From the day we hired Wes, until the day we received our finished pictures, we knew he was the right guy for the job. Starting off, Wes immediately helped us envision how things were going to go and made us feel a little less stressed about the whole wedding process. Something I didn't really expect from our newly hired photographer. From that moment on it was nothing but organization, and smooth execution. We brought zero ideas for any of our photos, yet each photo session went flawless and was done with endless confidence. Wes talked to us through each session and even educated us on a lot of the photography stuff. That's just the beginning. Wedding day is where Wes truly shows off his talent and care towards capturing our special day. Getting ready for the wedding was a breeze. He was helping us with everything all while getting the shots. Shoot, he even had different colognes lined up for us incase we wanted it. Again, he's incredibly organized and just thinks of every detail. The wedding was amazing. I wish we had video to show how well Wes reacted towards the potential disasters that happened before the wedding ceremony. The wind started blowing and all our wedding decor for the ceremony was going everywhere. Wes kept composure, helped straighten things back out, all while still getting perfect pictures. At the ceremony, Wes was everywhere, yet we didn't really notice him. And I mean that in a positive manner. He never got in anyone's view and still managed to get every angle, reaction, and moment of the ceremony. We grouped up after the ceremony and got our next photo session with the entire wedding party. Again, we had no idea what kind of poses to do and how to stand, yet Wes once again just knew how to talk and position us for the perfect shots. He interacted with everyone and basically just did his thing and kept the ball rolling. We stopped at a local bar, grabbed a shot, Wes grabbed his shots, and we continued on our way to the reception hall (which was walking distance). The reception is the icing on the cake. Wes just seemed like another guest at the wedding. He talked to everyone, and he captured every moment, and every smile (even from someone we never really seen smile). We look through our photos, and we can just replay our wedding because each moment is there. The moments we didn't see, he seen, captured, and presented beautifully for us. The photo booth he set up was an instant hit. I don't think there was any time throughout the reception that someone wasn't taking pictures on it. He even provided a bunch of fun props for people to pose with. To sum up Wes's performance as a photographer in a single review, could never be done. You get so much more than a photographer. He lifts a lot of stress just by his sheer confidence and knowledge of the wedding and photography process. Which I promise you, is something you're going to want and appreciate. Wes is overall a great guy, and an absolutely perfect photographer. I'll enjoy the photos he's provided for a life time, and our kids children, years down the road, will be able to look at the photos, and replay the wedding as if they were there. That's something you can't put a price on. read more

A couple of years ago, after the first time my wedding was rescheduled due to COVID, my original photographer had to cancel because she was not available for the new date. A friend of mine, who is a photographer, sent out a request to Chicagoland photographers explaining that her friend needed a photographer for a 1920s themed wedding, but the catch was that it was also a Murder Mystery wedding, so it would be a little non-traditional. I got several replies from photographers who were interested, but Wes from Westley Leon Studios was so unabashedly eager and excited to be a part of it, that it was really no contest. He met with my wedding planner and me via Zoom to get all the details. I--the worst kind of client--gave instructions like, "I don't know, just, like, take some candid pictures." Undeterred in his enthusiasm, Wes gave lots of options and walked me through some of the ideas and insisted that he can live in the moment (*spoiler* this turns out to be true). We asked what would happen if, in the "unlikely event," the wedding was rescheduled or cancelled again. He laid out his extremely fair terms which protected both of us and insured that someone would be at the new date even if he, himself, was unavailable. Two reschedules later, and he was true to his word. Luckily, he was still available to be there in person and did not lose an ounce of excitement. As I had never planned a wedding before, I didn't realize that "it'll only take me about a half hour to get ready" was hilariously inaccurate. I know that he was excited to take pictures of us on the grounds because Allerton Park and Retreat Center in Monticello, IL has the greatest gems around the property. It's like the photographer's Mecca. Of course, I took way longer to get ready, so Wes moved back and forth between the bride's and groom's respective rooms and then moved around the mansion and property to get some absolutely beautiful pictures anyway. He was so patient and kind, and I feel bad that he didn't get to realize his full vision (if he was upset about it, he never showed it). The turn around time on the pictures was surprisingly quick, and they are beyond incredible. He's right; he really does have an eye for catching the best moments on the spot. When I went through the gallery, it was like I was reliving every moment. I also relived other people's moments because I totally caught my husband in a lie! (This was all in jest, of course, and an inside joke between us.) Wes went above and beyond to capture each moment and produce such beautiful works of art from them. He's flexible, easy to work with, and makes you genuinely feel like your day is actually the best day of all time. Pick Westley Leon Studios every single time. read more

