This version reads like a genuine, enthusiastic 5-star review while incorporating all of your highlights: If we could give Colin Lyons and the Love & Lyons Photography team more than 5 stars, we absolutely would. From the very beginning, Colin went above and beyond in every possible way. He wasn't just our photographer--he became a trusted partner throughout the wedding planning process. He took the time to truly get to know us as a couple, starting with our engagement photoshoot a year before the wedding. He learned our personalities, our style, and the overall vibe we wanted for our wedding weekend. Leading up to the big day, he was incredibly responsive, helping us think through everything from rain plans to photo locations and even giving us guidance on poses that would make us look our best. His preparation and attention to detail made us feel completely confident that we were in great hands. Colin also attended our venue walkthrough and was actively involved in planning during the week of the wedding. It was clear that he had done his homework and genuinely cared about making our day special. His creative eye is second to none, and he constantly found unique opportunities for beautiful and memorable photos throughout the day. One of the biggest surprises was the incredible photo booth he generously provided. It was a huge hit with our guests! The setup was professional, the photos were high quality, the backdrop was beautiful, and his team member made the entire experience seamless and fun for everyone. On the wedding day, Colin brought the perfect energy. He was funny, laid-back, and easygoing, which helped reduce so much stress and allowed us to actually relax and have fun. He made us feel comfortable in front of the camera and captured natural moments that never felt forced or overly posed. We also included our dog, Bagel, in our wedding photos, and Colin was amazing with him. He knew exactly how to engage him, keep his attention, and capture some of our favorite photos from the entire day. What truly sets Colin apart is how much he cares. Even after a full day of shooting, he stayed extra hours into the evening to capture additional creative photos and candid guest moments. One of our favorite examples of his dedication was when he tracked down pickleball paddles and balls so we could do a themed photoshoot with our pickleball-inspired seating chart and signage. The photos turned out absolutely adorable and became some of the most unique and memorable images from the entire wedding. It was such a thoughtful touch that perfectly reflected us as a couple. The photos themselves are stunning, but what we appreciate most is the experience Colin and his team created. They brought professionalism, creativity, enthusiasm, and genuine care to every interaction. We felt like they were just as invested in making our wedding day incredible as we were. We truly cannot say enough good things about Colin and the entire Love & Lyons Photography team. If you're looking for a photographer who is talented, creative, responsive, fun, and willing to go above and beyond in every way, stop searching and book Colin immediately. He is simply the best. read more

Hiring Colin to shoot our wedding was one of the best decisions we've ever made! From our first conversation with him, we knew he was the right person for us. Hilarious, down-to-earth, professional while still being incredibly personable - what more could you want? We were instantly comfortable and couldn't wait to work with him. Leading up to our wedding, we had multiple conversations to review the shot list, photo locations, and what was most important to us in terms of photography. Colin listened, provided so many helpful ideas and created the perfect schedule for us. Day-of, Colin and Jim were simply the best. They make everyone feel comfortable and at ease, like we're all just hanging out together at the best party ever. They kept the wedding party on schedule, chatted it up with everyone, and caught every single important moment while somehow blending in to the background. Knowing they were there took away all my anxiety about getting the photos I wanted, and Colin served as a much-needed source of comfort and comic relief throughout the day. Finally, receiving our pictures was one of the best parts of the post-wedding months. The photos are STUNNING - exactly what we wanted to make the memories last forever. Every time I scroll through them, I can't help but grin from ear to ear. Thank you Colin, for preserving our wedding in the best way possible! read more

If I had to rank my wedding vendors, Colin Lyons would be #1 on my list. He was absolutely amazing, professional and just such a positive person to be around. What else can you ask for on your wedding day? Colin shot our wedding at City View Loft. He showed up at my apartment for hair and makeup before 10am and literally stayed until midnight because he genuinely enjoys what he does and cares about his clients. He didn't want to miss anything, and looking back at the wedding photos, it is apparent that he got every single shot. He did a phenomenal job. Colin also shot our engagement photos in South Carolina with us and we all had sooo much fun! There were so many photos to choose from for our save the dates. My husband and I were so happy and couldn't recommend him enough. read more

