Wedding Portraits on Chicago Rooftops

One of Creativo's signature portraits that we love to produce for many of our couples is from the vantage point of amazing rooftops, terraces and decks. 

© Wedding Creativo Photography

© Wedding Creativo Photography

© Wedding Creativo Photography

How are we able to accomplish this for many of our clients, for over two decades? We'll that is part of the work we do as professional photographers.

To any up-and-coming photographers that might stumble upon this post, our free advice...our work never involves us just showing up at a private business or venue without permission.  We never just go and "ask forgiveness later."  That isn't hard to do, and that might work often enough in the short run.

However, "asking forgiveness later" also puts your professional credibility at risk in potentially disappointing your clients. And also, if you plan to be in the game for more than a few years, that is the single best way to burn bridges with other professionals that you will need to rely upon if you plan to go back to your favorite locations more than a few times over the course of your career.

Chicago Spring Wedding Portraits

Are you planning a spring wedding in the Chicago area? If so, you can enjoy portrait backdrops of spring flowering trees including several varieties Crabapple, Cherry Blossom, Lilac, Magnolia, and several others in our region.  Planning a date around peak tree blooming is tricky, since nature doesn't follow our human calendar, but generally the first couple weekends in May are a pretty safe bet.

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Small Wedding at Creativo Loft Chicago : Lori + Michael

Lori and Michael celebrated their May spring wedding at Creativo Loft in Chicago with about 70 of their family and friends.  It was a vintage style affair with teal and coral colors, and the bride's fantastic lace overlay dress from Weddings 826. Their ceremony was held downstairs from Creativo Loft at our neighbor's theater space, Chicago Dramatists.  

Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktails and a delicious dinner by J and L Catering and cupcakes by True B Bakery.  DJ Nikki Cam Cam kept the dance floor filled, while guests were surrounded by rustic flowers from Natural Beauties Floral, and an overall fun and vibrant event designed by Soiree Events.

Small Winter Wedding at Creativo Loft

Brooke and Craig traveled from Michigan to celebrate their December wedding in Chicago.  Their morning brunch wedding at Creativo Loft was the kick-off for their New Year's Eve wedding day.  Bride Brooke chose blush, silver and gold tones for their powder-snow winter day.  The groom's family lives in Scotland, so a small gathering of the bride's side welcomed him to his new family in America.

Despite the chilly temperatures, Wedding Creativo photographer Giorgio and the couple went around to a few downtown Chicago landmarks for some beautifully snowy wedding portraits.  We coordinated an all-inclusive brunch wedding for the intimate group at our studio's own venue, Creativo Loft, including a delicious red velvet cake from Tipsycakes and adorable floral work from Steve's Flower Market.  Congratulations to the happy newlyweds!

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Chicago Autumn Wedding at Ivy Room

We had the pleasure of having an extended amount of time for intimate portraits with Nadia and Bill.  Their chilly and rainy September wedding day began at the Hotel Sax, with lots of unusual and diverse areas for indoor portraits.  Our brave troopers then faced the windy and chilly elements outdoors at a few Chicago landmark locations, before heading to the Ivy Room for their ceremony and reception.

There was a slight rain delay, but thankfully, the clouds eventually parted so the ceremony could carry on as planned in the outside courtyard.  Afterwards, their intimate lounge-style reception featured a gourmet Mediterranean spread.   Colors of purple, orange and brown were a perfect pallet for their cozy autumn evening soiree.  Of course, a favorite moment for everyone was their fun rendition of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" choreographed dance...complete with the trademark silver glove.

Also, for a fun interactive activity for their guests at their reception, Nadia and Bill included our fun Polaroid cameras and guest book.

