Chicago Wedding Photography | Maypole Studios Photography Blog

{Dina+Jim: A Dancer & A Drummer}

11.10.16

These two have some serious history! I met Dina around the time I moved to Chicago 11 years ago (isn’t she gorgeous??!!), she has modeled for me on many occasions and is a natural in front of the camera. She introduced me to Jim at a friend’s wedding and of course I snapped a few photos of them snuggling in one of the booths. Fast forward a couple of years… after seeing her post a pic of the ring (Facebook is the best for stalking people!) I sat anxiously awaiting a text or email. I was beyond excited when I heard the familiar ding alerting me to a new message a few days later- it was Dina!

They met at one of Chicago’s best small music venues, she was singing and dancing on stage and he was the house drummer. It was all too fitting to spend some time revisiting Schubas for their engagement photos (HUGE thanks to the staff for being so generous and lovely!), we had so much fun exploring the main hall, bar area and photo booth, and even the basement green room. We added a stop at their house (to start things off with their fur babies) and finished our photos at Belmont Harbor as the sun was setting. Thanks you two for letting me tell your story!

In Dina’s own words:

“Jim and I met at Schuba’s bar in the back room. Jim was the house drummer for the event that night and I was singing back up vocals for my friend Joey’s drag show “Shelby” where we sang a mash up of Bootylicious and Smells Like Teen Spirit (It was awesome). I remember seeing Jim sitting in a chair watching our sound track (he was not the drummer for our song) and thinking he was cute and cool looking. Later, when we were changing into costume for the show, we officially met in the basement/green room of Schuba’s. At the end of the gig, he came up to me at the bar where I was sitting with my boyfriend and handed me a flyer for his next gig. BF was not a fan of that! We went on our merry way.

Flash forward a few months later. BF and I had broken up, George W. had just “won” his second term, and some girlfriends and I needed a drink and some dancing. We headed to Martyrs for the monthly Big C show. A band called the Honeybees were playing the song “Hip Shakin’ Baby”. Right after I noticed someone walking towards me. It was Jim. I remembered him immediately. He came over, called me “Diana”, I corrected him, we chatted… Then that Tuesday he came to the Beat Kitchen where I worked to chat some more. He walked me home. That’s when he asked for my number and asked me how I spell my name. I learned later that he actually hadn’t heard me when I corrected my name to him at Martyr’s so he didn’t actually know my name and that was his sneaky way of finding out.

Our first few dates involved live music, Kama Sutra the Musical, and yoga. I knew he was for me 🙂

Our 3 shoot locations were the place we met (Schuba’s), the city we live, love, and work in (Lakefront Chicago) and our neighborhood and home where we started building the rest of our lives together.”

(Stand in the street where you live)

If they ever form a band, here’s the first album cover.

They even turned on the stage lights for us!

We learned afterwards that you shouldn’t look too closely at the posters in the green room…

They were very popular with the Canadian Geese!

Congrats Dina and Jim!

{Anna+Mike: Fried Chicken and Whiskey}

05.26.16

These two subscribe to the #elopenowpartylater moto, because truthfully not everyone wants a big wedding. Marriage is a commitment between two people, and sometimes a discreet ceremony with just the two of you is just right. Anna found a great dress on Modcloth and made a simple-yet-elegant bouquet, Mike donned a suit and they headed to the courthouse. Their main accessory? Big ‘ol smiles! I love that they did what felt right to them, and I especially love that they chose me to document it!

Mother Nature challenged us with some very cold weather, but these two braved it and grabbed some hot coffee and wandered Humboldt Park for some lovely photos. Luckily the next stop included two of their favorite things… fried chicken and whiskey! Parson’s was so accommodating and sent over some drinks for the newlyweds, it really couldn’t have been a better celebratory meal. A few months later they gathered their friends and family for a party, bringing the celebration full circle and kicking off their new moto: “everyday is a honeymoon.” (Be sure to scroll through for their fabulous GIF and commentary)

Hair and makeup: Kristine Lorenzo at Marin Hair Co. did my hair, both for the ceremony and for the party we had in October. She’s WONDERFUL, and she made my shaggy, grown out pixie cut look like a million bucks.

Florist: Anna went to Mariano’s the day before and picked up orange roses and chamomile and made my own bouquet.

Ceremony location: City Hall Marriage Court, Chicago – April 26th, 2016

Reception location: Chicago Party Animals Loft Venue – 1133 W. Fulton Market. – October 1st, 2016 Josie at Party Animals was nothing short of awesome. She gave us total flexibility to do whatever we wanted, and she provided a fun, casual, low-maintenance atmosphere.

