Liz Schrenk 12/24/25 Liz Schrenk 12/24/25

Michelle & Jake’s Stunning Makray Memorial Golf Club Wedding

Michelle and Jake’s love story started as most modern day love stories do: on a dating app. After a few text exchanges and promising conversations Michelle and Jake planned their first date – the only problem? It was on Valentine’s Day weekend during Covid. The first time Michelle and Jake met in person they had masks on and could only see each other’s eyes. But from the very beginning they both had a feeling this was the start of something amazing.

Fast-forward four years later and Jake proposed at the same restaurant where they had their first date. Jake completely surprised Michelle both with the proposal and an engagement party right afterwards with their family and friends, it was such a magical night!

Christy and I were so excited to celebrate with Michelle and Jake on their wedding day. Leading up to their November date the weather suddenly turned from unseasonably warm to brisk and blustery. We were watching the weather closely all week and hoping to still get outside for pictures on Michelle and Jake’s wedding day, she had her heart set on a Fall wedding with lots of color! Well, we ended up getting all of their photos in before the weather really turned cold and wintry and it was all perfect! The Fall colors were on full display at Makray, this wedding may well have been THE most gorgeous we have ever seen this beautiful venue! All in all it was a perfect day, we were so grateful to have been there to celebrate Michelle and Jake!

Congratulations, Michelle and Jake, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Michelle and Jake’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Something Blue

VENUE
Makray Memorial Golf Club

FLORIST
Lake Zurich Florist

HAIR & MAKEUP
Tamara Makeup and Hair Artistry

DJ
AMP Event Professionals

WEDDING CAKE
Lovin Oven Cakery

WEDDING DRESS BOUTIQUE
Crystal Bride

BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES
Birdy Grey

Liz Schrenk 12/21/25 Liz Schrenk 12/21/25

Tracy & Greg’s Beautiful Independence Grove Wedding

Tracy and Greg first met when they attended his cousin’s wedding, and while they got along great and had a blast celebrating together they went their separate ways after the wedding ended. They stayed connected through social media and in 2022 Tracy discovered the wonders of craft beer and the Lake County Libation Trail and this piqued Greg’s interest. Tracy and Greg reconnected with talks of beers and wine and agreed to meet for a friendly drink at Firkin. What was meant to be a casual outing turned into something much more. After a few dates, they knew this was something special and started introducing each other to friends and family. Everyone around them could see how happy they were and how different this was! After just a few months of dating, they spent the holidays together with their families. Tracy even brought Greg to meet her “sisters” Shannon and Rachel and still can’t believe Greg was willing to travel 12 hours to Virginia for Christmas break. Luckily, the drive was worth it and Shannon and Rachel welcomed Greg into their lives with open arms. It warmed their hearts to see how loved ones embraced and supported their relationship. The couple grew their love with date nights filled with tacos, Tighthead, movies and friends! Their favorite weekend activity is a walk at a park followed by lunch and a beer at a brewery. In fact, this is just how Greg proposed! The pair went for their usual walk at Independence Grove and planned to have lunch after. Midway through the walk, Greg pulled Tracy off the path and got down on one knee and asked Tracy to marry him!

I was so happy to get to know Tracy and Greg at their engagement session this Summer in downtown Libertyville. We made sure to stop by Firkin for some shots while also finding plenty of pretty pockets of light throughout the pretty downtown. I had such a great time with these two and could not wait to celebrate their wedding this Fall!

When the big day arrived Christy and I first connected with Greg at his parents’ home where he had a special bottle of George T. Stagg bourbon waiting to open and share with his groomsmen. After taking some fun photos with the guys we traveled to Tracy’s childhood home where she was getting ready with her closest girlfriends and sorority sisters. Tracy got dressed in her childhood bedroom where her Mom gifted her a pair of vintage diamond earrings in honor of her wedding day. Tracy looked radiant and we made time for a few bridal portraits outside before loading up and heading to Independence Grove.

We arrived at the venue we connected with their planner Brianna who helped make sure everything ran smoothly throughout the day. As Greg stood waiting patiently Tracy walked towards him for their first look before they shared the sweetest (and possibly longest?) private vows. Greg carefully typed up a nine-page history of their entire relationship and shared so many thoughtful moments with Tracy as they stood together near the native garden at Independence Grove.