Love & Lyons - Event Photography Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Colin seems like a nice guy. I'll start with that. Colin came highly recommended. Never sent us a contract even though we asked. After making sure he'd send us a contract to sign, he then decided that a friends 'welcome event' which had just popped up was more important to him than an obligation he'd made as a business endeavor to us at the same time. He asked to send a replacement to our wedding when his friend decided to have his welcome party the same day as our wedding. After suggesting the replacement go to the welcome event rather than fragment our wedding at 6pm, he couldn't handle it and bailed. Additionally, the cryptic email wasn't event clear enough so we emailed back for clarification. Cannot recommend Colin for this reason. If you want someone who is committed to your special day, this might not be the guy for you as he has my future bride In tears. Back to the drawing board. No hard feelings. I get it. If my close friends were adding extra things to their special day I'd do my best to be there as well. What I wouldn't do, however, Is cancel on a couple I'd promised a contract to- don't understand how he's highly rated if this is his business model. Buyers beware. read more

If you want amazing wedding photos with someone who is incredibly easy to work with, look no further than Colin Lyons! We reached out to Colin after viewing his photos online, and met with him over a year before our wedding at his studio downtown. He pulled out a bottle of champagne as soon we arrived, and let us look through his albums (digital and print) while talking through his process. We booked right away for our 9/8/18 wedding and we're so happy we did! Originally we hadn't planned on getting engagement photos, but Colin included them in his package and we thought they would be good practice. We got great photos and had a lot of fun, even though it was cold and snowy outside. Closer to the wedding, I reached out with our list of photos we wanted to get and to talk through a rain back-up plan, and Colin responded immediately suggesting we connect the week prior to the wedding to confirm and touch base on everything. He had great suggestions for a rain back-up, and totally put our minds at ease. The day of the wedding he arrived at the hotel where we were getting ready with the second photographer, Jordan. Everyone loved him and Jordan and they were great about working around our hair and make-up team and all the others coming in and out of the room. They fully coordinated our first look which was perfect, and helped to make sure we stayed on time for the rest of the wedding party and family photos. Colin included a photo booth at no additional cost for our wedding (a big hit), and brought another photographer to capture those photos. Throughout the event I barely noticed them there, and he was great about timing our 'sparkler exit' photo so that it didn't kill our dance floor. In addition to being relaxed and easy to work with, Colin sent over a preview of our photos the night of the wedding. They are AMAZING, and we've received so many compliments on how perfect they are. We can't wait to see all of the photos captured on our special day! If you are looking for amazing wedding photography, we would definitely recommend booking Colin & his team for your big day! read more

Love & Lyons - Event Photography Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Are you getting married? Are you looking for the perfect wedding photographer? Look no further. I've got just the man for you: Colin Lyons. Colin is talented, fun, flexible, and thoroughly professional. He will create beautiful, artistic, magical masterpieces to preserve your engagement and wedding memories. Colin is very experienced and happy to guide you in other wedding related matters too, like how to properly cut your cake. Yes, I know it sounds pretty simple now but wait till you are standing in front of a room full of people staring at a multilevel, heavily decorated confection trying to figure out where to make the first incision. Colin is not the cheapest photographer around but is cheap what you really want for capturing the biggest day of your life? Just go with Colin. He will exceed your expectations. Consider this my wedding gift to you... and you don't even need to invite me to the reception! read more

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Colin Lyons Photography is AWESOME!!!!! When beginning the search for a wedding photographer, I remembered that I loved someone's wedding pictures that I saw on facebook a couple years ago. I messaged that person and got a glowing recommendation. I immediately set up a meeting with Colin. From the beginning, Colin was laid-back, open-minded, and flexible. He gave us a winter discount since our wedding was in December. Throughout the planning process, Colin was easy to reach for the random question and squeezed us in for an engagement session when we changed our minds and decided we wanted to do it. He reached out to us to have a meeting a couple weeks before the wedding to discuss logistics and picture requests. Colin was super calm and fun during our engagement session and wedding day. We got our engagement pictures back after 30 days and received SO many compliments on our save-the-dates. We received a wedding preview 30 days after the event and received all the pictures 60 days after the event. We had a slideshow and an awesome website we could send to family and friends where Colin had all the pictures nicely organized into categories. Colin took the best formal and candid pictures!! Colin set up a super fun photo booth at the wedding where guests could plug their email addresses into his iPad and get all the pictures emailed to them that night!!! It was a huge hit! Overall, Colin was super easy (and really fun) to work with, he was professional, and our pictures are amazing!!! I would highly recommend you hire him! read more