Officiant: “The Judge”. I should probably know his name, haha.

Cake: Reception – Cupcakes from Mariano’s. Silly and simple, but everyone loved them. They do custom colors.

Caterer: Ceremony: Fried Chicken and Whiskey at Parson’s Chicken and Fish. Reception: Taqueria Los Altos de Jaliscos in Cicero. They set up a taco cart outside and dished them up along with rice, beans, guac, and homemade salsas. Everybody loved them!

Invitations/Stationary: Squarespace. We kept everything online. So easy and elegant.

Dress: Modcloth

Accessories: B.A.I.T. Footwear. My ring was a simple gold band I found on Amazon. Mike’s is silicone from Safety Ring

Suit/Men’s accessories: Nordstrom Rack, haha.

Why was City Hall right for you? Did your date have special meaning? Did you have a reception party later? It was so important to have our wedding ceremony be just about us and no one else. Everyone is full of opinions and advice about how weddings should be done, and we just wanted to cut away all of that and do exactly what we wanted to do, for each other and no one else. We didn’t really have an engagement, just a conversation about what we wanted and a happy discovery that we were both totally on the same page. We picked a random Tuesday afternoon about a month away that worked for both our schedules and told our parents and a few select friends a couple days before but no one else. Our parents took a few minutes to process why they couldn’t be there for the ceremony, but after that, they were all completely supportive and totally on board (as long as we promised a celebration at a later date). Since our photographer was going to be the sole guest at our wedding, it was really important to us that they be awesome. We Instagram-stalked a few for a couple days, but we pretty quickly had our hearts set on Maypole Studios. Bethany was the perfect wedding guest. She put us at ease and was friendly and professional. Our reception followed the precedent we set with our ceremony, casual, fun, and exactly what we wanted. It was about 6 months later at a loft/warehouse space in Fulton Market. We brought in beer and wine, and we made a special bourbon cocktail. No party of ours would be complete without a little whiskey. We hired a taco cart to set up outside, and we made our own playlists. Everyone we loved was there, and it was perfect.

What was the most memorable moment of your day? We loved how great everyone at Parson’s was… people at the bar giving up their seats so we could take pictures, the shots they sent over, the great photos we got of the food, and how warm it was after taking pictures in the cold.

What was your favorite detail? Or favorite personal touch? Our neighborhood is so special to us. It’s where we eat, drink, and explore, and it’s where we started a life together. Humboldt Park is such an oasis and so peaceful and beautiful. The pictures we took there we’ll treasure forever.

Funniest memory from your wedding day? After we got home we sent a photo of us at the Marriage Court via text message to the rest of our friends and family. The wave of reactions was priceless. Shock, confusion, speechlessness, and then pure joy. It was the best.

Do you have a favorite photo from your wedding day? Mike loves the one at Parson’s with our hands and the food. It’s a perfect take on a typical wedding photo that’s so “us”. I love the one of us sitting on the bench under the tree taken from a distance. It’s a beautiful composition, and the distance makes it seem that much more intimate.

Any advice for future brides/grooms? Every step of the way stop and ask yourself if the things you’re doing are because you want to or because you feel like you have to. Do the things you want to, and skip the rest. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how supportive people are.

If you could do it all over, would you change anything? Some warmth and sunshine would have been nice! Otherwise, not a damn thing.

Where did you go on your honeymoon? Every day is a honeymoon.

A little history:

How did you meet? We met online in July of 2013. Our first date was at Fountainhead. We sat at the bar and sipped whiskey and traded life histories. It was one of those perfect dates where all of a sudden it’s almost midnight and you have no idea where the time went.

When did you know he/she was “the one”? We both see things, small and large, every single day that remind us why we belong together. It’s constant affirmation.

Five words that best describe your significant other: Mike describing Anna: “Loving, considerate, intelligent, loyal, sincere”, Anna describing Mike: “Honest, friendly, funny, authentic, caring”

So I went to Dubai…

03.09.16

2016 started off with a bang! On January 19th Coca-Cola launched their 2016 “Taste the Feeling” ad campaign, featuring a song written and produced by Space Camp Creative. Seeing first hand this team effort of friends creating together was something truly special, the amount of talent among these three guys is unbelievable. I consider myself beyond lucky to have sang the background harmonies, and the opportunity to travel with the group was the icing on the cake! As the Super Bowl played on all of the TV screens throughout the airport the four of us boarded a plane to Dubai, with 2 acoustic guitars and 4 voices, to perform the title song “Taste the Feeling” for the third and final Coca-Cola launch party. We had NO idea what to expect; the warm welcome, outpouring of excitement, not to mention request for an encore, had us floored. Wow, just wow. We spent the next afternoon visiting the desert before returning to play again for the press, with over 89 countries represented in one room. Yet again- amazing response! Huge thanks to Coca-Cola for their incredible hospitality.

