Sarah & Gilberto’s Romantic Farmhouse Wedding

Sarah and Gilbert met while working together, but didn't exactly like each other at first. Out of the blue they started talking about traveling and their friendship took off. Gilbert introduced Sarah to a new world of different cuisines. He makes her laugh and challenges her every day. Gilbert fell in love with the size of Sarah’s heart and caring ways. He loves that she can bring out his cheesy and playful side.

Gilbert planned a proposal along with Sarah’s family; Sarah had dinner with her sister while Gilbert and her family set up the scene in their backyard. He definitely took her by surprise, Sarah only though it was weird that Gilbert had been cleaning the house every day during the week prior!

I was excited to meet Sarah and Gilbert in person at their engagement session, even though it was VERY cold that day!! Sarah’s Mom came along to help with their adorable dog Clifford (who cutely rocked an “I Do Too” bandana). I think we finished their session in under a half-hour and were completely frozen by the. time we were done! But Sarah and Gilberto’s love kept them warm, it was clear how deeply they care for each other.

On their wedding day, Ashley and I were really happy to shoot at the beautiful Farmhouse in Plainfield. It was the perfect venue for Sarah and Gilberto’s romantic day! Sarah had THE most amazing girl-squad hyping her throughout the day – we laughed and laughed with these bridesmaids while they slayed in their sexy rust dresses all while helping Sarah and keeping her laughing all day. And Gilberto’s crew of groomsmen was equally awesome, we were obsessed with the character mugs that he gave them as a token of his appreciation for their friendship. We see a lot of wedding parties but this group will always stand out to us – loyal and faithful friends who truly loved and supported the bride and groom AND made it fun and easy to do our jobs throughout the wedding! It was the perfect day, we were so thankful to be a part of it!

Congratulations, Sarah and Gilberto, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Sarah and Gilberto’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Something Blue

VENUE
The Farmhouse

DJ
J.P.W. Productions

HAIR & MAKEUP
Kate K Beauty

WEDDING DRESS
Essense of Australia

Lisa & Gavin’s Joyous Ravinia Green Country Club Wedding

Lisa and Gavin met through mutual friends who told them both over text that the knew someone for the other. Lisa wrote this sweet account of their relationship:

“Gavin was described as being a sports fan (Reds, Colts, Pacers, Purdue), liking music, going to concerts, rescuing a golden mix doggie, being an actuary but fun, tall, and loving to play board games. Lisa replied she could handle a Reds fan even though the Cubs are better, he should be okay with her singing in the car even if the words are wrong the notes are always in tune, she can handle walking a dog, she prefers the Cubs, Bears, Bulls, and Illini but will be polite to other teams, has a big family and will likely choose fun over an extra shift as a Rush ICU nurse. Gavin promised he was only 80% as charming on the phone compared to text messages and so they met. Over the next 3 years they enjoyed meeting each other’s family and friends, going to games, concerts, botanic gardens, and adventures with Luke Pup. Dating through a pandemic added a new challenge to the 137 mile commute between Bloomington Illinois and Wrigleyville Chicago Illinois. In January 2021 Gavin took a new job with CNA after 21 years at State Farm and they bought a house they love in Palatine, Illinois. Gavin had a great plan for a proposal, but due to an accident the day before, Lisa was not going to be able to trek Starved Rock with a straight leg brace and crutches, even though she still wanted to go. Gavin turned out to be a great home nurse and once Lisa was up and walking he took her back to her beloved Wrigleyville for dinner. They went to the first place they went to for dinner in the city, Uncommon Ground, on a Saturday night. Gavin asked her if she could walk to Wrigley Field and Lisa took off on her crutches. It was a beautiful night out, no game; which made for a private proposal, and thankfully no names on the giant scoreboard!”

