Abby + Teddy | Chicago Wedding Photography

The world we live in is not the same as it once was six months ago, and I truly don’t believe it will ever be the same. But despite the hardships, sadness and grief a lot of people have faced this year, love remains to be one of the most positive and hopeful things that we can hold onto. Abby and Teddy’s love is a true testament to that, and despite not having the day they had originally planned for, their wedding could not have been more perfect. It was held at the home that her father built for her family, and it was a beautiful day from start to finish. Abby and Teddy are two incredibly kind, bright lights in this world, and I have been looking forward to their wedding day from the moment Abby wanted to hire me (before they were even engaged.) Below are some of my favorite photos from their day— it was so hard to narrow it down— and their bridal photos are absolutely dreamy. Scroll through them all because my favorites are at the end 😉

Abby’s father Mark passed from illness when she was 16, and she honored her dad in so many beautiful ways throughout the day. The patch on the inside skirt of her dress was made from one of her dad’s dress shirts, and this was her “something blue.”

Before Abby’s father passed, her mother Diane prayed to see cardinals as a sign of healing, and shortly after she did, cardinals started showing up in their yard. “He is healed in heaven now,” Diane told me, as she showed me the cardinal decor in their garden and in their home as a sign of his presence. After Abby and Teddy’s first look, we saw a cardinal flying in a tree right next to them. Cue tears.

Abby’s ring also has a touch of her dad — the marquise diamond was an anniversary gift to her mom, and her mom gave Teddy the stone when he asked for permission to marry Abby.

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Y’all know I love the grandparent pics. CUE MORE TEARS.

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That champagne pop was epic and all, but THESE BRIDALS. They are some of my favorite to-date. We snuck out into the front yard during cocktail hour to capture these beauties.

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I wish I could post them all but for the sake of keeping this already long blog post not too long, we’ll finish here. Swoon.

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After the mother-son dance, Abby honored her father one last time by having all of their guests on the dance floor (aka their patio) with blow-up guitars to dance and sing a long to one of her dad’s favorite songs. I loved how she honored him throughout the day, but this was one of my favorite moments— seeing such joy and laughter despite the loss and grief.

Aaaand to finish the night off: a sparkler exit down the driveway. Photographers know that this shot can be super difficult to obtain due to the lighting and technical skill required to not get a blurry, out of focus mess. I had them run through the sparkler aisle twice just to make sure I got what I needed and OH BOY did I get “the shot.” The bow tie, the kiss, the magic. An image to sum up a spectacular day.

Abby and Teddy — thank you for allowing me to capture your day. I am truly grateful that despite the current state of the world we live in that you were able to celebrate your beautiful, shining love. I cannot wait to continue capturing life’s biggest moments for you.

xoxo

Arielle

 

 

Vendor Credit!

Reception Venue: The home of Diane and the late Mark Dykema

Florist: Westgate Flowers

Ceremony Officiant: Reverend Peter Semeyn

Ceremony Venue Coordinator: Kris Vos and Diane Dykema

DJ: Ben Dykema

String Quartet: North Side Brass

Photographer: Arielle Gallione Photography assisted by Floyd McCraney

Videographer:  Old North Film Company

Hairdresser: Pin Me Up Chicago

Makeup Artist: Rachel Reiman

Abby’s Dress: Essence of Australia

Abby’s Jewlery: Kendra Scott + Tiffany & Co.

Teddy’s Suit: The Groomsmen Suit

 

 

 

All images Copyright © Arielle Gallione 2020.