Wedding photos were one of our top priorities when we started planning. When we asked around for…read morethe things to look for in a good photographer, someone mentioned something that stuck with us: "Look for the things that are missing in someone's portfolio." We sent out a few portfolios to numerous friends and family, and Elena came back as the top independent choice every time. Her portfolio speaks for itself, but our cousin put it best: "if people saw these photos of themselves, they would be very happy with them". That is what drew us to Elena. A lot of photographers focus their energy on pictures that would look great in magazines and on Instagram, but Elena has those as well as a lot of smaller moments of joy between guests, capturing the emotions behind the photos. The bride and groom and their families looked happy in all of the photos, not like they were just posing for the camera. Our planners mentioned that she captures the day as it truly was, and that aspect was what made her portfolio stand out to us and everyone we showed it to. As soon as we used her for our engagement shoot, we knew our instincts had been right. She flew out to New York for a full day of pictures, and despite a ton of nerves at our ends, we felt so comfortable with her throughout. Even though these were the first professional photos we would take, and there were large crowds everywhere in New York, we were able to relax. When Elena sent over the photo gallery, the pictures reflected that. Her calming presence and her ability to capture the joy between us made our engagement photos look stunning. The multi-day Indian wedding was no different. Her and her second shooter Ryan were working across five days, morning to evening, and four large events and numerous smaller rituals. They probably took thousands of photos across the entire weekend. However, it never felt like a chore. We trusted her fully, even when we trucked through a mosquito-infested lawn because we knew the end results would be worth it (and they were). My dad was so impressed with how she took family portraits, positioning everyone effortlessly and quickly. Throughout, both her and Ryan focused on the emotions of the moments in addition to the flashy pictures. One of our favorite sneak preview photos showcases a young guest screaming for joy during the wedding ceremony. Elena has been a joy to be around, and we have loved getting to know her across these events. We have used photographers before, but we have never felt more at ease than when working with her. We believe that speaks to her personal qualities as well as her talent. One moment that stood out to us was when one of the people helping us out fell on the street. Elena was the first one there to pick her up, and Elena was the one that made sure she received help. We've also found it fascinating to see photos from guests where Elena pops up, smile plastered on her face or a tongue sticking out as she's taking her photos. She genuinely had a great time as well. We are going to use Elena for all future photos, no hesitation. When discussing wedding photography initially, we discussed a lot of our priorities internally. We concluded that the thing we wanted most of all was a set of photos that we would be happy to show our future kids. Elena delivered that for us.

Elena shot my wedding in Feb 2020. Photography was a top 3 priority for my partner and I…read more Loved working with Elena! She was a dream vendor leading up to it, answering emails prompting and clearly, and really understanding what we liked and wanted to get out of photography for the big day. She was fun to hang out with day of, she kept us on task, and made sure we got all the posed photos we wanted done. But most importantly - I am OBSESSED with our photos!! I could not have dreamt of them coming out better!!! I look at them every single day. I'm not typically this sentimental, but I really can relive every single moment of the day through these shots. I knew Elena was talented when I first looked at her portfolio, but holy moly some of the shots take my breath away, every time I look at them, no matter how much I look at them. And I think that reflects not only Elena's dedication to her craft but also her skill as a photographer that sets her apart from others in the field. She is really really excellent at this and it shows. I will cherish these pictures forever. I cannot thank Elena enough for capturing our day perfectly.

