Megan and Brent's Chicago wedding day was stunning, so much fun, and full of personal touches. Let's start at the beginning!
The day began with Megan getting ready in her childhood home on the northside of Chicago. The couple didn't have a bridal party, but Megan still invited some of her closest friends to get ready with her. She was surrounded by love as she put on her wedding dress and accessories, and she had the sweetest moment with her Dad.
Meanwhile, Brent quickly got ready at the Lincoln Hotel and was set to meet Megan at the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool in Lincoln Park -- a gorgeous first-look location! Charlie and I, along with the photographer, got Brent into the perfect spot so Megan could walk up and they could have their moment. Brent was blown away by Megan's appearance - it was such a special moment! We got stunning portraits of the couple in this location and really had fun with the greenery, lighting, distance, and our lenses. We captured some of our favorite moments of the year with them!!
Next stop was the wedding venue, Theater on the Lake, which is a beautiful, open-concept venue right on Lake Michigan. When we tell you this is a stunning venue...there's just no other way to put it! You have gorgeous views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline, and plenty of outdoor space as well. It's truly a gem.
Megan and Brent got their photos with family members and then had some downtime before their ceremony. The ceremony space was set up just outside of the venue, right along the bike path on the lake. We knew there was a storm rolling in but we forged ahead with the plan to have the ceremony outside.
Guests arrived and the ceremony began. Megan had a special surprise for her guests that blew everyone away. Her Dad rode her in on a bike! Let me explain...Megan is an avid biker. With the ceremony being right on the lakefront bike path, she knew she just had to incorporate it into the ceremony. So, she rented a bike with a seat attached to the front of it. She rode in that seat and her Dad biked past the ceremony for all to see, and then rode it to the top of the aisle where they got out and then walked down. It was a truly memorable entrance!
The weather held off until the perfect moment. Just as everyone got inside for cocktail hour, it started to downpour! It only lasted for about 20 minutes, and then things cleared up and we got a gorgeous sunset. The cocktail hour was two hours long, so guests could enjoy the sunset before going inside for dinner.
Dinner, speeches, and first dances came and went, and soon it was time for open dancing! Megan and Brent had a packed dance floor, with people of all ages thoroughly enjoying their DJ. He played the perfect blend of oldies and new music and had an amazing light set-up as well. The reception went until 1 am - they are party animals! They had a solid group of people dancing with them the entire night.
What we loved most about Megan and Brent's day was their dedication to doing things their way. They broke some wedding traditions and had fun with the ones they decided to do. In our opinion, that's the best way to approach your wedding day. Do what feels right and you'll enjoy every minute of it.
As for the video, we had amazing soundbites to work with when crafting the story. Megan and Brent have so many people who love them and they had great things to say about them in their speeches! We also had gorgeous shots of the couple from the lily pool and ceremony, as well as such fun shots of them on the dance floor during the reception. We especially loved incorporating our vintage-feel shots we captured on an app on our iPhone. This video was made with such care and couldn't have been recreated for any other couple.
Watch their full wedding video below and if you like it, please reach out! We'd love to shoot your unique wedding and capture your love story.