Wedding Photography Coverage at The Palmer House, Hilton – Chicago, Illinois
Post by Cathy – Cathy and David Photographers
Nov. 28, 2009 – To start off with, I have to say that Annie is one of our sweetest brides ever. While we were in Chicago shooting Dyanne and Reid’s Oak Park wedding (which was coordinated by Kate, one of Annie’s bridesmaids!), she drove an hour just to meet with us and talk about the details of her wedding: Chandeliers, vintage hairstyles, black floor-length gowns, a warmly-lit ballroom at the Palmer House — one of the oldest hotels in Chicago. Everything about Annie and Josh’s wedding was full of simple elegance and tasteful sophistication. We could not wait to shoot it!
So, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, on a chilly morning in downtown Chicago, we headed to the Palmer House, by Hilton, where the girls were running in and out of the bridal suite with dresses and shoes, makeup and jewelry. And at the center of the storm, was the calm and cheerful Annie. Her bridesmaids were willingly at her beck and call, whether it was gluing on eyelashes, writing out placecards, or just giving an opinion on jewelry, they were there for her. Definitely one of the best group of bridesmaids and one of the best maid of honors I’ve seen yet.
And then came time to help Annie into her Kenneth Pool dress …. oh the dress. This had to be one of my FAVORITE wedding gowns ever. It is so breathtaking and suited Annie perfectly as she was walked down the aisle by both her mom and dad toward her handsome groom, Josh.
The ceremony and reception were so full of love and joy. The band was over-the-top AMAZING and played their heart outs all night long while the guests danced and partied just as hard. And I have to mention that for a guestbook, Josh and Annie laid out a collection of vintage postcards for their guests to write messages on. What an awesome idea!! Anyways, this wedding was an amazing celebration to photograph. The night fled by so quickly and we were sad to pack up and leave at the end of the night. Annie and Josh – Thanks so so much to you and your families for being so gracious, so real, and so full of joy.Hope you enjoy the photos!!!! And here they are…
Chicago Wedding Vendors:
Hair: Tigerlilie Salon (They specialize in vintage hairstyles and did an AMAZING job!!!)
Flowers: Barrington Flower Shop
Ceremony and Reception: The Palmer House Hilton
Caterer: The Palmer House, Jane Himmel – Senior Catering Manager.
Cake: Take the Cake
Music: Don Cagen Orchestra
The Dress: Kenneth Pool by Armale, 2010
The Palmer House Hilton
Palmer House Wedding Website
17 East Monroe – Chicago, Illinois 60603
Ph. 312-917-7308
Just a couple last things. A VERY special thank you to the staff of the Palmer House, Hilton. Your hotel was one of the absolute best places we’ve ever worked. Not because of how gorgeous it is, but because of how courteous and attentive the staff were, treating us like guests of the wedding party and not just as vendors, and for their super-fantastic catering director Jane, who has the thing down to an art form. THANK YOU! If you’re getting married in Chicago, Illinois and want an amazing downtown location for your wedding, look no further.
Thanks again to Annie and Josh. You guys were so kind and awesome to work with. We had such a fun time with the both of you and your bridal party and family. Thank you!
*A special thanks as well to Ruffled, for featuring her amazing vintage hairstyle on their wedding inspiration blog.*
*Another special thank you to Style Me Pretty for listing this as one of their top three favorite weddings on 2009!*
Thanks for reading! – Cathy.
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Marissa Rodriguez - Are you kidding me with that dress!?!?! One of the most BEAUTIFUL dresses I have ever seen! I still can’t get over it!
The shoe shot is stunning! The elevator shot, the dancing shots….just amazing! Seriously a perfect job!
Amanda Donaho - Absolutley beautiful! I love the grain in the getting ready shots (high ISO or added in?) It’s lovely.
stacy able - Loving it! Very cool venue and great photography as always!
angela - these are sooo beautiful!! great job C&D!
Lori Herrin - WOW! WOW! WOW! Absolutely stunning photos. Lou will really really cry when he sees this one. LOL
Love you! Mom
Jamie - I can’t even pick a favorite from this post – they are all so absolutely stunning. The bride is utterly gorgeous as well. Great work!