So incredibly happy with our session and the photos Naomi took of our family. I had been wanting…read moreprofessional photos for our family and my dream came true. Her pricing is fair and she is efficient and super professional. The turnaround time was fast too! Definitely recommend to everyone looking to get photos done. Also I felt totally safe. Naomi was social distant, wore a mask and was super respectful of my family and their health. And for that I am especially grateful.

f you want wedding photos that are barely average, want terrible customer service and want to pay…read morean exorbitant fee then this is the photograph for you. However, if you don't then run, don't walk away from her. We hired this woman for my son's wedding, which had to be postponed due to Covid. She was the only vendor who raised her prices (considerably) when we had to rebook for the next year. Everyone else we worked with was understanding and accommodating. She never sent a copy of the photos to the parents of the couple (who paid her very large fee). She sent the photos only to the bride and groom who didn't realize no one else had copies. When we finally saw the photos FOUR MONTHS after the wedding we were stunned at how mediocre they were. Pictures were taken from too far away, many were poorly cropped, many were overexposed. Many of the candids had people with strange and awkward facial expressions, clothing not hanging properly--they were terrible. We were charged another large fee to make changes to the book the bride and groom ordered so we could include more of our family and friends. Trying to work with Naomi on this was very difficult, she was unresponsive to emails and when she finally got back to us to set up a phone call she never called because she forgot there was a time difference between Chicago and California. Really. It is not 11 months past the wedding and we have finally received our album. No thought was put into the book creatively in terms of layout and cropping and there was no follow up from her. For what we paid we expected a lot more in terms of quality and service. Our other child is getting married this summer and we are using a different photographer.

I cannot say enough amazing things about this experience. I'm generally rather shy & modest, but I…read morebooked this boudoir shoot as a gift for my fiancé. Turns out, it was an absolute gift to ME (also blew his mind). I left feeling more beautiful & empowered than ever, & that was BEFORE I saw the pictures. Cara is not only an exceptionally talented artist, but an exceptional person & brought out a side of self love in me I didn't know existed. Then, I got the pictures. Shy me turned into a supermodel (minimal retouching needed) Seriously, I could not believe it was me. I cherish the photos, & I went back two more times for pregnancy shoots which were just as amazing as the boudoir. Book this experience, whether introvert/extrovert, single, dating, engaged, pregnant, no matter your age, it is worth every single penny & more.

If you are even 1% considering doing this for yourself, for the love of god DO IT!!!! This is…read moregenuinely one of my favorite things I've ever done for myself. I had the most incredible experience with Cara and Melissa, and I feel like the photos (which are amazing, not shy about tooting my own horn here) ended up just being the cherry on top, which is wild. Can you relate to the following? 1. You've thought about doing this before, but wanted to wait until you got fitter, hair was longer, blah blah blah - NO, STOP IT. I know you've looked back to photos of yourself and thought "damn, why was I so critical? I looked great!" LEARN YOUR LESSON! You look great now, too. Book ittttttt 2. You've gotten professional photos done before, and didn't totally love how they turned out. ME TOO. This includes professional headshots, engagement photos, wedding photos, my passport photo (ha). I would see them and think okay those are nice, a like a few, but somehow they felt like they didn't really capture how I see myself. CARA SPECIFICALLY, not just any photographer, will capture YOU how you see yourself. It's the absolute beeeeeest. Which leads to point 3: 3. Have you ever seen yourself in the mirror and are like "hell yeah, nice!" and then you see yourself in a photo the same day and you're like "what the hell....is my mind warped?!" And then you have to ask your friends/sister "yo do I look like that?" And they say no definitely not? Yeah I don't get it either. It's weird (and the cameras fault- not yours) - and it won't happen with Cara. You'll look bomb and your photos will show you looking bomb. Here's the thing, the whole photoshoot experience was so much fun, and in the top 10 times I've felt the most amazing about myself. Cara and her team care about you and will take care of you. You are so beautiful, you deserve this experience, the outcome is going to be worth the money by miles. I was worried that I wouldn't like my pictures and as soon as I opened the file to choose the ones to keep, I felt so relieved. I am so glad I found this studio and photographer. Book it book it book it. And book it here, with Cara.

