We hired Bethany and her team to do both engagement and wedding photos for our December 2018 wedding. From the start Bethany's kind spirit made me feel so comfortable. She was very responsive and easy to work with. The photos she creates are absolutely beautiful, full of life and happiness. She really has a talent for capturing the emotions of the moment. I definitely recommend Maypole Studios for any event or photo session! read more

Bethany is the best!!! 2 years in a row we've gotten our family pictures taken with her and we couldn't be happier. She had some amazing locations to choose from and was SO great working with my crazy toddler and getting her to smile and be engaged. Highly recommend!!! read more

Bethany and Maypole were the best decision we made when planning our April wedding. Through our interview process we were so impressed with everything about her and her work. She made the planning so easy and stress free. When it came to the wedding day she and her assistant were exactly what you want in a photography team. And needless to say the pictures were awesome!!! We are so happy with how they turned out from the color, to the composition, to the amazing way they made me look awesome in every shot. We will be using Bethany and Maypole for all of our photography needs in the future! read more

We just had our wedding on June, 17th and haven't even received the final photos yet but couldn't wait to share how great Bethany from Maypole Studios is! You could easily pay twice as much for a photographer in Chicago with a quarter of the talent Bethany has. We had our engagement session in October and were thrilled with the photos Bethany took. We were a little nervous to pose and were worried we would have unnatural/standard engagement photos but Bethany did an amazing job capturing us and our personalities! Our photos were so beautiful...we plastered them all over our website and save the dates. Bethany went above and beyond in every way. She was in constant contact before our wedding, went to our pre-wedding walkthrough, hired an excellent and fun assistant to capture the groom and groomsmen bowling before the ceremony and styled our photo-booth for the wedding which was a huge hit...there was a line the whole night. She also recommended Carley Martin for make-up who made us all look flawless. I'm sad our wedding is over mostly because we won't be spending time with awesome people like Bethany. read more

As some other reviewers have said, stop reading now, book Bethany for your wedding, and then continue with everything else. I don't even know where to begin in describing how absolutely phenomenal Bethany is. Seriously. When looking for a wedding photographer, I emailed what felt like a million and interviewed many. As a crazy type A person, I wanted to make sure that I did my research. My husband hates taking pictures, and so his only request was that our photographer was "someone normal." The second we met Bethany, we knew she was the one. We sat for hours chatting and having coffee, and my normally silent husband (then fiancee) actually talked! We both immediately felt comfortable and at-ease, and honestly, that is one of the most important things you can have in a photographer. Bethany went above and beyond to schedule our engagement sessions and seamlessly worked with us through crazy weather snafus. Right before the wedding, we realized the weather wasn't going to hold up for outdoor pictures, and Bethany was immediately there to the rescue with ideas. She was always there, always responsive, and honestly became a good friend throughout the process. But even above and beyond the fact that she is seriously the nicest person in the world, her photography is AMAZING. While we haven't gotten the wedding pics yet, she was able to capture our relationship perfectly through our engagement pictures. She was able to draw out my shy, introverted, picture-hating husband and capture his loving demeanor. She caught the moments that you wish someone could capture, and I will cherish our pictures forever. The day of the wedding, she had a second photographer who went over to take pictures of the boys getting ready at our apartment, and they all loved him too. He was down to earth and relatable and it didn't feel like you had a stranger there to just take pictures. I honestly can't say enough good things about Bethany. Originally, we were thinking of spending less on photography, and I am THRILLED that we decided to branch out. Our wedding would not have been the same without her, and all of our guests agree. She is seriously a gift to the wedding industry. read more

My daughter's wedding pictures were incredible! Bethany clearly loves what she does and it comes through in every picture she takes. She is so good at catching a moment, a feeling, a laugh, a look.......! Both biographical and choreographed pictures were amazing. She captured personalities, emotions and such genuine joy. Bethany is so fun and amiable. Her personality made even the most camera shy guests feel comfortable. It was a long day and Bethany was a pleasure to have around from the beginning to end. read more

