A Film Focused Review
2025's wedding season held many highs for me. With a multitude of wonderful people met and photographed, it felt hard to condense my favorite moments down into one post. I wanted to narrow in on the highlights photographed on film. I felt that the muted, introspective nature of these selections encapsulated what I enjoyed most from my weddings in Milwaukee and Chicago: the preservation of the quiet and soft moments found between the hubbub of the conventional wedding day flow. "It's always now" is something I consistently tell myself when bringing the viewfinder to my eye, a reminder to fully embrace the moment as it appears and organize the elements inside the frame. I like what Sergio Larrain wrote in his monograph, Valparaiso- "Opening the moment with the rectangle."
So here are some analog moments I've opened for you during my past year as a film-forward wedding photographer here in the Midwest. Many of these images can be viewed in context on a couple of my blog posts covering the Garfield Park Conservatory and the historic Cuneo Mansion.
01
A striking display of henna in the Cuneo Mansion library.
02
Soft, ambient light illuminating table details on 120 film from a luxurious multicultural wedding in Chicago.
03
The grand sweep of the Garfield Park Conservatory's exterior overlooking the Artist's Garden.
04
A reverent first kiss at a downtown Chicago Basilica.
05
The bride's final check-in with dad before the ceremony.
06
A pause in conversation, intent gazes, the end of a glass of wine. At the Union League Club of Chicago.
07
Fervent prayer during communion at a Midwestern Catholic ceremony.
08
The dusky exterior of Garfield Park Conservatory during a Filipino fusion wedding reception.
09
A Chicago bridal party's evening stroll along the riverwalk.
10
Staggered moments before puddles of light.
11
A moment internally alone, externally amongst others.
12
A bride's young admirer.
13
Smiles breaking through the nerves before a Chicago Basilica wedding.
14
The vibrance of a greenhouse wedding grand entrance.
15
Small gestures among the wedding guests mid-ceremony.
