One of the big trends that I’ve seen over the past few years has been wedding parasols. But unlike some trends feel completely dated five years from now, parasols have that perpetually classic look, evoking romance and style regardless of the decade. Megan had parasols for her guests at her outdoor Morton Arboretum wedding, and we also took a few photographs with it after the ceremony.

Below are some great resources for beautiful parasols of all different types!

Bella Umbrella has the most amazing selection of vintage umbrellas. They are very pricey to buy, the site actually allows you to rent them. Sounds a little crazy, but a great option if you know you aren’t going to be carrying a ruffled pink parasol around downtown again anytime soon.

For traditional paper parasols, Pearl River and Asian Imports have great deals. You can pick up a range of lovely parasols for your bridesmaids for less than $50 in many cases

eBay is also a great resource for vintage-inspired parasols. I have always loved battenburg-style parasols for their romantic and mysterious potential in photos. eBay has great deals in a selection of colours, including soft pastels for a sweet vintage look, or even black for a crisp, modern style.

And if you want something completely unique, I have always loved these handpainted parasols from I Do Originals. They are just so lovely and make for beautiful photographs; particularly great for a thank you or post-wedding card.

(Photos by Elizabeth Messina and Gwyne Mark Photography)

If you know of any other great umbrella/parasols outlets, leave a note in the comments. I always like to keep my list current!

The photography is one of the most important parts of the day to my couples, and many of them also love the “getting ready” photos as much as I do. This is always one of my favourite times to shoot during the day — there is a wonderful sense of anticipation, things are still a little calm, and it is generally a wonderful opportunity to take beautiful images of the bride and her details. That said, the room where she is getting ready can really make or break these images!

I always recommend that brides consider getting ready in a room that has, primarily, great windows! Natural lighting will really make you look beautiful and also provides great options for creative detail shots without the use of flash. Another reason to maybe think about your getting ready hotel is because a wonderful lobby or restaurant can also serve as a nice location backup should it be a rainy day (as can happen in Chicago).

Here are some of my favourite hotels and suites in Chicago for getting ready. All pictures via their site unless mentioned:

The Trump (401 n wabash // 312-558-8000)

The new trump tower has beautiful rooms with great modern textures and colours, wonderful lighting, and a beautiful terrace overlooking the river.

The Elyisan (11 e walton // 312-646-1300)

This is a brand new hotel and it is just so stunning. Inspired by the designs of Coco Chanel, the rooms all have a lovely, feminine, European flair to them, and the lobby and grounds are absolutely breathtaking. The spaces here would be a stunning backdrop for romantic and modern photographs, rain or not!

Hotel Monaco (225 n wabash // 312-960-8500)

While many of the rooms here are a little overstylized for my tastes (simple is often better!), the “Tranquility Suite” here is just gorgeous and one of my favourites in Chicago. The corner suite is bathed in shades of white, ivory and champagne with window seats a plenty, and is the perfect location for a bride and her girls to get ready (so much prettier than the photo below)!

Four Seasons (160 e pearson, 312-280-8800)

If you want beautiful views, it is hard to beat the bridal suite at the Four Seasons.  Julie got ready here in June and the pictures were wonderful!

Hotel Sax (333 n dearborn // 312-245-0333)

The Hotel Sax is an old favourite of mine in Chicago. The suites in particular have wonderful light, and all have visually interesting rooms with lots of texture, and a sexy baroque feel (no pictures available unfortunately!). It is also home to the sexy Crimson Lounge and right outside Marina City, both great settings for romantic and urban images.

With that said, you certainly don’t have to get ready in a luxe hotel. I’ve seen girls get ready from everywhere from a small room in a church to the basement in a wine bar, and whatever you choose, the anticipation and the emotion are always the most important facets. But if you do opt to get a hotel room and will already be spending the money, as so many brides or couples do, consider looking into an option like those above, as a beautifully styled room with ample lighting will generally lead to better photos than  a dark corporatey room!

Regarding the portraits below, I think we wedding photographers talk a lot about getting our clients to trust us. It is so critical to getting great portraits — having that connection and trust. But I think we — or I, at least — forget that sometimes we also have to trust our clients! Chrissy and Sudhir gave me  little direction about where to do the portraits of them, telling me they trusted me, and saying they liked the industrial photos they’d seen in my portfolio before. Couples occassionally tell me to “do whatever I want,” but I think it can be really hard to trust that they really mean “whatever!” and not “whatever…by which we mean photos on Michigan Avenue.” Since it was my last wedding of the year, I decided to just go with it, to try to push it a little, and I could not be more happy with the results. These are my favourite type of pictures to take, and I hope it shows.

Thanks to all the vendors who were all just great! Hair and  Makeup: Krystyn & Samara of Bridal Beauty Chicago  // Flowergirl, ring bearer accessories (so cute!): my oh-so-talented past client,  Julie Booma  // Bridal jewelry: also by Julie, through Poesi jewelry// //Venue: Modern Wing/Terzo Piano at the Art Institute of Chicago 

You can buy these from Carol Hannah’s wedding collection site on etsy

I just wanted to post a little note to let prospective or current clients know that if you are trying to contact me and don’t get a response within 48 hours, or by Monday if it’s over the weekend, to please try again or give me a ring, as I will certainly respond to all phone calls. I write to all inquiries, even if I am booked on your date. If you are a current client and are waiting for me to get back to you about an album or other information, please also feel free to contact me if you might be concerned that I didn’t get your email. I always respond to messages, and even if I can’t get a thorough response back right away, I will always send you a note to let you know when I will respond in more detail.

And just so this isn’t an all-business email, here is a lovely image from Autumn and Brian’s recent wedding. This was shot on film, and I absolutely love it. I’ll elaborate more on my thoughts on film in their full wedding post, but I still believe nothing can replicate the feeling that film can provide. I have some plans for film for 2010, and after speaking with a great team of some of Chicago best’s event coordinators today, I’m even more excited for what will hopefully be hatching soon.