Bethany has shot both of our son's 1st birthday/cake smash pics. She kicks ass! Very professional, great demeanor, quality pics. Will use her again if we hatch a 3rd one! read more

Bethany did an AMAZING job taking our wedding photos this August. She ran all over town with us on a hot summer day and her second photographer, John was also awesome. We felt completely at ease with Bethany from the moment we met her, and the photos were a very important aspect of the wedding for me. Like other reviews have said, stop looking. Go with Maypole Studios! As my mother said in a phone call after seeing the pictures from the wedding, "Wow, I just can't believe how great your photographer was!!!" read more

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I met with a couple photographers but knew when I first met Bethany that she was the one! She was easy to talk to and made me feel instantly at ease. I loved that an engagement session was included in her package too. It really helped us feel at ease with her and we had so much fun doing it. She really has an eye for fun spots that give the pictures a little bit of an edge. We met a couple times before the wedding to discuss possible shoot locations as well as timeline. Day of Bethany and Jon, her second shooter, were awesome. They arrived on time and were completely professional all day. Our day was flew by and Bethany and Jon got all the shots we wanted and more. We received our pictures back about 3 months after our wedding and have over 1100! They are beautiful and can't thank Bethany enough for capturing the essence of our perfect day. read more

Bethany was amazing! She captured my surprise proposal to Mary and then helped capture our surprise party after. She is super easy to work with and responsive via phone/email. She clearly has been doing this for a long time, as she was incredibly knowledgeable about great locations in Chicago and the best way to secretly capture our moment. I would highly recommend her to anybody! read more

Hire Bethany and don't look back. She is an extremely talented photographer and a pleasure to work with. Especially during these uncertain times, she continuously worked with our updated wedding plans and always maintained a positive attitude. Can't thank her enough for making our wedding day so memorable. read more

I had the good fortune to work with Bethany at a wedding this weekend, and she was absolutely amazing. Not only am I certain the photos are going to be beautiful and creative, but, as the wedding coordinator for the event, she made my job incredibly easy. She was able to roll with the punches, adjusting her plans on the fly when we discovered we weren't able to shoot at one of the locations we wanted. This was a wedding that could have easily turned into a three ring circus, and she stayed cool and in control at all times. Her posed photos in the church moved quickly, despite having to arrange a very large family in each shot. She and her assistant Julie were everywhere at the reception, whether it was getting up on a ladder to take a massive group photo, or diving into the middle of the action, getting photojournalistic shots on the dance floor. Most importantly, even though it was too hot to live outside, with 90% humidity (and not much cooler inside), she and Julie never complained and kept an upbeat energy that made everything extremely pleasant, even under less than ideal circumstances. I'd recommend her, hands-down, to any off-beat, unique bride looking for a creative photographer. read more

Engaged? Congrats! Excited? Duh. Overwhelmed? Probs. Do yourself a gigantic favor and book Bethany right NOW. Cross it off your list and high-five your fiancée. You have just made the second best decision of the wedding planning process - the first of course being that you decided to spend the rest of your life together :) Bethany is all of the things - incredibly professional, insanely talented and unbelieveably cool. She knows how to manage a crowd (ahem, family photos), has the inside scoop on all of Chicago's coolest spots, and gives wonderful advice for all things wedding related and more. She is genuinely in love with love and captures its truest, purest moments. Our engagement and wedding photos are so much more than pretty pictures; they are a time capsule of happiness, laughter and joy that we will treasure forever. We cannot thank her enough and have been looking for an excuse to simply hang out with her since the very first day we met! She has my absolute highest recommendation. read more

