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CHICAGO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

@berlez

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followers

917

following

Husband & Wife Team
ICONIC. FASHION-FORWARD. AVANTE GARDE.
As seen on Best on Loverly, GWS, Modern Luxury, GMA
Chicago and worldwide

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

We are Berlez.

Photography, for us, is not about capturing what’s happening-
it’s about seeing it with intention.

Our work is art-directed, editorial, and fashion-forward
but always grounded in something real.

We don’t believe in overproducing moments.
We believe in elevating them.

Refined direction.
Dynamic energy.
An instinct for when to step in and when to let something unfold on its own.

Because the most meaningful images aren’t just beautiful-
they feel lived in.

This is a more intentional evolution of our work.
Less about doing more-
more about doing it with purpose.

Brought to life with a team of creatives who share the same standard for thoughtful, elevated storytelling:

Art Director/Concept @berlez @aspenavenuestudios
Florist @lifeinbloom
Decor @carefullypicked
Planner @eventsbyshaunrajah
Photographer @laurenashleystudios
Content Creator @socialbridescollective
Videographer @kurtdabarbarian
Beauty @glamatelierchicago
Hair Color @kathyastylist
Attire @lidee_woman @bananarepublic
Accessories @joeyfoundit @rolex @christianlouboutin @gucci

For couples who want something intentional, refined, and fashion-forward-
this is where it begins. #vogueweddings
#overthemoon
#gucci
#filmweddingphotographer
#chicagoweddingphotographer
#chicagobride
#travelingweddingphotographer
#midwestweddingphotographer
#chicagowedding
#illinoisweddingphotographer
#luxuryweddings
#newyorkweddingphotographer
#italyweddingphotographer
#tampaweddingphotographer
#Miamiweddingphotographer
#weddingphotographer
#weddingphotography
#socalweddings
#luxuryweddingplanner
#californiaweddingphotographer
#floridaweddingphotographer
#chicagoweddingvideographer #destinationweddingphotographer #midwestbride
#travelweddingvideographer #exclusiveweddings #chicagoweddingphotography
#citywedding #weddinginspo #weddingportraits #destinationweddingvideographer #editorialwedding #bridetobe
#candidweddingphotos #brides #modernluxury taken in South Facing Windows by @berlez

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67

5 months ago

Before booking a wedding photographer, there are a few things every couple should know 📷

From connection to experience to knowing what you’re really investing in, these tips set the foundation.

Want the rest? Link in bio 🔗

Photography: @berlez by @berlez

50

4

9 months ago

A moment to pause and reflect. Michael and I are deeply honored to share that Berlez has been named one of Loverly’s Best Wedding Photographers on the Loverly List 2025 - a recognition that celebrates artistry, trust, and storytelling in its most honest form.

To be recognized among the top creators in the wedding industry - out of tens of thousands of nominations is surreal. But more than anything, we’re simply grateful. Grateful for the couples who invite us into their most intimate, once-in-a-lifetime moments. Grateful for the creative partners who dream with us, plan with us, and make iconic out of chaos. Grateful for the quiet exchanges, the wind-blown veils, the unspoken glances - the beautiful in-betweens that remind us why we do this.

This honor isn’t just ours - it belongs to every couple who’s trusted us with their story, and to every artist who’s stood alongside us behind the scenes. Thank you @loverly for the recognition, and thank you all for making this wild, beautiful journey possible.

Here’s to preserving the moments we never want to forget. #LoverlyList2025 #Berlez #WeddingPhotography #Gratitude #EditorialWeddings #LuxuryWeddings #TopWeddingPhotographer #FilmMeetsDigital taken in Chicago, Illinois by @berlez

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53

a year ago

Some dresses deserve more than a walk down the aisle.

A little European romance, right in the heart of Chicago.

Old-world architecture, a sweeping cathedral-length veil, and a gown that deserved a moment entirely its own.
For Jori, bridal portraits weren’t simply about documenting the dress. They were about celebrating the fashion, the movement, and the feeling of wearing something extraordinary.

