Happy Mother's Day 2010

Happy Mother's day to all of the moms out there! Here are some recent favorite kids portriats.  You can see more of our our family and lifestyle photography at Creativa Vita.

© Giorgio Ventola Inc.

Wedding Creativo Daily Photo: 05.09.2010

Jen and Jim's wedding was very sweet and I remember their first dance was to Queen's "Your My Best Friend," which is still one of my all time favorite selections for the first dance.

• You're My Best Friend by Queen

More Queen music on iLike

An old Airstream RV was parked near their reception at Silver Lake Country Club, and we stopped for this classic favorite moment.

© Giorgio Ventola Inc. Wedding Creativo

Wedding Creativo Daily Photo: 05.08.2010

Today's photo comes from Allison and Tom's wedding, which took place outside behind her parents home in St. Charles, Illinois. "Back yard" just does not seem appropriate since I remember that it was so vast it more like a forest! I will never forget that their minister got stung by a bee while performing the ceremony, but she did not show any reaction at all...I was amazed by her level of concentration!  This was a fun shot with the bride and her bridesmaids in the "back yard" forest.

© Giorgio Ventola Inc. / Wedding Creativo

A Milestone Anniversary for Our Business

My partner Giorgio is kind of like Peter Pan.  He is not really into celebrating birthdays and anniversaries in what I think is his own magical way of staying perpetually 18 years old.   While our years of experience is one of our biggest assets in this line of work, Giorgio is usually embarrassed for me to talk about time.  We are forward-thinkers, continually pushing ourselves to be modern and progressive artists, so I understand why he always prefers to look ahead to the future rather than dwell in the past. However, I do think it is rather significant that Giorgio established our studio in May 1980, and we (I joined him almost a decade ago) still continue to grow and explore new and exciting work every day.

To kick off our Daily Photo features looking back thoughout the years, please enjoy one of our favorites from the 1980s.  This was our very first "signature" image when we first expanded our studio onto the World Wide Web in spring 2001.  A big thanks to all of our clients, past and present -- we literally could not have come this far without you!  And, of course we are looking forward to all of our new clients' weddings and portraits this year, and we hope, many more years to come. 

To Giorgio...cento anni di felicità! Baci, Sarah :-)

© Giorgio Ventola Inc. / Wedding Creativo

early 1980s bridal portrait

Latest Addition: Fine Art Flush Mount Albums

Our new sample album has arrived to showcase the latest addition in our wide ranging line of albums -- the Fine Art Flush Mount book.  It is produced by the same bindery as our Hinge-Bound book, so they are very similar, but the Fine Art book has premium level distinctions.  Here are the key ways they are different:

Fine Art Flush Mount book: first and foremost, NO CENTER GAP! The images are printed on premium fine art papers and mounted flush to hard back pages.  Paper options include matte watercolor, matte linen, matte recycled eco-watercolor, and shimmer pearl.   Cover options include metallic image wrap, canvas, and dozens of leathers and fabrics.

Hinge-Bound Magazine book: since it is a magazine style album, the images are printed directly on the pages, and paper options include standard smooth paper and premium shimmer pearl.  With the hinge binding, there is a small gap in the center crease, but this allows these lighter pages (compared to flush) to lay flat.  This style is more cost effective than the Fine Art Flush Mount, which can make the Hinge-Bound a good option for duplicate copies or smaller brag books.

Be sure to visit our new sister site, Creativo Couture, to learn all about our albums and display goods.

Image is © Giorgio Ventola Inc. / Wedding Creativo Photography© Giorgio Ventola Inc. / Wedding Creativo Photography

Glorious Cakes + support for Cakegirls

We were saddened to hear about the fire that destroyed Chicago's Cakegirls bakery.  While they are working on rebuilding their business, supporters can purchase t-shirts to help Cakegirls employees.  We wish them a speedy and successful recovery.

Wedding cakes are indeed works of art.  From elaborate to understated, they are not only lovely centerpieces for the reception, but they also represent the style and personalities of each couple.  Giorgio is always teasing me that I take 5000 pictures of the cakes at weddings, but I can't help it.  I'm always in awe of the beauty and craftsmanship that goes into these sweet wonders.  In honor of all cake makers, here are highlights from some of our recent weddings. The first picture is an amazing golf bag cake made by Cakegirls for a couple of avid golfers who had an elegant golf-themed reception.  Feast your eyes!

