Liz Schrenk 7/29/26 Liz Schrenk 7/29/26

Dar & David’s Emotional Garfield Park Conservatory Wedding

Dar and David met on Bumble, where what was supposed to be a simple first date quickly turned into hours of effortless conversation about life, travel, and backpacking. By the third date, David apparently already knew he was going to marry Dar — or at least that’s the story he tells. Dar took just a little longer to come around. Since then, they’ve built a life full of adventures together, from Greece, Israel, and the French and Italian Alps to the wildly glamorous backpacking trails of the Michigan and Wisconsin coasts. Along the way, they beautifully blended their homes (and chaos) with Cow, the cat, and Ulla, the dog, and are now so excited to welcome a new little adventure to the family this September! David proposed to Dar on a hike in the Santa Cruz redwoods — in very David fashion, probably at the absolute worst possible moment — but somehow it was also perfectly sweet, real, and beautiful.

Dar and David discovered us through a Google search that turned up the blog post and photos from our dear friends Ami and Conrad’s wedding at the Garfield Park Conservatory last Summer. The first time I spoke with Dar and David over the phone I was immediately struck by how genuine and kind they were, I felt like we immediately connected and was truly excited to be a part of their wedding day.

Photographing at the Garfield Park Conservatory is always a treat, but being there just after Conrad and Ami celebrated their first anniversary was really something special. It’s just magical there, the plants and architecture and atmosphere is so romantic. Dar is expecting and looked radiant as she (and her cute bump!) walked down the aisle to meet David. He carefully covered his bride’s face with her veil and then they walked together to their chuppah. They celebrated the traditional Jewish marriage rites under their pretty chuppah surrounded by their loved ones and covered in sunshine, it was just such a beautiful evening.

After taking pictures at the Conservatory we made our way to Bar Avec for the reception. Dar’s family worked hard to incorporate her traditional Jewish/Moroccan culture with beautiful costumes and sweets (and some wild late-night belly dancing!) that filled the gorgeous rooftop at Bar Avec and made their night that much more special. We truly loved being there to celebrate with these two (and their cute little bump!) and wish them all a lifetime of happiness together!

Dar and David also asked that we take some vintage 35mm film photographs on their wedding day, we just LOVE when couples want to include that in their wedding packages! Film is so beautiful and unpredictable and just FUN, you really never know what you’re going to get! If you want to read about WHY we love film photography visit this link. We loved pulling out the film cameras during Dar and David’s wedding, there were so many fun moments when it just made sense to snap a quick film photo, we are really glad that we did! These are some of our favorites:

Congratulations, Dar and David, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Dar and David’s beautiful (digital) wedding photos, click here

And to see all of Dar and David’s beautiful film photos click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
Something Blue

WEDDING CEREMONY
Garfield Park Conservatory

WEDDING RECEPTION
Bar Avec

DJ
Toast and Jam

WEDDING RINGS
Jordan Mantzke, Modern Goldsmith

WEDDING DRESS
Jenny Yoo for Anthropologie

BRIDAL SHOES
Sezane

Liz Schrenk 12/22/25 Liz Schrenk 12/22/25

Katie & Jake’s Fun Storybook Gardens Wedding

Katie and Jake’s love story started on the softball field – what began as time spent playing in a simple co-ed league turned into something that neither of them expected – a match made in humor and heart. After each game they would end up in the parking lot, talking for hours, conversations that became the foundation of their relationship. Through their similar quick wit, playful sarcasm, and shared outlook on life, Katie and Jake discovered a connection that felt easy and natural from the very beginning.

As time went on, Jake became Katie’s rock—someone who not only shared her sense of humor but also grounded her when life got overwhelming. Jake is the calm in Katie’s storm, the person who reminds her to slow down, breathe, and enjoy the simple moments. And when she looks at him, she feels like she is exactly where she’s supposed to be. Together, Katie and Jake have learned that the best relationships are built on trust, laughter, and a whole lot of sarcasm. Their love story might have started with a game, but it’s grown into something far more special than either of them could have imagined. And as they take this next step together, they couldn’t be more excited for the adventures ahead, knowing they will always have each other—on and off the field.

Conrad was happy to spend time getting to know Katie and Jake at their engagement session earlier this year and was excited to make the trip to Storybook Gardens in Rochelle for their wedding this Fall! November weddings always bring unpredictable weather but Katie was up for anything and we managed to get SO many beautiful photos even with the conditions being less than ideal. With cute umbrellas and a bit of fortitude we managed to make it work! We were so happy to be a part of this beautiful and fun day!