Susan and Brandon have to be two of the hardest working people I have ever met! They both work well over a 40 hour work week and still manage to keep a huge smile on their faces! I love that they ride the train to work together, so that they make sure they get some quality time as a couple. Their lives are go, go, go, and their engagement session was no exception. Susan and Brandon jumped off the train and met me in downtown Wheaton on a beautiful summer evening to captur

The love spread across her face was apparent as she walked down the steps that lead to her soon to be husband. This was the first time they would see each other on their wedding day. An intimate moment. No one insight. It was just for the two of them. As Joy stepped onto the bridge where Michael was waiting you could practically see the butterflies in their stomach's fluttering around them in giddy anticipation. With every step her smile spread wider and wider, until,

For a few years now Ashley, of Ashley Nicole Events, Inc, and I have been teaming up to create beautiful inspiration wedding shoots in the Chicago-land area. This year we decided to step up our game and travel to beautiful southern California to do a two day photo shoot in San Diego. Since it was February in Chicago we were both super excited to head somewhere warm. I packed a few sundresses and cute outfits along with a pair of sandals and I was set. When we arrived the

As the old wooden doors swung open you could feel yourself engulfed in the history of the 1952 Methodist Church, a landmark in the downtown St Charles area. With every step you were pulled further and further into the Wisconsin Lannon stone with cut stone detailing representing a modified Gothic architecture. Anyone that passed through the heart of downtown on Rt 64 drove by this treasure. Founded by Col. Edward J Baker in memory of his parent's, Edward and Martha, this is

The violinist picked up her instrument and St Luke's Church began to fill with the beautiful melody from the Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast (one of my personal favorites!!!). To the tune of "Tale As Old As Time", Danielle and Barb, the Mother's of the couple, proceeded down the aisle to the altar, where two candles were lit. As the song changed, the bridal party began to make their way down the aisle, grinning with every step. For right behind them was Keeley, waitin

One of the things I love about the Chicago wedding industry is how supportive everyone is of one another. Being a small business is a tough job with a lot of uphill battles, but having the support of fellow small business owners is an amazing gift. There are a lot of communities in Chicago that allow us to stay connected and teach one another to grow. The Wedding Wednesday group in the Chicago Suburbs was created by Kelly Reif, owner of Kelly Reif Stationary Studio, about t

We all know weddings are expensive. You are investing a lot into a day of celebration. It's stressful making sure you have the best of the best for your special day. Here are seven helpful tips to follow when selecting a photographer for your wedding day. 1. Decide if you want a larger company or a smaller one-on-one experience. There are a lot of options for you to choose from. It's understandable you might get overwhelmed. The first step to consider is whether you want

She walked down the aisle under her mother’s forty-year-old ivory lace cathedral veil, her father guiding her every step. Jason waited patiently for his bride, his eyes glistening with tears. Every second he waited was worth it because he was the luckiest man in the room. For the vision walking towards him was his, as he was hers. The rings they exchanged were both carefully created to reflect not only their individual personalities, but also their united love for one anot

Think of your engagement session as a trial run for your wedding day. Just as you sample the food your caterer prepares at a tasting or you do a hair and makeup trial to make sure it is executed exactly as you dreamed on your wedding day. So why consider skipping your engagement session with your photographer? No two photographers are the same, just as no two people are the same. While we all use similar equipment, the way we work with people and the way we see things is v

First off, congratulations!!! If you are reading this post then you are probably planning your wedding, will soon be planning your wedding or are helping a special person in your life plan their wedding. I hope you are having as much fun as I did planning my own wedding! Now, I am going to let you in on a little secret. While your wedding day is going to be perfect (because you are marrying the love of your life), it might not run as perfectly as you had hoped. Take a bre

San Diego. Young Love. Disney World. Three words that don't necessarily go together, but will describe Alex and Stephanie perfectly. A few years back Stephanie was interning at Disney World in sunny Florida. One day she was asked to work security at ESPN during an event. Not a typical position for her. Actually, it was a first! For those that haven't met Stephanie, she is not exactly your typical looking security guard. And I say this with lots of love, but I don't kn

Hi from San Diego! I am currently in the beautiful southern part of California with my dear friend Ashely Radosav, of Ashley Nicole Events, Inc, to photograph two amazing couples in love. Monday we spent the entire afternoon traveling all over San Diego to the most stunning places photographing Stephanie and Alex. They have the sweetest love story. I'll share more when I share their photos, but here's a clue. It involves DISNEY! Here is a sneak peek of what's to come! Pla

Today was SNOW much fun!!!!! Seriously!!! I wish there were behind the scenes photos so you could have seen how much snow we were hopping through during Kacie and Will's winter wonderland of an engagement session. More than once I always face planted in a snow drift because I didn't realize the ground was hilly. We all agreed though it was totally worth it! I met Kacie this past summer when I photographed her twin sister Kelly's wedding. Both ladies are incredibly beauti

FREEZING!!!!!! That is probably the first word that comes to mind after today's engagement session. Along with dreamy, romantic, stunning and amazing!!!! Yes, it was cold. With the wind whipping at us it brought the temperature down to near zero degrees. However, with the chilling temperatures came a blanket of fresh white snow creating a picturesque backdrop among the trees. As we walked briskly through the fields towards our destination I learned about Nicole and Jeff.

The weekend before Thanksgiving George suggested he and Margo spend the day in the city. Margo, being a planner, asked if they should make plans to eat somewhere. George said, "nah, we can figure it out" and left it at that. Little did Margo know George already had a romantic plan in the works. We all know how crazy the holidays can get, so when Margo's Mom suggested she get her nails done before her date she knew something was up. George had booked a horse drawn carriage

Every time I see this handsome little guy he gets cuter and cuter! How that is possible I don't event know. Only six months and old Scotty is obsessed with Mickey Mouse. Whenever he hears the clubhouse song his face lights up and he is memorized (except of course when we are trying to make him smile for pictures). At 24.25 inches tall he enjoys playing with his feet in his free time as well as hearing stories read by Mom and Dad. Like most people, he is not a fan of bein

Two years ago when Samantha and Corey stepped foot in a local bar they had no idea they would be destined to spend the rest of their life together. I have gotten to know Samantha a little bit through her sister Jenna's wedding and their family dress shop Here Comes The Bride. Such an awesome loving family! It's only a little over a month into their engagement, but the couple already has plans for their upcoming wedding. A destination wedding in the Bahama's. After survivi

Romantic, historic and furry; those are the three words I would use to describe Shannon and Ricky’s engagement session at the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza in downtown Indianapolis. When I first saw Shannon and Ricky walk up the long, winding staircase to meet me at the top of the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza I knew their engagement photos were going to be epic with Shannon’s fluffy, fur coat and Ricky’s playful fur hat featuring the old school flaps on the side. It wa

One of the most common questions I get from clients is what is the different between small resolution and high resolution. Put simply, it is the amount of pixels per photo. Every photographer more than likely uses their own system for classifying small resolution and high resolution photos. Today I will explain a little about how I use small and high resolution photos and what I recommend (you may be surprised). Small Resolution At BJP small resolution photos are sized spec

When I asked Amanda and Eric where they went for their first date, they paused and replied "it's hard to say". Eric's Mom was the one that solidified their boyfriend girlfriend status. At his brother's wedding when Amanda was introduced as his girlfriend. Not having discussed this before Amanda turned to Eric and said, "so I'm your girlfriend" and Eric replied, "yeah I think so" and the rest is history. They like to say they met twice. The first time was in Economics class