Wedding Melody Adams Wedding Melody Adams

Chicago City Hall Elopement | The Rookery | Elopement Photographer

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The Rookery Wedding Venue | City Hall Courthouse Elopement | Chicago Elopement Photographer



Two of the most beautiful souls.


I was so honored that Dylan and Juan reached out to me to capture their Courthouse Elopement in downtown Chicago. They are truly wonderful human beings and their love for each other radiants to anyone who is around them. I honestly did not want to leave after spending the afternoon with them because I was having so much fun! They brought along both of their parents and only their closest friends, it was so intimate and emotional in the best way possible. Everyone was packed into a little room in the Chicago City Hall with big smiles, and then tears and then hugs and endless joy! After the ceremony everyone hopped into a Party Bus and we drove all around downtown Chicago to take couples portraits and family photos in their favorite locations! We ended the afternoon taking photos at The Rookery, one of the most historic and beautiful buildings in all of Chicago. It was a day filled with overflowing amounts of joy and love and you can’t ask for a better elopement than that.

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If you’d like to Inquire about me capturing your wedding day or see if your date is available for 2020 or 2021?
Fill out the form below and I would love to help you create something beautiful together!


Chicago City Hall is the best way to elope in downtown Chicago. Eloping in Chicago is a great way to spend your wedding day with the one you love! Chicago City Hall is beautiful building with plenty of great portrait opportunities. If you are looking for a place to elope in Chicago, Chicago City Hall would be a perfect wedding venue for you! I love capturing weddings downtown at City Hall. City Hall is perfect for walking around and taking photos on the lakefront, at Navy Pier, in Millennium Park, on Michigan Avenue, by the Chicago River and in front of so many historic sky scrapers downtown. City Hall is also a perfect spot for parents who are visiting from out of town, because they can walk straight to City Hall very conveniently from any hotel downtown. Chicago is full of endless beauty, architecture and art, and if you are looking for a beautiful place to elope in an urban jungle, then City Hall is where you should have your intimate wedding.

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Scotland Elopement | Lamb's Pavilion | Edinburgh Wedding Photographer

The Pavilion at Lamb’s House | Leith | Scotland Elopement | Edinburgh Wedding Photographer

We were together.
I forget the rest.
-Walt Whitman

The beautiful wedding vendors involved in this day are listed at the bottom and I personally believe they offer some of the best options for eloping in Scotland. I’m also so thankful for Tamar + Matt’s genuine love for each other, that always comes through every time they are captured. If anyone is eloping or getting married in Scotland, I would love to help plan the day if you are unfamiliar with the area. I hope everyone enjoys these images and would like to thank the Lamb’s Pavilion, Narcissus Flowers, and Those were the Days Vintage Bridal for being a part of this simply elegant + naturally textured elopement shoot!

Getting Ready + Lodging The Lamb’s Pavilion | Vintage Wedding Dress Those Were the Days Bridal | Wedding Bouquet + Florals Narcissus | Groom’s Jacket + Vintage Burberry Coat Those Were the Days Vintage | Portrait Locations Private Historic Home + Holyrood Park, Edinburgh | Lovely Couple Tamar + Matt


Eloping in Edinburgh, Scotland is something I always encourage! If you are wanting something more intimate and looking for a beautiful country and city to spend those precious memories together, this is the place! I would love to help you plan your elopement in Edinburgh or anywhere else in Scotland! There is nothing I love more than to make your wedding day all about you both and any recommendations or suggestions that you may need, I’m here for you! I also can refer Edinburgh wedding planners, florists and wedding dress shops and designers. Just know that eloping doesn’t mean you are on your own and need to feel overwhelmed! Even the smallest Scottish elopement deserves all of the attention to detail as a wedding day does! I assume if you are reading this that you are contemplating eloping to Scotland, so again I just have to say, do it! You won’t regret spending the start of your life with your best friend in the stunning countryside of Scotland.