The kind of images that feel somewhere between a European fashion editorial and a moment pulled from a wedding day.
And if there’s one thing we’ll always encourage? Make time for portraits of just you. The dress, the details, the drama. This is your fashion moment, and it deserves to be remembered.

Planning @celebrateeventplanning Venue @rpmeventschicago Photography @berlez Videography @aspenavenuestudios Content Creation @socialbridescollective Floral & Décor @kehoedesigns Tablescape @tablescapeseventrentals Hair @nichebeauty.bykaedi Makeup @marissas_makeuplan Band @beatmixmusic Cake @ecbgstudio Seating Chart & Welcome Sign @thepartygaldesigns Marquee Letters @alphalitchicago Photo Booth @pixsterphotobooth Bride Ceremony Attire @sylwia_fashion_design Bride Reception Attire @demetriosbride Accommodation @westinchicagorivernorth Groom Attire @suitsupply Transportation Cloud 9 Couple @jori.maher & Tyler

Who said bridal portraits had to play by the rules?

A dramatic gown, centuries-inspired architecture, and a little unexpected attitude.

The most memorable bridal fashion moments aren’t always the perfectly polished ones. Sometimes, they’re the ones with a little personality.

Planning @celebrateeventplanning Venue @rpmeventschicago Photography @berlez Videography @aspenavenuestudios Content Creation @socialbridescollective Floral & Décor @kehoedesigns Tablescape @tablescapeseventrentals Hair @nichebeauty.bykaedi Makeup @marissas_makeuplan Band @beatmixmusic Cake @ecbgstudio Seating Chart & Welcome Sign @thepartygaldesigns Marquee Letters @alphalitchicago Photo Booth @pixsterphotobooth Bride Ceremony Attire @sylwia_fashion_design Bride Reception Attire @demetriosbride Accommodation @westinchicagorivernorth Groom Attire @suitsupply Transportation Cloud 9 Couple @jori. Hashtags

#vogueweddings
#overthemoon
#gucci
#filmweddingphotographer
#chicagoweddingphotographer
#chicagobride
#travelingweddingphotographer
#midwestweddingphotographer
#chicagowedding
#illinoisweddingphotographer
#luxuryweddings
#newyorkweddingphotographer
#italyweddingphotographer
#tampaweddingphotographer
#Miamiweddingphotographer
#weddingphotographer
#weddingphotography
#socalweddings
#luxuryweddingplanner
#californiaweddingphotographer
#florida. weddingphotographer
#chicagoweddingvideographer #destinationweddingphotographer #midwestbride
#travelweddingvideographer #exclusiveweddings #chicagoweddingphotography
#citywedding #weddinginspo #weddingportraits #destinationweddingvideographer #editorialwedding #bridetobe
#candidweddingphotos #brides #modernluxury
#otmbride
#otmstyling
#engaged taken in Chicago, Illinois by @berlez

143

3

2 days ago

You should’ve been there…

The tent was draped in green, the chandelier dripping in calla lilies, and the dance floor never stood a chance.

Lindsey & Michael brought the energy with five fashion looks, a live saxophonist, and an after party in custom beaded Oscar de la Renta. Westmoreland Country Club has never seen a night like this.
 Planner @houseofjoy.co Venue @westmorelandcountryclub Photo @berlez Video @aspenavenuestudios Florals @flowersbystem Saxophonist Adam Rogers Entertainment @charizma_entertainment Chairs & Umbrellas @tablescapeseventrentals Tables @hallsrental Chargers @bbjlatavola Linens @nuagedesignsinc Draping @rmarkable_events Beauty Lora and Dina Stationery @92sutton Cake @deerfieldsbakery Dress Boutique @bellebridalatlier Dress Designer @daniellefrankelbride Rehearsal Dinner Dress @riverandrose_design After Party Dress @oscardelarenta Groom Tux @theblacktux Couple @lindseykarsh @donck2

#ChicagoWeddingVideographer #WestmorelandCountryClub #WeddingReel #WeddingAfterParty #AspenAvenueStudios taken in Westmoreland Country Club by @berlez

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17

11 days ago

Soft light, and the people who matter most.

