I was referred to Maha Studios by a friend and was quite nervous as they are based out of Chicago…read moreand I was getting married in Pittsburgh, PA. I knew it would be hard to coordinate travel, meetings etc, due to the distance and I was certainly the bride that wanted to meet and get to know her vendors prior to booking them.   On the initial call, both Zainab and Aaqib were very kind and answered all of my questions regarding price, travel, different packages and hours and everything that would be included. I felt very comfortable moving forward with a team I hadn't met, only having seen their work on their website or social media accounts.   I knew I wanted to work with a company that was an expert South Asian weddings. In Pittsburgh, there aren't many (if any) photographers/videographers that focus or know the South Asian wedding traditions and photography was my husband and I's number one priority. Knowing that the Maha team has extensive experience and almost exclusively works on South Asian weddings made us feel even more comfortable in our decision to work with them.   Maha Studios included a free one hour engagement session if my husband and I visited Chicago prior to getting married. That didn't end up happening, BUT they were kind enough to drive to Pittsburgh the day before the wedding weekend and use that one hour to photograph my Mayoon event! They drove to the location, set everything up and took tons of amazing shots and video that were used in my wedding trailer.   Zainab, Aaqib and Raheel (associate videographer) worked with me the entire weekend (and suggested a few timeline changes, etc) to make sure everything went smoothly. I loved that they made time for both me AND my husband to get "getting ready" shots and made me feel comfortable in front of the camera (otherwise I am so awkward!). I asked them to focus on family members and after seeing the final photos and video, I can see that they definitely did.  They blended in and zipped around like crazy the entire weekend, while I was making sure they had food to eat and a comfortable hotel room!   Post wedding: WOW. JUST WOW. My husband and I are blown away by the photos that Zainab took and the trailer and final video that Aaqib and Raheel filmed. The photo quality is amazing, the photo album we received is beautiful, the trailer is perfect and the 3 hour long video has been playing nonstop. Aaqib responded to all of my requests on minor changes to the video on the same day and confirmed the changes were made. The follow up from everyone was incredible and I cannot wait to use Maha Studios again!

Maha studio's team is one the best Chicago wedding photographer and videographers in the…read moreChicagoland area. Seriously, stop looking and BOOK THEM NOW! They are so easy to work with, and make you feel extremely comfortable. They make the experience so much fun and are able to work and any weather condition with so many great ideas. I honestly couldn't be any happier with the level or attention they took to capture every detail. They didn't miss anything and captured every detail and every emotion. I have never seen such a beautiful album. The quality is so high end and the editing is flawless. The videographer is amazing. When first meeting him I could see how passionate he was and his work is beautiful. They were able to even use a drone to capture beautiful clips of Chicago and our wedding party. When I say they went above and beyond, they truly did. Our wedding was in November and on the first snow of they year they helped me walk through snow, ice, and all the salt. They even put up with all my ideas and climbed slippery icy steps to get out first look on top of London house downtown. I seriously love them and still hire them to all my events since. Zainab is just the sweetest, so humble and talented. Thank you again and again for capturing our wedding and for continuing to be apart of our love story. BOOK THEM NOW!! Don't miss out on this amazing team and wonderful people to work with!

From our first consultation to our wedding day, it was obvious the time and attention Mariah at…read moreKing & Opal puts into both her craft and her business. Nothing was left to chance (something a Type-A bride like myself appreciated!) while room was still left for fun, creativity, and those *magic* moments. Communication and coordination were seamless without rigidity, her fun approach never compromised her professionalism as a key vendor, and she created a calm collaboration to identifying the vision for telling a story through photographs. It is a balancing act that comes with experience and intentionality, and something not often executed with the precision that is found with King & Opal. But, more importantly, it is the end product of all the planning, attention to detail, and following the magic that places King & Opal at the front of her craft. Her work is exquisite and attention to detail unmatched. The quiet editing and unseen touches create actual art- not just generic wedding photographs. She finds the beauty and dials it up, taking the most special wedding moments and freezing them in a multi-faceted story that is timeless and will be shared generations- deep.

Mariah made two people who are EXTREMELY camera shy feel so comfortable, her work is outstanding…read moreand captured the love from everyone at our wedding. Beyond her immense talent she is one of the sincere, kind, funny (the list goes one) that we've ever met. She blended into our special night, because she became a fast friend. Our guests raved about her presence as well as her work. Kevin also joined in and shot many of my intimate shots. Everything I can say for Mariah goes for Kevin--he is FANTASTIC. I've never been more confident to give a 5/5 review. King & Opal will always be a highlight of our wedding weekend.

