Recently, Terry & Nathan asked me to be their Wedding Photographer... well sort of. After the couple was wed by a judge at the Marriage and Civil Union Court in Chicago, they asked me to create a series of unique portraits with just the two of them at the Chicago Cultural Center.

I have been the wedding photographer for many gay couples, but this was my first time photographing a couple inside this unique architectural gem. Following this experience, it's now one of my favorite places for a photoshoot and I intend to capture more wedding portraits here whenever I have a wedding nearby! However, it was crowded with a lot of other wedding photographers and wedding parties.

Terry and Nathan’s wedding portraits at the Chicago Cultural Center.Terry & Nathan pose for a wedding portrait at the Chicago Cultural Center.. 1/100 f3.5 ISO 1250 45mm

 I used a 46" Photek Softlighter II with a Canon 600RT Flash to light the photos. Then I purposely exposed the photos to bring out the amber glow of the incandescent lights in the space capturing all of the gay wedding photos with a Canon 5D Mark III.

Terry and Nathan’s wedding portraits at the Chicago Cultural Center.Terry & Nathan pose for a wedding portrait below an arch at the Chicago Cultural Center. 1/100 f3.5 ISO 1250 24mm

Terry and Nathan’s wedding portraits at the Chicago Cultural Center.Terry & Nathan pose for a wedding portrait below the Chicago Cultural Center’s world’s largest stained glass Tiffany dome, which is 38 feet in diameter with some 30,000 pieces of glass. 1/100 f3.5 ISO 1600 28mm

Terry and Nathan’s wedding portraits at the Chicago Cultural Center.Terry & Nathan pose for a wedding portrait below the Chicago Cultural Center’s world’s largest stained glass Tiffany dome, which is 38 feet in diameter with some 30,000 pieces of glass. 1/100 f3.5 ISO 1600 28mm

Drawn by its beauty and the fabulous free public events, hundreds of thousands of visitors come to the Chicago Cultural Center every year, making it one of the most visited attractions in Chicago. The stunning landmark building is home to two magnificent stained-glass domes, as well as free music, dance and theater events, films, lectures, art exhibitions and gay weddings.

Completed in 1897 as Chicago’s first central public library, the building was designed to impress and to prove that Chicago had grown into a sophisticated metropolis. The country’s top architects and craftsmen used the most sumptuous materials, such as rare imported marbles, polished brass, fine hardwoods, and mosaics of Favrile glass, mother-of-pearl and colored stone, to create an architectural showplace. Located on the south side of the building, the world’s largest stained glass Tiffany dome ― 38 feet in diameter with some 30,000 pieces of glass ― was restored to its original splendor in 2008. On the north side of the building is a 40-foot-diameter dome with some 50,000 pieces of glass in an intricate Renaissance pattern, designed by Healy & Millet.

In 1991, the building was established as the Chicago Cultural Center by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the nation's first and most comprehensive free municipal cultural venue. Every year, the Chicago Cultural Center presents hundreds of free international, national, regional and local artists, musicians and performers, providing a showcase where the public can enjoy and learn about the arts.

Terry & Nathan pose for a wedding portrait at the Chicago Cultural Center. 1/40 f4.5 ISO 800 24mm

Terry and Nathan’s wedding portraits at the Chicago Cultural Center.Terry & Nathan pose for a wedding portrait below the Chicago Cultural Center’s 40-foot-diameter dome with some 50,000 pieces of glass in an intricate Renaissance pattern, designed by Healy & Millet.. 1/40 f3.5 ISO 1600 19mm

To book me to be your Chicago gay wedding photographer or for an LGBT engagement photoshoot, please check out my rates page and email me at [email protected]