When we first sat down to meet with Natalia and Eric at a local Starbucks I could immediately just feel the energy and excitement they had for each other as we listened to their amazing wedding day plans. Natalia and Eric’s wedding was one for the modern day storybooks set along the Romantic and natural backdrop at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago on a perfect sun filled summer day. Voted as one of Chicago’s most breathtaking wedding venues- The Museum’s Reception space is unique and so beautiful with floor-to-ceiling windows indoors as well as a breath taking outdoor private terrace with stunning nature and city skyline views. They started the day with the best first look on the prettiest tree lined street in the Gold Coast right outside  The Public Hotel. Followed by the stunning wedding ceremony at the couple’s alma mater campus of Northwestern at The Alice Milar Chapel. The stained glass windows in the chapel surrounded the entire ceremony in a kaleidoscope of warm vivid color.

We had a blast touring the couple and bridal party around to some of the most scenic and beautiful locations around Chicago including some favorites like The Nature Boardwalk in Lincoln Park, Chicago History Museum and along the grounds of their amazing venue.  Natalia and Eric enjoy opening up their home for entertaining and love incorporating themed bar menus for their guests to enjoy themselves. Their wedding was equally as welcoming and truly felt like a big, warm, and embracing celebration for all their guests who had traveled near and far to celebrate such a joyous day.

To make the day even more amazing (if that was even possible) we had the honor of working with some of the most talented and creative Chicago wedding vendor (and friends) to help make their Romantic Art-Deco inspired wedding come to life. Eco-Friendly Wedding Planner– Naturally Yours Events brought their vision to life while helping to keep their day sustainably friendly. Fab Flora curated and designed a perfect selection of the most colorful blooms for the day. And our friends from Old North Film Co. created a wedding film for Natalia and Eric to help them relive their wedding day moments all over again.

Thank you both for inviting us to photograph your extraordinary love story and have the best seat on the house the entire day! We wish you much love and exciting travel adventures ahead! xo

Ceremony: Alice Millar Chapel

Reception: Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Wedding Planner: Naturally Yours Events

Florist: Fab Flora

Catering: Food for Thought

Bakery: Scafuri Bakery

Videographer: Old North Film Co.

DJ: Cage + Aquarium

Lighting: Atmosphere Events Group

Bridal Dress: BHLDN

Bride’s Accessories: Mignonette Bridal

Bridesmaids Dresses: Brideside

Bridal Hair + Makeup: Debra Petrielli

Groom’s Suit:Blacktie Formalwear

Invitations: Minted

Jeweler: Stanley Brown Jewelists

Transportation: M&M Limousine

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Sarah and Greg’s Classic Summer Wedding set in the heart of Chicago’s Gold Coast at the beautiful historical landmark Germania Place was a wedding unlike any other. So many personal details went into the making of this wedding starting with the sweet gift exchange the couple gave each other before the ceremony at The Renaissance Hotel– followed by the interactive sermon (SO fun!) given by Father Mike Gabriel at the second oldest Roman Catholic Church in Chicago Holy Family Church.You could just feel the love and support from all 200+ guests from the start of the ceremony leading into the reception. It meant the world to Sarah and Greg as they had many guests who traveled near and far to gather together to celebrate with them for their one special day on August 27th.

The weather was perfectly sunny and kept the Bride, Groom and Bridal Party in high spirits as we ventured around the city in a Chicago favorite “Marilyn Jean” Trolley. I love when couples trust me enough to lead them to the best locations that this city has to offer including the uber pretty Cancer Survivors Garden in Maggie Daley Park. Followed by my favorite The South Gardens at the Art Institute. My fav and most fun DJ- Alli Klein from  Toast and Jam curated the best playlist for the evening and helped to created some very special moments for Sarah, Greg and their families while keeping the dance floor packed and pumping all night!