Long overdue post for the best florist and wedding coordinator team! There isn't enough things We…read morecan say about Carla and her team. If you are debating this company, choose them and you will not be disappointed. What you will experience is ease, relief, reassurance, support, attention to detail, great ideas for overall wedding design and flowers/decor, etc. Carla also has the hookup with many other vendors and friends in the industry as well. She will think of things that you haven't and show you that all your bases are covered. She is always available by phone, email, text to go through any idea you have no matter how small you think it may be. She worked with us during the pandemic and postponing our wedding date 3x! She was a true Angel and I will miss her so much! It felt like she became a part of our family. Additionally, all of our bridal party, friends, parents raved about how thorough and accommodating (not to mention friendly and professional) on our wedding day. She is my #1 recommendation for all things wedding/event planning/coordinating and floral design! She will make any of your dreams or visions come to life in to time. Truly the dream team!! Thank you so much, we couldn't have possibly done it without you.

Wow - there aren't enough great things that I can say about Carla, Miriam, and the rest of the team…read moreat Elena's Garden. There was never a moment that I felt that Carla didn't have things under control before and during our big day. She and her team kept everybody on time and helped my wife and I with coordination and planning so that we had ZERO worries for our wedding. This isn't even mentioning the LOVELY attention to detail that Carla and her team put into floral decorations. We had a jaw-dropping backdrop, bouquets, and decorations for our big day. I can't get over how beautiful everything was. You honestly can't go wrong here - Elena's Garden was one of the best choices we made, and they will go the extra mile to make your wedding the best day of your life.

Lindsey of Lili Marie Parties is FANTASTIC! I live in San Diego, and planned a joint baby shower…read morefor a large party of family and friends at the Herbarium in Chicago. Lindsey was so creative and easy to work with. Her prices were the best. We came up with ideas for decorating the venue, table arrangements, and ideas for a kids activity table. She took care of the setup and takedown, and made everything look even better than we could have imagined. I would hire her for any party, and only wish she worked in San Diego! Thank you so much Lindsey- you're the BEST :)

Had a big party for my daughters 5th birthday 3 weeks ago and needless to say it was a huge day for…read moreher and our family as well. Lil Marie's did a fantastic job making my daughters big day even better, Becka did a great job with everyone even the adults! There were tons of designs for the kids to choose from and I myself choose a Wolverine design that was very well done. Could've worn that design with pride at a Bears game WOW! Anyone looking for face painting for parties or for the tons of other things they have to offer I definitely suggest lil Marie's, design's were fantastic and our artist was very nice and professional thank you for making my little girls big day one she'll never forget you guys are the best.

I looked at so many photographers for my wedding, and when I looked at Aneta's website I instantly…read moreknew that she was going to be the perfect photographer! After our first phone conversation I fell in love with her personality and passion for her art. She is truly an amazing person and photographer. She sees things with such a pure light that truly shines through her photos. I tend to be very shy when being photographed and she was extremely patient and put me at ease. I did not feel like I hired a photographer, I felt like she as a friend. Not only did we get an engagement photo shoot, but she also met all of us girls at the salon the morning of the wedding and was with us throughout the day and into the night. If you are looking for a photographer look no further, Aneta is amazing, and you will be more than happy with her work!

Our wedding was September, 2015. I am a horrible bride :( My…read morefuture husband and I met for the first time at a photography exhibit that we had each been interested to see. That mutual love of raw beauty in everyday life carried over to our search for a wedding photographer. We didn't want to spend alot of time posing for "perfect photos" - we just wanted to be and have fun, to focus on our party. When we found Aneta, we mainly reached out to let her know we loved her work and style - we didn't dream we'd actually get to work with her! I appreciated that she wanted to meet and make sure we all had the same things in mind and that we worked well together. She was considerate to our budget and time constraints, while holding fast to the integrity of her art. She really values and pays attention to the story and her work reflects that. The day of the wedding you barely knew she was there, which I loved. I didn't want people to feel a photographer hovering and feeling self-conscious. Our party was rather chaotic and I feel she handled it wonderfully, capturing the craziness as well as the lovely-ness. We had a great time during our bride and groom photos - you could tell she had a good time too! She made everyone look fabulous without any effort. The whole day was such a blur - I'm so glad she was there to document it for all time.