Maddie’s morning was full of anticipation, the kind that comes with a day this meaningful, and through it all she carried herself with quiet grace. She put so much of herself into curating a bridal wardrobe that felt entirely her own, styled by @robertnoiastyle, with gowns by @mariegabrielcouturebridal and @mira_couture.

Planner @cjjanda Venue @ulcchicago Photographer @berlez Videographer @aspenavenuestudios Florals & Decor @cjeflowers Dress @mariegabrielcouturebridal @mira_couture
Wedding Stylist @robertnoiastyle Hair Stylist @ranniamaria Makeup Artist @nia.dynasty Cake @bittersweetpastryshop Stationary @chitownlbrown Groom’s Attire @verawanggang Entertainment @sparkentgroup
Transportation Cloud 9 Limo #vogueweddings
#overthemoon
#gucci
#filmweddingphotographer
#chicagoweddingphotographer
#chicagobride
#travelingweddingphotographer
#midwestweddingphotographer
#chicagowedding
#illinoisweddingphotographer
#luxuryweddings
#newyorkweddingphotographer
#italyweddingphotographer
#tampaweddingphotographer
#Miamiweddingphotographer
#weddingphotographer
#weddingphotography
#socalweddings
#luxuryweddingplanner
#californiaweddingphotographer
#florida. weddingphotographer
#chicagoweddingvideographer #destinationweddingphotographer #midwestbride
#travelweddingvideographer #exclusiveweddings #chicagoweddingphotography
#citywedding #weddinginspo #weddingportraits #destinationweddingvideographer #editorialwedding #bridetobe
#candidweddingphotos #brides #modernluxury
#otmbride
#otmstyling
#engaged taken in Chicago, Illinois by @berlez

71

2

16 days ago

Feeling very Nicole. 💅

They call me the posing queen. I’m not arguing.

Iconic. Editorial. Fashion-forward. Every look curated, every angle intentional. My job isn’t to make you feel like you’re on the red carpet. It’s to make sure you look like it.

Sometimes beauty is pain: the heels, the wind, holding the pose one second longer. Sometimes it’s trying something untraditional. That’s where the show-stopping shots live. Even my own branding session started with a vision call. Tailored, fine-tuned, guided from the first frame. Your vision, my direction, and never a single “what do I do with my hands” moment.

Timeless images. Unmatched energy. One-of-a-kind.

Your main character moment is waiting.

Art Director/Concept @berlez @aspenavenuestudios
Florist @lifeinbloom
Decor @carefullypicked
Planner @eventsbyshaunrajah
Photographer @laurenashleystudios
Content Creator @socialbridescollective
Videographer @kurtdabarbarian
Beauty @glamatelierchicago
Hair color @kathyastylist
Attire @lidee_woman @bananarepublic
Accessories @joeyfoundit @rolex @christianlouboutin @gucci

#posingqueen #nicolekidman #maincharacterenergy#aspenavenuestudios #berlez taken in Chicago, Illinois by @berlez

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34

18 days ago

Real-life Barbie and Ken - minus the plastic, plus the pearls.

Not only did Dana go through five fashion looks across her wedding weekend, but each one told its own story - down to a bouquet dripping in pearls that took as much planning as the dress itself. “Every look had its own moment,” Dana says.

John’s tuxedo carried its own piece of history: a handkerchief embroidered in his late father’s handwriting, tucked into his pocket for the ceremony. Following vows at The Blackstone, the celebration moved into the ballroom beneath the original chandeliers beginning with a candlelit dinner and ending in a dance floor that didn’t stop until the band did. “I knew it was one of those days you don’t get back,” Dana reflects. “So we let every detail speak for itself.”

