Here is the classic story of two highschool sweethearts  dating for 10 years then finally taking the plunge.  Ok, so maybe that’s not so classic, but it’s a nice story anyways.   I could tell it was worth the wait by the way I kept catching these to gazing at each other like it was still puppy love.  They hadn’t let the years dwindle the fire that still burned uncontrolled within then.  It was very romantic.  The wedding and reception took place at CD & Me in Frankfort, IL.

Wedding Photography | Naperville | Chicago | Photographer | Frankfort, IL

Wedding Photography | Naperville | Chicago | Photographer | Frankfort, IL

Wedding Photography | Naperville | Chicago | Photographer | Frankfort, IL

Wedding Photography | Naperville | Chicago | Photographer | Frankfort, IL

Wedding Photography | Naperville | Chicago | Photographer | Frankfort, IL

Wedding Photography | Naperville | Chicago | Photographer | Frankfort, IL

We had a great time partying with you guys!  Thank you so much for letting us spend your special day with you.

-Corlis :: Contact Me!

Frankfort, IL | Destination Wedding Photography | Chicago | Naperville | Wedding Photographer | Chicago Photo Booth

This amazing wedding took place at Starved Rock State Park in Utica, IL.  Just about an hour and a half southwest of Chicago.  Starved Rock has to be one of my favorite places for a wedding getaway.  The lodge is beautiful and the scenery is second to none.  This wedding was no exception.  I have to say, Laci and Ian are, what I like to refer to as, “beautiful people”.  We all wish we were as good looking as these two.  At least I do, lol.  It was virtually impossible for me to take a bad picture of them.  To top it all off, they were genuinely just good hearted people which made my job just that much easier.  For this Chicago wedding photographer, this is as good as it gets.  See more Ottawa, IL wedding photographer photo’s by Corlis Gray here, and Ottawa, IL wedding photography here.  You can also see Laci & Ian’s Chicago engagement session here.

I probably looked pretty silly from other people’s perspectives, but laying on the floor and adding a slight camera tilt, gave this shot a little edginess.

Here the shallow depth of field draws your attention to the groom gazing at his soon to be wife.

I love the very editorial look of this photograph.  The punchy colors ad to the drama of this photo.  Just a small note, this was NOT posed.  I just captured a really stunning moment of Laci gazing out the window of the trolley, just soaking in the days events.

Here the shallow depth of field and the sharpness of Laci really brings out her eyes.  They are almost mesmerizing.  It doesn’t hurt that she’s done some modeling either.  LOL.

In this image I placed a flash behind Laci and Ian as they were dancing to capture a silhouette of them dancing while using another flash to give a slight fill light.  With the long shutter speed I could grab some of the ambient light surrounding them and in the background.  I think it’s a wonderfully romantic image.

Ian and Laci, you are truly two very wonderful people, and I wish you all the best.  Your wedding was almost as rockin’ as you!

-Corlis :: Contact Me

Chicago Wedding Photographer | Naperville Wedding | Destination Wedding Photography | Chicago Photo Booth

Ben is a VERY talented pianist in Chicago.  Abigail studies monkeys in Africa.  When I put it that way you might assume these two couldn’t be more different, but you’d be wrong.  Being that Ben is a musician, and his name isn’t P-Diddy or John Mayer, he isn’t exactly making billions.  Abigail is, what I consider to be a genius of sorts, holding something like 1,000,000 degrees in anthropology, so she’ll be paying off school bills until her grand-kids have grand-kids.  They don’t have all the money in the world.  What they do have in excess is LOVE.  Not just any kind of love.  Hot pink, Hollywood, roman candle, kinda love.  I thought I knew what love was until I met these two.

So being that they have more school loans than the U.S. deficit, but all the love in the world (literally).  God was smiling on them one day and led them to me.  I just so happen to do 3 pro bono weddings per year for couples in exactly their predicament.  After reading the most heart warming email from Abby, I decided to meet with them.

