On a side note: these guys aren’t too big on PDA…in fact their first dance together was at the reception during their ‘first dance!’ So anytime you see them hugging or holding each other…just know…that it was treat for the bridal party to see as well! Goodtimes!

Ceremony: Community Presbyterian Church
407 North Main Street
Mount Prospect, IL 60056

Reception Venue: Double Tree Hotel
75 West Algonquin Road
Arlington Heights, IL 60005

Before we get into the rest of the wedding photos, here is my creative take on their 10-10-10 wedding! I can only imagine how many weddings took place on 10-10-10 this past year, but how many had an image like this?! I’m not sure which of the following two I like better- Feedback is always welcome, help me decide!

Before changing into her wedding dress, they had a couple Chinese traditions to observe. The played some games and drank some tea at her parents house.

She’s upstairs hiding while he is in the doorway trying to get in!

A portrait of the bride-

Her wedding ring-

Since the wedding was on 10-10-10, we had some nice Chicago fall colors around us! I definitely wanted to take advantage of it!

A photo of the ladies-

The whole wedding party- I really like this group photo-

And bride and groom together-

I saw this and we quickly ran up and grabbed this photo. It’s one of those photos where I saw it in my head, but when I took it, I didn’t think it was that special…but when I opened the photo up on my computer…I was able accomplish my vision for it- I hope you like it too!

A playful in between moment-

A cool shot of the guys-

I love this photo of the two of them-

Another tender moment- and a couple of artistic interpretations can be made as well-

Having some fun!

A beautiful veil-

A nice portrait of Carey-

A photo of her wedding bouquet

Her grand entrance at Community Presbyterian Church in Mt. Prospect, IL

A photo of Community Presbyterian Church from the balcony-

A moment after honoring their parents…

And this photo defines their wedding. Praying together after their vows…with the Community Presbyterian Church cross behind them..

We headed to the Double Tree Hotel in Arlington Heights, IL

Her wedding cake-

Instead of a father-daughter first dance, they had a Karaoke moment together! It was fun moment for sure!

Peggy being Peggy during her first dance- She’s gotta have fun!

And Peggy was thrilled that her uncle, famed Chicago House DJ Andy Moy, came out to throw down some House music for everyone!

Thanks again you guys for a great celebration! I can only begin to imagine how He is going use you both now that you are one! May you continue to follow in His ways and be a light to those around you.

with love,

Kenny

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***more than 40+ photos available on my facebook page later this week. Feel free to ‘friend’ me if you want to see those!***

Jonathan wanted a more urban – industrial feel for his wedding photos, after seeing what I have done on other photoshoots. But they were getting married in Wheeling, IL. And if you are not from the Chicagoland area, Wheeling is in the center of the northwest suburbs of Chicago…nice towns and homes…hardly a place one would think to find an urban – industrial location.

But knowing that Becky & Jonathan wanted great wedding photos, I had another creative idea for them, something I have played around with for years and have been wanting to implement at a wedding: “painting with light”.

“Painting with light” is not an easy thing to do as it is…let alone on a wedding day. Yet with all time pressures we managed to pull off four (I’m only sharing three here for now) photos that I haven’t seen done in wedding photography before. Many thanks to the B&G and the bridal party…as this took a lot of work from them!

Here is a “painting with light” photo of the bride with her bridesmaids- The black dresses with pink flowers and ribbons really stand out-

The groom and groomsmen get their own photo…

And then we did a whole bridal party photograph. 22 people! Photographing 22 people can be challenging…and here we are trying to “paint with light”! This was a conceptual photo…I was lying in bed one night the week before their wedding when I thought of this idea for the two of them…I even went out and bought the rope! =)

Working title: “Who Tied the Knot?”

Becky’s wedding shoes were a nice muted color…hot pink =)

Her beautiful mermaid style wedding dress

I absolutely love this photo of Becky …so classic & elegant!

Before our photoshoot, the bride and groom had a first moment together…I love the look on Becky’s face as she contemplates seeing her soon-to-be husband standing before her….

A tear rolled down..it’s tough to see in this small photo-

And in Wheeling, IL (suburb of Chicago) – we found our urban – industrial look!

Fun times! Gotta show off the shoes! =)

The groom putting on the ring…with a very attentive Pastor Min looking on to make sure everything goes right!