And it’s such a small world. We ran into Josh and Jeremy’s friend James Day and his lovely wife Cath, who just happened to be passing through on their way to Italy. It was so great to meet such a talented photographer, AND he even captured some video for us (as well as 2 epic photos that you can find on my Facebook page). I even got to catch up for drinks with one of my favorite couples who now live in Dubai, Sharon and Tom. What a journey!

Space Camp Creative:

Scott Fritz (Chicago, IL)

Jeremy Bircher (Portland, OR)

Josh Jones (Honolulu, Hawaii)

Check out the commercial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3ez5Ck4fm4&feature=youtu.be

They next two photos are of our rehearsal, courtesy of James Day Photography (thanks dude!):

Then we went to the desert…

Handsome devil…

This sand dune needed to be climbed, followed by a refreshing Coca-Cola.

Always looking toward’s the sun.

Next stop- Athens, Greece in May!

{Hey world… meet Jon!}

02.10.16

Photographers are kinda like superheroes… ok maybe not the cape and superpowers part, but we are SO good when we have a great sidekick! And let me introduce you to mine. Whether we are working solo or together, we always have a great time. Jon brings his “A” game and great attitude each and every weekend. He can take a killer portrait of a singer screaming into the microphone, or capture a tender moment between a father and his daughter before walking her down the aisle. Speaking of music, you might recognize some of these rad faces (all photographed by Jon):

Name: Jon Allegretto
Occupation: Documentarian of this wacky and often surprising adventure we call “life.”

Some words from Jon:
“Thanks for checking me out! My most favorite of all subjects are some of the most fascinating on our planet: people. I have to say, we certainly are an interesting and beautiful bunch.

I’ve enjoyed some truly fantastic adventures so far. I spent several years touring the country as a photographer for Jack Daniel’s on the Zac Brown Band U.S. Tour, and have been sweat on by many of my musical heroes as a photographer for Live Nation and Gibson Guitar. Just passed our 7-year mark, I continue to perform in the Midwest as lead vocalist and guitarist with my rock trio A Friend Called Fire, as well as tour the country as a solo acoustic singer/songwriter around my photography schedule. And oh man, I’ve seen some unusual sights. I’ve also met some truly amazing (and unique!) individuals, and made life-long friendships. I’ve performed at a tilapia fish farm, on the Atlantic Ocean, and at Madison Square Garden. And of course, I took my camera. I wouldn’t dare miss it. Hooray for the advent of digital photography! Those boxes of film and prints aren’t much fun to move around…

Though my experiences have helped define me, my education has helped me discover methods to advance my art and I enjoy helping others do the same with their own. I earned a Master of Arts Management from Columbia College Chicago in 2009 and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia in 2004. I have taught in the Digital Photography Department at the Illinois Institute of Art Schaumburg and as a guitar instructor at Authentic Guitars Inc. in Virginia and the School of Rock in Highwood, Illinois.

As a longtime friend of Bethany Fritz, I am more than excited to be a part of the Maypole Studios family. Any time you get to do something you love with people you love, the results are always AWESOME!”

We have pretty tight photo booth skills, especially when posing in our favorite booth Fotio!

And here’s a small smattering of his portrait work, both weddings and engagements.

Wait till you see what we do this year, stay tuned!

{My Favorite GIF Animations!}

12.28.15

There is something so fun and whimsical about GIF Animations (Graphics Interchange Format file: a graphic image on a Web page that moves). It’s nice to not take yourself too seriously!

Don’t get me wrong, I take my job very seriously. After all, I only have ONE day to capture all the moments, the memories, the details, and all the feels. It can be a lot of pressure, but when paired with the right couples (and of course I only work with amazing couples!) they are ready to let go of the reigns and try something fun. When given the opportunity I ~~enjoy~~ LOVE making these quirky little animations. I don’t care if they ever go out of style, it’s super fun creating and then piecing them together. Even the simplest of actions can make for a great GIF. And I won’t lie, I get a chuckle every time I watch them (over and over again!).

So, for your viewing pleasure, I have collected a TON of my GIF’s from the last two years (over 30!). There is a mix of engagement and wedding day animations, some very simple and some more complicated. Some made with a tripod (the ideal way) and some handheld (a little shaky but you gotta use what you got). I have to warn you, there is a lot of movement in this post so scroll through slowly. If you follow me on Instagram (and if not~ you really should! @MaypoleStudios) you may have seen a few of these but certainly not all of them. Sit back and enjoy!