Val and Brad’s Hotel Baker Family Affair
Val and Brad have been friends for a long time, and they found their friendship grew after they each navigated divorce after kids. They bonded and soon fell in love, but their amazing children also developed a beautiful connection with each other. As this family relationship grew stronger…
Val and Brad have been friends for a long time, and they found their friendship grew after they each navigated divorce after kids. They bonded and soon fell in love, but their amazing children also developed a beautiful connection with each other. As this family relationship grew stronger, Val’s daughters and Brad’s son REALLY wanted them to get married. Val and Brad’s kids were the driving force behind them deciding to get married, and they were SO excited when that day finally arrived.
Set against the charming backdrop of the Hotel Baker in St. Charles along the Fox River, Val and Brad’s wedding day was nothing short of perfect. Our friend Elyse of Two Sisters Events served as day-of coordinator to make sure everything went smoothly and created the most GORGEOUS bouquets and arrangements for the wedding. Val looked absolutely STUNNING in her form-fitting gown from Crystal Bride. It was such a sweet moment when her daughters helped her into her wedding dress!
Congratulations, Val and Brad, we wish you and your beautiful family a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Val and Brad’s beautiful wedding photos, click here
VENDOR DETAILS
VENUE
Hotel Baker
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
Something Blue
FLORALS & DAY-OF COORDINATION
Two Sisters Events
Heather and Daniel’s Covid-Style Anniversary Session
Conrad and I were super bummed when we realized that we weren’t going to be shooting a wedding this New Year’s Eve. We have two weddings to look forward to on New Year’s Eve in 2021, but thought it would be really nice to end 2020 on a positive note by hanging out with one of our favorite couples. Heather and Daniel agreed to do a sweet New Year’s Eve anniversary session with us; we started by photographing a slice of life inside their beautiful home and ended with a quiet celebration at their wedding venue.
On New Year’s Eve 2019 we celebrated Heather and Daniel’s elegant wedding at The Metropolis Ballroom in downtown Arlington Heights. We had the most amazing time at their wedding, and as we rang in 2020 with confetti and sparklers we had NO idea what the coming year would look like.
As 2020 unfolded and Heather and Daniel enjoyed their first year of marriage together, life wasn’t quite what any of us expected it to look like. But watching Heather from afar on social media showed that her and Daniel still found ways to find fun even in quarantine. They went to outdoor restaurants, took a little trip or two, and always managed to look VERY in love along the way.
Conrad and I were super bummed when we realized that we weren’t going to be shooting a wedding this New Year’s Eve. We have two weddings to look forward to on New Year’s Eve in 2021, but thought it would be really nice to end 2020 on a positive note by hanging out with one of our favorite couples. Heather and Daniel agreed to do a sweet New Year’s Eve anniversary session with us; we started by photographing a slice of life inside their beautiful home and ended with a quiet celebration at their wedding venue. While it wasn’t the epic New Year’s celebration we are used to, it was still a perfect way to quietly celebrate the love these two share.
After some Netflix and snuggles, Heather and Daniel tucked into an authentic Chicago deep dish pizza before a quick game of cards together (the deck has one of their favorite wedding photos on it!!)
The amazing team at Two Sisters Events created the florals for Heather and Daniel’s wedding last year, and they generously gifted them a fresh new bouquet and boutonnière for their anniversary session. We loved the dark and moody vibe of the flowers for this session, it perfectly fit the atmosphere of finding quiet ways to celebrate in the midst of a pandemic.
After playing dress-up in their wedding clothes at home, Heather changed into her sister’s beautiful Maid of Honor dress and we ventured outside for our NYE celebration. We played with sparklers and confetti (Daniel is president of their homeowner’s association so we had the green light!) before heading to The Metropolis Ballroom for our nightcap. Shawna, the amazing Director of Weddings at the Metropolis, kindly came and let us in, it was so great to see her and to be back at one of our favorite venues!!