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Loch Lomond Wedding | Stuckgowan Estate | Scotland Wedding Photographer


Loch Lomond Wedding Venue | Stuckgowan Estate | Scotland Wedding Photographer

I love how every couple is so uniquely them. Whether they have a large party with endless amounts of friends, family members and acquaintances or a small intimate wedding, both represent who the couple is and it's such a lovely thing. 

Katie and Oliver originally were planning a large wedding in downtown Glasgow and as the weeks went on they realized they really just wanted an intimate day with just 20 of their closest family and friends from near where they both grew up on Loch Lomond.

The day was as serene as the landscape that surrounded us on Loch Lomond. The beautiful mountains lining the horizon, the calming still water served as the backdrop of the day. Scotland truly is one of the loveliest countries to get married outside amongst the raw natural beauty.  

I always learn so much about myself and others after becoming a part of their family for a few days. It's always such a humbling experience and these precious moments make me so grateful for my life's work. I truly love what I do, photographing memories being made and stories unfolding.     

So cheers to you, Katie + Oliver!
May your days be filled with lots
of explorations in nature, lots of
delicious donuts, lots of reality
tv shows and most importantly
lots of love! 


Dress Seni Dey // Florals Adelaide's Secret Garden // Shoes & Other Stories // Suit Moss Bros //  Venue Stuckgowan Estate // Vintage Tables Virginia's Vintage Hire // Floral Boxes Bailey's Fine Furniture // 2nd Shooter Ross Dickie // Caterer Raegan Hallatt Catering //


Loch Lomond is such a beautiful place for an intimate wedding or elopement. Stuckgowan Estate is one of the best wedding venues in Scotland. It's an estate wedding venue overlooking Loch Lomond. If you are looking for a scotland wedding venue for your elopement or intimate wedding, Stuckgowan Estate would be the perfect wedding venue in Scotland. You can even stay the night at Stuckgowan Estate. Ross and I stayed nearby, but we spent the night before hanging out with the family as they had a rehearsal dinner bbq there the night before their wedding day. Then the night of the wedding, the bridal party piled into the beautiful movie theater room in Stuckgowan Estate, to watch Love Island together. This was my first time I ever head of Love Island, and I have to say, I absolutely got hooked. It’s the perfect amount of wild entertainment in my life, since I’m usually an introvert, and just hang out with my fiancé and a small handful of my closest friends. Anyways, back to Stuckgowan Estate, this scotland wedding venue is so close to Loch Lomond, that during the ceremony and reception, the bride and groom and myself walked right across the road to take their bridal portraits on the beautiful waterfront of Loch Lomond. It’s amazing that such a beautiful body of water is just across the street from Stuckgowan Estate. This wedding venue is perfect for have your ceremony overlook Loch Lomond in the background. You can easily see Loch Lomond from the front yard of Stuckgowan Estate, where Katie, and most brides, would have their wedding ceremony take place. It’s such a stunning view of Scotland. If you’re searching for a wedding venue near Loch Lomond, than Stuckgowan Estate would be the perfect intimate Scotland wedding venue for you and the love of your life.

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Iceland | Anastasia + Felix


Iceland Vow Renewal | Iceland Road Trip | Iceland Wedding Photographer

Anastasia and Felix had me document their wedding photos in Iceland... just three years after they were married.
Their story moved me so much. 

This is a "renewal of love" that is pretty unique and beautiful.

All they needed was each other.  

Anastasia and Felix are an endearing, entrepreneurial and charming Ukrainian couple who had to flee their hometown just two days after their wedding because of a war breaking out. Their photographer had decided to leave their city a week earlier, so there were no official images on their wedding day. In circumstances like that, photos seem a bit trivial. 

It was my honor to document their love on a very special trip to Iceland after years of them not even thinking of professional wedding photos during these transitional years of settling into their new home and lives. My favorite part of the trip was just spending our days and endless hours with them in the car just enjoying ourselves and the beautiful views. 

We discovered a favorite stop along our route for soup, hot dogs and coffee. And after endless days of them speaking amongst each other, I definitely want to learn how to speak Russian. I also learned that we peel potatoes differently, ha, and that we share a love for any type of board game. 