One of my favorite moments from Asian weddings…the bride hugging her parents…and her sister is in the background of the photo getting emotional too-

Thanks Becky & Jonathan for having me! Thank you for giving me the time to be creative with your wedding portraits! I hope you are enjoying being in the same ‘home’ let alone the same city! =)

with love,

Kenny

But Serafin persisted and his efforts paid off…she couldn’t help but notice what a great guy he was after all!

***more photos are posted on facebook Feel free to ‘friend’ me if you can’t see the 60+ images there!***

They decided to have their wedding ceremony at their alma mater, Loyola University in Chicago, IL. The Madonna della Strada Chapel is a gorgeous venue right on the lake front.

Wedding Ceremony
Madonna Della Strada Chapel
1032 West Sheridan Rd
Chicago, IL 60660

They held their reception in downtown Chicago, at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) ballroom. It’s right across the street from the Art Institute on Michigan Avenue. The ballroom is a great space with high ceilings and a lot of character. You almost feel like you are stepping back in time when you walk in.

Reception Ballroom
School of the Art Institute of Chicago Ballroom (SAIC)
112 S. Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60603

Before we start with the wedding day photos in chronologcial order, I wanted to share with you my two favorite photos from the day.

I’m still working on the title, but right now I am thinking something along the lines of “Making a break for it!” For this photo, I really tried to be creative with the Loyola University campus-

Another photo I really love…taken at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago Ballroom. Being a little creative with angles and poses-

The ladies got their hair, makeup, and nails done in Lincoln Park at Johnathan Breitung Salon Luxury Spa. A great space that can accommodate any of your wedding needs. The dress was put on at Hotel Sax, which is next to the House of Blues downtown.

I love this photo of Maria in her wedding dress, I love the details in the lace and ribbon.

Stunning!

This was a fun moment in the limo when the champagne was being opened-

Serafin was looking pretty good in his ‘barong’ – Filipino formal wear.

The beautiful Madonna della Strada Chapel-

This photo would be a great for a blackberry ad- =)

The bride making her entrance with her father-

A view of the chapel from the balcony-

We took a bridal party photo outside the chapel-

Though we ran into traffic on Lake Shore Drive, we managed to grab a skyline photo of downtown Chicago at one of Maria’s favorite spots on the lake.

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago-

The ballroom from the balcony

Gorgeous orchid centerpieces

A cupcake tower! Filled with all kinds of cupcakes! mmmmmmmmmmmmm

Another detail shot of the orchids on the napkins-

Party favors

First dance photo

Maria & Serafin- I hope you are enjoying California! It was a beautiful wedding filled with so many awesome moments! Thank you for having me as your photographer and I wish you the best as you begin your new life together!

with love,

Kenny

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Here are a couple photos we took a week before their wedding when we hung out to talk about the two of them and the last minute wedding details.

***more than 70+ photos can be found on my facebook page. Including the prayer ceremonies at the B&G’s houses before the wedding ceremony. Feel free to ‘friend’ me if you can’t see all the photos there***

Church
Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel
190 S Prospect Ave
Elmhurst, IL 60126

Reception
The Meadows Club
2950 W Golf Rd
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008

On the wedding day, we started in Des Plaines…I love Shaina’s laugh as her friend and hairstylist, Gigi, helps put the finishing touches on the veil. Not to mention that her twin sister (maid of honor) seems to almost have the same laugh…like a mirrored reflection-

A photo of the wedding bouquet-

I loved the dress and veil-

A great makeup job was done by Lillian from Starlight Chicago.

Once at the church I grabbed these two portraits of Abin.

I love this photo of Abin…like…I wish I had my picture taken there too! =)

As she began to walk down the aisle…his eyes began to well up…ever so slightly-

The bride is escorted by her two brothers down the aisle-

I love this moment Shaina has with her father just before he presents her to Abin-

Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel was a beautiful church with wonderful natural light coming through. It is located in Elmhurst College…Shaina’s alma mater.

In an Indian Christian wedding…the priest (achin) blesses the rings at the very beginning.

He surprised his bride by singing a song for her-

The ever so important manthrakodi – as he places the sari around his bride. If you want to see photos of the necklace tying (minnu/thali) you can see those in the facebook album.

A group photo in front of Hammerschmidt Chapel-

We didn’t have too much time for creative portraits, but I did manage to get this photo after climbing onto the roof- =) In my mind, it looks like a flower-

I love this photo…Abin & Shaina were so great to work with- their connection was just so obvious to me and it made my job as their photographer so easy!