Thank you for ringing in the New Year with us, Heather and Daniel!! Here’s hoping that 2021 brings you much love and many more adventures together!
To see Heather and Daniel’s New Year’s Eve wedding photos, click here
Vintage VW Bus Family Mini Sessions
We were thrilled this year to offer festive VW Bus mini sessions for our Something Blue family VIPs, this bus made the most picturesque backdrop!! And we were so thankful to our host families for letting us camp out in their beautiful yards during these long days of shooting!
If you have visited our studio in Scarsdale, you know that we are business neighbors with ProCoat, a home painting and deck restoration company. We love working next door to ProCoat, Dave and his team are all so friendly! It’s good to have good neighbors : ) Dave’s assistant Mary is married to Jeff, a local vintage car enthusiast who has THE cutest vintage red VW bus. We were thrilled this year to offer festive VW Bus mini sessions for our Something Blue family VIPs, Jeff’s bus made the most picturesque backdrop!! And we were so thankful to our host families for letting us camp out in their beautiful yards during these long days of shooting!
We spread out the holiday magic over three days, Lindsay and Christy were absolute rockstars styling the bus, working with the unpredictable weather, and photographing THIRTY-FIVE of our favorite Something Blue families!! These photographs put us all in the holiday spirit, we wish all of our Something Blue families a happy and healthy holiday season!
Stefanie and Paul’s Elegant Micro Wedding Ceremony
I have so much love for the Madison family, my dear friend Catherine is one of TWELVE siblings and it’s been an honor to get to know them over the years. Conrad and I loved being part of her sister Mary Jo’s wedding a couple years ago, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to photograph another Madison wedding this October when Stefanie married her little brother Paul in an intimate ceremony at St. James in Arlington Heights.
I have so much love for the Madison family, my dear friend Catherine is one of TWELVE siblings and it’s been an honor to get to know them over the years. Conrad and I loved being part of her sister Mary Jo’s wedding a couple years ago, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to photograph another Madison wedding this October when Stefanie married her little brother Paul in an intimate ceremony at St. James in Arlington Heights. Stefanie was the kindest and most beautiful bride, her laid-back demeanor perfectly suited the quiet and unassuming vibe of their micro wedding. I met her at her childhood home in Arlington Heights, took a few pictures while she finished getting ready before she slipped into her awesome Michael Kors white wedding jumpsuit. I secretly hope that jumpsuits become more of a thing for our 2021 brides!!
After Stefanie was ready we stepped outside for a few quick family photos. Stefanie’s childhood friend and neighbor was also planning her own pandemic micro wedding, and she stepped in for a quick hug and a couple pictures before we left for St. James. It was THE sweetest moment!!
When we arrived at St. James I loved catching up with some of the Madisons, with twelve children and many grandchildren their family made this micro wedding ceremony feel pretty big!! Paul had tears in his eyes as Stefanie walked down the aisle, and after they were pronounced husband and wife these two were beaming from ear to ear. After a few more pictures at the church we went to my neighbors stunning backyard to take advantage of the fall colors and a cozy bonfire, it was the perfect day!
Congratulations, Stefanie and Paul, thank you for inviting me to share in this beautiful day! I wish you a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Stefanie and Paul’s gorgeous micro wedding photos, click here
Cassidy + Brad’s Romantic Backyard Wedding
Cassidy and Brad planned a big wedding celebration with 300 guests at The Metropolis Ballroom of Arlington Heights. When Covid-19 forced them to reconsider their original plans, they decided to still exchange their vows in front of about half of their guest list in the beautiful sanctuary of St. James, one of our favorite local churches. They live-streamed the ceremony for the guests who couldn’t attend, and after they were pronounced husband and wife they hopped into a pretty black Corvette to celebrate. When we arrived with the newlyweds in downtown Arlington Heights at the Arlington Alfresco we were greeted by plenty of excited cheers from the community. It was truly beautiful to see the joy that this sweet couple gave to so many of our neighbors; just by walking through the downtown hand in hand, happily newly married, Cassidy and Brad brought so much hope to everyone who saw them that day. After making a few stops downtown for photos we went back to for a sweet and simple backyard barbecue to celebrate, and while it wasn’t the grand party they originally envisioned it was still the perfect party for this couple. We were so thankful to be along for the ride, watching these two get married gave us hope when we needed it, too.