Not only was this day filled with heartfelt speeches and toasts from family members and dear friends of the couple but I could feel that Sarah and Greg were as excited to be celebrating and even more excited to begin their lives as a newly married couple. Thank you both for inviting Joe and I to photograph all the sweet details, tears, laughter, and love- we are truly honored! Cheers to you both as you continue to celebrate all the beautiful milestones in your lives together. xo

Head over the Borrowed & Blue blog to see Sarah and Greg’s amazing celebration featured today as well!

Ceremony: Holy Family Catholic Church

Reception: Germania Place

Wedding Coordinator: Macrina Oscampo with Germania Place

Florist: Friend of the Groom

Catering: Kenmare Catering

Cake/Sweets: Mariano’s

Videographer: RAC Visual

DJ: Alli Klein from Toast and Jam

Bridal Dress: Alvina Valenta

Bride’s Shoes: Nina New York

Bridal Shop: Dimitra’s Bridal Couture

Bridesmaids Dresses: Adrianna Papell

Bridal Hair: Salon Soca

Bridal Makeup: Deanna Lewis

Transportation: Premier Trolley and Limo

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So excited to see Elyse + Brian’s Classic Summer Chicago Wedding featured on the Borrowed and Blue blog today! We had the most fun with these two and their families last summer at the beautifully elegant Cafe La Cave. I loved how they incorporated traditions from both their Indian and American cultures- white horse included! Check out the feature to see more from their bright and colorful wedding. xo

Wedding Reception: Cafe La Cave

Videographer: OJO Creative

Band: Upbeat Music Productions

Florist: Design de Flores

Catering: Cafe La Cave

Desserts/Sweets: Oak Mill Bakery

Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas

Bridal Gown: Diana’s Bridal Boutique

Ally and John are THAT couple… the ones you meet with over beers and comfortably feel like you have just made a great new connection with. Which is no surprise that this laid back couple first met at a summer BBQ thrown by mutual friends. John knew that Ally was the one when they took their first vacation together to see the Cubs spring training in Arizona. After spending 4 straight days together just 3 months into their relationship he just knew that they were headed to forever.

One of their favorite first memories involved a night when John invited Ally and a few friends over to his tiny 1 bedroom apartment for dinner. Since John only owned 2 sets of silverware- his dinner guests had to BYOF (bring their own forks)! Sharing so many interests together like taking road trips, bike rides, and visiting breweries to name a few- Ally and John wanted their wedding to reflect their causal and fun natured spirit.

Which made the Illinois Beach Resort in Zion IL the perfect natural backdrop to exchange their vows to each other in a private ceremony along the shoreline of Lake Michigan surrounded by their closest family and friends. A mutual friend of Ally and John’s set the stage for officiating an intimate ceremony followed by a beautiful reception featuring floor to ceiling windows displaying panoramic views of the beach below. Named one of the Top 10 Best Outdoor Wedding Sites by The Knot Chicago Magazine I love photographing at this unique venue located only 40 mins from Chicago because it feels worlds away from all the urban hustle.

Thank you to John and Ally for inviting us to capture their amazing day and for showing us that all you need is a white glove (that lights up) and a champagne bottle to channel Michael Jackson’s sweet dance moves all while keeping the dance floor alive- cheers to many more first dances! xo

Ceremony and Reception Venue: Illinois Beach Resort

Venue Coordinator: Kim Hall

Officiant: Anuja Patel (friend of Bride + Groom)

Florist: Anemone Creative

DJ: Parker Greenlund of The Total PKG

Catering: Illinois Beach Resort

Sweets/Desserts: Sweet Discoveries

Invitations: Groom’s Design

Bridal Shop: BHLDN

Hair: Lauren Sweenor

Makeup: Simply Perfect Makeup Artists

It’s genuine and caring couples like Carissa + Doug that make life as a full time photographer worth all the sweat, hustle and happy tears!  Thank you both so much for inviting us to capture such a beautiful day at the Ivanhoe County Club. We love you guys 🙂 Here is more from the bride Carissa:

“Liz and Joe are excellent photographers! They did a wonderful job throughout the whole process of doing our wedding pictures. They were flexible and worked with our schedule and timeline. The pictures they took of us were very natural and of a high quality. They pay attention to detail too! I love the unique types of pictures they are able to capture. Liz and Joe are both great people to work with; they make you feel comfortable when planning the details and throughout the day of your wedding. If you want your wedding captured to the fullest, hire Coach House Pictures!”

