emilia's adventures

Merry Christmas from Us!

2011-12-23T08:11:00.003-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Happy Friday! And more importantly.... Merry Christmas from Wil and I :-)

I can't send out cards to all of you, but I wanted to share our holiday cheer!

I hope you all have an amazing holiday weekend and find joy with your families and dear friends.

Many thanks to the beautiful Lauren Wakefield for taking our Christmas pictures :-)

I'll be back next week.....drumroll please....on the NEW BLOG!!!!! With my 2011 wrap-up posts!

Would you like to have me take pictures with the love of your life? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Downtown Chicago Engagement Sneak Peek | Lauren and Stefan!

2011-12-22T06:49:00.004-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Monday afternoon just before this wedding, I met Lauren and Stefan for their engagement session! I couldn't be more excited for the wedding next Labor Day weekend. They'll have a full post in a couple weeks, but wanted to give you all a quick sneak peek!

I can't get over the holiday lights downtown! I just love them.

You two are awesome!

Would you like to have me take pictures with the love of your life? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Downtown Chicago Engagement Sneak Peek | Lauren and Stefan!

2011-12-22T06:49:00.003-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

I can't get over the holiday lights downtown! I just love them.

You two are awesome!

Would you like to have me take pictures with the love of your life? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

How to Survive Winter in Chicago or other Tundra-like Locations

2011-12-21T05:39:00.000-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Today is officially the first day of Winter so I want to tell you how to survive.

I love Chicago. I really do. Mostly I love Chicago in the summer, but I have learned how to make it through the winter as well. Sadly no one told me what steps I needed to take to take to prepare my first winter here so I blindly layered thinking it would help. It didn't really.

So I'm going to fix this problem and share what I've learned with you. Please note, I have invested in these pieces one at a time and so they aren't all currently available online anymore. What I have pictured below are the most similar options I could find.

First and foremost, the longest coat Northface makes for women. This is crucial. You need it.

Next step, boots you could brave the arctic in. I can't find mine online anymore, but these are really similar.

With these two items I can wear dresses out in two degree weather.

Next step is when it's slightly warmer, when I'm shooting, or going out. You want a jacket that still covers your butt but cinches in the middle to give you a waist, preferably something with a taller collar so you can get away without a scarf. I got mine from Gap two years ago, but this is the most similar thing they have now. Mine isn't shiny like this, but it's puffy and super lightweight. This is a great jacket for stuffing behind you in a seat and honestly it fits rolled up in the front pocket of my suitcase for when we travel to warmer climates but are coming in and out of Chicago.

You also want to find a pair of rain boots that you can wear in light snow that don't necessarily look like rain boots. These are also great for shooting in or just running errands and you can wear them all day! I found mine at Banana Republic but they don't have them anymore. These are from JCrew and very similar. Aren't they sooo pretty?

And then the most basic step, under everything, all winter, I wear HeatTech turtlenecks from Uniqlo and fleece lined leggings.

You're welcome! Now go and be warm.

Would you like to have me take pictures with the love of your life? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Sneak Peek of the Century...Okay Maybe That's an Exaggeration

2011-12-20T06:42:00.003-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Yesterday was my last wedding of the year! I am so excited to share the full wedding with you when they get back from their honeymoon. But this will have to tide you over for now...

A million happy wishes to the beautiful couple. I am so excited to share the rest of these with you all!!

Interested in having me take pictures with you and the love of your life? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Downtown Chicago Engagement | Megan and Kyle

2011-12-19T07:30:00.005-06:00

I am so excited to share these pictures with you all today! Megan and Kyle are positively the sweetest couple. We had so much fun with their engagement pictures last week. I'm sure you'll notice her gorgeous ring... they worked with Larry who I have also referred to Julia and whom I found out about from Rachel. Clearly he does AMAZING work :-D Okay enough about the ring, did I mention that I also love their outfits? Right right okay here are their pictures!!

Love you two!! I can't wait for your wedding in July :-D

Interested in having me take pictures with you and the love of your life? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Violet Hour Wall

2011-12-16T06:48:00.005-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

I have raved about the Violet Hour to you all on countless occasions. It's my absolute favorite cocktail bar in the city. Beyond having amazing drinks (which obviously they do) it feels a little bit like Alice in Wonderland inside with super tall backed chairs, and velvet curtains from floor to ceiling. What's more is that it's a speak easy! Literally no sign. It's a door in a wall. And to make things even more fun, the wall changes every season. That's right every 3-4 months a different local artist comes along and completely rehabs the whole thing.

I'm so sad to be posting this after they just took it down... but at least you can see it here...

Most recently, Keith Skogstrom of Geodesic Designs spent months hand cutting wooden panels and drawing on them with black sharpie to create puzzle piece gear shifts that all perfectly fit together. I honestly cannot really imagine the level of brilliance it takes to not only come up with this, but also to execute it. So of course, I took pictures of it and I absolutely had to share with you.

all images taken with the 5d mark ii and 35L

Needless to say, I can't wait to see what's next!!

Interested in having me take pictures with you and the love of your life? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Necessary Breaks

2011-12-15T06:41:00.004-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

This summer at Justin & Mary's Walk through a Wedding here in Chicago I had the joy of meeting Christy Tyler and Amanda Megan in person! Lauren recruited me to be a Style Assistant for the day and we all have stayed in contact online.

