Wedding Photography
Welcome to the TWA portfolio! We take great pride in the stunning pictures that we skillfully create to help you reminisce over your big day for years to come. All of our photos are from real weddings capturing real couples with real love stories. We love celebrating a variety of occasions, anything from a one-day traditional ceremony to engagements to multiple-day weddings! At TWA we know that photography is about so much more than just taking photos. We love to connect and create great memories with our clients from start to finish. At the end of it all, we want to help tell your story of love through our photos. Each of our photographers know that the day is about you, your needs, your style, and your vision.
The ocean that is picking a wedding photographer can make for some overwhelming waters to navigate. Here at TWA we know how important it is to pick someone who can immortalize your day. As you browse through our award-winning photos, we will discuss with you some tips and important ideas to consider. Happy scrolling!
We took the liberty of asking brides from all over the Chicagoland area for some sage advice when picking a new Chicago wedding photographer. Let their words help shed some light on your journey to curating your special day!
When selecting your photographer, it’s always good to start with some boundary lines and criteria. The most important one of those being your budget. Having this framework when you are planning can go a long way! When asked for her thoughts, Jordan Bratl and, an autumn bride’s first piece of advice was “Have a set budget of how much you are willing to spend.” With multiple packages offered, TWA has many customizable options to fit your needs and limits. Listen to what Marisa Ammons, a spring bride, has to say: “Don’t settle! Photos will be one of the only things you have to look back and remember what happened that day. It’s worth it to splurge a bit more on someone who you feel truly will capture your day in the exact way you imagine. Find someone who fits your style of photography and not just your budget number. There’s a lot of cheaper photographers who may not have the style you like. If you go with someone whose style you like, you’re bound to love your photos even more.”
Once you have those ideas set, it’s important to find a style you like: just as no two couples are alike, no two photographers are alike! It’s good to sort through many options beyond what might just be trendy on Instagram. You want your photos to last and to be timeless, so if you pour some effort into finding what speaks to you, you will enjoy your photos for a lifetime. Baylee Nitafan, a summer bride, has some insight into this as well: “I would say check the photographer’s most recent work to make sure you like their current work and not just some of their older work because styles and editing can change.” Mrs. Ammons also found this part of the process to be especially helpful in making sure she ended up with photos she loved: “Use Instagram or other social media platforms to find someone! Google doesn’t give you the best options honestly so it can be super useful to look on social media for people in your area AND you get to see their work easily!”
If you want to see more TWA photos on different platforms, check out our Instagram (@twa_weddingphotographers) and our Pinterest (@twaphoto)!
Another thing to consider when picking your Chicago wedding photographer is whether you would like a videographer. Mrs. Bratl and commented on this topic, advising, “decide if you want videography as well and if that is included in your photographers’ services or if they usually work with a videographer that they recommend.” Here at TWA we have many photographers and videographers that can help document your day from many angles and through many different media! Jenna Ervin, a winter bride also noted another important point: “Hire a photographer that will have a second-shooter on your big day and then ask one of them to stay by your side during the reception to take photos of you and your guests.”
Once you have your team assembled, then it’s time to start building the relationship. One way to approach this was recommended by Mrs. Ervin, saying, “Find a photographer that takes [their] time with your gallery and ask about how you should communicate if you have questions or concerns after receiving your gallery. Provide your photographer with photos that you like and angles that you want.”
Natalie Sweet, an autumn bride who had great artistic vision for her big day said that being picky about her photographer’s personality was key: “it’s important to find someone whose personality matches what you’re going for stylistically, whether that be dramatic & glamorous pictures or fun & energetic ones, they should be able to provide that energy while still being personable and communicative.”
Sometimes it can seem like a good relationship with your Chicago wedding photographer is overemphasized, after all, they are only taking pictures of one day of your life. But in her experience, Mrs. Ammons’ relationship with her studio went far beyond the big day: “Find a photographer who you get along with/enjoy working with. You’re going to be collaborating with your photographer for months before your wedding and it makes it so much easier and way more fun when you have someone you vibe well with. It also makes it so much more comfortable to get the shots that are most important to you because you’ll be relaxed!”
We hope that these photos and wise words from brides of the past have given you some direction along your journey of designing your dream wedding. Please reach out to us at TWA if you need some extra guidance or advice! We are always here to help you have the best experience possible from start to finish.