Whew! Now comes the fun part, sorry for all the images, I just like to show everything that I can! If you haven’t heard, that Saturday, there was on and off torrential downpours and we got stuck in one outdoors! I only had SEVEN minutes with Jeremy and Megan! SEVEN! I usually like around 20 at least, but 7 is definitely a record. Their reception included lots of dancing as well! Enjoy Megan and Jeremy!

Kara
Contact | Portfolio

Florist: Kio Kreations
Makeup: Cynthia Sally
Church: St Christopher Church Midlothian
Reception: William Tell Banquets
DJ: Admit One Djs
Video: Orange Video

Megan and I were stalking weather reports all week long up to her wedding, we’d go back and forth each day about how much rain was going to come and if we’d get any pictures outside or not, thankfully we did! But we did get rained on a bit (which you’ll see in part deux) but survived! And your just going to have to listen to the song twice

Kara
Contact | Portfolio

Makeup: Cynthia Sally who is going to kill me for how much she’s in the slideshow
Florist: Kio Kreations
Church: St Christopher Church Midlothian
Reception: William Tell Banquets
DJ: Admit One Djs
Video: Orange Video

Heidi and Jon were married at the chapel at Naper Settlement and being back in Naperville was like going home, most things hadn’t changed since I had left 3 years ago, but it was fun being back and seeing what was still there! They had their reception at Danada House and it was amazing! I love that space and the grounds as well, just a wonderful location for a wedding reception or even a ceremony on site! It was possibly the best food I’ve had all year too! Heidi and Jon were a lot of fun to work with and they pretty much left everything to me and allowed a lot of time for portraits and they even got a few appetizers during that time too! It was a hot day, but everyone braved it out! I was working with some of my favorite vendors, Kristen from Kio Kreations, Don from XL Entertainment and Aubrey from Ladi Events!

Kara
Contact | Portfolio

Florist: Kio Kreations
DJ: XL Entertainment
Hair and Makeup: Mario Tricocci Salon
Linens: Chair Couture
Catering: My Chef Catering
Day-of Coordination: Ladi Events

They’ve probably been waiting on pins and needles for this slideshow or any peek of any sort! I loved photographing Jenean and Erich’s wedding, they were a ton of fun as well as their bridal party! Jenean walked from the Dana Hotel where she got ready to Holy Name Cathedral which was so much fun and their ceremony was lovely! Shortly thereafter, we found out the limo bus was not what was ordered and we were all crammed in…but Kara to the rescue! I found myself by the drink cooler and made everyone drinks and well, they really liked me then! So another job added to my growing list: mixologist!

Jenean and Erich wanted a city vibe but didn’t have a ton of time and only really wanted to stop at one location, so we decided to do Kinzie St. Bridge which was so awesome! We stood in the street and still got the city views! At the reception, Connexion Band filled the dance floor and Erich told everyone that they should repay him the favor of everyone making a fool of themselves! Jenean and Erich came into the reception and cut their cake which paid homage to their alma mater, ASU and then did their first dance but halfway through mixed it up!

Ok, enough of me talking!

Kara
Contact | Portfolio

Flowers: by the lovely and wonderfully talented Kristen of Kio Kreations
Table Runners: Chair Couture
Hotel: Dana Hotel and Spa
Church: Holy Name Cathedral
Reception: Maggianos
Band: Connexion Band

So me and Kristen (of Kio Kreations) are working on a project (which is going to be completely amazing by the way!) and she just casually slipped in that maybe I could take some headshots if we could fit it in….I think she was a little jealous of Cynthia’s…So even though it was 5 degrees on Tuesday (it was like 50…) we walked around downtown Geneva to take some pictures!

There was even a point where I almost fell and Kristen said “don’t hurt yourself!” and I replied “I can’t! I have a wedding this weekend!” And that’s when we decided that it was the mark of a good vendor that put a wedding over their own personal safety. HA!

Kristen wouldn’t climb into this person’s backyard to be closer to the lilacs…geeze!

This is the series where I just said work it and kept clicking like I was the cliche fashion photographer.  Then on a few I did the “I’m not even looking” part from Austin Powers…haha

I’m totally getting busted for posting these BUT I HAD TO!  They’re way too funny and show how silly Kristen really is.

This is my favorite set!

So which one do you like the most?  Which one do you think she chose?!

Kara
Contact | Boudoir

for no money! Last night I got together with some of my fellow Get Weddy Chicago vendors to finalize the newsletters and really get the website and newsletter going! Once we’re all finished, it’s going to be an awesome resource for all brides over Chicago! My clients get a newsletter about things that pertain to my style and how it goes with me, but Get Weddy is an all encompassing resource written from several views and more general than specific. We have a member of each part of the wedding day represented and writing articles to help everyone!

Don’t judge these, I had no light when we met at the Brickhouse in Downers Grove located at 1461 Butterfield Rd Downers Grove, IL 60515-1004 (630) 963-1104 who have an awesome atmosphere!

