Avantgarde Wedding Photography

t and very demanding, but it was not an obstacle for Lukas professional. Photo session before the wedding ceremony in the home, and the next during a parade to the bride fell out great but often Lukas had to be on the move did not hinder the quality of our pictures. Just the professionalism and quality in the selection of equipment has proven to Lukas is the BEST in the Chicagoland area. The pictures from my wedding write themselves. I will say briefly are divine. Please visit Luke www.avantgardewedding.com Mirek & Magda

); he also was excellent at being a "fly on the wall" in taking pictures that were great action shots, but also did so in ways that no one directly noticed that he was running throughout the venue during the night. Once we received the pictures, we were impressed with the variety of shots that were made, as both the family shots we requested and the impromptu shots were very well done. My one complaint is that we received the photos at a time longer than was initially promised, but this probably was to be expected since our wedding was during the busy season; clarifying this expectation up front would have resolved this.

ng options for something so important as in capturing the once in a lifetime event. She couldn't have been happier with Lukas' work. He far exceeded our expectations. He is funny, creative, and extremely hard working. We felt he listened to us and made us feel very comfortable in all the pictures he took of us. His talent definitely made models out of the two of us as well! We love looking at our wedding pics and have not stopped since the wedding. Each time, we notice another detail or a different angle through the way in which Lukas told the story of our very special day. When it was all over and done with, we developed a very nice relationship with Lukas. He is always responsive via email and proactive in his work. In a heartbeat and without any hesitation, Lukas is a very trustworthy and promising photographer. You will not be disappointed.

day. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a wedding photographer!

tyle and philosophy in a friendly and patient manner. 3. His services are reasonably priced. In fact, in comparison to other photographers of his caliber, he is cheap! 4. He actually listens to what you want from him and is willing to tailor his work to what you are looking for. This flexibility is refreshing. 5. His employs a photographic journalistic style. This means that his photos reflect what caught his eye. He notices details and captures emotions. 6. His photographs are natural. He does not rely on special effects and other editing techniques to make his images look beautiful. 7. He works on his own. Wedding industry people all seem to know each other, so it can be hard to get an honest opinion about anyone's services. Lukas steers clear of the fray and maintains a down-to-earth professional attitude. If you are having trouble finding a photographer whose photos are aesthetically pleasing, timeless, and varied, contact Lukas!

an be awkward, especially if you're not used to it, but he made it feel natural and smooth. Especially after the engagement session, which allowed us to warm up to the idea of being photographed. Then, on the actual day, we felt like rockstars. The champagne might have helped with that too. In any case, Lukasz has a great eye for what backgrounnds work and how to capture that special, uninitiated moment. We couldn't have asked for a better service.

made us feel very comfortable with the camera. He took our engagement pictures, what I used for our Guest Book. Our family and friends asked me who took these amazing pictures. I was proud and happy to hear they love our pictures. I think working with Avantgarde Wedding Photography was the best decision we made. Thank you Lukas!

vant Garde and immediately fell in love. Lukas was phenomenal. He was very professional and made us feel very comfortable. He has an amazing eye for natural light and location and we had a lot of fun working with him! Our photos exceeded my already high expectations and we have received so many compliments on them. I really can't say enough about the exceptional quality of his work and the photos speak for themselves!

both natural and indoors. We could not have been more pleased with the results...he did a phenomenal job with getting MANY candid shots,(which we requested) as well as family and group shots. We love his work. At the Winery Reception, he took many beautiful shots of the Bride and Groom in the Wine Barrel room, below the reception restaurant venue. My family and I, as well as the Bride & Groom would highly recommend Lukas to any Wedding Party. He worked VERY hard, and the results were awesome. Many people have asked us for his business info, as they are impressed with the photos that are constantly on loop in our digital frame!

nted it! The price verse the quality is outstanding! I am truly happy we went with Avant Garde to document our special day and have no regrets!

minute I opened his webpage I knew his style was perfect. I wanted candid shots with a photojournalistic feel that could stand the test of time. Lukas gave me just that. And what's more, he was so easy to work with! He met my fiance (now husband) and I in Galena, IL, to take our engagement shots because we wanted to have them done at the spot of the proposal. He researched Galena and even offered me some suggestions on where we could take great photos. I had the same experience with the wedding. We were married at Starved Rock State Park, and again, Lukas did some research and suggested photo locations. He was so diligent in his photography. He wanted to be sure we got everything we wanted and that it would all look great. I think mine look wonderful. They are all exquisite. Every. Single. Shot. Gorgeous. Lukas really captured the day without having me stand, face him, tilt my chin up, smile, etc. Everything was so natural. He provided direction when we needed it just so the picture would come out better. He had wonderful ideas for posing and so often just told my husband and me to just be ourselves and forget he was around. Those pictures are the best. If you're looking for a great photographer, look no further. You will most definitely not be disappointed with Lukas. I felt the photographer was one of the top 3 most important parts of the day. I wanted to be sure I captured the memory of my wedding to a T, and Lukas definitely delivered. Book him!

