Traditionally speaking, often times it is the couple’s families who help pay for their wedding. However, unfortunately that’s just not possible for everyone, especially these days when the cost of weddings can quickly and easily get out of control. Some couples find themselves in the position of paying for all of their own wedding expenses, which can be quite the financial burden to take on, and about 40% of Millennials end up in this boat. So, how can you stick to your allotted...Read more
Are you planning a short-notice, small wedding or elopement?
Many couples don’t want to wait. They are planning to get married in the very near future, eloping, or rushing a small ceremony with their photographer, some close friends, and family but dispensing with or postponing the reception party.
View WPJA photo stories from smaller weddings - WedElope | Choose love, not fear!
Chicago Wedding Photographers
Wedding Photographers of Chicago, Illinois
Chicago Elopement Photographers
In recent days, some of our United States photographers have expressed their desire to accommodate couples who don’t want to wait to be married and are rushing the ceremony.
Many brides and grooms around the globe are planning to elope and deciding to reschedule their original ideas for a big event. They are getting wed on a whim, but dispensing with or postponing all else.
The WPJA has an abundance of top-ranked, documentary-style elopement photographers who are available right now who understand that some weddings can’t wait. Find yours today!
Most Recent WPJA WedElope Story Awards
Elopement Photographers for Small Illinois Weddings
Shooting an elopement or small Chicago wedding event is a wedding photojournalist’s dream: a fairly open schedule with lots of breathing space for creativity – it’s just the photographer, the couple, the officiant, and perhaps a few select companions.
Members are ready to document any quick, civil ceremony, secret, or elopement wedding, even if it is a Monday-Thursday ceremony. Search for the “Can Shoot Weddings on Short Notice!” message on the listings below.
We are anxious to create a picture story chronicling your non-traditional, modern, casual, small wedding from beginning to end. In this sense, it is no different from any other event that we have covered. The emphasis is on documenting key moments, capturing spontaneous displays of emotion, telling your real love story, as well as creating artistic portraits and details.
Map of Wedding Photojournalists Serving Chicago Couples
23 Documentary Wedding Photographers...
I’m Victoria, and I dislike 3rd person bio pages. I’m a Photographer, Filmmaker, and Educator based in Chicago, traveling worldwide. I specialize in low light, high contrast, bold color, and in-camera effects. I love documenting real moments (at weddings, of live productions, or just in regular life), and I especially love taking creative portraits. I am a full-time photographer and have been involved with the art form professionally for over 20 years. [Chicago Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
3900 (USD)
I have shot everything from weddings in the cornfields of rural Illinois to a World Series at Fenway Park, all in search of the perfect moment. I started my award-winning photojournalism career in Boston shooting for The Boston Herald, Red Sox and Harvard University and have been shooting weddings and events here in Chicago since 2011. I love shooting weddings because I love telling stories. Few events lend themselves such an obvious beginning, middle and end as weddings and fewer still feature wily grandmothers teaching The Wobble to their grandchildren or the quiet smile of a proud father. I capture great moments and tell unforgettable stories. Let me tell yours. [Chicago Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
2500 (USD)
Hello! I'm a Chicago-based wedding and commercial photographer, available for assignments both locally and abroad. I help my clients relive their day, share their story, and keep a piece of the experience. Whether your wedding is traditional or quirky, epic or intimate, local or halfway across the world, my role is to be the calm within the storm, and guarantee that your photos will serve as a gateway to that moment in time. I accomplish this by searching for moments and capturing the day as it happens. This comes from my years as a full-time news photographer, and that experience shapes my approach to each and every wedding. Together with your personality, vision and creativity, I will ensure that your wedding is captured, printed, and beautifully expressed for generations to come. [Chicago Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
3500 (USD)
Mark Black uses his over 25 years of photojournalistic experience to capture the precious and sometimes fleeting moments of your wedding day. Mark's fascination with photography began with the discovery of an old camera in his grandmother's basement at the age of 10. While attending Columbia College he interned and freelanced with several area newspapers. After graduating with a B.A. in Photojournalism, Mark continued to freelance for several area newspapers before accepting a staff photographer's position at the Daily Herald. Since starting with the Daily Herald in 1993 he has advanced to the position of Senior Staff Photographer. Mark has received numerous awards for his images from the Wedding Photojournalist Association, National Press Photographers Association, Inland Press Association, Illinois Press Photographers Association, Chicago Headline Club and Associated Press just to name a few. Mark has had his images published in newspapers and magazines around the world including the main images on the cover of "People Magazine". Mark has been intricately involved in the photojournalism industry in Illinois, acting at the Vice President of the Illinois Press Photographers Association from 1999-2009. Mark and his wife live in St. Charles, Illinois, where they are raising their two young sons. [Chicago Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