We ended up extending our stay with them at an Airbnb in Reykjavik on our last night (after a hilarious balloon-animal-making, taco-eating, and local-cat-stalking adventure) and playing this game called "keep talking and nobody explodes." It's an online game and everyone should definitely go play it with some friends today. 

All of this to say, the images below are beautiful moments from the trip, but nothing is more beautiful than truly enjoying the company you are in, in person and not in front of a camera. 

I've learned that my favorite moments with the ones I love from the last few years have not been documented, because I'm too busy enjoying them in person, and I love how special that is between the individuals that are there in those moments. 

Cheers to many more beautiful adventures together, Anastasia + Felix! 

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Lauren + Nick | City View Loft Wedding

City View Loft Wedding Venue | Chicago Wedding Photographer

It was an incredibly beautiful and snowy day in Chicago for Lauren and Nick's stunning Chicago wedding. From the weather to their endless smiles, I couldn't get over how much joy there was! I think smiles are incredibly underrated. I love when a couple can't have serious faces because they are just so filled with laughter and joy from looking at each other! It's just so beautiful to see.

It's so refreshing to second shoot in between my own clients' weddings. (And not just because it's super fun and enjoyable to work with friends!) When you second shoot, you get to spend more time with the groom, usually, and I always gain so much appreciation for them. Some grooms party beforehand, some need their alone time, some are pumped for the day, and others are incredibly emotional or solemn. I really love being able to document the groom's side. Now I make it a point, even in my own weddings, to document the bride and groom equally, because it's just as special a day for him as it is for her. 

I captured this wedding day at City View Loft alongside my sweet and talented friend Alisha, from ATS Photography, and we couldn't have enjoyed ourselves (or danced) more!  

Working with Alisha + Eric was so much fun!

 

Venue City View Loft // Getting Ready Location VRBO // Video Eric Floberg // Hair Emily Grisso // Dress Sarah Seven // Suit Sarar 


Seriously, if you are still searching for a Chicago wedding venue close to downtown and the lakefront, City View Loft is your venue! City View Loft has so many spaces for you to create your own feel and such great views of Chicago. I love shooting wedding photos at City View Loft! And if you’d like to see if I’m available to capture your unique wedding day, please reach out on my contact page at the link below! I’d love to create something beautiful with you!

C O N T A C T
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Minimalist Wedding | Chicago , IL

Minimalist Wedding Inspiration | Warehouse Wedding Venue | Chicago Wedding Photographer

I started this minimalist wedding day shooting David getting ready at their Wicker Park flat (which is the best neighborhood, and I'm not just biased because it's my neighborhood too! Well, maybe I am.) Their vibrant personalities were scattered all over their two-story loft. And of course, Fleetwood Mac had to be played on their record player. Couldn’t have been a better start to a wedding day! Then I captured their first look alongside my friend and lead photographer Kat, from Deepend Imagery.

We wandered around some industrial areas of Chicago before heading to the venue, which is a renovated warehouse itself. It was the perfect blank and minimal slate wedding venue for these two lovely individuals! It's now a stunning, naturally lit space that just makes you want to shoot there over and over again. It's probably one of my favorite warehouse wedding venues in Chicago. If you’re looking for a minimalist wedding venue in your city, you should always go to the more industrial areas, because many warehouses have become very minimal wedding venues. Their open floor plans and bare bones tend to make the perfect blank slate to create your dream minimalist wedding day. I love seeing walls, floors and piping all turned to white, so couples have a fresh slate to turn the wedding venue into something that is unique to them in the most minimal of ways. I truly love warehouse and minimal wedding venues.

Needless to say, Amanda and David's night ended with the most lively dancing and tons of joy! That is always one of my favorite ways to end a wedding day. Celebrating love with those that you love! Cheers to another beautiful, minimalist wedding day in my lovely city of Chicago!


If you’d like to Inquire about me capturing your wedding day or see if your date is available?
Fill out the form below and I would love to help you create something beautiful together!