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Event professionals:  Wedding Creativo Photography, J&L Catering, Flora, I Do Films, The Left Bank Jewelry, Wedding Bells Bridal, Art + Science Salon, Home James Chicago Limo

Authentic Victorian Era Style Wedding

Terah and Ross celebrated their emerald green and gold wedding at Unity Lutheran Church and the Fortnightly Club in Chicago.  The bride is a historian and created an authentic Victorian era theme wedding....down to making her own dress!  It was modeled off of a 19th century Civil War era design. The groomsmen's suits were also period inspired with old fashioned ascotts instead of modern ties.  The bride's mother Linda also helped a great deal by elaborately designing the reception table centerpieces. Each table had a different traditional scholastic subject theme and was decorated using a varieity of antiques and vintage pieces such as inkwells, maps, globes, books, and old photographs. Overall, the style of the wedding reflected both Terah and Ross's professional careers in academia.  Terah and Linda also made the invitations and programs, and many other details. All in all it was truly an exceptional D.I.Y. wedding, We will always look back on this as all-time favorite for us, not only for the amazing details, but primarily because Terah and Ross were such wonderful and kind couple, an absolute pleasure to get to know, and we were so honored to be included on their memorable day.

Wedding Creativo Photography

October Wedding at Metropolis Ballroom

Deep orange and purple colors, vintage style, and candle-lit mason jars created a lovely setting at the Metropolis Ballroom in Arlington Heights, Illinois for Bailey and Dan's October wedding. The couple were inspired by autumn farmers markets for the overall feel for their wedding.

There were several unique and personal touches by the bride and groom, as well as their family members, for their Jewish wedding details.  Some highlights included adorable personalized seed packets that doubled as escort cards and guest favors, which were strung up with mini clothespins. The laundry line theme was also carried over in the cocktail room were a wall was strung with their childhood photos. Lots of mason jars that the couple collected were used as candle holders for the ceremony aisle and reception tables. The beautiful ceremony chuppah was constructed by the groom's father, and draped with the bride's family heirloom embroidered top.  Small pumpkins and fall foliage were also nice touches used throughout the reception decor.

The bride's spectacular vintage style dress and veil were custom creations by local designer Dame Couture.  She also wore lovely accessories including a hairpin was from Blue Bow Millinery, great-grandmother's earrings, maternal grandmother's accent ring, and Mariana shoes by GOLC.  The groom wore a gray Kenneth Cole suit, and bridesmaids dresses were majestic purple Alfred Sung gowns from Dessy Group.  For their wedding rings Bailey and Dan chose conflict free diamonds and recycled platinum from Brilliant Earth.  The bride's handkerchief and groom's fedora hat were also fantastic accents to express their style.

Event professionals: Rabbi Max Weiss, Beauty on Call, Sprout florist

Wedding Creativo Photography

September Wedding at University Club of Chicago

Mary and Matt were married on a September afternoon at Assumption Catholic Church, with reception at The University Club of Chicago.  Giorgio and I enjoyed celebrating with this fun couple and their friendly families. They all have a wonderful sense of humor and love to sing and dance.  Mary and Matt really threw a great party at their wedding!

The peachy colors with red accents were a nice color pallet for an early September wedding transitioning from summer to autumn. The bride's Vera Wang gown and Stewart Weitzman shoes gave the wedding style a classic foundation.  However, some modern-vintage pieces added personal touches, especially the heirloom veil, which had been worn for three generations in the bride's family.  Contemporary understated styles from Anthropologie and J.Crew adorned the bridesmaids and groomsmen.

A fantastic team of professionals helped this couple create a warmly welcoming and fun-loving wedding day: ceremony officiant Msgr. Jerry Ward, Windy City Trolley, Simply Flowers, Publicide invitations, Little King wedding rings, and reception catering and cake by the University Club of Chicago.

Photography © Wedding Creativo Photography

Chicago Wedding at Gibsons Steakhouse

Alicia and Nate had a beautiful day for their September wedding at St. James Chapel and Gibsons Steakhouse in downtown Chicago.  We started with preparations and the couple's "first look" at Sofitel, followed by portraits along Lake Michigan before heading to their intimate ceremony and reception.  We loved her pastel pink sash and flowing satin gown, and exquisitely delicate bridal bouquet by Zuzu's Petals.

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Ari and Simon Wedding Highlights at Union League Club

Congratulations to Ari and Simon! The newlyweds tied the knot over the weekend at St. James and Union League Club.  They traveled all the way from Australia (along with over 40 of the groom's family and friends) to have the wedding near the bride's family in Chicago.  We'll feature more of this wedding in the future, but for now here are some highlights.

