For us, photography was one of the most important parts of our wedding. Photography is what lasts forever. (Besides the marriage of course, but you'll have to find your own person there!) It preserves and shapes your memories of the day. Heather is an absolutely wonderful photographer; you only have to look at her work to see that. I feel like I gave my guests a present by letting them have inexpensive access to fantastic professional pictures of themselves. She makes people look great! She also had Ron as her 2nd photographer, he made sure to get the "extra" different perspective shots and he did a great job being unobtrusive, yet being there for the small and big moments. Heather and Ron would both run over to wherever was needed to get the shot. I like how someone called them ninja's, very appropriate. Heather is expensive. In fact, she is the second most expensive part of our wedding following the renting of the site/food. This was tough for us, because every other decision we made was firmly based in price including using an off-day and time and keeping a small guest list (which is very difficult). However, as I said photography is high on our list and I don't regret hiring her at all. We knew right away she was the one. We also own the rights to our pictures so we (and our friends/family) can print any picture we want anywhere. (She also uploads them to a quality site for people to order from.) She includes an engagement shoot so you can get to know her and get used to the camera. We did it even though we were short on time and I'm glad: more great pictures and a trial run. The wedding pictures turned out wonderfully and we have lots of them. All the important moments, plus the small fun moments which are the best for me. Two small problems are that one of my straps was down for all of my photographs of me by myself, which really bugs me, plus when we did a shot I really wanted of the bridal party popping out from behind trees, there is not one shot where everyone can be seen. There were only 2 guys and 2 girls, so it should have been fairly easy to say, "I can't see 1 of the girls, come out farther." But, Heather is not assertive in fixing what is in front of the camera like that, she takes the best shot she sees. That being said those are pretty small disappointments considering the fantastic shots we got of everything else. It might be a good idea to have a friend (not in many pictures) be a spotter looking for details like that and bringing them up on the spot. Heather has also been great about further questions we've had about photography and has been quick to respond whenever we've had questions or asked her advice. She is great to work with and I'm glad we chose her. I've had several people ask me about her wanting to use her for their own or a child's wedding in the future and I whole-heartedly recommend her. read more

We hired Heather to photograph our wedding this summer and I'm sad to say that this is the one area that I'm disappointed with. I spent hours before our wedding looking online at various photographers. I used multiple sources for reviews and most came back in favor of choosing her for our big day. Heather isn't cheap compared to what many others are charging and looking back I would have gone with one that was less expensive. There's no picture of us walking back up the aisle. No picture of our rings together (I took one the following morning). The picture of our ceremony program is of her holding it in front of her and snapping a pic. So, her fingers are in it. The picture of our invitation looks as though it was tossed on a chair...completely off center. I took another one of those myself recently. The picture of us cutting the cake looks like we're just standing behind it. There are very few photos of family and friends dancing and out dance floor was packed all night. No picture of our candy buffet. I guess the part that really irks me the most is that of the photos that we received (shy of 600) many look like duplicates (unless you give a second look). I found out from several of my friends that before our ceremony began Heather made an announcement to a number of our guests that during the processional and recessional they were to stay in their seats and out of her way. I found that funny until I never received a picture from her of us walking back up the aisle together. I was incredibly disappointed when I read on her Facebook page a complaint from her that a client who she had asked to write a yelp review had told her that they were too busy and she posted something along the lines of: how hard she had worked to get the pics to the client in advance of what the deadline was and the least they could do was to write the review. I don't think any client owes someone that they pay for a service to do a review. Do I think good or bad that it would be nice if the clients did write a review? Yes, of course but it's not necessary to post on facebook about how ungrateful the client was. I thought that was inappropriate. I do appreciate that Heather called and reminded us to back up our photos on a flash drive. I like Heather. Maybe she was having an off day and unfortunately it came on our big day. I think she's a sweet person but upset in the final outcome read more

