"Brooke is worth every single penny and more. She has this excitement and energy that is just contagious. Her bubbly and positive personality kept me calm, open to new options that I had not thought of, and let me enjoy the entire engagement and wedding. I also appreciate her promptness, timeline, and that she can give out firm direction to make sure we stay on time. Throughout the entire process she was prompt with communication and her detailed outlines made my life as a bride a breeze! Brooke was there to take every picture I had requested and found the intimate details of our wedding and captured them, through the torturous Florida heat and our bone chilling engagement session in Chicago. She climbed rocks, ladders, and basically moved mountains for us. We had a bit of an unexpected hiccup on our wedding day (who doesn't?!) and Brooke's comfort and go with the flow personality made it so easy to bounce right back. She has been so kind to us, flexible (as our original wedding date was bumped due to my brother's deployment) and genuinely has a heart of gold. She fit in just like family and I wouldn't recommend anyone else for those precious wedding day photos. Last minute I decided I wanted a videographer and I went straight to Brooke for help. She gave me about 5 different options of people she would recommend, all ranging in price, style, and location. Based on our conversation and her recommendations, I found one that matched my vision, which was above and beyond her duties. There is honestly nothing Brooke can't do and I couldn't recommend her enough."

- Kaitlynn and Mason

"I cannot speak highly enough about Brooke. We attended a wedding in September 2017 that Brooke photographed and when my husband and I got engaged, Brooke was one of the first vendors I reached out to, which turned out to be one of my best decisions in wedding planning -- short of who I was marrying, she was the best choice I made for that day; seriously she is that good! From the minute we first met with Brooke, we were put at ease that she was on our team and wanted to execute our vision for the day as much as we did -- she even suggested we did bride and groom solo photos during the second half of dinner so we could actually enjoy our cocktail hour. The day of, I felt like I was waiting for an old friend to join us in the bridal suite and couldn't wait for her to arrive. Every single person I have talked to that attended, my family, our friends, other vendors, have all specifically called out Brooke and her professional and friendly demeanor. Beyond the fact that she is an amazing person that will do anything to make your day special, her photos are AMAZING. She captured the feeling of our day, and every photo you can actually see the love that was in the air pouring out. She took candids of moments I will cherish forever. Her photos are truly a snapshot of the most important moments of the day, thoughtfully arranged in a photojournalistic manner. My biggest problem now is figuring out which ones are my true favorites because every photo I see quickly jumps to the top spot. Brooke we really can't thank you enough!" 

- Amanda and Tim

"Brooke is pure magic and the BEST photographer! I'm not sure we can even come up with the words for how grateful we are for Brooke and her amazingly talented wedding photography skills. She hands down was one of the best things we decided about our wedding! From the moment we began chatting with her all the way to receiving our wedding photos, she has been unbelievably professional, accomodating, and a pleasure to have along for such a crazy ride. I found Brooke through Instagram and immediately fell in love with her style and creativity. Since we live out of state we set up a Skype meeting with her. She was the first photographer we "met" with and if it was only up to me we would've stopped there because I loved everything about her kind spirit. If you're searching for an amazing, talented, fun, and there for you go getter then Brooke is definitely your girl! She will help ease your nerves, make you laugh, and make you her priority. She makes you feel as if she is photographing one of her very own friends weddings. Living out of state and planning a wedding had its challenges, but having Brooke to work with made everything so easy. She went ahead and scoped out our church, venue, and photo spots in order to capture the vision I wanted. She was responsive and communicated every detail to help make our day go as smoothly as possible. She truly goes above and beyond for her clients! The whole day she had a smile on her face and made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera - half the time I didn't even feel like there was a camera around! She really is the BEST decision you will make for your wedding day. I promise you will not regret it."

- Mary and Pat

"Choosing Brooke to be our wedding photographer was by far the best decision we made during our entire wedding planning process. Save yourself the time and headache of looking any further and book her right now. This review won't even scratch the surface of how grateful we are to Brooke. From our initial planning calls, to our engagement session, to the wedding day - she truly made us feel so comfortable and always listened to what we wanted. I can honestly say that our wedding day would not have been the same without her. She was an integral part of setting the tone by making sure that we were getting the shots we wanted while not rushing us or stealing us away from any part of the day. I can't even count the endless compliments that we received from our friends and family, still weeks after the wedding! We had rain/overcast skies for both our engagement session and wedding, which made for some of the most beautiful photos. Brooke truly captured all of the love and emotion from our wedding day (I tear up just looking at the candid shots!) and we will cherish our photos for the rest of our lives." 