© Giorgio Ventola Inc. / Wedding Creativo

April: Earth Day + Greener Weddings Awareness Month

Spring is here, a time of year when many of us are reminded to try and add greener living habits.  It is also Greener Weddings Awareness Month, and we try to do our part with our business, so here is a reminder of some of the eco-friendly services we offer:

• online proofing for print orders and albums
• recycled watercolor cardstock for Save the Date and other cards
• eco-friendly album cover options including vegan (faux leather), organic silks and fabrics, organic hemp canvas
• eco-friendly and recycled fine art paper options for albums

If you are trying to have a greener wedding, what are some of the ideas you are including in your plans?

find inspiration and ideas for greener weddings at The Green Bride Guide

Nyran + Pablo's Wedding

Congratulations to Nyran and Pablo who had a beautiful winter wedding with the entire day's festivities taking place at the historic Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel.  Che Sguardo Makeup and Segovia Hair Salon had everyone looking smashing, Ashland-Addison made the floral arrangements, Sarah's Pastries created the beautiful cake, Don Cagen Orchestra kept the dance floor crowded, and Camille Victoria Weddings kept everything running smoothly.  Nyran's beautiful dress is by Chicago couture designer Alice Padrul.

All images © Giorgio Ventola Inc. / Wedding Creativo

We are a new member of Chicago Style Unveiled

Chicago Style Unveiled.com loves what we do for Chicago weddings!We are thrilled to become a member of Chicago Style Unveiled, a beautiful resource for wedding planning and inspiration.

Weddings that sail in Chicago

If you are having trouble determining just the right location near the lakeshore for your wedding, perhaps charting a different course is in order.  With beautiful Lake Michigan at our doorstep, and the Chicago River running through the city, marina life is quite active and attractive for events in Chicago. 
© Giorgio Ventola Inc. / Wedding Creativo Photography

Along with the main ships at Navy Pier, there are several boats available for private events.  Here are several worth checking out that are available for weddings:

Entertainment Cruises
Odyssey – up to 200 guests
Spirit of Chicago – up to 200 guests
Mystic Blue – up to 145 guests
Located at Navy Pier

Kanan Cruise Ship
Up to 400 guests
Located at Navy Pier

Windy Tall Ship
Up to 150 guests
Located at Navy Pier

Red Witch Schooner
Up to 49 guests
Located at Navy Pier

Anita Dee I & II Yacht Charters
up to 149 and 400 guests respectively
Located at Navy Pier

Free Spirit Yacht
up to 120 guests
Located at Burnham Harbor

Valara VI Yacht
Up to 149 guests
Located at Burnham Harbor

Chicago Line Cruises
Ft. Dearborn – up to 200 guests
Innisfree – up to 90 guests
Located at North Pier Docs on Ogden Slip
behind River East Arts Center

Shoreline Charters
Celebration – up to 100 guests
Evening Star – up to 200 guests
Located on Ogden Slip in front of Navy Pier

Chicago’s First Lady
Up to 150 guests
Located at Riverside Gardens Dock
Michigan Avenue bridge at Wacker Drive

Then, there are private yacht clubs that are available for their members’ weddings:
Columbia Yacht Club
Belmont Yacht Club

Finally, if you are looking for an intimate locale to pop the question, many private charter companies also have smaller boats available that are perfect for that special romantic occasion. All aboard!

We are a Green Bride Guide member

We are excited to have been accepted in the Green Bride Guide directory.  There are several efforts we make with our business and personally to live and work eco-consciously.  We reuse, recycyle and reduce in many ways.  Back in pre-digital era, photography inherently was a pretty dirty industry with more harsh chemicals being used to develop film.  Our studio's wedding workflow is 100% digital, and along with our standard goods we have several print and display goods that offer eco-friendly and organic options including recycyled waterpaper papers, non-leather covers such as canvas, fabrics, metal, and faux leathers - including vegan materials! See more about our eco-friendly efforts, and also browse the Green Bride Guide for some ideas how to have a more green wedding.