Maypole Studios - Marrying this guy was the best decision I ever made. Second best? Hiring Bethany to capture our happiest day. - Event Photography Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Let me start by saying if you don't hire Bethany for your wedding, you are missing out! She was everything we wanted and more from a photographer. When we first found Bethany, she was slightly above our budget for a photographer which is why we were worried about signing at first. I can say without a doubt, she was worth every penny. Now that the event is over and I can reflect on each aspect of our time with her (our engagement shoot, our meetings with her, the day of) I would have honestly payed anything for her. She truly was my favorite part of my wedding. Engagement Session: Before the session she asked each of us to make a list of 10 things we like to do as individuals and 10 things we like to do together. I loved that she did that because it gave her a chance to understand us as individuals, and also get a picture of what we enjoyed as a couple. That helped her choose the perfect locations for us to shoot. The day we spent with her was so fun! She made us feel so comfortable and relaxed in front of the camera. We were able to shoot at so many great places. Some more classic spots like Lake Michigan, and the Kinzie bridge, but also some unique spots like the patio at a New Leaf and under some rustic train tracks. She gave us the right amount of direction, but also let us just be free and us so she could capture the essence of who we were. The photos absolutely reflected that. We loved so many pictures. We thought maybe we would have 20 favorites, but we had almost 60 favorites! Wedding Day: It was so comforting having her there for every step. After doing the engagement session with her I felt like she knew us as individuals and as a couple so well that it felt so natural having her there the whole day. Obviously the wedding day can feel rushed with all the to do's, but she really made sure to capture all aspects of the day. From the bridal suite at 11:00am all the way through desert at the reception she never stopped moving. My favorite part is that when the bridesmaids and I were doing our shoot she gave each bridesmaid a moment with me for individual photos. Again with the day being so busy, it just gave each of us time to stop and really enjoy the moment. She was also so flexible with family photos. Obviously there are a lot of people and a lot of different personalities and I loved how she made sure everyone was happy, but also got through them so efficiently. My photos from the wedding aren't back yet, but I can say after getting our engagement photos I know we are going to be through the roof happy when we get our wedding photos back! I want to also add that her personality is just so lovable! She has the sweetest smile and laugh and being around her would make anyone feel good! After our engagement shoot I was trying to convince my husband that we were her favorite couple she's worked with. He patted me on the back, and let me think that :) Point being, she really made us feel special AND made us feel like she loved who we were as people. read more

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Bethany and her staff were so amazing and a blast,I can't wait to see the final photos from our wedding. They made the whole experience so much fun and memorable. Love Bethany and would recommend to every person I know. read more

Did you just get engaged? Planning your dream wedding? Perfect. You don't need to look any further for a photographer because Bethany is going to do them. If you don't have her booked yet, do yourself a favor and email her right now. Seriously, go email her. Maypole Studios and Bethany were recommended to me by a friend who is a wedding planner. I took her advice, scheduled a consultation with Bethany and I left there knowing that she was who I wanted capturing the moments throughout my wedding. She isn't going to make you do the same photos and poses your friend and her friend's friend posted on Facebook last week, she is going to be unique. Sure, you're going to have group shots and all that, but they're done so much better than anything I have seen before. Also, she's a badass. On my wedding day, we wanted to get photos up at Fullerton park near the lakefront, but the barricades were up blocking cars from going in. So, she hopped out of the trolley, took off the chains and opened the gates for us to get through. We snapped a few photos there then headed out to stand on the Lasalle Street bridge (literally on top of the red sides of the bridge) before stopping traffic in the loop for more photos. BAD. ASS. I personally believe her packages are very reasonable too. She included an engagement shoot and gives you copies of every single photo. You will have a flash drive with all of your wedding photos on it, a link to all of your engagement photos and absolutely no pressure to order an album at all. In fact, she tells you during your consultation that she is not there to make you buy this album or that one, but that she will reach out to you if she's ever running specials on them and if we want to print one then, we can! Totally easy and I'll probably do that at some point. But with all the costs associated with a wedding, it is a breath of fresh air knowing you don't HAVE to add an album on top of everything else right then. All in all, she is personable and easy to work with. She's laid back, makes your day stress-free and is a fantastic photographer. If and when we decide to have kids, or maybe just add some more dogs, I'll be going back to her for family photos and shoots like that. Loved working with her and her team. They are great and I cannot say enough about them, so just go book her now. read more

