Liz Schrenk 7/5/26 Liz Schrenk 7/5/26

Allison & Ian’s Gorgeous and Unforgettable Wedding at The Crawford

Every now and again we are lucky enough to photograph a wedding that is truly unforgettable. Allison and Ian’s wedding day was just so fun and filled with joyful moments it hardly felt like work to be there . . .

Allison and Ian met at Clemson University during their Sophomore year. They moved to Minnesota following college graduation and got engaged the following Spring. Ian managed to pull off a complete surprise when proposing to Allison and invited some friends from college to join them in Minnesota to help celebrate. Their Clemson friends mean a lot to Allison and Ian and were so much fun to celebrate with on their wedding day! We got to know the Clemson fight song pretty well by the end of their reception!

Leading up to their May wedding, we had only connected with Allison and Ian over Zoom. When the big day finally arrived it was just wonderful to meet them both in person. Allison and Ian are both incredibly kind, easy-going, fun and silly – these two were made for one another and being around them is truly just a joy. We met Allison and her bridesmaids and Mom at Marquiz Salon in Wheaton for “getting ready” photos before making the short trip to the beautiful St. Michael Church in Wheaton for their traditional Catholic ceremony. St. Michael is such a gorgeous church, we were really happy to be able to shoot there!

Allison looked amazing in her appliquéd gown from The Crystal Bride, we were obsessed with the three-dimensional floral details on her wedding dress. She was excited to show off the pockets in her dress when she did a sweet “reveal” with her bridesmaids and made sure to show Ian the pockets as well after their ceremony. Ian was nervous leading up to the ceremony but all of that melted away once the two of them were together. It was really special to watch Ian as Allison walked down the aisle with her Dad. As they exchanged their vows the church was filled with love and joy to honor the love between Allison and Ian!

Following the ceremony we made our way to St. James Farm for pictures with Allison and Ian’s wedding party and immediate families. We just love shooting there, it’s such a special place with its rows of mature trees and pretty barn buildings. Allison and Ian had one of the nicest and most fun wedding parties we have had the pleasure of working with, we were all laughing and having the best time together at St. James Farm! Ian used to run cross country and was familiar with the sprawling property of St. James Farm so once the wedding party went back on the party bus he took us to a special pond for a few photos of just the newlyweds together.

We finished with pictures at St. James Farm and then settled in at The Crawford in Naperville. Conrad and I were excited to see that this venue space (formerly Noah’s) had been reimagined and was more beautiful than ever to host unforgettable wedding receptions! Allison and Ian arrived and went straight for the pool table, one of our favorite moments from their day was shooting while they played billiards at The Crawford. The playful energy between Allison and Ian is infectious and it was so much fun capturing those moments around the pool table!

The rest of the night was a dream – we loved eating the always delicious meal provided by our friends at My Chef Catering and watching Allison and Ian practice their first dance during dinner. Once the dance floor opened and Sounds Abound started doing their thing it was immediately filled with friends who came to party – this truly was an unforgettable day!

Congratulations, Allison and Ian, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Allison and Ian’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEOGRAPHY & DAY-OF COORDINATION
Something Blue

VENUE
The Crawford

FLORIST
Phillip’s Flowers

HAIR AND MAKEUP
Marquiz Salon

CATERER
My Chef Catering

DJ
Sounds Abound

WEDDING CAKE
Le Chocolat de Bouchard

WEDDING DRESS BOUTIQUE
The Crystal Bride

BRIDAL SHOES
Pashion

BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES
Birdy Grey

MENSWEAR
Macy’s

WEDDING RINGS
Wayzata Jewelers

Liz Schrenk 10/14/22 Liz Schrenk 10/14/22

Sarah & Gilberto’s Romantic Farmhouse Wedding

Sarah and Gilbert met while working together, but didn't exactly like each other at first. Out of the blue they started talking about traveling and their friendship took off. Gilbert introduced Sarah to a new world of different cuisines. He makes her laugh and challenges her every day. Gilbert fell in love with the size of Sarah’s heart and caring ways. He loves that she can bring out his cheesy and playful side.

Gilbert planned a proposal along with Sarah’s family; Sarah had dinner with her sister while Gilbert and her family set up the scene in their backyard. He definitely took her by surprise, Sarah only though it was weird that Gilbert had been cleaning the house every day during the week prior!

I was excited to meet Sarah and Gilbert in person at their engagement session, even though it was VERY cold that day!! Sarah’s Mom came along to help with their adorable dog Clifford (who cutely rocked an “I Do Too” bandana). I think we finished their session in under a half-hour and were completely frozen by the. time we were done! But Sarah and Gilberto’s love kept them warm, it was clear how deeply they care for each other.

On their wedding day, Ashley and I were really happy to shoot at the beautiful Farmhouse in Plainfield. It was the perfect venue for Sarah and Gilberto’s romantic day! Sarah had THE most amazing girl-squad hyping her throughout the day – we laughed and laughed with these bridesmaids while they slayed in their sexy rust dresses all while helping Sarah and keeping her laughing all day. And Gilberto’s crew of groomsmen was equally awesome, we were obsessed with the character mugs that he gave them as a token of his appreciation for their friendship. We see a lot of wedding parties but this group will always stand out to us – loyal and faithful friends who truly loved and supported the bride and groom AND made it fun and easy to do our jobs throughout the wedding! It was the perfect day, we were so thankful to be a part of it!

Congratulations, Sarah and Gilberto, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Sarah and Gilberto’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Something Blue

VENUE
The Farmhouse

DJ
J.P.W. Productions

HAIR & MAKEUP
Kate K Beauty

WEDDING DRESS
Essense of Australia

Liz Schrenk 12/22/21 Liz Schrenk 12/22/21

Laura and Kyle’s Chic Elements at Water Street Wedding

Laura and Kyle have been together since 2018 and have navigated highs and lows throughout their relationship. Kyle proposed to Laura under the Christmas tree outside of Hotel Indigo in downtown Naperville on the Riverwalk, so it was only fitting that we celebrated their wedding there the following fall . . .

When we arrived at the Hotel Indigo we were SO happy to reunite with Laura’s two beautiful sisters-in-law, Liz and Jen. We photographed Liz’s wedding last fall and have had the opportunity to photograph Jen’s family several times over the years. These women are all just so strong and beautiful, it was just like reuniting with old friends to see everyone again at Laura and Kyle’s wedding!

Laura looked absolutely FLAWLESS and Kyle was so sweetly emotional when he saw his bride at their “first look.” It was a blustery November day so we explored the hotel for a while for photos before braving the elements (pun intended!) to take a few outside at the Riverwalk. After we were all blasted with wind, cold and a tiny bit of precipitation we made the short drive to the ceremony.

As soon as we arrived at St. Raphael’s in Naperville Laura put her veil on and had the sweetest moments with her Grandma. Their Catholic wedding ceremony was filled with beautiful traditions, and after their first kiss as husband and wife we all felt such a sense of elation!

We ended up back at the beautiful Elements at Water Street for an epic party to celebrate the newlyweds. The room looked gorgeous and everyone was so happy, it was truly the perfect day!