The Campus Family: Elgin Family Photography

The Campus family was all together for the Thanksgiving holiday, so with pies in the oven and the table set, we took some time to create these fun images. It was a very brisk morning (snow was on the way!), but O'm so glad they braved the cold and headed outdoors with me.

To see more, check out their SLIDESHOW
or visit their PROOF GALLERY

Thanks, Campus family, for inviting me over. I had a lot of fun!!

Maggie & Steve :: Chicago Engagement Session at Oak Street Beach

I really love my job. While en route to meet Maggie & Steve in the heart of downtown Chicago, I saw a lot of people hustling and bustling along the city streets. Most of them were headed in or out of stuffy office buildings, so it made me smile knowing that I was going to work here:

Steve popped the big question right here at the corner of Michigan and Oak (on a carriage ride!), so we had to return to that very same spot and make some magical images of their engagement time. Oak Street beach was just down the block, so we couldn't pass that up, either. Beach portraits on November first! It was a dream...

There are so many images from this session that I love. Seriously, you have to watch their SLIDESHOW to see more.
Or go visit their PROOF GALLERY.

Thanks, Maggie and Steve, for being such good sports about sitting in sand and walking out into traffic. I hope you love these images as much as I do!

Engagement Session in Lords Park, Elgin :: Stacey + Chris

I LOVE fall. The crisp leaves, cool air, and beautiful colors make such a great backdrop for photographs. Stacey and Chris met me in Elgin's Lords Park, and we had a wonderful time capturing their engagement portraits.

Thanks, Stacey and Chris, for such a fun afternoon. I can't wait for your wedding next August!

To see more of Stacey & Chris's session, watch their slideshow HERE.
Or visit their proof gallery HERE.

Trout Lake Outdoor Wedding :: Sarah & Abraham

This is one bride with moxy, let me tell you! Planning an outdoor wedding in the middle of October is not for the faint of heart here in the Midwest. Happily, the weather cooperated with Sarah's plans, and it was an absolutely gorgeous day as she wed Abe under a canopy of trees at the banks of the Fox River. 

My favorite part of the day came after the ceremony, when I stole the happy couple away to take some romantic portraits around the grounds of the wedding site. The sun was just setting, and it made for such dramatic and romantic lighting. Here's a peek:

As the sun dipped below the trees, we headed back to the party, now moved inside a tent, and basked in the glow of candles and twinkle lights. Add in some really great live music and a coffee bar hosted by one of our favorite brewers, The Conscious Cup, and it made for a truly magical evening.

Sarah and Abe, it was such a pleasure to document your wedding day, and we're grateful you included us in your plans. 

To see more of Sarah & Abe's spectacular celebration, watch their SLIDESHOW here,

Or visit their proof gallery here.

Schaumburg Wedding at Chandler's Banquets :: Audra & Mike

Oh, these two are in love!!! "I'm just so smitten with him," the bride whispered to me over the phone a few days before her wedding. And you only need to look at the ear-to-ear smile on her gorgeous face to know it's the truth. Audra and Mike's wedding day was filled to the brim with warmth and laughter and a spirit of real  celebration.

I think what I loved the most about this wedding was that they put their faith front-and-center. They are so committed to putting God first in their family, and I know God will honor that attitude and bless them for it.

Thanks, Audra and Mike, for inviting us to be part of your day. We're so excited to see what God has in store for the two of you. The plans are BIG, we know that for sure! :-)

To see more from their special day, watch their slideshow HERE.

Or head OVER HERE to see their gallery.

Crystal Lake family portrait :: The Ebels

October 17th must be "picture day" for this family. I realized as I was loading their images onto my hard drive that I've photographed them twice on that day, exactly two years apart. Of course, I had to go back and look at their 2008 session, and it made me smile to see how their family has grown and their lives have changed.

Here's a blast from the past:

And here are a few from this year's session:

They're so darn cute aren't they? This family is just so full of love!

Thanks, Ebels, for letting me into your lives. It's beautiful to watch your family grow.

You can watch their slideshow HERE.

Or see their previews HERE.

My baby is growing up way too fast!

Susannah is ten months old. How did that happen?

At least I have these wonderful images to remind me of just how sweet she was at this age.

click the image to view it larger

Hope you have a great weekend!

In their own West Dundee backyard :: The Stoll family

"This might be the last family portrait of just the four of us," this mama said as she and I talked over ideas for her family portrait. Before one of her boys moves away or adds a daughter-in-law to the family, she wanted one more remembrance of their foursome.

Thank you, Stoll family, for inviting me to preserve this very unique time in your family's life. 

To see more images from their session, click HERE to watch a slideshow.

Or go HERE to see their proof gallery.

A fairytale wedding at Palatine's Immanuel Lutheran Church :: Stephanie & Kevin

I've been keeping tabs on Stephanie for about five years now. Her dad is my dentist (the best in Chicago!), and when Stephanie decided to go to college at my alma matter (go Calvin!) it meant I got an update on her studies with each cleaning. She's joined me in the ranks of Calvin Alumni now, and it was my privilege to photograph her beautiful wedding to her high school sweetheart, Kevin. These two make one dynamite couple, and their genuine care for each other is so evident. Remember the little sneek peek I gave you in this post?  Here's a few more of their very special day...

Thanks, Stephanie and Kevin, for letting us be part of your wedding day! We had an amazing time, and I'm looking forward to future updates on you two each time I go to the dentist. :-)

To see more in a slideshow, click HERE.

Or visit their full gallery HERE.

In my Elgin studio :: the Busch children

Oh, my! These kiddos are BEE-You-TEE-Ful! I just love how their blond hair and freckles looked in all that white. Their mama has been dreaming about having these images made for a long time, and she and I both got excited as we saw here dreams turn into a reality on picture day. The very next day brought a trip to the dentist to get braces on for big brother, so this was one last opportunity to capture his pearly whites pre-metal-mouth. :-)

Have you ever seen a better looking trio?

One very handsome big brother...

and his sweet little sisters!

This one is my very favorite from the session. Mom says they agreed ahead of time that reading was something they all like to do, so we worked that into a portrait.

They just look so angelic! See more of their session HERE.

Thanks, Busch family, for spending an afternoon with me. Hope you had as much fun as I did!!

A super tiny sneek peek of this gorgeous Makray Memorial Golf Club wedding :: Stephanie & Kevin

Stephanie & Kevin's wedding was breathtakingly beautiful. I'm working with the images today, and can't resist sharing just a few.

More to come later this week! See you then!!

Glenview Wedding at the Redfield Estate :: Jerry & Alex

I was not the official photographer for Jerry and Alex's wedding (Jerry's sweet sister-in-law had that job), but that meant I could have a lot more fun and get creative without having to focus on anything in particular. And I was like a kid in a candy shop!

This couple created a beautiful, unique wedding celebration that really did feel like a community event - the flowers were arranged by the bride's aunt, the cake baked by the Maid of Honor, and the reception hosted by Jerry's two hilarious brothers. Here's a peek at this gorgeous couple and their special day:

My favorite moment of the evening came during the couple's first dance. When the music began to play, Jerry quickly realized that it was the karaoke version playing. But rather than stop the music and get a fresh start, this karaoke king began to sing to his bride. He sang the whole song! It was the most romantic first dance I've ever seen, and there wasn't a dry eye in the room by the time the song ended.

Jerry and Alex, we were so honored to witness your vows and celebrate the beginning of this new chapter in your lives. Hope you're having a fantastic honeymoon!