C O N T A C T

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Beautiful Barn Wedding Venue | The Farm at Dover

Their love is a thing of beauty, storybooks + lots of laughter.

Gabe + Karla. Two of the most beautiful individuals I know, inside and out (and who I also get to call my family). When Gabe introduced her to the family I instantly knew I loved her. She plays and teaches music to little kiddos for a living (at Little Parade in Chicago), so I guess that bubbliness is needed! But even for adults, her smile is vibrant enough to make the whole room happy! 

They were both born + raised Chicago and are the epitome of city people. But for their wedding, they wanted to get away from it all, as we all do sometimes. They ventured north just over the Wisconsin border and found the most lovely little barn wedding venue called The Farm at Dover. Karla got ready in the pink house on the property, their ceremony was in the woods and their coffee hour and stunning reception was in the two-story renovated barn. The day was just perfect. The weather was overcast and the colors were perfectly romantic. Darker tones always tend to make me feel something from each image, more than vibrant colors. The tone of the day was somber and sweet and I'm so grateful I was able to capture the moments from the start of their new season together as Mr. + Mrs Lopez. 

Cheers to new beginnings! 


HIS / HERS DETAILS

Shoes: bryr clogs / aldo

dress/suit: BHLDN weddings / zara

watch: komono

handkerchief: Una Mae's

caterer: Chef David's

car: vintage VW

donuts: krispy kreme

flower crown: pistil + vine 

table decorator: Sasha Kisiel, Mylene Raspado, Yolypix

coordinator planner: Divine delgado

coffee roasters: Ipsento

barista: Jeremy Mercado


If you’re looking for a beautiful barn wedding venue and live in the midwest, the Farm at Dover is such a lovely choice! And if you’d like me to capture your wedding day, whether in a barn or farm or elsewhere, I would absolutely love to create something beautiful with you! Reach out below!

C O N T A C T

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Edinburgh City Chambers Wedding | Scotland, UK

Edinburgh Wedding Photographer | Scotland Wedding Photographer | City Chambers Elopement

This wedding day was filled with so much beauty and stillness.

Victoria and Theo have a beautiful history of love that started when they met in Canada many years ago, then they both eventually ventured down to London to reconnect later in life and are now settled in Edinburgh, Scotland with their incredibly adorable children. I love sweet stories like these. Mainly because no two stories are the same. Every couple inspires me and I am so grateful to be able to not only capture wedding days but to genuinely celebrate their love alongside their family and friends (and maybe, quite possibly, sing and bop around a good bit during the dancing). 

And when I mentioned stillness, I meant that, with "The Fringe" happening in Edinburgh, Scotland during the entire month of August, The Royal Mile is completely packed with tourists. But we found the most lovely nooks and alleyways for portraits around St. Giles Cathedral, The Royal Mile and Advocate’s Close, for plenty of quiet spots amongst the noise. It was so fun feeling like we were hidden away when there are thousands of people on the other side of the building. If anyone was concerned about getting married during festival season in Edinburgh because of the tourists, don't be. It was perfect! Their ceremony was also tucked away in the gorgeous hall inside of Edinburgh City Chambers right off of the The Royal Mile.

Victoria and Theo, thank you so much for choosing me to capture your wedding day! It was such an honor to photograph your wedding in the beautifully historic old town of Edinburgh. Wishing you many blessings on the many years ahead of you! 

 

I am officially in love with kids in kilts. 

Every dinner table was named after their most memory giving pubs in London. 

I'm definitely a fan of men in kilts as well. Especially dancing! Way more entertaining. 


Edinburgh Wedding Photographer - Melody Joy Co. | Dress - Charlotte Balbier | Dress Boutique - Kudos Couture Bridal | Shoes - The White Ribbon | Hair - Ceri Sutherland | Makeup - Victoria Watson, Toto Makeup | Groom Kilt & Sporran - Kinloch Anderson | Jackets - Davison Kilt Hire | Shoes - Loake Inverness Brogues | Cufflinks & Tie - Gieves & Hawkes | Ceremony - City Chambers, Edinburgh | Reception - Osteria del Tempo Perso, Edinburgh | Champagne - Alfred Gratien | Flowers - Narcissus Edinburgh

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Somerset House Wedding | Spring Restaurant Wedding| London, England | The Connaught Hotel

Somerset House Wedding Venue | London Wedding Photographer | The Spring Restaurant | The Connaught Hotel

I now know that miracles do happen, because I met you...

