation in Puerto Rico in 2023 – he had roses scattered across the floor, champagne and charcuterie (one of Angela’s favorite things!) Now, as we look forward to our future as husband and wife, we are filled with excitement and anticipation. We are grateful for the journey that has brought us to this moment and are eager to create new memories together in this next chapter of our lives.
I loved getting to know Angela and Anthony during their engagement session last Fall, it was such fun to explore the beautiful campus of Dominican University with them! Being on-site where they fell in love was truly special, as we strolled through campus we even ran into one of their favorite teachers! This sweet evening really showed me the depth of Angela and Anthony’s love and I was truly excited to celebrate their wedding with them this September!
When Christy, Ryan and I arrived at Angela’s Mom’s house there was a palpable buzz of excitement as she got ready with her closest girls. Angela looked STUNNING even before she slid into her gorgeous Martina Liana gown – once she was dressed and ready we moved into the living room for her to see her bridesmaids and Dad for the first time as a bride. Angela’s Mom was so sweet and emotional all day, honestly one of my favorite parts of this beautiful wedding day was watching her Mom enjoy each special moment, her love for her daughter was really something special.
We met up with Anthony (AJ) at the majestic St. Giles Catholic Church in Oak Park before the ceremony, he was clearly a bit nervous but looked great. AJ had a super sweet reaction to seeing Angela for the first time in her wedding dress as she walked down the aisle. After their traditional ceremony Angela and AJ exchanged private vows in the church courtyard, a tender moment that we loved observing from afar.
After we finished at St. Giles we made our way to Cantigny for photographs with Angela and AJ’s wedding party. We had the most beautiful weather that day and loved strolling the grounds at Cantigny with Angela and AJ’s closest friends! From there we moved to Venuti’s for an unforgettable celebration – we cried together during their heartfelt toasts and then had the best time dancing the night away! We loved being part of this perfect day!!
Congratulations, Angela and Anthony, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Angela and Anthony’s beautiful wedding photos click here
VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY + VIDEOGRAPHY
Something Blue
FLORIST
Town & Country Gardens
MAKEUP
Shimmer and Pout
WEDDING CAKE
The Baking Institute
WEDDING RINGS
DaValle Jewelers
BRIDAL GOWN BOUTIQUE
Heres Comes The Bride
BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES
Azazie
MENSWEAR
Vera Wang
Megan & Matt’s Gorgeous Cantigny Wedding
Megan and Matt met in high school worked together at a restaurant. They reconnected their junior year of college and loved going to visit each other at their separate schools. Once they graduated they decided to move in together . . .
Megan and Matt met in high school worked together at a restaurant. They reconnected their junior year of college and loved going to visit each other at their separate schools. Once they graduated they decided to move in together and a couple of years later Matt proposed to Megan after a fun day of golfing on the 18th hole at Klein Creek.
Megan was carefree and joyful on their wedding day. She spent the day laughing, and after finishing photos she took her shoes off and went barefoot for the rest of the evening! It was so sweet watching Megan and Matt snuggle and smile with each other after their ceremony, they clearly love each other very much and had such a great time being together. When Conrad and Lindsay finished with their posed photos Matt yelled “LET’S GOOOOO” – he was so excited to go celebrate with his family and friends!
Megan surrounded herself with the best bridesmaids, the girls spent a lot of the day singing and celebrating. During their reception at the beautiful Cantigny Park, Megan’s sister gave a touching speech before the dance floor opened. It was the perfect night, we were so happy to have been a part of it!
Congratulations, Megan and Matt, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Megan and Matt’s beautiful wedding photos, click here
VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Something Blue
VENUE
Cantigny
HAIR & MAKE-UP
Sarah Tjaden
WEDDING BOUTIQUE
Gilded Rose Atelier
DESSERT
DeEtta's Bakery