
In the spirit of transparency, I didn't set out to be a wedding photographer. Rather, I spent the early years of my business vehemently avoiding photographing weddings, because I didn't really consider myself to be the "wedding type".
But once I did start photographing weddings, I began to understand that they aren't really about the mood boards, or the dress, or even the photos; weddings are about human beings, and relationships, and fleeting moments and joy and celebrating the fact that you've found a person who you want to hang out with for the rest of your life, while being surrounded by all of the people who love each of you, and who you love in return. And that's when I realized that maybe I am the wedding type after all - when I found myself falling in love with these people, and the little moments that make up their days, and the ways in which they love one another.
So at a base level, I would love the opportunity to be your wedding photographer. But more than that, I would love the opportunity to get to know you all, and to capture who the two of you are, both individually and together, and the things and the people and the love that bring you joy.
A sign of a good wedding to me (which is to say that there are many different things that can make up a “good wedding” - wedding goodness is different to everyone, and I am certainly not the arbiter on what makes it so!) is that, much like a good home, it feels a little lived in. Instead of a spotless interior and impeccable details, give me big hugs, good music and shots at the bar. Give me something that’s a little bit messy so when I spill a drink, we can laugh it off. A good wedding, to me, feels like home and your favorite party all rolled into one. Bri wore her grandmother’s wedding dress on the day she married Austin, on the day she hugged and cried and danced and threw one back with her friends, and now that I think about it, I don’t know if it gets much more lived in than that. @bendress @aparkinson98 @forloveandlinens.co #brookealaina #weddingphotography
A summer full of sweet treats, baseball, basketball, potty training, and silly 2.5 year olds.
I was working on picking out the photos for Josh and Ashley’s sneak peek and I thought to myself, “man, this was the best day”. And then I thought about how funny it is that many of us think our weddings are the “best day”. And maybe we’re all correct! All of these days are the best day, all at once, and how lucky am I to get to be part of the best day each weekend? Here are some of my favorites from Josh and Ashley’s best day, and I hope these pictures make them think, “wow, our wedding was exactly as fun and heartfelt and joyous as we remember it being”. It was the best. @blainplanes @smashleysays @firehousechicago @theflowergirlcompany second shooter: @ken_nay_
#brookealaina #weddingphotography
Sophie and Mac’s very lovely, very wonderful wedding day. @firehousechicago #brookealaina #chicagoweddingphotography