As a Chicago wedding photographer, I have never been more aware of this than at Caroline and Gene’s wedding. Caroline’s beautiful bridal bouquet and her bridesmaids’ pink bouquets were definitely the focal points of the day, besides the beautiful bride herself and her lovely tiered gown. The flowers stood out even when we shot photos of the wedding party in the beautiful gardens of the Art Institute.

Flowers at this wedding were also featured as centerpieces, on the cake and in the bride’s up-do. They really gave personality and individuality to the wedding; since flowers themselves are one of a kind, they add a great original touch to a traditional day. The flowers on Caroline and Gene’s big day were actually done by the bride’s Maid of Honor, Kara Superfine for Botanicals, making each arrangement even more special.

Kara transformed the location of Caroline and Gene’s reception, the University Club, with her creative and colorful floral arrangements. When choosing your own floral styling (if you don’t have the expert advice of one of your bridesmaids!), you can go for elaborate or simple, traditional or quirky, colorful or muted—and you can always choose to do it yourself or another economical option.  No matter what spirit you are trying to portray in your big day, your floral arrangements can help you do it.

Coordinated by Lisa Zimbler and catered in-house at the University Club, the reception was kept lively by the music of Toast & Jam DJ Leslie Stiles.

At a recent wedding I photographed, the couple put their own stamp on the wedding experience by bucking tradition. Yes, the bride still wore white, rings were exchanged, and of course, pictures were taken– but Nicole and Brad expressed their personality by choosing an unusual venue. Chicago florist A New Leaf hosted Nicole and Brad’s reception and obviously provided their beautiful floral arrangements. The industrial-chic event space features an outdoor courtyard and a multi-level interior of exposed brick, concrete staircases and modern metalwork– it was certainly not your typical wedding setting. But it did provide a memorable experience, even for a Chicago wedding photographer like me, who’s attended hundreds of weddings!

The reception space also allowed me to create incredibly beautiful shots of the bride and groom. The simple decor made a unique and interesting background for the photos of the couple. Nicole and Brad also skipped another typical wedding tradition—not seeing each other the day of the service. Instead, Nicole and Brad made their day a little less stressful by allowing me to photograph them before the vows were exchanged. If you aren’t the superstitious type, this is a perfect arrangement. You can go straight from your service to your reception without taking the traditional post-service photos, and rest assured that you have a beautiful picture of you and your spouse. Plus, you can use the sights of your city to their fullest by being able to change venue for special and, more importantly, personal wedding portraits. Nicole, Brad and their wedding party were shot on La Salle Street, at the Art Institute Gardens, and at the Wrigley Building, adding Chicago’s local flair to their photos.

Makeup for the bride, which photographed beautifully and naturally, was done by Sonia Roselli, who is known for her experience in the industry and her philosophy that great makeup starts with great skin. And Nicole and Brad avoided the typical (aka terrible) wedding DJ by opting for the hip Chicago wedding DJ Toast and Jam. The music went perfectly with the innovative vibe of the event location by adding a modern pop.