This was our first time photographing a wedding at the incredible Venue Six10. It is perfect venue for gourmet dining and artful entertaining! The day began with Renee and her girls getting ready at the Renaissance Blackstone Hotel Chicago Hotel while Kevin and his boys prepped for the big day at the Chicago Hilton & Towers.

Renee wore a beautiful Amsale strapless trumpet style gown made of silk razmir in diamond which has a modern flare. The back of the gown has a couture bow with a moderate train. The veil and hair piece are both from the Toni Federici line, all purchased at Belle Vie Bridal Couture on Oak Street, in Chicago. Renee's gorgeous cobalt blue glitter shoes areJimmy Choo, of course! She wore a statement necklace and simple earrings from Left Bank Jewelers.

Renee did a first look with her dad and it was incredible, so touching! It's always wonderful to see the love parents have for their children, especially on their wedding day! After Renee and Kevin's first look they went for a walk, along with their bridal party, to Grant Park, and then to the Adler Planetarium and Soldier Field where we photographed them during their engagement session.

Working with Chrissy Magliano at Big City Bride was a so comforting. Chrissy has such a calm presence and made the day flow effortlessly. We look forward to working with them a lot this year and feel so blessed to do so!

Renee and Kevin…. thank you so very much for trusting us with your wedding day! It was an amazing wedding and we are thrilled to have been part of your special day! And thank you to our lovely and dear friend, Jenn Gaudreau for second shooting with Bob. We love you so much!

Big hugs!!!

~ Dawn and Bob

We met with Renee and her mom, Barb, at our local Starbucks and we just clicked immediately! I love that Renee has a very laid back approach, which is good since she's an ER physician and knows how to deal with crazy, stressful situations on a daily basis. We talked about how her and her fiancé, Kevin, met and how he proposed, what their plans were for their wedding and why they wanted us to photograph their wedding. We got to know them and laughed a lot, it was wonderful. Barb was so happy for her daughter and you could just see it in her eyes, the way she looked at her daughter, it was beautiful. I knew they we were all a great fit.

Renee and Kevin are a fun couple with a fun attitude and all about sharing experiences together. Their engagement session began at Soldier Field where Renee and Kevin showed off their favorite Bear's players Walter Payton and Brian Urlacher by sporting their jerseys. It was so cute to see Kevin teaching Renee how to throw a football, but I think he enjoyed tackling her more! I love the photos under the columns at the stadium! Ahhhhh, so fun!

Afterwards we headed to Lincoln Park where they showed off their love of winter sports with their skiing and snow boarding gear. It made for some fantastic photos. They kissed under a pale pink sky as the sun set over the Chicago. You just couldn't order better weather! Grant's Memorial made for a castle like backdrop to show off their casual sense of fashion. And for a final shoot they wanted a backlit skyline photo, and those are always a favorite!

I hope you enjoy their engagement session photos as much as we do! Up next will be there wedding which is going to be featured in Inside Weddings magazine's next edition! So very exciting…!

xoxo,

~ Dawn

Ashley and Ari are one of our most fun couples! They are just crazy in love and it's so obvious by the way they look at each other. One minute they can be making silly faces and then the next minute they are tearing up… it's just so . dang. adorable!

I can't begin to tell you how blessed we feel to have this family in our lives. Last year we photographed Ashley's sister, Danielle and her husband's wedding. They really are polar opposites, but the one thing they have in common is an incredible mom, Andie. I've never met a mom more involved and more in love with her kids. She is really a wonderful woman and I fell in love with her the first time I met her at Jim Dillbeck's office from Hefferman Morgan Ronsley, who designed both Ashley and Danielle's weddings. Andie is crazy in love with her dogs and that makes me crazy in love with her… well for many more reasons than that!

Ashley and Ari's wedding all took place at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel in Chicago. This venue is so sweet! Working with Jim Dillbeck at Heffernan Morgan Ronsley is always a treat! He is a gentle soul and just a pure gentleman.

And of course, I love that Ashley and Ari included their puppy, Rebbe, into their first look in the serenity rock garden… so cute!!! It had to be one of our most favorite first looks ever, just filled with genuine emotion! I just love that Ari sheds a tear when he gets emotional. They are so cute together. I absolutely love this wedding, the fall colors were amazing! The dance floor was wrapped in a steel gray gloss covering with their monogram in orange. Love it!

