Valparaiso Family Session || Valparaiso, IN Family Session

Julie and Wayne welcomed Graham into their life just one year ago... and then moved into their new home in Valparaiso, IN about a month ago. Safe to say they have had an eventful year! 

When Julie invited me to their home to capture photos of them in their new background, I couldn't have been more thrilled. Loved capturing these precious moments for this family of three. 

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Palmer Square Park, Logan Square Family Session || Chicago, IL Family Photographer

This sweet family welcomed their son Logan into their world just two months ago. On a gorgeous sun-filled morning in May, I met these three in Palmer Square Park for their first family session. Logan is such an adorable baby who enjoys sticking his tough out, blowing bubbles, and snuggling up to his mom & dad. 

Hope you enjoy these highlights from this adorbale family session! 

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Gina + Greg || Devil's Lake - Baraboo, WI Engagement Session

A few weeks back, Brandon (my hubs) and I drove out to Devil's Lake State Park in Baraboo, WI to meet Gina and Greg for their engagement session. It had rained the day before so all the trails were muddy and slippery, so we decided to stay along the lakefront and walk the rock-filled path along the lake. The four of us chatted and laughed throughout the whole session. We all share a love for Parks and Rec (Jerry Gergich <3), camping, and now, Devil's Lake. Gina and Greg became so comfortable during the session that it was so clear that these two love one another and aren't afraid to be themselves with each other. Their goofy side even came out for some photos which made me crack up while editing these (there's a good one below!). Can't wait until their wedding this October; I'm sure it'll be a good one!

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Robin + Taylor || Belmont Harbor - Chicago, IL Engagement Session

Robin and Taylor's sunset engagement session at Belmont Harbor was absolutely beautiful. The cotton candy sky and views of the Chicago skyline made for such a gorgeous setting. Robin and Taylor were so comfortable with each other and their laughter was just contagious. Their adorable pup, Sydney, also tagged along for some photos - she's the cutest! 

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Katie + Allen || Syracuse, IN Wedding

Katie and Allen tied the knot this past April at the Blue Barn Berry Farm in Syracuse, IN... try saying that venue 3x fast! Their day was packed full of sweet moments and gorgeous details - from their intimate first look to her stunningly whimsical bouquet.

Towards the end of the night, Katie danced with her father and then Katie and Allen shared their first dance as husband and wife,  and the sun was just beaming in. Made for the perfect ending to an amazing day. 

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Vendors: 

• Photographer - Erika Mattingly Photography
• Venue - Blue Barn Berry Farm 
• Officiant - Emily McGinley
• Stationary - e.m.Papers
• Florist - Garden Annie's
• DJ/Band - Robert McCloy and the Stringtown Trio
• Caterer - rua
• Bakery - Nordmann's Nook
• Bride's Attire - Weddings 826/Sincerity Bridal
• Groom's Attire - Men's Wearhouse
• Hair/make-up - J3 Salon

Logan Square Family Session || Chicago, IL Family Photographer

Just a few months ago, this sweet family welcomed Judah into their world. I had the joy of capturing some adorable moments for them in their home. Quickly I learned that Judah enjoys putting his hands in his mouth, playing with his cute little feet, and flying through the air (with some support from his parents, of course!). Hope you enjoy some favorites from this session! 

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Sweet Melissa Desserts || Chicago Editorial Shoot

Shoots with Sweet Melissa Desserts are too good. She seriously makes the most incredible desserts and I just love the way she incorporates inspiration from her grandmother throughout her business. For instance, the bundt cake [pictured below] was her grandmother's recipe and she still even has her grandmother's cake server to go with it! 

For this shoot, Melissa and I worked on capturing all her new branding materials and some new treats to her shop... I'll let you in on a little secret - her snickerdoodle cookies are the best I've ever tasted. Seriously. You need to give them a try. 

SPOILER ALERT - there's a little surprise towards the end of this blog post. 

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So my husband, Brandon Mattingly, decided to tag along on this shoot and film some behind the scenes. Here's a little video to see what the shoot look liked. Enjoy! 

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Geneva + Tyler || Highland Park, IL Proposal Photos

I have known Geneva for a little over a year now and I cannot express how thankful I am for our friendship.

About a year ago she messaged me on Instagram and shortly after we had our first of many sushi dinner nights. Through our many conversations, I knew that she and Tyler (Geneva's boyfriend, now fiancé!) had been talking a lot about marriage, and Geneva was patiently waiting for Tyler to propose. So last week when Tyler contacted me to capture their proposal, you can only imagine how excited I was! 

