Oh friends, I’m so so excited to be sharing Kristi + Ernie’s wedding blog from their gorgeous day at the Haley Mansion in Joliet, Illinois. This was my very first time at this elegant venue, and I have to say, I’m so excited to photograph more weddings here!
At Kristi + Ernie’s spring engagement session, I found out how pretty and elegant Kristi’s style was and I quickly got even more excited for her and Ernie’s wedding this July-I just knew everything about their special day would be stunning.
I began the day hanging out with Kristi and her bridesmaids while they sipped on mimosas, ate some (adorable) macaroons, and prepared for the best day ever!! My second photographer, Karen spent the morning with Ernie and his groomsmen, capturing all of Ernie’s special little details. Before the ceremony, Kristi and Ernie shared the cutest first look in the reception space at the Haley Mansion-which is alllll white stone, and it’s breathtaking! Even though their wedding day was a super hot day, we moved through their portraits quickly and wowza, these two + this location made for the prettiest, fariytale-like photos <3
Kristi + Ernie, thank you so much for choosing me to photograph your beautiful wedding day! XO!!
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-Brooke + Alex
"Where do I even begin… First off, Elle is hands down one of the sweetest humans you will ever meet. As if her work doesn’t speak for itself, the minute I met her and started chatting I knew we made the right choice!
We’ve been married 3 weeks now and we had the most beautiful day, but the amount of compliments we’ve received on our photos blows everything else out of the water and we are STILL getting comments!! I can’t even put into words how blown away both myself and everyone else was with her work.
You will get a handful of previews right away and a blog post which to be honest I would have been happy with just those! BUT I was absolutely floored when I saw our full gallery! I look at them at LEAST once a day because I am just so obsessed with them. Elle is insanely talented and her creativity shines through in her photos.
You will feel like you are straight out of a bridal magazine, I promise!"
"You will feel like you're straight out of a bridal magazine"
-Isabella + Nicolas
"Where do I begin! Elle and her husband are absolutely incredible. I saw photos of Elle's work on her instagram (GO LOOK - STUNNING) and knew I had to have her photograph my wedding. She was the first vendor I booked! Her work is elegant, timeless, romantic, light, and airy. She is the kindest, sweetest, person ever and is so helpful when taking pictures with tips to make the photos look more natural. Our wedding photos are everything I ever wanted and more! I could not be happier! When I look at them it is like I am reliving the day. If you need a photographer, BOOK ELLE!!!!"
"Our wedding photos are everything I ever wanted and more!"
-Noelle + Elijah
"Lord help me not ramble too too much about how AMAZING Elle & Ashton are! I cannot say enough good things about these two or express fully how much I not only recommend them but insist you choose them for your wedding. When I sat down and started looking up wedding photographers on Instagram (lol) I came across Elle's page and instantly fell in love with her style of photography. As I looked through the pictures I almost felt the love radiating from the pictures if that makes sense lol. I knew I had to reach out to her and get all the info on how to have her as our photographer. After we had booked her we took a LONG time to try and find a wedding videographer and we just could not find one that matched what we were looking for so when Elle announced that her husband was going to be joining her and adding videography as something they offer I immediately ran right to my email thread and told her I wanted to add it onto our package. BEST DECISION. I cannot tell you how many times I have cried watching our sneak peak film or looking through our photos on her blog. Seriously I cannot recommend this duo enough. Thank you Elle & Ashton AGAIN.. lol for capturing our day so perfectly. Everything turned out better than I could have ever imagined. If you're looking to book Elle........ DO IT & add Ashton as your videographer! You won't regret it!"
"Best decision"
-Hannah + Brett
"TRULY AMAZING. I cannot recommend her enough. It is so important to have vendors you trust and having Elle put me at so much ease on my wedding day. Prior to the day we had communicated about what my husband and I wanted for photos and the goals of the day and I had literally no doubt that she was going to capture everything. As soon as she came on the wedding day she was a fun and calming presence and was truly an angel. She was so professional and yet a friend at the same time! Heck, she even put my veil in for me when it wasn't sitting just right! She goes ABOVE AND BEYOND and is the sweetest soul. She is so easy to work with and her communication was impeccable. She made wedding planning sooo much easier. Now for her photos!!! AMAZED, it makes me re-live my wedding day every time I look at them. Her photographs transport you to the day by capturing moments big and small and you can truly feel the vibe of the day by just looking at the pictures. She had a great mix of candid shots and classic posed photos and also handled a VERY large family formals list with ease. Elle's work is incredible, her photographs captured our wedding beautifully. I honestly would recommend her to any one of my friends or family. It was so nice to have a photographer I felt connected with and felt like I had a friend photographing my wedding. So if you are on the fence about hiring her, just do yourself a favor and do it"
"She was so professional and yet a friend at the same time!"
