Ali and Antonio’s Garfield Park Conservatory wedding was truly a reflection of their personalities and love for one another. The event really showcased their interests, including a deep love for music and literature. It was an incredibly hot day which made it a bit of a challenge but everyone was in high sprits and we were able to take some cool down breaks throughout the day.

I started getting ready at Ali’s parent’s house in Chicago with her and her wedding party. It was great to spend some time with everyone before the ceremony!

When she was ready, everyone took a limo to the Conservatory. We started with a first look in the gardens outside the space which made for such a lovely backdrop. They didn’t want to spend a lot of time on our portrait session but we were still able to get a variety of sweet shots of the two of them together.

The ceremony was incredibly heartfelt and also included a song by a friend of the couple. The officiant was a family friend who added a lot of advice and humor to the event.

Ali and Antonio really love candid photographs so I made sure to walk around the space to get different angles and views of their ceremony.

Cocktail hour is often taken up with family photos but since we did them before the ceremony, I was able to get some great moments of guests interacting. Antonio is a musician and there were two different bands that played and made for a unique reception with a variety of music.

The bride’s sister, Stephanie, of Flowers by Stem, did a fantastic job with the decor at the event. I loved the bright orange flowers that lined the tables.