We hired Heather to photograph our wedding this summer and I'm sad to say that this is the one area that I'm disappointed with. I spent hours before our wedding looking online at various photographers. I used multiple sources for reviews and most came back in favor of choosing her for our big day. Heather isn't cheap compared to what many others are charging and looking back I would have gone with one that was less expensive. There's no picture of us walking back up the aisle. No picture of our rings together (I took one the following morning). The picture of our ceremony program is of her holding it in front of her and snapping a pic. So, her fingers are in it. The picture of our invitation looks as though it was tossed on a chair...completely off center. I took another one of those myself recently. The picture of us cutting the cake looks like we're just standing behind it. There are very few photos of family and friends dancing and out dance floor was packed all night. No picture of our candy buffet. I guess the part that really irks me the most is that of the photos that we received (shy of 600) many look like duplicates (unless you give a second look). I found out from several of my friends that before our ceremony began Heather made an announcement to our guests that during the processional and recessional they were to stay in their seats and out of her way. I found that funny until I never received a picture from her of us walking back up the aisle together. I was incredibly disappointed when I read on her Facebook page a complaint that a client who she had asked to write a yelp review had told her that they were too busy and she posted something along the lines of: how hard she had worked to get the pics to the client in advance of what the deadline was and the least they could do was to write the review. I don't think any client owes someone that they pay for a service to do a review. Do I think good or bad that it would be nice if the clients did write a review? Yes, of course but it's not necessary to post on facebook about how ungrateful the client was. I thought that was inappropriate. She did take some nice pictures. There were some great ones of the bridal party and the venue. I like Heather. Maybe she was having an off day and unfortunately it came on our big day. I think she's a sweet person but upset in the final outcome. read more

My husband and I found Heather Parker after googling photos of Brooksby Farms Weddings which is where we wanted to get married. I found some unique and talented shots that immediately made me want to hire Heather. I called her and she returned my call quickly and we set up a date to discuss details. Heather was professional from beginning to end but never too "business like" that we didn't feel comfortable. She met us in April to shoot our engagement pictures in Boston. We were so pleased with those pictures; she made us both look like models. The photos were mailed to us within a couple weeks on a disk. Then came our wedding date. Heather arrived at the hotel where we all were getting ready. She was ontime and prepared. She had a way of getting these unbelievably unique shots without us even knowing that she was shooting. Our wedding photos came out amazing, better than we could have imagined. Heather was EVERYWHERE during the wedding yet I can honestly say that I didn't even notice she was there after the formal shots were out of the way. She found her way around the barn and got some of the greatest pictures without ever being "in the way" or even noticible for that matter. As we viewed our wedding photos we began to see that the candid shots of our friends and family were an actual display of their personality and that each shot told a story. These pictures speak to you and Heather Parker has a gift of being able to capture that personality without even knowing the person. I have just one piece of advise for those who choose Heather to photograph their wedding. She asks you to have specific people assigned as "photo captains" so that they can gather people for shots. She has no way of knowing who your best friend is or who your old roomate is and you may want some shots of you with those people. Listen to Heather and assign those captains so that you don't end up missing shots with those people. If you are looking for a photographer for your wedding, go with Heather! You will not be dissapointed. She is such a talented artist. The wedding was here and gone in a day and it felt like only a second so spend the money and hire Heather to capture the memories that you will have for a lifetime. You won't regret it! read more

If I had to choose adjectives to describe Heather and Heather's work, it go something like this: amazing, artistic, calm, creative, friendly, fun, helpful, kind, knowledgeable, punctual, prepared, professional, real, reasonable, respectful, skilled, thoughtful, and most of all, having the ability to think outside the box. I might also add, that the woman behind the lens is an absolute joy to work with. Meet with her in person and you'll see what I mean. Not only is her work phenomenal, but she is also phenomenal... down-to-earth, friendly, fun, personable and cool. She is a creative genius & professional through and through. We chose Heather to photograph our October 2009 wedding and couldn't have been more pleased with the results. The only minor criticism that I have to offer is with some of the formal shots taken at the church. Some people had very dark eyes or weren't standing so that their heads could be seen spaced out clearly. But, as with all formal shots, these take a lot of time to get done correctly and on the day of the wedding, you really don't have this time once the ceremony is over (unless you are torturing your guests). The photojournalistic type photographs however, were absolutely wonderful (which is why you shouldn't be concerned). If you work in the design profession, you become critical of all things done in an artistic vein, photography included. Spend several years of schooling & training in the fine and applied arts setting, and you'll understand, you really just can't help it. You come to have a greater appreciation for nice work and can distinguish between what looks just good or ok, and what looks truly amazing. So on the day of your wedding, you need someone with a careful, creative eye, ...and that person is Heather Parker. Don't go with an amateur photographer. You will regret it. When the day is all over, and you find yourself wondering what everything truly looked like while you were busy living it & enjoying it, rest assured,... Heather will capture all of the details you can cherish for years to come. I couldn't be more happy with the way it all turned out. The girl's got skills, mad skills. read more