The weather was a bit unpredictable on Tracy and Greg’s wedding day so they made the decision to move their ceremony inside. It didn’t end up raining and we were blessed with a gorgeous sunset after they were officially married. We took stunning pictures by the water before heading back inside for an unforgettable night of great food and Tracy dancing and singing to Taylor Swift with her besties – it was such a perfect day and we were honored to be a part of it!

Congratulations, Tracy and Greg, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Tracy and Greg’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Something Blue

VENUE
Independence Grove

CATERER
Relish Events

WEDDING PLANNER
Weddings by Danica

HAIR
Opal

MAKEUP
Rosie Hunter Artistry

DJ
BBs Best

WEDDING CAKE
Deerfield Bakery

WEDDING RINGS
Rollands

WEDDING DRESS BOUTIQUE
Kathryn's Bridal

BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES
Azazie

MENSWEAR
Vera Wang

Liz Schrenk 12/17/25 Liz Schrenk 12/17/25

Alexis & Bennet’s Perfect Seven Bridges Wedding

Alexis and Bennet first met in college at ISU but didn’t start dating until years later. Building on the strong foundation of their close friendship the realized they were meant to be . . .

Alexis and Bennet first met in college at ISU but didn’t start dating until years later. Building on the strong foundation of their close friendship the realized they were meant to be together, and after dating long-distance while he lived in Arizona and she was finishing graduate school they moved in together. In March 2023 Bennet brought Alexis back to ISU where he proposed with the help of their college friends.

After Conrad shot Alexis and Bennet’s engagement session at The Morton Arboretum last Fall we were both really excited for their wedding day. Conrad told me about how Alexis and Bennet are so at-ease with one another and how they were such fun to photograph – they truly are soulmates and being in their presence feels like such an honor. When it came time to celebrate their wedding Conrad and I kept commenting to each other throughout the day that it hardly felt like work at all, we just had the best time being in the presence of this perfect couple. Alexis looked absolutely gorgeous and Bennet’s response to seeing her was adorable. After their first look they shared emotional private vows – what little we could overhear only confirmed that these two were made for one another.

During their ceremony Alexis and Bennet chose to fill a time-capsule with items that were important mementos from their relationship. They thoughtfully described each item – a picture of their cat, a receipt from her engagement ring, pictures of their new home together – while wiping away tears and laughing together. It sort of felt like they were the only ones in the room all day long, like their love was the center of the universe. After their ceremony we were treated to a gorgeous sunset before settling into an unforgettable night of eating and dancing to celebrate the newlyweds. It truly was the most perfect day and we are so grateful to have been a part of it!

Congratulations, Alexis and Bennet, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Alexis and Bennet’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
Something Blue

VENUE
Seven Bridges Golf Club

FLORIST
Cresco Stems

HAIR & MAKEUP
Hairs 2 The Bride

DJ
DJs For You

WEDDING RINGS
Crescent Jewelers

WEDDING CAKE
DeEtta’s Bakery

WEDDING DRESS BOUTIQUE
Crystal Bride

BRIDAL SHOES
Dolce Vita

MENSWEAR
Men’s Wearhouse

Liz Schrenk 12/2/25 Liz Schrenk 12/2/25

Nicole & Brian’s Stunning District Wedding

Nicole and Brian first met working at Hollister at Woodfield Mall back in the day... they didn't talk much at that time and reconnected a couple of years later through mutual friends. Nicole mentioned how she was going to Lollapalooza that year and Brian had never been but wanted to go. When Lolla came around a few weeks later, Brian met up with Nicole there and they ended up spending the entire weekend there together – and they have been with each other now for over a decade. Nicole and Brian truly are best friends and have spent the last 10 years going on adventures together and trying new restaurants. Brian proposed while they were hiking at Rock Island State Park in Tennessee in front of a beautiful waterfall.

Conrad, Lindsay and Marcella were all really excited to head to The District in Richmond for Nicole and Brian’s wedding. It was a gorgeous Fall day and everything just felt perfect. Nicole and Brian had opted for a smaller, more intimate wedding and did not have a wedding party, which meant that they had lots of time for pictures of just the two of them together. Honestly, while we love a big wedding party it was SO nice to just have that time with the bride and groom! And as a result Nicole and Brian ended up with SO many gorgeous photos of just the two of them, and isn’t that what matters most?! Nicole and Brian are so classy and looked like models; she looked extra glamorous thanks to our wildly talented friend Tricia Clarke who not only did Tricia do Nicole’s hair and makeup but she came along for photos and helped with the dress and keeping Nicole looking perfect all day. Nicole and Brian had their model faces on but also spent plenty of time making each other laugh, it was just such a joy to be alongside these two on their wedding day!