This was my first time capturing a proposal and it was truly such a joy to witness. Tyler wrote out his proposal to his future bride and read it to her on the beach in Rosewood Park. Before Tyler could even stand Geneva embraced him and said "yes" to forever with him. Knowing that they have been praying and patiently waiting for this day to come made watching this moment unfold all the more sweeter. 

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Kaylee + Stuart || Valparaiso, IN Engagement Session

Kaylee and Stuart are engaged, and I am so excited for them! For their engagement session, we went to the woods behind Kaylee's childhood home. Despite the cold temps, the sun was shining throughout the whole session and we had so much fun climbing over all the fallen trees. Cannot wait to capture these two again on their wedding day! 

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Rachel + Keith || Rockton, IL Wedding

Rachel and Keith tied the knot back in September on a beautiful apple orchard in Rockton, IL. The excitement these two shared to marry one another was so clear - their first look got me real good. And, all their details were simply gorgeous. Her dress looked like it came straight from a fairytale. Their grandmothers were their flower girls (I love this idea!). AND, they even had a COTTON CANDY bar for guests when they took a break from the incredible dance party. 

Rachel and Keith's wedding was just so good and I'm so thankful that Erika of Mayden Photography brought me along to second shoot this incredible day. 

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Geneva || Chicago, IL Mini Portrait Session

Earlier this month I met up with Geneva of Kite & Spring Photography. Geneva has been such a sweet friend of mine this past year - sushi dates are our norm. For our most recent meetup, we decided to do some photos together to try out some new techniques at her apartment. It was so fun to think outside the box a little bit and get creative in new ways. Will definitely be incorporating some of these things in upcoming shoots. Enjoy! 

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Urban Elegance Inspiration at Indiana Cathedral Ruins || Chicago, IL Wedding Photographer

Wedding Inspiration comes in many forms, and often in the unlikeliest of places. When I met with Abby of Heirloom Event Co. to dream up a new form of inspiration, we knew they wanted a location that was unexpected and captivating. City Methodist Church of Gary, IN was the perfect setting for this unique shoot. These cathedral building ruins, echoing with the love stories of the many couples who had passed through its altar, now stand in crumbling decay covering the beauty just beneath the surface. 

Planning in unusual locations can be a challenge and this inspiration was not short on challenges. Abby did an incredible job of finding the balance between the soft and delicate details of a wedding day with an urban location, all while creating the intimate feeling of a wedding. Couples looking for unique settings for portraits or elopement ceremonies can look beyond the traditional venues and reimagine even the most unlikely of spaces.

This inspirational wedding shoot is was filled with so many incredible and breathtaking details. Be sure to see below for the full list of this creative team that made this shoot possible. 

UPDATE: This shoot was recently published in Green Wedding Shoes & WeddingDay Magazine!

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Video by Brandon Mattingly (aka my husband)

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Creative Team: 

Photography - Erika Mattingly Photography
Event Planning & Design - Heirloom Event Co.
Invitations - Four Hats Press
Florals - Fleur, Inc. 
Furniture Rentals - Strangelovely
Dress - Alyssa Kristin
Menswear - Richards Fabulous Finds
Hair/Makeup - Bianca Sansosti Artistry
Cake/Sweets - Sweet Melissa Desserts
Jewelry - Katie Carder Fine Jewelry
Videography - Brandon Mattingly
Venue - City Methodist Church, Gary IN

Kelsey + Drew || Chicago, IL Engagement Session

Kelsey and Drew's engagement session at Montrose Beach Harbor was my last engagement session for the year and it was such a good one. With little to no direction, they made each other laugh constantly. Their love was so effortless to capture. Sidenote: There is about a foot height difference between these two and Drew is known for picking up Kelsey often. Throughout the session, he picked her up maybe a half dozen times and it was adorable (included some photos of this throughout this blog post). Enjoy!

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Christine + Tom || Macon, GA Elopement

Earlier this year I flew out to Georgia to meet with Christine and Tom to capture their elopement. I had never met them before but after we went out to dinner for my first night in town, I felt I had known them for years. I caught on to Tom's sense of humor rather quickly, and Christine and I bonded instantly over our love of Grey's Anatomy and mystery podcasts. They are both into creative writing so they even bought me some good reads as a thank you! They are truly some of the kindest and most thoughtful people I've gotten to know through my photography business.

