Emma Mullins Photography

Last September I had the pleasure of capturing Stephanie and Patrick’s Chicago wedding day, starting at the historic Madonna della Strada Chapel at Loyola University. Both their ceremony and reception locations held much significance to them, having met as students at Loyola years ago!

Stephanie’s words:

“We are so thrilled to be having our wedding ceremony at the campus at Madonna della Strada Chapel. It means a lot to us since we did meet there, and Patrick also popped the question at Loyola as well! There is a lot of sentimental value that Loyola holds for us!”

Stephanie and Patrick arrived at Madonna della Strada just in time for a first look before the ceremony began. This stunning church had no shortage of photogenic angles… and SO much light! I think it’s safe to say it’s a wedding photographer’s dream church. After they said I Do, we got to explore campus with the wedding party and then headed downtown!

Osteria Via Stato Wedding Reception

Celebrating their marriage at Osteria Via Stato was so intentional for Stephanie and Patrick. As avid travelers and self-proclaimed “big foodies,” their mutual favorite place in the world is… you guessed it, Italy! Having their family and friends gather at this Chicago restaurant was the next best thing to traveling overseas together. Of course, the food did not disappoint – if you live in Chicago and have never had a meal here, you are missing out! Guests enjoyed delicious dinner, dancing, and a late-night gelato bar 🙂

Stephanie and Patrick: Thank you again for having us last year!! I absolutely loved seeing your vision come to life and wish you all the happiness in your future together.

Jake and Jen’s fall Blumen Gardens wedding was one of the most memorable days I’ve ever captured. From our very first meeting, I was so excited to meet these two in person and see their vision come together! As a fellow cat person, theatre person, and former October bride, I knew we’d be a perfect match from the start 🙂

Wedding day began with Jake and Jen’s parties getting ready together at the venue. If you’re not familiar, Blumen Gardens is a unique garden center, design studio, and shop located in Sycamore, Illinois. Lucky for us, they also happen to host weddings! My favorite thing about this venue is the variety of locations… and the fact that it is absolutely gorgeous in the fall. After their emotional first look in the conveyor room, it was time to explore! There is no doubt that Jen and Jake’s happiness is contagious… I could have spent hours taking photos of these two in that space.

Blumen Gardens Wedding

That evening, guests gathered for the outdoor ceremony in the garden center. Jake and Jen were married surrounded by their favorite people, in a ceremony officiated by a close friend. I love how interactive their ceremony was – from mid-ceremony hugs to the ring warming! It’s clear how important each and every person’s presence was to them in that moment.

Once the knot was tied, the party was ON!! Guests enjoyed vegetarian tacos and custom cocktails inside the event space, and then danced the night away with the newlyweds. Every moment of this day was an absolute pleasure to capture, I’m so happy to have been a part of it!

Jake and Jen: THANK YOU again for having us in October! Wishing you and your fur-babies all the happiness in the world.

Alex and Alex’s Adler Planetarium wedding last fall was one of my favorites from 2022. If ever there were two people destined to get married in this location, it would be the Alexes! For starters, they are both totally into all things space-related (remember their summer engagement session?!). Much of their wedding decor was inspired by the James Webb Telescope, and they’re regulars at Adler After Dark! Clearly, getting married at the planetarium was an easy decision.

On wedding day, Alex and Alex got ready separately with their parties at the 21c Museum Hotel. As you may have guessed, their details were perfectly on-theme… including a number of DIY items! For example: see those planets on Bride Alex’s shoes? She did that. Think their wedding bands look cool? Designed and 3D printed by Groom Alex. Needless to say, I was pretty much in awe of these two and their talents the entire day! After their first look in the museum, we headed downtown for some iconic photos with the wedding party. Finally, it was time to get married!

Adler Planetarium Wedding

That evening, the Alexes tied the knot in the Solarium underneath the night sky and surrounded by loved ones. After the glass was broken, they were ready to celebrate! Guests enjoyed cocktails in the Sky Theatre, which was basically like socializing in another galaxy. Dinner and dancing followed along with space-themed desserts, of course! Some of my favorite details from their day include a custom cocktail named after their cat (Aurora Borealis), astronaut cake toppers, and every time they referred to themselves as Alex² 🙂

Alex and Alex: Thank you again for having us in October!! I will never forget your awesome wedding day, wishing you all the best in Married Life!

One of the happiest days from 2022 was Katherine and Robb’s wedding at Walden Chicago. Even before their awesome fall engagement session, I had been looking forward to this gorgeous day! Walden is one of Chicago’s newer venues, and just so happens to be down the street from my studio. I was so excited to finally capture a wedding day here!!

