PORTFOLIO

experience

I'm here to freeze your most important moments — the ones you'll want to remember in 50 years. The anticipation while getting ready, the joyful tears of the first time you see each other, your looks of disbelief that the first day of the rest of your lives is finally here — these are things you'll want to relive over and over. I am here to tell your wedding day through artful, intentional, and timeless wedding photos that will help you remember all of the feelings you felt on your wedding day. LGBTQ+ wedding photographer based in Chicago, but down to travel anywhere for your love story.

I'm Tawny, your chicago Wedding photographer Documenting youR beautiful love story 

- wherever you're writing it & no matter who you're writing it with.

Meet TawnY

AS SEEN IN

I will travel anywhere to photograph your love story. No place is too far for this wandering heart.

REMEMBER HOW IT FELT

The love you share together is special. I know that no cookie-cutter shot list or stuffy prom pose could ever capture what you two share. As your wedding photographer, I get to know you throughout the planning process so that I can document your day genuinely and purposefully. I promise to deliver a wedding gallery that feels like you and showcases what's important to you. My clients receive galleries that are an authentic, photojournalistic documentation of their wedding days combined with editorial-inspired, artful portraits of them and their loved ones.

I promise to help you with the planning process so your day is stress-free and you receive the very best photographs possible. I deliver an unmatched experience by being so much more than a wedding photographer.

HEARTFELT IMAGES FOR MODERN ROMANTICS.

MY PROMISE TO YOU

Experience

for the couples seeking more love, more memories, and more laughter.

the experience

"In the darkest night hour, I'll search through the crowd. Your face is all that I see, I'll give you everything. Baby love me lights out. I love you like XO." -Beyoncé

I LIVE FOR                             GENUINE MOMENTS BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE who are madly in love.

the perfect mix of timeless, candid moments
and thoughtful, directed portraits.
just as it should be.

I’m an inclusive wedding, ELOPEMENT, and couple photographer Based in Chicago who believes LOVE IS LOVE.

editorial
TIMELESS
DOCUMENTARY
FILMESQUE

"My fiancee and I both feel photos are one of the most important parts of a wedding... We have a diverse wedding party in gender identity/presentation, race, and size. It was important to us that our photographer would be respectful and affirming, as well as able to make a variety of people look their best at the same time. Tawny has delivered, and then some! I truly cannot recommend her highly enough!! An added bonus is that she makes us feel so comfortable and special at the same time. Although she has a ton of clients, she always makes us feel like we are the only couple in the world. Her warmth and kindness make us feel like we have known her forever! Just book her already!!!"

"Although she has a ton of clients, she always makes us feel like we are the only couple in the world." -Abigail + Meg

Where to begin? There is almost too much to say about Tawny and the business she runs. From the start, Tawny was warm, kind, and incredibly knowledgeable about everything. She was so open to any of our ideas and ran with them. Throughout the planning process we always felt like we were being heard. Formal pictures with a large group can be hard to handle, but Tawny was so patient and very clear on who she needed and when, and always with the kindest attitude. During the reception, she snapped some of the best candid photos of the guests, the scene, and everything else. No detail was left behind... And as for Tawny, you couldn't ask for a more passionate and professional person to be with you through the process... She loves what she does, and it is felt by all who are lucky enough to be photographed by her.

"you couldn't ask for a more passionate person to be with you through the process." -Tim + Kyle

"Our experience with Tawny as our wedding photographer could not have been better! She was with us on our entire wedding planning journey, starting with engagement photos almost a year and a half before our actual wedding day! The photos speak for themselves, we could not have had a better person documenting our relationship... She is such a comfortable presence if you’re unsure or camera shy at all. She knows how to guide you to make sure the photos come out amazing... If you’re looking for an absolute pro who you can rely on like a maid of honor, Tawny is the photographer you need. I couldn’t have been happier with our experience."