Conrad loved getting to know Lisa and Gavin at their engagement session last winter and was excited to photograph their wedding with Christy. They both have connections to Lisa and Gavin’s friends and family – Christy’s Dad sings in their church choir with Lisa while Conrad has connections from his childhood youth group. Once Lisa and Gavin’s wedding was over it was clear from seeing their pictures and hearing Conrad and Christy talk that this was a joyous day. After their beautiful and traditional ceremony at St. Edna Catholic Church Lisa and Gavin were showered in dried flowers as their happily exited the church (Gavin’s facial expression was hilarious!) Lisa then sweetly pinned a grape soda bottle cap onto Gavin’s lapel to reference “Up,” one of their favorite movies.

When they arrived at Ravinia Green Country Club everything was set for a perfect evening. The reception room looked so pretty and they were treated to the most amazing sunset, it was the perfect happy day!

Congratulations, Lisa and Gavin, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Lisa and Gavin’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Something Blue

RECEPTION VENUE
Ravinia Green Country Club

FLOWERS
Joseph’s Florist

DJ
Fig Media

WEDDING CAKE
Lovin Oven Cakery

Margaret & Kyle’s Beautiful Backyard Wedding

Margaret and Kyle both grew up in St. Charles and met in high school. They became friends and had high school crushes on each other (they had their first kiss in the basement of their friend’s parent’s house!) but never dated. They stayed close throughout college and started officially started dating after they both graduated. Since then they have had many adventures together – they love traveling (taking trips to US National Parks, Mexico, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Canada, etc.), hiking, camping, Halloween parties and hanging with their friends and family!

As the pandemic wore on Margaret and Kyle decided to get married in front of their very closest friends and family in Margaret’s picturesque backyard on the Fox River. Their backyard wedding was intimate and beautiful thanks to lots of hard work leading up to the big day; both of their Dads put in a lot of hours to help make Margaret’s backyard look perfect (and poison ivy free!) Margaret created the bouquets herself with flowers from Costco and their friends pitched in to help set up everything before the ceremony.

When we arrived at Margaret’s one thing was very very clear – this couple is surrounded by love and joy. Their friends and family made this wedding one that we won’t forget. We can’t wait for their big celebration next summer at Salvage One, if it’s anything like this intimate gathering we know it will be an absolutely perfect event!

Congratulations, Margaret and Kyle, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Margaret and Kyle’s beautiful backyard wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
Photography
Something Blue Photography

Hair
Jenni Lutz

Wedding Shoes
Express

Florist
Costco

Wedding Rings
Ethan Lord

Desserts
Costco

Michelle & Eric’s Beautiful Marriott Lincolnshire Resort Wedding

Michelle and Eric grew up on the same street in Lake Zurich, their lives separated by only few houses and years in school. Their paths didn’t cross until they happened to both attend the same wedding in November 2017. Eric was a groomsman while Michelle was invited as a last-minute guest. When Michelle arrived alone at the wedding Eric’s parents kindly invited her to sit with them. And the rest, as they say, is history.

As their relationship and their love grew, Michelle and Eric developed a strong foundation and knew they were soulmates. Through their shared qualities of faith, balance, and support they had for one another, they knew they could be together forever. Two years after they first met Eric proposed to Michelle (while they were out with their friends celebrating their anniversary!) and together they began planning their future.

I was struck by how relatable and kind Michelle and Eric both are when we first met. Their shared love for each other and their families is something that has left an indelible mark on me. We started Michelle and Eric’s engagement session in their parents’ neighborhood, taking pictures to mark their paths finally crossing. I met their parents that night and could feel the powerful love they have for their children.

When Michelle and Eric’s wedding finally arrived, every detail had been carefully considered. As Michelle finished her hair and makeup I took photos of her beautiful mother helping her gorgeous gown from Bon Bon Belle. Little did any of us know that the next night Michelle’s Mom would tragically pass away.