The next morning they went to the courthouse to legally tie the knot and then that afternoon they decided to have a more intimate ceremony with just the two of them, their good friend and their sweet pup, Molly. Molly also served as their ring bearer and she was the most adorable ring bearer I've seen.  Christine and Tom eloped in Amerson River Park in Macon, Georgia. They exchanged their vows just as the sun was setting and all the Fall colors created such a gorgeous backdrop. Christine wore a dress from ASOS and flower crown from Mulberry Weddings & Events, and Tom wore a suit from Hagger with an awesome handmade tie from QP Collections. With these gorgeous details, the beauty of Amerson River Park, their personal vows, their adorable pup, and the clear love and passion these two have for one another, their day was beautifully simple, meaningful and love-filled. So thankful to have been apart of it all. 

UPDATE: This elopement has been featured on Borrowed & Blue! 

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Brittany + Austin || Cary, IL Anniversary Session

I met Brittany through a Facebook group for photographers. About a month ago we met up for coffee and instantly hit it off. Given that we are both photographers, naturally, we ended up taking photos of one another (If you're interested, click here to view those photos after you check out this blog post!). When Austin (her hubs) called me to see if I could do a surprise anniversary session for them, I was so excited! It was such an honor to be able to help celebrate their one-year anniversary as husband and wife. This session was packed full of laughter, passionate kisses and some dreamy light. Enjoy! 

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Sweet Melissa Desserts || La Porte, IN Commercial Shoot

Fall is my favorite season, hands down. I'm so glad I had the chance to meet up with Melissa of Sweet Melissa Desserts again to feature some of her Fall themed desserts! Garwood Apple Orchard in La Porte, Indiana gave the perfect Fall colored backdrop for this session.

Back in August I met with Melissa for our first session together and I heard a lot about what initial inspired her to start her own baking business - it's an adorable story about her grandparents (check it here after this blog post)! So for this session we decided to continue to tell her story by including her mom (or mama) in this session. Melissa's mama has encouraged Melissa throughout this whole process and she is quite the baker herself! Melissa's mama made the buttery caramels for this shoot and they were incredibly delicious. These two make such a great team, and my sweet tooth sure appreciates them. ;)   

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Maureen + Scott || Chicago, IL Engagement Session

Lincoln Park never looked so pretty. Maureen, Scott and I met in mid-October for their engagement session. The Fall colors were just peeking through and it created a gorgeous backdrop for their shoot. Excited to meet again for their wedding next June.

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Brittany || Elk Groove Village, IL Portrait Session

Spent this Fall afternoon sipping on coffee, snacking on blueberry muffins and capturing images of this gorgeous lady. Brittany (also a fellow photographer!) is such an amazing person and a light for the Lord. So thankful for this new friendship... and many more coffee dates to come! 

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Brie + Erik || New Carlisle, IN Wedding

Brie and Erik got married at The Homestead 1835. Their wedding day was packed filled with beautiful moments. By the way, their little boy is adorable and a dancing machine!  

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Vendors: 

Venue - The Homestead 1835

Dress - Catherine's Bridal Boutique

Groom's Attire - Louie's Tux Shop

Hair - Serenity Spa

Caterer - LaSalle Gril

DJ - Entertainment Express

Allie + Connor || Chicago, IL Engagement Session

I'll be the first to say that getting up before sunrise can be tough... but I am SO glad I did for these two. A little over nine years ago, Allie and Connor met in high school (my high school in fact!) and they have been dating ever since. After being with each other for so long, their love for one another is too good to miss. He makes her laugh so hard without even saying a word... literally, I asked him to whisper something funny in her ear and he couldn't think of anything to say so he said "nothing." As I type this I'm thinking that maybe that was a had to be there moment haha.. But okay I'll stop rambling and let you enjoy! 

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We are just half way through! After our sunrise session at North Avenue Beach, we went for coffee to catch up. Among other things, we chatted about wedding details - let me tell ya, their wedding is going to be gorgeous and I am so excited for them! I also got to hear their proposal story. So as I mentioned they met in high school - Connor thought it would be a good idea to take Allie back to classroom where they met to propose! He decorated the room with photos they've taken together throughout their 9+ years together. How sweet is that?! Gosh, I love hearing sweet proposal stories. :) Okay, now on to the rest of their engagement session at Lincoln Park Conservatory. 

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