Wedding at the Standard in Rockford was our first wedding of the year we photographed out of Chicago. Being a Chicago wedding photographer, it always feels great stepping out of my comfort zone and into the unknown. Chicago is amazing city with amazing locations, but sometimes leaving all that behind to see something new, feels really good!
Erika and Ethan met high school and Ethan proposed on Seaside Heights Beach in Jew Jersey! It’s very fitting, as they are both outdoorsy people and enjoy spending time outside. The wedding colors were mauve and gray, and for Erika and Ethan, it was very important we capture art-filled photos and the outdoors! They decided to have their wedding at The Standard on State in Rockford
The Standard on State in Rockford
For their Wedding venue, Erika and Ethan, choose The Standard in Rockford. This is a 3 floor building, meticulously done with a lot of elegance, and attention to detail, giving away industrial but yet timeless look that will elevate your wedding photographs to the next level. At this particular wedding, we have not stepped outside of the building, and we were able to capture so many great images, we will hardly be able to fit into a 50 page album. Every floor of the building was so effortlessly beautiful. The crystal chandeliers on the rooftop, the brick architecture, the industrial yet modern feel – the list goes on and on! If you are worried where to get ready, you can relax. The venue has both Bridal Suite and Man Cave that will ease off pressure of having to travel, which in the end will result in more relaxed and more enjoyable day for any couple!
The Rooftop
Oh Yes, that rooftop! THE perfect place for wedding ceremony, family photographs, and your creative images as well! The brick structures, the gate, glass enclosed potion of the roof is a great backup plan in case of a rainy day. Add a stunning views of Downtown Rockford and the River to the mix, it really does not get any better, and we can definitely label it as a PERFECT place to have your wedding at!
Our favorite “one”…
It is impossible to sum up a wedding into one photograph, but one goal was to capture an amazing image for Erika and Ethan, that would show off their outdoorsy personalities and capture that art-filled image. Well here, I think I will start with two both captured for their wedding at The Standard!
Getting Ready
As mentioned before, The Standard has an amazing bridal suite where the bridal party of ANY size can get ready! Very spacious. filled with natural light, with the exposed brick walls making a perfect canvas for amazing wedding photography. Ethan was getting ready in the man cave on the lover level, but we decided to finalize his getting ready up on the rooftop for better lighting and to get better quality images.
The First Look
Did I mention rain? Our day started very rainy, and we new that by the ceremony the weather would calm down, but we had to plan for the first look and and naturally decided to do it in the glass portion of the rooftop. It provides a tone of amazing diffused natural light, which for this occasion is all I want. After all, the most important thing to capture is the reactions from the bride and groom at this moment. It’s obvious how emotional Ethan got at this truly special, and intimate moment for these two.
The Creative Session
Creative session is usually time allocated for creative wedding photography of the Bride and Groom, as well as their bridal party! 9 out of 10 times, we have to find an off-site location, as to achieve better results. But, in all honesty the standard was such an amazing site, that there was no need to even step outside. 3 floors, top to bottom, all provided superb canvas for amazing wedding photography!
The Rooftop Ceremony
By the time of the Ceremony the rain cleared a way and we were all set to go. The rooftop provided a perfect place for Erika and Ethan to say they yes!
The Night Factor
If you know me even a little bit, you already know I love getting night photos with the bride and groom. For the blue hour we were back at the rooftop for some more amazing Wedding Photography. It was dark, the gate that is a centerpiece of the rooftop would loose some details, so I decided to get creative and illuminate it with the red light. This helped me get images with higher dynamic range, and create a separation between the couple and backdrop.