The day was perfect; Michelle was whisked away to their ceremony at St. Francis de Sales in a Rolls Royce with her Dad, just like he had done with her Mom on their wedding day. After an emotional ceremony and beautiful bubble exit. Michelle and Eric returned in the Rolls to the Marriott Lincolnshire for an unforgettable celebration. We loved every minute of this beautiful wedding, but were especially happy to see Michelle and Eric’s adorable dogs show up outside the Lakeside Pavilion for some photos before the reception!

Just 36 hours after Michelle and Eric’s wedding I got an unbelievable phone call from Michelle – her Mom had passed away unexpectedly at home on Sunday night. Michelle and Eric had flown to Hawaii for their honeymoon only to turn back around to start making preparations for her mother’s funeral. They said their goodbyes to her in the same church they were married in just one week earlier. Three months later I’m still in shock. Michelle’s beautiful Mom was fully present at her daughter’s wedding, earnestly working to make sure every detail was perfect. And on the dance floor she let loose and was having the best time celebrating with their family and friends. Her tragic passing is such a powerful reminder that life is precious, and the everlasting memories of the people we love most can best be preserved in photos and videos. How humbling to know that we took the last photographs and videos of Michelle’s mother. It’s an honor to know you and your families and to make these images for you.

Congratulations, Michelle and Eric, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Michelle and Eric’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS

Photography
Something Blue Photography

Wedding Dress
Essence of Australia from Bon Bon Belle Bridal

Makeup
Jaccquesxmakeup@gmail.com

Hair
Jordyn Pawlowic

Bridesmaid Dresses
Sorella Vita by Essence of Australia

Wedding Shoes
Badgley Mischka

Menswear
Men's Warehouse

Florist
JH Events and Flowers

Wedding Rings
Custom Design from Diamonds on Wabash

Wedding Cake
Lovin Oven

DJ
Corey Sanford - Talent City Artists

Wedding Coordinator
Christine Donovan

Videography
Something Blue Photography

Caitlin & PJ’s Romantic Bolingbrook Country Club Wedding

Caitlin and PJ met with a little prompting from some mutual friends, PJ’s retelling of their love story is too sweet for us not to share:

“When I was running the gym, we had members who worked at the same school Caitlin did. I wasn't looking for a relationship at the time but they told me they had a girl for me. They described her and said she is a special ed teacher and cheerleading coach. I said, "absolutely not" because I had been to hundreds of cheerleading competitions from when my sister Jess cheered in high school so I knew a weird amount about competitive cheer. My family also has family members with diagnosis of autism and down syndrome whom we love unconditionally. I said "we would have too much to talk about and I know I'm going to like her." We connected and had our first date that upcoming weekend. As romantic as we are, we went to Chili's and when we sat down, she immediately put in her rewards code for free chips and salsa. Those who know Caitlin know she has a coupon for EVERYTHING. We couldn't stop talking and I'm not even sure if we ate. From that day on, we've been working together to be the best versions of ourselves and remind ourselves that "when I found you, I found me." One day I took her Dad, John, golfing on the 15th hole, I asked for his blessing to marry his daughter. I couldn't risk asking before we teed off in case he said no, well that would be an awkward 18 holes. He graciously gave me his blessing and I began planning right away. In July 2020, we came back from a family trip in Hilton Head and I invited both her immediate family and mine over for dinner. Caitlin's best friend Erin and sister-in-law Cassie helped me coordinate that she would dress nice and distract her enough to bring her to the front yard while we all snuck to the back. After 5 minutes but felt like an hour, we surprised her and I proposed surrounded by our loved ones. She did a happy dance as I fumbled through my speech and she said yes without hesitation.”

Last fall Conrad had the opportunity to get to know Caitlin and PJ a bit at their Cantigny engagement session. When the day came for Caitlin and PJ’s wedding at the beautiful Bolingbrook Country Club we were both so excited to celebrate with this awesome couple. Their day was really perfect – we loved Caitlin’s sweet first look with her Dad (where she loudly and hilariously told off some boneheads who drove their golf cart right through our photo opportunity). Their ceremony was filled with emotion (made even more powerful thanks to some next-level DJ expertise by our friend Ken of Amp Event Professionals). And while the weather was gloomy all day the sun cooperated and peeked out at the perfect time for some beautiful golden hour photos. We absolutely loved celebrating the love between Caitlin and PJ and wish these two a lifetime of happiness together.