We met in a little coffee shop in Morris, IL called Brewed Awakenings.  From there we sat over a couple hot cups of joe and got to know each other.  The rest is history.

Here is their wedding shot in Seneca, IL.  Just a couple hours outside of Chicago.

See more outdoor DIY wedding photography here.

The shallow depth of field and the grainyness of this image really add an artistic feel to this image that I love.

There is nothing better than capturing the true happiness and excitement of a bride.

Ben and Abbi, I just can’t say enough great things about you guys.  You are two very wonderful people and I wish you all the best throughout your lives.

-Corlis :: Contact Me

Chicago Wedding Photographer | Naperville Wedding | Destination Wedding Photography | Chicago Photo Booth

It was about 11 am.  I started packing up my camera bag with all the essentials…you know…camera’s, lenses, flashes, cards.  I headed out for a quick brunch and ran some errands.

Sounds like a normal day as a photographer.  I headed out at about 2 to scout the area where I’d be shooting Tim and Madison’s engagement session.  Little did I know I’d be driving around for the next 2 hours back and forth past the very place I needed to be.  LOL.  Nobody’s perfect right?  Good thing I left 2 hours early.

Enter Gebhard Woods in Morris, IL.  A pleasant little treasure trove of green foliage and manicured lawns.  We had a great time hiking and getting a little dirty to get some great shots

See more Morris engagement photography here.

Thanks to Tim and Madison for the great time

-Corlis :: Contact me!

Gebhard Woods Morris, IL | Destination Wedding Photography | Chicago | Naperville | Wedding Photographer | Chicago Photo Booth

When it comes to happy smiling people, these two take the cake!  Chris and Jeanette have no trouble finding something to smile about.  We had a wonderful time exploring the Chicago Botanic Gardens.  I especially love the fact they didn’t have a problem getting a little dirty and going off the beaten path.  Although the day began a bit wet with ominous clouds overhead, God saw fit to open up the sky just for us, and we had a beautiful shoot.  Here’s a little peek   You can see more Chicago Botanic Gardens engagement photography here, by Chicago Botanic Gardens engagement photographer Corlis Gray Photography.

Thanks Chris and Jeanette for the really great time and all the laughs!

-Corlis

Chicago Wedding Photographer | Naperville Wedding Photographer | Destination Wedding Photography | Chicago Photo Booth

I separated Jonathan and Jamie and shot with a wide angle lens to show the immenseness of this canyon.  The vintage processing really gives this photograph an aged appearance and brings out the contrast detail of the waterfall.

Here the sun is acting as a hair light intensifying the dimension and the separation from the background.

Here the shallow depth of field diminishes the distractions of the background and brings your attention to the beautiful couple.

I love this natural pose.  It really shows a true interaction between Jamie and Jonathan.  No fake smiles here.

I used a lot of negative space in this photograph to accentuate the towering trees and show how vast this forest really was.

This canopy of evergreens was just too beautiful to pass up with the sun setting behind them.  The long shadows add to the drama along with Jamie and Jonathan being silhouetted with a halo of light around them.

Thank you Jonathan and Jamie for spending the day with me in such a beautiful place just getting to know each other.  It was great to share a walk in such a beautiful place with some great conversation.

-Corlis :: Contact Me

Chicago Wedding Photographer | Downers Grove Wedding Photographer | Destination Wedding Photography | Chicago Photo Booth

Zack and Amanda’s wedding took place at the beautiful St. Josephs Church in Manhattan, IL. From there we headed to an all to familiar place, the Oberwortmann Horticultural Center! You might remember it from a previous post of mine “What the heck is an Oberwortmann” LOL. Zack and Amanda are just good people. With pure hearts and a taste for country living. Here’s a little taste of their amazing and FUN FUN FUN wedding!   You can see more Oberwortmann wedding photography here.

P.S. The blog title is from a Phil Vassar song “love is a beautiful thing”…I just love that song…lol.

Corlis Gray Photography

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