Liz Schrenk 5/8/26 Liz Schrenk 5/8/26

Shawnda & Justin’s Unforgettable Fairlie Wedding

Shawnda and Justin met like so many couples do – they both swiped right on Hinge and the rest is history. As they spent more and more time together it became obvious that they were meant to be, and we were lucky enough to meet these two when Justin planned to propose to Shawnda at the lakefront in December 2024. Justin reached out to our friendors The Heart Bandits to plan the perfect surprise proposal for Shawnda. Conrad waited on the steps outside of the Shedd Aquarium and hopped into action just as Justin got down on one knee. It was such a sweet moment and we are just so thankful that Conrad was there to photograph their proposal! He came back from that shoot just raving about how incredibly kind and fun Shawnda and Justin are, and we were just thrilled when they decided to hire us to photograph their wedding!

After planning for over a year Shawnda and Justin’s wedding day finally arrived. We met up with Shawnda and her girlfriends and family at the Hyatt Wicker Park and everyone was in great spirits. The weather was beautiful for early April and we were excited to get Shawnda and her bridesmaids out onto the balcony for some fun champagne-soaked pics before Shawnda slipped into her chic Watters gown from Anthropologie. Shawnda looked radiant and was just beaming the entire day, it was such a joy to be around her and photograph each beautiful moment.

Shawnda and Justin wanted an elegant, classy and simply sophisticated wedding and found the perfect venue in the absolutely gorgeous Fairlie Chicago. The Fairlie’s website boasts of “unexpected splendor” and honestly we couldn’t think of a better way to describe this amazing venue. From the moment we walked into the Fairlie we fell completely in love, from their stunning bar to the exposed brick and dramatic staircase all the way down to the furnishings and light fixtures this venue checks every single box as the perfect place to celebrate a sophisticated Chicago wedding.

Shawnda and Justin chose to do their first look and exchange private vows at Fairlie in a quiet corner upstairs filled with beautiful natural light. Justin looked so dapper in his white tux jacket that he accessorized with the happiest smile that he wore from the moment he saw his gorgeous bride. Shawnda and Justin had asked their guests to wear all black to the wedding and the overall aesthetic was just perfection, everyone looked SO amazing and the photos turned out gorgeous!

After their first look we made our way to the river to take pictures by the Wrigley Building. Fate was smiling on these two as the sun peeked out just as the trolley pulled up and we had the place almost entirely to ourselves (super rare at one of the most popular locations in the city to for wedding photos!) We loved photographing their wedding party and immediate families (and even had some fun shooing away some nosy tourists who wanted to sneak phone photos and videos of the wedding party!) From there we went back to Fairlie and took a few photos by the bar before settling in for their ceremony.

The talented team at The Flower Girl Company had worked their magic while we were out taking photos and transformed the Fairlie into a magical wedding wonderland of greens and whites. They lit hundreds of candles along the aisle to create the most romantic backdrop for the ceremony. As Justin walked into the room the guests burst into joyful applause, the energy was just absolutely perfect. Shawnda’s brother Khalfani did a great job as their officiant and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room once Shawnda and Justin shared their first kiss as husband and wife.

Shawnda and Justin walked back down the aisle as newlyweds and happily jumped into Fairlie’s adorable rickshaw for a quick romantic ride together, it was just the cutest moment!! Once they came back inside the party really got started, it was the most unforgettable night! We are so thankful to have been a part of this perfect day, we only wish we could do it all over again!

Congratulations, Shawnda and Justin, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Shawnda and Justin’s gorgeous wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
Something Blue

VENUE
Fairlie

FLORIST
The Flower Girl Company

CATERER
Chic Chef

HAIR & MAKEUP
Crystal Eyez

WEDDING DRESS
Watters by Anthropologie

WEDDING RINGS
Ethan Lord

BRIDAL SHOES
Dolce Vita

Liz Schrenk 6/7/23 Liz Schrenk 6/7/23

Megan & Mike’s Beautiful Arbory Chicago Wedding

Megan and Mike met at The Map Room in Bucktown, fell in love and got engaged in Tuscany (!) two and a half years later. We first connected with Megan and Mike after her cousin Casey’s wedding last summer . . .