Congratulations, Caitlin and PJ, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Caitlin and PJ’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDORS:
Photography
Something Blue Photography

Wedding Dress
Crystal Bride

Hair
Erika Romero

Makeup
Rose from Zano Salon

Bridesmaid Dresses
Azazie

Menswear
Black Tux

Floral
Floral Expressions

Cake / Desserts
Ciambella Bakery

DJ
AMP Event Professionals

Reception Coordinator
Nikilett Dieter

Hannah and Andrew’s Marriott Lincolnshire Summer Wedding

Hannah and Andrew met on a birthright trip to Israel when they were only teens. They had instant chemistry and have been together ever since. Hannah was barefoot when she met Andrew (blame 18 year old logic thinking Crocs would make suitable hiking shoes). On their wedding day Hannah was barefoot again, a sweet nod to when she first met her groom.

We met Hannah and Andrew at the Marriott Lincolnshire on a day that was threatening rain. Before the raindrops started to fall Hannah and Andrew sweetly saw each other for their first look. Hannah’s Dad had created a beautiful chuppah for his daughter’s ceremony, but as the rain started to fall the decision was made to move the cermeony inside. A team of family and friends worked to dismantle the beautiful chuppah to bring it inside the Marriott, and it was held up during the ceremony by several friends. After the moving ceremony Hannah and Andrew moved into the Lakeside Pavilion for their reception – there were so many sweet moments throughout the day, it was such a joy for us to be there!

Congratulations, Hannah and Andrew, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Hannah and Andrew’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
Photography
Something Blue Photography

Wedding Dress
Martina Liana From Volle’s Bridal

Hair
Tiffany Deliberto

Makeup
Viktoria Zarovsky (Beautoria)

Menswear:
Mr. Tux’s Formal Wear

Floral:
Mayfield Flowers

Wedding Rings:
James Allen

Wedding Cake
Lovin Oven Cakery

DJ
Music by Design

Ceremony Harpist/Violinist Duo
Michelle Campbell Harp

Videographer
Something Blue Videography

Colleen & Craig’s Christmas in July Chevy Chase Wedding

Colleen LOVES Christmas. She notoriously puts up her tree way earlier than anyone else, and she had always dreamed of having a Christmas wedding. She had planned the Christmas wedding of her dreams before Covid forced those plans to change. Colleen’s dreams of snow and mistletoe were dashed when her and Craig had to move their Chevy Chase celebration to July of 2021.

In his love for Colleen, Craig suggested they plan a “Christmas in July” wedding. These two are both incredibly thoughtful, and their genuine love for their friends and family was on full display on their wedding day. Conrad and I were so happy to see so many familiar faces at Colleen and Craig’s wedding; we photographed Craig’s sister’s wedding a couple summers ago and it was so great to reconnect with them! Both of these families have so much love for each other, and everyone was so kind to us at Colleen and Craig’s wedding. One of our favorite moments was Colleen’s sweet first look with her Dad and brother, everyone was crying (including us!) when they first saw Colleen in her gorgeous wedding dress.

It was amazing to work with our dear “friendors” Ken and Ryan at this wedding – Ken of Amp Event Professionals is the hardest working and kindest DJ we know, it’s always amazing to watch him work his magic on the dance floor. And Ryan of RJO Photo is always a great partner and good for a ton of laughs when we get to work together! This was such a magical day filled with joy, love and so many beautiful moments. When it was time to say goodnight we mixed up a batch of fake snow to give Colleen her snow and mistletoe photos, it was the perfect ending to this unforgettable day.