My wedding planner presented about 10 photographers' websites and portfolios to me. I chose 3 favorites to meet with. Bethany's work really stood out from all the rest to me - hers was the only portfolio that made me say "oooh!" and I felt like we really clicked when we first met. Little did I know that she would be so much fun to work with, as well! She is such a friendly, cheerful person to be around, which really helps when it's just you, your partner, and her, posing in possibly strange places or attire (I can't imagine too many people would be comfortable doing that right off the bat). A bit awkward at first, my *now husband* and I quickly became comfortable working with her. She provided direction for us ("now lean your foreheads together..now hold hands and walk that way...") and not look awkward :) My husband and I are rather quiet people, so her direction really helped. We started out with an engagement session at a location of my choosing - the fields of Fermilab! She met us out there and we spent a few hours wandering and taking photos. I wasn't sure if we were really acting the way we should, or if we would just look awkward and posed in all of the photos. When Bethany finished editing the photos and sent them back to me, I was absolutely floored. There were so many and they were all just completely gorgeous. I don't know how she managed to capture so many great shots in that session! She shared the photos with me via dropbox so they were instantly on my computer, which was nice. On the day of my wedding, she arrived with her assistant (second photographer) to take some shots while we were getting ready. We then did a "first look" session in the courtyard of the hotel, followed by shots with the bridal party in a nearby park that she found ahead of time. Then was a session at the venue with our family, and finally the ceremony and reception. I absolutely cannot wait to see what she captured through all of this! In conclusion, Bethany is probably my favorite person I've ever paid for a service (tied with my wedding planner!) I usually have pretty bad luck with vendors, contractors, and the like. I am absolutely 110% satisfied with my experience with Bethany and would highly recommend anyone looking for an absolutely amazing photographer to contact her :) read more

Maypole Studios - Thank you so much Bethany! - Event Photography Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I must say I was a bit terrified when it came to choosing a wedding photographer since that is the one thing that most of my already-married friends complained about after their weddings.....nothing like dropping a few grand and being disappointed with the results. But that was not the case with Bethany, she came recommended to me from a friend who happens to be a wedding planner, and I must say I was nothing short of thrilled with the results. We were looking for a photographer who would shoot our wedding with a more editorial style (as opposed to the cheesy and posey-posey) and once we saw Bethany's portfolio we knew she was it. My husband (the cheapskate) and I both agree that she was worth every penny and should probably charge more. She was there for us before, during, and after the big day and the day of she didn't miss a beat. She is also very polite and pleasant to work with and did a thorough job of editing all 1,000+ of our photos. If you are looking for a photographer who is creative, original, highly skilled, artistic, and thorough it is worth your time to at least meet with Bethany and check out her work. By the way, both of my parents have master's degrees from SAIC in photography, so I believe I have some handle on what good photography is. read more

This review is LONG overdue. Please know that I could go on and on about how wonderful Bethany is, but I will keep this short and sweet. The photographs became my absolute favorite thing about my May 2012 wedding thanks to Bethany. She was so fun and easy to work with and really went above and beyond during the entire process. The morning of my wedding, I was frazzled, as (I assume?) most brides tend to be. However, once Bethany arrived, she helped calm me down and gently guided me through the morning. I have received countless compliments on the photos and looking at them reminds me just how special the day was. PLEASE do yourself a favor and choose Bethany!!! read more

Bethany is hands-down the best. A true gem and wonderful person to work with!! We couldn't have imagined a better experience with any photographer: she's charming and laid back but also highly polished and professional and steps up to give clear, helpful directions when needed. We felt so calm and comfortable around her immediately, which is key for your wedding day when all the nerves are at their peak. Our family and friends all said the same thing and were blown away by the level of professionalism and positive energy she exuded. Bethany made it very clear that she wanted our personalities and intricacies to be reflected in the photos, and she communicated with us very openly and regularly in the months leading up to the big day. Her passion shines through and there's no doubt in her desire to fulfill each wedding's unique vision. Bethany's photography skills are the biggest bonus of all. She has an eye for capturing striking, exquisite moments that are true to the vibe of the day. We had so much fun being in her presence and were honored to have her documenting our wedding. read more

