A Black Tie Backyard Wedding in Winnetka, Illinois

Y’all know I LOVE a good backyard wedding. But this? This was BEYOND. A true black tie backyard wedding.

As some of you already know, I am getting married in 2024. So, anytime I have a client with a tent wedding, I get so excited for my own wedding. Hilary and Brewster’s wedding not only featured a gorgeous tent, but a tent done by the tent company I am using for my own wedding, Blue Peak Tents. *Insert squealing here.* The theme for the day was black tie backyard wedding and it truly met and exceeded every expectation.

Hilary, like myself, lets no detail go unturned. She is an incredible graphic designer and designed her entire invitation suite. Her florist? My florist and friend, Kara, who made her black tie garden party dreams come true complete with figs, mushrooms, pears and blackberries for table decor. Beautiful rentals for cocktail hour? Check. A beautiful catering menu? Double check. Like I said, beyond.

While the beautiful details obviously make a wedding day a photographer’s dream, it is the genuine moments shared between a couple and their loved ones that truly makes a day special. The moments between Hilary and her parents. The moments between the fathers of both the bride and groom, who have know each other for 30+ years and are now in-laws. The love shared between friends on the dance floor. Genuine, unposed, moments are my favorite part about a wedding day. I can never get enough. And I will never be a photographer who interrupts a moment from happening to make sure it looks “just right.”

How to get beautiful unposed photos:

So, you read that above paragraph and thought, “how do I get photos like that?” And while it may be easier said than done, my biggest suggestion to that is adding buffer time into your timeline. This gives your photograph time to make magic happen. Going to leave it there so we can dive into the photos.