We hired Colin to be our engagement, wedding and reception photographer (wedding dates: June 29th and June 30th) Engagement photoshoot Scheduling our photo shoot was seamless and was done over email where we picked our 3 locations. Colin went over and above to capture great pictures and made us feel at ease! Our engagement photo shoot was fun and we received our pictures in approximately a month. Wedding and Reception photoshoot For the wedding and reception, Colin and his crew went above and beyond. During the ceremony, they had all the right angles and didn't miss anything important. They tried to have at least 1 photographer follow us (bride and groom) around so we can take pictures with our guests, which have all turned out amazing! The package also included a photobooth (with props!) which was a HUGE hit with our guests. Our guests could easily email the photos to themselves via an iPad he had set up by the booth. Colin and his assistant (Dan) came in early and stayed late to make sure that they captured every moment of our event. The pictures turned out AMAZING and we are overjoyed with the quality of the work they did. Overall Some of the things that stood out: Colin is very responsive over email and ensures that he meets us before the wedding to go over timelines and any specific pictures we would like. He is great at taking candid pictures; which is great as I don't do well with posed pictures. Colin is a remarkable photographer and we would highly recommend him! He is truly passionate about wedding photography which is reflected in the end result. read more

It was an amazing experience working with Colin both for our engagement shoot back in October and for our wedding over Memorial Day weekend. Colin is very friendly, personable, and professional. He had wonderful suggestions for shoot locations, but also asked for our input. Our wedding had a Chicago theme as the majority of our guests were from out-of-town, and I liked how Colin picked locations unique to Chicago to take pictures (rather than the usual touristy landmarks). Both of us can be camera shy, but Colin put us at ease and made us feel comfortable in front of the camera. It helped working with him on the engagement photos so we were relaxed and accustomed to him by the wedding. I liked how he gave us directions, but also let us be ourselves throughout the shoots. We also had the pleasure of working with his assistant Renny on our wedding day. Both Colin and Renny were on time (if not early), excited, and worked well not only with the bridal party, but with the wedding guests. They were also patient with our many family members who also wanted to take similar group photos during the reception! The weather did not hold up after the ceremony and we ended up having to change shoot locations, but still got beautiful photos. Also, both of them had a lot of experience shooting at the reception venue. Colin is a very talented photographer...all of the pictures turned out amazing!! He gave us all of our photos and the slideshow a month after our wedding. We received so many compliments from our family and friends about the quality of his work. His work is timeless... I highly recommend Colin and his team to anyone getting married! read more

Of all the experiences that my wife and I had during our wedding, Colin might have been the most pleasant and memorable of them all. He has a spectacular combination of professionalism and talent. He truly understood what we were looking for. Colin is a terrific listener and he is tremendously thoughtful. We allowed him some artistic freedom and he created something delightfully unique. The photos were absolutely stunning. Colin knows the city so well. His naturally artistic ability allows him to really separate himself from the rest of photographers. Our wedding album is not only a collection of our special day, but a tour of some of Chicago's most eclectic sceneries. His understanding of color, contrast, lighting and architecture is second to none. Most of the venues we visited were outdoors, but Colin even had a rock solid backup if the weather didn't cooperate. He never takes a moment off. He even waited until the evening and then took us on Michigan Avenue to take some unbelievable photos right on the Magnificent Mile! You would truly be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't consider Colin for your wedding. He made the special day into our perfect day. Thank you, Colin. read more

When discussing our wedding day, my husband and I both agreed that photography was a priority for us. Colin had photographed a wedding for a couple we knew, and I loved the pictures. We received our pictures yesterday and they did not disappoint - I think I've looked at all 800 of them at least 10 times in the past day. Check out his portfolio - it speaks for itself. What I think sets Colin apart is his personality. He's super easy-going which is so critical on what can be a stressful day. He interacted so naturally with my bridal party and family, and that comfort helped really to capture people's personalities. He's not shy about rolling up his sleeves and helping with whatever is needed - picking up caffeinated beverages for those who are tired, cleaning my dress from the outdoor pictures, etc. He also included a photo booth in our package. The quality of the pictures is so much better than any other photo booth I've seen. Definitely have the photo booth - the pictures are super fun to look at afterwards! Colin was our #1 wedding vendor! read more

