Chelsea and Adam dreamed of a classic summer wedding, and their day was flawless.  Chelsea chose the perfect Alvina Valenta dress, and her pink diamond jewelry was a spectacular and unexpected accent.

Kara Superfine from Bliss Weddings and Events designed and coordinated this elegant event.  Kara’s polished personal style and vast knowledge for floral design makes her one of the most sought after event planners in Chicago.

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.

I photographed Katherine and Jim’s wedding this May, and as a Chicago wedding photographer, I can say that I have never seen vintage, classic style look so good or suit a couple so perfectly.

From the bride’s tiered lace gown and birdcage veil, to the groom’s classic style, a traditional theme was fitting for Katherine and Jim’s wedding portraits. Of course, my Chicago wedding photography team tried to catch the couple’s uniqueness too—Katherine’s purple pedicure added some pop in her classic, rhinestone accented heels.

Katherine picked one of my favorite wedding trends of 2009 for her bridesmaids: the black bridesmaid gown. For a classic wedding like theirs, the black, formal bridesmaid dress was a perfect pick, and they were accented perfectly with bright floral arrangements in purple, pink and fuchsia by A New Leaf.

To capture the classic, vintage feel of the nuptials, we used a combination of black and white and color photography. The black and white shots lent a cinematic feel to the portraits and invoked imagery of Old Hollywood films. The color photography showed the perfect complement of the subdued colors of the bridal party’s attire and the color of the flowers and the shooting locations. I recommend to most couples that they book a contingency location for bad weather, which you can do at the City of Chicago website under the Media Permits section. Thankfully, Katherine and Jim took my advice! After shooting their ceremony at the Assumption Catholic Church, I photographed them indoors and out of the rain at the Lincoln Park Conservatory. Later in the day, it cleared up and we got some of the classic Chicago shots that our local wedding parties love—they were made even prettier by the wet streets.

The reception was held at the event space of the florist, A New Leaf, and again, the colorful setting contrasted happily with the classic color scheme of wedding party. Catering was provided by Chicago-based Food Network stars the Hearty Boys, and music came courtesy of Toast and Jam.

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.