Kristen from Kio Kreations who has been working hard on the layouts talks about where we stand and is rocking a new haircut

Mike from MDM Entertainment is focused on something…listening very intently as you can see (p.s. did you know MDM is now doing affordable uplighting!? ::swoon::) And Matt’s in there too, he almost skipped out on his bill on accident

Faith from Photobooth Express looks over our handouts

Cynthia is hiding from my camera per usual (if she didn’t love her headshots so much, she’d kill me for this)

Patti from With Love Bridal planning starts going over what needs to be done.

Pat Pecirno who is a videographer looks on!

then the computers come out…

my notes. I had to make a new list for myself, these were just ideas I just kept jotting down!

A chance to show off my custom iphone case, isn’t it fun!?

There was some wine and beer involved.

look at those stacks of business cards we got handed!

Our goal for rollout is May 1, so I’ll be blogging about it much more and you’ll see articles here that will be going over there and will be easy to find! We’re sad that not everyone could make it but we all look forward to seeing each other again!

I have some exciting other things coming up like boudoir posts and some guest blogging!

Kara
kara@karaschultz.com

I would like to thank everyone who came out (and even those that couldn’t make it but sent me messages!) I really appreciated all of it! Today I spent my first meeting there, going over album choices and layouts, it was perfect and really why I wanted this space! It was a rough road and I’ll have before and after pictures but as I told everyone, it was like buying a house, you first see it and you’re like “oh this won’t be much work at all!” then you get in and you start cursing everything in it and why the last person did something the way they did. You deal with images falling off one wall (yes, I’m still fighting that one brown wall!!)

I would also like to thank everyone for putting up with the crazy dog!

this is the shooting side, quite boring but it needs to be that way

the meeting side

some of the flowers generously provided by Kristen from Kio Kreations! She did them in my logo colors and I just loved them! They were so unique!

another photo wall of 8×10′s

I do have all my products that I offer there from my new albums and canvases!

I bought a cookie, but forgot a knife, I’m not even 1/4 of the way through it, who wants some cookie?!

I had water and capri sun for drinks, I was skeptical but the capri sun went over very well, be prepared to drink some if you come to visit! I have leftovers!

the shoes I started with….

my adorable flats I ended with…though most of the time, I went barefoot! It’s my place, it’s allowed.

the boys and the dog decided to take a short nap during a lull in action.

the hubs got really comfortable!

and since the hubby took over the couch, Isabelle retreated to the rug.

the toy duck that Isabelle shoved in everyone’s face.

this is what I look like a lot of the time isn’t it?

I was using my super wide 14-24 2.8 so the lens that is huge, really looks that way!

The dog, happy to go home!

I will have winners and a before and after soon!!!

Kara
kara@karaschultz.com

Ok, so this is going to be a HUGE post, lots of pictures and possibly some stories along the way!  I’ve been friends with Kristen for some time now since she’s also in the wedding industry as a florist!  Let me tell you, she does AMAZING work!  And she’s very fun to work with and a good sense of humor!  And she’s totally harrassed me on Facebook to get these done ASAP.  And honestly, I was going to work on them anyway…enough talking?  Time for pictures?  What do you think this is?  A PHOTO blog?!

I took some more fine art type pictures of all the awesome flowers!  Prepare there will eventually be more!

Awesome decor, the room looked so great!  Linens came from The Chair Couture!

Sunflare, inside, over the cake table?!  Couldn’t have turned out more perfect!!

Funny story about the dress pictures:  While Meson Sabika is beautiful, there’s really no awesome place to hang the dress.  So what do I do?  Run to my car, grab a 3M command hook, move a table and plant that dress right up there!  No harm done to the wall and great pictures, win-win?  Sometimes you have to make things happen for yourself!

Everything was music themed!

Matt’s tall but I’m used to that because my husband is 6’6″!!  I think Matt was around 6’5″  and now that I put a number on it, Kristen will be sure to correct me

The lovely bride had her makeup done by Cynthia Sally!

So it was freezing out and they were both recovering from upper respiratory infections, so the grounds at Meson Sabika were not really in the plans!  We grabbed these in the few minutes before being announced and waiting for guests to leave the bar.

Just before being announced, I caught this and they didn’t even know   I’m a ninja.  (with a camera instead of a sword)

I caught Kristen crying during her own speech, it was touching and really funny at the same time!

Everyone danced all night long!  The DJ was great and really nice!  I can’t wait to work with him again (Don Kaminsky with XL-Entertainment), he really enjoys what he does!

I totally laid on the floor for this shot!  Everyone thought it was hilarious, I’m pretty sure I’ll do almost anything for the shot!  Some of my bpic clients have seen me almost fall off a bed or chair trying!   Floor, much safer.

Last shot of the night

Ok Kristen and Matt, you’ve got the LARGEST blog post, and let me tell you, it was hard to narrow it down!  Wish I could show you them all right now, but alas, you have to WAIT! 

Until next time!

Kar

(also, be on the lookout, new website design coming and new blog with twitter integration, follow me!  I’m karaschultz)