Congratulations, Colleen and Craig, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Colleen and Craig’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS

Photography
Something Blue Photography

Videographer
RJO Photo

Wedding Dress
Morilee From Here Comes The Bride

Hair and Makeup
Jaycie Ganek

Bridesmaid Dresses
Azazie

Menswear
Calvin Klein

Floral
Fabbrinis’ Flowers

DJ
Amp Event Professionals

Jamie & Brent’s Makray Memorial and Top Golf Wedding

Jamie and Brent’s relationship has a steady foundation that withstood the test of Covid as they navigated planning and then replanning their wedding. We loved first getting to know this fun couple (and their adorable dog Stanley!) at their engagement session way back in 2019. Little did we know then what path their wedding planning would take.

When their wedding day finally arrived, the forecast called for storms ALL. DAY. We weren’t expecting to get any photos outside, but the heavens smiled down on Jamie and Brent and we managed to get lots of beautiful pictures at Makray Memorial Golf Club that day. One of our favorite moments was when Jamie surprised Brent by having their dog Stanley there, he was SO excited to see Mom and Dad and show off his little doggie tux!

Brent recently lost his father, and Jamie’s Dad passed away ten years ago this summer. They chose to honor their fathers in several beautiful ways on their wedding day, but the sweetest and most emotional was the two chairs marked as “reserved” with their Dads’ favorite football team’s logo in the front row at the ceremony.

As they replanned their wedding in light of the pandemic, Jamie and Brent chose to do their reception at Top Golf. We loved the decision to go somewhere FUN for their reception, and their guests had an amazing time! It was a beautiful and unforgettable day.

Congratulations, Jamie and Brent, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Jamie and Brent’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS

Photography
Something Blue Photography

Ceremony Venue
Makray Memorial Golf Club

Reception Venue
Top Golf

Wedding Dress
Brides By Young

Hair and Makeup
Beauty by Jaide

Bridesmaids Dresses
Davids Bridal

Menswear
Mens Warehouse

Floral
Town and Country Gardens Contact Name

Wedding Rings
Rogers and Holland

Wedding Cake
Cakes by Diony

DJ
An Enchanted Evening

Reception Coordinator
Valarie

Lauren and Ian’s Chevy Chase Summer Wedding

Lauren and Ian used to work together, but she didn’t see him as more than a coworker until she ran into him years later. Their paths crossed again at a friend’s birthday bar crawl, and Lauren won Ian over by buying him shots that night at the bar.

After that night Lauren and Ian were inseparable, and soon they were engaged. Conrad loved doing a fun Blackhawks engagement session for this sweet couple in the winter of 2019. Lauren and Ian’s path to their big wedding day was long and winding due to circumstances beyond their control. Covid pushed them to have an intimate wedding celebration last summer, which was one of our favorite backyard weddings of the pandemic. Their love for the Blackhawks was sweetly woven into the details last summer, and when we all gathered again in 2021 for their big celebration at Chevy Chase there were lots of fun Hawks details to go around.

Their big party was well worth the wait, we had the best time celebrating with Lauren and Ian’s family and friends. During their vow renewal, Ian (a man of few words) sweetly told his wife “I love you so much I would marry you twice.” And we love this couple so much, we would happily photograph them over and over again.

Congratulations Lauren and Ian, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Lauren and Ian’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS

Photography
Something Blue

Videography
Our Wedding Movie

Wedding Gown
Jenny Yoo From Brideside

Wedding Rings
Helzberg

Florist
JH Events and Flowers

Wedding Cake
Lovin Oven

DJ
Spin N Play

Wedding Coordinator
Josh Nilsson

Wedding Shoes
Badgley Mischka

Menswear Designer
Men’s Wearhouse

Ashley and Ryan’s Magical Makray Wedding

Ashley and Ryan met over a decade ago, but they travelled a long and winding road to find themselves at the altar. While they ran in the same circles the timing was never quite right for them to start dating. They finally made things official in January 2018, and before long these two knew they were meant to be together forever.