Wes went above and beyond what we ever would have expected from a wedding photographer, and we couldn't recommend him more!!! 1) He was SO FLEXIBLE -- hanging with us through two initial date changes and a final decision to hold both a COVID mini-wedding and a postponed reception. Throughout that entire process he responded with nothing but kindness and understanding, helping assuage our big feelings about everything. On top all of that, he was then kind enough to make a custom price package for us to capture both a couple of hours of pictures on our actual wedding as well as his usual full-day package on our postponed reception, and it was the best money we have ever spent. 2) We treasure the memories from our so much, and no one could have captured them better than Wes. He has the perfect blend of responsive to our needs/desires, the know-how to pose everyone when we didn't know what we were doing, and that photographer's eye to capture those beautiful, unexpected, candid moments. And not only did we receive all of our pictures in a super easy-to-navigate and easy-to-share online format, he also put together a beautiful slideshow of some of the top moments set to music. 3) Wes is SO FUN! He's the guy you want to have around on the wedding day, who fits in seamlessly with your wedding party and seems like another one of the crew. If you're deliberating about picking a photographer, no need to look any farther than Wes from Westley Leon Studios. read more

We are SO grateful we chose Wes and Chelsea to be our wedding photographers. They both have such great personalities and fit right in with our family and friends. My husband and I are both kind of awkward when it comes to being around new people, but we felt so comfortable with Wes and Chelsea. Since the day we hired them, they have been so helpful. We had our first meeting over zoom to go over what we wanted and Wes sent us over the pricing. Not once did we ever feel pressured into chosing Wes. But just based off of our meeting with Wes and his portfolio, we knew we WANTED this guy! Wes sent us over so much helpful information to guide us through the wedding process and when closer to the wedding he sent us a survey to make sure he understood our expectations and to be aware of any special moments we wanted to make sure were captured. By the time dinner was over at our wedding, we ALREADY had sneak peeks of our pictures. Wes and Chelsea also made us a polaroid photo book, which we absolutely loved! If you are looking through these reviews trying to decide if you want to hire Wes and Chelsea, get them BEFORE another lucky couple takes them! They are absolutely AMAZING! P.S. GET THE PHOTOBOOTH! It was a hit at our wedding! Our guests were taking pictures all day and night long. read more

Wes was a DREAM to work with--BOOK HIM ASAP! We were originally scheduled to get married in Sept 2020, but were forced to cancel four months prior due to Covid. Calling vendors to cancel a wedding date is a nightmare during normal times, but with Covid on top of everything, we were very worried about complications. Wes not only made sure he was fully available for our new date in 2021, but he took the time to connect with us personally. He took the time to reach out to us on our elopement day and congratulated us both. He called and skyped and emailed with us continually in the months leading up to the big day, 'just to check in' and to make sure we were feeling secure, happy and didn't need anything. He helped us solidify the vision and theme for the reception, and made suggestions for fun activities for the guests. AND, when our videographer fell through at the last minute, Wes even used his own sound equipment and camera to record our ceremony, to ensure that my husband and I didn't lose a second of vows. WHAT WEDDING VENDOR DOES THIS?!?!Book this guy NOW before he fills up for the season (which he does FAST, his beautiful work speaks for itself!) and rest easy knowing you're in good hands and even better lighting with Wes! read more

If I could give Wes and Chelsea 6/5 stars, I would. I seriously cannot recommend Westley Leon Studios enough. Our photos and highlight film turned out AMAZING, because Wes is absolutely incredible at what he does. He's more than just a photographer though; he feels like an ally and a friend, and a part of the wedding party. He managed to bring the crowd together and get everyone pumped, be in all places at all times without being intrusive, and brought an incredible energy to the entire event. He has an intuition for capturing important details and moments, and was such an amazing photographer that we had numerous guests tell us--unprompted--how incredible he was. Seriously cannot recommend enough!!! There simply aren't enough words to express all of the ways that Wes helped us--beyond just capturing photography-- on the day of the wedding and in all of the planning leading up to it. 150% recommend him-- you will never, ever regret it. We got a full wedding photography package from him, as well as a photo booth and highlight film. Absolutely everything far, far exceeded our already-high expectations. We will have these images for the rest of our lives, and could not be happier with them. read more