Wedding Creativo Photography

Jewish Wedding at University Club of Chicago

Natalie and Paul celebrated an intimate Jewish wedding at the University Club of Chicago. Her high-fashion corset dress was stunning, and we enjoyed strolling Michigan Ave. with this lovely couple taking in the sights of the tango dancers and chess players. Their private elegant ceremony and reception was accented with gold and champagne hues, with floral accents in fuchsia and pinks, and unique silver bowl style centerpieces.

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Chicago Lakeside Elopement : Aina + Valdas

Congratulations to newlyweds Aina and Valdas, who were married this June in Chicago along Lake Michigan.  This Lithuanian couple were accompanied with a couple friends and family members for a location elopement package we offer through our venue & photography services Creativo Loft & Wedding Creativo Photography. We not only perform elopements at our venue, but we also go outside on location during warmer months.  Aina and Valdas opted for a Friday one-hour elopement, and then went out for a celebratory dinner, and finally a honeymoon in the Carribbean.

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Joe & Lena Wedding Highlights at Adler Planetarium

Congratulations Joe & Lena who were married at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago this spring.  These highlights feature their modern and elegant spring wedding with purple, lavender and silver hues.  This couple also found our list of professional recommendations helpful during planning, so we had the pleasure of working with several of our favorite event pros at this wedding too, including Zuzu's Petals florist, Luscious Layers bakery, Windy City Limos, Sonia Roselli Makeup, Something 2 Dance 2 DJ, Rev. Marian Hale, and preparations at the Blackstone Hotel.

Joe & Lena also included our Polaroid camera services to add to their intimate and fun reception.  We brought some cute glitter heart sunglasses to compliment the bride's glamourous style, and also silly star-shaped glasses for their evening under the stars at the planetarium.  Everyone had a great time on the dance floor with our "pazzi" props, using our instant cameras all around the reception, and making a fun keepsake album for the happy newlyweds.

Photography © Wedding Creativo Photography

Spring Chicago Wedding at The James Hotel

Michelle and Mathew are a very sweet couple that met while traveling in one of the most awe-inspiring places in the world. With Machu Picchu in Peru as the setting, who would not fall in love? So, this couple incorporated some Peruvian wedding traditions into their special day. 

We started out by taking advantage of the blooming trees for some romantic spring wedding portraits. Then, at The James Hotel the ceremony was performed by officiant Anita Vaughan, who shared the tale of their lives and love story.  Afterwards, an intimate gathering of family and friends dined at the hotel's restaurant David Burke's Primehouse.  At the dinner table we were charmed by with the bicycle theme place cards, Vosges chocolate gifts, and incredibly detailed Machu Picchu wedding cake designed by TipsyCake. 

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After the wedding, inspired by the reception bicycle detail and their purple-pink wedding colors, we designed this "Thank You" card for the newlyweds.

Chicago Wedding Photographer : Chicago Skyline Portraits

Chicago wedding photographers Wedding Creativo Photography is located downtown, so of course many of our couples love to go to sites with skyline views for their portraits.  Here are some of our recent favorite wedding pictures with beautiful Chicago skyline views.

Rustic Small Wedding at Creativo Loft

Theresa and Octavio are service industry professionals, so we were excited to see how they would use Creativo Loft for their wedding.  They are also fortunate to have very creative people in their family. 

The couple went with the natural warm tones of our space, with our burgundy and cream draping and champagne table overlay linens.  The bride's sister and friends came in the day before to set up the DIY table centerpieces, place cards, and accent decor.  The bride's brother actually made the wood ceremony arch, which after the wedding became a nice garden piece for the couple's yard.  A unique and beautiful tree motif was used on the place cards and guest gifts to match the golden tree cake topper.

