Cyrena & JD’s Unforgettable Victoria in the Park Wedding
Cyrena and JD first met through mutual friends at Bogarts in St. Charles when their mutual friend connected the two of them at his Super Bowl party. They hit it off right away and after a few years of dating they . . .
Cyrena and JD first met through mutual friends at Bogarts in St. Charles when their friend, Amir, connected the two of them at his Super Bowl party. They hit it off right away and after a few years of dating they got engaged while backpacking in Colorado. Cyrena and JD are a perfect match, they complement one another and share such a beautiful connection. Conrad loved getting to know these two at their engagement session last Winter when he visited their home and got to meet their fur babies Bowie and Boots. Spending time with Cyrena and JD is just comfortable, they are so kind and loving and make everyone feel welcome! They are adventurous, caring and joyful and their connection is just so special!
We were all so excited to be a part of Cyrena and JD’s wedding at Victoria in the Park. When we arrived Cyrena and her girls were in high spirits and Cyrena looked absolutely STUNNING in her gorgeous boho Jenny Yoo gown with fun detachable sleeves. While it was a chilly November day Cyrena and JD agreed to sneak outside for their first look and a few photos, we are so glad they braved the elements so we could get some Fall color in their gallery!! After their first look we went back inside and watched as Cyrena and JD exchanged sweet private vows in the whiskey room at Victoria in the Park. We finished with photos before the ceremony just as the sun was starting to set and were graced with THE most vibrant and unforgettable sunset of 2025.
After Cyrena and JD were married it was time for the celebration to really begin, we love love love a Palestinian wedding and absolutely epic dance floor! Awtar DJs made sure that the night was filled with joyful music and Cyrena and JD spent tons of time dancing, it was the most unforgettable celebration!
Congratulations, Cyrena and JD, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Cyrena and JD’s beautiful wedding photos, click here
VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
Something Blue
DAY-OF COORDINATION
Something Blue
VENUE
Victoria in the Park
FLORIST
YJ Decorating
HAIR & MAKEUP
Your Haven Bridal
WEDDING CAKE
Sweet T’s
ENGAGEMENT RING
Alexis Russell
WEDDING DRESS
BHLDN Anthropologie
BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES
Azazie
Birdy Grey
GROOMS’ SUIT
Indochino
Callie & Mark’s Perfect Heritage Prairie Farm Wedding
Callie and Mark met in high school through their close mutual friend, Something Blue’s very own Conrad. Conrad had a feeling way back then that these two would be perfect for each other, and it turns out that . . .
Callie and Mark met in high school through their close mutual friend, Something Blue’s very own Conrad. Conrad had a feeling way back then that these two would be perfect for each other, and it turns out that he was right all along. As Callie and Mark’s high school friendship grew into flirtation in college they started a long-distance relationship in 2015.
After dating long-distance for five years Callie and Mark finally moved in together in February 2021 to an apartment in Uptown Chicago with their beloved dog Buzz. A few years later they decided to buy Mark’s parent’s house – in preparing to move Callie asked Conrad if he would come capture some photos of her and Mark at their first apartment together before their lease ended. Little did Callie know that Mark and Conrad had hatched a plan for the photoshoot to be extra special, and Mark proposed outside their first apartment with Conrad there to capture the moment.
Over the years I have loved spending time with Callie and Mark through Conrad, and I was beyond excited to hear that they got engaged and wanted Something Blue to capture their wedding. We planned to do their engagement session in Chicago, starting first at the lakefront and ending in Uptown to honor the time they spent living together there. I really loved getting to know Callie and Mark better at their engagement session, they are so in-sync and their love feels like it is the most natural thing in the world.
When the Friday arrived for Callie and Mark’s wedding I was so nervous and excited to head to Heritage Prairie Farm with Christy to capture the day. We truly believe that Heritage Prairie Farm is THE perfect venue – it’s so welcoming and beautiful there and the food is without question the best wedding food we have ever experienced. It was a beautiful September Friday and so much fun to see so many friends when we arrived – having Conrad there as a groomsman and guest was definitely a wild experience! And it was so special seeing his fiancé Ami and friends Eve, Doyle and Pat not to mention the many guests that were there to celebrate Callie and Mark. We love all of these people and were so thankful to spend this time with them at our favorite place!!
