Emma Mullins Photography

Alissa and Melissa’s spring Mercantile Hall wedding could not have been more beautiful, in every sense of the word! These two had been planning their wedding since late 2019, after their separate proposals to each other. When their day finally arrived, everyone was ready to celebrate!

We got lucky with sunny spring skies and perfect Wisconsin weather, which made for lovely outdoor photos around the venue. The all-female wedding party were stunning in purple, not to mention their pre-ceremony rainbow flannels! Mel and Alissa got ready separately, with their emotional first look along the ivy wall at the venue’s Urb Garden. The couple were married in an outdoor ceremony by Mel’s aunt Liz, and the entire day was full of love and happy tears.

Some of my favorite details from this day include the brides’ matching wedding bands, identical shoes, and the paint-pouring ceremony which included Melissa’s two daughters. The four of them created a colorful canvas to signify the official blending of their families. And, of course – we couldn’t miss the opportunity for photos with Suesanna in the courtyard! Their romantic first dance as newlyweds was a perfect way to kick off the evening. I don’t think Alissa and Mel stopped smiling the entire day – it was an absolute honor to be a part of.

Alissa and Mel: Thank you again for having us in May!!! Your wedding day was such a joy to capture, I couldn’t be happier for you two. Cheers to a lifetime together 🙂

Vendor Team

Venue: Mercantile Hall/Getting Ready Location: The Coffee House at Chestnut + Pine/Mel’s Dress: Essence of Australia/Alissa’s Dress: Stella York/Shoes: Nina/Florals: B’s Bouquets/Hair Stylist: Silhouette Salon/Makeup Artist: Melissa Ann Makeup Artist/Invitation: Minted/Jeweler: David Liska/Ceremony musicians: Violin by Vicki/DJ: Milwaukee Airwaves/Caterer: Chef David’s Catering/2nd photographer: Jeremy

Julia and Dan’s summer Chicago engagement session was one for the books! Not only did we get lucky with perfect July weather, these two officially tied the knot less than two weeks later! I knew Dan from my theatre days in Chicago – he actually acted in a play I directed years ago (it’s true!). When he told me he and Julia were engaged and wanted an epic photo session to capture their love, I couldn’t have been happier for them!!

We started our session at the 606 in Wicker Park, making our way to North Avenue Beach at dusk. I was definitely a fan of their locations and outfit choices (can we talk about Julia’s hot pink dress?!)… but the way these two look at each other is what really stole the show. We talked about Dan’s Christmas Eve proposal, their Las Vegas honeymoon plans, and upcoming wedding, of course! These two couldn’t be happier together, and that makes my heart so full 🙂

Dan and Julia: Thank you again for having me capture these moments for you. I hope these photos bring you great joy in the years to come! CONGRATS again to you both!!!

Looking for more summer Chicago engagement inspiration? Check out these other sessions on the Blog!

Brigette & Michael | Claire & Mark | Angie & Mike | Tommy & Elissa | Minal & Drew

Hello, friends! It’s been a while since I featured a wedding on the Blog, and I’ve got SO MANY to share!! Today I’m showcasing Tammi and Mike’s Joe’s Live Rosemont wedding from May. I got to kick off my spring season with these two, and it couldn’t have been a more memorable day!

Tammi found me through a past bride (remember Brittany & Dan?), and I was so excited to hear about the wedding she and Mike were planning. These two have been together for 19 years… yes, you read that right! Not only have they been committed for almost two decades, they share two adorable sons together. Even though their wedding day was far from the beginning of their love story, it was much anticipated by all 🙂

I met these two at Aloft hotel, just a short walk away from their venue. Mike and the boys got ready next door to Tammi before their emotional first look outside of Joe’s. Honestly, this might have been my favorite part of the entire day! After that, the countdown was ON. Mike and Tammi tied the knot on stage surrounded by loved ones, and officiated by a dear friend. Their ceremony was filled with personal touches, including Saturday Night Live exit music and their son holding the rings. Tammi even made her own wedding cake from scratch!

My favorite thing about Tammi and Mike is their totally relaxed, go-with-the flow attitude. These two were up for anything, and their wedding day was a blast because of it! I mean, they entered their reception to the National Lampoon’s cut of Holiday Road… if that doesn’t tell you how awesome this party was, I don’t know what will! The newlyweds were all smiles all day, and their wedding was an absolute pleasure to capture.

