chicago wedding photographers Archives

Lindsay and Bob’s Wedding Day Story

Lindsay and Bob’s wedding day was full of family and friend’s celebrating their union. Lindsay’s sister honored her in a beautiful toast, remarking on her kind spirit. She noted how, even on her wedding day, Lindsay was thoughtful of others, choosing to where Toms’ shoes knowing someone else in the world would also receive a pair because of the purchase.

Bob’s best friend brought the house down, provoking belly laughs across the room with his dry wit.

There were also not one but two Irish wedding blessings, and fist pumping to the Illini fight song.

Congrats Lindsay and Bob!

Cheers to these vendors!

Mark Rankin DJ Chicago ; Cake-Gladstone Bakery ; Florist-The Flower Studio ; Dress-Vannesa’s modern bride

Tina and Manny’s Vineyard Wedding Willow Harbor Vineyards in Michigan

by Maggie Rife Ponce

Tina and Manny first caught sight of each other at a Starbucks on Taylor street. After running into each other again and again, they finally made plans for a date, which of course, started at that same Starbucks. After the date ended, Tina told her sister, “He’s a nice guy! He threw away my coffee cup for me.”

They two spent countless hours at that Starbuck’s studying beside each other, supporting one another through med school and CFA exams. After four years, they decided to commit to a lifetime of coffee drinking together!

Their wedding was a blast! Check below for descriptions of all their unique details and cultural traditions. Congratulations Tina and Manny! Cheers to a long and happy life together!

Also, big Thanks to Alex Matzke for assisting with this wedding! And a shout out to these vendors:

-Hair stylist: Heath and Company, DJ: DJ Sultan, Videographer: Sterling Wedding Cinema, Makeup: Justina Wiegel of Eventful Makeup

The two celebrated their nuptials with details special to their relationship-the table names were various Starbuck’s drinks, their candy table was a nod to their sweet tooth’s, and their location, a beautiful winery in Michigan, was chosen a mutual love of nature.
The event was a multicultural affair, weaving in traditions from their background, including the Mexican Lazo ceremony followed by a traditional Persian ceremony. When you see the women holding the canopy above their heads in the pictures, that is part of a blessing where loved ones sprinkle sugar over them to bring sweetness to their marriage.

The Sofreh Aghd is a wedding spread, decorated with flowers and set with a luxurious spread for the couple.

The reception included additional cultural traditions, including a knife dance (Manny did his best to steal the cutlery from Tina’s dancing friend’s, before eventually having to pay them off); and a Mexican chair dance, where female guests first tried to knock Tina off the chair, followed by the males attempting the same. Things moved fast, but Manny held tight and triumphed! None-the-less, the gents got the best of him, tipping him onto his back and tossing him high in the air to huge cheers by onlookers!

Ami + Amar’s Lakeside Engagement Session

by Maggie Rife Ponce

This is the engagement session I was referring to when I wrote the above comment. Ami and Amar were so incredibly fun to photography. They were playful, affectionate, and laid back. We met on the steps of the Field Museum on a fogging Chicago afternoon. The laughter started as soon as we greeted each other and pretty much didn’t stop. When I asked them about their first date, Ami explained they didn’t have an “official” one until they’d been together for a year. In fact, their “first date” was when Amar proposed. He called Ami up earlier in the week and asked if she’d go out with him “Saturday night.” He brought her to the Field Museum, where he led her into the diamond exhibit. Guess what Ami found in one of the display cases? Amar, you are a clever, clever man. Way to make your “first date” unforgettable.