-Heather + Trevor
"Elle and Ashton are an absolute pleasure to work with. They started the day not on time, but early, and came prepared for anything and everything-- packing their car with things from umbrellas to curling irons! When the weather took a turn and tornado warnings came, they were ready for it all with a plan B, and remained flexible and positive as we decided to change venues to accommodate the weather. Through it all, you would have had no clue the weather was chaotic in pictures, they make each and every person in your party feel comfortable and beautiful in their poses and prompts. There's not one shot they miss, even in a time crunch of weather chaos! They are the most perfect team. I could go on for hours about their work ethic and character; they are genuinely great people doing this for all the right reasons, the passion and happiness are written all over their face and in their actions. By the end of the day they didn't feel like photographers or videographers, but two friends we spent the day with, making our day all the more special and enjoyable.
Elle and Ashton (and their team) are worth every penny and more. As a bride I would change my date to fit their schedule if I had to, they're really the icing on top of your wedding day experience. They go above and beyond from the moment you inquire through the weeks after your wedding. You can't just find any vendor like them for your wedding, so happy I chose to be an #ElleTaylorBride, and I'd do it again if I could!"
"As a bride I would change my date to fit their schedule if I had to, they're really the icing on top of your wedding day experience"
-Kathy + Mitchell
"I had the honor of being photographer by Elle for my engagement photos and for my wedding. She was sooooo amazing to work with. I’m a bit shy in front of the camera and she made everything feel so natural. She helped me coordinate outfits and really helped to my mind at ease. My husband hates taking pictures and he had a blast! After our engagement shoot he was so excited for our wedding and to have her capture our magical day. I definitely recommend hiring Ashton for videography as well. They are the perfect duo and work so well together. As a team then really go above and beyond and will make sure every moment of your magical day is captured. When working with Elle and her team, you’ll feel like she’s one of your friends and you’re all there to have fun and won’t feel like “work” to get the perfect shot. My only concern is she took TOO MANY AMAZING PHOTOS. I have wayyyyy to many favorites and cannot stop staring at them! I haven’t been able to do anything but look through my wedding gallery over and over since she got them to me. She was also so quick to get me all my pictures! I haven’t even unpacked from my destination wedding and she has my full gallery ready for me.
When I say she goes above and beyond. I truly mean it. She surprised our guests with a preview of some of her favorite pictures during the reception. The pictures was amazing and I was SHOOK. They were so good, I walked around with her iPad to show EVERY SINGLE table/guest our photos until the battery died.
You will not regret having Elle and Aston be a part of your magical day or any special moments. I cannot wait to work with her again in the future for other milestones. Again, SO AMAZING, SWEET, and GENUINE!"
" I haven’t even unpacked from my destination wedding and she has my full gallery ready for me"
-Krista + Travis
"I think most brides-to-be have heard a time or two the importance of investing in a good wedding photographer. And this couldn’t be more true! Once your big day comes and goes, all you have left are the memories. The decorations sit in storage, but your wedding pictures are hung on your walls for years to come. What better way to relive that day than with your wedding pictures?! Elle goes above and beyond to capture such special, unique moments. It’s so special to walk through our dining room and see the photos she’s taken hung up. I’m immediately taken back to the amazing memories we created. Her style is so elegant, her personality shines, and her photos speak for themselves. I would absolutely recommend Elle Taylor Photography for any special event to capture and preserve timeless memories of you and your loved ones! Thanks again for all you do, Elle!"
" Her style is so elegant, her personality shines, and her photos speak for themselves"
-Sara + Johnny
"Elle was nothing short of perfect! She is so sweet, patient, and has the biggest heart. She is truly the best at what she does and Johnny and I could not have picked a better photographer to capture our perfect day! Through every detail, Elle made sure everything we wanted and needed was taken care of. Elle even put her jacket around me in the freezing cold! We are the most grateful for the love put into the whole day! Elle made me feel like the most beautiful bride and kept me calm with her love and patience. Picking a photographer for your wedding is the hardest part knowing that it is what you have to remember the best day of your life, but Elle made it easy and we are so in love with our wedding pictures! We are forever grateful!"
"We are most grateful for the love put into the whole day."
-Sarah + Phil
"It was truly magical working with Elle as our photographer on our wedding day. She made us feel so calm and comfortable on a crazy and exciting day! She took every picture we wanted and even snuck in a few extras that we will cherish forever. We've already recommended her to all of our engaged friends, and will continue to recommend her to new couples! Choosing a photographer who meshes with your personalities and photography style is a must, and Elle without a doubt fulfilled both. Thank you, Elle for memories we will never, ever forget!"
"Choosing a photographer who meshes with your personalities and photography style is a must, and Elle without a doubt fulfilled both"
-Caiti + Josh
"Elle is FLEXIBLE, FAST, EXPERIENCED and an all around GREAT photographer! We felt SO at ease with her and she was an absolute DELIGHT to shoot with. We couldn’t stop smiling the entire time. The pictures turned out AMAZING and she got them back to us in less than 24 hours!!! Thank you SO much Elle! If you are looking through Elle’s reviews and are STILL NOT CONVINCED that she would be PERFECT for ANY occasion you are out of your mind!"
"If you're looking through Elle's reviews and are still not convinced that she would be perfect for any occasion, you are out of your mind!"
