At last! Our fabulous New Years Eve couple. Sara and Chris were married December 31st, 2009 in New Buffalo Michigan. The ceremony was held at the proverbial St. Mary's of the Lake. The reception was held at The Harbor Grand Hotel. Sara and I both had hoped for blizzard like snow fall, to exit the church with, but alas it did not come. I guess this would be one of the rare occasions when no blizzard was a disappointment. This will give you some insight as to the personality of the couple, and their immediate family, who were the only guests in attendance. Sara and Chris were a pleasure from our first meeting. Tina and I knew this would be a great wedding to be a part of. Not only did we have a job in the middle of winter, but we also had a party to attend for new years eve, something that always seems to become an issue as we get older. As you will see, the family had nearly as many children as adults, and the energy and excitement exhumed by these children created an atmosphere of playful glee, which I'm sure was a part of the design for the evening. Of course, we all felt that perhaps the noise makers could have been passed out a touch later in the evening, as by the end of the night, even Sara was snatching them from the children! Thanks for the FUN!

You might think the new years eve wedding to be rare, but this was not our first, and we are very excited that we will be photographing our first wedding of 2011 on 1.1.11, with the rehearsal dinner and party, on new years eve. WOOHOOOO! Looking forward to Bridget & Ryan!

Tina and I understand that weddings are the first step towards creating a family. It is not just a moment in time, unrelated to the future, it is the first step, to a new life. The next most obvious step is giving birth to your next family member. It is for this reason that with every wedding photographed, we include the first born, free! We feel that we have already developed a relationship with our client, and we would like to continue to be there, throughout the lifetime of the people whom have given us the opportunity to share in their life, and make our own dreams come true in the process!

A family portrait on Christmas Eve? No problem! Actually, it's the best time for a family portrait. We photograph many family portraits around the holidays. Other than a wedding, it's the most common time for a family to get together. In this portrait, we worked at the home of the family matriarch. We had considered working in the studio as her home was just down the street from the studio. But after scouting the home, and discovering the comfort of soft wood floors, and fresh baked pies just a reach away, we made the right decision.

Most of the family lives in Chicago, with mom finding comfort in the snow belt of New Buffalo. And we certainly had enough snow on this particular evening! Here are a few samples from the fun. Notice the first image has a recreated background, the other two are as is.

Here we are coming to the end of another year. Sadly to say, I have not been able to post all of the fabulous weddings, engagement portraits, family portraits, etc. that we have photographed this year. If your one of our clients and I have not posted your event, please don’t be offended! It’s not you, I promise!

Take at look at Jay and Corinne’s engagement portrait that we photographed in Lincoln Park. I have always loved Lincoln Park. This is a great location for an engagement portrait. In the background of the pond, is a beautiful view of the Chicago skyline. It brought back great memories of my studio apartment that I had in Lincoln Park while I was in college. We had such a blast hanging out! If you’re in the area, check out North Pond Café. Jay and Corinne live in Chicago but will be getting married in Michigan next year. Both Johnny and I are really looking forward to their wedding!

On October 31, we gave you a first look at this fantastic wedding. Jenny and Matt were married at Old St. Mary’s Church on S. Michigan Avenue. Prior to the ceremony, preparations began at The Ambassador East Hotel. After the ceremony, we made a quick stop at Museum Park (this was the park where Matt proposed to Jenny), then another quick stop at the gardens on the south side of The Art Institute. Our final destination was the reception venue of Germania Place.

LOVED the entire “regal” feel of the wedding. All of the locations are HUGE Chicago landmarks, rich in history.

The world-famous Ambassador East Hotel, located in Chicago’s Gold Coast, is a National Historic Landmark. Also famous for The Pump Room restaurant, located inside of the hotel, a very cool place with pictures of movie stars, dating back to the 1930’s, lining the walls.

Germania Place is an absolutely beautiful restored ballroom with thirty-five foot ceilings, a mahogany bar, and balcony which overlooks the ballroom. The service here is impeccable, with a full wait staff, under the direction of a meticulously trained captain. Something you just don’t find often, outside of the city.

What a pleasure it was to be a part of such an affair to remember!

Julie and Brian were married on October 16, at the Millcreek Barns. They both prepped at the Boulevard Inn, then off to the barn for the remainder of the day. Both Tina and I were in attendance, with Tina on the early shift and me on the late. Shelbey was our assistant. I arrived just as the bride was engaging final touches, and the guys were just about to dress. I always enjoy my opportunities to spend some time, quietly observing the rituals of the women, there seems to be an incredible divide with those of the men. Occasionally engaging in the casual chatter of girlfriends prepping for the fun. I knew we had a great crew when somehow "The Waterboy" was referenced. I recall asking "who but me would watch that movie more than once?", and one of the bridesmaids laughed and confessed being a fan as well. From there the day only got better, and I do believe the images speak for themselves!

Check out this recently photographed classic Chicago stye wedding! The ceremony was held at Old St. Pats, the second oldest parish in Chicago, having survived the Chicago fire of 1871. This church was renovated in 1996, and has the distinction of being the oldest public building in Chicago. I remember the renovation, and had the opportunity to photograph a wedding immediately following it's completion. After the ceremony was a trip through the city with a stop at Buckingham Fountain, then off to the Metropolitan Club, at the newly re-named Willis Tower.

What could be more meaningful than a family portrait? As I look around my home, my most precious and valuable items are my photos. If I came home to smoke coming out of my house, the first thing I’m going to grab (well second thing next to my pets) are my photos. I have literally dozens of albums all arranged chronologically. I have the precious photo of my sister and I, which was taken by one of my mentors fifteen years ago, which hangs in my dining room. Johnny has gorgeous b&w images of his mother who passed away ten years ago. My mother is also a huge photo lover. Every time I visit her, I pour over all of her photo albums. Just a tradition I like to uphold.

It is traditional for us to book family portraits over the holidays. Families are getting together, time is being carved out of everyone’s busy schedule, and a moment is taken. Here are six such moments.

Check out one of our latest engagement portraits. We love to photograph our clients in an environment of their choice. Andy and Leanne love hanging out on the beach with their dog. They brought along a football to go along with a wardrobe change that meant something to them. Commonly engagement portraits are about us getting to know our clients better. The photography is more the second thought; however, still important. The engagement portrait can be like a dress rehearsal for our clients and us, to explore ideas and play, with no consequences.