1950 (USD)
Chicago-based photographer Allison Williams specializes in modern, documentary wedding photography. Allison worked as a staff photojournalist for Sun-Times Media before starting her own company in 2010. She continues to photograph news and events and uses the same approach for weddings as she does in her newspaper and magazine work. Allison’s style comes out of a unique background–a mix of fine art, documentary, and journalistic photography define her particular approach. [Chicago Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
3000 (USD)
Raw emotion is what drives my photography. As a visual storyteller my goal is to capture the raw, spontaneous moments that make up a wedding day and to show your unique love story through photos. My goal is not just to make incredible photographs, but to make images that truly capture the relationship between two people in love. I feel honored to document a couple's love story on the most important and intimate day of their lives. The comment I hear the most from people about my wedding photography is, “I feel like I was there.” I love hearing that because I know I have captured the essence of a wedding through my photos. After my own wedding, I realized how much the photos and video meant to us and I decided I wanted to document love stories for other couples. My husband and I got married on a beach in Captiva Island, Florida. We decided not to see each other until I was walking down the aisle with my Dad. As I stepped out of the trolley to start the ceremony, I wondered what my husband-to-be was thinking at that same moment. It wasn't until we saw our wedding photos that I could see the tears in his eyes when he saw me for the first time. The image of him wiping away tears as I walked down the aisle is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. My background started in graphic design. I owned a boutique design studio specializing in art direction, motion graphics and website design for about 14 years. Working and designing with photographs, I developed a passion for photography. While I will always love design, my heart was pulling me more and more towards photography I slowly developed my photographic style over years of walking around the city looking for interesting people and moments to capture. When I decided to become a full time photographer, I wanted to have good foundation and really understand art and photography. I went back to school at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for photography and I studied with National Geographic. [Chicago Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
3500 (USD)
Milan Lazic is a principal photographer and the owner of WS photography. Milan discovered his love for photography in high school. He actually shot his first wedding at age 18 with an analog camera! Since then he never stopped exploring and learning, especially about lighting techniques which is his specialty. Milan always loved art photography and transferred that influence to his wedding photography work. [Chicago Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
3000 (USD)
Travis began shooting weddings while working as a newspaper photojournalist in the Chicago suburbs. Travis continues to shoot news and sports throughout the Chicago area. He currently lives in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood with his wife and their terrier pup, Bella. His work has been recognized by the Michigan and Illinois Press Photographers Associations and the Associated Collegiate Press. He was named 2005 College Photographer of the Year by the MPPA. His photos have appeared in major publications throughout the Midwest, including the Chicago Sun-Times, the St. Louis Post Dispatch and the Detroit Free Press. Travis is a graduate of Michigan State University and still points to the back of his hand to show people where he grew up. [Chicago Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
3900 (USD)
John Zich and his wife, WPJA award-winner Anne Ryan, photograph news events for the world's leading publications. We also shoot a select few weddings a year. Working as a team, we use our story-telling approach to produce award-winning wedding pictures and spectacular wedding books. [Chicago Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
4200 (USD)
Photography has been a passion of mine throughout my entire life. As an inquisitive child, my grandfather instilled in me the basics of photography. When I turned 12, he put a camera in my hands and encouraged my creativity by taking me on expeditions to capture my surroundings on film. As I honed my skills and interests more formally through my studies, I became most intrigued by and excited about finding the subtle moments that told intricate stories about the people I would meet. Over the past 20 years as a photojournalist, I've been privileged to have the opportunity to be invited into incredible peoples lives and to tell their stories. From a mother's first embrace with her newborn child to a stroke victim taking his first steps during recovery, or a community honoring one of its own fallen soldiers, finding moments that make you smile, bring a tear to your eye, or move one to action has always been at the heart of my work. After receiving his Bachelors of Science in Journalism from Ohio University's School of Visual Communication in 1994, I began working as a photojournalist at various smaller newspapers in the midwest. In 1998, I moved to suburban Chicago to work at the Elgin Courier News and then onto its sister paper, the Aurora Beacon News, as both chief photographer and photo editor. In the spring of 2005, I started my current position as a photo editor for the Chicago Tribune. My work has been recognized by numerous prestigious organizations including the University of Missouri Pictures of the Year competition, National Press Photographers Association, and the Illinois and Ohio Press Photographer Pictures of the Year competitions. [Chicago Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
