kara evans

WEDDING

Classic Summer Wedding at the Hyatt Lodge in Oak Brook, Illinois | Melissa + Adam

Melissa and Adam's classic summer wedding day at the Hyatt Lodge in Oak Brook with Chicagoland wedding photographer Kara Evans Photographer.

June 30, 2021

Hey, I’m Kara!
Hey, I’m Kara! A wedding and family photographer based in Kankakee, Illinois! Whether I’m photographing your wedding day or everyday milestones and memories as a family, this job is my joy.

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Yayyy, Melissa and Adam’s summer wedding at the Hyatt Lodge in Oak Brook is on the blog today!

We adore this couple! Last year, I connected with these two after they found my work through Brittany and Nic’s wedding photos. Small world, but I absolutely love that when it comes to weddings and am forever thankful for those connections!

Last summer, I met Adam and Melissa for the first time in person (after virtual meetups and many planning texts!) at their engagement session. They trusted me through the entire process, and I knew their wedding day would be nothing short of amazing!

From the Bride

Adam and I met eight years ago between Christmas and New Years while we were both out with friends. We feel so lucky to have met each other at random and have made an immediate connection. After first making introductions, we went our separate ways for the rest of the night, but Adam waited for me outside of the bar at closing to make sure I got home safely. From that point on, we were pretty inseparable.

So, Adam and I love to say that we met and found love in the most hopeful place (yes, we love Rihanna because of that) because we met at a late-night bar in the city when we were pretty young. He proposed after 6 years of being together and took me by surprise. He lured me to a rooftop in the loop under the pretense of a dinner with his college friends. Little did I know, he had arranged the whole proposal on top. After he asked, and I said yes, several of our best friends came out of a side room to continue the celebration. We went to dinner and ended the night at our favorite late-night bar where we met.

Since then, we have loved spending time together in the city and continuing to grow together. We have experienced a lot of important life events over the last several years, between getting new jobs (I am a high school English teacher and Adam works in finance), adopting our sweet cat boy, Theo, finishing graduate degrees, moving to a new town together, etc., and we are so excited to take this next step together. In our spare time, we love spending time with friends and family, trying new restaurants, and attempting to cook.

The Wedding Day

Melissa and Adam’s wedding day truly felt like summer with the 90 something degree day and sunshine! Kyle and I started documenting the day at Melissa’s childhood home where she was getting ready alongside her sisters, mom, and wedding party. Oh, and her puppy sister, too! At the same time, our second shooter, Kelcy, joined Adam and his wedding party at the Hyatt Lodge where they were getting ready.

The morning flew by and soon it was time for the couple to travel to the church to get married! Melissa and Adam chose St. Petronille for their wedding ceremony because it holds a lot of sentiment. Melissa grew up attending church at St. Pets and went to school there for many years. Adam also attended a Catholic school so it was perfectly fitting to connect to their traditions and years in the church.

The church ceremony was beautiful! And while these two shared in their union, the skies let loose on a summer storm… Perfectly timed while everyone was nestled in at the church and supporting these two in their marriage ceremony. We couldn’t have asked for a more divinely timed element!

After the ceremony, we spent some time at the church for a few more photos before traveling back to the venue – the Hyatt Lodge. This was our second wedding at this venue in a matter of weeks, and it didn’t disappoint. We were happy to be back and loved exploring the grounds again with Melissa, Adam, and their wedding party. What a fun crew!

Once photos wrapped up, the couple joined their cocktail hour while we prepped for the reception and documented all the pretty and well-thought-out details. Before we knew it, these two were celebrating the night away at their reception, and we loved documenting just that!

One of my very favorite and most memorable parts of this wedding day was the sunset. We snuck Melissa and Adam away from their reception for 10 minutes of photos in the most AMAZING summer light. I mean, they were blessed with the most beautiful sunset. It was the perfect note to end the day on!

At the end of this day, we were thankful… Thankful for a gorgeous summer day, perfectly timed rain during the church ceremony, the best summer sunset, and a fun night of celebrating! Wishing these two many, many happy married years ahead.

Melissa & Adam – It was an honor to document your wedding day! Thank you for sharing it with us!!

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Melissa’s Attire: Stella York at Martellen’s Bridal Boutique – Lemont, IL | Adam’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse | Wedding Party Attire: Azazie + Men’s Wearhouse | Hair: Three One Two Bridal – Chicago, IL | Makeup: America Freese – Chicago, IL | Jeweler: Brilliant Earth | Ceremony: St. Petronille Church – Glen Ellyn, IL | Wedding Officiant: Fr. Eduardo Flores | Reception Venue, Catering, & Accommodations: Hyatt Lodge – Oak Brook, IL | Florist: Heather Ebl | DJ: Double B Entertainment | Transportation: Absolute Dream Limousines | Photographer & Videographer: Kara Evans Photographer – Kankakee, IL | Cake: Creative Cakes – Tinley Park, IL | Invitations + Paper Goods: Truly Engaging by Magnet Street

P.S. – Wanna read more love stories and get wedding inspiration? I love sharing more wedding days here!

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Chicagoland wedding & family photographer based in Kankakee, Illinois

@karaevansphotog