Weddings Archives - Emily Gualdoni Photography

November 24, 2014November 24, 2014

Beach Wedding In Santa Monica | Christina + Anouh | Destination Wedding Photographer

Early this November I did a beach wedding in Santa Monica, a complete dream come true. California gave us a beautiful day to celebrate Christina and Anouh’s wedding. Get a glimpse of the event with this Video Montage.

Christina and Anouh have incredible chemistry. You only need to take a quick glance at them to know they’re utterly and unbelievably in love. It helped that I knew a lot about them as Christina and I are actually old childhood friends. I hadn’t seen her in 10 years until her wedding, and it was a a really fun way to have a small reunion. Several of our other grade school friends were there as well. It was so nice to see everyone! You can see an image of us all the way at the end of this blog post.

They rented a house to get ready in (and for the couple to stay in of course) to give us a nice homey start to the day. When we made our way over to the venue, Annenberg Community Beach House providing us a gorgeous backdrop for such a meaningful affair. The sun shone down on a stunning porch ceremony followed by a reception in the Beach House. As great as the location was, nothing could compare to the atmosphere created by the couple and their families and friends. They were an incredibly welcoming group with a ton of energy, you could feel the love in the air!

I couldn’t be happier for Christina and Anouh, they deserve the best and I think they got it on their special day. Please scroll down to see some of the images from their beautiful California wedding, or go back to the top of this blog post to see even more images wrapped into a video.

Thanks Vanessa Knapp for second shooting and doing a wonderful job!

Here were are! 6 old friends from grammar school days.

Of course we had to rent a convertible when we were out in California. (That’s the only way to do it) Having the car allowed us to really explore the area. Without any set plans, Vanessa and I ventured over to Venice Beach, Santa Monica, the Hollywood sign, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Mulholland Drive and even took the convertible down to San Diego for a day. We created memories that I will never forget. Below are some quick snapshots that I took with my Iphone.

Here’s me in our hot ride (mustang convertible) . . . .

Amazing views at sunset on Mulholland Drive

Our hotel was in Venice Beach and the first day we took a walk along the boardwalk and pier. This shot took took me several attempts of sneaking up on random seagulls and trying to capture the perfect moment of them taking off. It was a pretty funny sight to see.

Watching these surfers in Venice Beach was quite inspiring and makes me really want to try it sometime. When I took this photo of people enjoying the sunshine, it was snowing for the first time back in Chicago.

Here is Vanessa and I at Venice Beach. She was my second photographer for the trip as well as a good friend of mine.

We spent a day in Hollywood and checked out the sign as well as randomly finding this observatory that overlooked the whole city.

Vanessa and I both had never been to San Diego but have heard wonderful things so we spent an entire day driving south and experiencing it for ourselves. With the help of my friends from social media, we checked out all the places that they suggested and loved it.

The last day we were in California we rented a tandem bike and rode it along the Venice Beach boardwalk down to the Santa Monica Pier. We only wiped out once. . maybe 🙂

As I am typing this, it’s 30 degrees and snowing in Chicago. Can I go back to this happy place, please???

November 14, 2014November 14, 2014

Beautiful Fall Wedding | Melissa + Josh | Chicago Wedding Photography

fall wedding photography at mickey finns in libertyville photo

I had the pleasure of shooting a beautiful fall wedding with a brewery reception at Mickey Finn’s. Melissa and Josh are parents and have a lot of responsiblity taking care of their son but that didn’t stop them from hosting an incredibly laid back, lively, and exiting event. From the very beginning of the ceremony the tone was set as effortlessly elegant, and that vibe carried on all night to create a really lovely evening.
Melissa and Josh met during their first year at the University of Toledo. As their love grew, so did their family. Both are lovers of art and love to relax with some wine and craft beer. Their family started with their dog, Oliver, and if you ask any of their close friends they will call Oliver Melissa and Josh’s first child. Harrison entered the picture less than a year before the wedding, and they have all been the perfect example of a happy, responsible, and even outgoing family since. They surrounded by an incredibly close and supportive group of family and friends. One of the highlights for the wedding for me as a photographer was to be trusted with the task of including everyone in attendance at the reception in one photo. The shot was really important to them, and I was happy to oblige, standing on the bar to make sure I could get the whole room in the frame.

I was also really excited to learn about the sentimental jewelry involved in the celebration. Melissa’s pearls were once her grandmother’s and every woman in her family has worth them for their weddings. Josh’s ring was also his father’s. It no longer fit him, so he was excited to pass it down a generation to Josh.

There wasn’t a single person in attendance who didn’t enjoy themselves, and I think it’s obvious in all of the photos. Infectious smiles were everywhere. (With the exception of people making jokes about missing the season premier of the, “The Walking Dead” to be at the wedding. It was ironic because it’s the couple’s favorite television series. Take a look below for a selection of pictures from the event.

Thanks Kaitlyn Polles for second shooting!

