i had the opportunity to photograph dora and diego before their wedding for an engagement shoot. they had an atypical wedding and put a lot of thought into the unique details. her good friend happened to be a costume designer and created a wedding dress that was exactly what dora wanted. she enlisted angela from lather to come up with a vintage pinup hairstyle for her wedding day. they wed on a rooftop in the presence of their friends and family and invited their friends inside zed 451 for a private reception where guests visited bountiful harvest tables full of so much food and then had churrasco – a variety of meats brought to each table, served on skewers. the newlyweds had their first dance to madness’ song “it must be love.” the bride said that “the wedding certificate that our guests signed is inspired by a traditional quaker practice. when quakers marry those who are attending the meeting sign a marriage certificate as witnesses to the promises that the couple made before God. ours served as a way to include friends and family in our ceremony and it was also used in lieu of a guest book.”
a review from the bride:
“when heather and i were discussing the final time line for my wedding i had very few things scheduled and not too many “must have” photos to tell her about… when i first looked at our photos i realized that she had managed to capture exactly what i had wanted. we had a smaller wedding so every guest was someone important to us. heather and her assistant were able to capture so many fantastic candid photos of our loved ones. it’s like we now have portraits of all the special people in our lives! she managed to get some gorgeous shots under some challenging lighting conditions and she put a lot of time above and beyond our contract into adjusting the contrast of those photos. i feel really fortunate to have found heather! she’s talented, dedicated, professional and easy to communicate with!
this off-the-boat wedding was off the charts! diana’s family is from colombia, and her husband antonio’s family is from italy – they traveled far to witness a couple who had been dating for over ten years finally come together in marriage. i photographed diana and her bridesmaids getting ready at her mother’s quant home right by the ocean. her sister surprised her with the arrival of a shiny white antique bentley. because diana allocated time for some creative wedding photography before her ceremony, we headed over to the ocean for some fun photos. during the ceremony i could see a lot of people holding back tears. along with their bridal party, diana and antonio made made an unforgettable entrance into their reception.
i am proud to have been selected as the wedding photographer for liza and nia’s wedding, and to be from massachusettts – the first state to allow gay marriage.
michelle and tom are one of the nicest couples i have ever worked with. they had a fabulous friday wedding. their ceremony was at saint athanasius church, which restricted the use of flash photography. i was able to conquer that obstacle by using the right lenses and i love the natural lights and shadows that are visible when flash is not used. challenges like this often create the most wonderful, emotional images. thank you michelle and tom for allowing me to document your special day!
update august 26, 2009, from the bride michelle:
“Picking your wedding photographer is so important — and Heather made that decision easy. Heather is not only a very talented photographer who knows her craft expertly, she was also able to capture our wedding day without intruding into it. Heather knew which parts of the day were especially good for “Kodak moments,” offered suggestions when appropriate, and was very easy and relaxed to work with. All while being very professional. My husband and I are camera shy, but Heather made us feel comfortable and has produced pictures that we can’t stop looking at! We couldn’t be more happy with Heather and our pictures!”
i have photographed many jewish weddings and many christian/jewish “combo” weddings. this particular wedding brought together a catholic bride and jewish groom. it is always interesting to see friends and familiy being introduced to new traditions, especially the horah.
update august 24, 2009, the bride jill writes:
“Heather photographed our wedding in July, and we were really happy with the results. Her photographs truly captured the day, from makeup application to dancing. In looking for a photographer, we wanted someone who would document everything beautifully, but we didn’t want to pay an arm and a leg. We were also looking for a little style and creativity; we didn’t want just stuffy posed shots. Heather and her assistant were the perfect choice for us. Their style is modern, fun, creative, but they also do the group shots that you want.
Since we received the link to the online gallery, we’ve been getting rave reviews of the photos from family and friends. My uncle, in particular, was really impressed. He emailed me: “Without question those are the best pictures of a wedding I have ever seen. Incredible job.” One of my friends thought the photos looked like those you’d find in a magazine. It was the perfect ending to our wedding experience to get such amazing photos to reflect our day.