Callie looked absolutely gorgeous, which Mark sweetly told her the second he saw her at their First Look. He didn’t take his eyes off her for the rest of the day, and he later delivered perhaps the most touching and romantic vows we have ever heard from a groom. As we all wiped away tears Callie and Mark kissed and joyfully toasted their signature drinks outside in the sunshine. And of course everyone then had to toast an Underberg together (those reaction shots might be some of my favorites from the day!)
The tent at Heritage Prairie Farm looked extra beautiful thanks to the talented floral team at Purple Rose. After giving a beautiful and heartfelt speech Conrad took a few moments out of enjoying dinner to fly his drone for some stunning sunset photos of Callie and Mark. Once the sun set we gathered together and “sent off” the newlyweds with sparklers (well, we took some fun pictures and then headed back to the tent for dancing and rejoicing!) Our friend Karen came along to create a beautiful live painting of Callie and Mark’s first dance – they danced to Phoebe Bridgers’ beautiful version of “Friday I’m in Love” that may just be my new favorite because it reminds me of Callie and Mark’s perfect love. This was truly the best day, what an honor and joy to be there to celebrate Callie and Mark!!
Congratulations, Callie and Mark, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Callie and Mark’s beautiful wedding photos click here
VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Something Blue
FLORIST
Purple Rose
HAIR + MAKEUP
Hair’s 2 the Bride
LIVE PAINTER
Karen Sako
ENGAGEMENT RING
Brilliant Earth
BRIDAL GOWN BOUTIQUE
Altar Bridal
BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES
Birdy Grey
MENSWEAR
Men’s Wearhouse
Michelle & Nolan’s Salvage One Engagement Session
We first connected with Michelle and Nolan when she scheduled an Extended Family session for her family. Michelle is a ray of light and after Christy photographed her family she had such a great time meeting this sweet couple . . .
We first connected with Michelle and Nolan when she scheduled an Extended Family session for her family. Michelle is a ray of light and after Christy photographed her family she had such a great time meeting this sweet couple she recommended we connect to talk about their wedding plans for next year. Well, within about thirty seconds of meeting Michelle and Nolan I was in love, this couple has such a warmth to them and a natural connection. I was overjoyed when they hired us to photograph their wedding at Salvage One for next September!!
I was so excited when Michelle and Nolan asked if I would come downtown to Salvage One for their engagement session, I always feel inspired when I am in this amazing space! I had the idea to invite Conrad to join us and shoot some film on his vintage cameras, film photography and Salvage One seem felt like a match made in heaven. So he loaded up some color and BW rolls in his Minolta TC-1 point-and-shoot, his Leica M6 and Mamiya RZ67 and went with me to shoot this engagement session on film. After he sent off Michelle and Nolan’s rolls to The Darkroom and got the scans back we were SO excited about these images, can we just shoot EVERYTHING on film please??! I mean, how stunning are all of these?
Conrad’s film scans are so gorgeous I can’t help but feel tempted to shoot every session on film now! But I think these digital images that I shot are pretty good too :) It was SO much fun to photograph these two at Salvage One, honestly this was such a dreamy afternoon!!
Thank you, Michelle and Nolan, for inviting us to share in your love story. We are beyond excited to celebrate your wedding next Fall!!
To see all of Michelle and Nolan’s gorgeous engagement photos click here
Michelle and Andrew’s Glam Chicago Riverwalk Engagement Session
Michelle and Andrew met through mutual friends in college. And while they didn’t attend the same school their connection grew stronger and their long-distance relationship soon became something more. Next summer . . .
Michelle and Andrew met through mutual friends in college. And while they didn’t attend the same school their connection grew stronger and their long-distance relationship soon became something more. Next summer these two will say “I do” at the River Forest Country Club, and after getting to know them both at this perfect engagement session I am SO excited to celebrate their love next year!!
To see all of Michelle and Andrew’s gorgeous engagement photos, click here
Nicolle and Billy’s Elegant Chicago Engagement Session
Billy proposed to Nicolle at the rooftop bar at London House overlooking the Chicago Riverwalk. It was only fitting that we circled back and did their elegant engagement session in that same area . . .
Billy proposed to Nicolle at the rooftop bar at London House overlooking the Chicago Riverwalk. It was only fitting that we circled back and did their elegant engagement session in that same area. We first met at Union Station and explored that area together while getting to know each other better. From there we made a quick stop at the gorgeous Chicago Board of Trade before settling in at the Riverwalk. After first meeting on Zoom it was such fun to get to know Nicolle and Billy better during their engagement session, I can’t wait to celebrate their New Year’s Eve wedding with them next year!!