Westley Leon Studios really helped bring our day together and match the vibe of the day so well. Our families and friends couldn't stop telling us how amazing they were. Having them as our vendors through all this planning made it feel like we had wedding coordinators. Any questions or freak out moments ( the bride) had they were there to reassure us that the day would be amazing and worked out the kinks with us. We started our first wedding planning in 2020 and canceled the event 4 months before the date. We had a different photographer. We truly thank God that we canceled the event then because if not, we wouldn't have started planning a second one that led us to Westley Leon Studios. Wes is easy to work with, fun, and down to earth. My husband and I have anxiety and social awkwardness, but Wes made us feel so comfortable and free to be ourselves. His wife, Chelsea, and his assistant were always in sync and there to help. I didn't worry at all about if an iconic moment was missed because they were on it. You could literally see our love, the fun people were having coming off the images/mini vidoes they captured. We wouldn't change a thing. Westley Leon Studios was perfect. read more

Five stars are not enough for Wes. I immediately loved him when we met him at a bridal show. He actually spoke with us and immediately made me feel that I needed him at the wedding, it was a huge bonus that he takes amazing photos. We had to plan our engagement session during COVID but Wes made us feel so relaxed and his easy going vibe just keeps you relaxed. He took pictures that depicted us and not the generic pictures you take for an engagement. A month before the wedding we had a zoom where he made an entire timeline, asked for the pictures that we wanted and reassured us that everything would be perfect. The day of the wedding he had to pull me aside to settle my nerves and he was so helpful! He was so funny, charismatic and personable. Everyone loved him! He's a photographer/problem solver/wedding coordinator/comedian all in one! He treated us like we were all his very best friends. At the reveal, he provided us with hugs, snacks and wine and we got to be blown away by the amazing job he did. I would recommend him a million times and give 100 stars if it were an option. You will not be disappointed. We love you Wes! read more

We couldn't be more happy with our decision to choose Westley for our wedding photographer. When we were looking for photographers, we were looking for someone that would have a unique eye that would capture all the true emotions that go with the wedding day. We also needed someone that was experienced in taking pictures in low lighting since our venue was pretty dim. Westley was able to capture some AMAZING shots! He was very professional and made us feel like models! Westley really made our "day of" timeline really come together with ease--which made the whole day less stressful!! Our whole wedding party loved him as well. During the reception he was able to display a sneak peek of pictures for the guests to view. I couldn't tell you how many people complimented his work!! Upon receiving all the photos, my husband and I were so excited!! The photos turned out beautiful and we will cherish them forever!! We cannot wait for our photo album to look back on!! Thank you Westley!! read more

Wes was amazing! We ended up not interviewing any other photographers after we met Wes; we knew he was a great match for us. His style is unlike other wedding photographers and his vision was exactly what we wanted. We met with Wes multiple times before and even after our wedding, we really created a friendship with him, which is something we did not expect. You can see how much he truly loves what he does and he has the energy and passion to prove it. Wes was so professional, easy going, easy to talk to, and made us feel comfortable during both our engagement pictures and on our wedding day. Our bridal party had a blast with Wes and could not say enough good things during the wedding and after. We also received compliments from our guests on how great a good Wes and his team did. We could not have asked for a better experience. The images are more than I imagined they would be. You can tell he loves what he does. Wes, thank you so much for being part of our day! read more

I'll do my best to summarize the awesome Westley Leon Studios without writing an entire novel. Wes's photography style is so fun and fresh. If you want beautiful wedding photos that make you smile so much your face hurts, book Wes NOW! He was incredibly easy to work with. Great personality and really knows what he's doing. He helps you figure out your day-of schedule/timeline and he's got your back the entire day, and not just with photography either. When we noticed a stranger had waltzed into the wedding for a drink, Wes was on it before I could even ask. He's really all about making sure you have the perfect day. Everyone who has seen our pictures has RAVED about them. We can't believe some of the shots he got. He captured every moment you could hope for as a bride. The pictures are so beautiful, it's truly like reliving the wedding every time we look at them. I will forever recommend Westley Leon Studios to people haha. Best decision we made! read more

I could not recommend the Westley Leon Studios team enough!!!! I loved them before the wedding, but even more after the wedding. They were HUSTLING to get absolutely incredible photos. People at my wedding were even telling me how awesome my photography team was. As a marketing person who dabbles in photography, I was impressed from start to finish on their customer experience, professionalism, and talent. Not to mention, they're super fun to be around. A great group to have with you for every moment of the best day ever. They made us feel calm and take care of. They also "get it" when it comes to making a wedding special and capturing the moments. They're not doing this just as a side hustle, they're doing this because they're passionate about capturing your special day. I'm just waiting for them to "blow up" on social and be flying around the world and I'll be able to say that I'm an original customer. Book them now!! read more

