Julie and Tim's wedding was a beautiful affair from start to finish, beginning at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Lombard where Julie has been a member her whole life, and ending at Seven Bridges Golf Club in Woodridge -- a lush and beautiful venue for a wedding reception. Both of their awesome families were present in full force, clearly very excited to be present for this occasion!

Remarkably, everyone remained positive and upbeat all day despite a heat index of 104°F, letting their excitement for Julie and Tim overcome any personal discomfort they may have been feeling. For afternoon photos we brought a few umbrellas for portable shade, and they just happened to make for great colorful props as well -- what a coincidence! ;] Seriously -- a big thanks to the bridal party for putting up with the weather for our outdoor photos with smiling faces! And as always, special props to my beautiful and talented wife, Alicia, for second shooting with grace and charm. :D

Julie & Tim -- you two were clearly meant for each other. Thank you for letting us be a part of your special day and for being so flexible and fun to work with. And enjoy your images!

Here's a recap in case you missed Kaitlyn and Amilcar's engagement photos... Amilcar is from Peru, and his visa was recently approved to come to the U.S. so he and Kaitlyn could get married.

Unfortunately, I broke my ankle only a month before their wedding, requiring surgery. I thought I would have to find a substitute photographer to take my place, but Kaitlyn was extremely flexible and kind and told me they would do whatever it took to make it work. I was humbled by her confidence in me, so I decided to give it a try! I rented a knee scooter to get around with my cast, and it worked quite well. I'll let you judge the results for yourself. :]

We started the day taking portraits downtown. It was raining that day, but Kaitlyn's maid of honor, Meghan, was able to hook us up with access to a very nice office building where her father works. (Thanks, Meghan!) We also ducked into the Field Museum after dark to stay out of the rain. A lot of other people had the same idea, but we still had a fun time shooting there.

Their wedding ceremony and reception were at Rios D'Sudamerica, a Peruvian restaurant downtown. (If you're ever there, try the Arroz con Mariscos -- delicious!!) Amilcar's family was back home in Peru, but they were able to watch the ceremony via Skype. Meghan gave one of the most touching toasts I have ever heard -- first in Spanish (so Amilcar could understand), then in English. The wedding guests were in high spirits -- it was clear that everyone was happy that this day had finally arrived for Kaitlyn and Amilcar. Many of them were dancing until the last song, and at the very end of the night, I couldn't resist joining in myself on my knee scooter. ;]

Kaitlyn and Amilcar -- felicidades! Congratulations on your marriage, and enjoy your life together! :]

Special thanks to my lovely wife and second photographer, Alicia, who was indispensable in helping me shoot this wedding with a broken leg!