Photography was one of our top three priorities when planning our wedding and Erin was the first…read morevendor we booked after our venue. From our first meeting with Erin, she put us at complete ease, which was amazing since we'd be spending 10 hours with her on our wedding day!! We were looking for someone who could capture the natural emotions of the day, including our personalities. Our package included an engagement session, which was SUCH a great experience. Being in front of a camera doesn't always come easy and having this session was perfect to get to know Erin and to loosen up before the big day. Plus we got a little preview of how INCREDIBLE she makes us look :) The day of our wedding, Erin and her assistant arrived and got to work!! It was perfect. She is excellent at directing positioning for the best light. She made sure to get all the photos on our list and she even made sure everyone in our family looked their best in the photos. We've only gotten our sneak peek and they. are. stunning. I cannot WAIT to see all the photos and the album!!

We were very fortunate to have our wedding shot by Erin Hoyt. She's an absolutely fantastic…read morephotographer who is gifted with the camera and with people. Erin knew some off-the-beat places around Chicago so we were able to get the unique and personalized look we wanted. She was also super easy to work with throughout the planning and execution of our day-- especially with the ever-crazy family photos after our ceremony. My wife and I couldn't have been happier with how our photos turned out and we would absolutely use Erin again if we needed a photographer for other special times in our life!

REALLY glad we hired paola and vivid photo + video for our may 2018 chicago wedding! i was…read moresearching for a company that could do photo + video both, at a reasonable price, and they popped up in my search. thank goodness they did! i met paola for coffee back in the beginning to learn more about them, and left with a really good feeling. after hiring her + her team, as it got closer to the wedding, she wanted to do a walk through of our venue with us since it was a new one for her - we appreciated this a ton, and felt even more comfortable knowing they would take care of capturing our day. (they also worked really well with the many other vendors we used the day of) i had a bunch of creative ideas on my own for photos and/or video that i wanted to accomplish, and she was incredibly open to all and had some great additional ideas. our wedding included a first look at an old fire station, ivy walls, shots downtown on the bridge, a (warm) rooftop ceremony, and then food trucks for dinner + a glass blowing demo for our guests. they managed to capture so much of our day in photos/video/or both.our photos are vibrant and colorful and candid, just as we wanted. and we'll be watching our highlight reel over and over with friends & family, while our full feature footage will be reflected on at least every year to relive the whole day. hire vivid photo + video - we feel like we got incredibly lucky finding them for our wedding!

It is my absolute pleasure to recommend Paola and her team at Vivid Photo and Video for any wedding…read moreor event! My husband and I worked with Paola and her team to provide photography and videography for our wedding during August 2017. Paola was kind & flexible from the start, meeting us at a coffee shop in our neighborhood for an initial consultation. Upon meeting, we instantly felt at ease. She took time to learn about us as a couple and to our delight, worked with us to customize a package of photographers and videographers to fit our needs and budget. After seeing Paola's work, we were thrilled to learn that she would be our primary photographer for our wedding. We found this to be a fabulous perk of working with a smaller boutique studio. Paola and her team did an excellent job on the day of our wedding. They were all friendly and made our wedding party feel very comfortable. They did an amazing job capturing the important moments without being noticeable or "in the way." Paola has a way about her that could put the most anxious bride at ease! She was always one step ahead with her quick thinking, suggesting creative and fun poses, as well as beautiful locations for our "first look" and group shots before the wedding. Several members of our wedding party, friends, and family mentioned how much they liked Paola and the energy that she brought to our event. We were also impressed to see her positive & creative energy last all day and night! Last but certainly not least, Paola and her team take beautiful photos and create lovely videos. They do an excellent job of using light and focus to highlight important details within different shots. They also pieced together our highlight video in a meaningful way that told a story about our relationship and brought together different elements of our special day. It was evident that Paola understood who we were as a couple and captured our day perfectly. As we watched our highlight video it almost felt as if she had read my mind! Every beautiful detail of our story can be told, remembered, and cherished for the rest of our lives. We have Paola and her team to thank for that.