So now the lucky 19. And guess what? The WINNER of the best of poll gets a 16×20 gallery wrapped canvas of the image and the 2nd and 3rd place also get a prize too!  So vote away, encourage your friends and family to vote for you and whoever you want as well! Contest ends at midnight CST Friday February 5th, 2010. So let’s get it started!

#1 – Katie and Mark
Katie and Mark got married at White Pines Country Club in Bensenville, they decided to do a first look and then we did some portraits afterward before the ceremony. This was a moment when I took them near this grassy field and this is what Mark did. They were fun and truly in love and couldn’t wait for this day to come!

#2 – Lauren and Brian
Lauren and Brian got married at Winnetka Community House and their venue and the locations there were spectacular! Lauren and Brian also had decided on a first look, it was when Lauren laid her head on Brian’s shoulder that I knew this was going to be a great picture!

#3 – Nadine and Rick
This wedding was located at Hotel Baker in St. Charles and Nadine and Rick were not my typical couple, they both had families they were combining but it was positive that they surrounded themselves with people who they loved and who loved them. This image is one of my favorites, look at the way the wind swept Nadine’s hair and just how they look so relieved!

#4 - Shannon and Matt
Shannon and Matt were one of the first couples to book me for their wedding last year and I was really excited to show them their risk was going to pay off big! They also had a first look followed by some pictures at a nearby park in Oswego, it was one of those hot days but Shannon and Matt were determined to have great images and this one just really stood out to me from the hundreds! They had their reception at Riverview Banquets in Geneva.

#5 – Jessie and Mike

Jessie and Mike were the most untraditional couple that I photographed in 2009 and I welcomed it!  They wanted everyone to party and the food was pretty amazing seeing as Jessie makes gelato for a living!  They were married and had their reception at Architectural Artifacts in Chicago.  When I saw this image, I literally gasped!  What a sweet moment between Jessie and Mike that they just wanted to be together!

#6 – Jen and Scott

Oh Jen and Scott, how I love the quirkiness that Scott showed me on their wedding day, much like the first image, but knowing that they probably wouldn’t want a large canvas of Scott jokingly jumping into Lake Michigan…I decided to try number 2 instead!  They also had a first look so we can go all over Chicago to get their gorgeous images, definitely one of my favorite weddings with a reception at Maggiano’s!

#7 – Kirsten and Will

Oh Kirsten and Will!  It decided to be freezing and raining on their wedding day and their hopes of an outdoor ceremony not under a tent were dashed.  We managed to get some awesome images even with disappearing sunlight though!

#8 – Beth and Tom

Beth and Tom also had their reception at Maggianos in Oakbrook!  Their wedding was on one of those hot hot hot summer days at Wilder Park in Elmhurst.  Everyone was dripping with sweat but Beth and Tom decided to treat their guests to some ice cream and hired a cute ice cream truck!

#9 – Val and Josh

One of my favorite weddings of 2009 as well!  Val and Josh just were themselves through silliness and their love for one another.  They were brave enough to get some images outside before heading to The Seville in Streamwood for their dancing marathon reception.  And honestly, what can you not love about this picture??

#10 – Christine and John

Christine and John also got married during one of those hot summer streaks we had!  And I just love this image, love love love love love.  I love the sun peaking out through the trees and the smiles they both have!

#11 – Amanda and Steve

This was tough wedding to choose ONE image from.  I mean just one?  These were some of my all time favorites and I just loved them all.  I settled on this black and white of Amanda and Steve.  I mean what’s not to love.  We squeezed the last bit out of fall and I could’ve chosen an image with great oranges and yellows, but I love the simplicity of this black and white image.  I even could’ve chosen some of the stuff we got at Entourage where their reception was held!  But I liked this one the best!

#12 – Karen and Greg

Oh Karen and Greg!  I just love everything there is about this image!  We changed up their picture site due to disappearing sunlight and a thick cloud cover that had set in and everything just worked itself out!  I mean, how can you not LOVE this image?  Then there was some great times at Belvedere Banquets at their reception!

#13 – Traycie and Jason

Traycie and Jason were my very last wedding in 2009!  They were married on New Years Eve and wanted to brave the 10 degree or so weather for pictures!  I love the expressions between Jason and Traycie and the lights in the background!  We did get to warm up and go to Old Orchard Country Club for their reception and to ring in the new year!