When my wife and I began the process of looking for photographers for our wedding, we started with recommendations from friends and the wedding planner from the hotel we were married at, but ultimately weren't finding anyone we were pleased with. So, we decided to do what everyone does nowadays and looked to Yelp. From all the photographers we found on Yelp, Colin definitely stood out among the crowd. From the first time we talked to Colin, we knew we had found our guy. He was extremely accommodating, confident in himself and his work, and had amazing suggestions when it came to finding locations for both our engagement shoot and the pictures in between our ceremony and the reception. He was simply the best! On the day of the wedding, he was fantastic. He was there when we wanted him to be to take the specific pictures we wanted with our friends and family and he stayed out of everyone's way when it came to getting all of the action shots. He did an amazing job of truly capturing the excitement of our big day. After the wedding, Colin has been amazing. He had the photos ready when promised and the best thing is that he gives ALL rights to the pictures to us. And the pictures don't have his name on every one of them. We would highly recommend Colin, and have recommended Colin, to anyone looking to hire a photographer for their wedding. We couldn't be more pleased. read more

I got married last month, and Colin did an amazing job with our photographs. Many of my family and friends say that they are the best wedding pictures that they have ever seen. With many wedding photographers, you get onl a handfull of "great" pictures. With Colin, you get hundreds of amazing pictures. Colin also included a slideshow of the pictues set to music, which is a fun way to share the pictures with people. Moreover, Colin was very easy going and great to work with. I strongly recommend him for your wedding. read more

If I had to recommend one wedding vendor that people must use, it would be Colin Lyons! He captured our wedding perfectly and was so much fun to work with. Colin captured every small moment and detail of the day, even the fleeting ones that lasted only a second. My wife had tons of picture requests to get throughout the night and Colin got them all. Colin is clearly passionate about his work and has so much fun doing his job. He made us comfortable throughout the day and made it easy to get such amazing wedding shots. On top of that, his experience shines through in his suggestions, his ability to keep the day moving, and obviously the pictures! Colin even went the extra mile and pushed our trolley driver to make one more stop to snap some incredible pictures. I've had multiple friends and guests tell me the pictures really captured the emotion of the day. Another even said they wished their photographer was as good as him!!! We met with Colin multiple times before the wedding and always felt like we were hanging out with a friend. He makes you comfortable and takes your ideas seriously, even the strange ones, and offers his suggestions. We never felt rushed or pushed to do anything we didn't want. On top of that Colin put in extra time during our engagement shoot (also amazing), all our meetings, and the day of. He's also the most responsive vendor we had, responding same day to most e-mails. Long story short, USE COLIN!!!! read more

Based on all of the previous reviews here on Yelp, it should not be a surprise that Colin really is the BEST photographer! My husband and I were living in Philadelphia while we were planning our wedding in Chicago. Colin came HIGHLY recommended by our wedding planners and choosing Colin was the best decision we could of have made for our wedding. Colin made it very convenient to plan our engagement pictures during our visits back to Chicago. My husband and I by no means consider ourselves professionals in front of the camera and we were very scared how our pictures were going to turn out. All thanks to Colin, the pictures came out beautiful and not awkward as we felt during the engagement photo shoot at all. Additionally, he always made himself available as it got closer to the wedding to touch base on the details and ideas we had for our wedding. He was always able to meet us at locations which were convenient for us which was very helpful since we were coming in from out of town and didn't have time to drive all over the city. We didn't have a location in mind that we had to shoot at, and we really relied on Colin to come up with unique, beautiful locations and he came up with some amazing locations for us and our large bridal party to shoot at. He made the entire process enjoyable and comfortable both for us and our entire party. Both him and Elena were amazing to work with and helped us out on both Friday and Saturday. We are so thankful that we chose to work with Colin and Elena and we would recommend them to all our friends in need of a photographer. read more

We just had our engagement photo shoot on Sunday and I already got my slideshow on Tuesday morning! I know many of my friends have waited weeks for theirs! We asked for urban/industrail type settings and Colin came up with some great ideas for them (scrap yard, alley, and railroad cars)! While taking the photos he was professional and easy to be around. He also was very open to some of the ideas I had and didn't mind when I asked him to take a shot that I was thinking of. We have already recieved a ton of compliments and I can't wait to get the photos printed. We are looking forward to our wedding photos in May! 6-5-10 We just had our wedding and saw our slideshow from Colin- it's amazing! He and his team were the nicest people to work with and it felt like we were hanging with our friends all day. I asked for a ton of certain shots and he never acted like I was stepping on his toes or being a bridezilla. The best part- he was an hour early! Can't ask for a better thing on your wedding day. One less thing to think about. Now I am waiting to get the rest of the images, but am confident they will be exactly what I was wanting. Thanks Colin (and Elena and Kelly) read more