We were also really happy with our communication with Heather prior to the wedding. Since we live on the west coast, we were unable to meet with her before the big day. She tended to be super fast at replying to our emails, though, which comforted us and made us more confident that we were being listened to and were being taken care of.”
i thought it would be a challenge to photograph couples at millenium park while still keeping it fresh, because it seems like more and more people choose this location. the truth is, i am often inspired by my subjects’ personality and the colors they are wearing and try to compose my images in a way that compliments this.
kelly and patrick were recently married and i had the pleasure of photographing their day. it began at hotel indigo, where the colors of the interior space were perfectly in concert with everything going on that day. kelly’s sister was the maid of honor and she joined their mother in helping prepare the bride for her wedding. with time to spare, we headed to the lobby and lounge and made great use of the unique chairs for some photos! after capturing every little detail and moment of kelly getting ready, i hopped in the limo with the ladies and grabbed a few shots as we headed to the wedding ceremony. i have noticed a trend recently where couples are looking for creative locations to tie the knot, galleries are a popular option. the groom had let me know in advance that he was planning a surprise first dance with the bride right after the ceremony. the newlyweds and i snuck outside amidst some fabulous natural light and grabbed a few shots before they returned inside to cut the cake. there were plenty of smiles to go along with the dancing, and even the children joined in.
update august 10, 2009, the bride kelly writes:
“I cannot imagine a better photographer for our wedding. Her unobtrusive style was perfect, especially for my camera-shy husband, and she was very gracious and patient with all of the guests taking flash photos, which I can say from attending other weddings, is not always the case. Many guests commented on how much they liked her. She was always quick to respond to my questions– and most importantly, the photos turned out beautifully!”
the dress is from white chicago, you may find out more on their FAQ page, or email them at info@whitexchange.com. their phone number at their chicago wedding gown boutique is (312-397-1571).
i met charlotte back in november when she hired me to photograph her october 2009 wedding. she and her fiance mike made time in their travel schedules to meet for a shoot before their wedding. the hour was full of natural smiles as i followed them around their neighborhood. i’m excited to know that these photographs will most likely make their way around the globe for friends and family to view, since charlotte is originally from singapore.
just a few weeks ago i photographed sandra and tim’s wedding at the brookfield zoo, where karen was a bridesmaid. today it was karen’s own wedding in chicago, and this time sandra was a bridesmaid. before sandra’s wedding, i spent time photographing today’s bride and groom during an engagement shoot on some abandoned railroad tracks. this wedding drew people from all corners of the country incluing matt’s childhood rabbi flying in from new jersey and karen’s sister / maid of honor flying in from boston. i arrived several hours before the wedding ceremony to document the ladies getting their hair done by stylists kristina and toni at the ruby room, in which CNN calls it “the nation’s first spiritual spa.” after getting ready, we headed over to the west loop’s black walnut gallery where the ceremony and reception were held. friends and family assisted in pulling together last-minute details including filling tall vases from CB2 with lemons, oranges, and limes which led the theme for their citrus-inspired colorful spring wedding. the bridesmaids wore yellow dresses of varying shades. the black walnut gallery accommodates up to 125 guests inside, although today’s fantastic weather allowed the couple hold their ceremony in the beautiful courtyard. i shot reportage style, documenting many jewish wedding traditions such has dancing carrying the bride and groom on chairs, stomping on a champagne glass ending the ceremony, and some unfamiliar orthodox traditions.
i met with kelly and patrick for a walk around their neighborhood today. it’s difficult to put into words how sweet & gracious these two are; just full of life, and really fun to be around. i will be photographing their wedding at a gallery in just over a month. i really enjoy shooting weddings at unique event spaces and rumor is that this particular gallery is filled with pop art which i love.