My sister got married June 25, 2023 The two photographers,…read moreAlexis and Dan did a magnificent job at capturing the true love in this couples eyes. They also had creative and artistic pictures of all things wedding: the rings, flowers, details. They were able to get candid shots of guests without being in the way. I can't wait to see the gallery. So far I have loved every one of the sneak peaks.

Thank you to Emma Mullins Photography for partnering with us to plan and achieve an amazing…read moreelopement ceremony. Emma was an enthusiastic cheerleader and supporter to us along our wedding planning journey. Emma is very responsive, enthusiastic, detailed and creative, and helped us accomplish a fantastic wedding day.  Emma helped us identify creative ways to replan our wedding during COVID19, and was incredibly flexible as our plans changed multiple times. We ultimately were able to get married in a small ceremony at Starved Rock State Park in IL, and Emma went above and beyond and drove out there a few weeks before the wedding to scout out some beautiful spots for photos.  During our wedding day, we had photography services with Emma and videography services with her colleague Carlos. Their team helped us feel excited and confident throughout the whole wedding day. Emma's positivity and energy helped us have SO much fun during our photo sessions. Carlos was able to creatively capture video from the full day and we were so impressed by the sound and visual quality of the videos. Emma captured the colors, joy and essence of the day in her photos. Looking back at the photos and videos brings us and our families so much joy. Emma and Carlos sent us highlight photos and a highlight video in just a couple weeks (we paid extra for expedited delivery) , and then the full set of photos and the full video came to us a couple months later. We LOVED working with Emma and her team, and we definitely recommend her for anyone in the Chicago area. Well worth the money! P.S. Thank you to Emma's husband, Jeremy, who stepped in to be our wedding officiant at the last minute due to our plans changing during COVID19. Working with Emma and her team felt like we were working with family. Thank you!

10 years ago I hired Ben Mahoney to be the videographer for our wedding. At the time, we hadn't…read morebudgeted for a wedding video and Ben was a last-minute addition. Second only to marrying my wife, hiring Ben was the best decision I ever made. We still watch our wedding video every year on our anniversary and it's a precious keepsake that I will always treasure. It's now 2022 and my dad just turned 80 years old. So, to commemorate the occasion, I hired Ben and the Our Days film crew to put together a montage of videos of my dad spending time with his grandkids. As usual, Ben did a masterful job weaving together pictures and videos into a beautiful movie. We screened it for the whole family and there wasn't a dry eye in room. If you are thinking about hiring Ben and Our Days, don't hesitate a minute longer. You won't regret it!

How do I fit 50 of Jess' pics on my Holiday card? Does anyone know?…read more I have a million thoughts but I'll narrow it down - Jess captured my family's natural essence; the quiet, in between moments that make us... us. I just looked at one photo in particular of us looking at a turtle over a railing and thought, "this captures our family in its entirety." On SO many occasions, I want to put the sweet moments of my kids in a jar and put it on my shelf forever - the album she delivered is my jar. Thank you, Jess for capturing the intangible joy we feel on an ordinary afternoon and thank you even more for reminding me of the blessings that we have.

Wes was an absolute pleasure to work with for our wedding. From the start, his communication was…read moredetailed, and thorough, putting our minds at ease. He did a wonderful job of taking our inspiration ideas and turning them into a cohesive concept. His process for discussing the photopgrahic aesthethic we preferred was straightforward and the resulting outcome was extraordinary - guests continue to share how stunning our photos are months after the event! Wes was available for us, and patient throughout the entire planning process. Additionally, Wes was incredibly flexible and responsive to our wishes as a same-sex couple. He used his industry expertise to steer us when we needed the guidance and took our feedback to heart to make sure the day was ours. We are so grateful to Wes and his team for making our wedding day perfect. We had all the faith that Wes was going to do right by us and make our day exactly as we hoped.

Where do I begin…read more.. Wes Craft and his wife Necia are the most underrated photography duo ever. Their hard work and attention to detail are truly remarkable. We have gotten so many compliments from all our friends and family about both our engagement and wedding photos from Wes. They were able to capture so many emotions from our beautiful wedding day. Even his slideshow brought my maid-of-honor and I to tears. Working with Wes from the very beginning has been a dream and he is by far our most favorite vendor. During our initial meeting, Wes took extensive time to explain his photography style and show us examples. The icing on the cake was his experience working with cultural weddings. My husband and I were planning on having a traditional Chinese tea ceremony and wanted to have it captured on photos. It was so refreshing for Wes to already be familiar with the ceremony and even examples of past tea ceremonies he captured! My husband and I were floored by how the photos turned out and all the neat little moments he captured of our loved ones in the background of the ceremony. Our wedding day could not have gone better. His experience helped us plan a nice wedding day timeline that eased the nerves of an anxious bride. He is so detail-oriented and fantastic with communication - which I value so much in a wedding vendor. Wes and Necia were so patient and went the extra mile to capture all the best shots. All of the photos turned out amazing and was a true artwork of our love story. We are beyond excited to work with Wes again to put together our album. Wes and Necia was the best wedding investment by far and we would recommend them in a heartbeat to anyone looking for a talented photographer!

