I was one of the fortunate few able to attend a workshop hosted by the one and only Jessica Claire. She is one of the best photographers I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, and is so absolutely down to earth. And her business savvy… don’t even get me started. It truly was a wonderful learning experience, and I made some good friends from all over the globe. Jessica arranged for a mock wedding to be set up in a beautiful park nearby, and being in Orange County I got to experience the kind of setting that would be very hard to come by in the Midwest! There were hills! Gorgeous green hills that I couldn’t get enough of. I actually felt like I was in the middle of some movie set and for a few moments had to sit down and write down a few things in my journal so I wouldn’t forget what was going through my head. We had all kinds of amazing light, bold colorful flowers and ornate details.

After looking through some of these images, they really gave that sense of being in some kind of magical forest. So, I’ve decided that everyone should at least consider having a forest wedding. Anyone game?

Thanks to the team of people who worked on every detail to make sure it was perfect! CREDITS: Workshop:  Jessica Claire , Stylist: Duet Weddings, Flowers: Kate Holt of Flowerwild, Models:  Braedon & Lindsay Flynn, Cake: Erica O’Brien, Linen & pillows: La Tavola, Rentals: Classic Party Rentals (flatware and cake table), Rentals: Badia Design (Spanish door, iron screen, Moroccan poufs), Plates/glassware:   Anthropologie, Invitation: CEVD

I had a delightful morning with Baby Ava! So much so, that I almost packed her up and took her home with me. Because really, how can you not be in love with this little angel?

She was all smiles the whole time. I love her little face

She’s got her first two teeth coming in and she wasn’t afraid to show me:

In case you haven’t noticed, I have a special love for butterflies, so I was thrilled when Ava’s mom had these wings ready!

I couldn’t wait another second to blog these because she is too cute! I need to get me one of these for my place

If you’d like to contact me about my baby sessions, please email me at vanessa@photosbyfrosch.com

You can wait an eternity for everything to be perfect, while the rest of your life passes you by. When I watched them commit their lives to each other yesterday, it was hard to believe that only a month ago, none of this might have happened. A fraction of an inch, another split second, and the world could have been so vastly different today. Last month, Cicily and Alec were struck by a hit and run driver as they crossed the street, which landed them both in the hospital and with some pretty serious injuries.

They didn’t have immediate plans to be wed at the beginning of the year. They knew they loved each other, and they thought they’d wait for that perfect moment for things to fall into place for their wedding. But almost dying changed all that. They realized they had this second chance at life, and love was too important to wait for perfection.

And so, on Saturday, February 13, 2010 at 11AM they wed. In front of their family and a handful of close friends, they spoke their vows in a very intimate ceremony at the Chicago Cultural Center. And in that moment, their not-so-perfect life became completely right.

Thank you Cicily and Alec for letting us share this day with you, and for letting me document your story. And without further ado, here are my favorite images of your amazing day!

I started off meeting Cicily at Roots Salon, where she works as an esthetician. They did an amazing job on her hair!

A couple shots of her getting ready:

I was floored by how magnificent this room was at the Chicago Cultural Center.

Loved this silhouette:

I think I could have shot in this building the entire day, there were so many amazing details!

This might be my favorite:

Stunning, isn’t she?

I almost got arrested for taking this photo. Well, no not really, but security came up to me to inform me I needed  a permit… well better to ask for forgiveness than permission right?

We spent some time at Cicily’s favorite place ever, the Art Institute. The lighting in there is incredible.

We found a really cool looking phone for an interesting ring shot.

Another favorite:

To see more photos, click here.

If you’d like to contact me to inquire about weddings click here.

I had an incredible time today photographing the wedding of a close friend who has been around for almost all my life… There are so many images I want to share, but for right now, here’s the one that sums it up for me. Love you Cicily and Alec!

The charm of any wedding has so much to do with the details, and in Becky and Phil’s wedding there was no shortage of that! When I walked in to the Wesleyan Community Church in Oak Lawn and everyone setting up, I was immediately in love with this wedding.

Becky was still at the salon when I got to the church, so I had lots of time to document all the delicious details:

Kim at Blooming Creations did a fabulous job with the flowers, didn’t she?

Loved this shot of the bouquets!

Becky’s dress:

Becky had her hair done at a nearby salon and slipped her dress on literally 10 minutes before the ceremony started! Wow, I thought she was brave. I love her practicality and she pulled it all off so effortlessly and gracefully.

The mother of the bride:

The rings:

Phil seeing his bride for the first time:

A quick moment together right after the ceremony and then we were off to the reception!

I love the feeling of this one:

They held their reception at Francesca’s, a cozy Italian restaurant:

Her dad started off the speeches:

Becky gave an impromptu and very heartfelt speech:

Becky & Phil – I wish you two so much love! Thank you so much for letting us share your day with you!

To see more photos click here.

And thanks Scott Nolen for second shooting with me!!

If you’d like to contact me to inquire about weddings click here.

Just wanted to share one more new product available at Vanessa Frosch Photography. For those looking for an alternative to the box framed prints, I also have ThinWraps available! I am so thrilled with how beautiful they look on the wall. ThinWraps are beautiful metallic prints with a smooth satin laminate overlay. The print is wrapped around a 3/16″ board and they’re ready to hang right out of the box! They’ve got a light-weight foam backing that allows the print to “float” off the wall for a very contemporary effect. 

I do have to admit, I’m slightly partial to this photo. Valentina is my niece and is one of the most gorgeous creatures I’ve ever encountered. So, I thought she’d make the perfect studio sample. I was SO right