Chicago City Hall Elopement | Samantha + Joe | Chicago Wedding Photographer | Destination Wedding Photographer
Chicago City Hall Elopement | Samantha + Joe | Chicago Wedding Photographer | Vivienne Westwood | Alex Brown Hair | Miranda
Cary MUA | Raulph LAUREN
RL RESTAURANT
Sam (the stylish, hilarious and “worth following along online” bride) and her endearing partner Joe decided to have an intimate wedding ceremony before their larger celebration with friends in Mexico. So they decided to have a Chicago City Hall Elopement with their closest family members. We met at City Hall, where they had gotten their marriage certificate and then we strolled around the historic building to take their bridal portraits. Sam was wearing a chic all white shoulder padded suit with a stunning choker from Vivienne Westwood. Her makeup was done by the talented Miranda Cary and her hair was done by the amazing Alex Brown Hair. Both ladies are some of the best hair and makeup artists in Chicago. We also did a bit of strolling around La Salle, because that street has some of the loveliest building architecture and textures for portrait backdrops.
After the bridal portraits downtown we left the Chicago City Hall area and headed towards the Chicago River. The Chicago River is the perfect backdrop for a wedding ceremony, as it creates an open space amidst the skyscrapers in downtown Chicago. They decided to pick a space that was near somewhere meaningful to them, so we settled in a beautiful inlet of the sidewalk in the center of the city. There family was all waiting for them to arrive as they walked up. They had the lovely Rev Beth of Rev Beth Weddings officiate the wedding ceremony and she is one of my favorite officiants in Chicago. The way she words things so personably, is open to any kind of couple (no matter the background or religion) and is flexible to meet you anywhere to perform your wedding ceremony, she is simply the sweetest. They exchanged wedding rings and said ‘I do’ in front of all of their loved ones in the city center. After the ceremony there were many family hugs, kisses, selfies and heart warming smiles.
Joe helped Samantha get into a luxury SUV where they had their vintage bottle of Dom Perignon Champagne and cuddles before heading to meet their family members at the Ralph Lauren RL Restaurant. At the RL Restaurant the two of them stopped off for a drink and private cheers in the bar area and then joined the rest of their family at the dinner table. They did things the best way possible, cake first. A delicious cake was brought to them straight after being seated and they didn’t just cut it, but ate it and I love that about Same and Joe! They had a family toast and then enjoyed the rest of their evening together making memories around the dinner table with the ones they love. I really appreciate being able to capture such personal and intimate memories in couples lives. Sam and Joe, the stylish newlyweds that you are, I absolutely adore you both and your sweet and spicy personalities! x
Downtown Chicago Wedding Venue - Chicago City Hall | Wedding Outfit - White Blazer Shoulder Padded Suit | Choker Necklace - Vivienne Westwood Three Row Pearl Bas Relief Choker | Chicago Hair Stylist - Alex Brown Hair | Chicago Wedding Makeup Artist - Miranda Cary MUA | Chicago Wedding Officiant - Rev Beth Weddings | Intimate Wedding Dinner Reception - Ralph Lauren RL Restaurant
Intimate Downtown Wedding | RPM Seafood Wedding Reception | Chicago Wedding Photographer | The Peninsula Hotel | Destination Wedding Photographer
Intimate Downtown Wedding | RPM Seafood Wedding Reception | The Peninsula Hotel | Destination Micro Wedding | Chicago Wedding photographer
Liza and Rick decided to have their wedding day be an intimate and romantic one. They started their day getting ready at The Peninsula Hotel together. I think it’s really sweet when couples do that, especially for those who may have nerves and don’t want that build up tension of a formal first look and it gives you a chance to spend the whole morning with your partner. They had a car service rented for the afternoon, which took us to all of the locations in the city where they wanted photos together. Honestly, if you’re up in the air about hiring a car (limo, party bus, etc), trust me, it’s definitely worth it. This gives you the chance to hop in and out of the car while the driver is waiting at every corner for you, and you don’t have to drive around searching for parking or calling Uber’s, which can take such valuable time away from you both on your wedding day, and gives you more freedom to enjoy drinks or your favorite snacks during your ride around town.
Liza and Rick rented a private room in RPM Seafood that has a balcony overlooking the Chicago River and has some of the best views of downtown. They had a small wedding ceremony there with a few of their closest family members and friends. I love how every couple make their day unique, whether it’s a large party into the night or a sweet, intimate dinner with a view, like this day was, I am always happy to document such a memorable and meaningful day in couples lives. x
Chic Downtown Chicago Micro Wedding | Madelyn + Paul | Elopement Wedding Photographer
Chic Downtown Chicago Micro Wedding | Madelyn + Paul | Elopement Wedding Photographer
Elopements at city hall are some of my favorite! And Madelyn and Paul truly did it right! They started the day getting ready with their favorite people, and then did their first look just outside of the Thompson Hotel in the center of downtown Chicago. They then hopped in a limo with some bubbly and headed off to the Chicago Cook County Marriage Court. After they went in with their marriage certificate in hand and their masks on their faces, they came out with their arms in the air and rejoicing as they just got married during this craziness of a year! They had their parents and siblings waiting just outside the courthouse doors to cheer them on right after they left the courthouse and to give them all of the hugs!