Nicole and Brian were interested in capturing some of their wedding day memories on classic film cameras. so Conrad brought along his 35mm film camera and also shot Polaroids on his Mamiya 67. We just LOVE being able to shoot film on a wedding day! Scroll to the bottom of this post to see all of the gorgeous film scans that Conrad created, it was just magical to be able to photograph Nicole and Brian and be a part of their unforgettable wedding day!

Congratulations, Nicole and Brian, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Nicole and Brian’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY & DAY-OF COORDINATION
Something Blue

VENUE
The District

FLORIST
Lake Zurich Florist

HAIR + MAKEUP
Tricia Clarke Beauty

DJ
Moving N Grooving DJs

WEDDING RINGS
Cottage Hill Diamonds

WEDDING DESSERTS
Deerfield's Bakery

BRIDAL SHOES
Betsey Johnson

MENSWEAR
Indochino

Liz Schrenk 11/8/25 Liz Schrenk 11/8/25

Elise & Trev’s Dreamy Brix on the Fox Wedding

Elise and Trev are two of the warmest, kindest and most loving people we have had the honor of photographing. Being a part of their wedding truly felt like a dream – after first meeting Elise at her sister’s gorgeous Glen Club wedding in 2023 we were beyond excited to reconnect with this amazing family and celebrate Elise and Trev’s wedding this Fall at The Brix on The Fox.

Elise and Trev first met as undergrads at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While they both majored in psychology and lived just 6 floors apart their Freshman year, they did not meet until they both worked as medical scribes at UW Health. Elise quickly fell for Trev’s sense of humor and his enthusiasm for sports and statistics. Trev was won over by Elise’s bubbly personality, laughter, and competitive side. Trev made the first move and slid into Elise's Facebook messages that Fall where he invited her to watch the Bears game with him. That first date turned in to a 9-hour marathon, the first of many memorable days between these two.

Elise and Trev have spent the past 6 years writing an epic love story that includes surviving a 4-month quarantine at the McCune's house, graduating from medical and PA school, building new friendships, watching/attending as many sporting events as possible, and traveling both near and far. The best of their travels took them to the beautiful country of Iceland where they spent 16 days traveling around the Ring Road, car-camping in a Subaru. It was on this ring road that Trev knelt down on one knee, underneath the mist of the Gljufrafoss waterfall and proposed to Elise. She had the biggest smile on her face and screamed yes!

I was beyond excited when Elise reached out to tell me she was engaged to Trev and wanted to use Something Blue to capture all of their wedding memories. I had the best time getting to know these two at their engagement session in Lincoln Park last Fall. When the time came for Elise and Trev’s wedding at The Brix we were all really excited, it was a gorgeous early Fall day and every detail came together so beautifully. Christy loved snapping some fun shots of the bridesmaids in their matching jumpsuits with Elise while I took pictures of all of Elise’s pretty details, I could hear the girls’ laughter all the way down the hall at the hotel. Once Elise was dressed she did the sweetest reveal with her bridesmaids, our friend Grace is expecting and was especially emotional seeing her gorgeous sister as a bride!

From the hotel we made our way to The Brix where we met up with Trev. He was nervous but looked so handsome in his light suit, those nerves melted away the moment he saw his beautiful bride. After Elise and Trev’s first look we had a lot of fun photographing their wonderful wedding party before taking some romantic pictures of Elise and Trev together before their ceremony. Trev shed a few tears as he watched Elise walk down the aisle, it was all so sweet and just perfect. We found the prettiest golden light just before sunset and then settled in for a delicious dinner and rollicking celebration during their reception. This was truly the most perfect day and we were so grateful to be a part of it!!