We decided to get together last week for a few cocktails and catch up. Of course this was the perfect excuse for us to pull out our glitter and "fur." It is too easy to get sucked into working all day, and all night, every weekend, and completely forgetting to socialize and spend time out! We're also all going to Vegas for WPPI in February! So we had to start planning what to wear, of course.

You all are the best!! XOXO

Interested in having me take pictures with you and the love of your life? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Nerd Boyfriend

2011-12-14T05:58:00.000-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

I interrupt my regular programming to share the most hilarious/awesome website I've seen this week.

Meet, nerdboyfriend.com for the men and nerdgirlfriend.com for the ladies.

Featuring funny and fabulous pictures and where to find similar outfits!

Who doesn't love a little Rob Lowe? You can find his outfit here coat/sweater/scarf
Okay LOVE this picture! Albert Finney ladies and gentlemen.
I am in love with this ASOS skirt similar to Gilda Radner's here.

Interested in having me take pictures with you and the love of your life? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Chicago Family Photography | Brandy & Kendall

2011-12-13T06:34:00.003-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Brandy and Kendall live in our neighborhood and we met one Saturday morning two years ago on Stephanie's porch. I bring blueberry muffins, she brings coffee. We sit on the porch and catch up on each other's lives, people watch, and soak up summer. When I say it's the idyllic way to pass a Saturday, I am not joking. I love these ladies!

Brandy reached out to me about taking Christmas pictures of them a few weeks ago and we planned for Saturday. She wanted to take pictures of them having a tea party, because that is one of Kendall's favorite things! So adorable.

Love you two!! XOXO

Interested in having me take pictures with you and the love of your life? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

1,051,200 Minutes, 17,520 Hours, 730 Days, 24 Months, 2 Years. Our Story, Part 1.

2011-12-12T06:29:00.005-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Wil and I met in July of 2009, a few months after I moved to Chicago. We met at a neighborhood dinner group that was an offshoot of the church we both attended. Every Thursday this group would get together for a pot luck dinner and Bible study. I met Wil casually, he tells me he noticed me, but neither of us jumped right away. Eventually we followed each other on Twitter, I can't remember who initiated this, but it very well could have been either of us. I tweeted about Precepts, an intensive study I was starting, and he @replied me asking if I gchat so he could ask me more about it. I replied of course and with my username.

We talked online that night for hours. Casually about making dinner, what activities we were involved in, I honestly don't remember the details except that it felt super casual, very natural. This was the week of Thanksgiving because he was at home in Texas, but still had work to do. We talked online the entire work day the next day. And the next day. And the next. Then he was flying home, to Chicago, and I realized how much I'd told him. I also realized that even though I'd seen him every week in person for the past couple months I hadn't really gotten to know him and that I wanted to see him again. Mostly just to see him, but also to make sure I hadn't divulged too much information online to a creeper. He was going to a show when he got back and asked for restaurant suggestions. As I had only lived in the city for six months I really only had recommendations around my neighborhood. I casually complained about not wanting to make dinner, and he casually asked if I wanted to join him (please read: this was my plan all along).

I met him at Fifty/50, and we hit it off like old friends. It was one of the easiest conversational meals of my life. When the time for the check came, I told the server I would be joining a table with my roommate tables yards over and could he please just transfer my tab over there. I didn't even allow a conversation about who would pay. Wil was dumbfounded (read: impressed).

We went wine tasting the next day, and to Target afterwards for travel toothpaste and shampoo. The next Friday we went to our first concert and he held my hand :-D

Saturday, December 12, 2009 he asked me to be his girlfriend.

That was two years ago today! These have positively been the best two years of my life so far. And I cannot wait to see what the next years bring.

Because no post is complete without at least one picture. this is from our first concert together that Friday night :-)

Interested in having me take pictures with you and the love of your life? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Pretty Little Things | My Love of BHLDN

2011-12-09T06:38:00.003-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

While we were in Texas over Thanksgiving I went out shopping with my dear friend Payton to Anthropologie (of course) and when I saw what was next door I nearly jumped out of my skin! BHLDN!!! The only store currently in the US! How could I have forgotten?! (please note, for other readers in Chicago, I have since read that we ARE GETTING A STORE HERE TOO!!!!!!)

I could have spent all day in there. Honestly. Everything was so beautiful. These are just iPhone pictures, but I wanted to share just a glimpse of the pretty!

You may remember a while ago I posted this little lovely and wanted to share again :-)

Party-Ready, by BHLDN from BHLDN on Vimeo.

Have an amazing weekend!! I'll be back on Monday :-)

Interested in having me take pictures with you and the love of your life? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Beloved | College Station Portraiture | Kristina & Jake

2011-12-08T04:46:00.001-06:00

**Just a really quick update from yesterday's APW book buying shenanigans.. We did it! Meg's book not only broke the Amazon top 100 but actually made it all the way to number 29 overall on the Amazon US Best Sellers list. It made it up to number 9 on the Movers and Shakers Hot New Release list. And it made it up to number 1 and 2 in Weddings (paperback and kindle). So for those of you who helped, a million thanks! You all rock! If you haven't purchased a copy yet, go get one :-) **

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Tuesday you met Kristina and Jake...and saw their awesome Mad Men inspired first home session! Today I want to share the other part of our time together, from Research Park. These two are just so sweet. I love how palpable their love is!

