Chicago Trump Hotel & Tower Wedding Photos!

After our ridiculously fun engagement session together, I couldn’t wait for Stephanie + Marek’s wedding to come! Here’s a photo from their engagement session. Be sure to check out the rest of them at this blog post-

One thing I love about Stephanie + Marek…their love for quality photography. And I was honored to be their wedding photographer! They valued beautiful photos as well as my creativity…as we were able to get some photos that have never been done in Chicago. Nothing cliche and there are photos from their wedding that you will not see on any other wedding photographer’s site (as of today at least)-

Before I get into their wedding blog post, I just wanted to quickly share two of my favorite photos from their wedding! I LOVE this photo of Stephanie- She got her wedding gown at Boutique Victoria and I believe Victoria Sdoukos designed her dress! And being the boutique that they are…they recommended this necklace to compliment her Victoria Sdoukos wedding dress!

And a photo of the newlyweds- with the Trump Chicago Tower in the background!

***stay tuned for more photos to be posted on my facebook page next week!***

We started the day off at the Trump Chicago Hotel – a photo of her Jimmy Choo shoes!

And a detail shot of her necklace…which I absolutely adored.

Marek getting some help from his best man-

And I LOVE this photo of Marek. What a portrait. You know you look good on your wedding day…but how much better is it that you have an amazing photo to remember it by?

A photo of her wedding bouquet

And I love the ethereal feel of this photo- her Victoria Sdoukos wedding dress from Boutique Victoria

They held their wedding ceremony at St Hyacinth Basilica- a gorgeous church- It was a special moment for Mom to walk her daughter down the aisle-

The artwork in St Hyacinth Basilica…you almost feel like you are in Europe-

A photo of Marek saying his vows-

To finish off their wedding ceremony – a dove release!

A stunning photo of the bride and her bridesmaids-

The groom is not to be out done-

Full bridal party photo! What a good looking group!

My favorite bridal party photo! This guy was hilarious…at first I was like…this guy is ruining my shot! And then I thought to click the shutter- Perfecto!

The bridesmaids and the bride looking good!

A beautiful photo of the bride and groom!

I love their smiles!

Stephanie + Marek were so comfortable in front of the camera- an engagement photo session really helps on the wedding day!

More wedding photos in Chicago!

Gotta include Wacker Drive when we are thinking Chicago wedding photos! =)

Possibly one of my favorite bridal party photo of the year so far!

A bridal photo inside the Trump Chicago Hotel!

A photo w/the signature Trump Chicago Hotel window panels- and in the reflection- the Chicago Tribune Tower!

Nothing says Chicago wedding like a photo with the Chicago River…so we went on a bridge and got the Trump Chicago Hotel in the background!

And then we saw this…one of my favorite photos of the day- A nature photo in the city…serene but yet so urban!. LOVE!

Gorgeous centerpieces-

Wedding cake photo w/the Trump Chicago Hotel windows in the background!

Stephanie surprised Marek w/ a groom’s cake! He loves the Chicago Bears- what better way to celebrate on your wedding day!

Trump Chicago Hotel wedding room photo…looking beautiful for their first dance!

And then there were fireworks! A spur of the moment photo- And we nailed it!

And the night is complete w/a photo of their wedding rings! Incorporating their party favor- a chocolate bear!

Thanks Stephanie + Marek for having me as your wedding photographer! You guys were so great to work with…and I am thankful for your trust in my vision and creativity!

with love,

Kenny

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New Chicago Studio in Lincoln Park: 855 W. Blackhawk Chicago, IL 60642 *by appointment only*

Oh Happy Winter! Last week I was on my way home from Haiti. Sunburned and blessed. It’s a tough reality coming back to the freezing cold of Chicago. These days I have been keeping busy in my new studio. I’ve been taking photos of families and babies…and also playing interior designer. I’m looking forward to next week, when this Chicago wedding photographer heads out to Cabo, Mexico to photograph Brittany + Vaido’s destination wedding! It’s gonna be great! But for now, I wanted to share with you Sue + Mike’s HD wedding photo slideshow!

I love all the little moments that really shine through in the wedding photos. Enjoy!

Music:
Just the Way You Are: Written by Bruno Mars covered by Kina Grannis
Marry You: Bruno Mars

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New Studio – 855 W. Blackhawk St Chicago, IL 60642

I’m so excited! My first ever family portrait promotion!

Last Minute Holiday Photos! – a limited promotion by Nakai Photography
-A mini studio session (30 minutes at my new Lincoln Park studio) – for couples, families, dog owners
-1 8×10 print
-2 5×7 prints (of the same image as the 8×10)
-50 Holiday cards w/custom designs (designed for exclusive use by Nakai Photography)
-All for a special promotional price of $200!
-and in the spirit of the holidays, bring in a new toy to donate…and you get $50 off!

So spread the word on this promotion! It’s only going to last for a couple weeks! I’m looking forward to shooting more families in my new Chicago studio! Feel free to email me at: info {at} nakaiphotography {dot} com to set up a time for a photo session!

So yesterday…I picked up the keys to my new studio in Chicago! Nakai Photography is now in Lincoln Park! I am super excited about this new endeavor…and to kick it off, I had a photoshoot with the Frank & Julie’s family! I have been photographing them since 2007- you can see a previous photoshoot from this past summer here. So it’s only fitting that the Frank & Julie are the first family I photograph in my new studio!

This studio is so fresh that I literally don’t have anything in this new space yet. It’s a warehouse loft…and it’s HUGE! I’m sharing the space with Vale of Enna (floral designer) – though we occasionally work together on weddings, we were friends back in junior high school! I’ll share more about the new studio space in future posts…but I wanted to throw this out there to all the families, couples and dog owners:

Anyways, back to Frank and Julie- here are some more portraits from our session together! I love this picture of all the kids together!

Then some photos of each kid by themselves, I think some of them believe the candy cane is a martial arts weapon-

I love this photo collage of the kids-

And a “Nakai Photography” portrait of Frank & Julie!

Thanks you guys for a great time and for being apart of this new chapter of Nakai Photography! I hope it was worth the drive from the ‘burbs to Chicago!

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Elizabeth & Dan went to high school together. Good ‘ol New Trier High School…in the northern shore suburbs of Chicago. They even went to prom together! She told him she liked him…and…Dan being a typical high school guy…didn’t quite know how to respond. =)

College put some distance between them. Like 48 states in between. Thus…out of sight out of mind? Almost. I’m sure there are chapters in between, but let’s fast forward to the end of the story…where years later sparks are rekindled and…bata boom bata bing…they are now married!

We had a great time at their engagement session photoshoot…it was good for them to be in front of the camera…so on their wedding day, they didn’t have to worry about feeling uncomfortable having their pictures taken. You can see their engagement photos here.

Since their families live so close to one another in the northshore suburbs of Chicago, it only seems fitting to have their wedding ceremony there as well. The Kenilworth Union Church, with it’s wonderful architecture and beautiful courtyard, was a perfect fit. After the ceremony, we headed down Lake Shore Drive, through downtown Chicago, to the W Hotel Chicago City Center. A reception venue with a great vintage and modern vibe.

Ceremony
Kenilworth Union Church
211 Kenilworth Ave
Kenilworth, IL 60043

Reception
The W Hotel Chicago City Center
172 West Adams St
Chicago, IL 60603

Elizabeth’s wedding dress looked at home in her parent’s living room.

Her wedding shoes by J.Crew

The younger sisters helping to put the finishing touches on her wedding dress-

When the other two bridesmaid’s walked in…they were a little overwhelmed-

A couple photos of the gorgeous bride!

I suppose I should post a couple photos of the groom as well- =)

A photo of the guys-

Some photos in the courtyard of the Kenilworth Union Church

Taking advantage of the stonework surrounding the church

I love their expressions in this photo-

Wedding photography was a high priority for Elizabeth & Dan. They appreciate the way I incorporate architecture into my wedding photography, and I really wanted to make sure I did a good job for them-

I love the way he is looking at her in this photo-

Leaving Kenilworth, we headed downtown…and on the way we stopped at a bridge where we could capture “Chicago” with various architectural details.

The pink flowers just pop in the color palette of this photo-

You can just see it in his eyes….just how happy she makes him feel-

I saw this moment about to happen and I ran across the street to grab this photo. I didn’t prompt them or anything…this was how they were walking…I’m sure some of them didn’t even know I was taking this photo.

Wonderful floral arrangements-

The main ballroom at the W Hotel Chicago City Center-

The wedding cake with pink accents

Pink floral centerpiece-

Cocktail hour at the W Hotel-

Look at her smile as they dance their first dance as newly weds. I can only begin to imagine some of her feelings at this moment-

Wedding ring surrounded by pink orchids-

And to finish the night…a surprise from Dan’s brother…a midnight carriage ride through Chicago.

Elizabeth and Dan…though you guys have known each other for years…it is so very obvious in these photos and others…just how much you guys love each other. You are loved by so many…thank you for having me as your wedding photographer. I wish you both the best!

with love,

Kenny

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I’ve known Donald since 4th grade. In PE, he was like Frank Thomas of the White Sox as he hit the softball for home runs all the time. He was also one of the taller ones and was the center on our junior high basketball team. You see…back then, he was more like ‘baby Shaq’. But something happened when he got to college. Now…I think he might weigh less than me.

I’ve known of Mimi for a couple years and was excited to hear that they were finally engaged! And I was honored when Don asked me to be his wedding photographer.

There are more photos on my Facebook page. (60+ images) Feel free to ‘friend’ me if you can’t see them! And thanks to Alex Roy for coming out to be a second photographer-

First off – the shoes-

The Bride & Groom’s rings-

Her wedding dress-

The lovely wedding bouquet – I love orchids -

My favorite portrait of Don from the day-

We headed out to the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL for their creative portrait session.

My favorite shot of the day- I’ve had this shot visualized in my head for over 6 months now. It was great to finally try it out- I’m so thankful to have had such a cooperative bridal party!

Titled: Lost Lovers =)

Who has the ring?!?

Donald & Mimi – Congrats! I look forward to seeing you both in the near future! Don- once wedding season slows down, let’s definitely watch a Bears game!