"If you’re looking for an absolute pro who you can rely on like a maid of honor, Tawny is the photographer you need.” -Ally + Sam

"Tawny made our intimate wedding come to life in her photos! She was patient and kind with us. Tawny made us so comfortable, it felt like she was an old friend documenting our wedding day. From recommendations for flowers, our venue, and even fun spots for some non traditional photos, Tawny's creativity and thoughtfulness shined bright. She finds a perfect balance between b&w sweet/timeless photos and soft/colorful ones. We are in love with the photos and really enjoyed the day! I couldn't recommend Tawny enough!"

"Tawny made us so comfortable, it felt like she was an old friend documenting our wedding day." -Tara + AJ

"We found Tawny through a photography page on Facebook. Once I saw Tawny's website, I knew she'd be a great fit. The way she's so forward about inclusion and the importance of everyone having that special day to show their love, no matter what it looks like, was just so refreshing to see. It's great knowing the main person capturing our day holds values aligned with ours. After working with Tawny, we know we made a great choice having her as a part of our wedding planning and day! She was so helpful and continually checked in with us. She even helped schedule out our day of timeline, making sure we had enough time for the pictures we wanted. She gave us lots of ideas for where we could get our other photoshoots done, for both the engagement session and our post-wedding portraits. We were super comfortable despite not being used to having attention on us, let alone photos of us! She kept us moving and made sure to deliver a good amount of photos with a great variety."

"The way she's so forward about inclusion was so refreshing to see." -Grace + Steven

I cannot be happier with Tawny! Our engagement photos are gorgeous, and despite the fact I knew she was traveling, our photos were ON TIME and perfect! As both a lesbian couple and fat couple it was super important to us to find someone who could make us feel comfortable, and who would produce photos that didn't look like "straight but not." We wanted someone who could highlight what made us unique as a couple, and Tawny did an incredible job. I feel really beautiful when I look at these photos. I couldn't have asked for more. I cannot wait to book her for our wedding.

(Psssst! Fast forward: They booked me for their 2023 intimate wedding in St. Louis!)

"I COULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR MORE." -MADELINE + RICHELLE

Tawny was the perfect choice for our wedding photographer. The photos were beautiful, Tawny was all-around professional and lovely presence at the wedding. She was incredibly organized too; she had our timeline down and had all the equipment needed for our night-time low-light reception. Picking the right wedding photographer can be somewhat intimidating and nerve-wracking as it's one of the bigger investments for your wedding day, and photographers are in charge of capturing the memories from your wedding. (You don't get a repeat.) My spouse and I were reassured early on that she was the perfect pick. She really captured the joy we and our guests were feeling in the moment. When we are 80, I can't wait to look back at these photos and think, “Damn, we looked good.”

"WHEN WE ARE 80, I CAN'T WAIT TO LOOK BACK AT THESE PHOTOS AND THINK, “DAMN, WE LOOKED GOOD.” -DANI + LEE

"Choosing a photographer can make or break your memories of one of the most important days of your life. Not only did Tawny document our day to perfection but she made us feel so comfortable and at ease. We started following her Instagram months before we contacted her. Her connection to the LGBTQIA community was so important to us. Her awareness of our need to feel like every couple should feel, was the most important and achieved on all levels. We had a connection with her which transcended into our Perfect Day. Her blog and Instagram gave us way more than wedding photography help, many things in fact....what to pack, music inspo, first look or not, what not to worry about....She literally covered it ALL. It was like having a wedding liaison/photographer. She will always be a person in our lives that started our FOREVER!"

"She will always be a person in our lives that started our FOREVER!”
-Jamie + Sarah

"When we started to plan our wedding, we were looking for a photographer who is not only great at their job, but also someone who is LGBTQIA friendly and Tawny is perfect. We asked for candid photos and someone who captured the story of the day. Tawny is phenomenal at her job. She provided tips and guides from wedding vendors to outfits and how to be in front of camera...Tons of helpful information.
Above all, she is great to work with, she is friendly, professional and very prompt with her responses to us. Plus, she makes taking photos with her fun. The photos turned out AMAZING! We could not be happier with our photos, they are gorgeous and they tell the stories of the wedding day, we got tons of compliments from our friends and families! Definitely recommend Tawny!!!"

