Ace Hotel + City View Loft | Chicago Wedding Photographer
Ace Hotel + City View Loft | Chicago Wedding Photographer
This beautiful wedding day started with getting ready in a beautiful suite at the Ace Hotel and ended with a modern, industrial wedding reception and dance party at City View Loft. Nicki and Ryan, along with their amazing bridal party, really made this day an incredibly memorable one! Every friend they had by their side was truly there for them throughout the day, and that was beautiful to see. One bridesmaid would be holding her daughter, the other would be fixing her hair, the other was holding her dress, and of course, someone was always making sure she had food and a drink in her hand! The bridal party had such a beautiful understanding of the blend of having the most fun while understanding the seriousness of how special this day was to Nicki and Ryan!
I always love showing up to get more “getting ready” moments than planned, because there is usually so much going on. The little moments of seeing what everyone is doing to help prep the bride for her special day, most times go unnoticed, but I try to document each person doing something that is helpful and a memory that the bride may have missed because of being in her hair and makeup seat already. It’s just beautiful to catch the details of the lodging alongside the candids of how the morning of a wedding day goes. So showing up at the Ace Hotel an hour early to capture those extra moments were worth it for me, and for the bride’s reaction to her photos as well! Before we headed to the ceremony, we did a walk around the Ace Hotel to take photos of the bridal party and we found the most epic street art under a bridge it was such a fun moment with every person laughing and enjoying themselves. There were even a few candids of people walking by who jumped in to be in the photos with them. The bridal party walk was definitely one of my favorite memories from this wedding day!
Nicki and Ryan had the most beautiful ceremony in a vaulted room inside of a restored factory, called City View Loft. It’s one of Chicago’s most lovely renovated wedding venues. It’s on the outskirts of downtown and have beautiful skyline views of downtown Chicago. City View Loft has one of the best catering teams, LM Catering, so you don’t have to search for caterers who know the space and beautiful food! Nicki and Ryan also had a taco buffet bar in the middle of their dance party, which was one of my personal favorite parts of the day! Everyone loves a bite to eat in the middle of dancing for hours… especially when dancing with a camera in hand! And of course, the DJ’s at Toast and Jam brought amazing tunes all night long! Overall, this day was filled with memorable moments that will last a lifetime and that is what every wedding day special. Those moments happen with your favorite people, and that will always be unique to you both!
Nicki and Ryan gave me this genuinely sweet review on Junebug Weddings, and I couldn’t be
more grateful to have been there to document and celebrate these two on their wedding day!
”I was lucky enough to have a friend refer me to Melody. I looked at her website ONCE, fell in love, and reached out immediately. Having young kids and living quite a way's away from the city, Melody was more accommodating, flexible, and understanding than she ever had to be. On our wedding day, Melody wasn't just a photographer. It honest to God felt like she was part of the wedding and part of the family, the way she helped organize events of the day and helped with the little important things. That alone makes you feel comfortable in front of her camera. I never truly understood how important finding the RIGHT photographer was until I laid eyes on my own wedding photos. I guess there just aren't the right words to describe how much I appreciate how perfect and beautiful they are. Every detail that I hoped to remember was caught. Every amazing move someone busted on the dance floor was captured. From the tiny details in the decor, to the food, flowers, guests, and everything in-between. When I look at my wedding photos from Melody, I relive one of the best and most important days of my life, vividly! I don’t want to sign off without giving mention to the second photographer Melody brought in for the day, Ross, who captured some amazing photos of the guys! Just goes to show she really knows what she's doing!
I wish I had more room! Trust Melody xo”
- Nicki + Ryan
Lodging - The Ace Hotel Chicago | Ceremony + Reception Venue - City View Loft | Wedding Florals - Flowers For Dreams | Wedding Dress - White Satin Bridal | Catering - LM Catering | DJ - Toast + Jam
If you’d like me to capture your wedding day or see if your wedding date is available,
fill out the form at the link below and I would love to
create something beautiful with you!
St. Mary's Space | Scotland Wedding Venue in the Highlands | Scotland Elopement Photographer
St. Mary's Space | Scotland Wedding Venue in the Highlands | Scotland Elopement Photographer
A few months ago I had the pleasure of documenting an elopement editorial at one of Scotland’s newest intimate wedding venues, St. Mary’s Space. It’s a beautifully quaint restored chapel located in the Highlands of Scotland. It used to be known as St. Mary's Church and Rectory and was built in the 1890's. The owner, Charlotte, and her family has lived here since 2011 and have created a unique venue for individuals to come in and use it in creative ways. St. Mary’s Space is surrounded by a beautiful wooded area has a majestic view of a river and mountains in the distance.
The lead wedding planner of Scarlett & Bell, Mercedes, together with the talented Little White Cow, leading wedding prop stylists, and Wildflower Workshop, one of the best wedding florists in all of Scotland, created beautiful scenes that will inspire you for your own intimate wedding or elopement in St. Mary’s Space. Mercedes has been planning weddings for years and is knowledgable of all the best wedding suppliers in Scotland. She knows how to make your wedding day run smoothly and look beautiful. Scarlett & Bell is based in Edinburgh, Scotland, but she also loves to travel wherever your wedding day make take her!