Christine Pobke - Oh. My. God. Are you flippin’ kidding me?!?!!?!?!? These are amazing!!! Not only did you capture beauty and elegance, you got priceless shots that captured emotions!!! WOW!!! That swanky group shot belongs in a magazine. As does the garter toss (LOVE the expression on their faces!). And she is such a beautiful bride… the one with her + her mom made me tear up, I’m not gonna lie.
LOVE THIS WEDDING!!
Rebecca - These are SO good. And her hair – can I say enough about her hair?! Pretty sure that is the best wedding updo I have ever ever seen. Mission – find a salon here that can replicate it for me for my wedding!
Brianna Phelan - C&D these are truly amazing. The reception shots are insane. Do you use a lot of external lighting? Her dress is stunning and the venue is so so beautiful.
Rachel Perry - Whoa. This wedding is flippin’ amazing! I can hardly believe how beautiful it is! Great job on the photography!
Amanda Wilcher - SWEET JESUS. That is one beautiful wedding. WELL DONE!
Regan - These pictures are absolutely breathtaking. Exquisite. I just adore you guys and your work.
Laura Ivanova - Whoa! Seriously the photography is so amazing…as is the gown, the bride…WOW!!
Melanie Sikma - Absolutely beautiful images. Can’t even pick a favorite because I love them all.
Fabulous work!!!
INLAND EMPIRE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY - beyond amazing work as always~
Cathy Crawley - Wow wow wow this is my most favorite wedding of yours ever! These images are amazing and you guys should be so proud! Awesome work
Stephanie Stewart - O-M-G! What a stunning wedding with stunning photos! Love each and every image, amazing amazing amazing! Must look again!
imthiaz houseman - wow…great post. stunning venue, bride, dress, groom, and everything in between. amazing job!
Evangeline Renee - Beautiful work!
Alli - Wow, absolutely beautiful images!
jackie g. photog - amazing reception shots…beautiful work!
Evie - Cathy thanks for taking the time to check out my blog. I am so blown away by your pictures!!! They are F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!!!
Katie Whitcomb - Okay, seriously!!! I love this bride. She is after my heart..
Kellie Kano - Rock on guys! Way to blow it out of the box
ashleigh - these photos are so amazing and really capture the emotion of the day! and what a gorgeous wedding! the bride’s dress is simply breathtaking!
Bobbie Brown - gorgeous!
Kristina - Annie and Josh’s wedding was fantastic!! Annie and her dress were absolutley stunning! This is a wedding never to be forgot and these outstanding pictures will be sure of that!
Sarah Esther - gorgeous, I think I did a once-over on these about.. oh, 40 times.
Absolutely narrative… love love love.
Amanda - You guys know how much I love this, but I’ll say it again… LOVE this! Amazing job!
Rich - Hi Cathy and David, thanks for leaving the nice comment on my Blog. I love looking at your work also. It’s so cool to be in a grand old building with a beautiful bride and groom and capturing breathtaking pictures. I’ve stayed at the Palmer House Hilton at least twice and I love that old hotel. I haven’t been for a few years, but the French restaurant breakfast was to die for. Is it still that awesome?
allie - WOWZA – that is one of the most beautiful weddings i have ever seen, and I’m a huge blog stalker! Her dress is seriously up there in my top 5 wedding dresses EVER. Great work, Cathy & David!
Jenny Jimenez - straight out of a a story book! So beautful. Love the hallway shot of her next to the dancer in the trumpet dress. Great moment.
Agnieszka - Wow your precessing & posing style is INCREDIBLE!!! What a beaaautiful couple & wedding!
Perel Alexander - Wow your work is amazing! Every shot is just perfect…
Great couple by the way.
Jenni Carmon - Cathy WOW! This wedding is amazing. The bride is gorgeous but you have captured this wedding perfectly. I am at a loss for words, the lighting on the off camera flash at the reception looks perfect. AWESOME!
Ari S. - Hey, thanks for the blog love. Awesome set!