Planning & design @jaciweber1212 Venue & catering @theblackstonehotel Photographer @berlez Videographer @aspenavenuestudios Content Creator @socialbridescollective Florals & Decor @yannidesignstudio
Rentals & Linen @hallsrental
Bridal Attire @inesdisanto @ultimatebridechicago Hair Stylist @anomaliebeautyagency Makeup Artist @denisemuartistry Cake @cake_chicago Stationary @minted Jewelry @windycitydiamonds Groom’s Attire @woolandlinen Entertainment @beatmixchicago
Photo booth: @312photolounge Transportation: @celebluxlimos #vogueweddings
#overthemoon
#gucci
#filmweddingphotographer
#chicagoweddingphotographer
#chicagobride
#travelingweddingphotographer
#midwestweddingphotographer
#chicagowedding
#illinoisweddingphotographer
#luxuryweddings
#newyorkweddingphotographer
#italyweddingphotographer
#tampaweddingphotographer
#Miamiweddingphotographer
#weddingphotographer
#weddingphotography
#socalweddings
#luxuryweddingplanner
#californiaweddingphotographer
#florida. weddingphotographer
#chicagoweddingvideographer #destinationweddingphotographer #midwestbride
#travelweddingvideographer #exclusiveweddings #chicagoweddingphotography
#citywedding #weddinginspo #weddingportraits #destinationweddingvideographer #editorialwedding #bridetobe
#candidweddingphotos #brides #modernluxury
#otmbride
#otmstyling taken in The Blackstone Hotel by @berlez

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27

2 months ago

Making art with art doesn’t have to mean reinventing the wheel.

Every creative has a collection of inspiration - fashion editorials, paintings, magazines, coffee table books. We don’t start with a blank canvas; we start with what moves us.

The question isn’t where did the inspiration come from?
It’s what do you do with it?

These images all feature the exact same jewelry.

Nothing changed except the world around it.

A different page. A different composition. A different balance of light and negative space.

The smallest decisions can completely change the emotion of an image.

Originality isn’t the absence of inspiration.

It’s your perspective.

The way you combine references. The things you notice that others overlook. The intention behind every placement.

That’s what turns inspiration into art. That’s what makes it yours. #vogueweddings
#overthemoon
#gucci
#filmweddingphotographer
#chicagoweddingphotographer
#chicagobride
#travelingweddingphotographer
#midwestweddingphotographer
#chicagowedding
#illinoisweddingphotographer
#luxuryweddings
#newyorkweddingphotographer
#italyweddingphotographer
#tampaweddingphotographer
#Miamiweddingphotographer
#weddingphotographer
#weddingphotography
#socalweddings
#luxuryweddingplanner
#californiaweddingphotographer
#florida. weddingphotographer
#chicagoweddingvideographer #destinationweddingphotographer #midwestbride
#travelweddingvideographer #exclusiveweddings #chicagoweddingphotography
#citywedding #weddinginspo #weddingportraits #destinationweddingvideographer #editorialwedding #bridetobe
#candidweddingphotos #brides #modernluxury
#otmbride
#otmstyling taken in Chalet View Lodge by @berlez

25

0

2 months ago

Ana and Nate found their love story in the middle of a pandemic and their engagement portraits at the edge of a Brontë novel.

The couple first crossed paths in 2021, at a house party Nathan was hosting in the thick of lockdown-era Chicago. “It wasn’t planned, it wasn’t romantic in the traditional sense - it just was,” Ana recalls of the night that started it all. Five years later, the two have built a life together in Old Town, having moved from Gold Coast - she a Chicago native by way of Jefferson Park, he a transplant from the small central-Illinois town of Pekin. “We come from completely different worlds,” she says, “and somehow they made perfect sense together.”

For the second half of their engagement session, the couple wanted something that matched the intensity of how they found each other - intentional, literary, a little untamed. They found it in the gardens of the Art Institute of Chicago, styled as an homage to the Wuthering Heights poster: wind-caught hair, a held gaze, the space between two people closing in real time. “We wanted it to feel like a scene, not a photo,” Ana says.

And these final frames are the moment the whole session was built toward - direction gave way to instinct. Just two people whose chemistry made the rest of our job easy, found first at a house party mid-pandemic, still looking at each other exactly like that.