When Ashley and Ryan’s wedding day arrived, there was SO much positive and supportive energy surrounding this sweet couple. After Ashley slipped into her gorgeous Maggie Sottero gown we arranged a super cute reveal for her girls, they were all really happy and excited to see their gorgeous friend as a bride. Talk about the ultimate squad goals!

It was an unusually hot day for Ashley and Ryan’s June wedding, the complete opposite of their beautiful winter engagement session. Once it was just Ashley and Ryan together the two of them were calm, cool and collected. Ryan’s response to seeing Ashley was SO cute, he totally became the human mind-blown emoji! Our favorite part of the day was when we had those quiet moments with just the two of them, they are so in love and perfect together! After their ceremony their wedding party celebrated with a fun champagne toast, the best transition to the epic party they threw at Makray Memorial Golf Club.

Congratulations, Ashley and Ryan, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Ashley and Ryan’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
Photography
Something Blue

Videography
Daniel Bragiel

Hair and Makeup
Deb Petrelli & Team

Wedding Gown
Maggie Sotero from The Crystal Bride

Florist
Fabbrini’s Flowers

Wedding Cake
Lovin Oven

Wedding Rings
Jared

Bridesmaid Dresses
David’s Bridal

Menswear
Calvin Klein

Live Band
DeJa Vu Band

Ashley + Ashley’s Rainy and Romantic Summer Wedding

Ashley and Ashley first called me in April, reeling from the devastating impact of Covid-19 on their carefully arranged wedding plans. Their photographer was no longer able to be a part of their wedding, and my heart went out to them. For so many of us the plans we had made were thrown into chaos and we were left to figure life out one day at a time.

When August came around and it was time for Ashley and Ashley’s wedding, there was still so much uncertainty. We met these two brides at the beautiful Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest where they were getting ready with their wedding parties. Both Ashleys looked gorgeous as they got ready to see one another, a first look moment that we will always remember. After exploring the course a bit for wedding party photos, we came back towards the building to take pictures with their families. That’s when the rain started, and it rained HARD. We rushed for cover and hoped against hope that the rain would let up in time for their wedding ceremony. We waited and worried as it rained, and missed out on the opportunity to do a lot of the photos we had planned for that day.

Thankfully, the rain let up with just enough time for us to help the staff put the chairs and decorations back out for the ceremony. Their ceremony was beautiful and emotional, a celebration of their love story witnessed by their closest family and friends. The rain threw a wrench in our plans for photos that day. But after the rain came a rainbow. A beautiful rainbow streaked across the sky just before the ceremony began, a promise of hope and joy rooted in love. In that moment it felt like everything will be OK if we can just hang on to one another.

Congratulations, Ashley and Ashley, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Ashley and Ashley’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

Dina + Jim’s Romantic Makray Memorial Golf Club Wedding

Dina and Jim had a long friendship before they realized there was something more there. Their love brought two families together, and their wedding day managed to bring the people they love most together for a sweet celebration in the midst of the tumult of 2020. With their small group it was easy to respect social distancing and be comfortable during Dina and Jim’s wedding. It was such an absolute joy for me to return to Makray Memorial Golf Club (our “home away from home”) to photograph a wedding after our long pandemic-induced hiatus. And I was so impressed with the work they have done in their ballroom in 2020, the heavy gold drapes and tacky wall art and carpets have been replaced by elegant and more neutral decor to better showcase the beauty of this space that we love so much.

Dina looked radiant as she finished getting ready with her daughters and sister in the bridal suite at Makray. As she prepared to walk down the aisle the amazing team at Fabbrini’s Flowers put the finishing touches on the ceremony site, which had to be moved inside because of rain. I loved how Jim rolled with everything as the day unfolded, and with a big happy smile calmly told me “this ain’t my first rodeo.” It was a truly beautiful rodeo, though, and it was such an honor to be a part of it.

Congratulations, Dina and Jim, you are so loved!!

To see all of Dina and Jim’s beautiful wedding photos, click here