~Ari
Annie - Cathy & David – Josh & I can’t describe how much we LOVE the photos! They are absolutely stunning! You are incredibly talented artists and your passion and love for what you do shows in your work. We are so blessed to have such gorgeous pictures to remind us of our day.
And thanks to everyone for their kind words! I’m glad you love the pictures! Anyone getting married soon? The dress is for sale!!! (street size 2) Contact Cathy & David for my info! Thanks again 
Angel Canary - Stunning work! Every capture is perfect, the lighting, the dof, the tones, everything. Fab!
Ami @ Elizabeth Anne Designs - i love her gown and the blush pink shoes!
Geoffrey Sinclair - These photos are really WOW, I love your photo-journalistic style, really well done, and what a Venue.
Melody - Beautiful work, you guys! Her dress is to die for…!!
Brooke - Holy Smokes! Your work is stunning! These images took my breath away! What a gorgeous couple and venue!!
jessica - Wow. Breathtaking photos.
Parris Whittingham - New York Wedding Photographer - Each time, I say “this is my favorite wedding I have seen from you all”…you OUTDO yourselves. This wedding looks remarkable. So much thoughtfulness and flexibility in your styles. I like the second to last image and the sixth image (with the brides’s face in profile) the most. AWESOME work!
Bekah -Maid of Honor for this wedding! - Cathy and David were not only two of the most pleasant and efficient photographers I’ve yet to meet, they also took unbelievably stunning photos, as you can see! The event was magical and gorgeous and I can honestly say that the photos have done this wedding the justice that it deserved! You two are brilliant photographers and I know that everyone in and surrounding this wedding were blown away by the quality of the photographed memories that you captured! A thousand times thank you!
Paige + Blake - oh-so hollywood! I absolutely love it. (and you captured it perfectly)
Rachel Jacobus - Shoe Shot= HOLY-FABULOUS-NESS!!!!!
Brooke - I keep coming back to your blog for these pictures, they are just so amazing! Ah!
Eric Foley - This is my fav wedding you have done yet! Nice work!
Meg @ Sienna Wedding - This is incredibly gorgeous! Amazing work.
kristen - Such extraordinary shots. I have you bookmarked now!
Carolyn Egerszegi - What an incredibly gorgeous set of images. The bride and groom are stunning and her dress is BEYOND divine. Wow. I don’t have enough superlatives to express how much I love everything about this wedding! I’m so inspired. Thank you!
Heidi@trulyengaging - Truly astonishing. The Palmer House is truly a beautiful venue only exceeded by the gorgeous bride and all the details you’ve captured. Lovely. Well done!
Favorite Weddings of 2009 III | Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog - [...] you too have fallen for Annie’s Kenneth Pool gown, it is for sale here.Be sure to check out Cathy and David’s blog for additional details from their day as well their breathtaking venue, The Palmer House Chicago. [...]
cara - gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous work! (and wedding details!) I hope you don’t mind if I re-post (with credits + link back to you!) the images of the dress detail + of the bride + groom behind the mic!
Deb - Simply stunning. May the marraige be as beautiful as the wedding!!
Favorite Weddings of 2009 III | Bridesmaid Dresses Blog - [...] certain to check out Cathy as good as David’s blog for one more sum from their day as good their monumental venue, The Palmer House [...]
Eddye - So, if I leave comment #57, will you see it? I started to tell you that the 5th image down (mother/daughter) should win an award. But then, so should #6,7,10… too many to list! TERRIFIC wedding. TERRIFIC photography!
Irina - Wowow… your photography is phenomenal! And I gotta say that the venue and that dress are gorgeous!! You two did a great job capturing a beautiful wedding day
In Love. « Lah Mode - [...] was photographed by the talented Cathy and David. They keep a lovely blog where you can find the rest of the photographs from this [...]
Regras para o voilette? « Casarei - [...] (Fotos: Cathy and David. Tem mais aqui) [...]
Kevin Weinstein - dude. these are the sickest pics i have seen in a LOOOOOONG ass time. Jealous over here.
A Hairy Situation | Weddingbee - [...] Photo by Cathy & David Photographers [...]
Stieg - Excellent work on capturing of the emotions!