Some photos ask to be looked at. These ones ask to be felt. #vogueweddings
#overthemoon
#gucci
#filmweddingphotographer
#chicagoweddingphotographer
#chicagobride
#travelingweddingphotographer
#midwestweddingphotographer
#chicagowedding
#illinoisweddingphotographer
#luxuryweddings
#newyorkweddingphotographer
#italyweddingphotographer
#tampaweddingphotographer
#Miamiweddingphotographer
#weddingphotographer
#weddingphotography
#socalweddings
#luxuryweddingplanner
#californiaweddingphotographer
#florida. weddingphotographer
#chicagoweddingvideographer #destinationweddingphotographer #midwestbride
#travelweddingvideographer #exclusiveweddings #chicagoweddingphotography
#citywedding #weddinginspo #weddingportraits #destinationweddingvideographer #editorialwedding #bridetobe
#candidweddingphotos #brides #modernluxury
#otmbride
#otmstyling taken in The Art Institute of Chicago by @berlez

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10

a month ago

Newlyweds Kim and Sean turned @chicagoathletichotel into a day that will never be forgotten.

Their aesthetic was timeless and classic - a black and white palette elevated by dreamy anemone florals from @xodesign_co. Every detail felt effortlessly elegant, thanks to the incredible team who brought their vision to life, led by @experience_simplicitee and all the creative partners who poured their talent into this celebration.
 Planner @experience_simplicitee Venue @chicagoathletichotel
Photographer @berlez Floral @xodesign_co Dress @sarahseven MUA @anomaliebeautyagency Hair Stylist @irina_pyrohivska Band @chicagocatz Transportation @chicagocloud9limos Couple: @kimmybuckets29 & Sean #vogueweddings
#overthemoon
#gucci
#filmweddingphotographer
#chicagoweddingphotographer
#chicagobride
#travelingweddingphotographer
#midwestweddingphotographer
#chicagowedding
#illinoisweddingphotographer
#luxuryweddings
#newyorkweddingphotographer
#italyweddingphotographer
#tampaweddingphotographer
#Miamiweddingphotographer
#weddingphotographer
#weddingphotography
#socalweddings
#luxuryweddingplanner
#californiaweddingphotographer
#florida. weddingphotographer
#chicagoweddingvideographer #destinationweddingphotographer #midwestbride
#travelweddingvideographer #exclusiveweddings #chicagoweddingphotography
#citywedding #weddinginspo #weddingportraits #destinationweddingvideographer #editorialwedding #bridetobe
#candidweddingphotos #brides #modernluxury
#otmbride
#otmstyling taken in Chicago Athletic Association Hotel by @berlez

176

7

3 months ago

Reds and oranges that stunned in daylight and somehow got even better at sunset.

Terracotta pots, flickering lanterns, and warm candlelight set the tone for this welcome dinner on the lawn. Two long C-tables dressed in rich terracotta, a mix of candles catching the breeze, and a guitar duo setting the soundtrack for the evening.

Planning/Design @wedicity_ Resort @chilenobayauberge
Photographer @berlez
Videographer @aspenavenuestudios Production @delcaboevents Floral @ariaverafloral Rentals @yayarentals Stationery @ruepaperie Venue Selection Support @wedawaystravel #vogueweddings
#overthemoon
#gucci
#filmweddingphotographer
#chicagoweddingphotographer
#chicagobride
#travelingweddingphotographer
#midwestweddingphotographer
#chicagowedding
#illinoisweddingphotographer
#luxuryweddings
#newyorkweddingphotographer
#italyweddingphotographer
#tampaweddingphotographer
#Miamiweddingphotographer
#weddingphotographer
#weddingphotography
#socalweddings
#luxuryweddingplanner
#californiaweddingphotographer
#florida. weddingphotographer
#chicagoweddingvideographer #destinationweddingphotographer #midwestbride
#travelweddingvideographer #exclusiveweddings #chicagoweddingphotography
#citywedding #weddinginspo #weddingportraits #destinationweddingvideographer #editorialwedding #bridetobe
#candidweddingphotos #brides #modernluxury
#otmbride
#otmstyling taken in Chileno Bay Resort & Residences, Auberge Collection by @berlez

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13

3 months ago