Tammi and Mike: Thank you again for having me in May!!! I had so much fun with you two and your families, wishing you all the best in the world!

Vendor Team

Venue: Joe’s Live/Hotel: Aloft Chicago O’Hare/Bride’s dress: David’s Bridal/Bride’s shoes: Badgley Mischka/Groom’s suit: The Black Tux/Florals: Fifty Flowers/Hair & Makeup: Tamara Makeup/Invitation: Zola/Jeweler: Helzberg Diamonds/Live Band: Wedding Banned/Caterer: Bub City/Cake: DIY

I had such a lovely time with Terrence and Shawn for their Montrose Harbor engagement session last month! I met these two at sunrise with their sweet pup, Clover for some photos at the lakefront with that gorgeous morning light. You may have noticed that most engagement sessions are scheduled around sunset… but if you’re a morning person, sunrise is a perfect alternative! Especially in Chicago, watching the sunrise over Lake Michigan is such a treat 🙂

Montrose Harbor is one of those locations that I don’t get to visit often, but I’m always so excited when I do. There’s such great variety here with the lakefront, wildflowers, and skyline view – it’s easy to spend hours here without even noticing. Shawn and Terrence were a pleasure to stroll with, not to mention happy Clover! She really let loose when we got to Montrose Dog Beach… it was one of the highlights of our session!! Shout out to Kayla for keeping Clover company so I could spend some alone time with these two.

After the beach, it was time for donuts! The three of us met at Firecakes in Lincoln Park, one of their favorite places to visit together. We explored the neighborhood a bit and came across this LOVE mural down the street! Of course, we had to stop for a few – and they’re some of my favorite photos from the entire session!

Terrence and Shawn: You two are adorable together, I had so much fun at our session! Can’t wait for you to tie the knot in September!!!

Last month I had the pleasure of hanging out with Alex and Jack for their colorful West Loop engagement session. These two have been together for over a decade, and originally planned to tie the knot in 2020. Needless to say, it was exciting to finally meet in person! In fact, with everything that’s changed over the past year, we found out that we’re neighbors!! How cool is that?!

I met Alex and Jack at their new home in West Town, where I was also introduced to their (super adorable) pup, Bruno 🙂 Seriously, I am lucking out with all the new pups this year, I love it!! We hung out in their living room, on the rooftop, and even took Bruno for a stroll around the neighborhood. When the sun began to set, Jack, Alex and I headed west near City Hall where they’ll marry next month. These two had every mural memorized, and stories of how they spent their quarantine days taking walks with Bruno. I’ve had many West Loop engagement sessions, but none have been as personalized as this! It’s clear this part of the city is dear to their hearts.

Alex and Jack: Thanks again for having me in June, and WELCOME to the neighborhood! Can’t wait for you to finally tie the knot next month!!

Jessika and Matthew’s spring South Loop engagement session was a dream! These two were such a treat to have in front of my camera… not to mention I made a new puppy friend, Nala! This sweet lady has the brightest eyes and an adorable puppy-dog face, Jess and Matt are absolutely smitten with her. I’m so happy she could join us! (Shout out to the friends who helped out with Nala during this session!)

I met these three at their South Loop home for an evening stroll through the neighborhood. To say Nala was excited would be an understatement! When we came to the Agora installation on Roosevelt Road (you know, those tall leg statue things?), the sun was hitting it just right and we had to stop! Matt and Jess walked right into a perfect patch of light and shared a kiss, with no prompt or direction from me at all. It was as if they read my mind! After that, I knew this session was going to be good!!

We strolled toward the lakefront for photos with Nala at the Museum Campus. This was their happy place – and Nala’s home turf! After a few family photos, I got Jessika and Matthew all to myself. Even though it was a brisk May evening, these two had no problem keeping each other warm. The upside of chilly weather: we were lucky enough to have the iconic skyline view ALL to ourselves!!! This never happens in Chicago… and believe me, we made the most of it 🙂

Jessika and Matthew: I had so much fun at our session, thanks again for having me! Super excited for your wedding day in September!!

When I first started talking with Jolene and Will, it was clear that iconic Chicago locations were a priority for wedding and engagement photos. Naturally, downtown Chicago was the place to start! I met these two on a Monday afternoon at the Art Institute of Chicago. We got to play in the gardens for a bit before heading inside to see more art! Jolene talked about her love for Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who happens to be one of my favorite French artists as well.

