Cory and I traveled to the amazing Germania Place venue on one of the coldest and windiest days before Christmas in 2008. Stepping outside the cab took our breath away until we entered through the beautiful, old architechture doorway. Ahhhh! To be greated by the sweet breath of the heated enteryway was the first beautiful experence of this amazing evening. As we stepped up the enterence further, we were greeted warmly and kindly by family and friends who were bustling about preparing candles to be placed in every nook and cranny of the rich foyer.

We found Rachel upstairs being pampered by all her bridesmaids, all smiling and laughing the afternoon away together, and toasting champagne to the next step in life and love for their close friend and sister. I love experiecing these moments of sisterhood before a wedding! It is one of my favorite things about a wedding and I always think of all my own sisters, mothers, grandmothers, aunts, nieces and dearest girl friends and our own bond of love and kinship we all share. How lucky we are to have each other in life!

GARY & RACHEL – CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, part I view HERE
GARY & RACHEL – CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, part II view HERE
GARY & RACHEL – CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, part III view HERE

CHICAGO LIFESTYLE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY – LaRae & Cory Lobdell of Lifework Images, Seattle & Chicago