XOXO

Interested in having me take pictures with you and the love of your life? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

The Great A Practical Wedding Book Buy!

2011-12-07T05:41:00.003-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

I've been reading A Practical Wedding for a long time. Basically since I got engaged. It is the most balanced, inclusive, awesome wedding blog I've seen, and I am so incredibly blessed on a daily basis to be included in its community! The readers are amazing, the other vendors are so supportive, and the staff is just stellar. Today I'm not just here plugging the blog, but definitely go read it (even for you already-married people) there is so much amazing content, today we're buying the book!

Meg, the original blog author, and CEO of Practical Media, Inc. (which has got to be the most amazing corporation name ever) has written a book! A book which several of us already-marrieds are kind of pissed wasn't written before we got married.

Today we're trying to make the book an Amazon Best Seller! How awesome is this?! (It's already a Hot New Release!!) And at $10.88 I'm sure it's an absolute steal. You can easily buy here from Amazon (free shipping! If you're a Prime addict like myself), Barnes & Noble, or Indie Bound (which helps support local brick and mortar stores near you!)

Maddie says this, which I think perfectly sums up what a wedding book should do for you: "What the APW book does differently from every other wedding book, blog, or magazine out there is it actually removes things from your to-do list rather than adding to it. Meg isn't trying to convince you to buy more, do more, spend more. She just wants to make sure that the things you're buying, doing, and spending on mean something to you. Did you just read that? It's wedding literature that gives a shit that you're a person. Novel."

ps isn't the cover lovely!!

So go buy it for yourself! Or for a loved one planning a wedding :-)

If you'd like to see some of the beautiful APW couple I've had the pleasure of working with... you can see them here!

Interested in having me take pictures with you and the love of your life? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Beloved | College Station Portraiture | A Mad Men Inspired Session | Kristina & Jake

2011-12-06T05:01:00.000-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

While I was in Texas over Thanksgiving, I was so blessed to photograph three amazing couples! You've already seen the Wilsons, and Wil's parents, today I'm skipping to the second part of Kristina and Jake's session because I love it so much! Kristina and Jake have been married for almost two years, and they are moving soon. Kristina wanted to take pictures here, in their first home. Their decor is totally vintage-awesome and she wanted a sort of Mad Men inspired session. I am so so so excited to show you these pictures!

This next one... I swoon.

The other half of their pictures will be here on Thursday!!

Interested in having me take pictures with you and the love of your life? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

9 Months

2011-12-05T06:46:00.003-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Today I celebrate nine months of being married to the love of my life!

People say the first year is one of the hardest. I have no way of knowing whether this is true or not, since we haven't made it past it yet, but I will say this. Marriage definitely isn't easy. Melding two approaches to anything, no matter how much you have in common or think you have in common, is difficult. Thankfully I have no doubt that we made the right decision. Last night we were curled up on the couch watching a silly chick flick, and it was one of those times for me. I just knew. No two ways about it, we did the right thing. He is the one I want to fight with, and for, forever!

The amazing Lauren Wakefield took these pictures for us when we returned from our honeymoon :-) I really wanted some Chicago pictures since we got married down in Texas! I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.

photo credits all to Lauren Wakefield Photography :-)

Beloved | College Station Portraiture | Harry and Chris

2011-12-02T04:28:00.001-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Meet Harry and Chris! You may have already seen their sneak peek over on facebook. These two are absolutely the sweetest couple. Harry actually grew up in my hometown and he and Chris met at IU (where I did my undergrad) but I actually met them in College Station, Texas, Wil's home town. Such a small world we live in! Like I said, they are absolutely the sweetest, most down-to-earth couple. I had so much fun on my mini session with them last week. Their joy truly overflows! I hope you can see just a little bit of that in these pictures at their home :-)

Thank you to you both for being amazing!

Interested in having me take pictures with you and the love of your life? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

31 Days

2011-12-01T06:23:00.005-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Today is December 1, 2011. The first day of the last month of the year. We have thirty-one day remaining in 2011. That sure crept up on me! I don't know about you but November feels like an absolute blur. Sadly, I have a feeling it's going to reflect that way below too... let's see how this is going:

Stay on top of editing/blogging sessions and real life updates//This is obviously ongoing, but I think it's going well so far!
Submit at least two weddings and two engagements for publications/blogs//Baby steps! I have the wording from one of my brides of the story of her day! Now to get it from the other one... I'm also thinking a Two Bright Lights membership is in my future in order to better acommplish these submissions. Any of you readers had success with them? I'm super curious!
Build and order sample albums (Oct 22 hard stop on one of these)// I still need to submit the second album. I do have it designed though!
Transform our home into a better client meeting space. Or at least the living room/kitchen // Baby steps! I have recently acquired some pretty lamps that better our lighting situation, have purchased new towels from West Elm for the kitchen, and have plans to paint the bathroom a light grey... At least I have more solid plans now?
Order big prints to display // Sadly this still needs to be done. I also need to pick which prints... any suggestions would be welcome! Wil feels weird about displaying pictures of other people in our home so I need to find a better option than mounting them on the wall too I think.
Launch new branding, website, and blog // New website. Check! New blog.... I have the staging site so we should be live sooner than later. I am SO EXCITED for you to see this!!!!
Order and start passing out oodles of my awesome new business cards// Done and done. I absolutely love them! And I've been handing them out right and left.
Oh yeah, design said business cards// Aren't they pretty? Please feel free to stop me on the street and ask for one. Or ten.
Turn 23 gracefully//Turned 23 ln October! And threw a party :-D
Make dinner at home, with groceries, once a week // Ahhhhh... well... we've been out of town a lot so the weeks kind of mesh together... but I've been making a good effort and I think we can call this an ongoing project
Photograph at least 5 married couples in preparation of exciting new facet of Emilia Jane Photography that is yet to be announced (yes, you should be getting excited—let me know if you want to be one of these couples) // This is such a rewarding project! I am so excited to launch. You've seen Darcy & Paul, Lindsey & Josh, I juuuust might count Wil's parents, and I have another one to share with you tomorrow..... get excited!!
Take at least ONE WEEKEND off for mental health. Yes, an entire weekend with no sessions, AND NO EDITING EMILIA.// We went to Texas for an entire week and I only had three sessions on two days and didn't do any editing. This absolutely counts.
Make Lauren’s awesome cake and celebrate her fabulous birthday.// Did that in October, but this month I took new headshots for her! I am so excited about them I just have to post again! Please click here to see :-D
Love and serve my husband well// This is ongoing :-) Our week in Texas was so good for both of us!

