Olivia Leigh Photographie :: Photos and Experiences from a Chicago Wedding Photographer

John Mark + Mary Kay

2012-05-15T19:06:22+00:00

John Mark and Mary Kay had a lovely wedding on NYE at St. Michael’s and the Elysian/Waldorf Astoria that was equal parts beauty and whimsy! I never got around to blogging it and now that summer is here, Christmas lights seem a little out of place, but I may post it this winter. :) Due to some things running behind on the wedding day, we had less time for portraits than we had planned, and Mary Kay also wanted to do some more photos in her reception dress, this gorgeous tulle and crystal Lazaro stunner. We decided to do another shoot in March to go to some more locations and have some better weather. Mary Kay and John Mark wanted some more whimsical photos, so they brought glitter, sparklers and poppers to incorporate into the shoot—a few hours before we went out, I went to a party store and bought some industrial strength poppers which both terrifying and incredibly fun additions that harkened back to their wedding on NYE. We also randomly were photographed by a shooter from the Tribune, a fun little cap to our day around town.

J+D

2012-05-11T21:07:30+00:00

A round of applause to the fog on J+D’s big day

Emily + Ben

2012-05-04T16:35:55+00:00

I returned this week from shoots in London and Paris and absolutely cannot wait to share them—both were just lovely, despite rain for the entire trip. A little sick of the gloom we’ve had this week in Chicago, I thought I’d share some from this shoot with Emily and Ben. Living in Bermuda, I was so happy that we finally had a dash of sun for their shoot. Emily and Ben are one of the most gorgeous couples I’ve ever worked with. But beyond that, I just had a great time hanging out with them, enjoying a shared love of avec and the Bristol and a mutual disdain for Aldo high heels. :) I absolutely cannot wait for what I think will be one of the most gorgeous weddings of the year at Galleria Marchetti this summer!

Top Knots Win

2012-05-04T15:50:11+00:00

I was so excited to find out that Nick and Rebecca’s quirky engagement “portrait” placed in this year’s PDN Top Knot’s contest. Photo District News (PDN) is the top photography magazine in the industry, and their Top Knots contest recognizes work in the wedding industry. This is one of my favorite photos ever, so I was thrilled it placed. Thanks to Rebecca and Nick for being so trusting! You can see all the wins here.

The Knot Luxury Weddings + Blog Features

2012-05-01T14:50:33+00:00

Many thanks to the team at The Knot for featuring Danielle & Eric’s incredible wedding from this past September. This was featured in a special pull out luxury weddings section in the national issue. Many thanks to the awesome team from that day, especially Renny Pedersen at Bliss Weddings and Events + Jesse Deckard at Event Creative.

Meagan and Drew also had their gorgeous autumnal wedding on Ruffled, and Diana and Mike’s quirky Salvage One affair was on Style Me Pretty.

Congrats to all the couples on their features!

A Rainy Spring Day in Central Park

2012-04-13T14:42:38+00:00

One of my favorites from my session with Roksy and Jon in NYC.

Katy + Alex | Holy Name + Terzo Piano

2012-04-11T16:51:41+00:00

As you can probably tell, I shot *a lot* at the Art Institute last year! Katy and Alex were a little unique in this regard, as many of my couples that have a reception at the museum want to do many photos with the artwork, but the city was so much more important to these two. We had a great deal of time in between ceremony and reception, which provided for a lot of location flexibility and many fun spontaneous moments. It was absolutely freezing on this early fall day, and all of the girls (and guys!) were such troopers in the cold. We took photographs at the bench where Alex proposed to Katy, and after visiting several other locations, everyone went to a pub on Michigan Avenue, the Gage, to relax and unwind before the reception. I love when couples do this and find it’s a great way to spend time with your bridesmaids/groomsmen as friends. To get back to the reception, they had planned to walk across a bridge in Millennium Park up to the museum; unfortunately it was locked for the evening, so the groomsmen all proceeded to pass the girls over the barricade. Katy and Alex are high school sweethearts, and their escort cards featured hand drawn illustrations of locations that held meaning to them, with clever write ups done by Alex. The reception went off without a hitch, and it was such a treat to capture these two throughout the day. They are truly one of the sweetest couples and kindest families I have ever worked with—I know I say that a lot but in this case it is completely true! Just so so sweet; I don’t think I have ever seen a bride smile as much as Katy did. It was a privilege to be a part of this sweet family’s life, and I am so excited to join them again for Katy’s sister’s wedding in London at the end of the month!

