Sara Gardner 12/13/23 Sara Gardner 12/13/23

Engagement Photos at Fullerton Beach in Chicago | Molly + Dave

Lakefront / Chicago, Illinois

Chicago is home to a seemingly endless array of iconic locations to choose from when looking for a setting for an engagement session. Today’s blog takes a look at one such location, as we’re checking out Molly and Dave’s engagement photos at Chicago’s Fullerton Beach! Their session is more than just the beautiful Chicago setting though, as these two included a second location into their session that made it uniquely personal to them.

Engagement Photos at Chicago’s Fullerton Beach

Molly and Dave’s session began on the lakefront, and lucky for us we had THE most beautiful December day for their session. The weather was surprisingly warm for this time of year in Chicago, but we weren’t about to complain as it definitely beats the alternative! The warmer temps meant Molly could wear her lovely floral dress while Dave was looking sharp in a casual button up. A huge draw of taking engagement photos at Fullerton Beach is of course the incredible views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline. Usually Fullerton Beach is one of the busier locations in the city, but since we chose to have our session in the morning we practically had the space to ourselves. It felt truly special and we honestly could have called the session there, but we chose to make one more stop and I am so glad we did!

Ending Our Session at All Together Now

After getting the photos we wanted at Fullerton Beach, we headed to All Together Now for the remainder of Molly and Dave’s engagement photos. Just south of Chicago’s Ukrainian Village is this wine shop which was the perfect place to end our session. Chicago is home to SO many incredible small shops, and they’re part of what make the city the one of a kind place it is. Documenting their love in a space like this really gives their photos that authentic Chicago feeling. There’s another reason we chose All Together Now though, and that’s because Molly and Dave have a special connection to the shop. This is actually the store where Dave got the wine he’d use for his proposal to Molly! It’s details like this that help to make your engagement photos all the more personal.

Molly and Dave’s engagement session really has it all. They were able to incorporate an iconic location like Fullerton Beach in their engagement photos, capture the spirit of Chicago’s small businesses, and add a personal touch unique to them. It’s the whole package, and I’m just so glad they chose me to document this incredible moment for them! If you’d like to book me to document your engagement or wedding day be sure to send me an inquiry through my contact page so we can get to planning.

Chicago wine and cheese engagement session

date night engagement session wine and cheese

Sara Gardner 10/20/22 Sara Gardner 10/20/22

Garfield Park Conservatory Session / Mimi + Jason

Engagement Session / Garfield Park Conservatory

Sara Gardner 9/17/22 Sara Gardner 9/17/22

Wedding at Mt Hawley Country Club in Peoria, Illinois | Emily + JP

Wedding / Mt Hawley Country Club of Peoria

Emily and JP put together a remarkable wedding day, one filled with classic tradition, but one that also felt completely like them. It was a day full of good times, great people, and of course tons of love. From their picturesque ceremony at Trinity Lutheran Church, to the epic reception at Mt Hawley Country Club in Peoria, Illinois, their wedding was a blast from start to finish!

Getting Ready for the Day

The day started with Emily and JP getting ready separately from one another. The two didn’t have a first look for their wedding day, which meant the big reveal of seeing Emily in her wedding dress for the first time as she walked down the aisle would be one of the biggest moments from the day. The two did get ready alongside their wedding parties and their family though, which made for an incredibly special start to the day. Once dressed and ready it was time to head off to Trinity Lutheran Church for their ceremony, followed by the Mt Hawley Country Club in Peoria for the reception!

Their Ceremony at Trinity Lutheran Church

I’m absolutely in love with Emily and JP’s ceremony at the Trinity Lutheran Church. It had such a traditional and classy feel to it all, especially considering how beautiful the church is itself. Once the guests were seated it was time for Emily to make her entrance that I alluded to earlier, and WOW was it a beautiful moment. Emily and JP’s faces both lit up seeing one another for the first time, and they practically couldn’t take their eyes off of one another for the rest of the day.

Once they had exchanged rings and vows with each other the two were officially newlyweds, which meant it was time to celebrate! They made their way to the party bus that was bound for the Mt Hawley Country Club in Peoria, the venue for their wedding reception. Along the way we decided to stop at a few locations throughout Peoria for some newlywed and wedding party portraits.

Wedding Reception at Mt Hawley Country Club in Peoria

Once Emily, JP, and their wedding parties arrived it was time for the celebration to begin. Their reception at the Mt Hawley Country Club in Peoria was just as stunning and classy as the rest of their wedding day. The reception space at the country club is simply gorgeous, and the night was full of so many fun and emotional moments. From the beautiful speeches, to the tear jerking first dances, and of course a night of dancing their hearts out with all of their guests, it really was everything Emily and JP wanted their wedding day to be!

