Liz Schrenk 8/7/25 Liz Schrenk 8/7/25

Ami & Conrad’s Dreamy Garfield Park Conservatory Wedding

I first met Conrad when he was just seventeen years old, finishing high school and willing to come alongside my burgeoning business to help me photograph weddings and edit photos. Little did I know then that I was meeting my best friend, someone who would help carry the weight of this business in ways I could have never imagined. Conrad is the most loyal, steadfast and supportive person I have ever known and I truly cannot imagine how Something Blue Photography could exist without him.

I first met Ami in 2019, not long after I left the hospital following my traumatic MS diagnosis. I was using a walker and felt vulnerable and weak, but Conrad invited me and my husband on a double-date with his new girlfriend Ami. Meeting Ami was a revelation, and for all the love I have for Conrad I knew after being with Ami for just one night that my friend had found his forever person. I knew that night that we had just met Conrad’s future wife, and I couldn’t be happier for my friend.

Ami and Conrad share an easy and peaceful connection that is rooted in shared respect and an appreciation for the good things in life. It has been so wonderful to be friends with these two over the years, they are like family to us and I am so thankful for all the memories we have together.

When Conrad was planning to propose to Ami he had the idea to pop the question in Paris, because truly what could be romantic than that?! He set the bar high and picked the most gorgeous ring for Ami, and Christy and I decided that we could use their proposal as the perfect excuse to get away to Europe for a week to photograph this moment for our dear friends. We tried to be sneaky and plan the proposal with Conrad over text and FaceTime but Ami caught a glimpse of us seconds before Conrad popped the question – even so it was the most beautiful and romantic moment watching Conrad ask Ami to marry him with the Eiffel Tower in the background. We celebrated together with wine and cheese (and pickles!) under the Eiffel Tower, and then woke up super early the next morning to take more pictures while the sun rose over Paris. Christy shot one of our favorite photographs EVER as Ami and Conrad happily strolled together along the Trocadéro while a flock of birds took flight all around them. This trip and these moments will forever be so special to us, we are so grateful for the opportunity to have celebrated Ami and Conrad’s proposal in Paris with them.

Ami and Conrad decided to take their time planning their wedding and over the next two years they chose to celebrate their marriage quietly with family and friends around the country. The last stop of their wedding celebration tour was Chicago, and they chose the gorgeous Garfield Park Conservatory for their wedding ceremony. Ami looked beautiful in her simple sheath from Anthropologie while Conrad chose a crisp brown suit and a floral tie that we jokingly said looked like upholstery from a vintage Grandma couch – they both looked amazing and very “them.” Their first look was so sweet, Conrad was so happy to see his beautiful bride and from that moment on they did not leave one another’s side.

The talented team at Flowers for Dreams set up the most gorgeous chuppah to serve as the perfect backdrop for Ami and Conrad’s ceremony. Ami’s Dad David served as their officiant and had us all laughing and crying simultaneously as he lovingly spoke about his daughter and new son during their ceremony. Finally the moment arrived and Ami and Conrad were officially pronounced husband and wife, we were just all so happy for them!! After taking pictures in the Conservatory we celebrated with an intimate dinner in Logan Square, and the next day we came back downtown for another round of pictures before enjoying their bigger party at Lonesome Rose. All along the way we felt so happy for Ami and Conrad and grateful to be a part of these beautiful celebrations!

The only way we could really properly capture Ami and Conrad’s wedding weekend was by shooting with film cameras, Christy and I had lots of fun snapping 35mm shots of each big moment throughout the weekend! I’m sort of obsessed with how these all turned out, I just love that film is having a moment right now!

We love you so much and wish you a lifetime of happiness together, Ami and Conrad!! Thank you for sharing your wedding memories with us!

To see all of Ami and Conrad’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Something Blue

CEREMONY VENUE
Garfield Park Conservatory

FLORIST
Flowers for Dreams

WEDDING DRESS
Anthropologie

SPECIAL THANKS
Quality Time Bar
Red Hot Ranch

Liz Schrenk 5/26/22 Liz Schrenk 5/26/22

Rebecca and Stef’s New Orleans Spring Wedding

Conrad and I have a soft spot for New Orleans, so we were thrilled when asked to photograph Rebecca and Stef’s wedding in New Orleans. We made a long weekend of it so we could get in some tourist time . . .

Conrad and I have a soft spot in our hearts for New Orleans. We went there with my husband Peter and his girlfriend Ami for a long weekend just before Covid shut the world down, it was SO much fun to explore together and indulge there! So we were thrilled when my fun-loving cousin Stef and his beautiful wife Rebecca asked us to photograph their wedding in New Orleans this Spring!

We made it a long weekend with my whole family, Conrad and Christy and arrived in New Orleans on Wednesday night. We spent Thursday exploring the French Quarter and met Stef for a delicious brunch at The Court of Two Sisters. We ate a thousand beignets and drank hurricanes on the street and did touristy things and just had the absolute best time.

When Saturday arrived the weather was absolutely PERFECT for Rebecca and Stef’s wedding at the Ormond Manor. We unloaded our rental car and met Rebecca and her beautiful bridesmaids upstairs at Ormond Manor to start the celebration. Getting ready photos with these girls was SO much fun!! But the mood on the other side of the house was even more celebratory where Stef was getting ready with his groomsmen.

After Rebecca slipped into her gorgeous fitted wedding dress she walked downstairs for an emotional “first look parade.” First she saw her bride-squad at the bottom of the stairs, her bridesmaids were all SO sweetly supportive and excited to see Rebecca as a bride! Then she went out front to see her Dad, a man who typically does not show much emotion but couldn’t hold it back when he saw his baby girl on her wedding day. Rebecca ended up out back where she gave Stef a playful little butt-squeeze for their first look, once they were together they didn’t leave each other’s side for the rest of the day.

The thing is, Rebecca and Stef are perfect for each other. They complement each other in every way, and love one another deeply. What a joy it is when we get to be a part of that kind of love story, whether it’s at home or on vacation!! We had the most amazing time celebrating Rebecca and Stef, hopefully the pictures speak for themselves, this really was the perfect day!