Weddings

Nicole + Matt

An Industrial Style Chicago Wedding | Loft Lucia

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We met Nicole and Matt the day before their wedding day in downtown Chicago. Normally, we prefer to do a full engagement session with our KJ Couples before their big day but that really wasn’t possible due to our schedules and the long distance. Thankfully, meeting the day before was absolutely perfect and it prepared all of us to have a dream wedding day in the Windy City!

Matt and Nicole are relaxed, calm and up for anything. We ran through the core poses the day before the wedding and they were absolutely PROS by the time we started their portraits! Everything about their day was incredibly photography friendly. Photographers, if you’re reading this, you’re not going to believe the amazing setup we had. Together with their planner, they gave us THREE hours of portrait time around the city of Chicago! Unbelievable! Not only did we have an incredible amount of portrait time, but we also had a private DRIVER and a full list of locations and addresses to visit! For those of you who regularly shoot in large cities, you know how much time and effort it can take to have multiple location options for portraits!  We were SPOILED! Nicole and Matt had really thought this through and we loved their intentionality! They wanted their wedding portraits to be documented in locations that captured the city where they fell in love and spent many years of their relationship!

Their day was relaxed and full of joy. 65 of their closest family and friends surrounded them on a rooftop patio at the gorgeous Loft Lucia and they promised forever to one another! It was such an honor to be asked to capture it all. They could have chosen anyone to photograph their day and they decided to fly us out to their beautiful city. We still pinch ourselves sometimes when we consider how amazing it is to be trusted with capturing such a cherished day! Enjoy reliving their wedding day through our eyes!!!

Ceremony & Reception | Loft Lucia

Dress Store | Grace Loves Lace

Florist | Thrive Floral Designs

Planner | Michelle Rowland

Hair & Make Up | Blush and Braids

DJ | Green Line Talent

Ceremony Cellist | Midtown Strings

Sweets | Bittersweet Pasty Shop & Cafe

French Macarons | Vanilla Patisserie 

Iced Sugar Cookies | Main Street Treats

Catering | Huegah Catering Co.

Groom’s Suit | Harris & Tailor

Bride’s Wedding & Engagement Rings | Everett Fine Jewelry

Wine | Battle Creek Cellars

Shuttle | Echo Limousine

Thanks for reading!

— Katelyn

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