Wedding Humor: Band Reunion

Wedding Creativo - Social Butterfly: January 2010

Our Facebook-Twitter posts really offer Wedding Creativo friends/fans/followers more than just regurgitaed blog posts.  The scope of our Facebook world is much broader than our blog, and we think worth following for additional scoop on upcoming events, trends, and lots of ideas and finds for wedding planning or just fun stuff for couples.  Our recent January posts have included:

- Great finds on great deals - sales, shows, specials and tips for wedding planning savings

- Tips on upcoming trunk shows such as Belle Vie Bridal's Vera Wang Couture Samples

- Info about the first IndieWed show coming up tomorrow

- Ideas for wedding day overlooked details - like fancy embrodered hangers for your gown

- Suggestions for fun retro eBay finds to trick out your reception bar

- News about Wedding Creativo and lots more!

Follow Wedding Creativo Photography on facebook for regular updates! Or get the same messages from Wedding Creativo on Twitter if that's how you roll. 

Sarah Toulouse is a fan of

Wedding Creativo Photography

We place in top 10 in WPD Creative Wedding Photography Contest

For the second consecutive time one of Giorgio's pictures placed in the top 10 of the WPD Creative Wedding Photography Contest.  It is a national contest that had over 3000 entries, so top ten ain't too shabby. ;-)

Wedding Creativo @: video from Metropolitan Club event

We had lots of fun meeting attendees and other industry professionals at the Metropolitan Club's 'Love at Breathtaking Heights' event.  We were pretty busy at our own table, but managed to collect a little video, and talked with Amanda from Spilled Ink Press.  She told us about her approach to making wedding invitations and some color trends that she has been seeing lately (and I agree with what she says).  An independent Chicago-based company, Spilled Ink Press recently won an International Greeting Card "LOUIE" Award.

© Giorgio Ventola / Wedding Creativo Photography

Love at Breathtaking Heights - coming up Saturday!

We are really excited about participating in Love at Breathtaking Heights, an exclusive boutique wedding show hosted by the The Metroplitan Club.  This event is coming up this Saturday, January 23, 2010 at Willis Tower (formally Sears Tower).   There will be several door prizes, including our awesome giveaway for a premium Engagement Portrait package.  Also, Chicago Style Unveiled is giving away tickets to this event.  Be sure to leave a comment on thier site before noon tomorrow, January 20, for a chance to win!

During the door prize drawings at 5:30, we will be giving away a premium Engagement Package to one lucky couple, which will include:

• A Location Engagement Session (downtown Chicago area)
• Our custom-designed Wishes and Wisdom™ Guestbook
• Framed 8x10 Engagement Print
• a value of $700!

Here are some sneak peaks of our sample Wishes and Wisdom™ Guestbook that we'll have on display Saturday.  We will also have some special goodies at our table, so please stop by and say hi.

All images © Giorgio Ventola Inc. / Wedding Creativo

Amazing Sophia

Wasn't Sophia Loren amazing at the Golden Globes! One of our all time favorites.  Giorgio had a chance to take a portrait of her years ago....ask him to tell the story, it is better told in person.  Anyway, came across this photo on the interwebs, no idea where it originated from, but what a fashion inspiration she is.

oh baby!

A few favorites of little ones from recent portrait sessions over the holiday season. You can see more of our work beyond weddings at in the Lifestyle Portraits featured section at weddingcreativo.com, which shows examples of our lifestyle location and studio portraits.

All images © Giorgio Ventola Inc. / Wedding Creativo

Engagement Package Giveaway

We are excited to announce that we will be participating in Love at Breathtaking Heights, an exclusive boutique wedding show hosted by the The Metroplitan Club.  This event takes place on Saturday, January 23, 2010 at Willis Tower. 

During the door prize drawings at 5:30, we will be giving away a premium Engagement Package to one lucky couple, which will include:

• A Location Engagement Session (downtown Chicago area)
• Our custom-designed Wishes and Wisdom™ Guestbook
• Framed 8x10 Engagement Print
• a value of $700!

We hope to see you there!

Magic Moments 2009

Thanks to all of our couples for a wonderful 2009 that was filled with magic moments.

All images @ Giorgio Ventola Inc. / Wedding Creativo