What a moment- I LOVE this-

Love this photo too! =)

He picked her up with ease!

The wedding cake with matching tiffany/baby blue colors.

The ever so important milk drinking ceremony- One of the few couples that actually drank all of it! =)

Thank you Abin & Shaina for having me as your wedding photographer! And thank you for being willing to walk all over for those creative portraits! I’m so glad we took the time for those! As you were faithful to your convictions regarding your relationship before marriage…I can only imagine the wonderful things that lie in store now that you are one- God bless you guys!

with love,

Kenny

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I did a little something unique at the beginning with the audio. It is the first time I have ever done this- and even though it’s just a little something, I think it adds so much! Enjoy the HD wedding slideshow!

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Mike & Sue went to the same college, and the same church…but they really didn’t know each other at that time. Flash forward a couple years…up in Chicago…a few sparks fly and the rest is history. =)

Heading out to Michigan City was a bit of a day trip. Round trip we probably spent over 3 hours in the car together…but talking to these two was like talking two lifelong friends. Fueled by McDonald’s sweet tea (easy on the ice) we had an awesome time shooting these creative photos in a new location.

***more photos are on my facebook page! feel free to ‘friend’ me if you can’t see the photos!***

Before getting into the photo set, I want to share with you my favorite photo from the session. While on our photoshoot, we could see the clouds rolling in and the rain began to drizzle as we were finishing up our photos at the beach. The clouds really helped to create this awesome photo! It’s a little more on the ‘creative’ side…and I absolutely love it!

When we first arrived, the sun was shining and offering all kinds of gorgeous light!

I feel like singing the theme song from the TV show “California Dreams” when I look at this photo- it definitely doesn’t feel like Lake Michigan.

A little bit of fun-

Gotta love their smiles!

It was awesome to see them smiling and having fun in our photoshoot!

I don’t know…maybe it’s just me, but I love this lighthouse! Maybe from the fact that we really don’t have any in Chicago…

And after the sun set…we grabbed this photo next to a street lamp.

Sue & Mike: I can’t wait until your wedding!

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Wedding Ceremony & Reception: Waterford Banquets
933 B South Riverside Drive
Elmhurst, IL 60126

Decor: Shaadi Creations

***more photos are on my facebook page – check there tomorrow for more than 70+ pictures!***

A photo of Sheetal’s earrings and her Christian Louboutin shoes- Check out the detail in the silver on the shoes

Another shot of the Louboutin- =)

She wore her sari for the morning Indian ceremonies before changing into an evening gown for the reception-

Sheetal’s make up was done by Jane, a beauty specialist from Saks Fifth Avenue-

Waterford looked great as the Indian ceremony was held outside-

A fantastic set up by Shaadi Creations-

In the background…you can see Sheetal’s mom being overwhelmed with emotions

The only moment where she let her emotions in -the part of the ceremony where she says good bye to her family in Chicago.

After the ceremonies were over, she changed into an gorgeous silver evening gown – And while we didn’t have a lot of time, we were able to grab some great photos of the newlyweds!

She got her Christian Louboutin shoes…and he got to rent a Lamborghini – Pretty good deal for both sides!

Being a little creative with Dhaval’s two loves for the day…his woman and the car-

Another creative photo-

Off to the side of the waterford reception hall, there was a sweet lounge set up…I loved the decorative lighting set up.

A photo of the wedding cake

The first dance

Sheetal & Dhaval: when it was all said and done…what an awesome day! Enjoy the photos!

with love,

Kenny

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And so it began with a text message. And then some gmail/facebook chatting. More text messages. But still Damaris would not agree to meet in person. Only after much persistence did she finally agree and the rest was history! It was an Asian-Latino wedding: Indian & Puerto Rican families coming together in marriage. I love the diversity the body of Christ can bring together.

Church: Faith Alliance Bible Church (FABC)
382 S Mount Prospect Rd
Des Plaines, IL 60016

***there are 30 pictures posted here, you can see 50+ on my facebook page. Feel free to ‘friend’ me if you can’t see them!***

I loved the lime green wall in Damaris’ room- I had to incorporate that into her wedding dress photo!

A photo of mom helping her daughter one last time before the ceremony

A portrait of the beautiful bride-

I love the natural light inside Faith Alliance Bible Church- makes for an awesome entry photo!

One of those moments that only a few people saw…I love my job as a wedding photographer!

