Romantic Destination Wedding for Becky & Dustin

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Liesl

Becky & Dustin planned a romantic destination wedding in Myrtle Beach, SC! I am always honored to be flown in for destination weddings all over the globe, and I love that Becky & Dustin chose me for their wedding as they are not local to the Myrtle Beach area either.

Cynthia Swanson of Myrtle Beach Weddings, Etc referred them to me and she did an excellent job coordinating this beach destination wedding for them!

Their ceremony was at the Hilton and their reception was at Thoroughbred’s Restaurant.

Flowers by Flowers on Broadway

Music, sound and lighting by Scott Shaw Productions

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The Hilton in Myrtle Beach has a gorgeous grass lawn so your guests don’t have to get their toes sandy! Nature’s decor of palm trees sets a perfect beach scene.

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I love it when couples smile and laugh uncontrollably!

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Orchids and roses made such a beautiful and natural looking bouquet for Becky.

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I was very impressed with the staff and service at Thoroughbred’s, I highly recommend this venue.

Becky & Dustin chose golf balls and Tees for party favors! “Fore better, Fore Worse!”

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Thank you both so much for choosing me, I am so happy for you and your new life together!

Liesl Diesel

Devil’s Lake State Park Wedding

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Liesl

Chris & Christiana hired me to come to Devil’s Lake State Park to photograph their gorgeous fall outdoor destination wedding ceremony and picnic reception! Devil’s Lake State Park, WI is a beautiful destination that was very meaningful to them.

Venue – Devil’s Lake State Park

Wedding Gown – Wolsfelts

Table/Linens – Baraboo Tents

Catering/Pig Roast – Exceptional Catering

I started at this quaint rustic cabin with Christiana.

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These two were so laid back and easy going, we were able to hike around the park to some beautiful spots! I started with them by these fallen boulders because The shade makes PERFECT portrait light and I loved the texture of the rock, moss and ferns.

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Fall is one of my favorite times of year, and you can see why below. Sweet gentle light, perfect weather, and colorful trees! I wasn’t the only one admiring Chris and Christiana, hikers had a hard time keeping their eyes off of them!

And of course no state park destination wedding is complete without hiking to the top of a cliff for a nice overlook right? SO we hiked up the mountain, YES he did this in a full suit and YES she did this in her wedding gown! And yes, I did it with two camera bodies, 3 lenses and 2 flashes but at least I had proper clothing and shoes for it! The walk was well worth it. The overlook at Devil’s Lake state park is absolutely stunning, and even more so in Autumn.

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The scene for their ceremony could not have been more perfect. They were married right on the shore of Devil’s Lake!

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Vows by the water!

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Picnic and pig roast!

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And my last series of the day, candid silhouette of Chris in his cowboy hat against the fall mountain background. Love it!

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Congratulations Chris & Christiana, I hope you are enjoying your album!

Liesl Diesel

Valley Lo Club Wedding

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Liesl

I met Chris & Sarah over coffee about a year before their wedding. I was so happy when they chose me because they wear their love on their sleeves. Chris is gentle, sincere and attentive and Sarah is the personification of expression and empathy!

Check out their gorgeous engagement session at B’hai Temple!

Venue – Valley Lo Club

Floral – Flower Basket Inc

Gown - Rebecca Schoneveld Cheek

Cakes – Bennison’s Bakery

Music - Standing Ovations, DJ

Hair – Samantha at Salon Roula

I am so thankful for clients like the two of you, and I hope we are able to capture the whole family soon!

Liesl Diesel

Unforgettable Party

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Liesl

What makes a wedding unforgettable?

Well you can start with amazing room design, custom lights, gorgeous centerpieces and top it off with a cake.

(room design by Yanni Design Studio)

Add in meticulously detailed garments highlighted by outrageously colored flowers . . .

BUT none of those things will even come close to making a wedding unforgettable when compared to people!

Manish & Niti had an amazing crowd at their wedding, a huge supportive group of friends and family who were more than willing to toast, sing, perform, dance and party until they dropped! (No, literally, one who shall remain nameless did fall at the end of the night. Love you, Viral . . .)

This night was SO off the hook. And this is how I get to spend my weekends. Not a bad lot in life, I must admit.

Ceremony at The Meadows Club

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Liesl

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Niti & Manish held their ceremony at The Meadows Club. Room design was astonishing, by Yanni Design Studio. It started with a lovely procession of children, prayers, several Hindu rituals, and ended with Vidaii, my favorite! Soon I will be posting the reception images!

Rosemont Convention Center Reception

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Liesl

At the end of three wonderful days, Ruby and Punit were still going strong and ready to enjoy their extravagant evening reception.

View previews of the first two days here!

View the morning events and ceremony at these links

And check out their downtown Chicago engagement shoot!

Elegant cocktail hour and Reception were held at the Rosemont Convention Center

Sid of Modern Event Rentals did such an outstanding job with the reception room.

He used a combination of modern furniture, reflective surfaces, custom lighting, and even a wall of (real) candles to create a romantic yet vibrant environment.

As you can see from the many many photos, it was simply gorgeous and a wonderful group of people.

Thank you so much Punit & Ruby for choosing me, and I hope to see you at another event in the near future!

Liesl

Ruby & Punit’s Ceremony, Vidaai and Formals

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Liesl

Punit & Ruby’s ceremony took place at the Rosemont Convention Center.

This outstanding modern mandap was designed by Modern Event Rental with lighting design by Precision Sound & Lighting.

Click this link to view Punit’s Baraat

Click here to see previews of the first two days of their beautiful event!

And here is their engagement shoot!

Sid of Modern Event Rental really did such an outstanding job putting a modern twist on this traditional mandap and stage.

I LOVED playing with the reflective surface during the ceremony and was able to get some really fun creative shots of his work!

As you scroll through these images you won’t only notice the amazing decor and gorgeous clothing, but also two people who could not stop smiling through an entire ceremony.

It was such a beautiful thing to witness, and I am so thrilled they chose me to record it!

Ah I love my job so much.

Reception images will follow very soon!

Liesl

Ruby Red!

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Liesl

Punit & Ruby had me shoot their three day event and, like most 3 day events, it was like running a marathon! Jobs like this are a huge reason why I make myself workout and stay in shape!

I do wonder how the bride and groom can handle it. These quick previews of Ruby in the morning and Punit’s baraat were taken at 8am in the morning, which means she had probably been up since 4 or 5am! I shot until midnight so I know these two must have been there for at least an hour after me!

These quick morning portraits of Ruby were taken at the Hilton Rosemont, and Punit’s baraat images were taken en route to the Rosemont Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.

I love the bokeh in this photo, you can see Ruby having her henna applied on this blog post! Check out their engagement shoot as well!

Allerton Estate Wedding for Rachel & Michael

Posted on December 9, 2012 by Liesl

Rachel & Michael were married at the beautiful Allerton Park and Retreat Center in Monticello, IL.

The Allerton Estate has a myriad of beautifully manicured gardens and the Mansion is full of art and history.

Clearly, that was enough to make me a happy photographer.

Add two kind and generous clients to that mix and I was thrilled!

Rachel prepared in the master suite at the Allerton Mansion

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special thanks to Caryn of Magnifica Photography for referring Rachel & Michael to me!

Sikh – Hindu Wedding at The Meadows Club

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Liesl

I recently had the wonderful experience of photographing a Sikh and Hindu wedding. Sunny & Tania started their morning with a Sikh Ceremony then later moved to The Meadows Club to finish off their festivities! As you can see from all the images, it was a beautiful full day!

Sikh Ceremony Location: Sikh Religious Society of Chicago

Hindu Ceremony & Reception Venue: The Meadows Club

Room design – Yanni’s Design Studio