Bethany was great! She was flexible with time and really cares about the quality of her work. We couldn't have been more happy with how our wedding photos came out. Thanks Bethany! read more

bethany is awesome. we hired her for our wedding last september, 2009. of all the people we had interviewed for the job, she was the one who had her act together, completely. she was prompt with her email responses - a pleasure to work with! the photos turned out wonderful. we did have to wait a while for them to come back (about 3 months), but it was worth it. while we waited she sent us a video/photo montage - we had her do an impromptu "photo booth" which turned out awesome! it was last minute, and she was more than happy to do it. again, so great to work with. she also was very patient with us. all we wanted to do was be out on the dance floor, and she patiently waited for us to be done. sorry, bethany! she even stayed later than she was supposed to, which was so great. i definitely recommend bethany - a stress-free vendor who does a great job. read more

Bethany and Maypole Studios (including Jamie Hartley) turned out to be the greatest decision we made when it came to our wedding vendors! A few minutes into our initial meeting with Bethany, we knew that we wanted Bethany to be our photographer. Bethany not only brings an amazing eye and perspective, but she was also a blast to work with on the day of; and her partner Jamie is equally badass. Their attention to detail, passion, and professionalism was unmatched (we in fact nicknamed Bethany our "Rock"). Bethany took the time on various occasions to understand us, our vision, and took it beyond anything we could have encapsulated with words. The best way I can describe it is that it was a "documentary" of our actual day. Bethany (and Jamie) captured both traditional, memorable, candid, and surprised moments of our wedding with an artistic flare that left our relatives breathless and our hearts forever changed. Bethany's photography has created memories that will outlive both of us. read more

Bethany was amazing, every time I turned around she was there to capture a special moment and she was so incredibly accommodating of the odd schedule we had the day of our event. I have a hard time being photographed and she really helped guide me through the process and made sure I didn't miss out on anything. My family kept asking if she was a friend of mine because she was so incredibly charming. I am super excited to see the photographs because it is very clear how talented she is. read more

I simply adored this service! Bethany, in particular, truly listened to my idea of the "feel" of the wedding. She captured the love my husband and I have for one another as well as the love our Guests had for us and each other! The cost of her services was reasonable and worth every penny! Thank you again for giving us the gift of perfectly captured moments! read more

The worst decision you can make (at this moment) is not finishing this review. It's important to realize that you have one take away from the most memorable and expensive day of your life: photography. DO NOT skimp or be cheap when it comes to your photographer. And choose a photographer that meets your needs, understands your vision, and stays on top of things. Bethany at Maypole Studios does it all. She gets it. She was by far one of the best and easiest vendors to work with. In a service-oriented world Bethany goes above and beyond what's required and she made my wedding extremely enjoyed. I never expected to receive SO many great comments on how great the pictures turned out. It's a reflection of the time and heart Bethany puts into her work. She is extremely passionate and creative. I rate the service and experience with 5 stars. I challenge you to find anyone who is better than Bethany. I highly recommend Bethany to ANYONE who is looking to work with one of the most professional and best people in the business, and I look forward to working with her in the future. After my first discussion and meeting with Bethany, I was confident that she would give 110% of her time and effort to ensure that my wedding day would go without any issues. Bethany did an amazing job of asking what I was seeking, clearly defined expectations, and explained what was required from beginning until end. I felt like she was on my side the entire process and she did everything in her power to ensure that I got what I wanted. She understands what your needs are and instead of taking cheesy photos she uses her artistic creativity to create magic. She was also extremely flexible to meet at times that worked for my wife and I; she made things really easy on our end. Additionally, her pricing is really reasonable and competitive. I shopped around with 2 other similar photographers and they could not even come close to Bethany's pricing and the services she offers. Just an FYI - Bethany took a lot of time to photo shop many of our pictures so please be patient to receive your photos after your wedding date. I promise the wait will be well worth it. And Bethany's blog and video slide show was a delightful surprise and added bonus! Again, I am extremely satisfied with how incredible our pictures were and I am very happy with Bethany's work. Thanks Bethany and keep up the great work! read more