In addition to the wonderful DIY details, professional services were enlisted for a polished event. To officially tie the knot, one of our favorite officiants Judge Perry Gulbrandsen presided over the ceremony. The delicious cake from Swedish Bakery was topped with an heirloom cake topper from the bride's grandparents wedding.  Outstanding cuisine, bar service, rentals and staffing were handled by FIG Catering.  The couple also utilized some of our in-house services and decor at Creativo Loft, including our music sound system, rustic farm table, antique wood trunk, antique Venetian lantern floor lamp, iron bistro table and chairs, and champagne and burgundy accent linens.  We also had the corner lounge setup with couches and antique Italian marble coffee table by our vintage upright piano.  It was a lovely wedding and congratulations to the newlyweds!

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Dave and Kim Wedding Highlights

Congratulations to Dave and Kim who celebrated their wedding in Geneva last weekend, and we are excited to share some highlights from their special day.  Stay tuned for a full feature of this wedding in the future.

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Chicago Wedding at Harold Washington Library

When a wedding is the first one for any family it is usually extra emotional.  Moms are often just as nervous as their daughters.  You might even see dad shed some tears.  These families were indeed filled with butterflies and excitement for the bride and groom on their special day.  It was adorable to see Jamie's father so expressive with emotion, and it is always wonderful to see parents so involved and attentive on the wedding day.

Jamie and David held their wedding at Saint Cajetan Church and reception at Harold Washington Library. Natural beauty was abound with lovely greens and vintage details to set the tone for their grand celebration. 

The bride wore a spectacular Lazaro gown and statement heels from Stuart Weitzman.  The reception had a wonderful balance of elegance with rustic vintage accents.  A few items were made by the bride, or special collected pieces including the cute Mr. and Mrs. chair signs.

What we always remember most at all weddings are the unique spontaneous moments, and at this one...they were filled with songs.  Read on below to see how Jamie and David's wedding day was at times like a real-life musical with many people spontaneously breaking out into song.

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Jamie and David invited former American Idol contestant Chris Medina to their wedding and he sang at their ceremony! As it turned out a lot of people (and a bird) were inspired to sing for Jamie and David. They enjoyed not one but two spontanous group serenades in the park while we were out taking portraits. Finally, the happy couple were treated to one more surprise song at the reception, this time by their bridal party!Featured event professionals:  Steuber Florist, Naples Bakery, Tone Productions DJ, Exquisite Limousine, Formally Modern Tuxedo, Bella Bianca Bridal, Wedding Creativo Photography.

Small Breakfast Wedding at Creativo Loft

Misty and Frank celebrated their marriage in March, just a few days shy of the first day of spring.  It was a chilly day, but these troopers went out for some classic Chicago landmark portraits before joining their family and children at Creativo Loft for a morning ceremony and breakfast.  This marriage not only was the joining of a bride and groom, but also the blending of a new family with their children.  Congratulations to the newlyweds and their family!

© Wedding Creativo Photography

Ukrainian Wedding at Public Chicago

Olena and Andrew celebrated their marriage with a Ukrainian ceremony at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, followed by a modern-vintage style reception at Public Chicago hotel.  The bride's own father celebrated the traditional marriage mass at this spectacular and historic church located in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood in Chicago.

Olena was radiant in her lace detailed Watters gown, long lace trimmed Vera Wang veil, and sparkly Enzo Angiolini heels.  Andrew wore a sleek Hugo Boss suit.

The bride and her family handmade several sentimental details.  Her sister made the blue floral dressing robe, grandparents made the Ukrainian wedding bread, which symbolizes blessings and good fortune, and her mother made the ceremonial myrtle crowns. The bride sewed the pillows that incorporated lace from the groom’s mother & grandmother’s wedding gown. The hand-binding fabric was embroidered by a local Ukrainian artisan with Olena’s design.

The bride made all of the paper goods, and styled her reception dinner with her own collection of silver embossed chargers, vases and candles.  The couple gifted guests with Kona coffee, vanilla infused cane sugar from Maui, and chocolate covered macadamia nuts from their home in Hawaii.

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Event professionals:  Public Chicago/Pump Room catering, Weddings by Karolina day-of coordinator, TipsyCake pumpkin spice cake, Asrai Garden flowers, La Tavola linens, Tablescapes rentals, Nika Vaughan makeup, Sarah Jean Stevens hair styling, & Wedding Creativo Photography.