Chicago Wedding Photographer | Ashley Biess Photography

Jessica + Matt | Downtown Chicago Portraits

Ashley — Mon, 13 May 2013 17:26:43 +0000

It was such a pleasure meeting up with Jessica and Matt for this Chicago session. They’ve been married for a few years now and wanted some new pictures of the two of them to show off in their new home. We roamed around the Art Institute, Financial District and, the always beautiful, LaSalle Street Bridge taking advantage of the classic Chicago architecture for their photos. These are some of my favorite downtown Chicago locations and I was so happy to explore them with Jess and Matt. Thank you both for a lovely session!

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New Head Shots!

Ashley — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:37:35 +0000

Shortly after celebrating my 26 birthday, the lovely Hannah Goering accepted the challenge of taking my head shots for my new and upcoming website. This was certainly no easy task! I spend all of my time BEHIND the camera, so becoming the subject and model was a completely new and different experience. Hannah, a good friend and talented photographer, brought her A game to make me feel at ease in front of the camera. It goes to show how having a photographer you know and trust can make all of the difference. The day was mostly filled with a lot of laughter, running around Montrose Harbor (Literally, she made me run. In heels. Yes, I fell. No, I won’t show you.), and dancing (Yup, dancing happened. See below). A big thanks to Architectural Artifacts for letting us use the space for these photos on a cold, March day. My gratitude also extends out to Beth Stock at Epoch Salon for making my hair and makeup look beautiful!

In case anyone was wondering why I don’t stick around to dance at weddings, here is your reason:

And my favorite…

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Hannah + Nick | Joliet Wedding Photographer

Ashley — Wed, 01 May 2013 14:27:53 +0000

These two have been together for 9 years and have the pictures to prove it! High school sweethearts, Hannah and Nick, will be celebrating their Joliet wedding later this spring at the Jacob Henry Mansion. In fact, you might recognize them from Kamile and Adam’s wedding party last May. When I saw that Hannah brought along a photo from when they first started dating, we HAD to include it in their engagement photos. It was a fun now-and-then comparison. The purple and neutral hues of their outfits popped against the golden fall colors in Joliet that day. From start to finish, this session, originally featured on Style Me Pretty, was filled with love and laughter. It was a gorgeous day and we found the perfect off-the-beaten-path location, complete with a mixture of industrial ruins and that breathtaking midwest prairie grass that I can never get enough of. I can’t wait to see them again in just a few short weeks for their Joliet wedding!

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Amy + Adam | County Line Orchard Wedding Photographer

Ashley — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:08:18 +0000

Believe it or not, Amy and Adam’s adventure all began with a letter. Adam, a Marine, was taken when he saw a photo of Amy in a friend’s footlocker and instantly knew he had to meet her someday. He decided to write her a letter, and the rest is history. Amy and Adam’s beautiful County Line Orchard wedding was filled to the brim with love. Amy handcrafted her rustic wedding decor with many DIY projects, including the table center pieces, program, menu, cake stand, and beyond. She even found an old tree stump an carved their initials into it! The couple exchanged vows with guests surrounding them on the floor and overhead in the balcony. Adam had a little “dust” in his eyes as he read his vows to his bride. It was incredibly sweet! The rest of the night was filled with dancing and photo-booth fun inside the beautiful big barn at County Line Orchard. It was definitely a night to remember!

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Hannah + Mike | Augustana Engagement, Quad City Wedding Photographer

Ashley — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:17:17 +0000

I love venturing out to the Quad Cities (my home-away-from home) for special shoots and weddings. This was my first Quad City shoot since last fall, so of course I had to hit up all the old favorites (*Ahem* Arthur’s & Whitey’s) immediately upon my arrival. I met up with Mike, Hannah and their adorable pup, Chili, at the always-beautiful Augustana College campus for the beginning of this engagement shoot. We walked around the old and familiar spots around the Quad before hitting up other classic downtown Rock Island favorites, including the cheerful “Have a Happy Day” train-track sign. Enjoy this Quad City engagement session!

When asked, they had no problem throwing frisbees at me. I think they were a little TOO excited about this!