- Sam and Matt

"Brooke was an absolutely outstanding photographer. From our very first conversation to the moment we got our photographs, she was an absolute professional who put us completely at ease. She has the perfect balance of both an easy going and commanding presence on the wedding day. I even used her "day of" schedule to help me figure out my own schedule. On her advice, we went with a second shooter to make sure we got all of the pictures we were hoping for as well as to enjoy time with our friends and family. She took everything we were hoping for and made it happen regarding photos and feel. She also checked in with us throughout to make sure we were getting what we wanted and needed as well. Just having her there helped things to run more smoothly (like when my husband and I stood like nervous dopes at our cake wondering how we were supposed to cut it, she quickly ran up and with a smile gave us some guidance.) 

One of my favorite moments was in the elevator on our way to the first look when I nervously asked how most brides were at that moment. She reassured me that most were nervous, but as soon as couples saw each other, the stress usually melted away from them. Knowing that that was moments away helped me let go of some of my anxieties and to focus on being excited. And boy are those first look pictures stunning! You really can see the stree melt away. Getting the pictures quickly after the wedding was magical and reading about our wedding through Brooke's eyes made looking through the pictures even more special. Every shot was BEAUTIFUL. She found the perfect places to take pictures and honestly made the wedding look even better than I think it did on the day of! We loved sharing our photos with family and friends and immediately printed them out to put around our home. Hiring Brooke was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding, hands down."
- Karlee and Max

"Brooke is simply the BEST. Honestly - I'm not sure how my day would've been without her. We referred to Brooke from some close friends that "SWORE by their photographer" - my husband and I were in the market, so we checked her out.

After an old fashioned and a wonderful meeting, I didn't just want her to be our photographer, but a friend too! She's a professional that has an eye for ALL OF THE THINGS. She doesn't just snap her "regular textbook photos" but really gets to know the couple and sees specific photos that complement them. Our engagement shoot was a bit out of the norm - think bourbon shots and PBRs - but she captured it all with a smile on her face from ear to ear with laughter you can't forget. 

Our wedding day was no different. I'm SO glad she was there. Brooke is a pleasure to work with, wants to make sure she's with you for the long haul and to capture every moment necessary. I LOVE YOU BROOKE!" 

- Kari and Greg

"When I started wedding planning, I knew one of the most important things I was going to spend my money on was the photography. After putting in all the time, effort, and money into planning a wedding, you want to make sure you have amazing pictures to look back at! I also knew I didn't want the "cookie cutter" wedding shots; I wanted a documentary style of photography that captured the real and raw moments of the day. Brooke was actually the third photographer my husband and I met with. The first two were good, they had the sort of style I was looking for, but I just wasn't clicking with them on a personal level. I wanted someone who was just as excited as I was about my day, someone who just intuitively understood my vision, and someone who I trusted to take charge and get their job done. We met with Brooke at a cute little bar near our apartment, had a few drinks, and talked excitedly for over an hour about our day, what we envisioned, and whether or not we should hire the Big Star food truck to cater our wedding. (we did, it was amazing, and Brooke definitely nudged us in the right direction!). We hired Brooke that night. We had our engagement photos done a few months after, which was so fun. Brooke made us feel so comfortable, and hanging out and having a beer with her afterward was awesome. In the weeks leading up to our wedding, she was so helpful as we narrowed down our timeline, and she researched the best places and times to do photos so things would run as smoothly as possible. Having Brooke with us on our wedding day was one of the best decisions we made. She was energetic, organized, friendly, and calm the entire day. When my husband and I would get a little stressed about things, she was quick to reassure us and do whatever she could to help. All of our guests loved her, especially our bridal party! Brooke fit right in with all of us and it really just felt like we were all just hanging out with a friend who happened to be a photographer. Our photos are exactly what we wanted, and I'm so so grateful that we found Brooke!" 

