I think my mom described Chad Husar's working style best: "he's low-key Scandinavian cool." So you are a group of anxious and maybe tipsy wedding guests and Chad needs to make you look beautiful in a portrait for the ages. He subtly coaxes you into the right position, getting the scene balanced and perfect without saying much. Then he does this cute smile and says only, "awesome." Then he snaps some amazing photos. Chad did both our engagement and wedding photos and we couldn't have been much happier. We spent a lot of time investigating dozens of wedding photographers in the Chicago area, so let me save you a lot of work: if you're looking for something arty (but not too arty), something that has a sort of photojournalism feel while still beautiful, and photos that are rich in color and are a fantastic mix portrait and candid shots, Chad is your guy. And working with Chad was good. He's a bit goofy and shy when you first meet him, but he always made us feel comfortable when he was at work. Especially the engagement photos can feel little odd and first (who really has experience being casually photographed for two hours), but he did a great job easing us in. The pics turned out wonderfully. On the big wedding day, I heard nothing but great things about Chad from the guests. He was all over the place without getting in the way and was always willing to snap a small group shot when asked. If I were to say anything critical, I would point out one indelicate moment. Before he left at the end of the reception, he asked me for the rest of the payment for his services. I totally understand that he has probably been burned in the past with people waiting months past their wedding day to ante up, but I wasn't really in a "transact business" kind of mode in the waning hours of my wedding reception. But, easy fix: just make sure you take care of these details ahead of time. Chad's pricing is maybe a bit above the wedding photo average, but in my opinion, his work is well, well above average. Final photos will be ready in a few weeks - can't wait! read more

Husar Photography - Event Photography Near Me

I got married over 6 months ago, yet every time I look at my wedding photos (which is nearing the hundreds of times by now, I imagine), I'm filled with joy. This is partially because I had the time of my life at my wedding, of course, but also because Chad's photos of the event are BEAUTIFUL! He made the lighting look perfect (although I know it wasn't), the compositions look balanced and interesting (who knew my parents' backyard was so fabulous?), and he found really cool spots to take photos that show off Chicago's beauty or the natural surroundings while framing the people in the photos perfectly. Plus, I've never been so dolled up in my life (and don't expect to be again), so it's wonderful that Chad captured the moment, and the beauty of all my guests as well! After looking through the over 1,000 proofs I got back, I wanted to print almost ALL of them! He was really easy to work with... he only books 1 wedding/weekend, so he could accommodate my crazy 2-day affair without extra fees. Plus, my guests absolutely loved him - they kept commenting on how they couldn't help but smile for him because he was so nice. :) Definitely judge him by his website. Our first meeting was a bit awkward, but he's a genius behind the camera! read more

Chad did our wedding and engagement photos and he is phenomenal! The photos came out perfect. We absolutely love them. We recommended him to our friends who equally love him. He was fun to work with, professional, kind, and a calming presence. He is also very creative which led to some pretty cool pictures! When I was searching for a photographer, his photos stood out to me because they looked natural and extra special. I highly recommend him. I can't wait to use him again in the future. read more

We contacted Husar to have some informal portraits done. I wasn't sure if this would be OK since they do mostly wedding stuff, but Monica contacted me shortly thereafter and said she'd love to shoot some images of my husband, me and the dog. (As a sidenote, I contacted many Chicago photographers about this and no one responded to my request other than Husar. I get that we weren't spending thousands of dollars on a wedding shoot, but it's just common courtesy to respond to emails). We set up a time and agreed to meet at our house. The week before, Monica had scouted out some places in our neighborhood, and between her suggestions and our own ideas, we went to a variety of locations and spent about an hour together. Monica was so easy to work with and she made us feel so at ease. We told her from the start that we felt really awkward having professional photos taken (for our Christmas card, families, etc.) but she reassured us throughout the process and helped us act natural. We were really happy with the results--she sent us a web portal with about 100 images she shot and we chose the ones we liked to purchase. We had a variety of angles, locations and poses that gave us a lot of choice. We actually look like ourselves, just a more polished version, which is what we wanted. At $30 an image, the prices were competitive--my friend had to buy her engagement photos for $75 apiece elsewhere. I'd really recommend Husar in the future and would go to them again. read more

We used Chad for engagement and wedding day photos, and everything came out excellent. Chad was very professional from the first time we met him to when he took our last photos on our wedding night. The pictures came out the way we wanted them, not the old pose and look at the camera type pics, but at the moment pics capturing the true feeling of that specific moment. His prices were a bit higher than other professional photographers, but Chad is always willing to work around his packages that suit you and your budget. Overall, great photos, premium prices, professional service. read more

Chad is truly a one-of-a-kind photographer (and guy!). We had three or four highly qualified and talented referrals for our wedding photographer from close friends, and we interviewed them all...but none were as friendly, approachable, and easy to talk to as Chad was. That, combined with his truly beautiful photography samples, was what sold us. We were not disappointed! We started with our engagement shoot. We were both nervous going into it because neither of us had been subjects of a photo shoot before, but his personality put us both completely at ease. Within 5 minutes, he had us laughing and enjoying ourselves, and the result was beautiful photographs. After spending five hours joking around with him that day, our wedding photos were a piece of cake (no pun intended)! But what really impressed us were the photographs we now have to cherish for the rest of our lives. Chad told us many months after our wedding that one of the toughest parts of being a photographer is always having to come up with "something cool" on the spot that will make a good photo. Fortunately for us, Chad is fantastic at this. His creative genius and inventiveness resulted in intriguing photos that we would have never gotten with anyone else. At the same time, he maintained that classic wedding feel to his photography that will stand the test of time. That's what makes his photography truly special! We loved having him there with us all along the way! We miss you Chad! Wish we still had our wedding to look forward to so we could spend more time with you! read more

If I could give Chad way more stars I would! Chad was our wedding photographer. Working with him and his assistant was amazing - he truly made our day & experience special. From the initial conversations with him, to seeing his work, to the wedding day - Chad is awesome. One of the things I looked at when selecting Chad was the scope of his work, not just the amazing pictures on his website. And let me tell you - he captures the moment, every time. Looking back on the whole day, I remember Chad's easy going style, professionalism, organization. He has perfect timing - from when to pull us away for a few pictures, when to capture the candids, or frankly, when to just calm me down. He kept everyone on schedule, calm, laughing, having a good time. In the blur of it all, those are the times are remember most clearly. If you haven't checked out Chad for your wedding photography - you *really* should. He's nothing short of amazing. read more

Chad and Vanessa shot our wedding in September of 2012 and we are thrilled with their work. The photos they took of both our engagement and the entire wedding day are a beautiful blend of candid, journalistic type photos and very carefully composed portraits that look effortless. We get TONS of compliments about our photos, and I couldn't be happier with making the investment with them. Chad is super laid back but also really prepared. On the wedding day, he knew when to guide us (gently) to hurry up a bit and when to tell us to relax because there was plenty of time. Our wedding was in the burbs, so we went to the Morton Arboretum to take photos between the ceremony and reception and Chad had gone ahead of time to scope out the best places to take pictures. I was really impressed by that. Overall, highly recommended! read more

Chad was absolutely the perfect choice to photograph our big day! He and his partner Mariann were easy and fun to work with, and they made everyone feel very comfortable and natural - and both my husband and I are very awkward in front of cameras. He caught a great mix of candid moments and composed portraits. When the wedding morning dawned gray and rainy, he had a great backup plan for photos around the city that still had the Chicago spirit, and I absolutely love how everything turned out. He also did a wonderful job with our engagement photos, and was very flexible and easy to work without throughout the whole planning process. Thank you so much for capturing every special moment! read more

Chad is the absolute best!!!! He is a fun and super sweet guy who puts you at ease immediately (which is so important!). He fit right in with my friends and family on my wedding day, and he made John and I feel so comfortable in front of the lens, and that DEFINITELY comes across in our photos. Our photos turned out so beautifully; not only does chad have an amazing artistic eye, but he has a gift for capturing very real and genuine moments between people. Our engagement photos, wedding photos, and our album are all such a real snapshot into our relationship as well as our relationships with our loved ones. I was so happy to find a photographer that isn't into corny poses or overly-dramatic shots--he really just captured our favorite moments together and did such a beautiful job doing so. Like I said, Chad is the BEST!!!! He was the most important and very best vendor we worked with. Highly recommend!! One million stars!!! read more

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We were married in April 2017, and we used Chad Husar for both our engagement photos and wedding day. We absolutely could not be more thrilled with how our photos turned out. Chad has a real gift for capturing moments in a beautiful and artistic way -- we wound up with the perfect mix of photos that captured our day, both emotional and fun. All of our friends and family commented that we wound up looking like models in a magazine shoot (and I genuinely have never photographed very well!) Another thing to keep in mind -- your photographer spends the entire wedding day with you, so pick someone with a good personality! Chad is just a really cool guy on top of his talent, and he was calm, professional, and friendly throughout our entire day. Highly recommend! read more

After just having our wedding last weekend, it's amazing how quickly the night comes and goes....a total blur of excitement. Therefore, it's critical that you partner with a photographer who can appropriately capture those special moments, be easy to work with, and have the perfect eye for how/where to take fantastic photos. We performed an extensive review of photographers and are so thankful we chose Husar Photography. If you're going through the evaluation process, and don't talk with Chad and view his photos, you're making a mistake. Not only can Chad capture the moment, but his easy-going style is so easy to work with. Chad was in touch with us throughout the process, helping us to prepare and getting our thoughts on potential shooting locations, while also making suggestions of his own. Chad was always prepared, from everything to coordinating several hours of an engagement photo shoot to having a sewing kit ready on the wedding day. After the engagement shoot, we knew we had partnered with the right photographer. Chad completely nailed that event and we had an abundance of great photos that received endless compliments. Then, it continued on our wedding day when Chad and his assistant made the wedding day special. From the first look to the family photos to even pulling us aside for a few mins during the wedding for some real cool shots, Chad was great. We look forward to receiving the final wedding photos, which we know will be great. read more

Just as I suspected - our engagement photos are GORGEOUS! Chad did an amazing job capturing our natural smiles and laughs in some of the most beautiful and unique spots in Chicago. I now have complete confidence that our wedding photos will be stunning! I can't wait! Thanks so much Chad! read more

Chad shot our engagement photos here in Chicago, and did such a wonderful job, we also hired him to shoot our wedding in Puerto Rico. Chad and Mariann are so genuinely nice and easy-going (even when facing delays and unpredictable beach and rainforest weather) that they made us and everyone in our wedding so comfortable during portrait and other shots. Beyond being great to work with, they are incredibly talented and hard-working. They captured every big and small detail and moment so beautifully that our memories from the wedding are vivid because the photos reflect all the joy and excitement we felt. Chad is clearly experienced in shooting Chicago area weddings, but even though he had never shot in our venue (or been to Puerto Rico!), he was able to scout and identify great locations in Old San Juan, Condado Beach, and El Yunque Forest for amazing shots. He was timely responsive throughout our planning process, and exceeded all our expectations on the final product. We really couldn't have asked for better photos, and can't thank Chad and Mariann enough for their incredible work! read more

Chad and his assistant Sarah are really the dynamic duo when it comes to wedding photography. Both exude cheerful and professional auras making them enjoyable to work with and approachable by guests. Chad is extremely efficient in capturing a lot of quality images that really tell the story of the day. We had an hour in between our wedding ceremony and dinner (we planned to miss all of cocktail hour) to take family and wedding party pictures. We were apprehensive that we would miss out on some pictures or that the pictures would feel rushed. However, Chad was able to corral both of our large families, travel to our designated wedding party picture location, choose another location for us to take couple pictures, and still get the whole wedding party back to our reception before the end of cocktail hour. We were beyond impressed. At the reception, Chad and Sarah worked the room and did not miss a beat. Chad also made sure to check in with us periodically throughout the night to make sure he was capturing every moment we wanted. They also allowed our guests to pull them aside to take group pictures at any point in the evening, which really shows the dedication Husar Photography has for capturing the feel and energy of wedding days. We could not recommend Husar Photography enough for wedding photography! read more

We searched and met with several photographers before we were given the referral to check out Husar Photography. The first thing I did was check out his website. I was in love instantly. From his style of photography to his good taste in music playing in the background on his website, I knew our search was over. Chad and his team were professional, responsive, easy to work with, and genuinely great people. We had picked out locations prior to our wedding day with Chad's recommendations and we loved how all those outside pictures turned out. You would have never thought it was 30 degrees outside from looking at the photos. I don't think I am very photogenic but somehow Chad made me look amazing! We love all our photos from the entire day and enjoyed working with Chad and Vanessa. During the ceremony and reception they blended in with everyone else. It was fun to look at the pictures for the first time and see all the moments that they captured throughout night. My only regret was not having Chad do an engagement shoot with us. We opted to skip engagement photos since our wedding was only 5 months after we got engaged. Now I am jealous when I see all the great engagement shoots on Chad's blog! Overall, Chad and Vanessa were great throughout the entire process and we highly recommend them! They worked flawlessly together to give us pictures with a photojournalistic feel that we will cherish forever. Thank you! read more

I did extensive research to find a wedding photographer. What struck me about Chad Husar's portfolio was that his photographs repeatedly captured the feeling of beautiful moments. I cannot think of a more important factor on the day of your wedding. Chad noticeably put all his effort into our wedding day. Many of our guests commented on the number of photos he and Vanessa took and how they seemed to be everywhere. It is invaluable to have a book full of beautiful photographs of all of our guests. Chad's experience allows him to create unique photographs. He has endless ideas for scenes and backdrops. He works with you as a couple and he knows what does and does not work. Chad is incredibly talented, he is creative and he works hard. Compared to other high quality photographers in Chicago, Chad's prices are reasonable. There is no reason to look any further, Husar photography is who you want to photograph your wedding! read more

We really enjoyed working with Chad as our wedding photographer! He shot both engagement photos and our wedding day(8.29.15) as part of our package. Chad was great to work with and made both days fun and not awkward :) He had some great ideas for places to take photos, and easily adjusted when the weather posed a potential threat on our wedding day. We hope Chad and Mariann had as much as fun as we did throughout our day. The pictures turned out amazing and the site/download process for the photos afterwards was very easy. read more

We were married on Halloween of 2015 and hired Husar Photography for our engagement photos and wedding day. We could not have asked for a better photographer! He really captured us at our absolute best! I was impressed with Chad's ability to capture the candid moments without forcing us to do a lot of uncomfortable poses. He made us feel comfortable and brought out our fun sides! He put together thank you cards (which were adorable), a beautiful book of our favorite engagement photos, and a gorgeous bound book of our wedding favorites! He effortlessly captured my HUGE list of family portraits, and got some fantastic shots of the reception, dancing, and seemed to somehow catch every friend we invited at least once! It rained all day on our wedding, but Chad came up with a great idea to use black golf umbrellas and got us some fantastic outdoor shots despite the weather. If you are looking for a wedding photographer I literally could not reccommend anyone higher. I have already had more than one friend ask for his info after seeing our pictures. FANTASTIC! read more

Chad and Vanessa did a fantastic job at our wedding. Everyone loved them! Our wedding party had a blast with them (they were good sports) and our family was very impressed with how responsive they both were to our requests. My Mom was so happy because she said whenever she thought "I wish I had a picture of this" there were Chad & Vanessa clicking away! I was so impressed when I saw my Grandmother out on the dance floor from across the room and I asked Chad to get a picture, it was so awesome to hear "I already got it". Their customer service was fantastic and we can hardly wait for the pictures! We know from our engagement photos that they are going to be absolutely amazing! Chad has a true gift and we very highly recommend him to anyone looking for a fantastic wedding photographer that will take your pictures above and beyond anything you could imagine. read more

Without a doubt, Husar Photography was the best decision we ever made in regards to the wedding planning . They did both of our engagement session and wedding day. Both Chad and Vanessa were fabulous to work with -- easy going, flexible, and truly talented. I cannot tell say it enough how absoluetly beautiful our pictures turned out, and how even to this day friends and family, including my mother in law, are raving about them. They were able to capture all of the emotions of our day, way more that our video! after the wedding, they were very quick in getting us our pictures, and have been easy to work with while proofing our album. Chad also did a remarkable job listening to what we wanted in terns of locations, types of pictures, etc and transforming our vision, as well as his vision as an artist, into a seemless day. We loved all of the locations he picked out (we had asked him to do this). Our original engagement picture day was cold and monsooning, Chad immediately offered to re-schedule it so we wouldnt have to act so happy in such miserable weather :) On the wedding day, having 2 photographers was perfect! I really appreciated that they were able flawlessly fit in with the crowd, not miss a beat in terms of capturing everything, and have fun doing it! Although Husar photography was out of our budget, it seriously was worth every penny and the best money we spent. BOOK him immediately, you will not be disappointed!!!! Long review long, I truly believe that the portfolio / blog online is just a glimpse of the amazing work that Husar Photography turns out. It is not their top 10 pictures like some other vendors I looked at. Every picture taken was taken with a strategic and artisitic eye that no one can replicate and is far from generic. In fact, not to be cheesy, I have called our pictures magical :) Thank you Husar Photography for giving us a lifetime of memories! and for being so fun to work with!!! read more

Chad and his team were absolute perfection! They shot both our engagement and wedding photos, and captured some of the most special moments while showcasing the beautiful Chicago landscape. They were professional, but also super fun to work with! We could not have asked for a better photographer! read more

We have been working with Chad for two years now as he shot our engagement photos and wedding photos. His work is amazing - beyond any expectations we had. His photos are incredibly dynamic and he is a blast to work with. He is a down-to-earth, charismatic person that really makes you feel comfortable even on photo shoots that could be hours long or even in the rain! After shooting, he is quick in editing and produces amazing final results. We have nothing but good things to say about Husar Photography, and would definitely use them again in the future. read more

Chad's photos are incredible. I am an avid photographer and went to 5 wedding photographers looking for someone that had a journalistic view in their photos. If I want posed pictures then I will go to Glamour Shots, I want a photographer that takes pictures without asking/giving much direction. He gets the "real life" shots that are both timeless and artistic. I will tell you this, Chad is way under-priced compared to the other photographers I went to in the Chicago-land area. I would pay at least double the amount I did to receive the photos he shot. Kudos to you Chad, great perspective and fantastic photos. Check his site out to see more photos. www.husarphotography.com read more

After much research and trying to book the big-wigs in Chicago: Gerber + Scarpelli, Kevin Weistein, etc...who are all fabulous, but were booked up, we received Chad's name through various recommendations and we were not disappointed. We met with him a year before our wedding and his style is very laid back and calm, but he presents an alertness and feel for creativity that makes him engaged, and made us feel comfortable. There are so many photographers out there but we loved his style and demeanor. Family get togethers such as our wedding is always entertaining but he and Genevieve (his assistant) kept a calm, steady approach and I never once felt like he was in the way or not catching the right shots. I love his photo journalistic style, which was one of the reasons we booked him and I have to say, my family and friends are now all about him as well! Chad, thank you so much for capturing such pivotal moments on the most important day of our life. I am so fortunate we got to work together and we had so much fun with you! read more

I have nothing but sensational things to say about Chad. People are continually blown away by our wedding photos. What attracted me to Chad initially was his ability to capture moments that so many other photographers seemed to miss, and he did not disappoint. I will cherish our photos forever and many of them are already framed around our house. Vanessa was also fantastic and a delight to work with. She and Chad worked seamlessly together. An engagement session really helped us get to know Chad better and get used to being photographed. You will not regret hiring Husar Photography. read more

Chad was recommended to me by a photographer who was unavailable to shoot our wedding. Chad was also unavailable. We chose another photographer who we really liked. Turns out Chad's other wedding was canceled and he ended up being the associate photographer for our wedding. He was super awesome. His personality is great which made us feel very comfortable in front of the camera. He also seemed to be catching tons of 'perfect moments' and is very knowledgeable about the best angles/lighting. We are really happy and can't wait to see his photographs which we are sure be fantastic! read more

Chad shot our wedding in May of 2013 and we could not be happier with the outcome! Right off the bat, Chad was very comfortable to be around, he didn't try to sell us anything we didn't need (which happens a lot with wedding vendors) and was really helpful in explaining his style of photography and how it might reflect what we were looking for in our wedding pictures. Our friends and family have continuously complimented our engagement and wedding pictures, and many have asked for Chad's information for their own special days! We are so happy we went with Chad for our pictures because it was truly an amazing experience! read more

We worked with Husar Photography for our engagement shots and our wedding this past September. The work they did was beyond our expectations. From the beginning Chad's passion was evident and his care for understanding his clients and their needs set him apart from other photographers we met. He was professional, a true expert, well organized, and a great communicator. On the wedding day, Chad and Mariann were extra early, scoped out our location ahead of time so he had several locations for us to use, and he managed to keep us ahead of schedule! It's important that you choose a photographer you trust and feel comfortable around as the day can be a bit of an emotional roller coaster. We loved Chad's upbeat and friendly attitude, calm and professional demeanor. He did a great job of putting us at ease in front of the camera and capturing so much of our day as it organically happened. Each photo was taken with care and captured everyone at their best. We would absolutely recommend you work with Husar Photography! read more

This guy has mad skill working that camera. BOOK HIM.

We got married April 2016 and had Chad shoot our engagement session and our wedding. He did a fabulous job for the engagement and took us to all the city places that I wanted. On our wedding day we had terrible weather rain and high winds. All of the outdoor shots that I wanted we were no longer able to do but Chad stepped right in and had amazing suggestions at the Art Institute. At first I was totally bummed we wouldn't get any outdoor shots but we got unbelievable shots indoors that I like them better than my outdoor shot ideas. You would've never known the kind of weather we had from our pictures. He was with us every inch of the way and is so easy and casual to work with but still gets the job done!!! I couldn't be happier with my experience and our couture book at the end was to die for. So unique no other photographer offered when we did our initial interviews. It is something I will have for a lifetime and always cherish the memories. I look at the book constantly. We constantly get complements on our photos. Thank you!!!!! read more

Chad was AMAZING! I couldn't ask for more... my entire family and wedding party was and still is raving about him and his partner, Vanessa. He came prepared with all the small things you forget about (hangers, bandaids, pins).. he rode with us in the limo and when I actually saw the pictures, I had no idea how he did it: he was taking amazing pictures and talking and laughing with us the whole way! The pics. turned out amazing- I would recommend him to ANYONE and use him again if I had to do it all over! read more

My husband and I received our wedding proofs back a few days ago after our October 10th wedding and absolutely all of the photos are perfection! We received around 1400 pictures and I started staring my "must haves" for our photo book and quickly realized I was staring every single photo. There was an amazing range of posed portraits and candid shots and he made many available both in black and white which having both options is incredible. No detail was left undiscovered. As the bride there are SO many details you miss in the blur of madness that is your wedding weekend. Chad and his second shooter (she shot with my husband so forgive me for not recalling her name) captured all the small details I had forgotten, menu cards, linens, custom napkins, bar set up and appetizers. My husband and I chose to not do a first look and Chad was completely on board with that - he didn't pressure us to change our minds like many photographers do. Even though we had a limited time to shoot Chad was able to capture so many different shots that it looks as though we had hours upon hours of shooting time. On top of his beautiful work he is incredible to work with - he is so efficient and he blends into your wedding and you quickly forget hes there snapping away. He also thoughtfully worked with our Videographer who we hired from out of town - he made sure they knew their way around the venue (as he shot there many times) and had all the best angles that he had - he did not have to do that and we appreciate it so much. I have nothing but positive comments and would refer him to any family or friend in a second. I cant wait to find a way to work with him again. read more