And now that they have announced there is a bun in the oven, we can't wait to do a maternity session with them… and then of course, photograph the newest addition to their family! Move over Rebbe, there's a new sheriff coming to town!

Ashley and Ari…. what can I say… Bob and I adore you both. We are so excited for what the future holds for you. And can't wait to meet baby Silver!

A huge "shout out" to our sweet friend and second shooter, Jenn Gaudreau. We love you so much! You are amazing girlie!

Much love!

~ Dawn and Bob

It's always the most amazing compliment when we are asked to photograph another wedding for a family we adore! This is Ashley and Ari… and Rebbe, their much loved puppy! Ashley is sisters with Danielle whose wedding to Jeremy was the previous year! Can you imagine 2 weddings for their parents back to back like that? Oh my!

Ashley tells us that they met on JDate, but chances are they mostly likely met as kids because they have tons of family and friends in common. She laughs because Ari picked her up for their first date in his mom's Porsche and tried to tell her it was his, just to show off. I can totally see Ari doing that! Of course, they hit it off and fell in love! When Ari proposed to Ashley, he attached a box to Rebbe's collar and had him walk into the room she was getting ready in for dinner with their family at their favorite restaurant that night. Ari got down on one knee, with Rebbe by his side, and said (something private… wink, wink ;) and proposed to Ashley. She said "it was amazing to have all three of us together"!.

We had a blast during their engagement session in Chicago! We began at their home, which is where they draw their strength and happiness. Rebbe was always present and was willing to pose at any moment. We headed out to the dog park near their home and took some gorgeous photos with the fall colors as a backdrop. Rebbe, of course, stole the show! I love how much Ash and Ari love their puppy, very much the way we love our Hunter! We ended the evening at the bend in the river to take some incredible night shots. It's the last photo we'll ever take there as the bend is no longer there in Chicago.

Here's some photos to share with you all…! Their wedding post is next!

We met our sweet friend, Erin, at one of our workshops a few years ago. She's a photographer too! It's always an honor when another photographer asks you to photograph their wedding. When she called to say that her fiancé, had popped the question, it was a no brainer… YES! We'd love to photograph your wedding. We had a blast at their engagement session as they are huge Chicago Blackhawk fans. And they incorporated their love for their favorite hockey team into their wedding too! Kevin surprised Erin with jerseys! So fun! I'll never forget how excited Erin was when she booked her wedding at Olympia Fields Country Club. It's beautiful and they had an amazing wedding! We can't thank Angie Garbot for shooting with Bob!!! She rocked it right alongside him!

When you open your email and read a love note like this, it's the same feeling when your kids bakes you your favorite cookies just for you!

"OMG, I LOVE them, we LOVE them! Honestly, couldn't have asked for more perfect photos. Of course the ones of me and Kevin I love, that's a given, but the ones with my dad, are priceless. We always dance at weddings, but of course they are never the photos you actually want. The ones of my dad and I dancing (both first dance and fast dance and then our first look), I need to make him a storyboard of that! My dad is not much of a smiler, since he hates his smile, and Bob caught him with so many great ones. The ones with my aunts while I was getting dressed, amazing. My dogs, perfection!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for capturing my wedding so perfectly! It's so hard being a wedding photographer and not being in control at your wedding of knowing who caught what moment, and making sure your vendors catch the right moments, well, I trusted Bob to capture my dad perfectly, and he exceeded that times 100. I'm not just saying thing because I've grown into a friendship & bond with you both, but truthfully, I couldn't love my wedding photos anymore."

Erin & Kevin love you both and wish you both a lifetime of happiness…!!!

xoxox!

~ Dawn & Bob

"What is a Real Wedding Workshop?" is a question we get asked frequently. Well, it's basically when an engaged couple asks us to photograph their "very real and incredibly beautiful" wedding and make it a workshop where up to 15 photographers can be educated on how to shoot a wedding, while second shooting alongside Bob. This type of workshop is designed to be educational on Day 1 and Day 3. Wedding day is all about the wedding and capturing the moments for our couples. All photographers are considered 2nd shooters. We encourage them to team up with another photographer to make sure they are covered so they can get all the images they need to complete a fine art book of the wedding. It's a pretty amazing way to add a beautiful destination wedding to their portfolio. Everyone is very respectful on wedding day and we all work together beautifully. That's the technical answer... now for the emotional, overly gushy, girlie answer...

