Sweet sweet love between Jennefer and Alan.  They celebrated their nuptial by having two ceremonies.  A traditional outdoor ceremony along with a Lao ceremony also known as the Baci Ceremony.  It was our first time covering a Lao Ceremony and we were very excited!  We love learning new cultures and different ways of celebrating the unity of two people.  Congratulations to Jennefer and Alan!

Thank you for sharing your day with us.  We had so much fun documenting your day!

xoxo Michele & Andy

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Jennefer and Alan started their day at the Oak Brook Hills Mariott Resort.

Jennefer actually wore three wedding dresses!  A traditional Lao wedding dress along with two dresses by David’s Bridal.

Flowers by Phillips Flowers

Jennefer and Alan wanted to see each other prior to both ceremonies.  Here’s the reveal…

Read more about the Lao Ceremony traditions here.

Once the officiant was finished with the prayers, Jennefer and Alan pay respect to the elderly.  The elderlies then start the tradition of tying a white cotton thread around the bride and groom’s wrists.  The food (hardboiled egg) and fruits symbolizes many different things in the Lao culture.

“In Laos, white is the color of peace, good fortune, honesty and warmth. The white cotton thread is a lasting symbol of continuity and brotherhood in the community and permanence. The baci threads should be worn for at least three days subsequently and should be untied rather than cut off. Usually it is preferred that they are kept until they fall off by themselves.” Pom Outama Khampradith, Bounheng Inversin, and Tiao Nithakhong Somsanith

Their cake topper was a bobblehead!

Gretchen & Nic are married!  Their wedding was so much fun, lots of unique details, and they truly made it their own!  Talk about unique weddings, it was unique from the very start!  Nic had proposed to Gretchen by placing her engagement ring at the bottom of a box of their favorite wings from Hooter’s and despite it being a little greasy and ccrunchy, we all know Gretchen said “yes!”  It’s truly an honor to be chosen by an artist/graphic designer to photograph her day.  Gretchen is  a freelance artist where she does photography and graphic design.  Check out her work at Moonhouse Productions.    Nic is a musician and they both love to write and produce music together.  Scroll below to see what their wedding giveaways were!

Gretchen & Nic, thank you so much for sharing your day with us.  Hope you had  a great honeymoon in Chile!  You guys are awesome and we wish you the best!

xoxo Michele & Andy

Join us on Facebook!

“Liquid light” as my mentor would say… Love this shot of them!  I’m not gonna lie, I kinda did the “happy dance” shortly after taking this shot =P

Gretchen, you are stunning!

My very first bird cage veil bride… and she really really rocked it! Doesn’t she look like Catherine Zeta Jones?

Wedding preparations were held at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago

Gorgeous make up by Heather Lim for the bridesmaids and Tracy Pantoja make up for the Bride

Invitations by Janice Baria of Sealed with a J

Flowers by Raul Buendia… awesome job!

Handsome groom!

They tied the knot at St. Peter Catholic Church in Skokie

When Nic went to kiss Gretchen for their first kiss, he thought he had to take off Gretchen’s veil… it definitely brought on some laughter from everyone… this sequence was so cute, I had to include all of it!  They’ll never forget their “first kiss,” that’s for sure!

Bridal party fun!

All of these shots were on their wedding day, after their ceremony…  If you want photos, give us time, and we’ll give ya lots!  Scheduling is key!

Their reception was at the Zhou B Art Center

Gretchen & Nic made and produced this mixtape for their guests!  How cool is that?!  I added a link for all the young’ens out there who have never seen a mixtape before… this is goin’ waaaaay back!

Their cake toppers were Halo figures!

And Sweet Mandy B’s cupcakes

They had matching shoes that had custom artwork painted on them of Easter Island in Chile, their honeymoon destination…

Other Vendors that we worked with:

Special Thanks to Erwin Delfin for helping out with photography

Music that kept the guests dancing through the night by Roberto Monastero

Invitations, paper goods by the talented Janice Baria of Sealed with a J

Transportation provided by US Coachways

Hot dog cart by Woody’s Special Events

Congratulations to Patty & Dennis!  We had their engagement session at the beautiful Anderson Japanese Botanical Gardens. Patty wanted to have their session at a Japanese Garden so she “googled” it and found this location.  I never knew that there was such a place in Illinois.  Definitely a hidden gem in the city of Rockford, IL .  Dennis and I have known each other ever since we were little and I can’t believe he’s getting married!  They make such a cute couple =D.  We can’t wait to photograph their wedding in 2011!

xoxo Michele & Andy

More photos on Misha Media’s Facebook Page!