3995 (USD)
When I’m not photographing weddings, you are most likely to find me traveling the world or straight up relaxing with my husband in Logan Square. My favorite recent trips include Thailand, France, and the Northwest Territories of Canada. When my bags aren’t packed, you can find me drinking iced lattes (even in the dead of winter), listening to music on a blanket in Logan Blvd (not in the dead of winter), or at home with my husband and little terrier (David and Frankie, respectively.) I am a Chicago-based wedding photographer who loves getting to know my clients. I love telling stories with my images. And I love weddings. When my clients look back on their wedding images, I want them to remember how it felt to be there. I want them to have beautiful images of moments they may have missed– a tear quickly swept away, a big laugh, a quick but meaningful glance. While I love classic poses and unique composition, my favorite photographs always end up being the moments that happen naturally. I am drawn to beautiful light and real emotion. I am always striving to create that image that will make you say ‘wow.’ With passion, dedication, creativity, and style, I specialize in telling beautiful love stories with photos that capture the essence of each couple. [Chicago Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
4000 (USD)
I am a Chicago-based photographer living in the Bucktown neighborhood in Chicago with my husband, and closest friend, Shawn. When I was thirteen I picked up my mother's camera and started documenting our lives. The one hour photo lab down the street turned into hours and hours in the b&w darkroom in undergrad, then the color darkroom, then a Masters in photography. Today I still find myself in the darkroom every day with my students at New Trier High School. Photography is more than what I do, it is who I am. I teach so that I may pass that passion onto future generations. I am at home and at ease when I am working with and photographing people; it has always made complete sense to me. I take pride in making my clients feel comfortable during our shoots, even the most camera shy. I have an admiration for beauty, peculiarity, and the everyday stuff of life. I let my intuition lead me and I do not force situations to occur. I allow moments to unfold and adjust myself to the situation. I am humbled and honored to photograph the memories and milestones in people's lives. I know that I will always do my best to document people as they are, so they will look back on the moments and still feel all the love and warmth that went into creating those memories. , [Chicago Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
3400 (USD)
Steve is a WPJA and AG-WPJA award winning wedding photographer. Before discovering his love for wedding photojournalism, Steve pursued fine art photography with a passion, and it influences his work even today. Steve wants to capture all the fun and excitement of the wedding day with vibrant, timeless images. But at the heart of his photography is the love, joy and emotion that makes every wedding day unique and memorable. Steve is based in Chicago, Illinois but serves clients worldwide. [Chicago Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
3900 (USD)
Brad spends his weekdays as an Art Director for a major advertising agency in Chicago and his weekends photographing every kind of wedding imaginable. With a decade's worth of storytelling experience, his favorite part about being a wedding photographer is the ability to capture and preserve every emotion and detail of one of the most important days of your lives. With the unique eye of a graphic designer and previous career of shooting for several news publications, Brad is able to craft your wedding photos into an amazing visual story for you to remember well after you say, "I do". [Chicago Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
2500 (USD)
Your wedding day truly is a one-shot deal. With over a decade of experience photographing weddings, Husar Photography founder Chad Husar knows how to anticipate and capture the special moments of your wedding, come rain or shine. [Chicago Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
3800 (USD)
I am a Oaxaca destination wedding photographer. My first Oaxaca destination wedding came in 2008, when a Brooklyn bride, with her fiancé, from the Isthmus, came across my photographs of Spain, Morocco, California, and Oaxaca, at an art sale on Alcalá in Oaxaca. She said she loved my style and wanted me to shoot her wedding. Since I had never shot a wedding before, her coordinator, Marcela González, with whom I have collaborated on so many of the most beautiful weddings in Oaxaca since 2008, recommended I be the second shooter to the photographer they had already booked. It was a part-Jewish, part-Istmeña wedding at Casa de Los Pintores and the day was full of so much life and fun and amazing moments that I was hooked. I began investing in my education as a photographer, and in my professional equipment. Soon enough I started giving workshops in English and Spanish and