- Kristina and Brad

"Book Brooke NOW! Seriously. I found Brooke through a friend in college who also used her on her wedding day. Her pictures were so perfect that I knew I needed Brooke to do mine... I was right. When we met Brooke for the first time at our engagement session, we knew we picked the right photographer because she was just as excited about our bottle of champagne as we were. The best part about Brooke is her warm, welcoming and instantly comfortable in her presence vibe. Our bridal party and family kept talking about how wonderful and professional Brooke was all day and the weeks that followed. My husband and I have talked about how we wish she was our real life friend - multiple times. Both of our photo galleries turned out perfect and we have them framed all over our home. We will treasure them forever. Needless to say, Brooke was the best vendor decision we made and I recommend her to everyone that will listen. She won't let you down. We love you Brooke!" 

- Megan and Scott

"I'm not sure where to start, other than Brooke is HANDS DOWN the most amazing person and photographer. I first met Brooke when she photographed a wedding I was a bridesmaid in. I thought she was so great and the pictures turned out unbelievably beautiful. We got engaged a week later and Brooke was the easiest decision (and quickest) I made. I didn't even consider another photographer. Leading up to our wedding, she was so sweet and answered all our questions quickly and thoroughly. The day of the wedding, she walked right in the house and started snapping photos of our dog Henry. Brooke genuinely makes you feel like you've known her for years. It was a pleasure having her there the day of the wedding. She felt more like an old friend than someone we paid to be there. She made the picture taking experience fun and relatively painless for everyone, even those who aren't fond of getting their picture taken.

Brooke gave us a time frame for when we could expect our edited photos and we (im)patiently waited. Our expectations were high! We were scared after our wait, we might be disappointed. That couldn't be further from the truth. The photos were more amazing than I ever could have imagined. The day was captured beautifully. I was in tears seeing photos that were captured of hugs, love and laughter. She caught pictures of me with some of my favorite people, I didn't even know there was a camera on me when they were taken. There are so many pictures that I can immediately tell will be cherished forever." 

- Laney and Casey

"If you're looking for the best wedding photographer - look no further, Brooke is your girl! We used Brooke for our engagement and wedding pictures and she was hands down one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. Throughout the entire year of working together, Brooke was extremely responsive and organized. On our wedding day Brooke was professional, focused on capturing the best moments, and SO easy and fun to work with. She made sure that we had every photo that we had envisioned, and she used her creativity to really capture the emotions of the day. Brooke is upbeat, energetic, and the kind of person that you want to work with on your big day - our families and bridal party made many comments throughout about how awesome Brooke is. Our wedding pictures far exceeded our expectations - I was blown away by the details and emotions that Brooke was able to capture through her camera." 

- Karie and Ryan

"Brooke is one of the most geniune professionals I have ever met. My husband and I were planning our Bloomington, IL wedding from AZ and had been reaching out to photographers a year in advance. We were finding that several of the people we had in mind were already booked. I would later be thankful for this! I was on Facebook one day and came across some friends who had family pictures done by Brooke and I remembered she does weddings as well. I went to her website, looked through her galleries, and immediately reached out to her. It helped knowing that we both had mutual friends with her, so we knew she was good people. Brooke and I e-mailed back and forth a few times discussing her style, experience and packages and without meeting her in person I was comfortable booking with her.

I had planned a trip back home a few months before the wedding and met with Brooke for the first time in person (and was welcomed with a hug); we sat down for a little over an hour and Brooke created our wedding day timeline right there. She gave her recommendations and provided different scenarios, so we could work together to determine what would be best for our day. We discussed the scenery we were looking for and Brooke said she would research areas and I was comfortable leaving the exact location for pictures up to her. Our wedding day came and we could not be happier with Brooke's professionalism and work. Our wedding party couldn't stop talking about how awesome she was as well. She was calm, but demanding, which was needed to keep us on track while still having fun. We also had flower girls that she was great with and got them to laugh and smile when they weren't really feeling it. I can honestly say that I don't think I would have been as calm as I was on my wedding day without Brooke. All of our pictures turned out AMAZING and it is going to be difficult to pick favorites. I would recommend Brooke to anyone! She is professional, hard working, affordable, responsive and I feel I can now call her a friend."

