Today I’m offering a peek at a recent event SILMAR Brands asked me to photograph featuring Kwiat Diamonds and Frances Valentine. The occasion was the golf-themed 40th birthday party of Mr. John Finn, held on a rooftop in Chicago’s River West neighborhood, with a magnificent skyline view. (It rained before the party started and a little later in […]

Brett & Kellen! These two are such gentlemen, and to witness their wedding was to witness such powerful love— not just the love they have for each other, but also how wholeheartedly adored they are by their family and friends. After 27 months of planning, these they finally got to celebrate their marriage with their favorite people in their favorite city: Chicago.

When it comes to wedding day hair, I’m a shameless advocate for the updo. Styled hair down can be gorgeous, of course, but it comes with a host of factors that can complicate the wedding day. On the other hand, I find an updo to be, in general, an ideal option, for a few reasons.

Louise and Chas met and began their lives together in Chicago, so it only felt right to return to the city where they found each other for their wedding, even after they’d moved to the East Coast. They planned a spring celebration at Garfield Park Conservatory, making florals and plant life the theme du jour. The way all of their aesthetic elements weaved together resulted in a wedding day that felt like a nineteenth-century novel in its organic romance.

This session is proof that engagement is just one reason to hire a professional photographer. Lillie and Caleb received this session with me as a gift from Lillie’s mother as a commemoration of their recent move to New York City. She wanted them to have portraits to remember this time in their lives, and I was touched to be the one chosen to mark the occasion.

Hi hi! It’s your favorite bookworm, Shanti Knight, reporting from my pink sofa about what I’ve read this year that’s been awesome. I must admit that I’ve read fewer slam dunks so far this year than usual, so I’m only giving you the ones I actually recommend. In no particular order…

Lasserina and Daniel had their first date at Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University, where they were both on the mock trial team. Five years later, in front of that same museum, Daniel asked Lasserina to be his wife. And so it was only fitting that it should be the backdrop for their engagement portraits.

This anniversary session was particularly close to my heart. Kate Weinstein is a fellow wedding photographer who took me under her wing early in my solo career; I’ve second shot dozens of weddings for her, and, delightfully and blessedly, she’s become a close friend. She and her husband, David, recently celebrated ten years of marriage, and it was such a treat to do this anniversary session with them in Milwaukee, the same city where they said their vows a decade ago.

When it came to their wedding day, Jen & Tony’s alma mater connection was a focal point— from custom IU sneakers by Adidas for the dance floor to their wedding party that was jam-packed with college friends, to the toasts from their family and friends, with frequent references to their time in Bloomington, Indiana.

Kirstie and Jared are both graduates of Butler University, so it’s only fitting that we included their French bulldogs (the Butler mascot) in their engagement session on Butler’s campus.We thought rain might force us to reschedule, but miraculously the skies cleared just in time and we got beautiful evening light. After Butler, we headed downtown to Monument Circle for some urban energy.