What made working with this wedding photographer so amazing was that she took time with us from start to finish. I had a lot of questions about pictures, her artistic style, her backup plan, and how she goes about the schedule on the wedding day. Right off the bat, she dove in with enthusiasm, expressing creative ideas and awesome locations to shoot near our wedding venue. She also mentioned the unthinkable: rain locations and getting permits but I am thankful for that because I never would have guessed that was needed but it's better to be safe than sorry. My husband told her ahead of time that he had a surprise gift for me on the wedding day and she shot the whole event of me opening it while I had no idea about the secret. After our ceremony we went to the West Loop, a relatively unknown rooftop with skyline views, and to get an ice cream for our wedding photos. Having shots of our bridal party all with ice cream cones was a favorite with all of our friends and family. We didn't want the typical places all the brides and grooms go and Heather came up with some great locations. Even with all the running around on the wedding day and dealing with requests from my parents and mother in law, she managed to get all of our important shots throughout the day. She surprised us with so many shots of laughter and our closest friends and family having the best time of their lives. After the wedding when all the photos were retouched, they were put on a website for everyone to see. This was especially great since my husband's grandfather wasn't able to make it to Chicago for the wedding. We are currently working on our wedding album with Heather. The most challenging part is having to limit the number of photos that go in it, because there are so many that are gorgeous. I will try to post an update when we get it. read more

Our wedding was so far the most memorable day in our lives and my wife and I looked long and hard for a photographer who we knew could capture the details of our special day. We knew when we found Heather's website and saw her work, we knew she was the one for us. When we found out Heather still had the date available, we were thrilled. A few weeks before our big day, Heather scheduled a phone call to talk about any ideas, scheduling notes, or concerns we had about our upcoming wedding to make sure everything was seamless. She asked what we wanted out of our wedding photos and truly listened to what was important to us. On our wedding day, Heather arrived right on time and began taking pictures of us all getting ready. She carried on the rest of the day virtually unnoticed. Based on the work we'd seen of Heather's, we were very excited to receive our proofs and see how Heather captured the uniqueness of our special day. We couldn't have been more thrilled. She blew our expectations clear out of the water with her attention to detail and ability to capture all the big moments of the day with creativity and professionalism. The images were gorgeous and really told the entire story of the day perfectly. We chose some photos for retouching as requested, and Heather made some great edits to them, while still looking natural. We received many compliments from our wedding guests in regards to the professionalism and quality of work of our photographer. We could not be happier with the wedding photographs that we received and we will continue to recommend Heather Parker to our family and friends! We wouldn't have changed a thing. Thanks Heather! read more

When we selected Heather to be our wedding photographer, my fiance and I wanted someone who was talented, artistic, easy to get along with, and someone who had an eye for detail. We have found all of these qualities in Heather! Our first meeting with Heather was great. We met her at her house and saw a dvd of her wedding photography. After the meeting my fiance and I knew that we had to ask her to be our photographer! In October we met Heather at Olive Park near Navy Pier for our engagement photo session. It was early in the morning but Heather was really flexible and agreed to meet us there to get some good sunny shots! We even brought our dog, Gizmo for the photo shoot. We all had so much fun but you are never quite sure how the photos are going to come out until you see them! Well, Heather mailed us the CD of images a week ahead of time, which was above and beyond what we had hoped! And the photos were amazing! She took so many photos and there were over 50 images that we loved! We showed them to friends and family and everyone was in awe with the pictures. It is always hard to please your parents, and I have to say that my mom is one of the harshest critics but she was so impressed with the pictures that she can't wait to have Heather snap photos at the wedding! After getting so many great photos, the only hard part was picking our favorite for the save the date. We can't wait for the wedding pictures, thanks Heather! read more