Well. The upside of this is that I definitely see that I have accomplished a lot in the past couple months... but I also have SO much to get done this month :-/ Since really we have three weeks before being out of town for Christmas, etc. Hmm well we shall see! I would love to hear any thoughts, wise words, suggestions you have :-)

What do you need to get done between now and December 31??????!!! Hmmm??? I'm looking at you!

This is how I really feel... but let's go ahead and pretend I feel collected and forward looking like the second picture. Let's also pretend I'm this tan still ;-)

(A million thanks to Lauren for the pictures of me :-)

Interested in having me take pictures with you and the love of your life? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

La Tasca Wedding Reception Photography | Rebecca and Jillian are Married!!

2011-11-30T05:15:00.001-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Rebecca and Jillian eloped in October! I cannot wait to take pictures of just the two of them in the Spring :-D

This is their wedding reception. I had so much fun with you two and your families!

Congratulations you two! XOXO

Interested in having me take pictures with you and the love of your life? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Wil's Parents

2011-11-29T05:41:00.001-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

While we were in Texas I insisted on taking a few pictures of Wil's parents. They have images of us plastered all over but I didn't have any good pictures of them! Problem solved.

I love you two :-)

PS isn't her ring beautiful??

Interested in having me take pictures with you and the love of your life? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Playing Catch Up

2011-11-28T03:40:00.001-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Last week we were in Texas taking our first week off of work since the wedding in March. It was sooo good to see friends, catch up with Wil's parents, shoot a few amazing married couples, shop, sleep in, eat tons of amazing food, drink cocktails, go for walks, and take a million Instagram pictures. Today I'm playing catch up with a million things, so I'm leaving you with the best representation I have of the trip!

ps if you have an iPhone and don't use Instagram yet... go download it now. It is hands down one of my favorite apps. I'm @emjscho on there, just like twitter :-)

How was your Thanksgiving week??

Want to hire me for your wedding? Grab coffee? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Wishlists and Things

2011-11-25T05:55:00.000-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Happy Black Friday! I haven't decided whether or not to brave the crowds today... reasonably I'll be doing lots of online shopping (why is this so dangerous?!). I don't know about you, but I am completely addicted to Pinterest. I've started a holiday wishlist over there.... These are just a few of my favorite things I'll be hoping Santa brings me :-)

Pretty new 2012 calendar/Sparkly cosmetics case/Tory Burch earrings

New kitchen towels (love West Elm)/gold iPad case for client consults (and just because I love gold who are we kidding)/Kate Spade coin purse

for Wil: 2-in-1 charger/Yellow Chartreuse VEP/awesome glassware

What's on your holiday wishlist?

Want to hire me for your wedding? Grab coffee? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Thankful

2011-11-24T05:46:00.003-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Today we are in Texas celebrating Thanksgiving with Wil's family. However much I appreciate your actively following my blog, you should definitely go hang out with loved ones!

This year I am so thankful for my amazing, supportive husband. I am so thankful for dear friends (and my wonderful family), and all of the new friends I have met this year in the neighborhood, through APW, P31, and Showit. You guys are seriously amazing. Ever single one of you. I appreciate you all so much. I can honestly say that I wouldn't be where I am today without all of you!

But seriously go eat lots of yummy food and love on your people!

picture from the talented Christy Tyler at my friend Julia's wedding :-)

I'll be back tomorrow with my holiday wishlist for Black Friday!

Want to hire me for your wedding? Grab coffee? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Morton Arboretum Wedding Photography | Maggie and Jake's Wedding!

2011-11-23T05:59:00.000-06:00

Maggie and Jake were married on a gorgeous Saturday in October. There was so much love and joy shared throughout the day, I only hope I have capture an ounce of it to share with you!

A million happy wishes to you two!!! And congratulations again :-D

Want to hire me for your wedding? Grab coffee? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Fun with Lauren!

2011-11-22T05:41:00.000-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

I think at this point you all know Lauren. But if you need a quick refresher... she is an extremely talented photographer who I am so lucky to call a friend! She took these amazing new headshots of me, and I baked her this fun cake for her birthday last month :-) Well, she is rebranding currently (OMG HER NEW LOGO) and with her new site, she of course needs new pictures to match! So Sunday we met for coffee and headshots. These are just a few of my favorites....