#14 – Kim and Mike

Kim and Mike are just fun.  There’s no ifs ands or buts about it!  Their wedding plans were foiled by the weather but they definitely took it in stride!  After they moved their ceremony indoors and having to do pictures inside the hotel instead of outside, the sun came out after their ceremony during cocktail hour so we hit the golf course at the Arboretum Club to get this photo!  And I love how they are laughing and smiling in it!

#15 – Eleni and Mike

Eleni and Mike also got married during the heat streak in Chicago!  We even braved Millennium Park during the first weekend of the Taste of Chicago for pictures!  And really, it wasn’t that horrible and while I loved so many of the photos including Eleni dancing with some break dancers, this one we got at the Grand Piazza has been a favorite since!

#16 – Dani and Hoang

Dani and Hoang were calm on their wedding day despite some hiccups like their limo showing up about an hour late.  We still got into take pictures at Wrigley Field  but that meant our time at Millennium Park was short.  I’m pretty sure I did Millennium Park photos in 15 minutes, maybe 20 but we had to get over to cocktail hour at the Doubletree Magnificent Mile! I love this picture because it was as we were walking back to the limo and completely on their own.

#17 – Brooke and Brett

Another of my favorites!  Brooke and Brett got married before their reception at the Byron Colby Barn and Brooke told me that it rained profusely on their wedding day and the pictures they had hoped to come from it were lackluster, so that put a lot of pressure on me to get something they loved!  And I think I succeeded!  The first photo, I couldn’t not include as I feel like it’s just special and something that happened between them!  The 2nd one is the one in the contest.  I love this image.  You can just see them looking at each other and smiling as they walked into a random field we went to!

#18 – Sharon and Edgar

Sharon and Edgar (and their wedding party) were a lot of fun!  We had a relaxed day and took portraits at Cantigny in between their ceremony and reception and you know how much I love Cantigny!  This is one of my many favorites for the day because you can just see how in love they are, I mean look at Edgars face and Sharon’s eyes…Just everything about this one makes me swoon!

#19 – Sarika and Manish

And finally Sarika and Manish!  During their engagement sessions I knew I couldn’t wait for their wedding day!  They were willing to do things silly and basically would do things themselves and would be themselves so my job was pretty easy going!  I just had to capture them in that manner!  Their extravagant and magnificent day was held at the Lincolnshire Marriot and every detail was taken care of!  I love this picture.  I just do and you can see why!

Whew!  That was tough!  And really really difficult to narrow it down!

So you can only do one vote per person per day!  So vote away!!

I would also like to thank my wonderful hubby for coming along with me to be the 2nd shooter, he did a fabulous job and I couldn’t have been happier and I’m sure Karen and Greg agree when they see their wedding images!!

And if you’re curious: slideshow 1, wedding sneak, engagement 1 and engagement 2

Whew! It was great getting to know you and Greg!

Kara
kara@karaschultz.com

I had a great time photographing their wedding day and despite I got home into the wee hours of the morning I knew Karen and Greg were still awake since they were hoping on a plane to their honeymoon at some early hour (I believe it was 5, but had to be at the airport by 3:30 or 4! Yikes!).

Ok, ok, slideshow right? That’s what you came here for right?

Ok, part two of your wonderful November wedding day is to come!

Kara
kara@karaschultz.com

Isn’t this just too perfect?  My lovely husband who came along to be my 2nd shooter for the day captured this gem!

look at the picture on the right, it’s one of my favorites!  Though you can’t see their faces, can’t you tell what they look like?  It gives me chills and I tear up just thinking about it!

I’m so in love with this picture:

We then headed over to Belvedere Banquets in Elk Grove Village (1170 W Devon Ave Elk Grove Village, IL 60007-3214 (847) 534-0600?) for the reception! Don from XL Entertainment was there to keep the dance floor packed all night long! And it was a party, I love working with Don, he truly gets it when it comes to reception music! I also had a great time working with their videographer Don Bloom, he was really a pleasure and awesome!

And finally, this one I laid on the ground, in the middle of the dance floor, then got spun around by one of the groomsman (totally unplanned!) It seems whenever I’m at a wedding with Don he dares me to lay on the dance floor again with my fisheye, and there I went!

Hope you had a great time on your honeymoon!! Hope these brighten up this cloudy day! I had a great time with all you at your wedding!!

Kara
kara@karaschultz.com