To read more about what our brides are saying and to read more 5 star Wedding Reviews check them out on our Wedding Wire profile page. xo

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It’s not everyday I get to retrace the steps to where someone proposes to spend forever with their love. That’s exactly what I did on Sunday when I met Julia and Mike at the lakefront at Belmont Harbor around sunset. Seeing how they embraced each other almost every change they had the opportunity to was such an endearing experience to be in the presence of. I can’t wait to capture and celebrate along with their family and friends at their July wedding at Volo Restaurant.

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Last week’s Olive Park/ South Pond Engagement photography session with Ashley and Sean was the sweetest. We had so much fun touring these beautiful landscapes together and getting to know one another against the Fall urban and natural backdrops.

Thats whats so great about photographing in this great city- so many perfect landscapes to compliment any couples style and sense of adventure. We can’t wait to see which photos they use for their save the dates and are over the moon excited to capture and celebrate alongside them at their downtown wedding in September 2017!  Congrats and cheers to you both!

Seth got down on one knee this past weekend during sunset on the lakefront to ask his girlfriend Morgan to be his wife! It was the sweetest most perfect way to pop the question. Their evening started with an hour horse and carriage ride around the city and ended at the lakefront with roses, a ring, and lots of sweet cuddling. Congratulations Seth + Morgan!! All this planned by the awesome duo that is The Heart Bandits.

Love is all around today- can you feel it?  I like to think that love for each other should be celebrated on a daily basis.  It’s the little things that add up like daily hugs and kisses in the morning with your loved one or cooking dinner together while sharing a bottle of wine. Or my favorite when Joe folds my laundry or makes the bed in the morning- haha- these little nuggets of daily love are what keeps love alive and a daily celebration of appreciation! May you celebrate with your love(s) today and for the rest of the year! xox

When Jamie reached out to us after seeing our feature on Wedding Chicks I knew that we had found our ideal client!  When we first met with Jamie to talk over initial wedding day details her energy and passion for her wedding day was what got us excited to work with her and her fiance Chris. That and the fact that they were having a ceremony overlooking Lake Michigan at Illinois State Park Resort was a huge bonus ( psst: we LOVE outdoor ceremonies!) A big part of the start of their relationship revolved around bike riding along the lake front so Jamie made sure that their engagement session AND wedding included her beloved beach cruiser in one way or another! It’s always such a great feeling to walk into a venue and just know that all the work the couple has done has really paid off and that it looks like THEIR wedding!

From morning until evening Jamie and Chris’ loved ones came together to celebrate the joining of two amazing people. We couldn’t have asked for a more fun, creative, and friendlier couple to work with!  Its always a huge honor when a fellow photographer (Jamie is a talented children portrait photographer) invites us to photograph their love story. Here are a few kind words from Jamie:

” I am also a photographer and finding my perfect wedding photographer was tough because of my own artistic visions and high standards, then I found Liz & Joe, the answer to my photography wishes!!!  Liz & Joe were amazing at bringing both my visions and theirs to life in such a gorgeous way…and I am AMAZED at how they brought my fiancé (does not love getting his photo taken) out of his shell! They really loosened both of us up so that we were natural and could have SO MUCH FUN….and we feel so lucky that we can call Liz & Joe new friends, they’re that great!! ”

Thank you Jamie + Chris for inviting us to photograph such an amazing day!  We wish you a beautiful marriage and many more dirty dancing solos! Love you guys 🙂

Wedding Ceremony + Reception: Illinois Beach Resort

Flowers: Balmes Flowers

Cake: Sweet Discoveries

Catering: Illinois Beach Resort

Hair + Makeup: RC Beauty

Dress: Gigi’s Closette