Headshot was phenomenal. Tina was responsive when I reached out and generous with her time during…read moreshooting. I wanted a next level headshot and that's what I got. This headshot is by far the best i've gotten. It gets me compliments and I don't think anyone in this price range could have done better. Photo looks natural, lighting is incredible, highlighted my features well, and captures both the warmth + professionalism I was hoping for. 5/5 incredible

Just did a photography shoot with Tina for a group. She was great! Was super chill and kind. She…read morewas patient with us through tons of outfit and setting changes. Was excited for us and and for the pictures- totally helpful for those who feel weird having their picture taken (me). Was cool with us blasting our own music and making it fun. BTW- pictures turned out so so good!

After my own fabulous friends treated me to my own photo shoot for my bachelorette party, I knew I…read morehad to pay this favor forward. One youswoop later, and a bachelorette gift for my lovely lady friend was set up. Julie is very easy to work with with respect to setting up the appointment. We communicated very well over email, and she answered any and all questions (without giving me the "duh, read my website response" because I later realized that I could've figured this info out on my own.) We set up the appointment at a chic hotel downtown, and were ready. Day of shoot, Julie arrived, and got straight to work. She is great at giving directions, which is really important to make you look the very best in your shoot. She also makes you feel completely at ease, again critical when you're running around in your unmentionables (and your friends are shrieking, "MORE SIDE BOOB.") Some notes: -She can accommodate hair/makeup. I recommend either going through her or having this done. It really adds to the experience and sets you off feeling pretty. -Have a trusted girlfriend or three around to make you feel at ease. I think our commentary really relaxed and helped our friend. (Plus, see above...side boob was critical for some of the photos. We were HELPING.) -Champagne doesn't hurt either. -Make your bed. (Or do as we did, have it in a sexy hotel that will make the bed FOR you.) If you have any interest in having this done, I can't recommend it enough. Julie is just a peach of a gal, and her photos are FABULOUS.

One of my wonderful bridesmaids treated me to a boudoir shoot as her bachelorette gift to me, and…read moreI'm so glad she did because I never would have done it on my own. Julie was fantastic to work with and gave such great direction so you don't feel like an idiot as she's putting you in the most flattering poses for your pictures. I had all three of my bridesmaids with me which definitely helped make me extremely comfortable with the session. That, combined with a few mimosas, really relaxed me, especially as my friends were encouraging me that the pics were amazing while at the same time hilariously directing me to show more boob and booty. One of my other bridesmaids treated me to hair and makeup separately, and after seeing the pictures I'm glad I did it, it makes a big difference. If you want a fun experience that will capture some really hot photos of you, that, lets be honest--you will never really have a chance to get unless you're a model and are used to prancing around a bedroom getting pics taken of you in lingerie, then I suggest you use Chicago Doll Photography. You'll be happy you did!!

Photography is an art and only a real artist can capture the true moments. For past 5 years I have…read moreused Yazmin's photography services for any large event and she has always done an amazing job. Many of my friends, family and co-workers have also used Yazmin's services. Her work is of a experienced professional. She is punctual, hard working and of all down to earth. Always goes an extra mile to help me with my events. I would highly recommend her to anyone that is looking for best for their buck yet quality service. Hope this helps you all.

It is hard to believe there are no other reviews about Yazy and John! We had the amazing fortune…read moreof hiring Yazy and her hubby to photograph our wedding Sept 4th. Yazy takes gorgeous photos!!! If you want a photographer who captures people beautifully, then you have to hire Yazy. She will be very clear with you from the start that she does not take photos of scenery - you will not get a bunch of photos where the background is the focus. But she finds the perfect spots to capture the subjects of her photos in the most beautiful way - through lighting and contrasting color. I'm totally one of those people who finds something in every photo of myself to dislike. But I have to say, I love our photos so much and I think she captured me in a way every bride wants to be captured. Yazy is fun to work with, sometimes making you wonder about why you are standing in the middle of a street or busy sidewalk or random downtown alley, but when you see the photos it all makes sense. She captures extremely cool photos in a simple and beautiful way, without the edgy pretention. The wedding day is such a blur for the bride and groom, thankfully, Yazy caught everything so perfectly that we will never forget how amazing it was for us.