"She makes taking photos with her fun.” -An + Stacy

"Choosing a photographer for your wedding day can come with so much anxiety— as it can make or break the day. Choosing a photographer when you’re queer, places a new type of anxiety. Not only is Tawny inclusive, she makes it her goal to make everyone comfortable. Her connection and passion for the LGBTQ+ community is so amazing. Our wedding day was filled with ease and laughter due to Tawny! Throughout our day, Tawny strived to make us feel both like individuals, but also like a cohesive couple. From the beginning of the experience—Tawny guided us through schedules, what to expect, our desires, and so much more. To be photographed by Tawny, is to be seen by Tawny! We have never been so sure about a decision when it came to our wedding day! Tawny’s partner, Micah, also graciously officiated our ceremony. Truly my wife, Allyson, and I could have never expected such an amazing experience. We cannot recommend Tawny and Micah enough! Thank you for helping our lives become one on our special day!"

"To be photographed by Tawny, is to be seen by Tawny!” -Allyson + Kaylee

"Tawny did an amazing job photographing our wedding! She was able to capture all the big and little moments of the day, plus all of the details that I didn't have time to notice the day of. She didn't only capture our day, but also provided us with wedding planning resources, and was someone I could turn to with any wedding-related question throughout the entire wedding planning process. We wanted to have our ceremony videoed and Tawny was quickly able to provide us with a videographer who worked alongside her to capture our ceremony exactly as we wanted. She was very organized, helpful, and flexible to work with; we highly recommend!"

"She was able to capture all the moments of the day, plus all of the details that I didn't have time to notice the day of." -Melody + Noah

"Absolutely unbelievable experience! The wedding day photos are gorgeous and personal. The entire experience with Tawny was phenomenal from the first meeting to the final product. Tawny also shared extremely valuable resources that truly limited our stress and provided detail through the entire engagement and wedding journey. The most talented, engaging, thoughtful, intentional person I have ever met and worked with!"

"The most talented, engaging, thoughtful, intentional person I have ever met and worked with!" -Janel + Patrick

"Tawny was the single best decision we made for our elopement!
From day one, she was incredibly organized and helpful - giving us ideas on elopement locations and logistics, engagement shoot outfits and ideas, and answering any questions that we had along the way. She was amazing to be around - making us both feel incredibly comfortable throughout our engagement shoot and the entire elopement day.
When we received our photos, it was truly the perfect encapsulation of our day. She managed to capture such amazing moments that we will cherish forever - they are better than we could have ever imagined!"

"Tawny was the single best decision we made for our elopement!" -Emily + Tim

"My spouse and I loved working with Tawny for our wedding. During all of our sessions, she put us at ease so that we were able to feel comfortable and affectionate with each other, even though we were being photographed. You can see it in our photos too--we look gorgeous and happy, but we also look like ourselves. Most importantly, though, we both felt validated and seen by her language and direction throughout the whole process. In an industry that insists on everything being so gendered, it felt really good to work with someone who understands that not everything fits into that binary. We definitely recommend Tawny, she was so great to work with!"

"we both felt validated and seen by her language and direction throughout the whole process." -Aaron + Kaley

I am trained in all types of lighting and all kinds of weather. You never have to worry that I won't be able to handle the unexpected circumstances that a wedding day brings.

My passion and purpose

My approach is much more about your connection, your heart— letting your true personalities shine through. It’s about capturing feelings and going beyond the expected to document the moments of your wedding day for you to come back to time and time again.

I care about you more than my shot list and your vision more than my Instagram. At the end of the day, what matters most is your wedding day story being photographed genuinely, authentically, and beautifully.

your love's got me lookin' so crazy right now.
 - beyonce

book me here

weddings

elopements

couples

powerful moments documented exceptionally.

take a LOOK AT THESE BEAUTIFUL + ROMANTIC stories in Chicago + WHEREVER THE LOVE IS

engagements

DOCUMENTING GENUINE MOMENTS FOR COUPLES, NO MATTER WHO THEY LOVE.

click here to read about the experience