Many thanks to the great staff at the AIC, Kelly from Clementine Custom Events, Sarah Postma and Casey Winkleman!

Kat + John’s Wedding at the Newberry Library + Saint Clement

2012-03-08T17:58:49+00:00

Kat and John had a truly classic Chicago wedding—ceremony in Lincoln Park at Saint Clement and reception at the historic Newberry Library in the Gold Coast. Hard to get more classic Chicago than that! They were married in October, always my favorite month to shoot in. I just can’t get enough of the colors we got this year the last three weeks of October, with rich reds, vibrant oranges and crisp golds everywhere from alleyways to the river.

At every wedding I’m always trying to find the little nuances of each couple and Kat and John had one of my favorites. At so many ceremonies, especially formal Catholic ones, the bride and groom stand, facing forward, never touching until it’s time for the ring exchange. John, however, had his arm wrapped around Kat for little moments throughout the ceremony, a detail I just loved to shoot. I thought it was such a small, quiet, and unique part of their wedding and who they are that silently said so much.

Thanks to SIP Events, Amy Beck Cake Design (so gorgeous!), Sarah Postma, Casey Winkleman and Toast & Jam for their assistance!

Holy Name Wedding + Art Institute, Modern Wing Reception : Erica + Tom

2012-02-21T02:08:02+00:00

I will be out of the studio for the next week so before leaving I wanted to share one big post. This was a dream wedding to photograph—relaxed schedule, beautiful style and intense emotion. The wedding was indicative of what I think is the “classic modern” Chicago wedding—traditional in some respects but personal in many others, beautifully combining the two aesthetics into one style that to me, is quintessientally Chicago.

Erica and Tom prepared at the Trump Tower in Chicago, and makeup and dressing started with some tears, as Erica put on her wedding gown and fur and necklace from her grandmother. We had a beautiful sunny day, such a rarity for the winter (well, most years!), and their first look was equally emotional and beautiful. After portraits around town we headed to Holy Name, one of the most historic and beautiful churches in the city. I find moments with fathers are what get me the most—I am usually pretty good about not dissolving into a teary puddle, but time with the bride and her dad really make the tears well up as I think about my own beloved pops and our relationship. At the church, Erica and her father prepared to walk down the aisle and the tears began to flow—thankfully her dad was prepared with a handkerchief, which he used to dry her tears before the aisle and as they walked down the aisle, stopping midway to take a breath! I found this to be such a beautiful and special moment—one that I will certainly always remember.

A reception followed at one of my favorite venues, the Art Institute, for what was my sixth (!) time shooting there. Tom and his mom danced the most fabulous dance that completely had me inspired to take dance classes, and Erica and her father did a routine with umbrellas choreographed to “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

Many thanks to all the great people who made this day come together, as usual: Terzo Piano at the Art Institute, Petal Play Designs, Sarah Postma and Casey Winkleman!

Cafe Brauer Wedding :: Meagan + Drew

2012-02-03T05:10:23+00:00

Meagan and Drew were another great couple that we met at Indie Wed last year. I don’t know what it is about that event, but it really led me to some of my favourite couples—all incredibly fun and kind. I always view my mission as trying to capture the essence of each couple, and Meag and Drew are at their core, an incredibly *fun* couple. These two had a blast all day and you could tell they were just so excited to get married. Meagan wore this incredible tulle confection—a beautifully whimsical dress. However, it was one of the windiest days of the year (and it is often windy) and it was incredibly amusing for us to watch the dress behave, or misbehave, as the case may have been! They also introduced me to the concept of the wonderfully fun “second grade portrait,” for which I will always be grateful. :)

Along with their great energy and attitudes, they also managed to have one of the prettiest weddings of the year. They were married at the peak of fall at Meagan’s home church in Western Springs, where her dad directs their wonderful music program. After that we returned to the city for a reception at Cafe Brauer, and with its location in the heart of Lincoln Park., it was a gorgeous setting for this autumn day We were rushing to get back to the city in rush hour, and as the light was quickly dwindling, I became nervous that we’d run out of sunlight, but the fates intervened and we were instead met with one of the most beautiful sunsets of the year. I also haven’t been sharing many bouquets this year but had to post some from this wedding, designed by Stems—just so gorgeous!