served as a liaison and interpreter for iconic film photographer Mary Ellen Mark's Oaxaca photography workshops. I have exhibited in places like Casa de la Ciudad, with financial support from the Alfredo Harp Helú Foundation, and published in magazines and newspapers like The Wall Street Journal and El País, among many others. I have met the needs of discerning clientele like Casa Oaxaca, Oaxaca Film Fest, and brides from around Mexico and the US looking for something different for their destination wedding photography. So many years later, each new wedding still gives me the same thrill as the first. This is because I push myself to meet the artistic and storytelling challenges each new wedding puts before me. It would be an honor to be your photographer, and tell the story of your day in a way you will love to revisit the rest of your lives. [Oaxaca Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
2000 (USD)
Leah Moyers is a traveling wedding and elopement photographer with a fine arts background located in East Tennessee. Her style is unobtrusive, candid, inclusive and thoughtfully captured. She creates relationships with clients that allow her to capture them authentically and truly enjoys producing beautiful and unique work. [Knoxville Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
400/hour (USD)
At 38, Morgan Davis has been documenting weddings since 2014. She remains inspired by the work of Cari Mae Weems, Marilyn Nance, and Gordon Parks. With a passion for international humanitarian photojournalism, she shoots a limited amount of weddings to be available to travel abroad to, in her own words, "tell the stories that often go untold." When Morgan is not shooting weddings or other lifestyle portraiture concepts, she can be found working out at the gym, listening to 40's jazz, by the ocean, or enjoying her family. She has been married to the love of her life Chris for 19 years and together they have 3 children. [Baltimore Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
3499 (USD)
I’m Mantas Kubilinskas. I am a Lithuania-born, D.C.-based photographer. Photography is more than my job. It is my hobby and my passion. As a photographer, every day is like Christmas for me. I get just as excited for each session as a kid admiring his wrapped gifts on Christmas morning. Each couple brings me the opportunity for something new and amazing. I love creating and capturing those moments of passion and happiness between two people. My work is all about action, composition and emotion. My vision is to catch the excitement, solemnity, humor, love, or happiness of a moment to be remembered for years to come. Whatever you feel the day of the session, you will feel every time you look at your photographs.I do not focus too much on the details or simply going through the same-old checklist of events to document. Sometimes to catch the action and feeling behind an event you have to look at the bigger picture, shoot from a different angle, tell a joke. My photography is not about me. It’s about you, about the couples. In my sessions, I direct couples to compose beautiful, natural photos, but what I love, is making them laugh. My images expose that genuine, human happiness couples look for in their photos. It’s my favorite part of what I do. I want you to be passionate about my photography style and vision too! Enjoy my portfolios here on my website. I look forward to making you laugh, capturing your story and creating breath-taking photographs to evoke those day-of emotions all over again. [Washington DC Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
3900 (USD)
When I was a young girl growing up in Lithuania, I fell in love with everything about weddings. I got caught up in the joy, beauty, and emotion, and the sweet connections that happened between family and friends always made me smile. I still feel that way today. Now I am living my dream as a wedding photographer in Washington D.C., and traveling for destination weddings nationally and abroad. I am known for my documentary style which keeps me focused on candid moments and true emotions. It’s those kinds of story-telling wedding photos that you will see throughout my portfolio. When you trust me to be your wedding photographer, I want my photos to speak to you about your life, (not just make you look amazing). Of course, I’ll capture gorgeous portraits, group shots, and details to fill in your collection, and I’ll do it all without controlling the flow of your celebration. When you look at your photo years from now I want you to feel the emotions you felt on your wedding day, just like it was yesterday, and remember how comfortable you felt in front of the camera. If you find yourself drawn to my work, please reach out. I would love to know what captures your heart and makes you smile, and if our calendars align I would be thrilled to be your wedding photographer. All the best, Gabriele Stonyte [Arlington Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
3000 (USD)
I have been a wedding photographer for over 9 years, inspired by my father's photography career in photojournalism. I grew up in the tropical lands of Costa Rica, where I met the love of my life, and we... [Minneapolis Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
3200 (USD)
1 more photographers available for your wedding...
3200
US Dollar
Miriam Doan
Chicago in Illinois, United StatesMiriam is a video and photojournalist based in the third coast’s Great Lakes region and proudly calls Chicago home. An award-winning published wedding photographer for over 15 years, she also works in the development sector as a visual...
Wedding Venues from Chicago
Please select a venue below to view all associated winning photos.
