Hannah and Herson’s Illinois elopement was nothing short of unique. There is nothing I love more than when a couple decides to do their own thing for their wedding day and create a relaxed elopement experience that they will cherish forever.
They planned their Illinois Elopement with ease in mind. Starting off their morning with a pre-wedding session in their elopement attire. Herson, Hannah and I spent the morning walking around Downtown Aurora, taking our time capturing some wedding portraits for the two of them. I believe that getting to know your photographer is one of the best ways to help get yourself comfortable in front of the camera and get some amazing shots. If you'd like to get to know me check out this blog post with some fun facts about me !
Having an elopement photographer on your wedding day is BEYOND important because you are doing it alone. Getting the photos from your day allows you to share these moments with your friends and family and help you to remember what your experience was like as you share it.
Having your wedding portraits taken outside of the standard wedding day timeline is an awesome option for couples who want to feel relaxed and at ease when they are in front of the camera. We were able to walk around, spend some time together so that Hannah and Herson could really get comfortable and lean into their portraits to enjoy this bit of their elopement day.
Downtown Aurora
If you’re looking for a more urban vibe in the suburbs of Illinois for your elopement portraits, Downtown Aurora is an awesome location option. Located on the Fox River there are a handful of cute shops, coffee spots and buildings with a lot of character that make up the strip. On weekdays you’ll have a lot of the strip to yourself making it the perfect location to spend the morning taking photos and wandering around with your partner.
When choosing a location for your portraits on your elopement day I encourage my couples to choose a location that has some familiarity to them. It doesn’t have to be the exact street you fell in love on or the restaurant you met in, but if you met in a city, you might gravitate to a space with a bit of a more urban vibe to it. If you and your partner love hiking together, you might opt to be surrounded by trees for your portraits. I want you to look back at your photos and be able to see the people that you were when you took them.
The Wedding Gear
Hannah and Herson’s wedding day attire was SO cool ! I am obsessed that they still referenced some of the more traditional colors that go with a wedding day, but went with their alternative choices.
Shop Hannah’s Wedding Day Look:
The Lamborghini
To add to their wedding day, Herson surprised Hannah with the coolest ride to drive around in on their wedding day! Herson rented the two of them a Lamborghini to roll around in so of course we had to include it in their session.
After the Session
After our session, Hannah and Herson went to Pecks farm later in the day to say their I do’s and then met their families at Vai’s in Naperville, Illinois to celebrate with an Elopement dinner. A dinner following your ceremony is an amazing way to include friends or family in your day while you still have the intimacy of having your ceremony together.
Putting together a wedding that feels like you
One thing that I hear way too often from freshly married couples is that they wish they would have had their wedding day the way they wanted it. Too often couples are overwhelmed by their choices and the advice they get from friends and family that they end up just going with their suggestions because they don’t know there are alternatives !
When you start to plan your wedding day sit down with your lover, soon-to-be spouse, and write down what the two of you feel like your wedding day should feel like. Use emotional words, use visual words. Picture who will be there and write it down, picture your ceremony and write that down, and put together some non-negotiables.
Take this list of non-negotiables and put it out where you can see it when you’re planning your wedding day so you can keep the things you want the most out of your day at the forefront of your mind as you plan !
For Hannah and Herson’s Illinois Elopement, they knew they wanted to spend their time together as well as with some family. They put together the most beautiful day for their wedding and I am so happy for the two of them!
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