“Ryan and I are very excited to feature these photographs of our close friends Mike + Sheila and their beautiful June wedding. We definitely had some fun with their bridal party during their group photo time and getting creative. We loved the mix of fun, modern, vintage + elegant photos we captured in between M+S’s ceremony and reception.

 

Mike + Sheila currently live downtown Chicago but didn't restrict their venue researching only to the City. They visited Chicagoland wedding venues stretching from Naperville to Lake Forest, and from Chicago to Joliet. Their search was for a truly distinctive venue with style and some historical details. Their final decision was at two venue's in Joliet both with architectural details... a vintage mansion and historical loft building creating a perfect mix of styles.

 

Mike + Sheila's ceremony took place outside the historic Jacob Henry Mansion in Joliet under the venue’s pergola in the secret garden. It was a romantic and picturesque garden setting for their outdoor wedding ceremony. Ryan worked solo on this one and did an amazing job covering this ceremony all 100% on his own with two dueling cameras, one on each shoulder. Yes, I was honored to be a bridesmaid standing up by Sheila + Mike on their wedding day, so my duties were to shared by shooting earlier in the day, followed by enjoying the events of the day. I did share with Ryan during the bridal session in posing and styling, but then we took some time in later to enjoy the party and reception festivities. It was an awesome party, great food, music, martini drink menu and fun. The Department was the perfect historical loft venue adding urban flair to their wedding day. We loved this place! Although compartmentalized, the two story venue was very unique and an awesome suburban substitute for those looking for a downtown Chicago loft reception venue.

 

A huge congratulations goes out to Mike + Sheila!! We hope you enjoy your wedding photos. Thank you for hiring us as your personal wedding photographers and allowing us to capture the memories of your wedding day with family and friends. ( Oh and it was a pleasure standing up as a bridesmaid on your wedding day. SOOOO happy for you guys! Yes... I even shed a tear or two on the day of and when editing these photos. Congrats!! )"

 

 

 

Ceremony: Jacob Henry Mansion, Joliet
Reception: The Department, Joliet
Wedding Dress: Winnie Couture Haute Bridal Fashion
Hotel Prep Location: Harrah’s Casino, Joliet
Bridal Shoes: Caparros
Bridesmaids Shoes: Bandolino
Bridesmaids Dress: Watters, Too
Tuxedos: Formally Modern
Cake: Kirsten’s Danish Bakery, Burr Ridge
Flowers: The Petal Shoppe, Joliet
DJ: Spencer from Style Matters DJs, Chicago
Hair: Total Image Bridal
Airbrushing + Makeup: Total Image Bridal

 

Revisit our engagement photos from Mike + Sheila’s July 2009 Chicago engagement photo session.

“Congratulations goes out to Robert + the beautiful Lindsey. Their wedding was absolutely gorgeous and everything on their 123 acre estate and grove National historic landmark ground’s in Glenview looked amazing!!

 

When searching for a wedding and reception site, Lindsey said her hunt was for a Chicagoland mansion wedding venue, but in addition to the site having a mansion, it must offer the option for an outside ceremony, and nature if possible. Mission accomplished… Redfield Estate at The Grove is a North Shore gem of a location! And yes it was a beautiful ceremony spot. Located a few miles North of Lindsey’s family’s home town of the Naperville area, the estate’s Glenview location was a short drive for the family and their Pastor Josh Cook from Calvary Church of Naperville. The Redfield Estate is a beautiful historic landmark wedding venue that was built in 1929. Restricted to small weddings, holding up to 100 guests, this distinctive venue offers world-class charm, history and elegance. The venue’s combination of Old World charm and the majesty of the spacious outdoor lawn surrounded by woodlands offered so many photographic options. We could’ve spent hours roaming around this venue taking photos of the couple. We can’t wait for another future event at the estate.

 

Lindsey said, when her and RJ found the Redfield Estate, they fell in love with the location, it’s natural beauty and historic charm. For their spring wedding, Lindsey decorated with earth tones and the colorful Spring shades of greens, with yellow accents. Her bridesmaids wore green dresses and it was fun meeting all of Lindsey’s 6 sisters who rounded out all of her bridesmaids ( she is one of 8 kids in the family… 7 girls and 1 boy who is the youngest brother in the family, and one of RJ’s groomsmen. ) Finishing up the bridal party was RJ’s two brothers. For Lindsey, you can imagine why she didn’t assign a maid-of-honor roll… how could a sister choose between six sisters? : )

 

Taking advantage of the Redfield Estates’s very photographic grounds around the outside of the Mansion, plus looking to provide to Miller+Miller a good amount of time for creative photos, RJ + Lindsey decided upon the decision to see each other before their ceremony. We love capturing this “first glance” time and the moments they turn and see each other for the first time. A special moment… capturing pure smiles, sometimes tears and definitely many emotions of the couple’s pure happiness!! This first meeting moment is memorable and a special private experience many of our couple’s decide to incorporate into their day’s schedule – especially when one single venue hosts both their ceremony + reception at the same location.

 

After RJ + Lindsey’s “first glance”, we ventured around the estate’s exquisitely landscaped yard and snapped a few individual photos of the couple and then pre-ceremony, bridal party group photos with the bridesmaids and groomsmen. At 3:00 PM their beautiful mid-day, outdoor ceremony proceed under a gazebo which was just a short walk beyond the historic Redfield Estate home. Afterwards, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres were enjoyed by guests on the lawn and the estate’s terrace. The reception, dinner and dancing continued on indoors in the first floor’s, 3 main rooms and the great room of the historic estate. With guest’s spanning the entire first floor of the estate, their 65 guests enjoyed the close, intimate, dinner party feeling during dinner. The food was amazingly delicious!

 

Closing the wedding festivities at 8:45 in the evening, RJ and Lindsey arrange for a send-off time. Departing their wedding day in style, a vintage, Rolls-Royce getaway car arrived at dusk. Under the venue’s twinkle lights, we snapped the last images of RJ + Lindsey just before leaving to the airport for their California Newport Beach and Catalina Island honeymoon.

 

RJ + Lindsey… thanks for choosing us to capture your memorable wedding day celebration with your closest family and friends! Again, congrats!! Hope you enjoy these sneak peek and favorite images of ours from your beautiful wedding. We can’t wait to show to you the rest of the image proofs which will be ready in a few more weeks. Hope you had a wonderful time on your honeymoon and are now enjoying newly-wedded life… ”

 

 

 

 

Reception + Ceremony Venue: Redfield Estate at The Grove, Glenview, Illinois
Ceremony Officiant: Pastor Josh Cook, Calvary Church, Naperville, Illinois
Wedding Cake: Chocolate Wedding Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Hors d’oeuvres: Meatballs, Tuscan Rice Fritters, Artichoke Parmesan Puffs
Dinner Featured: A Bistro Salad with Berries and Balsamic Vinaigrette, Beef Tenderloin, Roulade of Chicken, Portabella Mushrooms
DJ + Music by: Ken Murphy from AMP DJ Services
Honeymoon: Catalina Island + Newport Beach California

 

Lindsey commented how extreme temperatures both their winter engagement session at close to the teens was and for their wedding, so abnormally warm at about 90 with high humidity. Revisit those photos of Robert + Lindsey’s Winter, downtown Naperville riverwalk engagement photo session in the snow!