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WPJA Communiqué: Features
Some couples, as they begin planning for their weddings, might think that they are limited to the classic locations: churches, gardens, beaches, or even Las Vegas. But in doing so they’re missing out on a multitude of unique options that might suit their personalities much better! Why limit yourself to a quiet, quaint ceremony when your adventurous heart may be calling out for something more? An entirely different genre of wedding, so to speak, is the adventure wedding elopement. This concept...Read more
While some people live for the hustle and bustle of a big wedding with extravagant décor and an impossibly long guest list, others find these kinds of weddings to be too much hoopla, preferring instead something simpler and quieter, allowing for more intimacy between them and their fiancés on this special day. So how do you infuse your wedding with all the romance but none of the fuss? ALONE AT LAST Many couples these days are opting to elope rather than planning a large wedding. For the no-...Read more
Oftentimes when people are considering a venue for their weddings, they search for a location away from home, whether that be ten minutes or ten hours, all just to find what they already have: a place that holds meaning for them, that feels comfortable, or that they find special and memorable. But what could hold more memory, meaning, and importance than your own home? For those looking for that perfect venue, it may not be any further than beyond your threshold.Read more
WHAT EXACTLY DOES IT MEAN TO ELOPE? If you look up the definition of “elope” in the Merriam-Webster dictionary , you’ll find a plethora of meanings making it quite clear how polarizing the word has become, and how it has transformed and evolved with the passage of time and even personal preference.Read more
While some of us were fortunate enough to be born as extroverts, not everyone feels the same way. For a good chunk of the population, any number of the typical wedding day traditions can inspire anxiety and existential dread. This day is all about you, yes, but does that mean all the attention has to be on you as well? FROM VOWS TO CHITCHAT, WHICH REMAINS SACRED? Traditional weddings often require some degree of performance on the part of the couple, whether that is in the form of reciting...Read more
RAVES, REVIEWS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Jennifer & Chase
Photo by Mark Black
I can't thank you enough for your hard work! So many happy tears when I saw the photos. You captured the emotion behind the happiest, most beautiful day of my life. I just love the candid shots of the kids and my friends and family having fun. I was able to see the events that unfolded while I was busy throughout the day. Oh my goodness! There were so many shots that were surprises and we were just thrilled! And the details so carefully captured will help us remember the day that went by too too fast.
Devin and Joy
Photo by William Nunnally
The photos we received were absolutely gorgeous. My wife and I could not have been happier with them, which is saying something because she hates all photos of herself. Also, we had some unexpected snow and freezing weather, but you made sure to make the outdoor shots as painless as possible. The snow ended up looking stunning in the photos too, so that was a silver lining. You're definitely a great photographer with a more artistic touch to your photos as well.
Amanda & Jeff
Photo by Mark Black
You truly are an artist! You did an amazing job and were so easy to work with. We couldn't be happier!
Jennifer & Steve
Photo by Noelle Adams
I finally saw the video today and, I have to admit, I cried my eyes out when I finally watched it at home! You captured the day so perfectly, and everyone looks so happy. I completely re-lived the day (and have watched it several times) and cannot tell you how delighted I am with the final product. I can't wait to see all of the other photo files. You are AMAZING!!!!
Jessica & Christiaan
Photo by Steve Koo
You were absolutely wonderful! You were everything we were looking for in photgrapher- professional, creative, talented, hard worker etc. You really captured both the beautiful natural backdrop as well as everyones personalities so perfectly! Everyone I send the pictures to has the same response- WOW!!,
Emily & Brad
Photo by Mark Black
Mark, The pictures are incredible! I looked through them all and cried while I relived our perfect day. You have a gift. Thank you deeply, Emily
Laurie & Darryl
Photo by Noelle Adams
OMGEEEE In love. I could not be happier. Seriously you did the most amazing job. And this is just the video. I can not wait to see the rest. Thank you so much for being apart of my special day. We went to St. Lucia and had an amazing time. I miss the island already :-( And yes, Darryl is such a character!! lol and it must be show in his outfits lol!’
Anthony & Dan
Photo by Mark Black
Mark, The pictures turned out great! It was such a beautiful day & because of you, we have these moments captured in time forever. Thanks again for everything!
Sarah & Charles
Photo by William Nunnally
We met with other photographers about a year ago, but they were either too aggressive or too passive and all fairly cliche. Not so with you. It's true that when we met you, we appreciated your laid-back vibe and promise that you wouldn't ask Sarah to stare plaintively out a window. But we didn't know you were masterful until we saw our engagement photos. We love the candidness and joy, even silliness, and the art. The shot of us standing in the Logan Square train vestibule, our illuminated backs to the lens, slightly elevated, with our reflection catching the opposite Plexiglas wall, behind which a sea of blues and purples bathe us is still Charles' desktop background. Your reconnaissance and eye for perfect light combined with your ease in assembling children and adults, we're sure, proved the right balance to allow us to enjoy the celebration while documenting it for perpetuity. Thank you for visiting parks weeks beforehand and getting in the mix - whether in a hot glass-blowing studio or nearly crushed in the center of the Hora - the day of. You're a trooper.
Alexis & Pat
Photo by Steve Koo
You were the best wedding vendor decision we made! You were always prompt, responsive to my suggestions and questions, and I never worried that he would fail to catch a critical moment. I have received countless compliments on our wedding and engagement photos. I wouldn't hesitate to use you in the future or recommend you to anyone in need of a photographer.,
WPJA contest judges have been recognized by their industry peers, winning top awards as staff picture editors, staff photojournalists, and newsroom mentors while working for these and other leading publications and journalism organizations.