Then the newlyweds went for a limo ride through Chicago and we stopped by a few of their favorite neighborhoods and some beautiful streets downtown. We ended up in the fashion district of downtown and roamed around the streets by shops like Dior and Versace, before heading to Gibson’s Steakhouse, where their immediate families were waiting to celebrate and enjoy a meal with them upstairs in a private dining room. All in all, this was a simple day, filled with beautiful little details that all focused on the bride and groom! In the car ride they opened up a bag of gummy bears their friends gave them, popped champagne and took Fujifilm Instax photos to have little take aways straight away from their special day!
This day was such a memorable one, and not just because of the beautiful bride and groom and their amazingly city chic attire, but because they just did what they wanted! These two, just like many couples had another plan before this one, and when this year became what it became, they just had to figure it out. And in the end, when you want to get married, you just figure out a way to make it happen, even if that means just the two of you in your city at the courthouse, dressed in your best! Madelyn and Paul were so relaxed all day long and were truly just so happy to finally become husband and wife and to start their “forever” together. I loved being able to witness their joy on this day. From start to finish, there was just so much love, joy and laughter, and that, to me, is what makes a wedding day the most beautiful of all! x
Dress - Sarah Seven // Hotel - Thompson Hotel // Wedding Reception - Gibson’s Steakhouse // Wedding Ceremony - Chicago Cook County Marriage Court // Flowers - Bride’s Mother (She did amazing!)
Destination Elopement Portraits on a Lake | Romantic Canoe Wedding Portraits | Melody Joy Co.
Destination Elopement Portraits on a Lake | Romantic Canoe Wedding Portraits | Melody Joy Co.
Gabe and Karla were married in 2017. They are some of the sweetest humans and creative couples I know. I watched a thriller movie about a cabin in the woods with Karla one evening and thought to myself… let’s go to a cabin in the woods and do a shoot! So I went straight to Airbnb and found a cabin in Michigan for us to do this elopement wedding shoot. We were able to capture wedding portraits of them in a canoe that came with the lake house. Not only was it a way for me to create something beautiful during this season, but I love giving real life couples memories that they can cherish forever. They both are so full of creative juices from Karla running a music school for children with Little Parade Music, and Gabe doing music production, Illustration for children’s books, recording, leading worship, a talented barista and all around loving human to everyone around me. I’m so grateful for these wonderful and inspiring cousins of mine and I’ll never tire of capturing the different seasons of their life. Enjoy these moody portraits of them in a canoe on a lake. x
And if you’re interested in my capturing couple or bridal portraits of your love and you, please reach out here.
I would love to create something beautiful with you!
Chicago City Hall Elopement | The Rookery | Elopement Photographer
The Rookery Wedding Venue | City Hall Courthouse Elopement | Chicago Elopement Photographer
Two of the most beautiful souls.
I was so honored that Dylan and Juan reached out to me to capture their Courthouse Elopement in downtown Chicago. They are truly wonderful human beings and their love for each other radiants to anyone who is around them. I honestly did not want to leave after spending the afternoon with them because I was having so much fun! They brought along both of their parents and only their closest friends, it was so intimate and emotional in the best way possible. Everyone was packed into a little room in the Chicago City Hall with big smiles, and then tears and then hugs and endless joy! After the ceremony everyone hopped into a Party Bus and we drove all around downtown Chicago to take couples portraits and family photos in their favorite locations! We ended the afternoon taking photos at The Rookery, one of the most historic and beautiful buildings in all of Chicago. It was a day filled with overflowing amounts of joy and love and you can’t ask for a better elopement than that.
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Chicago City Hall is the best way to elope in downtown Chicago. Eloping in Chicago is a great way to spend your wedding day with the one you love! Chicago City Hall is beautiful building with plenty of great portrait opportunities. If you are looking for a place to elope in Chicago, Chicago City Hall would be a perfect wedding venue for you! I love capturing weddings downtown at City Hall. City Hall is perfect for walking around and taking photos on the lakefront, at Navy Pier, in Millennium Park, on Michigan Avenue, by the Chicago River and in front of so many historic sky scrapers downtown. City Hall is also a perfect spot for parents who are visiting from out of town, because they can walk straight to City Hall very conveniently from any hotel downtown. Chicago is full of endless beauty, architecture and art, and if you are looking for a beautiful place to elope in an urban jungle, then City Hall is where you should have your intimate wedding.