Denise & John | Brookfield Zoo Wedding

by now, i’ve seen almost all there is to see when it comes to throwing a wedding. i can also tell you the top five elements of this year’s trends in weddings. i can tell you that wedding styles aren’t often total expressions of who a couple is but rather just a following of the trends on pinterest. and i can also tell you that’s such a shame. it’s not often a wedding comes along that i get to photograph and i can walk away thinking that it was truly unique. 

denise and john blew it out of the water. they held true to who they are as a couple and as individuals. the details were every where and what was truly amazing was that a lot of it was unlike anything i’d seen before. neon greens, silk screen-printed ties, motorcycles for centerpieces (one of john’s true loves), and bunny details everywhere in honor of their bunny baby, lily (as pictured below).

i was in love with denise’s dress, shoes, and starry crown. john’s pocket watch from denise was such a classy element to his outfit and the fact that he found all three pieces of his ensemble separately was super impressive. 

we posed with dolphins, inside the dinosaur exhibit, on the carousel. and their ceremony took place at sunset in the center of the brookfield zoo. 

why the zoo, you ask? denise and john went on their first date there. “the swamp” is where they first held hands. and it all came full circle again a few years later down to the exact day on their wedding day at the same place. 

it was such a memorable day. one i’ll never forget. some of my very favorite clients pulled off an adorable quirky, animal-filled day that brought us all into their relationship. that’s what it’s all about, people. when a couple can hold true to themselves while planning their wedding, without caring what everyone else thinks, that’s the good stuff.

in the meantime, who has their cocktail hour in a polar bear exhibit?? these two did.