Modern Wedding | Art Institute of Chicago | The Publican | Chicago Wedding Photographer
Modern Wedding | Art Institute of Chicago | The Publican | Chicago Wedding Photographer
Tim and Ivy are two of the loveliest humans I’ve had the pleasure of documenting. Their wedding day had so much personality in it. Ivy’s wedding dress was her mom’s vintage wedding gown, that she slightly customized to make it her own. They had their beautiful dog be a special part of the day by having him be their adorable “Ring Bear.” I love when couples include their animals, who are more like family, into their wedding day. They now live in New York City, but since Ivy grew up in Chicago, it held a special place in her heart. Also, the Art scene in Chicago is amazing. With The Art Institute of Chicago being one of their favorite museums and them both being Whitney museum members in NYC, it was an obvious choice for where they wanted the majority of their wedding portraits taken.
Ross and I started the morning documenting Tim and Ivy in their hotel suites overlooking the beautiful Chicago skyscrapers. We then walked down with them individually, to have them meet on a bridge overlooking the Chicago River, which weaves beautifully throughout the city scape. Even though they were in the middle of a bustling city, it still felt like they were the only ones around to each other. We walked down the river for a bit before hopping in a cab and heading to The Art Institute of Chicago. At the Art Institute, we walked by all of their favorite works to take portraits of them while they strolled and viewed the artwork together. From the Thorne Miniature Rooms by Mrs. James Ward Thorne, to the Marc Chagall Windows, to the Claude Monet Water Lilies and Stacks of Wheat, to the entire Modern Wing. It really was so special to wander around the museum with someone who values and appreciates art as much as I do. Side note, I’m a member at the Art Institute of Chicago and I can easily get lost in the works of art weekly. Artists of all methods and time periods inspire me so much.
Once we finished our stroll at the Art Institute of Chicago, we headed to Oak Park for their intimate wedding ceremony. The Ceremony took place in the beautiful cathedral of Grace Lutheran, where Ivy’s family attended growing up. They had their dog be the “ring bear” and he really was such a sweet touch. I love when couples want their animals, who are more like family, to be a special part of their wedding day. The ceremony was incredibly beautiful and serene, which was perfect way to honor the most important moments of the day.
When the ceremony ended we drove back to the West Loop to end the wedding day with a reception at The Publican. Of course, when you have a wedding reception at The Publican, your food is going to be the absolute best.. and theirs most definitely was! They rented out the entire restaurant, which made for an intimate evening of food, speeches, drinks and dancing! They moved the restaurant tables into beautiful long lines that surrounded a dance floor in the center of the room. Ivy had to ring their huge cowbell on the wall to announce to all of the guests that dinner was being served! All of the food was the top level from The Publican and it all came out family style for all of the guests to share. Family style servings really helps your guests to get to know each other and to speak to each other more. Truly a lovely way to make your wedding experience more intimate for your friends and family. They cut their cake, which had an adorable cut out of the two of them and their sweet dog sitting on the top of it! With an open bar, a dessert table and happy hearted guests, The Publican turned dark, and the DJ from Toast and Jam (Who I highly suggest for any wedding party!) led the night into a fun dance party! All in all, this was a truly beautiful day filled with family, friends and delicious food. Tim and Ivy, you both are amazing humans and I hope you’ve had the loveliest time together as Newlyweds!
At the end of this wedding day, I headed home after the last dance and was so filled with joy while looking out of my Uber as the Chicago skyline passed by, and just thought to myself “wow, I have the best job and the best couples.” I’m just truly so grateful for couples, like Tim and Ivy, who allow me the privilege of documenting and celebrating their love. It’s such an honor and always so memorable to me. Melody x
I love that in just a few miles from the heart of downtown Chicago, you can be in the quaint and beautiful neighborhood of Oak Park. Ivy grew up in this Church during her childhood years, so having her ceremony here was really meaningful to her. I love that even though Tim and Ivy’s portraits and and reception are in the urban city area of Chicago, that their ceremony could be in this intimate church setting in a quiet neighborhood. This is honestly what makes Chicago so unique and this couple so incredibly beautiful, to choose a meaningful place to start the rest of their lives together.
Wedding Portraits - Art Institute of Chicago | Wedding Dress - Vintage | Wedding Florist - InFlorEssence | Wedding Reception - The Publican Restaurant | Wedding Planner - Chicago Vintage Weddings | Ceremony - Grace Lutheran | Wedding Filmmaker - DeepEnd imagery | Hair - Paul Rehder Salon | Hotel - Virgin Hotels Chicago | DJ - Toast and Jam
If you’d like me to capture your wedding day or just want to chat with me to see how I can help you create something beautiful on your wedding day, reach out on my contact page below!
Wedding Dress Designer | Carolyn Baxter | Edinburgh, Scotland
Wedding Dress Designer | Carolyn Baxter | Edinburgh, Scotland | Edinburgh Wedding Photographer
Since I’ve been here in Edinburgh for half of the year for the last few years, until I start living here full time soon, I am always making new friends in the wedding industry! The reason I love genuinely getting to know individuals in the Scotland wedding world, is because when I know who they are as a person, I can confidently refer them to all of my future Edinburgh or Scotland brides here. You can only see suppliers work online, but when you get to know wedding suppliers in person, you will be able to refer them with more confidence and match them to future brides that share the same passions and personalities as them. For example, I’ve been said to be more soft spoken, quirky and silly in person than anticipated. Many say my personality is different than what they expected from my images (in a good way it seems!) when you know me in person, and I think that it’s so important to meet people face to face and have that personality connection, as well as loving their beautiful work online. So if you can meet local suppliers in your community, then I would highly encourage you to spend time with them, not only for shoots (which is a great way to help each other and create beautiful work for fun!), but grab coffee, keep up with them online, be genuinely invested in their life behind the scenes and not just in repeated comments for others to see.
Carolyn Baxter is a dress designer, based in the heart of Scotland. She not only designs, but hand sews all of her gowns in her Edinburgh studio. Carolyn not only designs wedding dresses, but also bridesmaid dresses and event gowns! Her work amazes me because it’s so custom. I love the creativity and admire the craftsmanship that goes into the process of making all of her own gowns. Each dress has it’s own unique details and gives the person wearing it endless confidence. Carolyn’s gowns are a combination of femininity and elegance, while still having an edge to them. If you’re searching for a place to have a locally designed wedding dress from Scotland for your wedding or elopement, you should definitely reach out to set up an appointment to visit Carolyn’s Baxter’s boutique in Edinburgh.
For this editorial shoot, I captured the “Julianna” and “Glimmer” gowns. We wandered the streets of Edinburgh and the harsh Scottish winds really showed all of the texture and movement of these beautiful dresses very well. These gowns are listed under her Event Dresses page on her website, but this shoot is a prime example of how any dress can be styled for your wedding day. You don’t have to just look in the bridal section for your wedding dress. I’ve even seen brides wear dresses meant for bridesmaids and they looks stunning! There are no rules when looking for your wedding dress, if you like a dress, whether it’s labeled for events, prom, balls or bridesmaids, if you want to wear it as your wedding dress, you do it proudly and I promise no one will even tell it’s purposed intention because the only definition of a wedding dress is the dress you end up wearing on the day you get married to your best friend… and that will always be your wedding dress.
Dress Designer - Carolyn Baxter | Makeup - Roo Bell | Models - Sofia + Alishba |
Edinburgh Wedding Photographer - Melody Joy Co.