Katherine and Robb’s love story is one that can warm anyone’s heart. And – it doesn’t take long after seeing these two together to see why! One of my favorite moments from the entire day was their first look on Walden’s rooftop overlooking the Chicago skyline. Robb and Katherine chose to exchange personal vows at this time, and I swear – my eyes were tearing up and I couldn’t even hear what they were saying! Once our eyes were dry, we headed to nearby Humboldt Park (my fave!) for photos with the wedding party.

Walden Chicago Wedding

That evening, family and friends gathered at Walden to witness Katherine and Robb marry. The ceremony was officiated by their pastor, and included personal touches unique to the both of them. Once the knot was tied, they were nothing but SMILES and it was time to celebrate! Guests were eager to congratulate these two with hugs, kind words, and lots of dancing 🙂 Shout out to the Chicago Catz for keeping the party alive all night long!!

Katherine and Robb: Thank you again for having me in July! Your wedding day was an honor to be part of, wishing you all the best in your future together!!

In September, I finally got to meet Lauren and Ryan in person for their Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown wedding! They chose Chicago as their wedding destination because of its central location… but also our iconic skyline. I knew that with our mutual love for this city we were going to be a perfect fit!

Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown Wedding

Lauren and Ryan got ready separately at the Royal Sonesta before an emotional first look on the rooftop terrace. These two chose to exchange personal vows before their official ceremony… one of my favorite ways to personalize any wedding day! With their siblings as their wedding party, we walked to some favorite photo locations only steps from the hotel. Chicago weather was our friend, and I’m so happy we had a chance to capture these moments!

Finally, it was time to get these two married! Lauren and Ryan were married on the hotel’s rooftop terrace overlooking our city, surrounded by family and friends. Their mutual friend Jared officiated the event – who just so happens to be the reason Ryan and Lauren met in the first place! Once the knot was tied, it was time to celebrate!! I don’t think either of them stopped smiling the entire evening 🙂

Lauren and Ryan: Thank you again for having us last year! I’m so honored to have been a part of your wedding day, wishing you a happy and healthy marriage in the years to come.

Jackie and Mike’s Half Acre Brewery wedding was easily one of our highlights from 2022. Half Acre has been my favorite Chicago brewery for years, and I was thrilled when they started hosting weddings! Mike and Jackie live in the neighborhood, and really wanted their wedding to feel unique and personal to them. I was eagerly looking forward to this day even before their awesome fall engagement session!

On wedding day, Jackie and Mike got ready separately with their respective parties. After their sweet first look overlooking the Chicago skyline, we stopped by Montrose Harbor. I absolutely loved the perfectly coordinated jewel tones and florals… especially with the sunshine! Before we knew it, it was time to head to the brewery!

Half Acre Brewery Wedding

Guests were welcomed to the ceremony with a fresh beer (of course), and option to sign a card from the game Settlers of Catan. (Remember how I mentioned that Mike and Jackie wanted their wedding to feel like them? This was one of my favorite personal touches from their day!) They were married beneath the brewery’s gorgeous skylights surrounded by loved ones… and I’m pretty sure there were a couple movie quotes included in their vows 🙂

Once the knot was tied, it was time to PARTY. Luckily we got to take a few newlywed photos inside the brewery itself (shout out to Adia for making this happen!!) – then it was time to eat, drink, and be MARRIED! Believe me, the dance floor did not disappoint! This day was such a pleasure to capture from beginning to end, I’m so happy to have been a part of it!

Jackie and Mike: Thank you again for having us!! Wishing you a lifetime of love, happiness… and delicious beer!

Happy 2023, friends!! I’m excited to share Alana and Philip’s Chicago winter engagement session as my first post of the new year. I met these two through Katherine and Robb – you may recognize Philip as a groomsmen in their wedding last summer! These two will wed in North Carolina this June, but wanted to commemorate their city with engagement photos. Of course, I was more than happy to help them out!

We started at my home away from home, the Garfield Park Conservatory. Besides being a popular wedding day portrait location, I always recommend starting here for a winter engagement session! I was thrilled when Alana and Philip expressed similar affection toward this place – they even considered tying the knot here! We had a blast exploring each greenhouse, talking wedding plans, and discussing our green thumbs (in my case, whatever is the opposite of green). These two are so clearly over the moon about each other, I don’t think they stopped smiling for a second!

After a lovely time at the conservatory, we headed to North Avenue Beach. Here we experienced Chicago weather in all its glory – I’m pretty sure we were in the middle of an actual cloud! Luckily we were still able to see the skyline, and the photos we created are some of my favorites to date. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: you can not go wrong with this portrait location! There is something so unique and stunning about Chicago’s lakefront no matter the time of year (or the weather!).

Alana and Philip: Thank you again for having capture these moments for you! You two were a dream to work with, I know your wedding this year is going to be beautiful. Congrats again!!

