Emily-Melissa Photography

iful and meaningful moments of our special day, and we couldn't be happier with the photos. She has a true talent for capturing emotion and telling a story through her images. I feel so fortunate to have hired such a talented and professional photographer.

looking for. I highly recommend her!

photos on instagram and immediately fell in love with the vibrant colors, attention to detail, and just overall incredible artistry. Her photos radiate such warmth and love. She was the first (and ended up being the only) photographer we interviewed - as soon as our initial call ended we knew we had to book with her.  Emily was a huge help with planning our engagement photos as it was winter and Chicago still had mask requirements for indoor locations. We ended up taking most of the photos in our apartment and then braving a cold, snowy afternoon to get some gorgeous shots at Lincoln Park with the skyline behind us. Having never done a professional photoshoot before, I was a little nervous but as soon as she arrived Emily put us completely at ease. She gave great direction for posing that never felt forced and we had so much fun chatting with her between pictures.  Working with Emily (and her second photographer, Winter) on the day of our wedding was absolutely wonderful. Emily brings such a great energy, it made taking all the getting ready photos and group portraits that could have felt awkward a lot of fun and I honestly got as choked up over her reaction when I first put on my dress as I did with my loved ones’ reactions!  I was like a kid on Christmas the day we knew we’d be getting our photos. I woke up super early to check notifications and immediately made my husband get up to go look at the pictures with me. We’d known they’d be worth the wait but we were still so blown away. There were so many wonderful moments we didn’t even realize she’d captured until we saw the photos. The candid shots were so much fun and just as well composed as the formal portraits.  It’s been about a month now since we got the photos and there honestly hasn’t been a single day that I haven’t gone through the whole set at least once. After sharing the photos, we’ve had several people say that candids of them during the cocktail hour or reception are their new favorite photo of themselves or their loved ones and that the staged photos are so glamorous they look like they belong in a magazine. These photos are so much more than just snapshots of our day, they’re truly works of art that we’re going to treasure forever. 

tion if you want it and is also open to suggestions (but her direction was phenomenal). Made everyone feel very comfortable. Really appreciated the engagement session so that we could get to know her style more. She was great in terms of return time for the photos and any editing we requested.

er professional and kind demeanor. On the wedding day, Emily worked so well apart from me and handled all tasks given to her very well. She was completely in charge of many aspects of the day as I was busy elsewhere. It was a challenging, rainy wedding day but the images she delivered were to me were amazing and just what I was looking for. I will undoubtedly hire Emily-Melissa for future projects and never hesitate to refer couples to her. She's a gem and a true artist!

in green and pink floral print dress. The engagement session was our first with Emily and she was so amazing and wonderful. That pic is one of our favorites but she took so many more! Her personality is warm and inviting so we didn’t have any nerves or anything. She’s a great director for setting scenes as well. She took more pictures than we possibly needed. We booked her for 2 hours with 2 clothing switches. She went above and beyond the two hours even after I mentioned that we were close on time. She said “don’t worry about it, we’re good!” It’s great to have a photographer who’s as into your shoot as you are. We loved her so much that when we had to switch plans for the pandemic and our wedding went from NOLA to Chi but ended up near St. Louis, it was never a doubt that Emily was taking the pics. She traveled downstate for us and delivered again as we knew she would. We have over 500 pics that are all usable and great! She didn’t even eat even though I mentioned that she could break for a sec! She’s a wonderful person who cares about her craft. I highly recommend. She’s already booked for the baby shower! :-)

remember feeling nervous at the beginning of our engagement shoot because my fiance and I had never done something like it, but she eased us right in and gave us the direction we needed. I felt like a pro by the end of it! She navigated COVID wedding planning with us and was so kind and gracious as we rescheduled. She was great about making sure she knew exactly what we wanted for our day, but was also a great resource when we were unsure. She also sent us a survey a few weeks before so we could fill out all of the details. On the day of our wedding Emily was a super woman. She got there hours before I even asked her to arrive! She checked out the venue and made sure she was ready for our arrival. She even calmed me down at one point when my wedding nerves kicked in! And the photos.... WOW I still can't get over them. They were just breath taking. I have countless favorites. She caught so many priceless moments and made sure we got our shot list as well. We had family and friends calling us for days after posting photos saying how much they loved them. I am forever grateful we found Emily, and we will definitely be hiring her again for all of our milestones! I can't recommend her enough!