BOOM

Okay I know I don't normally interrupt posts with my dialogue...but DANG GIRL! Doesn't she look like a Ralph Lauren model?!

Love you girl!

Want to hire me for your wedding? Grab coffee? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Flying over Evansville

2011-11-21T08:24:00.003-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Today Wil and I are flying to Texas for the week to celebrate Thanksgiving with his family and see friends! While we're flying, I thought I'd share some fun pictures from this spring :-)

As a wedding gift, my dear friend Michael offered to take us up in their family plane and fly around Evansville for a bit. It was so cool to see my home town from above and actually pick out buildings and land marks! It's amazing how different it is flying in a smaller plane... I had no idea what to expect!

A million thanks to the Patzer's! You all are awesome :-)

Have a wonderful Monday lovelies! Back tomorrow with some gorgeousness of Lauren.

Want to hire me for your wedding? Grab coffee? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Next Restaurant | Childhood Menu | Kitchen Table

2011-11-18T04:33:00.000-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Exactly one week ago today, we dined at Next. You might remember, we previously dined there for the Paris 1906 menu, and the Tour of Thailand. I cannot begin to tell you what a different experience this was. It was absolutely incredible. Wil and I dined at the kitchen/chef's table with two other couples, only one pane of glass separating us from the entire kitchen. Beyond the additional courses and wine, this allowed us to interact much more with the chefs. As you'll see in a second, Dave Beran even came and painted with us. This is absolutely my favorite menu to date. Watch for same night tickets, and go!

These are just a few images from our amazing experience. This is the full album.

Have an amazing weekend!

Want to hire me for your wedding? Grab coffee? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

A Downtown Chicago Engagement | Gen & Rich

2011-11-17T06:33:00.003-06:00

This is a real treat you all! An engagement session the day after a wedding, the day before our kitchen table at Next!

Gen and Rich are awesome! I'm so excited to travel to photograph their wedding next summer :-)

We grabbed a cocktail (I had coffee ;-) at Sixteen at Trump and then walked around downtown...

Yay! You guys are awesome, I seriously can't wait for next June!!

Want to hire me for your wedding? Grab coffee? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Chicago Wedding Photography | Kyle and Jessica's Heartfelt Wedding

2011-11-16T06:32:00.002-06:00

On a beautiful day in September, I assisted Sabrina Nohling in photographing this awesome wedding. You can see her coverage here. I felt so incredibly honored to be included in this heartfelt celebration of Kyle and Jessica's covenant. Their love is so beautiful, I tried my best to translate that into these images...

A million joyful wishes to you both! xoxo

Want to hire me for your wedding? Grab coffee? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

For the Little Joys in Life | A Hunger Games Giveaway

2011-11-15T06:34:00.003-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Did you read as a child? Fall head over heels into other worlds of magic and mystery. Reading has always been a huge joy in my life. Sometimes... I just forget. I don't know about you but having entire hours to lose oneself in the pages of a book are few and far between! And reasonably finding a book that can wholly suck you in can be quite the challenge too. Well, yesterday I saw the Hunger Games movie preview and knew I had to read the book immediately. As movies are frequently not as good as their book counterpart, and this preview looked amazing.

I may or may not have slept last night... but I read the first book. I'm not even sure how to tell you how amazing it was other than to say that I loved it so much I'm giving away a pretty new copy today!

Please leave a comment on my facebook page with your favorite fiction book or series that you've read to date! I'll announce the winner Friday :-)

Want to hire me for your wedding? Grab coffee? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Morton Arboretum Wedding Photography | Maggie and Jake's Sneak Peek!

2011-11-14T06:34:00.004-06:00

Happy Monday! As we are wrapping up a beautiful fall here in Chicago, I am so excited to share a quick sneak peek from one of my favorite weddings recently. Meet Maggie and Jake, we had such a blast at their wedding a few weeks ago, I can't wait to share more!

Want to hire me for your wedding? Grab coffee? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

New Business Cards! And Stickers! Excitement!

2011-11-11T05:36:00.002-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

I am so so so so so excited you guys! I've had these cards for less than a week and I think I've already handed like 50 of them out. With the launch of my new website, I am thrilled to have business cards and stickers to match! They're all the same gray and white stripe with my pretty new logo on one side, and then I have a slew of different pictures on the other side :-)

I also ordered stickers, which you can expect to see all over everything you get from me now!!

This weekend I have meetings with three brides and an engagement session! What are you up to?

Want to hire me for your wedding? Grab coffee? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Just Playing Around

2011-11-10T05:04:00.001-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

I'm really excited to share the latest addition to my gear! If you know me in person you've probably heard me talk about it... I call her "the butter lens" because she makes you look AWESOME. I've rented her before, you've seen pictures of Erin from her wedding and Hollyn and Matt recently from their engagement pictures :-) It's pretty heavy...and a pretty penny but I just dove in and am STOKED to show you all what she can really do!

For today though...this is so silly...I'm kind of embarrassed to share these with you guys. When I got my first DSLR I took a LOT of silly pictures of myself holding my camera.... I totally reverted immediately back as soon as I took this baby out of the box last night.

