True to color. Genuine to you.
Your story is unique, beautiful, quirky, & fun! My heart is to capture it all in a way that is true to color & genuine to you. And do it all with a lot of care, intentionality, & joy!!!
Click through below to learn more about my heart, approach, & style for your wedding day!
Wherever you are in your story, I can’t wait to meet you, step into your moments with grace & love, and have a whole lot of fun with you in the process!
Wedding Photographer In Chicago, Traveling Everywhere.
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My Heart
connection
care
I love people & knowing their stories. Because of that, I have the fullest heart for you already. Really! It’s my love for people and their stories that made me fall in love with photography. How sweet it is to get to know people, be invited into their most sacred moments, and document it all! What. a. Blessing.
From the moment you inquire to when we hop on a FaceTime call to finalizing wedding day details and then seeing you in your dress - I’m already in your corner, here for you every single step of the way! I truly care for you, your friends, and want to know your families. Because knowing you & stepping into your moments is something I do not take lightly. And I do it all like a dear friend, with intentionality & genuine love for you ( + your people)!
My Heart
connection
More than anything, I’m a firm believer in connecting with your photographer. Apart from your other half, you spend most of your wedding day with them! So connecting with them, their work, their personality, & letting them into your moments - matters.
The best work I’ve ever captured was for couples that let me in like a dear friend. And that's honestly my heart. To step into your moments like a dear friend that knows your story & can uniquely & genuinely capture it all unfold.
care
My Approach
laid back heart
detail oriented
Planning a wedding is a roller coaster. Good news, you have a new right hand friend & photographer. (That’s me!) I’ve shot weddings for over 10 years and am here to talk through all things wedding! Thinking of all the details for your day is honestly my jam, so that when you get to your day, everything flows seamlessly, and you get to just be present & enjoy it all unfold!
From planning the PERFECT timeline for your day, answering any questions about best locations for portraits, helping you pick the cutest engagement session outfit, + more! I'm here for you & on the details for your day!
My Approach
laid back heart
detail oriented
My personality is equal parts detail oriented & reeaalllllllly laid back! (Hello, enneagram 9 wing 1!)
On your wedding day, I always arrive a lil early, give ya a big hug + step into all your moments with the fullest heart!!! Throughout the day, I’ll carry your bouquet, bring you lots of water, capture your big & in between moments, and fluff your dress too! I will definitely tear up when you walk down the aisle AND I'll get extra hype when the DJ drops that beat!!! ;) (JK I can’t dance - but I pretend too!)
My heart is to make sure everything flows perfectly on your day, so that you can simply live, enjoy, and soak it all in!
This may look like giving you time to sit at your ceremony spot after portraits and taking it all in, sneaking off during the reception for a few pictures & some quiet time together, or getting a drink during your cocktail hour with your people!!!
Whatever you need, I’m sensitive to that and here for you & your moments!
My Style
true to color
genuine to you
I deeply believe in capturing your moments in a way that’s timeless & true to color. That’s why I look for pretty light, always scout your location, and edit your pictures in a way that is as true to your wedding colors as possible.
So over the years, when you look back on your day, you will remember exactly how it looked & how it felt!
My Style
true to color
genuine to you
Everyone is different - introvert & extrovert, bubbly & shy - none of us are the same. And I really really love that. So why would I use the same poses or step into every wedding day the same? I simply don't! My heart, care, and love for you is never changing! But – how I approach your moments and day? That’s different.
My style is heavily focused on your moments & you. With every story I am entrusted to tell, I intentionally want to know you and your personality, and then step into your day with open hands & heart. I will get those big moments & direct you into poses. But it's less about being perfectly posed and more about helping you live your moments & day fully present.
Why is your tagline “lover of the genuine & real moments”?
What gear do you use? How do you protect our images?
We are awkward in front of the camera - can you help?
Do you travel?
How long before I get my session/wedding gallery?
Do you have wedding galleries we can view?
Ok, we are in! How do we book?
How many pictures will I receive?
Why is your tagline “lover of the genuine & real moments”?