 

Every wedding should start with coffee or champagne on a London balcony, and end with a beautiful room full of loved ones giving the most heart-warming speeches I have ever heard. Thank you for inviting me and trusting me to capture your wedding day, Meryl and Hugh. You two couldn't be more beautiful together and your story is so inspiring to me. Your day was magical to capture! Cheers to your beautiful journey of life together!  


Hotel - The Connaught / Ceremony - Farm Street Church / Reception Venue - Spring Restaurant at the Somerset House / Makeup Artistry - Bethan Makeup / Wedding Dress - Riki Dalad / Tailored Suit - Thom Sweeney / Hair Dresser - George Northwood


I just loved this wedding day. The Somerset House is one of the most beautiful wedding venues in London. If you are looking for a London wedding venue full of history and stunning architecture, then The Somerset House is the wedding venue of your dreams. Meryl and Hugh chose Spring Restaurant for their intimate reception with their closest family and friends. The Spring Restaurant is located right inside of the Somerset House. Spring restaurant is one of the most highly acclaimed restaurants in all of London, and if you value a solid chef and fine dining, then this location would be the perfect location for your wedding reception. Meryl started her day getting ready in the high end Apartment Suite at The Connaught Hotel for her getting ready moments on her wedding day. The Apartment Suite is a two-bedroom penthouse with high ceilings and endless details, as it was designed by David Collins! Just stunning and the rooftop terrace had the perfect views of the surrounding area of London. The Connaught hotel has been my favorite hotel to capture wedding “getting ready” photos in London. The Connaught Hotel is also just a short drive away from The Somerset House, so the travel to the wedding reception was very convenient. We took their bridal portraits in the epic courtyard of the Somerset House, then walked over to Spring Restaurant where they ended the night with the sweetest speeches and world class food. This was my first wedding I was asked to capture in London and it will always be so special to me. The Connaught Hotel, The Somerset house, and Spring Restaurant will always remind me of my favorite London wedding day and I’m so grateful to Meryl and Hugh for trusting me to capture their special love in a few of their favorite places in London. If you are looking for a London Wedding Photographer, I would love to create something beautiful with you!


If you’d like to Inquire about me capturing your wedding day or see if your date is available for 2020 or 2021?
Fill out the form below and I would love to help you create something beautiful together!

C O N T A C T

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Endless Elegance | Garden City, Long Island | New York City Wedding Photographer

New York City Wedding Photographer | Endless Elegance | Garden City, Long Island Wedding Venue

I love how Kelly and Jordan not only showed endless elegance, but as you scroll through the images from their beautiful day on Long Island, New York, you will see joy, laughter and endless amounts of fun on the dance floor. These days are so lovely to look back on. It doesn’t matter where you get married in this beautiful world, wether you have a destination wedding, an elopement at city hall or an intimate celebration with your closest family and friends, the most important part of a wedding day is being with your best friend and expressing your love for them, and these two did just that. It’s always an honor to document couples who are madly in love!

Such a joy to know you and to have photographed you both, Kelly and Jordan! x


This was a beautiful wedding that I captured in Garden City, Long Island, New York. If you are looking for a stunning wedding venue or wedding photographer in or around New York City, then check out the images on this blog post! They started at a gorgeous cathedral in Garden City and then ended at a stunning Long Island wedding venue! This day was just endlessly gorgeous. Elegant and Luxury weddings are so beautiful to document! And Garden City on Long Island is such a a historic area of New York. If you haven’t been, or are looking for a place to have an elegant wedding in a historic venue, then definitely go visit Long Island wedding venues. And what’s great about New York City as well, is that if guests are flying in, it’s one of the greatest cities in the world and in the states and I’m sure your guests would love to spend a holiday there! They have the choice of staying near Times Square, Soho or The Village, or all the way in Oyster Bay or Montauk. Definitely two different experiences, but Long Island weddings give you so many options for not only you, but your guests experience!