Colin did an amazing job for both our engagement & wedding photos! He not only is very professional but also super easy to work with and flexible with our needs. We live in NYC and had our wedding in downtown Chicago, so Colin's knowledge of the best places to shoot in Chicago were great! Everyone at our wedding has loved the pictures that Colin captured. We couldn't be more pleased with the quality of the work & variety of style. Our vendors commented as well on how great his pictures were and how he really captured the night!! read more

Colin and his team made our wedding day unforgettable! Out of all our vendors, he went above and beyond, delivered perfection, and really was committed to the work. Truly - I cannot say enough good things about Colin & his team. I would hire him for any event - he is a true professional, artist, and friend! Colin met with us twice before the wedding just to get to know us and understand what we liked. He was proactive with emailing and responding. He was very organized and a dream to work with. More than that - on the days of the wedding, his team made our wedding INCREDIBLE! As the bride, I spent more time with Colin & his team than anyone else on my wedding day, and he and his team are hilarious and so helpful. Even when times could be stressful, Colin would be there to run my keys to my mother, or let me know where my husband was; he was not just a photographer but everything we needed! For the photos themselves, both my husband and I do not enjoy having pictures taken of us, but their whole team made it feel natural and unbelievably fun! He was a true artist - at times my husband and I wanted to call it quits, but Colin saw opportunities for great shots (running in and out of traffic to get them)! He organized his own car to make sure that he would be able to travel around with us through Chicago. He really is an artist! read more

Colin and his assistants (also VERY qualified) were absolutely amazing!!!! They were there for every moment - sliding across the dance floor if needed to get the perfect shot. He has great energy and interacted really well with our group. We had a huge bridal party (10 each!) and I never felt like the photos were forced or that he was ordering us to pose certain ways. The day ran so smoothly! Our guests loved the photo booth, for which props were provided and got pretty goofy - several of my friends now have them as profile pictures, etc. A very nice bonus and fun activity for guests who need a break from the dance floor. He'd be great in any space, but was especially perfect for our Art Institute wedding. He went to school there and knows the art like the back of his hand. Some of my favorite shots were walking around in the museum right before the ceremony. I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend Colin. My younger siblings will definitely be hiring him for their future weddings. Thanks again, Colin!!! read more

LOVE LOVE LOVE everyone at Colin Lyons photography. We had great fun at my wedding, the pictures were awesome and I recommended him highly ENOUGH! FLEXIBLE! I was preggers at the time when I would've have our engagement shoot so he suggested we add the hour to our wedding instead. FAST! we had a photo station at the wedding and people could email their photos to themselves or post on facebook immediately! I also got the complete set of images from the photo station within 2 weeks. PROFESSIONAL! on the day of the wedding he and his assistant were ready to go- I was running late. He took no time to take advantage of the time my bridal party and I took to getting ready and shot detail shots of my dress, flowers, accessories, etc. By the time we were done a few shots of us and poof on the trolley we went- on schedule. He also directed the whole day, gave directions to the trolley chauffeur, set up shots and looks which the videographers from FIG MEDIA (another great company) followed and were able to get great video footage. GOOD TIMES! A great photographer and his staff should be able to make their "subject" feel at ease. In this case 22 people. YES, we were all obviously at ease and having a great time. I'm sure my marriage is forever and won't be need Colin's services again- BUt I will recommend, recommend. or maybe we'll fly him out to Mexico for our 5 year or 10 year renewals in 4 -9 more years. I think he'd approve. read more

Colin and his associates are the perfect mix of professional and fun. Wedding photography requires planning, flexibility, creativity and organization. Colin exceeded my expectations on all accounts and I had high expectations. He is great at organizing the day ahead of time and managing your expectations. He took fantastic photos and was great at managing the group as I requested. I would highly recommend having Christie or Colin shoot your rehearsal dinner - it is nice to have pictures from the entire weekend. The photo studio is the latest in "photo booths" but is a larger, digital version. I made signs to use in the photo studio which were a total hit. The photo studio is a great example of how innovative Colin is. Your photography and your memories are all you have at the end of the day. Consider Colin! read more

Colin is the best! When my husband and I were looking for photographers, we knew Colin would be a great pick based on the beautiful pictures from his website. In addition to taking wonderful pictures, Colin is so easy to talk to, and we knew we would love spending our wedding day with him (you spend most of your day with your photographer!). Our engagement session was one of our favorite days of 2012. We had decided to go shoot at the botanical gardens, but Colin also let us squeeze in some pictures downtown beforehand and even found us some free parking. After the gardens, we went to get sushi for lunch and Colin shot some awesome pictures there, too! He is very spontaneous and really is able to capture the moment. For our wedding day, we met beforehand and discussed where we wanted to take our pictures. Then, on the big day, he showed up early...and very well dressed I may add. So well dressed that when my groom went to go get his groomsmen, people were congratulating Colin and I! Colin directed our trolley driver around the city based on what we discussed, we took the most amazing pictures, and then we made it to the church in time! For our reception, we had Colin set up a photobooth, and they are some of the best pictures that we've ever seen of our guests. We got the photobooth pictures a day after the wedding, and we got the rest of our pictures this week...they are beautiful!!! Colin really captured the emotions from that day, and my husband and I can't stop smiling when we look at them. read more

Colin is amazing!! Colin photographed our wedding in June 2016, and I can't say enough wonderful things about him and the pictures he took. My husband and I met with several photographers, but when we met Colin and saw his work, we instantly knew that he was the right photographer. From the engagement shoot to the day of the wedding, Colin put us at ease and just made everything fun. He effortlessly interacted with our guests and family and captured pictures that look natural, in the moment, and amazing. Colin also brings a photo booth to the wedding and guests can email the pictures directly to themselves. It was a huge hit, our guests loved it. Colin was so great to work with and we couldn't be happier with our wedding pictures! I Strongly recommend Colin!! read more

I had quite an unfortunate experience with Mr. Lyons' business. My fiancee and I were looking for a wedding photographer and based on Yelp and the Knot, we very much liked Colin. We went on his website and were disturbed to find that he wants to be friends with all of his clients. Our friends are coming to the wedding, we're not looking to make friends with the photographer. We just want the wedding photographer to do a thorough and thoughtful job. We were further disturbed by looking at his Facebook and seeing that he was in some photos of his clients' weddings. One Yelp review (filtered - I wonder if Mr. Lyons is a paid advertiser), even suggested he was flirtatious with female guests. Talking to a friend who had been a guest at one of the weddings he shot, this seems to echo this reputation. Based on the beautiful work on his website and reviews on the Knot, we thought we would give him a shot, but ask certain boundaries would be in place. Colin was quick with getting back to us. He wasn't free for the day of and made another photographer suggestion. We weren't as big of fans of her work. We asked if Colin was free for the engagement shoot, and it turned out he was. When we asked for another referral to a photographer for the day of our wedding, but one that was married, Colin relayed that marriage status was protected under the law and so forth. Despite our open schedule for the engagement shoot, after asking for a referral to a married photographer for the day of the wedding, Colin was suddenly no longer available. He seemed to be offended by this query and wrote, "We [photographers] are goofy artists who befriend our clients." This man is delusional. Who in the world hires a photographer to be their friend? Weddings are stressful enough. If you want a professional who will not insert himself into your wedding pictures or flirt with your guests and won't back out of an engagement shoot for no explicit reason, I suggest you look to another wedding photographer. read more

We used Colin Lyons Photography for our wedding last fall. Colin was the ultimate in professionalism. He was great at capturing the shots that were very important to us and also incorporating some of his own that we hadn't thought of beforehand. Colin was very flexible in working with our time constraints and also keeping family members in line after the ceremony. I give him credit because corralling our families is like trying to heard cats. We couldn't have been more pleased with the finished disc of pictures and the easy format they came in, making sending copies to family members a snap. Colin was a great addition to our special day and captured the moments we will treasure for the future. read more

Colin is a great photographer and well worth the money! The first thing to note is that he was very responsive throughout our planning process. I especially liked that he put out of offices on his email when he was out of town for shoots so I would know when to expect to hear from him. It made communication back and forth very easy. He was also very straight forward and honest with us which was refreshing. Instead of just trying to make money off of us, he let us know that it would be the same amount of money or even cheaper just to print photos on our own (instead of through him) and to make our own photo album. This turned out to be great advice as I did our photo album myself on shutterfly. It turned out beautiful, I got to choose all the photos I wanted to use and it was much cheaper. As far as his photos go, they are beautiful! Both my husband, who is an amateur photographer himself, and myself were very pleased with the quality and clarity of the photos. We were also happy with everything Colin captured. We have fantastic photos of all parts of our day including getting ready, our first look, bridal party and family photos, everyone walking down the aisle, our ring exchange, our first kiss, etc. etc. He captured it all! We took photos all around Chicago prior to the ceremony and Colin made sure that we got everything in and stuck to our timeline. Also, since the weather forecast turned out to be less than stellar, Colin called me the day before to let me know that he would bring umbrellas for everyone and had back up spots in mind to take the place of some of our outdoor shot locations. He also stayed later into the night than expected to make sure he captured enough of the reception and took us outside to take night photos, which turned out AMAZING! The only thing I wish Colin did more of was give us a little more direction when setting up shots of the entire bridal party. After seeing the photos I kind of understand why he doesn't do this as the best photos are the candid ones that aren't "staged", however, I would have liked a few more, interesting posed photos with the bridal party. Overall, I am extremely happy with Colin (and the 2nd photographer he brought with him) and would definitely recommend him to other brides! If you want a seasoned wedding photographer who knows what he's doing and takes gorgeous photos, Colin is for you! On a side note: the photo booth was AMAZING. It took fantastic photos and everyone got a digital copy which was way better then those little strips that most people print out for you. As the bride and groom you also get all of the hilarious photo booth photos digitally which is great. I highly recommend doing this! read more

