Studio Ostendo operates in multiple creative fields including photography, design, and education.
Driving along Michigan Avenue on the morning of Danielle and Michael’s wedding in Chicago, the fall sun was glowing through the gaps in the skyline. Their friends and family would gather later that day for their Chicago Cultural Center wedding, and from the beginning the day was divine.
After getting ready just a few blocks away, Danielle and Michael arrived at the south gardens of the Art Institute to start their day together. With a bustle of people walking along Michigan avenue just outside the garden walls, their intimate first look was a beautiful way to start their wedding day together. We love the way Danielle and Michael’s portraits at the Art Institute capture both the formal significance of their marriage, as well as personal glances that make them feel more intimate and true to them.
Originally Chicago’s first central public library, the Chicago Cultural Center was designed and built by the country’s top architects and craftsmen. Its breathtaking architecture and ornate details drew Danielle and Michael to choose it for their Chicago wedding.
Their wedding ceremony was held in Preston Bradley Hall, a beautiful chuppah the centerpiece of the ceremony under the world’s largest Tiffany glass-domed ceiling. Following the ceremony, guests walked the lofty corridor to the GAR Rotunda where they were greeted by old family photos and space to have drinks and appetizers together.
Finally, the reception began with Danielle and Michael’s beautifully choreographed first dance back in Preston Bradley Hall. A Chicago favorite, Bluewater Kings, kicked off an evening of dancing with the hora and kept the dance floor packed with Danielle and Michael’s loved ones all night long.
On our way out for the evening, we asked Danielle and Michael if there were any last photographs they wanted before we left them to celebrate with family and friends. Looking out over the packed dance floor, they paused to take one last formal photograph together, Michael dipping Danielle back and pulling her close for a kiss. One of our favorite moments of their wedding day, we left them—arms around each other—taking in the view of a lively, joyous celebration of their love.
See Danielle & Michael's Chicago engagement photos on our blog!
Wedding photography is my heartbeat. For me, it holds the perfect tension between creativity and authenticity, observation and connection. In front of my camera clients transform to friends, and behind it you'll usually find me tearing up, cheering you on, or holding my breath because of the raw goodness of the moment at hand.
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