We were so excited to work with Westley Leon Studios for our wedding day! We worked closely with Wes to make sure we chose the right package that suited our needs and wants. We ended up getting a photographer, videographer, and also the photo booth! We got to work with 2 of thier associates, Rick and Fernando. Rick was easy to work with and was able to give us directions as we needed it a lot! Haha! He also took our engagement pictures! During our wedding Rick and Fernando, were ready to capture all the moments we wanted. They both were very patient with me as it took a minute for us to figure out how to do the corset back on my dress. They were very very patient!!! They helped capture all the family portraits we wanted and even captured our private vows! Highly recommend this company! The photo booth was a hit, everyone there loved it and took many pictures! We can't wait to see the full results of the day. read more

My husband and I found Wes at a local bridal show in South Bend. Immediately, I fell in love with his style and knew I wanted him to be our wedding photographer. He has been an amazing person to work with. He honestly feels like someone you would want to have your your wedding anyway because he is funny, energetic, and has lots of great advice to offer from his experience in the wedding industry. From our engagement photos to our Las Vegas wedding day, I have adored all of the work he has done for us. Worth every penny! If you're going to spend the money on a professional photographer, Wes is a phenomenal choice. He went above and beyond to do his job on our wedding day. When I was experiencing some wedding day jitters, he personally took the time to help me calm down and breathe before the ceremony. And he will make you look DAYUM good! Wes is very thoughtful and passionate about his work 10/10!!! read more

Wes, Chelsea and their team were amazing photographers and videographers at our wedding in April. They captured our day with such creativity and expertise. Not only were they so easy and fun to work with for us, but so many of our guests commented that they actually enhanced their good time at our wedding! He did our engagement photos, as well, and they couldn't have been better. Wes brought out the best in us with intimate looks and loving gestures. He made us feel so natural, as if he wasn't even there capturing our day. We recommend them whole-heartedly and will have another wedding in our family soon and will ask them to capture that one, as well. You won't be sorry if you choose Wes and his team to photograph your wedding or event. He genuinely cares and will do his very best to give you what you want and capture every moment of your special day! read more

We could not more highly recommend Wes as a wedding photographer. We got married December 5, 2020 at Notre Dame, and our plans were very true to 2020- chaotic. But with everything that was constantly changed, replanned, cancelled, stressful, Wes was a welcome lighthearted constant. The planning process was very easy and straightforward, and there was never a moment where I was worried that we wouldn't get more than what we expected or wanted. Wes didn't just capture the beautiful and fun moments of the day, he added to them. Our family and friends presence are still talking about the photographer who got down on the dance floor with us! And the photos I'm still not over how beautiful they are. Wes was incredibly accommodating, and helped me and my husband be comfortable, stay relaxed and have fun throughout the wedding day. Thank you so much, Wes!! read more

These are the most amazing photographers ever. Not only did they capture our day but they went above and beyond. At one point Wes mopped wine off our dance floor just so it wouldn't get on my dress and Chelsea got everyone so excited about our Photo Booth. They even were able to have some photos ready by the reception to show us and they put the slideshow at the bar for our guests to see, and they are still talking about it. They are so professional and set you up for success on your day by knowing your preferences and making pictures comfortable and seamless. They were so good half the time we didn't even know they got a picture they just fit right in. They captured all the details and really made it so we relive the magic every time we look back on our photos. If their is anything we can suggest from the day, it's them. read more

Wes and his team were beyond amazing. Five stars is not nearly high enough! On the day of our wedding we received multiple remarks about how Wes and his team helped make the day feel special. The way they handled their craft was truly amazing. We felt less like we had hired photographers, and more like we had a few extra wedding party members. Their presence was actually a calming influence on an otherwise hectic day. While we definitely had deadlines to meet, Wes managed to keep us on schedule without ever making us feel rushed. The entire team integrated with our group so seamlessly, and it allowed them to get some really amazing shots. We cannot thank them enough. The day would not have been the same without Wes and his team! read more

Wes deserves 30 stars, at least. From our initial conversations on budget through the final posting of photos, Wes was attentive, professional, and so fun to have around. In our engagement session, he was able to make my introverted fiance comfortable in front of the camera. On my wedding day, he reassured me regularly that we were on schedule and everything was fine. At our reception, he was able to display a small set of the day's photos on our venue's monitors, and our guests were delighted to see them first hand. Your day goes by in a flash. Let Wes be there to capture all the big, the small, and the precious in incredible quality. read more