This is a new album I designed from Asukabook called the NeoClassic. The pages are super glossy and white and the look is very elegant and modern. This album is from a wedding I photographed last year at theWit in downtown Chicago.  I designed the pages and Asukabook printed it.  I am showing a few pages from the final book below.

We started in the garden’s of Chicago’s Michigan avenue Fourth Presbyterian Church…A gorgeous and calm sanctuary in the heart of the bustling Michigan avenue shopping area.  The gardens are beautiful and you can see the John Hancock center across the street.  The couple came from Germany to visit with family and get wedding photographs taken after having recently been married in Germany. Chicago is a special place for the couple and they had spent time here before being married. They wanted wedding photographs to remind them of all the great times they had here….

The bride and groom wanted photographs on the Michigan Avenue median with traffic surround them…This seems to be one of the most requested shots in Chicago for a wedding. I would love to see a whole book of these shots compiled to see all the variations.

I love this candid wedding photograph of a group of teenagers stopping to congratulate the newly married couple! Everyone seems to light up when they see a couple in a wedding dress and suit…

There was a crazy storm that had been gathering all afternoon and finally it struck

So we snuck into the Drake Hotel and did some shots there…in the bar

and in the lobby….

From the Chicago landmark Drake hotel,  we traveled to the North Avenue beach to see if the rain would stop so we could shoot outside….

Briefly the rain stopped and we ran outside and down towards the beach….

We were out about 10 minutes and the rain started again….

But the bride was going back to Germany in a great mood because we were able to get all the photographs she wanted!

Photos from a quintessiential Chicago wedding….we started on the Kinzie Bridge, a popular wedding photography location. We battled prime real estate with 3 other wedding parties and then the crew of the transformers. We got the photographs just moments before the entire transformer film crew invaded the Kinzie Bridge and closed it off to all traffic. The bridge is one of those spots you don’t mind waiting in line for because it is so 100% Chicago.

wedding photograph on the Kinzie Bridge with Chicago skyline behind...photography by Heidi Brady HJB Photo

From the Kinzie bridge we traveled back towards the Conrad Hotel where the ceremony was going to take place. The bride had a few spots picked out near the Chicago River to be photographed so we were dropped off right near the Trump International Hotel.  As I searched around for some scenic spots the bride and groom stole a kiss that they didn’t know I caught…

I had my wide angle lens on a bunch so I could include a lot of the architecture in the photographs as a backdrop for the bride and groom….behind us here is the back side of the Sun Times building.

A garden in the city….perfect!

We walked upstairs and found The Trump International Hotel and Tower a perfect backdrop for the bride and groom….wow what a beautiful place not only from a distance but right at the base of it….

bride and groom wedding photograph at Chicago Trump Hotel downtown Chicago. wedding photography by heidi brady hjb photo

There is a beautiful fountain right at the base of the Trump and on the walkway that goes around the river on the North side. Photographing a wedding in the heart of Chicago like this is so great because I get to see things I have never seen before…chicago is always surprising me with more and more beautiful things…

We left the Chicago river and proceeded to the Conrad hotel which is located in the heart of Chicago right off Michigan Avenue. It has an unbelievable rooftop suite that looks north up Michigan avenue and towards Lake Michigan. You get a fantastic view of Lake Michigan and all of the hustle and bustle of Michigan Avenue. It was an intimate rooftop where the couple got married and had a quaint 11 person dinner. It was a private patio and I can’t believe I had never seen it before. Here the bride prepares for the ceremony and looks out onto the landscape….

Up on the rooftop you are surrounded by historic architecture…its like a little platform up in the sky.

The flower girl throwing petals on the rooftop suite

The backdrop is beautiful…the Hancock building, The Allerton Hotel and Michigan Avenue…a spectacular urban wedding photography vista

The south end of the rooftop suite held the table where the intimate 11 person wedding party had dinner. The north end held the wedding ceremony.  Everything was accomplished on one rooftop deck in a very intimate and romantic setting. I would really check out the Conrad Hilton’s rooftop suites for an intimate evening.

I have just finished editing a wedding I shot at theWit. What a fantastic place to get married!  Spacious and scenic rooms with gorgeous views of the Chicago Cityscape from every angle. Fantastic architecture serving as a gateway to Lake Michigan on the East side, the Chicago Theater on the South, the Chicago river, bridges, and Marina City on the North…everywhere you look you are reminded of what a stunning city Chicago is to look at and live in.  We started way high up where Lisa was getting her hair done…..

bride to be getting hair done

view from the room

She sees her bouquet for the first time….it was stunning! Her’s was a cascade bouquet made up of white orchids.

This bouquet practically needed its own limo…

I took some still life shots while Lisa got her hair done…

The rings reflecting their urban Chicago surroundings….

Lisa with her dress on looking fantastic with a hint of theWit’s trademark color shining through…The rooms are flooded with light, this is the place a photographer dreams of….

Lisa’s dress was stunning and dramatic for photos, I loved it!

Leaving the room to get married!

waiting for the limo in the lobby of the Wit and then getting into the limo….I love this shot because it really says The Wit without actually saying it….

Michigan Avenue bridge with the Tribune building in back. I can’t thank these uniformed men enough for walking into the picture at just the right time!  They really just make the shots!

Bride and groom stopping traffic on Wacker Avenue…Chicago has so many awesome spots for wedding photographs….