I love and believe in Jesus, so when I was praying for this business years ago Romans 12:9 kept coming to mind, “Let love be genuine, abhor what is evil, holdfast to what is good.” From my love for Jesus flows my love for people, their moments, and a heart for serving. And that's where it all began. A love to share the genuine & real love a Jesus. A love to capture your moments genuinely & be here for you beyond your wedding day too!
We are awkward in front of the camera - can you help?
Good news - everyone feels awkward at first!! But don’t worry, we get goofy, laughing, & comfortable real quick! Most of the time people forget the cameras there & our time together just feels like hanging with your best friend laughing away. I promise!
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Do you travel?
ABSOLUTELYYYYY! Where we going?! I am a wedding photographer in Illinois and based in Chicago. However, traveling with you & your boo to your favorite place is SUCH A JOY!!! So whether you are searching for the best Chicago wedding photographers or somewhere else, let's talk! Travel costs would be in addition to session or wedding coverage. But contact me here & we can talk & dream through everything together!!!
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How long before I get my session/wedding gallery?
For sessions, galleries are delivered within 2-3 weeks. For weddings, galleries of 30+ sneak peaks will be delivered within a week of saying “I do”! The full gallery will come 6-8 weeks from your wedding and be delivered online & via flash drive in a special wedding box (with some sweet goodies) !!! More than anything, I will never share any image before you see it. These moments are always yours first! So I want you to have time to soak it all in before everyone else does!
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How many pictures will I receive?
I deliver about 75-100 photos per hour of photography coverage. That is an average, can be more or less. Either way, my heart is to give you as many moments as possible from your day!
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Do you have wedding galleries we can view?
Of course! Connecting with my heart, approach, and style is so important! Here’s my blog to view recent weddings. And here's my about page to learn more about me!
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THE BLOG
Ok, we are in! How do we book?
Yayyy! Seriously! It’s such a joy & honor to be entrusted with your moments and I do not take it lightly!!! Reach out via the contact form & I’ll be in touch! If I'm available for your day then we will set up a phone call ASAP! I really love getting to know you and hearing about your wedding plans! From there, I have an online contract & 30% deposit is due to secure your day!
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If you are looking for a genuine, professional, kind-hearted, & joy-spreading photographer THEN you will most certainly find that in Melissa Stuckey !!!
Melissa captured my engagements, rehearsal dinner, & wedding! BUT she does so much more than taking stunning photos. She encourages you, listens to you, makes you laugh, and feel at ease. During our engagement shoot, she had endless ideas and inspiration resulting in the most wonderful collection of sweet, goofy, and sincere photos of my husband and I. On the day of the wedding she made sure I was doing okay throughout the day and gave my husband and I our own private moments between all the big events of the day to ensure we took it all in together as a couple. - Olivia & Dave
Just so thankful for THE kindness, professionalism, and the friend we have in MELISSA !!! 10/10 recommend!!!
My husband and I started the wedding planning process with a photographer being the most important. We wanted our wedding to be intentional and bring glory to God and not ourselves so we were nervous about which photographer to pick who would feel the same. After searching through Instagram, we found her profile and loved the natural look of the photos and called her immediately! From the first phone call we knew she would be intentional and supportive of our vision for our wedding. When the wedding came, she was there early, met all our bridal party, and willingly did my bridal portraits in the rain! She was patient and supportive all day and checked on us if we needed a break, she let us have a private moment for our first look too. The whole photography process was stress free, and Melissa was so kind and understanding. She took care of it ALL!
- Madison & Byan
We are so blessed to be able to relive every moment from that day when we scroll through the album!
Melissa is truly the best! Throughout the whole process of planning our wedding, she was helpful, encouraging, and cooperative! I was one of those brides that did not have it all planned out already and Melissa met with me to help talk through the day and helped create my timeline! Melissa was more than a photographer! She truly got to know us as a couple and made sure the photos she took showed our true personalities!
- Alice & Alex
SHE'S A JOY, HELPFUL HAND, LOVELY WEDDING GUEST & ADDED TO THE PARTY !!!
Melissa captured our special day so perfectly. She’s a joy to be around, a helpful hand, and a lovely wedding guest. She added to the party! And she did it all while 8+ months pregnant! Blessed to have had her by our sides though our wedding sacrament and celebration !!!
- Katie & Chanlin