I’m so happy that I got the chance to document Emily and JP’s beautiful love story. These two put together such an incredible wedding day at the Trinity Lutheran Church and Mt Hawley Country Club in Peoria! If you’d like me to photograph your wedding day be sure to send over an inquiry through my contact page!

Sara Gardner 8/15/22 Sara Gardner 8/15/22

Chicago Lakefront Engagement Session / Andrea + Tommy

Engagement Session / Lincoln Park Zoo

Engagement session at Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago Ilinois

Engagement session at Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago Illinois

Engagement session at Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool

Engagement session at Lake Michigan lakefront Chicago Illinois

Sara Gardner 5/6/22 Sara Gardner 5/6/22

Wrigley Field Engagement Session / Jenna + Ryan

Wrigley Field + Lake Michigan / Chicago, Illinois

Sara Gardner 4/23/22 Sara Gardner 4/23/22

Wedding at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago, IL | Allison + Adam

Bottom Lounge / Chicago, IL

If I had to pick a wedding that really captured the essence of Chicago, Allison and Adam’s wedding at the Bottom Lounge would easily be one of my top picks! From the stellar portraits taking advantage of some of Chicago's classic architecture, to their venue in the iconic West Loop, there’s so much to love about this wedding day. I can’t wait to share with you the story of their day, but first are some truly kind words from Allison!

“From the moment we met her, we knew we had found the perfect wedding photographer. Sara's calm and friendly nature immediately put us at ease, and we felt like we had known her for years. On the day of the wedding, she was ever-present, but never intrusive….We love how her photos are both timeless and unique, and really reflect our personalities and style. We were referred to Sara by other well-respected photographers in the industry, and it's easy to see why. She is incredibly talented, professional, and passionate about her work. We are so grateful to have had her as our photographer and will treasure the beautiful images she captured for the rest of our lives.”

Getting Ready and Portraits in Chicago

To kick off their wedding day Allison + Adam both got ready at an Airbnb in Chicago with the company of their loved ones. The two were careful not to cross paths though as they wanted to have their first look on the roof of the Airbnb. The Windy City really lived up to its name for the first look, but that didn’t stop Allison + Adam from having an amazing moment for just the two of them! They were able to read private letters they had written for one another which was such an emotional moment to start the day on.

Outside of the wind, the weather was perfect for their day. It was so nice out that we decided to walk around for some photos in downtown Chicago. Even with full sun, we were able to use the buildings of the city to create some pockets of perfect lighting! Finally it was time to make our way to the Bottom Lounge for some final outdoor portraits before their wedding ceremony began.

Their Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Hour at the Bottom Lounge

While the Bottom Lounge may be known mostly as a music venue in Chicago, the space is actually massively underrated as a wedding venue! Part of that is thanks to the Lounge’s upstairs level, which Allison + Adam rented out for their wedding day. The natural lighting and classic brick walls work to create a space perfect for any style of wedding. This space works for both ceremonies and receptions as you’ll see from Allison + Adam’s wedding day. For their ceremony, these two made it a priority to add some personal touches into the day. Adam’s father was their officiant which was incredibly sweet, and they even had some close friends of theirs sing for the ceremony as well.

Immediately after their ceremony was their cocktail hour which took place on the connected back balcony of the Bottom Lounge, yet another reason to love this space as a venue! The back deck gave Allison + Adam a chance to enjoy some time with their guests while the indoor space was converted for their reception. The view here was beautiful, and with the perfect weather we lucked out as everyone was having the best time before the party really started.

Dancing the Night Away at Their Reception

The indoor space of the Bottom Lounge had a completely different feel to it in the afternoon, partly due to the reception set up and partly due to the sun setting. It made Allison + Adam’s reception feel so intimate and personal, yet they had ALL of their favorite humans there celebrating with them! The dance floor was consistently packed throughout the entire evening which was so fun. Allison even had an epic dress change later on in the evening, and as if the two didn’t already have enough to celebrate it was also Allison’s birthday weekend! Everyone was able to sing to her to celebrate, really just one of many highlights from their night that I cannot get over!

I’m still in awe over Allison + Adam’s wedding at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago! I had such a great time documenting their day, and I can’t wait for you to look through ALL of my favorite photos from their day below. Be sure to keep an eye out on my blog for more love stories and resources, and if you’re looking to book me as your wedding photographer be sure to send me an inquiry through my contact page!