Olivia Leigh Photographie: Fine Art Chicago Wedding Photographer. Available nationwide.
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Olivia Leigh Photographie Blog
Welcome to the all-new Olivia Leigh Photographie blog! Here you can find photos from recent shoots in Chicago and abroad. If you’re looking for a particular wedding or a certain venue, just search below. Use the navigation at the top to see the best work in the portfolio, learn more about services, or send an email to learn more about working together.
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Cafe Brauer Wedding :: Meagan + Drew
- Posted on:
- 02 February 2012
Meagan and Drew were another great couple that we met at Indie Wed last year. I don’t know what it is about that event, but it really led me to some of my favourite couples—all incredibly fun and kind. I always view my mission as trying to capture the essence of each couple, and Meag and Drew are at their core, an incredibly *fun* couple. These two had a blast all day and you could tell they were just so excited to get married. Meagan wore this incredible tulle confection—a beautifully whimsical dress. However, it was one of the windiest days of the year (and it is often windy) and it was incredibly amusing for us to watch the dress behave, or misbehave, as the case may have been! They also introduced me to the concept of the wonderfully fun “second grade portrait,” for which I will always be grateful. :)
Along with their great energy and attitudes, they also managed to have one of the prettiest weddings of the year. They were married at the peak of fall at Meagan’s home church in Western Springs, where her dad directs their wonderful music program. After that we returned to the city for a reception at Cafe Brauer, and with its location in the heart of Lincoln Park., it was a gorgeous setting for this autumn day We were rushing to get back to the city in rush hour, and as the light was quickly dwindling, I became nervous that we’d run out of sunlight, but the fates intervened and we were instead met with one of the most beautiful sunsets of the year. I also haven’t been sharing many bouquets this year but had to post some from this wedding, designed by Stems—just so gorgeous!
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- Posted in:
- chicago wedding photographer
- Cafe Brauer Wedding
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- 2
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The Spectators
- Posted on:
- 02 January 2012
Art Institute of Chicago
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- Posted in:
- chicago wedding photographer
- Terzo Piano Wedding
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- 0
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Peoria Wedding : Abby & Michael
- Posted on:
- 21 December 2011
This fall, I trekked down to Peoria to capture the wedding of Abby and Michael in their hometown. Abby and Michael are a couple that come from families that are, to me, Midwestern in the best possible of ways. I think when other people think of smaller towns and the type of people you might find in Illinois, family and friends like those of Abby and Michael are what spring to mind—kind, thoughtful, gracious, and so close to their loved ones. When I arrived at Abby’s childhood home to photograph her getting ready, her family was so hospitable, asking me if I needed anything to eat or drink and just being the most gracious of hosts. The getting ready was full of emotion—I think everyone was crying! You could tell it was such a tight-knit group of family and friends, and the entire day just felt like the oldest of friends having a great time (which is pretty much what it was!).
I had never been to Peoria before and really had no idea what to expect, unsure if our portrait locations would present some challenges or make for lovely images. I was blown away by the natural beauty—I am a city girl through and through I think, but on the way down to the wedding I kept shouting out to my assistant Casey about how gorgeous all the fields were and how it was almost all just too much! It was so so gorgeous. Following the wedding, we took some photos at the ice cream shop that Michael’s dad owns, visited a road that Teddy Roosevelt called the most beautiful drive in America, and then on the way to the reception, I asked Abby and Michael if they wouldn’t mind jumping into a field of soybeans for a few shots. They were so wonderfully game and we created some of my favourite images of the year.
All in all, such a lovely day with truly the sweetest of couples and the nicest of families. Thank you again, you two!
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Martha Stewart Weddings + Cafe Brauer
- Posted on:
- 06 December 2011
When I first started my business, I made a little list of some general goals I had when everything just seemed like a distant dream—“book 20 weddings!” “shoot a destination wedding” “get to know 5 other photographers.” They seem funny now but to me they were big goals. One of the other ones on the list was to be featured in Martha Stewart Weddings. I still feel that Martha Stewart brings such unique and fresh ideas to the table in what can be a very repetitive industry, and they continually feature some of the most lovely photography from photographers that I admire. I photographed Matt and Mindy’s wedding at KAM Israel in Hyde Park and Cafe Brauer in Lincoln Park this summer—Mindy worked tirelessly on all of the incredible details from the day and also had dreams of maybe having it end up in Martha. Needless to say, I was so excited when their gorgeous wedding was featured as a real wedding on their site! Not the magazine, but still such a honor. Many thanks to the incredible team from this day—Anthony Navarro, who was just incredible; Jesse Deckard, one of the most talented designers in the city; and Bethany Fritz, who was an enormous help in photographing the day. You can view the feature here. Below are a few larger photos of some of their beautiful details and some additional photos that were not featured.
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Chicago Cultural Center Wedding | Kat & Joff
- Posted on:
- 04 December 2011
I was organizing some photos over the weekend when I realized I hadn’t posted photos from this fourth of July weekend wedding, though certainly not for a lack of gorgeousness! Kat and Joff held a stunning wedding at what is decidedly one of the prettiest buildings in all of Chicago, the Cultural Center. When I worked in nonprofits before becoming a full-time photographer, I would sometimes stroll down here on long lunch breaks and just enjoy the architecture. The Tiffany Domes here are phenomenal and it is truly one of the prettiest settings for a wedding in the city, if not the entire country.
Neither Kat nor Joff were from Chicago but decided to hold a sort of destination wedding over the holiday weekend in Chicago, a central city for out of towners. When walking around the city looking for venues they happened upon the cultural center and were instantly taken by its beauty. Kat is Persian, so some Persian wedding traditions were incorporated into a blended ceremony. This was my first time photographing a Persian wedding and I found it to be so lovely, with such great symbolism. The first part of the day was a little hectic, but I found the ceremony to really bring everything back into focus—these two are one of the most kind and thoughtful couples I have met, and you could really feel how connected they were throughout the day and with how much intention they said their vows. Following the ceremony a beautiful reception followed, with tons and tons of dancing! Joff and his groomsmen were hilarious throughout the day and four of them had rehearased a special dance to an *NSYNC song for later in the reception, just before mini milkshakes and creme brulees were served. Just such a beautiful day!
The great team at Kehoe did a wonderful job styling this stunning, stunning event; Blue Plate provided many courses of stunning dishes; and Lindsay Stein at Designer Event Chicago pulled the day together with ease. Many thanks to Tasha Schalk for her assistance!
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