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Camp Wandawega Anniversary, Wisconsin Wedding Photographer

Ashley — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:19:35 +0000

In honor of Earth Day, I wanted to revisit this Camp Wandawega Anniversary session. When Bethany and Jeff contacted me to set-up their anniversary session, I was SO excited to explore the resort. How many places do you know about that have THIS cool of a tree-house? With it’s campground atmosphere and retro-inspired furnishings, the grounds at Camp Wandawega are truly beautiful and unique. It’s a place you can go to “get away from it all”. The sanctuary of trees, hills and water created the a perfect natural setting for this shoot. Wisconsin is such a beautiful state and I can’t wait to start shooting more Wisconsin weddings. Enjoy the photos!

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Amy + Al | Chicago Engagement, Chicago Wedding Photographer

Ashley — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:30:19 +0000

Amy and Al flew in all the way from Omaha, Nebraska for this special Chicago engagement session. Al popped the question one year ago in the windy city, so it felt more than appropriate to return to the scene for their photo session. We walked around to some of their favorite downtown spots including the Chicago Theater, the State Street Bridge, the Water Tower, and spots along the Chicago River. We ended the session at Oak Street Beach just as the city lights began to glimmer in the distance. It was beautiful! The couple will be getting married in January 2014 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and I wish them the very best of luck! Enjoy the photos!

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Sarah + Justin, Byron Colby Barn Wedding Photography

Ashley — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:48:58 +0000

Believe it or not, I’ve known Sarah since our middle-school band days in Villa Park. We also went to high school and college together, so this wedding was filled with familiar faces! Sarah and Justin wanted their wedding to be intimate, laid-back and a lot of fun; and that’s just what it was. The Byron Colby Barn was the perfect setting for their nuptials and reception. Family and friends watched from both the main floor and overhead as the couple exchanged their vows. After the ceremony, the party began. Everyone was on their feet dancing the night away. Enjoy looking through the images!

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Meet La Belle Fleur Events – Chicago Wedding Design and Coordination

Ashley — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:37:18 +0000

Meet Ashley La Fleur, owner of La Belle Fleur Events, a Chicago-based contemporary event management agency known for their flawless execution in both wedding design and coordination. Over the years, I’ve worked with Ashley on many wedding days, and it’s always so wonderful to see her! My brides love working with her just as much as I do. Every event that that she’s coordinated with me has gone unbelievably smooth and my couples were truly able to take in the day and enjoy every little bit.

When Ashley approached me to be a part of this special shoot, I could not wait! She has a beautiful design aesthetic and I was eager to see what she would come up with for this styled session at Kitchen, a light-filled loft space in Chicago. Ashley used some of her favorite vendors, including Exquisite Designs, The Savoy Flea, Epoch Salon, Alliance Bakery, and Flirty Cupcakes. The design came together beautifully and it was so much fun to see the expression on her face as she saw her vision come to life. Ashley also had a crew of videographers at the shoot to film her first promotion video for La Belle Fleur Events and I am dying to see it! I know there are SO many good things coming her way, and I have loved watching her business grow over the last few years.

Also, this is the last week to enter our giveaway! La Belle Fleur Events and I have teamed together to give one lucky couple a styled engagement shoot. Basically, we just wanted to create another excuse for us to work together and have fun! We want to hear from couples about their favorite story together. Whether it’s about a first date, a proposal, or just something you both love doing together, we want to hear about it and then put a creative spin on it for a fun shoot! We have details on both of our Facebook pages (here and here), so be sure to enter by this Friday, April 12. You can email us at a joint account: yourlovestory2013@gmail.com.

Enjoy this behind-the-scenes with our beautiful friend and favorite planner, La Belle Fleur Events!

This goose did NOT want to participate in the photo session and video.

Sometimes birds happen.

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Kelsey + Jonny | Abbington Banquets, Glen Ellyn Wedding Photography

Ashley — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 23:28:05 +0000

Kelsey and Jonny were my first couple to get married in 2013! After a 2 month hiatus, I was SO ready to photograph their day. The couple exchanged vows at the beautiful St. Alexander’s in Villa Park. A few tears rolled down Jonny’s cheek as he saw his beautiful bride walk towards him down the aisle. Afterward, we took advantage of the fresh blanket of snow over at the Danada Equestrian Center for photos of the newlyweds and wedding party. It was FREEZING outside but everyone dealt with the cold like a champ. Jonny and Kelsey danced the night away with friends and family at the Abbington Distinct Banquets in Glen Ellyn. A good time was had by all!

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