He couldn’t take his eyes off of her…

First time I ever really got a photo of the important ring passing moment-

We headed out to Chicago, near O’hare for our creative photosession. Dennis is an amateur photographer himself and so I used a technique that I knew he would appreciate for this photo-

It took some time to get to this location, but we definitely made the most of it!

The ladies wore Tiffany blue dresses-

And I really liked how the Tiffany blue worked with the dark grey suit/tuxedo.

And then there was this photo. I’ve never been so happy after a photo before. I was as giddy as a junior high kid on Mountain Dew. So much effort pre-wedding went into this moment and to see it work was an amazing feeling. Chicago O’hare International airport…lots of airplanes flying around…the location of choice for this photo.

Add to the stress level: the intermittent thunder storms throughout the day which threatened to cancel this photo opportunity or move the airplane flight patterns.

literally…5 minutes after we took this photo…the skies opened up and the thunderstorms rolled in! It was pouring rain by the time we got to the reception just 10 minutes later.

And finally a photo of the rings on their wedding color- Tiffany Blue!

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For each wedding, I am always challenging myself to be creative and come up with a new shot or pose. It’s not always easy, but when it works out, I get a rush like no other. Bobby & Theresa let me decide where we would shoot their creative photos and they built in a lot of time into their schedule. More time = more photos!

Ceremony: St Paul Chong Hasang Catholic Church
675 Dursey Ln
Des Plaines, IL 60016

Reception: Meridian Banquets
1701 Algonquin Rd
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008

***more photos from this wedding can be found on my facebook page- feel free to ‘friend’ me if you can’t see them***

I thought this was a fun photo of Theresa’s wedding veil being put on-

Her purple & silver wedding shoes!

Wedding dress details

A photo of the gorgeous bride!

Since we took photos before the ceremony, we had a ‘first look’ between Bobby & Theresa before we started the photo session. You gotta love the purple/lavender dresses and flowers!

Some photos in Elk Grove, near Theresa’s home

Real smiles, real laughs in this photo! Such a fun group!

A great bridal party image

Look at their smiles! It just makes you want to smile too!

As I mentioned before, Bobby & Theresa gave me a lot of time and so I was able to come up with some creative photos like the ones below

I absolutely love this photo of Theresa-

A photo of the guys-

Bobby is a huge comic book and Kung-Fu fan, and so we decided to be a little creative and have some fun with their photos- This was just too much fun to create!

The men-

One of the best shots of the day! Bobby brought one of his most coveted possessions, and we HAD to take a photo with it!

Purple/lavender flowers at St Paul’s

This was a first for me in all my years of wedding photography-

I think this photos sums up their relationship- =)

Wedding cake!

This photo could be titled: Retribution!

Thanks again for a wonderful time Bobby & Theresa! You guys are an amazing couple and thank you for your hard work in the schools and giving so much to your students!

with love,

Kenny

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Ceremony: Twin City Bible Church (TCBC)
806 W. Michigan St
Urbana, IL 61801

Reception: iHotel & Conference Center
1900 South First Street
Champaign, IL 61820

Yih-Chun & Evelyn both attend the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign…also my alma mater (Go Illini!). I also lived down there for four years after graduating, and I like to say that I know Champaign-Urbana pretty well. BUT I really wanted something special for their wedding photos and I stumbled upon this awesome location-

Evelyn looked stunning in her wedding dress.

He couldn’t stop smiling whenever he looked at her-

Being creative with the environment

I love this detail shot of her bouquet of lilies.

I love, love, love this photo of the two of them. There was so much chemistry between the two of them, and I think this photo captures that connection-

We also spent some time in the Japanese garden and Japan house grabbing some photos.

A park in Urbana…

I have spent so much time at TCBC through the years, I could literally walk through this place with my eyes closed. =) I was blessed to photograph a wedding here-

I LOVE this moment right before the first kiss- it happened so fast, but we got it! Look at her playful face!

The iHotel in Champaign, IL. I love this venue, full of amazing architecture and art. I also appreciated Evelyn’s choice on lighting. Those purple lights really add so much to a venue.

The wedding cake

Grabbed this photo of the handsome groom

Just look at all the expressions during this toast- makes me smile everytime

We had to grab some more photos at the iHotel before I left-

Another one of my favorite photos from the day-

Yih-Chun & Evelyn: Thanks for planning so much time for photography! I think it was worth it! =) And as wedding photographers yourselves, thank you for trusting and investing so much into having me as your wedding photographer!

with love,

Kenny

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