“With so many photos and wedding day details, we could have several Mike + Aimeé wedding photo blog entries describing the details of their amazing wedding day. While driving home from their wedding, we kept raving about how amazing and intricately specialized every moment of their wedding day truly was.

 

To sum it all up, their Illinois Spring wedding was a Chicago wedding photographers “dream” to photograph… so many details, DETAILS, details!! To all who attended, didn’t you appreciate every single detail too? … Between the bride, groom, both of their families and wedding day coordination from Holly Coan of A Passion For Weddings, it was a dazzling designed and a “modern vintage styled” wedding day.

 

Mike and Aimeé’s elegant Chicagoland wedding, ceremony and bridal session all took place at the historic Patrick C. Haley Mansion in Joliet Illinois. The Patrick Haley Mansion is a three and one half story exquisite “Castle on the Hill” located in downtown Joliet. The historical wedding venue provided wonderful photo opportunities for us to create some overall distinctive styled pictures and the perfect location for pre-ceremony, bridal magazine editorial style photos of Aimeé in her empire style, lace 2010 Pronovias Collection wedding gown. We always love photographing our couples in unique venue’s environments, but when Aimee offered to us added time for a solo bridal session in the Mansion, we fell in love with the idea!

 

The Patrick Haley Mansion was built in 1889 and is a historical wedding venue described as stately and impressive. The Mansion is decorated with antique period furniture and includes the full use of the entire inside and the outside building’s grounds – - access is to the Mansion’s historical three floors on South side of the property and it includes to the North the grand ballroom, conservatory and outside garden. The mix of venue styles is “vintage history, plus sophistication” all-in-one for a visually impressive and memorable wedding event space! We loved it. ( And Aimeé told us she did too. ) Opting for the indoor ceremony option, as M+A’s April Spring day was sunny but a little chilly, their sun filled indoor space was ideal for indoor, ceremony photography and lighting. The conservatory’s floor to ceiling windows and the golden sun shining was magical. After dinner, the venue converted the conservatory space providing the perfect stage for their choreographed wedding’s first dance under the ceiling’s atrium skylights.

 

Just to name a few, of the many details, we loved… the handcrafted hurricane candle lit table centerpieces, subtle touches of soft pink at each table, the “Bella Rosa” gold sugar lined pink martini wedding cocktail drinks created in honor of Mike + Aimeé, the opening of the ceremony when a guest speaker spoke to Mike prior to Aimeé’s entry at the ceremony, and the various reception moments ( such as the elegant first dance, desserts and the added venue’s architectural highlights. ) There were too many beautiful individualized touches on Mike and Aimeé’s day to list – details were around every corner. We enjoyed the bridal party who as a group were dressed an a modern vintage and elegant style. For Aimeé and her bridesmaid’s, as a pleasant alternative to holding flowers, the ladies carried white satin clutches and accessorized with contrasting black gloves. Aimee’s Barcelona dress was paired with a Spanish fan and family heirloom handkerchief. Her eye catching, cathedral length veil next to Mike’s distinctive suit’s fittings, all composed their regal wedding day style. A stunning couple and fantastic bridal party group to photograph!

 

Thank you Mike + Aimeé again in choosing us as your wedding photographers! We are so happy a past client of ours Joshua + Stacy referred you to us. We loved every moment of your wedding, the personalized details, the historic venue and working with the two of you. We wish your new marriage all the best. Enjoy your Punta Cana, Dominican honeymoon trip + best wishes to a happily wedded future together.”

 

 

 

Revisit our September 2009 engagement photo session with Mike + Aimee.

 

Mike + Aimee’s bridal session, wedding and reception venue all took place at Patrick C. Haley Mansion patrickhaleymansion.com. in Joliet Illinois. Wedding day planning and coordination by Holly Coan from A Passion For Weddings apassionforweddings.com. Mike + Aimee’s first dance instructor was Elena at Tinley Park Fred Astaire Dance Studio fredastairetinleypark.com. Aimee’s arranged a week prior to her wedding a trip to New York to pick up her wedding gown from Pronovias’s New York City Flagship Store. To view more stunning dresses by the Barcelona dress designer Pronovias, visit pronovias.com.

“Above is a preview to our latest unique and urban Chicago engagement photography session we created this week for Justin + Elisha. J+E were great and super easy to work with, as they had SOOO much chemistry! It was cute. ♥ Perhaps that’s because J+E are working with a long distance relationship, so when they are around each other they can’t help but smile and flirt with each other.

 

This past Winter when we first met with Justin and Elisha, Justin was in Chicago only for short visit taking a long weekend to finalize the details of their Spring Chicago wedding. Justin lives on the East Coast and works on an Air Force base in Washington D.C. ( He’s working on secret stuff helping to protect the us from the bad guys — nuff said. ) Elisha has an equally interesting career and has travelled to many countries completing medical research and educating. Currently finishing up her last few years as a med student, she will soon be an anesthesiologist. At one point during the night… Ryan and I looked at each other and felt overwhelmed by the serious accomplishments of these two — truly amazing people.

 

Prior to us meeting, Elisha emailed us saying she fell in love with our “emotionally provocative and intense wedding photography” style. And when discussing their engagement session, the really liked several of our past Chicago engagement couple’s shoots … but especially loved last November’s industrial and high-fashion engagement photo session with Derek + Jorie … so with that in mind, we brought some of those M+M concepts to their session.

 

Thanks Justin and Elisha in venturing around the City with us stopping at a few, new shooting locations. We were excited to hear that after meeting with seven other wedding photographers you choose Miller + Miller! J+E enjoy the final days of your planning and we’ll see you again soon! We can’t wait to hear which pic you decide is your favorite.”

 

Justin + Elisha’s Chicago May wedding is at The Ivy Room at Tree Studios just off of Michigan Avenue in River North, Chicago. We’re looking forward to it! In addition, we can hardly wait to see the anticipated stylings and details to J+E’s decor, lighting, and floral details to come from the Chicago event firm of Kehoe Designs.