(instagram picture above from my iPhone4s)

Okay prepare to laugh:

And yes, that is totally Wil's dry cleaning in the closet. I'm shooting in aperture priority at F1.2 at our closet mirror with the door half open to reveal clothes (that part was not intentional)

Want to hire me for your wedding? Grab coffee? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Welles Park Chicago Portrait Photography | Lindsey & Josh

2011-11-09T05:04:00.002-06:00

Meet Lindsey and Josh. They're awesome. I met these two through Wil. He and Josh used to be in a band together. Josh and Lindsey have been married for four years! It is so cool to see couples that love and value each other and let that love grow over time. A couple Sundays ago we met in Welles Park and then walked around Lincolns Square. It's such a beautiful area! This is just a glimpse into our time together...

You two have such beautiful hearts! I feel so blessed to be able to document your love at this moment.

Want to hire me for your wedding? Grab coffee? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Wedding Morning Fun!

2011-11-08T05:35:00.003-06:00

On a beautiful Saturday morning in October, my friend Julia married her love. You may remember Julia from our gelato adventures, or their engagement pictures. Julia hired Christy to photograph her wedding. These images are on her blog, and they are STUNNING. Julia asked me to come over in the morning to document her getting ready! I am so honored to be included with a couple of her closes girlfriends to be there that morning :-)

She was so ahead of schedule when I arrived that she was opening presents! Can you imagine? Also, what an awesome way to fill time on the morning of your wedding!! These are probably some of my favorite getting ready pictures I've ever taken. Please take your time and enjoy the emotion behind each and every one...

A million happy wishes to you my dear friend!

To see the rest of the day, please see Christy's beautiful post :-D

Want to hire me for your wedding? Grab coffee? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Cocktails, Coffee, and a bit of Fall Sunshine

2011-11-07T06:22:00.004-06:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

You all know my unending love for the Violet Hour. One of our favorite bartenders from there, Stephen, recently left and has opened up a new place in Lincoln Park, called the Barrelhouse Flat. I really probably should have written the whole blog post about this...because it's so awesome. The "newest" cocktail on the menu is from 1946. The first floor is live piano jazzy awesomeness. The second floor is a beautiful lounge that absolutely makes you feel like you've stepped into another era. OH AND THE FOOD! We know the drinks are amazing, that's assumed. I can't speak to the entire menu, but I will say this. They have bacon popcorn. Feel free to read again if need be. Bacon. Popcorn. YES! Also, sour patch kids cotton candy. I died and went to heaven on Friday. Absolute deliciousness.

Saturday morning I made coffee and cinnamon rolls, and for lunch we strolled to Piece pizza, just up the street. We were so blessed with beautiful weather this weekend! Sunday we went back to the Palace Grill...which is pretty much my new favorite breakfast spot in the city. If you haven't been, you should make that happen. They have the best pancakes and hash browns I've tasted anywhere.

What did you do this weekend??

Want to hire me for your wedding? Grab coffee? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Welles Park Chicago Portraits | Lindsey & Josh

2011-11-02T15:18:00.004-05:00

Sunday afternoon I met Josh and Lindsey at Welles Park. They've been married for four years, and haven't had pictures since their wedding. I cannot begin to tell you how much fun we had, but way more importantly, how sweet their love is. It is so cool to see how our love for our partners grows exponentially over time! Okay I'm writing a lot for a sneak peek.. but I am seriously excited about sharing the full post with you next week :-)

Want to hire me for your wedding? Talk about love? Grab coffee? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Geek 2 Chic

2011-11-02T11:21:00.003-05:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Wednesday evening Wil and I went to Bloomingdales for a really fun event called Geek 2 Chic. This was a runway show featuring 20 of Chicago's top "Geeks" aka awesome entrepreneurs! This list includes men from start-ups and leading tech companies alike. They all came together and even walked down a catwalk to raise money for the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. These are just a few quick images taken throughout the evening:

Want to hire me for your wedding? Headshots? Grab coffee? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Downtown Chicago Engagement | Hollyn and Matt

2011-11-02T06:17:00.004-05:00

Do you remember Hollyn and Matt from their sneak peek last week? I met them downtown a couple weeks ago and we had so much fun with their engagement pictures! We took a water taxi, walked around Michigan Avenue, and talked about their story. I could not be more honored to be included in their wedding celebration next year!

A million happy wishes you two. I can't wait for your wedding! xxoo

Want to hire me for your wedding? Talk about love? Grab coffee? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

New Website Happy Dance!!

2011-11-01T04:35:00.001-05:00

This has been a long time coming. First you saw my inspiration board, then Ravyn's design board, my new logo, and new headshots. It is so cool to see this come together! I am so so so excited to share the brand spanking new EmiliaJanePhotography.com with you!!!!!!!!! Please go look at it and experience just a little bit of my joy :-)

I have to thank Ravyn Stadick of Three Fifteen Design for building this site that I think so fantastically represents me, and shows off my work!!

Want to hire me for your wedding? Talk about love? Grab coffee? Please use my super awesome new contact page :-)

Impromptu Dinner Parties and an Awesome Sister Visit

2011-10-31T08:07:00.002-05:00

My beautiful sister Betsy came to town this weekend! She just celebrated her twenty-first birthday last week, so we celebrated all over again :-)

Saturday we threw an impromptu dinner party with some lovely friends and cooked too much food. I'm seriously bad at judging how much people will eat.

Sunday we prepared for the trick or treaters, I had an amazing session with a local married couple, and then a great meeting with a bride last night!

