Shawnda and Justin met like so many couples do – they both swiped right on Hinge and the rest is history. As they spent more and more time together it became obvious that they were meant to be, and we were lucky enough to meet these two when Justin planned to propose to Shawnda at the lakefront in December 2024. Justin reached out to our friendors The Heart Bandits to plan the perfect surprise proposal for Shawnda. Conrad waited on the steps outside of the Shedd Aquarium and hopped into action just as Justin got down on one knee. It was such a sweet moment and we are just so thankful that Conrad was there to photograph their proposal! He came back from that shoot just raving about how incredibly kind and fun Shawnda and Justin are, and we were just thrilled when they decided to hire us to photograph their wedding!

After planning for over a year Shawnda and Justin’s wedding day finally arrived. We met up with Shawnda and her girlfriends and family at the Hyatt Wicker Park and everyone was in great spirits. The weather was beautiful for early April and we were excited to get Shawnda and her bridesmaids out onto the balcony for some fun champagne-soaked pics before Shawnda slipped into her chic Watters gown from Anthropologie. Shawnda looked radiant and was just beaming the entire day, it was such a joy to be around her and photograph each beautiful moment.

Shawnda and Justin wanted an elegant, classy and simply sophisticated wedding and found the perfect venue in the absolutely gorgeous Fairlie Chicago. The Fairlie’s website boasts of “unexpected splendor” and honestly we couldn’t think of a better way to describe this amazing venue. From the moment we walked into the Fairlie we fell completely in love, from their stunning bar to the exposed brick and dramatic staircase all the way down to the furnishings and light fixtures this venue checks every single box as the perfect place to celebrate a sophisticated Chicago wedding.

Shawnda and Justin chose to do their first look and exchange private vows at Fairlie in a quiet corner upstairs filled with beautiful natural light. Justin looked so dapper in his white tux jacket that he accessorized with the happiest smile that he wore from the moment he saw his gorgeous bride. Shawnda and Justin had asked their guests to wear all black to the wedding and the overall aesthetic was just perfection, everyone looked SO amazing and the photos turned out gorgeous!

After their first look we made our way to the river to take pictures by the Wrigley Building. Fate was smiling on these two as the sun peeked out just as the trolley pulled up and we had the place almost entirely to ourselves (super rare at one of the most popular locations in the city to for wedding photos!) We loved photographing their wedding party and immediate families (and even had some fun shooing away some nosy tourists who wanted to sneak phone photos and videos of the wedding party!) From there we went back to Fairlie and took a few photos by the bar before settling in for their ceremony.

The talented team at The Flower Girl Company had worked their magic while we were out taking photos and transformed the Fairlie into a magical wedding wonderland of greens and whites. They lit hundreds of candles along the aisle to create the most romantic backdrop for the ceremony. As Justin walked into the room the guests burst into joyful applause, the energy was just absolutely perfect. Shawnda’s brother Khalfani did a great job as their officiant and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room once Shawnda and Justin shared their first kiss as husband and wife.

Shawnda and Justin walked back down the aisle as newlyweds and happily jumped into Fairlie’s adorable rickshaw for a quick romantic ride together, it was just the cutest moment!! Once they came back inside the party really got started, it was the most unforgettable night! We are so thankful to have been a part of this perfect day, we only wish we could do it all over again!