ty, culture and highlighting the love that makes modern weddings worth the stress. She provided guidance from day 1, recommending vendors, shot locations, lighting and outfits We had numerous (and I mean NUMEROUS) conversations leading up to our engagement shoot and wedding. Our first meeting lasted over an hour, discussion our mutual interests, her style, our story..all of that talking shown through in her work on the big day. Emily did our photos with only natural lighting, and it's astounding what she created. I've worked in the entertainment industry for over 10 years and these were truly the best photos I've even taken. I can't stress this enough: if you hire Emily-Melissa Photography (which YOU SHOULD), you aren't just getting a "wedding photographer". You're getting a genuine artist with a genuinely warm soul, who will highlight not just your event, but your story and your love.

when we changed up where we'd take pictures pre-ceremony. Emily captured some true stunners and my husband and I could not be happier with how our entire gallery turned out. So many family and friends came up to me throughout our wedding night and commented that Emily was on top of all the major milestones happening throughout the day. The best part was I didn't even notice her snapping pictures! 10/10.

Our outdoor engagement and wedding photos are gorgeous. She put me at ease the first time I spoke to her over the phone, she talked about her passion for this work, what to expect, and I was ready to book her immediately because she is so warm and open in sharing her ideas. I also felt that Emily was very generous with hearing our ideas and concepts and discussing how to make those ideas a reality. She made the whole process a breeze for scheduling and sharing shot list ideas. Emily is professional and an absolutely lovely person and you should book her ASAP. I felt like she captured who we were as a couple perfectly, and the photos are so rich and interesting. I will be smiling about these photos and working with Emily for the rest of my life. Thank you Emily for your expertise, kindness, passionate artistry, and speedy delivery of the photos to boot!

he camera with an amazing eye for detail. Because of her and her photography expertise, we were able to enjoy our special day and relive it in vibrant detail. We recommend her to everyone!

deliver. Hands down one of the best.

She was an integral part of our wedding team as she worked well with our wedding planner, decorator, videographer, and other vendors. When presented with challenges, she was always solution-oriented. She was super clutch with a recommendation during our final walk-through at the venue the week before our wedding. Her recommendation shifted the seating of our guests from facing south to facing west at our outdoor evening ceremony. This shift maximized both the lighting and use of the patio space and helped us more effectively transition of our guests to the cocktail hour. In addition to her thorough planning and logistical skillsets, she takes incredibly stunning photos. Both our engagement and wedding photos were the envy of all our family and friends! Our wedding day was long, full of multiple locations for our pre-wedding photos and included stops at a museum, a beach, a church, and a monument all before the actual ceremony and reception. Emily made sure we got all of our pre-wedding shots that we wanted as well as the special can't miss moments like the jumping of the broom and the first dance. She also got all the shots from when we went table to table at the reception greeting all of our beloved friends and family. I could go on and on... Simply put Em is one of the dopest wedding photographers out and I'm so thankful that she was such a major part of me and wife's special day!

d with beautiful memories from her creative work.

very thorough often arriving at the venue early for setup up and visiting the photo areas to make sure she was equipped with the right camera and lights. Our wedding was a hot July day, but Em and her assistant worked so hard to capture our best moments. She also returned our photos promptly (we were on honeymoon). We have recommended several of our friends to Em and they too have been most pleased. When my family needs photos Emily is my go to!!

thrilled with how our pictures turned out! She’s friendly, creative, and talented and I would highly recommend her to other couples!

he vision that you are looking for. I’m a huge overthinker but Emily knew how to put my concerns to rest. The photos were amazing! I can’t wait to work with her on the day of our wedding :)

ke I was doing a shoot for the cover of GQ! Ha! She made us feel so comfortable. She is very punctual, engaging and personable. You can really tell she has a passion for capturing great moments and making your occasion memorable. My fiancée and I highly recommend her and we will use her services in the future.

for years! She made us comfortable, took her time & reminded us that her goal was to ensure that we had some great photos...and she delivered! Her sense of humor matched ours so it was definitely a shoot to remember! I would recommend her to anyone!

we received and have gotten so many compliments on how everything turned out. She will definitely be used for any future special events we have.

omfortable working with her. I recommend her 1000%!

oment” is absolutely breathtaking. Her professionalism and passion shows in her work! She comes highly recommended!

n, the ceremony, the reception, and our leaving, in a serious of wonderful shots that were candid and flattering. Her attention to detail, color, and lighting, as well as her genuine sweetness made our day wonderful!

r our engagement session, and at our wedding everyone was stating how amazingly nice our photographer was! You can tell that she has a heart for wedding photography and it really shows in the photos she delivers. She really captures the essence of each couple-- we personally couldn't be more pleased with how beautiful and personal our photos were! I would recommend her to anyone (and already have), as I know how important wedding photos are, and she will not disappoint!

emony, and she was able to take fantastic shots. She's always available and someone you can count on! I was very happy to have her as our wedding photographer. We will most definitely work with her again !