I couldn't have asked for a better weekend. Betsy thank you for coming, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

In transition to the new site, I believe my website will be going down sometime shortly. So please absolutely email me to say hello or make any inquiries :-)

You can reach me at hi{at}emiliajanephoto{dot}com

64 Days

2011-10-28T07:51:00.005-05:00

I can't believe next week it will be November! This month has absolutely flown by. So... let's check in on my goals to the end of the year:

Stay on top of editing/blogging sessions and real life updates [this is obviously ongoing, but I think it's going well so far!]
Submit at least two weddings and two engagements for publications/blogs [hmm yep definitely need to get on this]
Build and order sample albums (Oct 22 hard stop on one of these) [One down! One to go]
Transform our home into a better client meeting space. Or at least the living room/kitchen [This still needs to be tackled, Wil and I have started talking about what needs to happen though, so that's exciting!]
Order big prints to display [yep still definitely need to do this]
Launch new branding, website, and blog [okay you guys the new website is SO CLOSE and I just got the first round of proofs back for the blog design this week....it's going to be AMAZING!!!!!]
Order and start passing out oodles of my awesome new business cards [Check! Ordered this week.]
Oh yeah, design said business cards [also designed this week... but it's done!!]
Turn 23 gracefully [done and done]
Do my Precepts homework on time every week [going to go ahead and cross this one off the list. I over-committed myself and had to step out]
Make dinner at home, with groceries, once a week [this is ongoing... but so far so good]
Photograph at least 5 married couples in preparation of exciting new facet of Emilia Jane Photography that is yet to be announced (yes, you should be getting excited—let me know if you want to be one of these couples) [please definitely still let me know if you're interested! I have one couple complete with two more scheduled which means we need two more couples!!]
Take at least ONE WEEKEND off for mental health. Yes, an entire weekend with no sessions, AND NO EDITING EMILIA. [last weekend I didn't have any shoots, but I did still do some editing. I'm probably going to have to count this...]
Make Lauren’s awesome cake and celebrate her fabulous birthday. [Done! PS wasn't it so pretty??]
Love and serve my husband well [ongoing...but I think I'm growing in this :-) ]

Surprisingly I don't have anything to add this month... who knows what November and December hold!

What do you need to get done between now and December 31??????

This photo is at the end of the first event I ever photographed :-) It seems to adequately display how I'm feeling right about now.

Want to hang out? Or talk about having me at your wedding? Email me here!

I Need Better Titles

2011-10-27T06:42:00.004-05:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Are you a routine kind of person? I am absolutely a creature of habit. Most nights, scratch that, on the nights when Wil doesn't work super late, and we don't have evening plans, this is typically what goes down. I get home around 5:45, and sit down at the computer. I edit until he gets home and I realize I haven't done anything for dinner, and we might should either heat something up (if there is anything of this sort in our home) or order something we can quickly pickup or have delivered. We'd eat, Wil would start working, and then somewhere around 10:30 we realize we should probably go to bed so we can do this all over again tomorrow.

Last night was not one of those nights though. Last night I arrived home, actually did housework, started one of the five loads of laundry that's been calling my name for a while, made dinner (yes I am going to count fish sticks as dinner) and did not even turn on my computer. That's right! Wil worked out after work, and when he came home, he too did not go into this office. I cannot tell you how exciting this is! We actually went straight downstairs and watched a movie after dinner. We cuddled up on the couch (and by cuddled I mean sat in between stacks of laundry I was working on) and watched an entire movie without a laptop in sight :-D

These nights are absolutely necessary.

Wil's and my first attempt at pictures together. Cuddled up in my old apartment watching movies in the basement circa January 2010 :-)

Do you need holiday pictures? Check out the mini session information! And hire me for your wedding :-)

Happy Birthday Lauren!

2011-10-26T05:33:00.001-05:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Today is my beautiful friend Lauren's birthday [yes, the one who took my awesome new headshots]! To celebrate, I made her a yummy ruffle cake :-)

Cheers to the happiest of years!!!!

Do you need holiday pictures? Check out the mini session information! And hire me for your wedding :-)

Downtown Chicago Engagement Sneak Peek | Hollyn and Matt

2011-10-25T05:17:00.000-05:00

This lovely Tuesday morning I bring you our first peek at Hollyn and Matt. We had so much fun with their engagement pictures downtown last Friday afternoon.

This are just a couple frames, but the full post will be next week!

I am already so excited for your wedding next September!!

Do you need holiday pictures? Check out the mini session information!

Or hire me for your wedding :-)

Birthday Party Fun!

2011-10-24T06:07:00.003-05:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Saturday I threw myself a little birthday party with some dear friends :-)

Wil mixed the most delicious cocktails, we laughed, and drank, and ate funfetti cupcakes with gold edible glitter. Sadly I forgot to take a single picture with my lovely guests, but I think that last picture gives you a glimpse into the fun we had!

Do you need holiday pictures? Check out the mini session information!

Or hire me for your wedding :-)

23

2011-10-20T06:31:00.007-05:00

Today is my birthday! I am twenty-three. I don't really have anything planned for this post except to say THANK YOU!!!! Seriously, thank you all. To every single person who reads this blog, interacts with me online, and to my friends in real life too. This past year has been probably the most significant in my life so far. Actually, no. This past year has absolutely been the the most significant in my life by far.

