Heidi and Jeremy | Jeremy Lawson Photography

I’d been looking forward to Jeremy and Heidi’s wedding for some time! I had a blast with this fun and creative couple at their engagement session a year previous, and had been anticipating this day ever since. But no one was more excited than bride Heidi, seen here preparing to put on her dress.

This laugh Heidi shared with her Maid of Honor as the dress was being fastened was the first of many that day.

Heidi was terribly excited to be surrounded by her loved ones for the day, like her mother, who was on hand at the bridal suite to help with preparations.

And the preparations went very well, indeed! Elise Brill and Renee Feldman did a fantastic job with Heidi’s make-up and hair, respectively.

Heidi was beaming and beyond beautiful as her bridesmaids got their first look at the wedding-ready bride.

She was pumped and ready to go!

Meanwhile, Jeremy and his groomsmen were enjoying a round of drinks as they were waiting for the festivities to commence.

The groom’s brother served as Best Man, and he fulfilled his duties to the fullest, taking time to help his brother out with some tricky cufflinks.

And soon enough, Jeremy was on the roof of the Hotel Palomar, the designated meeting spot for his first look at Heidi. He could barely stand still as he waited for his bride to arrive.

The first meeting was so happy, they couldn’t help but break out into a dance.

It’s a good thing they practiced their first kiss, too, because this just wasn’t cutting it.

The rest of the crew was waiting for us in the lobby, ready to head out to take some pre-ceremony photos.

The good times got to rolling with with portraits of the wedding party.

Aren’t they sweet? I loved that both Jeremy and Heidi weren’t afraid to be themselves and get creative for the camera. Here, Heidi checks out her bouquet, which was designed by Lynn at Pollen and was begging to be sniffed.

Yowza! Jeremy could barely keep his hands off of Heidi!

It’s probably for the best that this port-a-potty was chained shut. Nothing good ever happened in a port-a-potty left to rest at an underpass.

Check out how Jeremy is looking at Heidi in this picture. He’s definitely head over heels for her.

The ceremony and reception were held at Salvage One, so I took everyone to visit some of my favorite photo backdrops in that area. It was a perfect fall day, with a clear, bright blue sky. I’m very happy with how the following series of photos at the rail yard turned out!

It’s not all crumbling warehouses and worn tracks over there… there are certain corners that boast a lot of natural beauty!

I know, I know. That last sentence was super-cheesy.

Speaking of natural beauty…

…how about that pile of trash? City living at it’s finest!

In this very dramatic portrait, Jeremy is utilizing a skillful yoga pose to provide an artistic statement on the potential for serenity in humankind even when faced with the very real urgency of managing the waste we as a species can’t seem to…. who am I kidding? Here’s Jeremy, getting goofy in front of a garbage mountain.

Cleaner air awaited us in the wonderful courtyard of Salvage One.

Jeremy’s brother was terribly excited for pictures!

In another genius move of directional brilliance, I told Heidi to “pretend to eat (the bridesmaid’s) hair like it’s a donut.” Mature, logical posing such as this is how you make it in the wedding industry, folks. Aspiring photogs, take notes.

Jeremy and one of his groomsmen, serving up mid-sneeze realness for the shoot.

This is the groomsmen portrait all other Jeremy Lawson Photography groomsmen portraits will be modeled after from here on out.

Jeremy, how many times to I have to ask you to get out of the well?

We’ve got wedding photos to take!

I think it’s safe to say that we killed that shoot.

One last pose in front of the Chicago sign…

…and we moved the festivities inside for the Ketubah signing. The following series of photos were taken during this beautiful, traditional ceremony, which began with the groom inspecting the contract.

There were surrounded by family for the signing, including Heidi’s mom, who was beaming with pride.

And both their fathers were seated at the table, as well.

After the signing, Heidi’s flowing veil was put into place.

The guys spent some time hanging out and chatting…

…while Heidi took advantage of some solo camera time, throwing out some hard-core poses.

The time was finally here! Heidi took a moment to collect herself…

…before heading downstairs and walking the aisle. Her parents escorted her, giving her huge hugs and kisses before making the walk.

Jeremy could hardly believe that the big moment was finally here.

After taking her place beside Jeremy under the Chuppah, the couple observed the tradition of circling the groom.

And so began Heidi and Jeremy’s wedding. The following is a collection of my favorite pictures from the ceremony.

Jeremy’s mom was smiling ear to ear during the ceremony.

Jeremy’s brother and his husband were standing by Jeremy’s side. They had gotten married just months before, too!

With vows and rings exchange, Heidi and Jeremy broke the wedding glass, shared a kiss and began their lives together as a married couple!

Congratulations!

The newlyweds headed off by themselves immediately after the ceremony for some time alone to reflect…

…and air out those shoes. I mean, they’d been on their feet all day!

After cocktails, the guests made their way to the reception and found their seats. Jeremy and Heidi weren’t far behind, making their grand entrance before dinner was served. They were ready to party, and had a crew of all-stars coming together to serve their guests. Meghan from LoveBird Events helped to organize and J&L Catering had a mouth-watering meal ready to go.

The party got started as the newlyweds shared their first dance together…

…while being serenaded by one of the groomsmen.

And then there was a very, very special treat. So Heidi is a HUGE Justin Timberlake fan. Jeremy, as a surprise, planned out a special dance to perform for his bride (you can check it out here.

Heidi had no idea!!

Dang! Jeremy has got MOVES!

Can you guess what JT song was playing during this move? That’s right. Cry Me a River.

Everyone was on their feet and getting into the show.

Nice work, Jeremy! Your bride is very impressed!!

Jeremy’s performance was followed up by speeches, which were kicked off by the groom’s parents. I think Jeremy’s mom was still psyched up from the show.

Heidi’s mom was up next with some words of advice for the newlyweds.

Heidi’s father delivered a toast, as well…

…and then shared a dance with his daughter.

Jeremy’s brother had everyone smiling during his Best Man toast.

And Heidi’s Maid of Honor had some sweet memories of the bride to share with the guests.

Heidi and Jeremy have a mutual nickname for each other: “bot” (short for ‘robot’). Their cake topper was another way our incorporate the nickname into the wedding. Heidi searched Etsy for days, and when she showed THE ONE to Jeremy, he proclaimed “I absolutely love it.” Heidi writes: “Our tastes differs quite a bit so I knew it was an auto-purchase. We have no connection to steampunk society. We’re steampunk phonies! Don’t even watch Dr. Who….”

The wedding couple shared a traditional cake tasting, and had heavenly cupcakes from Molly’s for guests to enjoy.

They thanked their guests for all of the love and support shown to them throughout their journey to this day…

…and then Jeremy enjoyed a dance with his mother.

Up next was my favorite: the Hora!!

Man, I love the Hora, due in no small part to how much fun everyone has while dancing.

Jeremy laid down a signature move to wrap up the Hora…

…and then Rachel from Toast & Jam got the dance floor jumpin’! I had a feeling that there would be plenty of opportunity to take some amazing dance photos during this celebration, and the guests didn’t disappoint. Check out this collection of some of my favorite dance party moments: