u/burnttoast912

Does anyone have wedding photographer recommendations in the St. Charles/Chicago suburbs area? We’re getting married at Hotel Baker in St. Charles in the summer and are starting to look for photographers!

We’re hoping to stay around $3,500–$4,000 for photography coverage from getting ready through the reception. We’re open to photographers in the city or suburbs — I’m just not really sure where to start looking, and a lot of what I’ve found on The Knot seems outdated.

Ideally, we’d love to find a younger, female photographer whose style is warm, natural, and fun. We’re looking for photos that feel vibrant and candid and capture the energy of the day, rather than anything too dark, cool-toned, or overly posed.

If you’ve worked with someone you loved (especially someone whose work has that warm, fun feel!), I’d love to hear your recommendations and see their work! 😊

https://preview.redd.it/iq90azqjldkh1.png?width=1822&format=png&auto=webp&s=4900dd849a569f594c45bf1b61b81d49abb0ec6f

My fiancé and I recently got engaged and are funding our wedding ourselves, so we’re trying to be smart about where we can save money!

I’d love to hear about any budget-friendly wedding resources or recommendations in the Chicagoland area (or even online) that you’ve personally used or recommend. This could be anything from wedding dresses and décor to rentals, transportation, or other creative ways you’ve saved money while planning your wedding!

I’d also love recommendations for bridal boutiques with discounted dresses. I’m planning to check out Alter Bridal in Barrington since they have sample dresses, but I’d love to hear about other boutiques that have sample sales, discounted racks, off-the-rack options, or big annual sales.

I still want something fashion-forward and unique, just hoping to find ways to get the dress I love without spending a fortune!

Would especially love to hear about any Chicago-area bridal shops, sales, sample sales, or budget-friendly wedding finds that you’ve had a great experience with.

Sincerely,

A girl who wants to save money 💕

Looking for restaurnant recs for a bachelorette party of about 10 girls in late april! We plan on going to coffee shops in the mornings, easy and tasty lunches - having alcohol is a plus, and the best tasting and prettiest restaurants for group dinners!

Any bar recs for a large group of girls in their 20s would be appreciated as well.

The bride is gluten free so anything that has a good GF menu would be wonderful. We would love to be in the most fun parts of town as well.