Our 1st real wedding + workshop was in Las Vegas in 2008. The 2nd one was in St. Simons Island, Georgia in 2009. The 3rd one was in Nashville, TN in 2011. The 4th one was in the Umbria region of Italy in 2012. This past May 2013 was the 5th wedding Real Wedding Workshop we've hosted, where 15 photographers, and our 2 second shooters, photographed Jenni and Stevn's wedding alongside Bob, in Charleston, South Carolina. Yes, you read that right.... 18 photographers total at this wedding! And yes, we are absolutely crazy!

I can't even begin to tell you how incredibly amazing these experiences have been on so many levels. Lifelong friendships have been made throughout this journey. Life changing moments have occurred. Long nights of talking into the wee hours and even some night swimming, not to mention, some fun moments that will.... well, let's just stay, what happens at a Davis Love Story Workshop stays at a Davis Love Story Workshop! You know who you are!

Stevn's mom, Pam Bell, is a very dear friend of ours. We met Pam at our St. Simon's Island workshop in 2009. I'll never forget when she called me about attending the workshop. She was the last one to sign up. We talked for quite awhile, as she wasn't sure this was the right workshop for her. Well, since then, she and her sweet husband, Wade, have attended our Real Wedding + Workshop in Italy last year, and also asked us if we would be interested in making her son's wedding a workshop, of course with their approval. Their family has become our family, we just love them so very much. When she shared the details of their wedding with us and sent us photos of Jenni and Stevn, we knew immediately this was the perfect fit.

We had the most amazing photographers join us for this adventure as Jenni and Stevn said "I Do!". Thank you so very much, Raul Castro, Courtney Clouse, Kristi Coil, Melissa Del Vecchio, Randy Dickson, Davis Macias, Samantha Oulavong, Jeni Rone, Crystal Schmidt, Tiffany and Miles Stelzig, Vivian Strayer, Mary Wessner, Becky Williamson, Julie Wooldridge for believing in us and trusting Bob and I to provide you with an educational and fun experience! Please remember to keep in touch with us. We know that we provided a ton of information and if you ever have questions, always know that we are here for you!!! We want to see you succeed!

A huge thank you to our Operations Manager, Michele, for helping us along with every step of the way with this workshop. We don't know what we'd do without her.... truly, everyone needs a Michele! And a huge thank you to Arlene and Doug Beets who 2nd shoot this wedding with Bob. Also, major contributors were their daughter and son-in-law, Tiffany and Miles. And, Stevn's mom, Pam and his sister, Katrin who shared some photos with us as well. We love you all so very much!!! Thank you for contributing as our 2nd shooters! You are the best of the best!

We hosted our workshop at the Charleston Center For Photography which was a fantastic location! Andy and his team were amazing and so gracious with us. We were also blessed to have Brandon Heiss from Westcott Westcott join us to help with lighting setups. Thank you Brandon!!!

Day one, we all headed to Battery Park in Charleston with everyone, which is famous for its beautiful cobblestone walkways and Antebellum homes. As you can see in the photo above, there were a lot of light stands! Jenni and Stevn were amazing as they were being photographed like celebrities! I really loved the gazebo at White Point Gardens and all the . Their love for each other is undeniable! And every photographer there was taken in by not only their beauty on the outside but their kindness on the inside too!

After Battery Park, we were off to cover the red carpet entrance to the rehearsal dinner at the 1940's deco American Theater. Look familiar? In my all-time favorite movie "The Notebook" Noah and Allie go to see Buster Keaton in Li’l Abner at this theather. Pam & Wade were hosting the rehearsal dinner and wanted to do a red carpet entrance. Bob thought it would be fun to have a paparazzi style entrance. And Jenni looked amazing in her BCBG Maxazria dress!

So, this is Part 1 of a 4 part blog post of our last Davis Love Story Real Wedding + Workshop. We hope that you can experience how incredible this adventure was for us all through our photos! Enjoy!

Much love everyone!