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Maypole Studios! We saw Bethany's work early on in our search, per our wedding planner's recommendation, and had no trouble making our decision. Not only are her photographs beautiful and creative, but Bethany is a pleasure to be around. She captures the moments of a big event in a way that is truly stunning, yet subtle and natural. She is easy to work with, very flexible and completely understands her clients' needs. She and Jamie were both fabulous on our actual wedding day, keeping things moving along smoothly and capturing all of the photos we'd wanted. Bethany also suggested wonderful locations for our engagement shoot and pre-ceremony photos. Many, many thanks for capturing our relationship and big day so beautifully! read more

Let me just say - If I could give Bethany and her team at Maypole Studios a thousand stars, I would. I highly recommend her to anyone who is looking for wedding photos that are so much more than just photos!!! The whole experience with Bethany was positive, comfortable, and professional from beginning to end. We had to find a photographer in the Chicago area last minute after our original plans fell through. We are so thankful that she was able to accommodate us! All of our expectations were completely blown away. You will be very hard pressed to find another photography studio that produces such amazing work and provides such a great experience at this price point. Also Bethany's personality is so lovable and down-to-earth - she is so easy to work with. Also, her passion for her art is no secret, and she is completely in love with what she does. Forget about awkward staged-looking photos. You will not get those here. When you get your photos, you will see natural, fun, captivating photos that will truly move you when you look at them. Also, she and her team went above and beyond to work with us and make sure every detail was covered. Bethany also helped us a lot with finding the perfect place for photos between the wedding itself and the reception. We now have photos that are so beautiful, and we will truly cherish them forever. I mean this is as good as it gets. I do not know what else to say besides this - If you are reading this review, it is time to stop looking!!! read more

You would be dumb to look anywhere else for a photographer. Bethany is so easy to get along with and makes you feel comfortable. She really knows the city like the back of her hand and knows of spots that I haven't ever been to. She is extremely professional, VERY ARTISTIC, and really knows how to capture people. I cant say enough nice things about her! read more

Bethany did an absolutely amazing job with our engagement photos! We had such a fun experience and the pictures turned out really beautiful. Bethany made us feel really comfortable and relaxed, and had great ideas for locations! She was very personable and made an effort to get to know us as well. We cannot recommend Bethany highly enough! read more

My husband and I highly recommend Bethany. When she took our engagement photos, she let us split the session in two, as it was cold out and we wanted some in warmer weather. She's very easy to talk to and really listened to us when we described what we wanted. She's has a way of making you feel real comfortable in front of a camera and with her. It felt as if I had hired a long time friend to take our pictures. Our wedding photo's came out beautiful. I agree with another reviewer. Don't be skimpy and underestimate the value of a great photographer. Despite the most amazing wedding, memories do fade with time. You need a great photographer to capture those precious moments. Hire Bethany... read more

This review is far too late in the writing! We absolutely adore Bethany and highly recommend her as a wedding and portrait photographer, and for any other occasion. Her personality shines throughout your big day and the stress leading up to it, making the occasion extremely easy to navigate. She captures exactly the candid shots you hope your wedding photographer will, and is brilliant with portraits as well. And, she offers photo packages that are very reasonably priced given the quality of the product and the person. I can't say enough good things about Bethany and Maypole studios. Please feel free to message me if you have questions! read more

Bethany is the absolute BEST when it comes to your photography needs. She was such a delight to work with. All of our guests loved her so much, it was as if she was a guest at our wedding. She made sure our engagement pictures and wedding pictures were everything we hoped for. I am very particular and Bethany exceeded my expectations. She is so sweet, down to earth and talented... I don't know about you, but that is the kind of gem I want to work with! read more

Bethany and Jamie shot our wedding, May 11, 2012. They were both fantastic! As a bride, you are told by everyone that the day/night will go by so fast and that you won't remember anything....boy, were they right! Bethany and Jamie did such a wonderful job of capturing all the little details of the day, that when I look back through the pictures, I can begin to remember all of the things I forgot!! And they were such fun to work with, I think they had as much fun at our wedding as we did! as part of the package we also received a video slide show set to music and a CD of all of our proofs. We're getting together soon to put together an album, and I know Bethany will take as much care in helping us with that as she did on our wedding day. read more