Below is their Misha Media Photo Booth!  Patty and Dennis held signs written in their native language (Tagalog – A Filipino dialect, and Korean) which means “I love you”

Congratulations to Mae Jane & Kenny!  What do you get when you mix LA + Chicago?!  Mae & Kenny!!  There’s that saying that you’ll never meet your future husband/wife at a nightclub, these two are the exception to the rule… but who’s rule is it anyway?!  Getting to know our clients is one of the most important things to us, and when we met Mae & Kenny, we were so touched by how sweet and loving they are towards each other.  Their excitement about planning their wedding and all of the hard work that they’ve put into it really shined on their wedding day.  I couldn’t wait to see their vision.  All throughout the week, we had rain and severe thunderstorms.  I really didn’t know what the weather would be like on their wedding day, but come Saturday morning, these two were blessed with a nice hot summer day.

Mae & Kenny, we hope that you had a fun and relaxing time in Fiji!  Thank you so much for sharing your day with us!

xoxo Michele & Andy

They did this same jump from their engagement session and it was fitting for them to jump on their wedding day.  Kenny, you rocked out the Jordan jump!  Loved the shadow that you casted while jumping!

Mae’s wedding gown was custom made by Franics Libiran.

Mae & Kenny got ready at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare and this was were their reception was held.

Mae’s gave Kenny a Movado watch for their wedding!

They wed at St. Mary of the Lake

4200 N. Sheridan Rd., Chicago

Moments before their ceremony…

Mae, you are a beautiful bride!

The photo on the right was the ceiling of St. Mary of the Lake… gorgeous!

These little ones were so adorable!

We had  a quick stop in front of the Cubs marquee… on game day… it was the Los Angeles Angels vs. our Cubbies!  How fitting… but let’s not talk about the result of the game…

As a California girl, Mae wanted to add a bit of Cali so we stopped by the beach…

Beautiful reception!  Loved the uplights!  Future B&G’s: really consider having uplights and draperies in your reception… it really makes a huge difference!

Cake by Oak Mill Bakery

Music provided by DJ JayFunk from Kiss FM.  He kept the dance floor busy all night long with great music and entertainment!

Immediately following their first dance, Mae & Kenny surprised everyone with a Jabbawockeez number… everyone loved it!

A special thank you to Erwin for assisting us the whole day!

And to other vendors for making the day a success!

Amy Dresser of Hyatt Regency O’Hare

Avis Limousine

Jackie & Kyle are engaged!  Kyle is Dana’s younger brother… These two are so in love, you can see it in the way they look and smile at each other…  So cute!  They drove all the way from Michigan for their engagement session and what a crazy weather session we had!  It was nice and hot at first and then pouring rain made us relocate to the Chicago Union Station.  Needless to say,  we had tons of fun!  Make sure you scroll all the way down on this blog post to see how much fun we really had!

Jackie & Kyle, thank you for being such sports!  We wish you guys the best!  Regards to your parents and siblings!

xoxo Michele & Andy

Just love this photo of Jackie & Kyle… So modern and has a “model” feel to it… You guys rocked it out!

aren’t these two cute?!

We asked Jackie & Kyle if they would “humor” us for this shot… Although they didn’t quite understand what we meant at the time, they really committed and made it work!  We’ve been wanting to do something like this for a very long time!!

So here’s to our first Misha Media E-Session Photo Booth!

Congratulations to Antoinette & Rod! It was torrential rain the morning of their wedding day and it looked like it was going to rain all day.  After getting ready at the Club Quarters in Chicago, it stopped raining the minute Antoinette stepped foot outside and the sun was shining!    We had a lot of time after the ceremony to photograph the bridal party, and all we were hoping for was no rain…and it worked!  All we needed was that small window of opportunity…  Believe it or not, it started pouring the moment we stopped shooting!  These two were blessed with one of the most beautiful spring days in Chicago.  Antoinette & Rod, thank you so much for sharing your day with us.  It was truly an honor to photograph your wedding!  Hope you had a fun and relaxing time in Greece!

To our faithful blog readers:  We hope that you like our new and improved blog!  Layouts are better, more photos, and much more fun to view!  We hope ya like it!  And as always, comments are welcome or even a “like” via Facebook is good too!

xoxo Michele & Andy

Beautiful dress and gorgeous flowers by Watters and Vale of Enna

Stunning Bride…

Make up by Tina Salazar

Handsome groom

Invitation by Designers Fine Press

They wed at the Madonna della Strada at Loyola University of Chicago… their alma mater… it was the perfect place to get married in since they met in Loyola!

Bridemaids dresses by Anna Elyse Bridesmaids

Antoinette sporting out her Christian Louboutin’s

Love this city… love that it’s windy… it makes for great photography!

The Reception was held at The Rookery in Chicago.  This venue is GORGEOUS!

Antoinette is very detail oriented.  She did many DIY details for her reception =D!

Favors by Voges Haut Chocolat

Antoinette & Rod had San Miguel beer for their reception.  For those of you who don’t know, San Miguel is the number one beer in the Philippines.  They had it imported as  a special surprise for their guests!