If you are looking for venue inspiration while planning your intimate elopement in Scotland, just view the various ceremony and reception scenes at St. Mary’s Space below. One of the best parts of St. Mary’s Space is that not only does it have a historic story, but it has an airbnb, so that you can stay the night there as well. And if you want photos in the surroundings areas, like Glencoe, you can end your evening with dinner and drink by the fire in the quaint warmth of St. Mary’s Space.
Scotland Wedding & Elopement Vendors / Suppliers
Wedding Planner - Scarlett & Bell | Wedding Venue - St. Mary’s Space | Florist - Wildflower Workshop | Wedding Props + Stylist - Little White Cow | Couple - Addison + Connor | Hair + MUA - Suzanne Christie | Scotland Elopement Photographer - Melody Joy Co.
Hacienda Siesta Alegre | Puerto Rico Wedding Venue | Destination Wedding Photographer
Hacienda Siesta Alegre | Puerto Rico Wedding Venue | Boho Wedding | Destination Wedding Photographer
Elena and Wesley had the most stunning
tropical destination wedding,
in the heart of Puerto Rico!
Their wedding took place this past December and it was my first time visiting Puerto Rico. I actually flew into Old San Juan on Christmas day. After spending the morning opening gifts and eating a delicious brunch with my family, I set off for a country I’ve been wanting to visit for many years. I took a few days to relax, explore and eat my way through the historic neighborhood of Old San Juan. I really love history, so one of the first places I explored was Castillo San Cristobal — one of the oldest Spanish forts in the New World.
The fact that Puerto Rico’s main airport is so close to Old San Juan makes the country a perfect destination for overseas weddings, offering your guests a chance to take in the city’s many sights, sounds and flavors before celebrating your special day with you.
For destination wedding days, I’m always with you from start to finish to tell your whole story. So, I started the day by capturing Elena getting ready with her girls. There was a gorgeous bridal suite surrounded by greenery at their boho wedding venue, Hacienda Siesta Alegre. The surroundings made you feel like you were on top of the world, with stunning views of the El Yunque rainforest mountain range in the distance. There were so many beautiful corners on the historic hacienda, including arched doorways and French window panes. It made choosing a corner spot for them to read their vows to each other before their ceremony incredibly easy and beautiful.
They had so many unique details, like a cigar bar where handmade cigars were made and given to the guests as favors. Of course, the hacienda had endless places for the bride and groom to take images together with their loved ones. The outdoor reception consisted of beautifully decorated farm tables that surrounded an incredible courtyard with a lovely fountain in the center. The courtyard was lit by string lights that really set the mood for both the reception, and later, an epic dance floor! Their chef, Enrique Piniero, is one of the best chefs in all of Puerto Rico! His food was phenomenal and I highly recommend him if you are going to do a destination wedding in Puerto Rico. I only wish you could taste his food in an image, but you’ll just have to visit and try it for yourself. You won’t be disappointed!
The reception dancing was orchestrated by the top DJ in Puerto Rico, Big J Music, playing the best tunes! He is also another solid wedding vendor choice for your Puerto Rican destination wedding! It’s always great to see a DJ who can read the crowd and keep the guests excited for what song is coming next, and to see everyone’s faces light up and rush to the dance floor!
Elena and Wes also surprised the guests by having Plena music played by an amazing local group, Yuvi Plena! The music was perfect for the setting and every single guest absolutely loved it! They had the crowd doing a dance train around the entire venue and the dancers and instruments were all so entertaining — a perfect complement to the evening, tying in a bit of Puerto Rican tradition for the guests with an exciting twist!
They ended the night surrounded by sparklers and their loved ones! The smiles on their faces said it all. It was truly a beautiful wedding day!
If you’re looking for a venue for your tropical, boho destination wedding, Hacienda Siesta Alegre is one of the best wedding venues in all of Puerto Rico, seriously, just google “wedding venue in puerto rico”, I’m not making that up. Beautifully situated within a national forest, the historic villa and unique architecture of the property make for not only a stunning wedding day, but a truly memorable one.
Ceremony + Reception Venue - Hacienda Siesta Alegre / Wedding Planning - Rosalina Torres / Florist Company - Jat Lozano / Make-up + Hair Artist - Javier Moreno / Brides Dress - Gali Karten / Jewelry - Cassouto Jewels / Shoes - Bella Belle Shoes / Garter - La Gartier Wedding Garters / Bridesmaid Dresses - Show Me Your Mumu / Groom Suit - Suit Supply / Groomsman Suits - The Groomsman Suit / Engagement Ring - Majestic Jewelers / Wedding Band Instagram - Creative Design Jewelers / Caterer - Chef Enrique Piniero / Cake - Gabriel Diaz / DJ - Big J Music / Wedding Filmmaker - The Film Writer / Photo Booth - Flipeate / Pleneros - Yuvi Plena
If you’d like me to capture your wedding day or see if your wedding date is available for 2020 or 2021?
Fill out the form below and I would love to create something beautiful with you!