We just got married on February 23 of this year and could not have asked for a better photographer and now friend to work with! We loved Bethany from the get go but our family and friends had nothing but wonderful things to say about her and Jamie as well! We first met Bethany at a wedding event at Paris Club and from the the first time we spoke with her, I knew I wanted to meet with her again! Her creativity was apparent in her photos and she had such a great personality! We met her a second time at a little place in Bucktown where we could see all of her photos she had done----we stayed with her for almost 4 hours! There was only one other company we looked at for photos and when we left Bethany that night.....it wasnt even a question who we wanted to use! She gets to know you, she gets to know what you want, and she is a wonderful person. Our engagement session was the same way. Nothing was rushed and we had a wonderful time going around the city together! She is so fun and willing to try new things to get amazing shots. She is also so knowledgeable about the best shots in the city----and made it super easy for us! We just recently saw a preview of our some of wedding photos. I can't wait to see them all as Im positive they will be amazing! Do yourself a favor like we did....and contact Bethany for your engagement/wedding.....I even recommended her to a friend for a baby shoot and they loved her as well! We can't say enough positive things!! read more

If you are on the hunt for absolutely beautiful photos that not only look stunning, but can actually make you FEEL the emotions of your big day, then let me do a favor and tell you to look no further - Maypole Studios is exactly what you are looking for! I did extensive research in looking for our photographer as I knew this was something that I wanted to be picky about. I had in mind exactly what I was looking for: I wanted to have all the classic photos, but with more of an artistic flair - stunning compositions, and great candid moments. As soon as we found Bethany, we knew right away she was the perfect fit and we could not be happier with the results. She went above and beyond our expectations and created not only stunning wedding photos, but some beautiful pieces of art - which is shocking, considering how clumsy both of us are... She even made us an animated GIF which is incredible!!! We were told by so many people that we had the best wedding photos they had ever seen - hands down. Everytime I go through our photos (yes, which is often) I get to really relive the day since the photos are so much more than posed portraits - they offer so much emotion and in-the-moment candidness that I can't help but gush all over again. But enough about the photos, let's talk about Bethany. On our first meeting, she said something that really stuck with us. She said, "Now, I am not saying you should choose me by saying this but just keep in mind that you spend your entire wedding day with your photographer, so make sure you get along." This is so true! For anyone who has ever stood up in a wedding before, the photographer is usually a total buzzkill who causes a lot of moans and groans and rolled eyes. Bethany and Jamie, on the other hand, were AWESOME! Not only did Bethany help me put my veil on in a moment of distress, she kept us on schedule and kept me calm. They kept the energy lively and were happy to go along with some of our crazy ideas - groomsmen with tuxes and zubaz, harlem shake gif (sans some articles of clothing) - and they just laughed and kept it light and fun. Bethany was such a pleasure that one of my bridesmaids went out and immediately booked her for their upcoming wedding! Enough said right there :) I hope you get to enjoy your photos and working with Maypole Studios as much as we did :) read more

My wife and I used Bethany for our engagement and wedding photos this year. Bethany was absolutely a pleasure to work with, and completely professional as well. Her assistant John was awesome too! We cannot be happier with their hard work and how completely at ease they made us feel. read more

I was only a guest at a wedding Bethany and Jon photographed in August 2016 and I just have to tell Chicago how truly amazing they are! The entire day Bethany was such a good energy to be around and so professional. She interacted with all the guests the bridal party so well, we wanted her to stay all night! Plus I absolutely adore every photo I've seen. She really captures those special candid moments you might even forgot happened. Bethany goes above and beyond you will not regret working with her! read more

We had Beth shot our wedding and it was absolutely wonderful. She is profesional, fun, friendly, pleasant...I can't suggest anything to improve working with her. 100% recommended!!! read more

I don't know where to start with Bethany because she is just great in so many ways. We love her style...the photographs are beautiful. She is great at capturing moments while making sure the color and composition are lovely. On top of that, she has a great personality and really seemed more like a member of the party. Everyone there was a fan. read more