I had to start the post with their ring shot. I grabbed this at our pre-wedding meeting.
On the wedding day, I met her at their hotel downtown. This is the view from her room!
Some details were laying out for me to photograph.
And here’s Natalie! She had such a unique and fabulous look. It was fun photographing their retro style.
Her niece checks out Natalie’s dress.
Her mom watches as the final details are put in place.
Loved her look! Isn’t she gorgeous?!
Meanwhile, the guys were watching football…
and bringing the game indoors!
Their first meeting was set up at Union Station.
This arm rail was begging to be slid down.
A.J. was waiting at the bottom of the stairs to see Natalie for the first time.
Natalie came down the stairs behind him. I loved the old school Chicago vibe that she wanted to capture. Union Station was a great place to do this!
No peeking!
Taking a seat and soaking it all in for a minute before moving on.
The wedding party joined them.
Natalie was working the camera! =)
We continued to take advantage of the great places to shoot at Union Station.
The guys toss the pigskin around while the bridesmaids attend to Natalie.
Heading to the next location while A.J. toasts to a great day.
Time for more photos.
I love this spot. The perfect amount of people for the cool columns at the Art Institute.
Her brother helps her avoid the gravel below and carries her to the next location!
We continued our trip through downtown by stopping at this train platform.
A.J. takes his turn at working the camera!
The MCA always makes for some cool shots.
I love the Calder artwork that is now on display at the museum.
A.J. noticed a shot similar to this on the blog. We recreated it. Poor, Natalie!
The staircase at the MCA is always a hit.
These tourists on bikes didn’t know what to make of the wedding party coming out of the MCA!
But they were friendly! They let A.J. take a ride on one of their bikes!
Time for the ‘I do’s! The couple was married at the beautiful Assumption Church.
A.J. watches his bride come down the aisle.
Her father gives her a kiss and his blessing. I love that A.J.’s father is getting all choked up in the background.
The priest gives his blessing, too.
A.J. gets his ring.
A beautiful church.
Congratulations! Time to share the good news with the facebook!
A.J. wanted to shoot at this parking garage behind the church after the ceremony. Good call, A.J.!
It’s hard to leave the Kinzie Bridge out of a shoot.
The wedding party joins them…
Now there’s a happy groom!
Next we stopped off at an Irish pub for a round of drinks!
They lined up the celebratory shots.
Trying to mask the smell of vodka. Not an easy task!
Giving the make up a check before we head out the door. One of Natalie’s friends did the awesome job on her hair and makeup.
Such a cool idea: place cards in the shape of chairs! (I geek out over details like this!)
I started taking detail shots while the guests made their way to cocktails.
Their reception was at Gallery 1028, a great venue in Goose Island.
It was a great space for mingling.
Natalie greeting her guests. Ha!
Gotcha.
And again.
Enjoying the great food, which was made by Calihan Catering.
Everyone was having a great time!
A.J.’s father even had an audience!
The best man stood up to toast the new couple.
A gift from A.J.’s family. Wisconsin was well represented.
The speeches were all heartfelt and emotional.
Time for cake!
And then the first dance as a married couple.
Natalie and her father dance…
…with a big hug at the end.
AJ and his mom during their dance.
Party down! Cage and Aquarium provided the soundtrack to the evening.
“Ya got somethin’ on your face…”
Everyone was partying ’till they dropped!
While everyone was enjoying the party, we snuck out for a few shots at night.
Sliding back into the venue to continue the party!
Thanks for including me on your wedding day, Natalie and AJ! All the best to you both as you begin your life together as husband and wife!