Thank you, Wil, for asking me to marry you 363 days ago, and marrying me 229 days ago. A million thanks to all of my amazing couples this year, you have brought SO MUCH JOY to my life! Thank you to the APW community. Even though I have only really joined you in the past five months, your support and encouragement has been huge! Okay, okay, this isn't Thanksgiving day, I'll probably be doing this again in a month, so we'll pause here for now. But seriously, I could not do this without you all!

So here's my mom who pushed me out 23 years ago today at 5:46am in Bowling Green, Kentucky. I love you!

just a little Instagram picture I took on the train the other morning :-)

since no post is complete without a picture, and I kind of like this one

party with gold glitter and champagne to come on monday ;-)

ps if you didn't see Darcy & Paul yesterday...you might want to click through now. my mom called from vietnam to tell me how beautiful she thinks they are!

Monroe Harbor Portraits| Darcy & Paul

2011-10-19T06:05:00.002-05:00

No intro necessary today...

Love you two!!

Do you need holiday pictures? Check out the mini session information!

Want to hire me for your wedding, or maybe just get a cup of coffee? Talk to me, we'll make it happen.

Olsem Family Portraits

2011-10-18T05:33:00.002-05:00

I met Patti and her husband Scott at Simon and Jacqui's wedding in June, Patti recently emailed asking if I do family pictures too??? YES!!! :-D So this Sunday I traversed up to Antioch, IL (close to the Wisconsin border) and realized that next time I do this I should *definitely* make a day of it to outlet mall shop too!

Without further ado, I am so excited to share the awesome Olsem family with you! They absolutely kept me laughing during our whole session. And Anna even picked up the camera for a picture (can you find it??) :-)

Do you need holiday pictures? Check out the mini session information! Or hire me for your wedding :-)

A Different Kind of Fashion Post

2011-10-17T09:26:00.002-05:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

I just want to give you a little glimpse into my day.

Lululemon Groove Pant, American Apparel black deep-v t shirt, Texas A&M hoodie, and slippers. I will be sipping coffee and editing away.
Do you need holiday pictures? Check out the mini session information!

Or hire me for your wedding :-)

A Well Traveled Woman

2011-10-14T06:31:00.003-05:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

I recently stumbled up a beautiful blog. Her tag line is "Who I am is inspired by where I've been." Oh do I strive to be labeled as such, "A Well Traveled Woman." We traveled a lot when I was younger, a lot being more than most kids I knew... but I haven't been abroad since 2009. You've seen a few pictures of me with my Dad in Tunisia, but these are just a few of me with my mom in Istanbul from 2005. This was our very first digital camera :-)

I hope you have an AMAZING weekend :-)

Next week we have all sorts of fun and beautiful pictures to show...including Darcy and Paul's full post!

Do you need holiday pictures? Check out the mini session information!

Want to hire me for your wedding, or maybe just get a cup of coffee together? Talk to me, we'll make it happen.

Monroe Harbor Portraits| Darcy & Paul Sneak Peek

2011-10-13T05:51:00.003-05:00

I couldn't narrow down to just one for this sneak peek... meet Darcy & Paul:

Aren't they hot?! Full post next week.

And tomorrow is a surprise!

Do you need holiday pictures? Check out the mini session information!

Want to hire me for your wedding, or maybe just get a cup of coffee? Talk to me, we'll make it happen.

Apple Orchard Wedding Portraits | Alex & Remy

2011-10-12T05:10:00.001-05:00

You probably remember Alex & Remy from their wedding :-)

She's planning to sell her dress but couldn't bear to part with it until she had "just a few" more pictures in it... And we all know time on the wedding day can be pretty rushed! She had the brilliant idea to do a "day after" session, at an apple orchard outside the city. I loved the idea instantly, and am also completely enamored with how it turned out...

Yep! Totally love you guys. A million happy wishes :-)

Do you need holiday pictures? Check out the mini session information!

Want to hire me for your wedding, or maybe just get a cup of coffee? Talk to me, we'll make it happen.

Motherly Love

2011-10-11T05:02:00.001-05:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

My mom came to visit!!!!! I was trying to come up with a cute intro, but really it boils down to this: my mom came to visit!!!!! She's on a flight to Vietnam as we speak, but she set up an overnight layover in Chicago :-D

I've never been the type to get homesick. But, I also used to go home every two-three months. Life has been hectic, to say the least, as you well know, so we don't make it back to Indiana quite as frequently. I talk to my mom while walking to the train in the morning when she's in US, and when she has wifi and is abroad.

She flew in Sunday afternoon, we went to dinner at Feast and had a cocktail at the Violet Hour (her suggestion). I love her.

Do you need holiday pictures? Check out the mini session information!

Or hire me for your wedding :-)

Birthday Month Beginnings

2011-10-10T05:23:00.000-05:00

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

October is the best month of the year. I'm just going to put that out there. This month not only contains MY birthday, but also my sister's, and at least 10 other good friends'.

This weekend my friend Jess came in town to celebrate her 25th along with our friend Ravi (whose awesome housewarming party has a post coming... I promise). Jess and I went to IU together, but have been friends since Freshman orientation for high school back in Evansville. She's a doll, and absolutely cracks me up.

These are just a few snapshots of the evening, I wish you both the happiest of years :-)

I'm pretty sure their dog is the cutest ever.

Do you need holiday pictures? Check out the mini session information!

Or hire me for your wedding :-)