If you’d like me to capture your wedding day or see if your date is available for 2020 or 2021?
Fill out the form below and I would love to create something beautiful together!

C O N T A C T M E

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Josh + Verity Wed | Yorkshire, England Wedding

Ever since meeting these two and roaming around Leeds for coffee last summer, I just fell in love with their sweet personalities. They are adorably silly, quirky, joyful and just so full of laughter and love. I'm incredibly grateful I was able to shoot their wedding in Yorkshire, which is one of my favorite areas of the United Kingdom. The day was moody and rainy (which made for excellent outdoor images, there was a stunning vintage red VW beetle, there was a pinata that was demolished to fill the dance floor with confetti before the party commenced, and there was a three-tiered Jello wedding cake. And that was all just icing on the cake (that wasn't there) compared to the love that was shared between Verity and Josh and their family and friends. Also, a huge thanks to Colin Ross, who was a boss at second-shooting this day with me! 

Josh and Verity, Love you both dearly and wish the best for the season of life that lies before you! 

Location: Downtown Bradford, England / Yorkshire, United Kingdom

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All of the Joy | Dallas, TX | Dallas Wedding Photographer

All of the Joy | Dallas, TX | Dallas Wedding Photographer | Destination Wedding Photographer | Lauren + Peter

Laurena and Peter's romantic wedding was full of so much joy and never ending smiles. Even my cheeks hurt from smiling so much at the end of the day. I wouldn't change a thing about this beautiful couple or their memorable day in their stunning ceremony and reception venues in downtown Dallas, Texas. 

Below are a few of my personal favorite moments from the day. Whether it's the eye contact, the unplanned contagious laughter, or a small precious unseen moment...authentic candids will always be my favorites from a wedding day.

So blessed by you and your precious families, Lauren and Peter. Praying blessings over you and your first year of marriage, plus the many more years you still have to come! 

Wedding Coordinator -  Experience Specialist, Reception - Nasher Sculpture Center, Wedding Filmmakers - Northmark Films, Second shooter - Christina Elmore

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Culzean Castle | Dreamy Scotland Wedding | Scotland Wedding Photographer

Culzean Castle | Dreamy Scotland Wedding | Scotland Wedding Photographer

Castle Weddings on the shore of Scotland are what dreams are made of.

Historic Celtic Castles in Scotland are everywhere. If you are looking for a castle as the romantic backdrop of your elopement or wedding day in Scotland, there are plenty of castles to choose from. But Culzean Castle is one of the most beautiful castles that I have ever seen.

I’ve been to quite a few castles in Scotland, as they have always intrigued me with their architecture and endless history. I love researching castles, big and small, whenever Ross and I go to the Highlands to explore more of the countryside on weekend trips. My favorite castles have always been the abandoned ones. So much mystery, I always like to sit and dream of what used to take place there.

But out of all of the castles I’ve been to, I am so impressed with the gardens and environment of Culzean Castle, it truly stands out to me the most. They have completely kept the grounds alive and preserved for visitors to take tours and to even stay the night there (they have a gorgeous bridal suite). There are a mix of tropical plants like Palm Trees, a secluded romantic green house, a courtyard with cannons, a grand stone archway and an epic walk up to the castle from the parking lot, really sets the mood for the grandness and allure that this castle holds. Culzean Castle sits right on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Eastern shoreline of Scotland. It’s just a beautiful ambience of the endless waves you will here from the castle with the windows open. There is even a beautiful long staircase down the beach where you and your partner can go down to the ocean and just be closer to the rushing waves. I have always loved the mysteriousness of the ocean and to have both a historic castle and a beautiful and private beach front all in one venue… I really could not recommend Culzean Castle enough for your wedding day.

I second shot this wedding day with the talented James Frost

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