I was thrilled when I checked my email one morning last week to discover that some of my photos had been used in this year’s anniversary issue of Chicago Social Brides (http://www.modernluxurybrides.com/chicago) !!

This is a beautiful publication which prints a monthly Chicago Social Magazine, and this yearly Bridal Issue! It was my good fortune to do the wedding of Chicago-celeb Chef Graham Elliot Bowles (http://www.grahamelliot.com/) and his lovely bride Allison in September…a selection of these photos were used in the magazine.

BY the way…if you’re in Chicago, or if you ever visit Chicago, the Graham Elliot restaurant should be high on your list of places to visit – the food is creative and fresh, as is the atmosphere. You may have also seen him on the Food Network’s Top Chef Masters.

Here are some of MY favorite shots from the Bowles’ wedding!

One of the things I absolutely loved about this wedding was this:

Allie and Elliot seemed to have talked about “What kind of wedding do WE want?” “What would our ideal wedding day be like?” They answered those questions and just went with it, no matter how far outside the box they were…and everyone had so much fun! They had a mid-morning ceremony, and Allie wore a knee-length fitted dress, with a hollywod-glam headpiece. The meal was a brunch, where the menu consisted of some classic brunch dishes with a twist; country fried chicken, a trio of quiche, sweet potato waffles with candied nuts…of course, it was all wonderful! Not to mention, rather than a traditional cake cutting, they went with a pie buffet. Being a fall event, they used granny smith apples, cinnamon sticks, leaves and sunflowers as components of the decor. With their photos, they wanted a very urban vibe – alley, rooftop and El shots – SO great.

The bottom line: They were creative! They really went for an event that reflected their personality and tastes as a couple rather than outside expectations, and it was PERFECT!