Post-Wedding and my sentiments are still the same. On the day of the wedding he had an assistant and a 3rd photographer who was in training. He was on-time, excited (but relaxed which helped me with my stress), confident, and was great working with our guests. I was left with over 1,000 photographes to pick and choose from. Colin put together a slideshow set to my pic of music as an additional perk and send me my final disk in London (where I now live). I honestly can not think of anything that Colin didn't do well - it was such an easy experience working with him. I would hire him again (maybe I will for some wedding renewal vows in like 20 years!)He's a great value for his level of professionalism, style, and experience. I highly recommend Colin - book him before he becomes too famous and expensive. :) read more

Couldn't have been happier with our choice of photographer for our wedding. From our first meeting with Colin we were impressed, both with him as a person and the work that he showed us. He was thorough in his preparation, and as professional as they come. It was obvious he knew the city well and how to capture it through his lens. On our wedding day, he and his assistants handled our guests well and adapted perfectly to our venue (Oak Brook Marriott Resort). His artistic eye and unique perspective resulted in fun and unique photos that truly captured the energy, emotion and beauty of the day. He and his assistants were always in the right place at the right time, though never intrusive. In particular, the color in our photos just seems to jump off the page. We talked to many photographers, and in the end we're sure we made the right choice. Colin is truly the best, and we look forward to displaying his top-notch work for years to come as we remember our wonderful wedding day. read more

Being in the catering industry it was fun having the tables turned. I recently stood up for a friends wedding and experienced Colin Lyons Photography first hand. Professional? Check. Creative? Check. Fast? You got it. And, the quality, superb. He did a fantastic job at being part of the event without having an overpowering presence. Not only did he do a wonderful job as someone being a part of a wedding, but he's been a pleasure to work with in the professional world as well. I'm so glad I was able to make connections with his photography company and could not even put into words what a pleasure it is to work with him and his team. Don't even bother looking anywhere else - if you've stopped off at this yelp review, check out his website, and book right away! read more

My husband and I cannot even begin to explain how happy we are we chose Colin and his team to be our wedding photographers. It was the BEST decision we made when planning. His photos were done in a timely manner and were so accessible via cd, slideshow and online gallery. Our friends and family had easy access as well. He took every single one of the pictures I requested (which was a TON) and he even printed out my pintrest board (and carried it around to ensure he got everything I asked for). He also took about 1000 beautiful shots I could never have even asked for. He is so very talented. Clay, his assistant came with him and we loved him too! I had a last minute veil dilemma and Clay hopped in the cab to help me and my two friends. He was holding my veil as I had to run through the salon! They are good good people. Colin is kind, understanding and hands down one of the most talented people we have ever worked with. Our pictures are the best pictures we have ever seen. We met him at a friends wedding and knew immediately we needed him for our wedding. He was not only our photographer, but soon turned into a friend. He will amaze you with his talent, dedication and professionalism. I have a Type A personality and was definitely even more of a Type A bride! He never once seemed even the slightest bit irritated with my five thousand questions or emails. Colin was patient, understanding and accommodating. His work went beyond any expectations we could have ever imagined. We feel so lucky to have not only worked with Colin, but for being able to get to know him. Everyone from our families to our bridal party loved him. We cannot stop looking at our pictures. Book Colin now! There is no way you will regret it!! :) We did tons of research prior to meeting Colin and as soon as we met him, we knew we hit the jackpot! read more

My husband and I used Colin for our wedding just this past weekend; we couldn't leave for our honeymoon without writing this review for him! Colin was simply fantastic; he was professional, fun to work with, paid attention to our likes and dislikes, and was extremely creative and talented with his shots! My husband and I really wanted some great city shots and Colin made that happen; he was full of great ideas for locations and shots that will leave us with amazing memories of our wedding! We had more than the average amount of family formats and Colin was patient with our group! Colin was by far, more than a pleasure to work with! read more

Great photos and great experience. Colin did our engagement photos in May 2011 and our wedding in May 2012 at the Newberry Library. we couldn't be happier. Not only our the photos great, but Colin was a great collaborator as well. His style of is perfect for weddings, he captures the key needs of a wedding along with candid moments and unique ideas. We highly recommend. read more

My son had the photo booth! What an amazing time. Almost 2,500 pictures taken! It was one of the highlights of the wedding for sure. Colin was so accommodating - there was never a lull in the pictures. Thanks guys. You helped to make the wedding great. read more

Colin is amazing. He's such a nice guy and made us laugh a lot during the photo shoot which helped because we were so uncomfortable at the thought of doing it. We live in San Diego but had our engagement party and photoshoot in Chicago and Colin was great at communicating and keeping us on schedule since we had so much going on during our visit. Our guests at the engagement party said he was so friendly and very courteous. His reviews are honest. He really is great. Give him a try because you will not regret it! Our pictures are stunning. read more

Love & Lyons - This was a great time - Event Photography Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We recently had Colin shoot our wedding and he was awesome! His work alone is worth five stars but as a person Colin is top notch. We were lucky to have him. read more

My daughter got married on Memorial Day, 2018. Through every step of the process, Colin was amazing! Prompt (actually early!), professional, with many excellent tips to make the day go smoothly. And it did! Despite late arriving family members, we finished all the photos we wanted and had time for the bride and groom to breathe before the ceremony. Colin and his team worked hard to get every shot but did it all with grace and good humor. They put everyone at ease and seemed to have a great time taking all those pictures. We can't wait to see them! We will be recommending Colin to everyone we know, so book early!! read more

In planning our wedding, my wife and I decided we wanted to hire the best photographer as we considered this an extremely important part of our special day. In reading reviews from others/websites and meeting Colin, we decided that he was our guy! My wife and I are laid back and fun which meshed well with Colin's style! From the initial meeting to the engagement photos to the actual wedding day, Colin did a phenomenal job! We were impressed with his talent, creativity, demeanor, and ability to bring out the best in my wife and I during the shoots. His assistant did a fantastic job as well and it is nice to see a team on the same page. We loved that he surprised us with sparklers at the end of the wedding for a fun end to the night. You just feel very comfortable with him and his team and it makes the whole wedding that much more fun and crazy! The photos themselves were amazing as well as the slideshows he put together. We are so excited to complete our wedding books and would love to have Colin do shoots for us in the future! We highly recommend Colin and could not have made a better decision for the best day of our lives! read more

Colin was the perfect choice for our wedding photographer! Colin had previously photographed my sister's wedding and when my now husband and I got engaged, Colin was the first vendor we booked (even before our venue). Obviously, we had extremely high expectations for him from the beginning and he far exceeded our expectations. If you're looking for a wedding photographer, Colin is the best. He is laid back and fun, but most importantly, he's extremely talented. You will be amazed by his artistic vision. His ability to capture the emotion of such an important day is unmatched. We are beyond thrilled with our wedding photos! In addition to his talent, Colin is just all around great to work with. He's very helpful and responsive. Colin worked with us on our engagement photos and our location photos for the wedding day to make sure the locations were exactly what we wanted. I agree with Keith D's review, that Colin's knowledge of the city is excellent. Some of my favorite pictures from our wedding were at locations of Colin's suggestion. In addition, he also captured beautifully the locations that we requested. My husband was not looking forward to hours of photographs, but Colin made it comfortable, natural, and yes, even fun! If you're thinking of hiring Colin for your wedding day, you will not be disappointed. Thanks, Colin! read more

Colin is AMAZING! He did my engagement pictures and they were incredible!!!!! Absolutely, stunning! He's truly an artist and have a beautiful vision with images and art! read more

My wife and I hired Elena at Colin Lyons Wedding Photography for our wedding, and she did an amazing job. She is incredibly nice and laid back, which definitely helped make all of the photos go smoothly. From the engagement photo shoot to the day of the wedding, she helped us plan everything photo related and was always very responsive. We recently received our final photos, and they turned out great. We are so happy we decided to go with Elena, and we highly recommend her! read more