Mike + Kathleen | William Tell Chicago Wedding

Mike + Kathleen + Lucy – what fun these guys were to capture!! Mike + Kathleen had such a stunning Chicago wedding day – perfect Spring weather, so many gorgeous details, some wild dance floor members, and an olympic gold medal sprinter for a daughter : ) I had just so much fun with this crew, from the getting ready shots with Kathleen and her ladies – to the 4th rendition of Frozen on the dance floor, I had such a smile on my face from start to finish! The whole day was just jam packed with happiness, everyone that surrounded these 3 clearly knew they were exactly where they were supposed to be – and that is just the very best feeling to capture!
These beauties : ) FAVORITE.  Kathleeeeeeeen! My goodness were you a gorgeous bride!  Warming up for her victory run…. I should’ve known! You guys. I kid you not – this is how fast Lucy ran down the aisle. I typically will shoot the start of the aisle with one tight prime lens, and then switch to a wide prime — I had literally no time to switch -she BOLTED down the aisle towards her Dad at a speed of which was totally impressive for a human whose legs are not all that long : ) Love these two watching their favorite lady walk down the aisle : ) Them rings, things start getting really real : ) MAAAAAAARRIED!! Time for some bridal party shenanigans!  I love when Mike gets Kathleen to light up with that gorgeous smile! I was obsessed with these beauties, these dresses + bouquets!!  These guys were no fun at all. Looove, love, love! Sometimes we get artsy. Then we headed to Pilsen to add some more color into their gallery : ) You guys are just super models, love it! Yesssssssss, yes, yes.Reception time over at the William Tell! I mean, best family photo ever. Please recreate this at Lucy’s wedding k? First dance :: “Grow Old With You” – Adam Sandler from The Wedding Singer A few words from the newlyweds : )

Most hilarious moment of the day?: Oh gosh – that’s easy: Lucy BOLTING down the aisle as flower girl. She was the fastest/best flower girl ever. Close second – our entire wedding party having to take a bathroom break in the middle of an alley in Pilsen because of a slight traffic jam.

Would you have done anything differently?: The only thing I think we would have done differently is not stressed out over tiny little details/obsessed over whether or not our friends and family would have a great time. It was obvious once the music started everyone was there to celebrate and party.

Favorite moment from your day?: There are SO many. First, the ceremony really was so meaningful and locking things in/making it official in front of our family and friends was so special to us. Next the party bus with our wedding party – lots of cheap champagne, ice cold Miller Lites and dancing. And ending the night with a 250-person singalong to R. Kelly, “The World’s Greatest.” There’s nothing better!!

Any tips or tricks for future couples planning their weddings?: Tips: Hire Elle Rose Photo, they’ll make you look fantastic. (Laurie here, I’m blushing :)…. I highly recommend giving your guests song requests on the RSVP. And really just enjoy the day and the planning as much as possible, and try not to stress TOO much. The things that feel like a big deal to you are things that NO ONE else notices, and if they do and care, you probably shouldn’t have invited them in the first place. 🙂

LET IT GOOOOOOOO Mike + Kathleen – we absolutely adore you guys! Thank you so very much for inviting us to be there to capture all the insane fun that surrounded you two and sweet Lucy on your wedding day – it was absolutely the best! Seriously, ya’ll are a whole bunch of fun — and we loved every moment : )Huge congrats + thanks again!! xo – laurie  Hi, I’m Laurie and I’ve been there to help cut wedding cakes since 2010 Light testing is a real part of the job!

Second Shooter :: The amazing Nicki DeFilippis  /// Wedding dress :: Eddy K from Jackie’s Bridal  ///  Shoes :: heels Betsey Johnson, glitter sneakers Kate Spade  ///  Clutch :: Kate Spade  ///  Earrings + Headband :: BHLDN  ///  Wedding suits :: Alfani from Macy’s  ///  Ties :: The Tie Bar  ///  Mike’s custom shirt :: The Dapper Club