The wedding ceremony and the reception were all at the Wit. A ballroom on the 3rd floor of the Wit was used for the ceremony and reception and the rooftop deck was used for cocktail hour. The room was done beautifully and the views of the city were fantastic. The windows of the room faced North and West looking at Marina City, Wacker Drive, and State St. The city views gave  a great backdrop for this quintessential urban wedding….

Bridal party moving to the rooftop deck of the Wit. A totally stunning space for cocktails….

From the rooftop everyone moved back downstairs where the room was transformed into a fuschia themed  reception….

I journeyed to Isla de Mujeres Mexico recently to photograph a destination wedding. What a great place! Laid back, relaxed, authentic, and abounding with fantastic scenery. Isla de Mujeres is a short ferry ride off the coast of Cancun. It is a special place which will leave you relaxed and completely satisfied. This is the place to head when you want all of your friends and family to join you in your destination wedding in Mexico!  There are tons of cute and intimate restaurants in town such as La Patio where the rehearsal dinner was held……

rehearsal dinner at La Patio in town

Restaurants put their tables out on the streets and create a fun, communal, and celebratory eating experience….

Sharing a drink and music on the patio in town

The town itself is quaint and charming with great food, drink, crafts and wrestling masks everywhere!…..

downtown street scene of isla mujeres where all of the restaurants are...

homemade wrestling masks for sale in Isla de mujeres mexico

Beer and Music are in no short supply…..

Mas cerveza por favor!

Mariachi musicians are everywhere willing and able to create instant atmosphere

trumpet player playing for the wedding couple in Isla de Mujeres

Toasting to the bridal couple during rehearsal dinner at La Patio

This is a typical scene in Isla de Mujeres….blue water and blue sky everywhere

The just married wedding couple taking a stroll in the moonlight.  You just can’t escape the water and the moon!

and why would you want to?

barefoot bride and groom kissing on the rocks in Isla de Mujeres

So many variations on the blue sky!

You know a wedding is special when a rainbow magically appears right across both of their wedding rings!

One can never get tired of looking at LOVE!

Wedding couple photographed jumping on the beach!

Bride and groom 1st dance

Mother and father of the bride on the beach

groom and mother dancing

Photographs from a winter wedding I shot in Tinley Park and Naperville. The wedding happened in Tinley Park and from there we moved to Meson Sabika in Naperville. From the Meson Sabika website….”Built in 1847, Meson Sabika is a Georgian-style mansion specializing in Spanish cuisine. The mansion houses eight dining rooms, all of which are available for private parties. Each dining room has its own individual style and ambiance from the Victorian romance to a Spanish courtyard garden.”  The service was great and speedy and the private room for the wedding party was small, warm and intimate. The food was served tapas style with everyone at the table sharing….the food was delicious.

Private dining room at Meson Sabika used for wedding receptions

The curtains form a nice entryway to the room which is great for photographs. Since it was cold outside the only room we had available for photos was this one and the entryway to the restaurant.

This is the entryway to the reception site and restaurant. Everyone enters through the same door. The staircase and entryway are small reflecting their history…..

The wedding itself took place at St. Julie Billiart Catholic Church in Tinley Park. The church had an open circular design with skylights.

The bride and groom were actually already married and going through the ceremony formally in a church…..

This wedding goer had his own agenda which I appreciated…..

Outdoor photo opportunites were rare and we only had a few minutes to shoot in the back of the church. This ended up being our only time for outdoor photo opportunities….The light was really beautiful for a few minutes…..

Before the wedding, the bride got ready with the help of her mom and her bridesmaid….

I just shot a wedding which included some of the top and most requested locations for Chicago weddings…..Millenium Park, Adler Planetarium and Grant Park’s Buckingham Fountain. The reception was at Millenium Park’s Park Grill. The event went really smoothly and the locations proved to be perfect Chicago iconic locations. I guess there is a reason everyone wants to shoot at Grant Park and Adler….they just look awesome in photos!  The wedding party was transported by Trolley which made getting in and out easy and fun. The ceremony was at Old St. Pats on Adams and the Renaissance hotel on Wacker provided a great window view of the city and gave me an awesome shot of flower girls looking out. This wedding really shows some classic Chicago views….

The wedding I shot at Cuneo Mansion in Vernon Hills Illinois last weekend was impressive! Wedding planner Elizabeth Giromini of Events Worth Toasting outdid herself with the planning of this beautiful and perfectly organized event! The Cuneo gardens are large and luxurious and a photographer couldn’t ask for better photo ops. There seemed to be an endless supply of amazing angles and spaces for photography. If only I had more time or if I could have postponed the cake cutting!

The front and back of the Cuneo property are both exceptional settings for wedding photographs

Preparing for the ceremony…..

A golf cart provides transport for guests and wedding party to go from the Cuneo mansion to the wedding site…..

Walking down the garden aisle….

exchanging vows….the cunio mansion in the background

sharing a private joke….

wedding in progress!

The bride sees herself in her dress for the first time

Just Married!

Bride observing her party….

The path to the reception tent at night

first dance….

I shot a beautiful wedding at the Cheney Mansion in Oak Park this weekend. I think its a great place for a ceremony…small, intimate, lots of greenery outside and inside a warm historic setting with lots of warm wood and windows.  The outside setting is perfect for a quaint summer ceremony…. the space is large enough to hold a few hundred people comfortably but you still feel like you are in your own back yard. The ceremony was at the Carleton of Oak Park which was also very cozy and intimate. Both places really made the event feel intimate and special.