Congratulations, Cassidy and Brad, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Cassidy and Brad’s romantic wedding photos, click here
Marissa + Nick’s Intimate Backyard Wedding
Marissa and Nick’s wedding plans took a dramatic turn when Covid-19 hit. Like so many of our Something Blue couples, they were forced to replan their wedding and chose to scale back in light of everything happening in the world around them. For these two, they didn’t want to wait another year to be married, and they planned an intimate ceremony at their church followed by a small celebration in her parents’ backyard.
Conrad arrived at St. James Parish just before the small ceremony began, and while everyone wore masks for safety there was a buzz of anticipation and celebration in the air. Nick held back tears as we watched Marissa float down the aisle in her pretty Lulu’s dress. Marissa carried a stunning bouquet made by her neighbor Mari, the artist behind Floral Harmonies in Arlington Heights. After they exchanged vows, Marissa and Nick took pictures together in our neighbor’s beautiful backyard before heading back for the socially distant party. It was the perfect day for the perfect couple, quiet and joyful and marked by the love they have for one another.
Congratulations, Marissa and Nick, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together! And we can’t wait for your BIG celebration in 2021!!
To see all of Marissa and Nick’s beautiful micro wedding photos, click here
Jenna and AJ’s Pretty Micro Wedding
Jenna and AJ met through mutual friends and time spent together at The Metropolis Performing Arts Centre. They fell in love over a shared passion for performing and grew to become each other’s biggest cheerleaders. When they decided to get married in 2020 they envisioned a big celebration with their friends and family, but of course the pandemic had different plans for all of our Something Blue couples. So Jenna and AJ scrambled to rearrange their wedding plans and pushed their big celebration to 2021. But in rescheduling they realized that being married couldn’t wait, and they chose to celebrate with an intimate micro wedding on their original wedding date.
I can honestly say, this tiny wedding with only a handful of guests in masks carried bigger emotions than we are accustomed to witnessing on most wedding days. Jenna surprised everyone by wearing her wedding gown, a sparkly confection that made her look like a Disney princess. Her best friend and new mother in law’s reactions to seeing Jenna in her gown when they were expecting a simple modest dress were some of my favorite moments on this sweet and magical day.
When Jenna walked down the short aisle at Hey Nonny, AJ held back tears seeing his best friend as a beautiful bride. They exchanged hand-written vows in front of their parents, siblings, and just a couple friends before joyfully exchanging rings and sharing their first kiss as husband and wife. It was simple and perfect.
After some celebratory pictures we went outside onto the Arlington Alfresco where Jenna and AJ’s wedding party surprised them with homemade signs, balloons and plenty of love. The newlyweds’ shock and joy at seeing their wedding party there waiting for them was beyond emotional, I was definitely wiping tears away from behind the camera. That show of support was so beautiful, and I truly cannot wait to get to know this amazing group better as we all celebrate together in 2021.
Congratulations, Jenna and AJ, we can’t wait to celebrate with you next year!
To see all of Jenna and AJ’s sweet micro wedding photos, click here
Studio Newborn Session - Baby Maeve
We absolutely love when newborns come visit us at our studio. There is something so sweet and peaceful about a Newborn Studio Session - Lindsay and Christy love having the chance to document this fleeting moment in the lives of our Something Blue families. Beautiful Maeve was born five weeks early and was the perfect model for Lindsay, she slept through her whole session! Maeve's big brother Aiden was very excited to be with his new sister, we are so thankful to have this family as part of our Something Blue family.
If you would like to see all of baby Maeve’s sweet newborn photos, click here
If you are interested in scheduling a Studio Newborn Session, please contact us