My husband and I used Heather Parker for our destination wedding held two years ago and she was INCREDIBLE. As a person, she is amazingly easy to have around-- she is kind, patient, empathetic, and supportive-- everything that you might want when you are stressed out and trying to plan a wedding and make sure that it goes smoothly. During the ceremony, she was amazing at taking very close up pictures without seeming to be overly present and she also moved around alot and took a wide range of very interesting photos-- photos that perhaps you might not think you would want but later when you look at them, you realize how special they are. Heather had amazing ideas for family portraits and formally and informally posed shots before the ceremony and afterwards. She also had fabulous artsy ideas that she put out there and we chose to take her up on them and they worked beautifully-- very innovative landscape shots. And then, during our reception, she did a beautiful job getting both candid and posed shots. Because she is so pleasant, fun, and easy to work with, people actually LIKE having their pictures taken by her-- and that is definitely something to think about! Afterwards, she had everything developed and prepared super quickly and was really easy to coordinate with. Our moms were happy too! Make no mistake-- this is a serious, classy, and creative photographer-- and she is fun to work with! read more

I don't even know where to begin. My fiance spent hours researching photographers in Chicago, and I am so glad he found and hired Heather to shoot our proposal. Since my fiance and I are not from Chicago, Heather spent lots of time working with him to find the perfect spot to propose. Through many phone calls and emails, Heather and my fiance planned a beautiful, seamless proposal plan. I was so completely shocked when my fiance proposed and Heather was so discrete! Now let's talk about the photos!!! This was by far one of the best investments my fiance has made for us. Heather captured the entire proposal process, getting the absolute best angles and shots of the skyline, and did not miss a single detail. She even spent time after the proposal to capture some intimate shots in a nearby park. After all the excitement was over and we parted ways, Heather went to work to provide us a beautiful, fully edited photo to share the news with family, friends, social media, etc! The rest of the photos turned out just as beautiful as the first and were delivered within weeks of the proposal. We loved them so much that we decided to forego the traditional "engagement photo session" and even used one of Heather's shots for our save the dates! We will cherish these beautiful pictures forever. Thank you so so much for your professionalism and talent, Heather! read more

When I started planning our wedding, I was addicted to websites and reading other vendor reviews. Heather's name was one of the most popular ones listed. I looked at her work online and knew I wanted her to photograph our wedding but I wasn't sure we could afford her. Well I'm glad I checked because she was very reasonable since we are getting married in the off-season. The minute my fiance met her and saw her work, he was impressed. She absolutely knows her stuff and has taken gorgeous photos without flashbulbs interrupting the moment! We had our engagement shoot with her at the end of April in downtown Chicago when all of the tulips were in full bloom. I definitely see what people mean when they call her a ninja photographer! She was bending her body any way she could just to get the best angle. We were extremely nervous at first but Heather did a great job of making us laugh and relax. I was even more blown away when Heather sent me a couple of photos THAT NIGHT! I was ecstatic and shocked to see such a quick turnaround. I received the CD that next week! The photos turned out wonderfully and we're trying to incorporate as many of them in our wedding as we can. We're extremely excited to see how she will photograph our wedding and would highly highly recommend her to anyone! read more

After sifting through many photographers and photography "companies," from everything from the budget student photographer to the higher-end luxury photo studio, we found Heather Parker Photography was exactly what we were looking for. Every photographer should document your wedding and be able to shoot photojournalistic and candid but we wanted something more. We wanted really bold, vibrant images that spoke to us and accurately told the story of our day. Her prices were fair. On the actual day, Ms. Parker arrived early with an assistant. The assistant actually took photos too and wasn't just carrying around flashes. In the end we got so many photos I believe because of this. She gave us the disc of photos in color but also was able to make them black & white for us so we got a set of both. She was very accommodating. She worked within our comfort zone and got us some really creative, vibrant shots. They look like something out of a magazine. Out of all our vendors I'd say Heather Parker Photography and our florist were our top ones that got the most compliments. read more

Heather Parker is wonderful and we would recommend her to anyone without hesitation! She took our engagement and wedding photos. We took photos throughout Chicago and our wedding was at the Garfield Park Conservatory. She had shot in the venue before and was able to make helpful suggestions about where to stage shots and how to work with the lighting in the Conservatory. She was an excellent blend of making helpful suggestions while allowing us to pick the shots that we wanted. During the wedding she maintained a very low profile but got us all the photos of us, family and friends that we asked her to get. She also has an excellent combination of professionalism and laid back attitude that really helped put us at us ease on the big day! We ended up with a great selection of the standard shots (wedding party, etc.) and a lot of cool, creative shots that created another facet to the wedding shots.The only problem we had with her was that we ended up with too many good shots for us to easily figure out what to stick in our photobooks and frame! read more