October 3, 2014October 4, 2014

Fashionable Chicago Wedding – Chicago Wedding Photography

This was definitely a fashionable Chicago wedding! Brittney and Matteo said their vows overlooking the city while Brittney’s couture dress took presence on the Epic Rooftop Sky Lounge. Matteo’s jaw dropped as Brittney made her first appearance walking down the isle. Outgoing, spontaneous, and hardworking are a few words to describe this couple.

Brittney and Matteo met six years ago when they both worked for a cheerleading camp company. Matteo lifted Brittney during a stunt and accidentally dropped her on her head, whoops! Well, it’s a good thing he did because during the process of him taking care of her after the incident, she fell for him. In the words of Brittney, “she was hooked.” Keeping with the cheerleading theme, they surprised everyone at the reception with cheerleading stunt routine instead of doing the traditional, “first dance.” Guests were amazed as Matteo lifted Brittney into the air by himself with no help as she did tricks.

Brittney has been modeling for years and she is exceptional at it. (Like you couldn’t tell in the wedding photos) This is how we originally met previous to the wedding. I have actually photographed her around five different times for shoots, one being a fake bridal shoot. By the time the wedding came around, we both felt very comfortable with each other which enabled us to create some stunning photos!

Glam Couture was the overall feel for the wedding. The wedding was held at Epic Lounge in the loop in Chicago. With the overtowering ceilings and the great views of the city, they were able to accomplish this vision. I also arranged the wedding party, bride and bride and groom photos to have a fashion editorial feel. The Kinzie Bridge is a great spot to get a great view of the skyline. Kalendr, a well known Chicago nightclub DJ spinned the tunes all night long. The guests definitely left this wedding talking about it for years to come.

Thanks, Rio Wray for second shooting!

Venue: Epic Lounge

Catering: Epic Lounge

DJ: Kalendr

Hair: Angelo Juliano

Makeup and Hair: Angelo Juliano and Emy Tres Jolie

July 5, 2014May 30, 2014

Georgeous Bridal Photos on the 95th Floor of the Signature Room I Chicago Wedding Photographer

wedding photography at the signature room john hanock photo

I recently had the opportunity to photograph a gorgeous bridal shoot on the 95th Floor of the Signature Room located in the John Hancock building on Michigan Ave. Model, Lisa Dillon, wore beautiful and elegant designer wedding gowns as she twirled in front of the jaw dropping views of the city. I couldn’t have captured these photos without an amazing team.

Here’s a bts video from the bridal shoot at the Signature Room showing what’s involved in creating images like this.

Video: Ben Mahoney Productions

The Signature Room at the 95th

Photo: Emily Gualdoni
Makeup: Traci Fine / Fine Makeup Art
Hair: Robyn Tornabeni
Stylist: Caroline Shaw
Gowns: Dimitra’s Bridal Chicago on Rush Street
Model:Lisa Dillon with Stewart talent

Gowns:

Silk white ball gown (with the pouty veiling) Edgardo Bonilla http://www.edgardobonilla.com

3-piece lace butterfly – Yoaln Cris http://www.yolancris.com

Vintage feel all lace with deep v-back – Ersa Atelier http://www.ersaatelier.com

Strapless with asymmetric beaded detail – Rafael Cennamo http://www.rafaelcennamo.net/index.php

May 8, 2014May 20, 2014

Beautiful Bridal Shoot at the Palmer House | Chicago Wedding Photographer

chicago wedding photography palmer house photo

Bridal Editorials and Bridal Fashion play a huge role in both the wedding and photography industry. Here in Chicago there is a strong bridal culture, and therefore Chicago Bridal Photography is always breaking barriers and capturing the most pure and wonderful essence of beauty. With a superstar team, we shot both in my studio and at the Palmer House here in downtown Chicago. Back in the studio, I played with several different lighting arrangements before I found what I liked. Wedding dresses, being so light in color, offer so many opportunities for lighting. When you get to do a bridal fashion shoot, you really get to play with this more than you would during an actual wedding. Here I have full control over the light, opposed to being out and about and trying not to interfere with the couple’s event. I even incorporated a few props like feathers to frame the model and soften the image in a slightly mysterious way. Over at the Palmer House, we shot in several rooms throughout the hotel. Each setting worked to set the scene like something straight out of a Bride-to-be’s dream. We got to use a suite for all of our prep. We transformed it into a studio complete with a full line of dresses and a makeup station to rival the one in my studio. The dresses came from several different places; Ersa Athelier, Egardo Bonilla, Rafael Cennamo, Dimitra’s Bridal, and Stephen Yearick. Some of them were fresh off the runway, and we were the first people who had the chance to work with them.

The model that day was Lindsey Kane, a Ford model. The whole team was a collection of pure talent, and we came together like a well oiled machine. It was a pleasure to work with everyone, and due to our chemistry we were able to successfully channel all of the beauty and glamor that the Palmer House itself is famously expressing.

Team:

Photos: