Chicago Wedding Photographer | Destination Wedding Photography » filipino traditional weddings

intercontinental ohare wedding | rowena & rj

admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 04:05:55 +0000

Congratulations to Rowena & RJ! These two are so much fun! They’re college sweethearts and met at DePaul University. RJ has a degree in music and on the night of his proposal to Rowena, they “stumbled” upon an a capella group in Navy Pier… While the a capella sang”In the Still of the Night,” as requested by RJ, he got down on his knee and proposed to Rowena. Our grooms are getting so creative with how they pop the question, I seriously wish I was there to capture the proposals.

It seems that we’ve been pretty lucky with the weather here in Chicago. The night prior to their wedding, it rained so hard that it flooded many streets downtown. It was a very stressful ride to get downtown since they closed off the expressways and some roads, but we all made it ok. The rest of the day was seamless and went off without a hitch!

A special thank you to our past clients Eric & Mashelle and also Vanessa Frosch for referring Rowena & RJ to us! Also, Yazy for doing a superb job second shooting…

Last but not least, thank you Rowena & RJ for sharing your day!

Join us on Facebook for early teaser photos or if you just want to chat and post on our wall :) and we Tweet too!

xoxo Michele & Andy

Such a fun ring shot… You should have seen the look on the bartender’s face when all I wanted were two cherries! =D

Old St. Patrick’s Church

This little boy caught my eye as Andy was taking a photo of the bridal party. Hope he continues photography… He was so interested in it, he avidly took pictures the whole day!

Other Vendors that we had the pleasure of working with:

Flowers by Kabloom Merchandise Mart

Music by Jay Garcia

The Dress by Enchanted Bride

Bridemaids’ Dresses: David’s Bridal

Invitations: Eagle Print Chicago

Cake by Take the Cake

Videography by Studio 2 Photography

Reception: InterContinental Chicago O’Hare

Transportation by Chicago Trolley

gretchen & nic

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 21:54:55 +0000

Gretchen & Nic are married! Their wedding was so much fun, lots of unique details, and they truly made it their own! Talk about unique weddings, it was unique from the very start! Nic had proposed to Gretchen by placing her engagement ring at the bottom of a box of their favorite wings from Hooter’s and despite it being a little greasy and ccrunchy, we all know Gretchen said “yes!” It’s truly an honor to be chosen by an artist/graphic designer to photograph her day. Gretchen is a freelance artist where she does photography and graphic design. Check out her work at Moonhouse Productions. Nic is a musician and they both love to write and produce music together. Scroll below to see what their wedding giveaways were!

Gretchen & Nic, thank you so much for sharing your day with us. Hope you had a great honeymoon in Chile! You guys are awesome and we wish you the best!

xoxo Michele & Andy

Join us on Facebook!

“Liquid light” as my mentor would say… Love this shot of them! I’m not gonna lie, I kinda did the “happy dance” shortly after taking this shot =P

Gretchen, you are stunning!

My very first bird cage veil bride… and she really really rocked it! Doesn’t she look like Catherine Zeta Jones?

Wedding preparations were held at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago

Gorgeous make up by Heather Lim for the bridesmaids and Tracy Pantoja make up for the Bride

Invitations by Janice Baria of Sealed with a J

Flowers by Raul Buendia… awesome job!

Handsome groom!

They tied the knot at St. Peter Catholic Church in Skokie

When Nic went to kiss Gretchen for their first kiss, he thought he had to take off Gretchen’s veil… it definitely brought on some laughter from everyone… this sequence was so cute, I had to include all of it! They’ll never forget their “first kiss,” that’s for sure!

Bridal party fun!

All of these shots were on their wedding day, after their ceremony… If you want photos, give us time, and we’ll give ya lots! Scheduling is key!

Their reception was at the Zhou B Art Center

Gretchen & Nic made and produced this mixtape for their guests! How cool is that?! I added a link for all the young’ens out there who have never seen a mixtape before… this is goin’ waaaaay back!

Their cake toppers were Halo figures!

And Sweet Mandy B’s cupcakes

They had matching shoes that had custom artwork painted on them of Easter Island in Chile, their honeymoon destination…

Other Vendors that we worked with:

Special Thanks to Erwin Delfin for helping out with photography

Music that kept the guests dancing through the night by Roberto Monastero

Invitations, paper goods by the talented Janice Baria of Sealed with a J

Transportation provided by US Coachways

Hot dog cart by Woody’s Special Events

hyatt chicago ohare wedding photography | mae jane & kenny

admin — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 00:10:11 +0000

Congratulations to Mae Jane & Kenny! What do you get when you mix LA + Chicago?! Mae & Kenny!! There’s that saying that you’ll never meet your future husband/wife at a nightclub, these two are the exception to the rule… but who’s rule is it anyway?! Getting to know our clients is one of the most important things to us, and when we met Mae & Kenny, we were so touched by how sweet and loving they are towards each other. Their excitement about planning their wedding and all of the hard work that they’ve put into it really shined on their wedding day. I couldn’t wait to see their vision. All throughout the week, we had rain and severe thunderstorms. I really didn’t know what the weather would be like on their wedding day, but come Saturday morning, these two were blessed with a nice hot summer day.

Mae & Kenny, we hope that you had a fun and relaxing time in Fiji! Thank you so much for sharing your day with us!

xoxo Michele & Andy

They did this same jump from their engagement session and it was fitting for them to jump on their wedding day. Kenny, you rocked out the Jordan jump! Loved the shadow that you casted while jumping!

Mae’s wedding gown was custom made by Franics Libiran.

Mae & Kenny got ready at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare and this was were their reception was held.

Mae’s gave Kenny a Movado watch for their wedding!

They wed at St. Mary of the Lake

4200 N. Sheridan Rd., Chicago

Moments before their ceremony…

Mae, you are a beautiful bride!

The photo on the right was the ceiling of St. Mary of the Lake… gorgeous!

These little ones were so adorable!

We had a quick stop in front of the Cubs marquee… on game day… it was the Los Angeles Angels vs. our Cubbies! How fitting… but let’s not talk about the result of the game…

As a California girl, Mae wanted to add a bit of Cali so we stopped by the beach…

Beautiful reception! Loved the uplights! Future B&G’s: really consider having uplights and draperies in your reception… it really makes a huge difference!

Cake by Oak Mill Bakery

Music provided by DJ JayFunk from Kiss FM. He kept the dance floor busy all night long with great music and entertainment!

Immediately following their first dance, Mae & Kenny surprised everyone with a Jabbawockeez number… everyone loved it!

A special thank you to Erwin for assisting us the whole day!

And to other vendors for making the day a success!

Amy Dresser of Hyatt Regency O’Hare

Avis Limousine

rookery chicago wedding photography | antoinette & rod

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 04:01:21 +0000

Congratulations to Antoinette & Rod! It was torrential rain the morning of their wedding day and it looked like it was going to rain all day. After getting ready at the Club Quarters in Chicago, it stopped raining the minute Antoinette stepped foot outside and the sun was shining! We had a lot of time after the ceremony to photograph the bridal party, and all we were hoping for was no rain…and it worked! All we needed was that small window of opportunity… Believe it or not, it started pouring the moment we stopped shooting! These two were blessed with one of the most beautiful spring days in Chicago. Antoinette & Rod, thank you so much for sharing your day with us. It was truly an honor to photograph your wedding! Hope you had a fun and relaxing time in Greece!

To our faithful blog readers: We hope that you like our new and improved blog! Layouts are better, more photos, and much more fun to view! We hope ya like it! And as always, comments are welcome or even a “like” via Facebook is good too!

xoxo Michele & Andy

Beautiful dress and gorgeous flowers by Watters and Vale of Enna

Stunning Bride…

Make up by Tina Salazar

Handsome groom

Invitation by Designers Fine Press

They wed at the Madonna della Strada at Loyola University of Chicago… their alma mater… it was the perfect place to get married in since they met in Loyola!

Bridemaids dresses by Anna Elyse Bridesmaids

Antoinette sporting out her Christian Louboutin’s

Love this city… love that it’s windy… it makes for great photography!

The Reception was held at The Rookery in Chicago. This venue is GORGEOUS!

Antoinette is very detail oriented. She did many DIY details for her reception =D!

Their beautiful place cards, reception menus, and church programs were all designed by the talented Lele Designs

Favors by Voges Haut Chocolat

Antoinette & Rod had San Miguel beer for their reception. For those of you who don’t know, San Miguel is the number one beer in the Philippines. They had it imported as a special surprise for their guests!

Did you see the groom’s cake?! It’s a snowboard! Made by Amy Beck Cake Design

A nice moment during their first dance…

A fun filled day with great collaboration from a team of vendors! Special thank you to Nick for assisting!

Tara and Brittany of Lola Events

Music by Roberto Monastero

Catered by Jewell Events Catering

Video by Rogie of RAC Visual Imaging

mariott chicago schaumburg wedding photography | cheryl & michael

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 21:07:32 +0000

Congratulations to Cheryl & Michael! The day started out foggy without a hint of sun in the sky, but by the time Cheryl & Michael finished their vows, the clouds had parted and the sun peeked out and I knew that we would get great photos! The bridal party was a blast to be with and when it was time for us to photograph just Michael & Cheryl, they rocked it out! It was so easy capturing the moments between the two of them… they’re so in love with each other! During the reception, Michael sang and pre-recorded their first dance song as a surprise for Cheryl… And everyone just about melted in the room. The image below was captured during their first dance and it’s such a sweet moment. You can tell that Cheryl was really ‘soaking it in’ as Michael sang softly to her… Although Michael claims to not be a professional singer, he did a pretty good job! Andy and I have become very close friends with these two throughout their wedding planning process. I think it’s because we see a lot of ourselves in them :) We know that they’ve worked very hard to make their wedding a success and it truly shows in all of their efforts and their wedding details.

Cheryl & Michael, you are both very special. Thank you for becoming our friends throughout the process. Aloha! Eat some spam musubi and fresh pineapples for us while you’re out there!

xoxo Michele & Andy

Cheryl’s present for Michael

Handsome Michael

Cheryl, you are such a beautiful bride!

Make up by Antoinette White

Elston Avenue United Methodist Church

Chicago Mariott Schaumburg

The ring shot below was piggybacked from the idea by Josh of Carbon 14 Films. Loved it!

Join us on Misha Media’s Facebook Page to see MORE photos from Cheryl & Michael’s wedding! A special thank you to Erwin for helping us out! =D

Thank you to the other vendors!

Coordinator: Noelle Silos Parker

DJ: Remix Entertainment : Artie Topacio

Video: Carbon 14 Filsm : Josh

Photobooth: Misha Media

Make Up Artist: Antoinette White

Invitations: Marissa De Leon

Florist: Palomino Floral Designs

Cake: Oak Mill Bakery

lightology engagement photography | anna & ron : engaged!

admin — Tue, 25 May 2010 20:51:20 +0000

When Anna & Ron told me that they wanted their engagement session taken in Lightology, I was so excited! Lightology was perfect for their session since photography is all about light! So here are my favorites! Anna & Ron, it was so much fun photographing the both of you and your cute little doggies! It was so much fun and a lot of laughs :) Can’t wait to shoot your wedding in September!

If you want unique, contemporary, and very stylish lighting, you have to check out Lightology! 215 W. Chicago Ave., in Chicago.

When you walk around the showroom of Lightology, they have these awesome quotes all around their galleries. Loved them!

We couldn’t think of a more perfect place to paint with light!

Lightology also had this beautiful balcony overlooking the city.

Anna & Ron really wanted to incorporate their 3 dogs during their engagement session, so we went to a nearby park and snapped a few of these cuties! This was our FIRST engagement session w/ pets!

I think “Oreo” had enough of the photo shoot… he stuck his tongue out at “mommy!”

Join Misha Media’s Facebook Page to view more photos from their session and to get more inside scoop on “behind the scenes” from their session!

Thank you Anna & Ron! We had a blast! :)

xoxo Michele & Andy

tara & leujay

admin — Thu, 06 May 2010 19:57:26 +0000

So who would have thought that meeting your future wife/husband would happen working at a local car wash? I bet you they didn’t… it’s called fate… Them meeting at the car wash was so unique that even their priest made his sermon about their fateful job =D! They met when they were teenagers and have been together ever since! Congratulations to Tara & Leujay!

Tara & Leujay, you’re both probably basking in the sun on the beach in St. Lucia as you read this, and we’d like to send out big hugs!

Beautiful Tara

Handsome Leujay

Love this! Tara’s dad’s reaction after seeing her for the first time…

They wed at the beautiful St. Michael’s in Wheaton, IL

Little “C” did such a great job as ring bearer!

the signing of their marriage certificate…

Ready, Set, Goooooo!

Oh and it’s a photo finish!!!

Thank you so much for allowing us to capture your day! Andy and I had a blast! :)

And last, but certainly not least, thank you to Amanda for assisting us that day!

And a friendly reminder of our Misha Media 101 class which we’ll be hosting this Saturday, May 8th!

Reserve your seat here.

tara & leujay : sneak peek!

admin — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 04:21:58 +0000

They met at the car wash when they were teenagers… And look at them now! Congratulations to Tara & Leujay! =D

more to come…

robilyn & darell

admin — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:29:36 +0000

“Felicitaciones a Robilyn y Darell!” That means “Congratulations to Robilyn & Darell” in Spanish. We had the honor and privilege of photographing their wedding on the beach in Cancun, Mexico at the beautiful Hilton Cancun Golf & Spa Resort. Their wedding invitation and save the date card totally set the tone for their beach themed wedding! From A to Z, they had all of their bases covered and everything was perfect – even the weather… We did have the dramatic clouds and imminent rain, but luckily, the rain waited and allowed them to have their beach ceremony and outdoor reception.

Thank you once again for choosing Misha Media! Your friends and families are beautiful inside and out and we hope that you’ll forever remember all the love, laughter, and togetherness during this Valentine’s week in Cancun. We will forever remember our time with you… This was our first beach wedding and it couldn’t have been any better!

Here are our favorites.

Such a stunning bride!

And a handsome groom!

Ceremony

I loved their parasol! Our first again!

Darell is showing respect to Robilyn’s dad by taking his hand and placing it on his forehead while bowing. It is also called “mano”. It is a Filipino tradition for a younger person to show their respect by “blessing” to their elderlies (ie. grandparents, parents, aunts & uncles).

Immediately after their ceremony, we had some time to photograph them with their bridal party… Of course at the beach, where else?! :)

“Flight” : A Jordan inspired shot…

View more photos of the Hilton Cancun here.

There’s a fish in their center piece!

Hello Kitty Love!

Their wedding favors…

These were their cocktail stirrers.

Want more?? click below!

Check out their slideshow set to music.

Or click below to view it in a more traditional slideshow.

robilyn & darell :: engaged!

admin — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 22:13:39 +0000

Over Valentine’s day weekend, we had the honor and pleasure of photographing Robilyn & Darell’s beach wedding. Remember when I photographed their wedding here in Chicago? Well, this is part 2 of their wedding celebration. They chose the beautiful Hilton Cancun Golf & Spa Resort! But before I blog on their wedding photos, I wanted to blog on their engagement session first. As expected, we all had a blast exploring the grounds of their hotel…

The next photo needs some explaining… The staff at the Hilton Cancun was nice enough to allow us to photograph on their Golf Course and they actually brought us to this sleeping croc… Needless to say I was terrified of this gigantic thing just chillin’ on the green… I was shooting with a wide angle lens, and kept creeping up to him to get my framing… and when I finished shooting, I realized that I was A LOT closer than I thought… haha… Anything to get the shot, right?

I loved the little petal details on Robilyn’s dress!

There isn’t really a true golden “sunset” in Cancun… at least from our hotel side, but we did manage to get a little bit of color as the sun was coming down…

I really loved shooting on the beach because we don’t have beaches in Chicago…

Thank you for the laughs Robilyn & Darell!

Many many more photos to come…

Stay tuned for a few photos from their Rehearsal… then more photos from their Wedding… then lastly, more photos from their Rock the Dress Session…

Lots coming up on the blog, so please check back! :) or RSS feed it!