After some quality time in the galleries, we crossed the street to the lovely Lurie Garden. This is one location I hadn’t been to in over a year, and it felt so GOOD!! The seasonal blues and purples in the gardens added to the happy spring vibe of the day. Jolene and Will were all smiles… I could easily have spent our entire session here!

It was time for more cityscape, so we headed over to Canal Street for photos at Kinzie Bridge. I was so happy they wanted to stop here! This view of the river is so very Chicago. As the sun began to set, we made our way to Olive Park for some iconic Chicago photos with the skyline. We talked about our mutual loves for travel, craft beer, and their upcoming wedding at Revolution Brewing 🙂

Even though we visited some of the most iconic locations in the city, my favorite thing about this session was how often Jolene and Will made each other laugh! I have no doubt their wedding day is going to be just as awesome. Can’t wait for them to tie the knot next month!!!

Lauren and Eric’s spring Cantigny engagement session last month was a breeze! Coincidentally, they live super close to this picturesque park… so naturally we had to take advantage for our session! It had been a while since I’d traveled outside of the city, let alone visited the park. As you can see, the scenery did not disappoint!

These two could not have been more fun to hang with – and it shows! Our evening stroll led us to plenty of tree blooms, a tulip garden, and Cantigny’s infamous yellow chairs. We even got lucky with a Weeping Willow positioned in perfect golden hour light (excuse me while I nerd out a little)! Truly, I could spend all day in this park. I made a personal note to venture outside the city to places like this more often!

During our session, Eric and Lauren were up for anything – and all about each other. We talked about the day they met, the movie Purple Rain (anyone been to Lake Minnetonka?), and of course – wedding plans! I am SO excited to ring in 2022 with these two at their New Year’s Eve wedding this year 🙂

Lauren and Eric: I loved everything about your Cantigny engagement session! Can’t wait to pop the champagne in December!!!

Kaitlyn and John’s Wicker Park engagement session was dreamy, eventful, and nostalgic, to say the least! Ever since our first conversation, we had a pretty solid game plan for what the evening would entail. These two met while playing softball in Lincoln Park, and their first date was soon to follow. The date sounded so awesome, we had to recreate it for engagement photos!

Kaitlyn’s words:

“It was the best first date ever- beer, the 606, a funky used bookstore, a park, and tacos (and flowed together beautifully for all the excitement!). It was the best night of my life- that is until the night he proposed!”

We started our session at the infamous Robin Williams mural outside of Concord Music Hall on Milwaukee Avenue. Kaitlyn and John actually lived near this mural while it was being painted – and I’m so excited they wanted photos here! Did you know Robin Williams was from Chicago?! I had no idea… gonna blame that one on my Wisconsin heritage. Hah!

After some time with the Genie, we headed over to Wicker Park for photos with the fountain and spring tulips (Kaitlyn’s fave!). We strolled over to Big Star for margaritas and their adorable heart wall. Shout out to the staff for letting us take a few photos on the patio! Our next stop was Myopic, of course – is there another “funky used bookstore” in Wicker Park? – and then headed to the 606 just in time for sunset 🙂 Kaitlyn and John were so adorable together, they even got applause from random passersby on the street! Now THAT is how you know you rocked your engagement session!!

Kaitlyn and John: I had so much fun at your Wicker Park engagement session! Can’t wait for wedding day this fall!

Last month I got to hang out with Hannah and Keith for their Chicago spring engagement session! I met these two at Burwood Tap in Lincoln Park – the place where they had their very first date! If you haven’t been to this classic Chicago dive, it’s definitely worth a visit. After a couple Bell’s Oberons and a trip down Memory Lane, we headed to nearby North Pond in Lincoln Park!

If you can’t tell already, I absolutely LOVE Lincoln Park in the springtime. We had more than our fair share of greenery and spring flowers – the perfect place to spend our Friday evening! Keith and Hannah were up for anything… some of my faves are with the purple flowers outside the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Oh, and the picturesque bridge – and North Pond itself! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I could spend all day taking photos in this park, any time of year 🙂

Hannah and Keith were super easy to photograph (just look at them!) – not to mention Hannah’s Salt and Pepper Diamond engagement ring! Can you tell I was a little obsessed?! Our evening stroll took us to the lakefront where we caught the sun setting with the city skyline. I had a blast hanging out with these two, and can not wait for their Chicago wedding day next May!