As I sit here writing this post, I just keep thinking about how truly incredible this year has been. No doubt that 2022 has gone by especially fast… I still can’t believe that tomorrow it will be over! I couldn’t be more grateful for all of the couples we had the opportunity to serve, whether that meant capturing their wedding day, their wedding celebration, or commemorating another milestone in life. This year has kept my team and I on our toes more than ever – but I wouldn’t change it for the world!

Let’s recap, shall we?!

2022 Recap:

• I got to photograph my final few weddings rescheduled from 2020! WOOHOO!!!
• Number of weddings captured: 42 (including three receptions and one Hindu/Jewish double wedding)
• Engagement sessions: 31
• Wedding films created: 37 (including two Live Stream recordings)
• Sessions in my home state: 4 (including one wedding)
• Fur babies I got to meet: countless!
• Turtles I got to meet: 1
• My first Baraat
• My first couple with exactly the same name (Hi Alexes!)
• First bride with the same name as me (Hi Emma!)
• First engagement session crashed by the Tamale Guy
• First Divvy bike engagement session
• Got to work at some gorgeous new venues with wonderful vendors, as well as some old favorites (list below!)

Below you’ll find a collection of favorite candid moments and portfolio pieces from this year. As always, it was not easy to choose! My sincerest gratitude to each and every couple who has trusted my team to document these once-in-a-lifetime events. We absolutely love what we do, and can’t wait to do it again in 2023 🙂

Wishing a safe and Happy New Year to YOU!!!

Featured Venues:

Adler Planetarium | Walden | Chicago History Museum | Artifact Events | Independence Grove | Lacuna Lofts | ROOF on theWit | Bottom Lounge | LondonHouse | Blumen Gardens | Half Acre Brewery | Wilder Mansion | International Museum of Surgical Science | Salvage One | Firehouse Chicago | Garfield Park Conservatory | Bridgeport Art Center | Morton Arboretum | The Drake Oak Brook | Art Institute of Chicago | Saddle & Cycle Club | Ovation | Greenhouse Loft | Starved Rock Lodge | Cafe Brauer | Rockwell on the River | Madonna della Strada Chapel | Bridle Barn & Gardens | Cantigny Park | Halim Museum | City Winery | Hubbard Park Lodge

Alex and Ilya’s summer rooftop wedding at Lacuna Lofts was one of the highlights of my year. When I first heard from these two, they told me of their plans to have an intimate ceremony on the venue’s rooftop, immediately followed by a BIG party with all of their family and friends. Well, I happen to have a soft spot for intimate ceremonies, and Lacuna is one of my favorite venues in Chicago! Oh – and did I mention it’s within walking distance of their Pilsen home? I was so excited to meet these two!

I met Alex at their home while she was getting ready, and Ilya joined us shortly after for a first look outside their home. Before heading to the venue, we made sure to take photos with their cats Luna and Toby! These fur babies were dressed for the occasion – Luna in pearls and Toby in a white collar and bow tie. Ilya and Alex wanted to showcase their neighborhood in their wedding photos, so we stopped at a few favorite spots along the way. It was perfect weather for a summer wedding walk!

Lacuna Lofts Wedding

We arrived at Lacuna Lofts shortly before the intimate ceremony, officiated by Kari of Wedding Day Chicago. Once the knot was tied, it was time to celebrate! Guests began pouring in to greet these two and enjoy one of the best skyline views in Chicago. Dinner and dancing took place in La Galleria – my first time inside this space! It’s everything you’d hope for in a loft venue: exposed brick, romantic cafe lighting, and the iconic rooftop only steps away. Needless to say, the party lasted into the night!

Alex and Ilya: Thank you again for having me!! I’ve had so much fun with you two (and the kitties!) this year… all my best to you both in your future together 🙂

This year I got to kick off Memorial Day weekend with Megan and Jack’s wedding at ROOF on theWit! These two were an absolute delight to spend the day with, and – in their words – so obviously “obsessed” with one another 🙂 They traveled from Wisconsin to tie the knot in the middle of downtown Chicago, and the day was just bursting with joy from beginning to end.

Megan and Jack got ready separately with their parties at theWit hotel. After their private first look on the hotel terrace, these two did not stop smiling! We had a blast walking around the Loop for photos with the wedding party, and even got to snag a few at ROOF before the ceremony. This was the first wedding I’ve captured in the space, which is gorgeous both in daytime and at night!

theWit Hotel Wedding

In true Megan and Jack fashion, their ceremony was complete with personal vows, happy tears, and lots of laughter. They even got to sample their custom margarita cocktail (freshly shaken by the bartender/officiant) before their guests! Once it was official, the party was ON. Guests enjoyed food, drinks, dancing, and live music during the cocktail-style reception… the Gold Coast All Stars kept the party going all night long!!

Megan and Jack: THANK YOU again for having us in May!! We had so much fun on your wedding day and wish you both nothing but the best!

Want to see more Megan & Jack? Check out their gorgeous Highlight Film by Amy Lynn!