~ Dawn and Bob

It's the BIG day, the 2nd part of our Real Wedding Workshop... AND Jenni and Stevn's wedding! They've planned for this day for over a year. I'm sure when Jenni was growing up she never imagined she would have 18 photographers photographing her on this very special day in her life. Talk about crazy! And crazy fun it was! Her and her bridesmaids were amazing together. You could feel the love they all have for each other. They were up for anything and they always had great fun in front of the cameras. And Stevn and his guys were always whooping it up for the cameras as well. Jenni's Amsale gown was stunning! I love the capped sleeves and it fit her tiny shape perfectly! She wore her mother's veil which was very sentimental to her. Everything from the flowers, to the hair and makeup, to the amazing pair of Christian Louboutin shoes that Stevn gave his bride... yes please!!!

The love between Jenni and her daddy is priceless. The moment before he walked her down the aisle, shedding a few tears, and then breaking out in dance with all the bridesmaids after a private prayer. It was just perfect. The love of these two families joining together was such a blessing. Hugs from the grandmothers were something I will never forget. All in all, I would say it was a perfect wedding!

Here's part 1 of 2 of their wedding day! Bob and I hope that you enjoy looking through all their wedding photos!!! Be ready for part 2 and Day 3 of the workshop...

xoxox!

~ Dawn and Bob

Here's part 2 of 2 of of our Real Wedding Workshop AND Jenni and Stevn's wedding day. After the ceremony, we headed off to celebrate at the beautiful William Aiken House. Sara Hosch, Sr. Event Planner, from Southern Protocol made every ounce of Jenni's wedding a dream come true! There wasn't anything missing from their puppy, Jackson, greeting them with his bow tie, to every single perfectly placed candle and hanging chandelier. She and her team did an amazing job! The William Aiken House is the perfect location for a Southern wedding and I love that the movie "The Notebook" filmed the wedding dress fitting scene in the room that Jenni and Stevn cut their cake.

The love in the house was overwhelming... and it's no wonder. Jenni and Stevn are nicer than they are beautiful and that says a lot because they are both gorgeous. After everyone danced the night away, Mr. and Mrs. ended the evening with a sparkler exit and off they went in a rickshaw... so much fun!

Day 3 of our Real Wedding Workshop was quickly upon us. We spent the morning at the Charleston Center For Photography looking through images from the wedding and recapping what Bob had shared on Day 1 and wedding day as well as going through our approach to sales, marketing and branding. I love this part of the day because it's where I get to share how we run our business. Bob and I have made our fair share of not so great decisions in our business that have brought us to where we are today. I'm grateful for those mistakes as we've learned a lot from them. It's nice to be able to share what has worked for us and what hasn't.

After lunch we hit the streets of Charleston again for another session with Jenni + Stevn. I'm amazed they were up for it as they had a long evening dancing the night away at their beautiful wedding. We began at the United States Custom House and ended at the famous Pineapple Fountain. I love these images because the kids were so amazed that Jenni and Stevn were in the fountain all dressed up! It was so cute to see their reaction.

This was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. Jenni and Stevn, we are so happy for you and wish you both and your beautiful families a lifetime of happiness. Thank you so much for trusting us with your very special day. We love you both!!!

xoxox,

~ Dawn and Bob

It's hard to believe it's August 1st... where did July go? Where did June go? It's been a crazy busy summer and we're so excited for Skip Cohen University August 11-14, 2013. This is a conference you will not want to miss. It's at the Doubletree Hilton Hotel in Oakbrook, Illinois which is not far from where we live! It's a close ride from O'Hare and Midway airport, so no excuses! Come and join the fun. The group of speakers is incredible. There will be so much to learn and the networking possibilities are amazing! Last year Bob and I spoke on the husband & wife panel for married photographers. What a blast! The energy this conference brings will be sure to set you up for success for the rest of the year!

The list of speakers is crazy cool from, Clay Blackmore, Michele Celentano, Bob Coates, Joe McNally, Adam Sherwin, Zach & Jody Gray, Dixie Dixon, Justin & Mary Marantz, Jen Rozenbaum, Ryan Schembri, Suzette Allen and of course, US, there is sure to be some amazing sharing of knowledge going on.

A HUGE thank you to Skip Cohen for organizing this event all these years! I know this is going to be one of the BEST conferences yet! Thank you for providing an incredible atmosphere of learning. We have never been more proud to be part of such an amazing industry!

There are MANY big incentives going on right now to sign up, so please check it out. You will be glad you came! To register, click HERE.

We can't wait to meet everyone and share the love and passion with everyone who will be attending!!!

xoxo,

~ Dawn & Bob