Congratulations, Elise and Trev, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Elise and Trev’s gorgeous wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
Something Blue

VENUE
The Brix on the Fox

WEDDING COORDINATOR
BW Studio + Events

FLORIST
Bright + Bloom Floral Design

HAIR & MAKEUP
Pin Me Up Chicago

DJ
DJUj

WEDDING CAKE
Herb's Bakery

WEDDING RINGS
Kesslers Diamonds

BRIDAL GOWN
Essence Bridal Collection

WEDDING DRESS BOUTIQUE
Diana’s Bridal

BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES
Azazie

MENSWEAR
Men's Wearhouse

Liz Schrenk 10/15/25 Liz Schrenk 10/15/25

Michelle & Matt’s Unforgettable Fishermen’s Inn Wedding

Michelle and Matt met online where they matched on not one but two different dating apps. Michelle liked that he had pictures of himself dressed in a Star Wars costume because she had a picture of herself dressed in her Ren-Faire garb. They bonded over ramen, nerdy figurines and a love for adventure. She loves his quick wit and silly Dad jokes, he loves her cute distractibility and love of nature (Michelle is an amazing nature photographer!) The signs all pointed towards these two being absolutely made for one another, and we feel just so lucky that we were able to be a part of their unforgettable wedding.

The weather was really steamy when Conrad and I arrived at Fishermen’s Inn for Michelle and Matt’s wedding. We were delighted to find Michelle and her girls in great spirits, it was so much fun snapping some “getting ready” pics with these girls and then watching Michelle transform into a woodland fairy princess once she stepped into her gorgeous Demetrios gown from Reddington Bridal. Michelle and Matt had their first look outside and exchanged their private vows (handwritten in leather-bound Hogwarts journals, of course!) Conrad and I were absolutely dripping sweat after being outside for only a few minutes, we had a feeling that the weather couldn’t hold and that a storm might be coming. Sure enough, after we finished pictures with Michelle and Matt’s wedding party the sky turned incredibly dark and it felt like someone turned on the air conditioning. We took a few last pictures of Michelle and Matt by the water wheel before the heavens completely opened up and a monster storms rolled in!

Michelle and Matt barely batted an eye as the weather raged outside, it got so crazy that at one point the venue lost power! It was only for a moment, and soon we were celebrating Michelle and Matt’s wedding ceremony downstairs. After they officially became husband and wife we took a few more photos outside (once the rain stopped!) and then enjoyed an amazing evening of good food, laughter, thoughtful toasts and epic music – we loved being a part of this amazing day!!

Congratulations, Michelle and Matt, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Michelle and Matt’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Something Blue

VENUE
Fishermen’s Inn

FLORIST
Purple Rose Floral

HAIR & MAKEUP
Hairs 2 The Bride

DJ
Brandon Sanders

WEDDING GOWN
Demetrios

WEDDING DRESS BOUTIQUE
Reddington Bridal

BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES
Azazie

MENSWEAR
Men's Wearhouse

Liz Schrenk 10/5/25 Liz Schrenk 10/5/25

Lauren & Andy’s Gorgeous Redfield Estate at The Grove Wedding

Lauren and Andy met during “Welcome Week” their Freshman year at Northwestern University in 2016. After getting to know each other, having a few Engineering classes together, and getting closer with a small group of shared friends, they slowly developed feelings for one another and Andy decided to ask Lauren out that Spring. Andy invited Lauren to meet at the lakefront, but she didn’t realize it would just be the two of them until right beforehand. Andy serenaded Lauren with "Just The Way You Are" by Bruno Mars, confessed his feelings, and asked her out – and the rest is history!

Through the rest of college, Lauren and Andy supported each other through ups and downs, studied abroad together in London and traveled across Europe, became best friends, created hundreds of inside jokes, and fell completely in love. After graduating, they moved in together and adopted a cat named Artemis. They passionate about cooking and trying new recipes, enjoy going to the gym and running together, and traveling. On October 1st, 2023 they took a trip to Oahu, Hawaii where Andy proposed to Lauren on a beach during the sunrise.

Last Fall I got to know Lauren and Andy at their engagement session, it was only fitting for us to take those photographs along the lake on the Northwestern campus where Andy first confessed his feelings to Lauren. Andy brought along his guitar to recreate the sweetly romantic moment, it was so endearing to see these two in their element. When their wedding day arrived we were really excited to capture the love between Lauren and Andy at The Redfield Estate at The Grove, this was truly such a perfect and unforgettable day! Lauren looked stunning in her lacy Maggie Sottero gown surrounded by her sunny bridesmaids in their yellow Birdy Grey dresses. Dramatic and beautiful loose florals from EcoWilde made this day that much more gorgeous, everything moment and every detail just felt natural, warm and inviting, just like Lauren and Andy’s love. Truly, this was a day we wish we could live over and over again, what an honor it was to be alongside Lauren and Andy as they started their forever together!