Shelley and Tara’s entire wedding party was on hand at their Hyatt Magnificent Mile suite to begin the celebration of the couple’s marriage. The day began with hair and makeup, styled by Anne Richardson of BANG! Salon, and here, Shelley gathers her things before everyone headed out the door.
The bridal party was ready to go, too! There was a lot of celebrating to be done!
We all piled into the van and headed out for some pre-ceremony photos around town. The shoot began near the hotel, just outside of the loop.
There are some wonderful spots for portraits in the neighborhood surrounding the Kinzie Street Bridge. The wedding party was totally game as I had them line up in front of all sorts of backdrops, eventually ending up on the bridge itself.
Next stop was Lincoln Park, as the group traveled through the tunnel…
…and into the South Pond Pavilion. Shelley and Tara made themselves comfortable and were then joined by the wedding party. It’s a great spot to take a load off during a busy shoot!
One of Shelley and Tara’s favorite spots was the colorful tile mosaic on Bryn Mawr, under Lake Shore Drive. We gathered up the wedding party for a round of portraits before heading to the church and ceremony.
The group arrived at Lakeview Presbyterian Church with plenty of time to spare before the ceremony. Shelley and Tara spent the time relaxing with the wedding party before touching up their makeup then being led in prayer by their minister.
Finally, the couple made their way down the aisle toward the altar. The ceremony was beautiful, presided over by a friend of Tara and Shelley’s.
Shelley’s mom couldn’t hold back the tears as the ceremony started!
With vows, rings and a first kiss exchanged, Tara and Shelley were married! Congratulations!
The newlyweds snuck away for a few moments alone immediately after the ceremony…
…and I went outside to check out the sweet luxury car Shelley and Tara would be riding in to get to the reception. The wedding party was pumped up to ride in the Rolls…
…but they were supposed to travel in the van, though.
What a way to travel!
The reception was held at Ovation, a new venue here in Chicago. It was my first time photographing at Ovation and I was excited to get inside and check it out!
There was a special display set up to greet guests…
…and the tables were set for a delicious meal, catered by Fig. All the makings of a great party were in place!
The ceremony began with cocktails, during which guests enjoyed drinks and each other’s company. Before too long, the party moved into the dining hall…
…and Shelley and Tara made their big entrance.
And after the meal was finished, Shelley and Tara’s friends and family took to the microphone, offering toasts to the newlyweds.
Finally, Shelley and Tara thanked their guests for the love and support shown to them on their big day.
The couple shared their first dance as a married couple…
…and then invited everyone to join them on a dance floor.
A dance-off happened right away… these guests were ready to party!
It was hard to call. They were both giving some slick moves!
And then this happened…
Better save some energy. There’s a lot of dance party left!
The party was in full swing as the deejay from Style Matters kept the dance hits coming. Enjoy this collection of images from Shelley and Tara’s dance party!
The party was still going strong as I was leaving. I think it’s safe to say that the celebration was a complete success!
Congratulations, Shelley and Tara! Thank-you for sharing your day with me!