I got together with Amy & Jason to do an engagement photo shoot, in advance of their upcoming wedding. Since their ceremony and reception are taking place in the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago, Amy & Jason wanted to stick with an urban feel for their engagement photos. What better place than River West and the West Loop?!?!
So excited to shoot this awesome couple’s wedding in a month!
Where to begin with Laura & Wallace…
I’ve known Laura for over 15 years, having met her on our first day at Illinois Wesleyan University back in 1997 as we both got started as music majors. Laura and I became fast friends, due in part to a tight-knit circle of roommates, friends, and fellow musicians. Sitting next to each other in Wind Ensemble over the next few years only helped to reinforce that bond, and since IWU we’ve shared plenty of vacations, dinners, and drinks!
When Laura first introduced me to Wallace, I knew he was special, and I saw that Laura knew it, too. His smile lights up the room, and from the very beginning Wallace has been the perfect complement to Laura. So when Laura & Wally got engaged last year, it’s a huge understatement to say that I was excited for them. And when they asked me to be their wedding photographer — over dinner at a Cuban BYOB in Chicago, naturally — I was over the moon!
On July 5, 2013, Laura & Wallace were married in a beautiful ceremony at Silver Lake Country Club in Orland Park, IL, surrounded by family and friends. The day was absolutely perfect, and so is this couple — I mean, look at these two!!!
Congratulations to you both, Laura & Wally, and thank you again for letting me capture your special day!
This past weekend, Elena and I hit up Volleywood 2013 at North Avenue Beach with Jeff and Lisa. Partly because Too White Crew and Nelly were performing on the beach, but mostly because it was a Saturday in Chicago during the summer, and that’s just the type of thing that we’re down for. A few Bloody Marys and a few pair of sunglasses later, you’ve got yourself a pretty awesome afternoon.
To cap off the day, we headed to Frontier for some snacks and cocktails. They never disappoint.
On July 9, 2013, our friend Tom Ziarko lost his battle with Stage IV metastatic melanoma, and everyone that knew Tom lost a huge part of themselves. Tom had been fighting hard against his cancer, and his girlfriend Colleen had been leading the charge to raise money in order to help pay Tom’s medical bills and lift his spirits.
Part of that effort was to assemble a team, Truckin’ it for Tom, to take part in the 2013 Miles for Melanoma Teb’s Troops 5K Run/Walk at Montrose Harbor. Over the course of a few weeks, the team grew to 82 members, and raised nearly $7,000 to help fund melanoma research. Despite losing Tom that very week, everyone knew how crucial the walk was; one donation, one drug trial, one checkup, could make the difference for the next person.
So we walked.
Such a sad day, Tom, now that you’re no longer with us… Just as Colleen is family, so are you, and none of us will ever forget the light that you brought into each of our lives.
Rest easy, my friend.
Just a few of my favorite images from Laura & Wally’s amazing wedding. It’s hard not to post all of them at once, but there are many, many more where these came from… Congrats to you both!
This past weekend, Elena and I headed to Michigan so we could join in the celebration for Nick and Sarah Fakaros, who recently celebrated 50 years (!) as husband and wife! What an amazing family they have built and supported, and I’m just happy to be a part of it.
Here are a few images from the weekend, all shot with the Fuji X100s and processed with VSCO Film.
