Studio Ostendo operates in multiple creative fields including photography, design, and education.
Being in the room with Safi and Simon was like being in your favorite place: calm, inviting, full of serenity and warmth. When they first reached out to me about their elopement in Chicago and we met for a video call, I knew I’d love having them in front of the camera.
Safi and Simon met in Geneva, Switzerland, and when I first met the two of them, I could feel their excitement and love for each other. We all hopped on a video call—me in Idaho, Safi in Chicago, and Simon in Switzerland—to talk about their wedding celebration in Chicago. They were in the early stages of planning a celebration with multiple events in multiple locations across the world, and I was lucky enough for our paths to cross for their wedding ceremony in Chicago.
Their elopement in Chicago took place at City Hall, and kicked off a weekend with both of their families together in one place, one of my favorite parts of weddings. As someone whose family lives twenty seven hours from my husband’s family, I know how significant it is to gather everyone together, how much I cherish having all our people together in one room. For many people, a wedding day might be the only time that ever happens. I met Safi and Simon’s families in the lobby at City Hall, and it was immediately like being in the company of friends. When everyone arrived, we took the elevator down and crowded into the judge’s chambers to witness Safi and Simon say, “I do.” With hugs all around, they celebrated their marriage and the beginning of a different kind of life together.
For their elopement in Chicago, it was important that their photos felt recognizably Chicago. As a Chicagoland native myself, I loved the fusion of creating pictures that showed both the intimate nuances of their relationship and the significance of place. We walked the city streets of Chicago, stopping to take photos under the L tracks, on Chicago bridges, and with the stunning skyline in the background.
I hugged Safi and Simon goodbye next to the lake, and they walked away together hand in hand to rejoin their families and continue their intimate elopement celebration.
If you’re planning to elope in Chicago, here are my top tips as a wedding and elopement photographer:
I’m Becky, a photographer who grew up and started my career in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. I love photographing elopements—the celebrations that mark the beginning of lifelong stories that are so significant. Being invited into the most personal celebrations and intimate stories is one of my greatest privileges as a photographer. Beyond amazing locations and beautiful details, I love photography because of the people. Camera in hand, I simultaneously get to know people and give them the gift of seeing a deeper part of themselves and the people they love. If you’re looking for an elopement photographer in Chicago, let’s chat!
Get to know me or send me an inquiry, I’d love to connect with you!
Wedding photography is my heartbeat. For me, it holds the perfect tension between creativity and authenticity, observation and connection. In front of my camera clients transform to friends, and behind it you'll usually find me tearing up, cheering you on, or holding my breath because of the raw goodness of the moment at hand.
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