Did you see the groom’s cake?!  It’s a snowboard!  Made by Amy Beck Cake Design

A nice moment during their first dance…

A fun filled day with great collaboration from a team of vendors!  Special thank you to Nick for assisting!

Tara and Brittany of Lola Events

Music by Roberto Monastero

Catered by Jewell Events Catering

Video by Rogie of RAC Visual Imaging

Two hundred of their closest friends and families were there to witness their 10 year vow renewal… Congratulations to Angelica & Javier!   They are so full of energy and very out going, especially Angelica :)    They have been blessed with 3 beautiful children.  Being able to profess their love for each other in front of their children, family, and friends is something that they will always cherish and remember.  Thank you for choosing us to share in your celebration.  xoxo Michele & Andy

Fierce!

St. Hedwig

2226 Hoyne Ave

Chicago, IL

Transportation provided by A Dynasty Limousine

blessing of the rings…

captured during the prayer to Mary…

just loved the light!

Angelica wore a gown by Pronovias

Congratulations to Cheryl & Michael!  The day started out foggy without a hint of sun in the sky, but by the time Cheryl & Michael finished their vows, the clouds had parted and the sun peeked out and I knew that we would get great photos!  The bridal party was a blast to be with and when it was time for us to photograph just Michael & Cheryl, they rocked it out!  It was so easy capturing the moments between the two of them… they’re so in love with each other!  During the reception, Michael sang and pre-recorded their first dance song as a surprise for Cheryl… And everyone just about melted in the room.  The image below was captured during their first dance and it’s such a sweet moment.  You can tell that Cheryl was really ’soaking it in’ as Michael sang softly to her… Although Michael claims to not be a professional singer, he did a pretty good job!    Andy and I have become very close friends with these two throughout their wedding planning process.  I think it’s because we see a lot of ourselves in them :)  We know that they’ve worked very hard to make their wedding a success and it truly shows in all of their efforts and their wedding details.

Cheryl & Michael, you are both very special.  Thank you for becoming our friends throughout the process.  Aloha!  Eat some spam musubi and fresh pineapples for us while you’re out there!

xoxo Michele & Andy

Cheryl’s present for Michael

Cheryl, you are such a beautiful bride!

Make up by Antoinette White

Elston Avenue United Methodist Church

Chicago Mariott Schaumburg

The ring shot below was piggybacked from the idea by Josh of Carbon 14 Films.  Loved it!

Join us on Misha Media’s Facebook Page to see MORE photos from Cheryl & Michael’s wedding!  A special thank you to Erwin for helping us out!  =D

Thank you to the other vendors!

Coordinator: Noelle Silos Parker

DJ: Remix Entertainment : Artie Topacio

Video: Carbon 14 Filsm : Josh

Photobooth: Misha Media

Make Up Artist: Antoinette White

Invitations: Marissa De Leon

Florist: Palomino Floral Designs

Cake: Oak Mill Bakery

When Anna & Ron told me that they wanted their engagement session taken in Lightology, I was so excited!  Lightology was perfect for their session since photography is all about light!  So here are my favorites!  Anna & Ron, it was so much fun photographing the both of you and your cute little doggies! It was so much fun and a lot of laughs :) Can’t wait to shoot your wedding in September!

If you want unique, contemporary, and very stylish lighting, you have to check out Lightology!  215 W. Chicago Ave., in Chicago.

When you walk around the showroom of Lightology, they have these awesome quotes all around their galleries.  Loved them!

We couldn’t think of a more perfect place to paint with light!

Lightology also had this beautiful balcony overlooking the city.

Anna & Ron really wanted to incorporate their 3 dogs during their engagement session, so we went to a nearby park and snapped a few of these cuties!  This was our FIRST engagement session w/ pets!

I think “Oreo” had enough of the photo shoot… he stuck his tongue out at “mommy!”

Join Misha Media’s Facebook Page to view more photos from their session and to get more inside scoop on “behind the scenes” from their session!

Thank you Anna & Ron!  We had a blast! :)

xoxo Michele & Andy

Chicago brought them together… and Google connected us with them… but you’d think that we’ve known each other for ages even though we just met for the first time… It took us less than a minute to warm up to each other and we just jumped right into our session.    Seeing how Chicago had brought them together, it was only fitting that we photograph on the grounds of the Adler Planetarium where the best skyline shot of Chicago is…  Sadly, we won’t be their wedding photographers.  They already have a photographer back home in South Carolina where they will wed next year.  So at the end of their session, it was kind of sad saying good bye to them… But I do want to remind all of you blog followers that we do travel =D

Dat & Kim, thank you for such a fun session!  We wish you guys the best of luck and know that all of your hard work and sacrifice now will work out for the best in the end…

xoxo Michele & Andy

I can almost imagine how beautiful/handsome you both will be on your wedding day!

Please share some photos captured by your photographer :)

I’m thankful that we had clouds that day… All 3 of them!

“Show me tiger!”  LOL