- Amy and Robert

"Currently going through hundreds of wedding photos tearing up with gratitude and feeling so incredibly lucky to have had Brooke as a photographer. She captured the most special times of the day, times we now have on film. There wasn't a moment of the day she wasn't finding some special moment to capture. From the moment we met, Brooke was professional, straightforward, happy, knowledgable, and seemed genuinely excited for our wedding experience and to spend the day taking our wedding photos. From carrying a ladder in downtown Chicago to get the best angle, helping get guests in the right place at the right time, to delivering the most beautiful, professional photos, Brooke knocked everything out of the park. The quality of the images is breathtaking. We would recommend her to anyone looking for a wedding photographer, and are already looking for an excuse to get photos again!" 

- Katie and James

"Brooke was hands down the BEST decision we made on our wedding day. Planning our wedding in downtown Chicago from out of town, Brooke helped us figure out a workable timeline for photos, which locations would work with our timeline and time of day, and she even went to the hotel where we would be getting ready to scout out possible areas for our first look. Brooke made family photos so easy, and made sure everything was running smoothly day of and getting people to where they needed to be. Plus the photos are AMAZING. Brooke's photography style absolutely captures the feeling of the day, and we are so thankful we could have her as our wedding photographer. Hire her and you will not regret it!" 

- Beth and Brock

"Brooke...Brooke...Brooke!!!! This little wisp of a lovely woman is a talented, energetic, bright light that you will GLADLY welcome to photograph ANY event! We hired Brooke to capture our wedding on St. Patrick's Day this year, and it felt like she was instantly one of the family. If you're looking for slice-of-life moments that will surprise you, make you laugh, make you cry, melt your heart, make you want to relive the moment over and over again, then Brooke is the hands-down best choice. Seeing our wedding through her eyes was an amazing experience. She was calm and relaxed yet in polite control, she set a picture-taking schedule that was easy to follow (which was a HUGE relief to an overstressed couple who didn't have the energy to have to plan yet one more thing!), she rallied large groups, and she said the perfect things to capture magical moments. I am not embellishing here... some moments were absolutely priceless. I cannot say enough about how wonderful it was to have her with us. Stop looking around for other photographers. You've found the absolute best." 

- Peg and Martin

"Brooke was my best friend's wedding photographer last weekend. Brooke was without a doubt the most present and hard working photographer I have ever seen at work. She maintained an energetic, calm essence about her and carried her attention throughout each important minute of the entire day. She was like a ninja, everywhere at once! She was fully invested in her wedding couple and made sure that she gave it her all. I even got to have a great conversation with her and get to know her a bit - something she could have easily overlooked. She inspired me as a wedding photographer myself to be more engaging, attentive, and have a lasting energy from sunrise to that last crazy dance. 

Relational, present, over-achieving standards; Brooke is hands down one of my go-to recommendations for future friend's wedding, or weddings I am not able to shoot myself. She's magnificent!" 

- Brittany, friend + bridesmaid of Meg and Andy

"My husband and I got married at Starved Rock State Park in October. We contracted Brooke to photograph our wedding at the suggestion of a close friend. This decision was the most important, and the best, decision we made for our wedding. The morning of our wedding day it was overcast, slightly chilly, and was raining intermittently. However, Brooke arrived excited, cheerful, and ready to shoot. Brooke photographed me and my bridesmaids getting ready and was a welcome addition to the pre-ceremony celebrations. She then photographed the groomsmen (outdoors!) and my husband later told me it was the most fun part of the whole morning.

Now for the ceremony. It began to rain the worst right before the ceremony. However, Brooke was outside with everyone and while everyone was clutching an umbrella, she was clutching her camera. Brooke took so many photographs of the ceremony that we now look back on with affection and awe. At the time the rain seemed unwelcome and unfortunate, but it soon became one of our favorite parts of the wedding. The photographs Brooke took were perfect and we would not have changed anything, even deciding to have the wedding in the rain. The photographs that were taken captured our wedding, the love that surrounded all of us, and all the little moments in between. I will never forget Brooke, her passion for making others happy, and the joy that her pictures will continue to bring us for the rest of our lives. Brooke, thank you for all your hard work, your joyful spirit, and most importantly….for getting wet in the rain! You gave us the greatest wedding gift of all, these beautiful memories captured in time."

- Hannah and Steve

 

LOCATED IN:

Chicago, IL

Documenting:

Weddings + Engagements + Life

Get ahold of me at:

brookerumbold@gmail.com

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