long overdue post wedding update : our wedding was in august... and we are in love with the photos. heather gave awesome suggestions on where to go around the city for the best & most unique shots... places i would never thought of ... including the old "life's too short" restaurant (elston & division), which i literally drive past every day to work. our photos from traveling around the city with our bridal party are some of my favorites from the big day. but that doesn't mean that the actual wedding ceremony / reception photos aren't also incredible. the candids are fantastic. and i feel like each picture shows the real emotions being felt by us, our families & friends that night. we didn't use a videographer, so we knew that an amazing photographer would make or break the wedding memories... heather certainly did not let us down! she's definitely a go-to gallery 1028 photographer ... and we loved every minute while working with her. if you want beautiful, photo-journalistic style photography for your wedding... heather is your girl. read more

Heather Parker is truly a professional. I hired her solely on gut--as I matter of fact I hired all of my wedding vendors that way. We really did hit the jackpot with Heather. Of course I knew I wanted her photojournalistic style, but beyond that she seemed so..responsible, I guess would be the way to put it! I knew that she took her profession very, very seriously and was a professional. Therefore I knew I would be getting quality and excellent service, which every bride knows is a big added bonus. Heather must work about a bazillion hours a day because she is also quick to respond, she is thorough with information, she is conversational, polite, knowledgeable, and more importantly; our photos are stunning. We got what we wanted which were very few posed, boring photos. The shots really show us in action and highlight the beauty of both the church and reception as well as the fun of the trolley ride around town! I am happy for Heather's success over the past year and I wish her continued success. read more

Heather was a fantastic photographer from beginning to end, and we love the photos we got of our wedding. Before the wedding, she helps couples sort out the schedule for their big day, and gives great directions on when to take certain shots. Her experience in doing many weddings is invaluable in knowing what works and what doesn't. We have received many compliments on the photos we received. When they arrived a couple weeks after the wedding, we sat and watched them as a slideshow for 2 hours - it was like watching a stunning video of our entire day. The images are crisp and beautifully saturated with color and life. Heather is amazing at capturing the mood, energy and feeling of your wedding day. My dad commented on the fact that throughout the wedding, you never knew that Heather was there, but she got such great shots she was clearly everywhere she needed to be. Overall, we highly recommend Heather if stunning photos are a priority for your wedding. read more

If I did one thing right on my wedding day, besides marry my husband, it was booking Heather as my wedding photographer. I looked high and low for the beautiful photo's that are creative and truly capture the feelings of the wedding and our personalities and that is exactly what Heather's talent is able to do. When a little teaser went up I had family and lots of friends who weren't even at the wedding telling me how incredible my wedding photos are. Heather is also extremely easy to work with. She was very personable with us and then she was the best kind of photographer you didn't even know she was there, so looking at my photos I am in shock at how amazing they are because she was so subtle taking her photos that I couldn't believe the fantastic shots she got. This is the best type of photographer because they aren't in anyone's way. She is very professional and I can't wait to have her capture more events in our future! read more

When Heather and I were discussing the final time line for my wedding I had very few things scheduled and not too many "must have" photos to tell her about. And so she asked me - so what do you want me to take pictures of? I'm not sure I answered her question but when I first looked at our photos I realized that she had managed to capture exactly what I had wanted. We had a smaller wedding so every guest was someone important to us. Heather and her assistant, Rob, was able to capture so many fantastic candid photos of our loved ones. It's like we now have portraits of all the special people in our lives! She managed to get some gorgeous shots under some challenging lighting conditions and she put a lot of time above and beyond our contract into adjusting the contrast of those photos. I feel really fortunate to have found Heather! She's talented, dedicated, professional and easy to communicate with! read more

I found Heather's web portfolio after doing some research, and then met a girl at a callback who had her shots done by her. I really liked what Heather had done for her. I went in, and Heather was very congenial and conversational which put me at immediate ease. She worked with me, showing me the shots taken several times throughout the shoot, so I had a good understanding of what I was getting. I received the digital proofs the next day, and was so happy with what I received. They actually looked like me which is all I've ever wanted a headshot to do. After 18 years in the business and getting headshots done, this is the happiest I can honestly say I have been with the finished product. It didn't even take a week for her to finish retouching them. I've already recommended her to others in the business that I know. Next time I need new shots I will find Heather again. read more