Megan was glowing on her wedding day, she looked stunning – Megan is naturally gorgeous, but the team at Tamara Hair and Makeup did an amazing job (as always!) getting the girls ready for the big day. Once Megan was dressed in her beautiful Calla Blanche gown we made our way to the back alley at Trivoli Tavern for Megan and Mike’s first look. Mike’s reaction to seeing his bride was really sweet, he couldn’t take his eyes off her for the rest of the day!

After their first look we connected with the rest of the wedding party on the trolley and made our way to Olive Park for wedding party photos. It was a beautiful sunny day and we loved spending time with this fun group!! After taking plenty of pretty skyline pics we journeyed to the Wrigley Building for more wedding party photos (and some gorgeous shots of Megan in her veil) before setting in at The Arbory for the ceremony and reception. This was our first time shooting at The Arbory and we were completely blown away, we can’t wait to go back to this beautiful venue! We were blown away by the gorgeous florals by Stems Chicago, the hanging arch that they created for Megan and Mike’s ceremony was something we will never forget. The day-of coordination team at Vrinspirations made sure that every detail was carefully executed, it was the perfect day!

Congratulations, Megan and Mike, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Megan and Mike’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
Something Blue

VENUE
The Arbory

DAY-OF COORDINATOR
Vrinspirations

WEDDING FLORIST
Stems Chicago

HAIR AND MAKEUP
Tamara Hair and Makeup

WEDDING GOWN
Calla Blanche

BRIDAL GOWN BOUTIQUE
Mira Couture

BRIDAL SHOES
Nina Neya

WEDDING RINGS
Norridge Jewelers

MENSWEAR
Suit Supply

DJ
Louie Cue

Liz Schrenk 7/22/22 Liz Schrenk 7/22/22

Liz & Mike’s Glamorous Morgan’s On Fulton Wedding

For Liz and Mike, Orlando is the spot where their friendship grew into a romance. In Orlando Liz and Mike developed a group of close-knit friends, but the two of them, using the guise of researching the local bar/cocktail scene, began a series of informal meetings that soon morphed into dates. The relationship magically continued to grow when just after 3 months of dating, Liz moved to Seattle and a distance of 3,000 miles separated them.

For the next year Mike and Liz managed to spend one weekend per month together. They enjoyed hiking through the northwest woods and exploring the cuisine (oysters) of Seattle. Liz would fly to Orlando for some needed sunshine and a chance to kayak and explore the beaches with Mike. After the year of red-eye flights, Liz moved to Chicago where Mike and she reveled in the one hour time difference.

After almost two years of a long-distance relationship, Mike moved to Chicago, purchased a down coat, and began to fall in love with the city and life as a Midwesterner again. Long-distance became a thing of the past and the two couldn't be happier to share time together again. Mike and Liz found endless adventure in the many neighborhoods of Chicago and can often be found biking to a new spot for a bite to eat or a sight to see.

On a snowy day in Humboldt Park, just two blocks from their condo, Liz and Mike affirmed their compatibility by becoming engaged in January 2021.

Then this is where we come in – I first met Liz and Mike in Humboldt Park for their engagement session last fall. We explored the area where Mike proposed before ending up at Parson’s for some adorable photos AND a delicious chicken dinner. I remember talking to Conrad afterwards trying to explain just how much I LOVED spending that time with Liz and Mike – they are down to earth, relatable, fun, and just SO in love, I was truly so excited to celebrate their wedding with them.

When the day finally arrived for Liz and Mike’s wedding, Conrad and I were so happy to be there alongside Liz and Mike’s closest friends and families to celebrate their love. Liz looked absolutely STUNNING in her chic Alice and Ivory gown. After she finished getting ready at the Emily Hotel, we met with Mike in the gorgeous alleyway behind Trivoli Tavern. Liz and Mike’s First Look was one for the ages – they both wiped away happy tears when they saw each other for the first time on their wedding day. From there their wedding day was a big happy blur – we did photos in the alleyway with their favorite people before heading to the river for some beautiful shots near the Wrigley Building.

After we finished with photos we settled in at Morgan’s on Fulton for the most beautiful and moving candlelit ceremony. Liz’s sister-in-law officiated the ceremony which ended with a joyful pop of champagne. At last Liz and Mike were husband and wife and danced the night away on the rooftop to the sounds of the Bluewater Kings Band. It was one of our favorite weddings ever, our only hope is that these photographs fully convey just how beautiful this day truly was.