Here is the amazing film by The Film Writer below!
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.
If you’d like to Inquire about me capturing your wedding day or see if your date is available for 2020 or 2021?
Fill out the form below and I would love to help you create something beautiful together!
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.
Endless Elegance | Garden City, Long Island | New York City Wedding Photographer
New York City Wedding Photographer | Endless Elegance | Garden City, Long Island Wedding Venue
I love how Kelly and Jordan not only showed endless elegance, but as you scroll through the images from their beautiful day on Long Island, New York, you will see joy, laughter and endless amounts of fun on the dance floor. These days are so lovely to look back on. It doesn’t matter where you get married in this beautiful world, wether you have a destination wedding, an elopement at city hall or an intimate celebration with your closest family and friends, the most important part of a wedding day is being with your best friend and expressing your love for them, and these two did just that. It’s always an honor to document couples who are madly in love!
Such a joy to know you and to have photographed you both, Kelly and Jordan! x
This was a beautiful wedding that I captured in Garden City, Long Island, New York. If you are looking for a stunning wedding venue or wedding photographer in or around New York City, then check out the images on this blog post! They started at a gorgeous cathedral in Garden City and then ended at a stunning Long Island wedding venue! This day was just endlessly gorgeous. Elegant and Luxury weddings are so beautiful to document! And Garden City on Long Island is such a a historic area of New York. If you haven’t been, or are looking for a place to have an elegant wedding in a historic venue, then definitely go visit Long Island wedding venues. And what’s great about New York City as well, is that if guests are flying in, it’s one of the greatest cities in the world and in the states and I’m sure your guests would love to spend a holiday there! They have the choice of staying near Times Square, Soho or The Village, or all the way in Oyster Bay or Montauk. Definitely two different experiences, but Long Island weddings give you so many options for not only you, but your guests experience!
If you’d like me to capture your wedding day or see if your date is available for 2020 or 2021?
Fill out the form below and I would love to create something beautiful together!
Josh + Verity Wed | Yorkshire, England Wedding
Ever since meeting these two and roaming around Leeds for coffee last summer, I just fell in love with their sweet personalities. They are adorably silly, quirky, joyful and just so full of laughter and love. I'm incredibly grateful I was able to shoot their wedding in Yorkshire, which is one of my favorite areas of the United Kingdom. The day was moody and rainy (which made for excellent outdoor images, there was a stunning vintage red VW beetle, there was a pinata that was demolished to fill the dance floor with confetti before the party commenced, and there was a three-tiered Jello wedding cake. And that was all just icing on the cake (that wasn't there) compared to the love that was shared between Verity and Josh and their family and friends. Also, a huge thanks to Colin Ross, who was a boss at second-shooting this day with me!
Josh and Verity, Love you both dearly and wish the best for the season of life that lies before you!
Location: Downtown Bradford, England / Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Scotland Elopement | A Highland Wedding
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
( These are the kinds of individuals, artists, brides and humans I want to work with, and just live life with. )
You can't beat pure joy, even when it's so cold out!
I can't get enough of shooting the unique details of a wedding day.
If you’d like to Inquire about me capturing your wedding day or see if your date is available for 2020 or 2021?
Fill out the form below and I would love to help you create something beautiful together!
Location // It's a secret says the building owner, but I'll give you a hint...it's in Arrochar.
Planner + Stylist Fin Flükra (Catrina Duthie) // Website Facebook Instagram Pinterest
Wedding Photography Melody Joy Co. // Website Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest
Floristry Posies & Pots // Website Facebook Twitter Instagram
Headpieces + Jewellery Susan Dick Jewellery // Website Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest
Hair + Makeup Bonnie Brides // Facebook Instagram
Model // Natalie Leask
Featured on - Mrs. P & P Wedding Blog
If you are looking for an elopement photographer in Scotland, I would absolutely love to capture your love in the Scottish Highlands! I have traveled all over Scotland, and not only have shot real weddings, but have done so many trips to explore the land for leisure as well as to scout for future brides who are flying into Scotland. It’s so fun to do styled shoots in new areas of Scotland because you get to find the best areas and scout for unique landscapes that haven’t been shot before by other photographers. It’s so nice to try and find different places for every bride that is traveling to Scotland. The main Scottish landscapes are of course excellent venues to elope, but I really love finding places to elope in Scotland that are more off the beaten path and less traveled to. I just really love going on hikes in Scotland. Just being in the fresh air, experiencing new places and being so far away from the rest of the population is one of my favorite places to be. Capturing weddings started as a way to document people in love and I’ve thankfully with the help of trusting couples, have made a create a career out of it, but now I have started the nature aspect of it just as much. There is something about photographing a couple and their raw love amongst the elements of the mountains and sea coastlines, that truly makes their wedding photos have a raw and authentic feel to them. Scottish elopements are such a beautiful thing to capture, and if you choose to elope somewhere with your best friend, I would love suggest traveling to Scotland and finding an elopement photographer to document your love. And if you need any suggestions for places to elope in Scotland, please reach out and ask! I love to help couples plan their elopement anywhere, but especially in all of the beauty that is the Scottish Highlands.