From the moment that we found his website that we were done looking. We were so thankful that Lukas was able to work with our budget and never tried to sell us on services that we didn’t want or need. We still lived in NYC when we started planning so our engagement session was only 6 weeks before the wedding. Lukas has a way of putting you at ease and getting those natural shots that we love so much. Just one less thing to worry about as we approach the big day!

Lukas and we will be recommending you to all of our family and friends!

shot is just as good as the rest (unlike many others who have a few select shots for advertising, which are nothing like their average product). He does tons of cool things with color and lighting, if you just look at the page. His style is photojournalism - he wants to tell the story of the day, but he will also do posed pictures if you want them. Most importantly, he really doesn't work on the clock - he's done when he gets the job done. And he is very dedicated to his work - when we shot our engagement pictures, there were times where he was running out in the middle of traffic laying down in the street just to get that perfect shot - which really turned out great. His base package is reasonably priced, which gives you all of the high-resolution digital images (about 100+ for the engagement session in many locations around the city and 800+ for the actually wedding around 12 hours of coverage). If you want, you have the option to add an additional photographer too (which is what we did). It's a little bit more, but also a ton more pictures and we were able to capture both of us before the wedding since we didn't see each other until the ceremony. The second photographer he works with is Elizabeth Jochum: http://www.elizabethjochum.com/. She's primarily a fashion photographer but also very good and a really nice person. These two worked together really well the day of the wedding too - they organized everyone for the posed pictures and were always right there to get whatever shots we asked for without getting in the way. The price is a bit more than others (George Street Photography and Timothy Whaley and Associates, who we also looked at), but neither of them even let you meet the photographer before you sign a contract and we didn't think that all the pictures they did were that exceptional. Also, some of these guys also try to make you buy their albums by "including it with the price", which we didn't really want. We really liked how straightforward Lukas was with his business and the quality of his work speaks for itself.

tive pricing... he did a wonderful job of making us feel like ourselves in front of the camera and captured some very tender moments between my fiance and I, and this was only the engagement session! I can't wait to see the story his photographs will tell of our wedding day. His style is timeless, I am so happy we will have an elegant and classic memory our wedding day. Lukas loves what he does and it shows in his work. We also found his non upselling/non wedding industry attitude very refreshing! He is a pleasure to work with and his photographs are stunning!

website. I knew right from the start, I had to have this company. Lukas has an amazing gift and does a fantastic job at what he does. We also had our engagement session with him, which was just perfect as well. I would absolutely recommend him to others. My only troubles now are narrowing down my pictures for our album... What a hard decision when you have so many beautiful pictures. Pictures are one of the few things you have left after the big day - I don't know that any other company could have done a better job!

every other person that we know that is getting married. I know at least one of them have used him already and were also totally impressed. He also is very reasonably priced! Highly, highly recommend him.

is extremely talented with an amazing eye for great photography. He will do anything and everything to get you the best results possible. My (now) husband and I were exhausted the day of our wedding and had not mapped out a plan for where to take pictures in between the ceremony and reception and Lukas had endless ideas and worked fast, with incredible results. He gave us ideas on how to pose, great architectural location ideas in Chicago to take our photos, and captured every single moment imaginable from instant facial expressions to a fast-paced action-filled dance floor throughout the ENTIRE DAY. From the very moment we started working with him for engagement photos, we knew we were in great hands. For those of you that are considering skipping the engagement photo session - DON'T YOU DARE MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY! We were a couple that ended up waiting until the month before our wedding to finally take our engagement photos because we were convinced we didn't want to do the engagement session, however Lukas encouraged us to do it (and it was no extra cost either way) so he could sample how we photographed and learn our angles. We are so happy and beyond thrilled with the results. His dedication to quality results gave us beautiful photos we never would have had, and great practice for the day of the wedding. Our wedding photos look like they are out of a wedding magazine and are better than any other art on our walls. I couldn't imagine having anyone but Lukas photograph our wedding, and will use his company for every event in our lives in the future. If you are looking for the best of the best - you have found it. Do yourself a favor and meet with him and you will instantly see his talent and feel his dedication and will not look anymore. Go to his website and look at Megan and Mike's photos in the gallery, that is us and we are proud to say it! Bar none, Avantegard was the best decision we made for our wedding out of all of the millions of decisions there are to make, and the results couldn't be any better. Thank you Lukas!!!

h all the shots I wanted at the wedding quickly and professionally so I had time to enjoy.

ding. I had an emotional reaction to the photos unlike any I had come across prior. LUKAS is absolutely fantastic. He is professional, and has an eye for capturing the best shots possible. It was a low pressure negotiation, and as a result of his talent, I have the most beautiful photos from our engagement session... and cannot wait to see our wedding photos!! We were married just two weeks ago and I can't rave enough about how wonderful Avantgarde Wedding Photography has been to work with. Take a look at his website if you haven't already, the pictures truly speak for themselves. Spectacular photos for a great price.

is of course - icing on the cake!! :)

ukas's site, and his shots looked natural and interesting, and set up an meeting with him (we ultimately met with 5 other photogs as well.) Unlike most of the other photographers we met with, Lukas did not try to upsell us with expensive packages and coffee table albums-- his pricing was very straight-forward, and he even suggested ways we could print photos on our own. This honesty in pricing was key for me, and the packages he offers suited our priorities, and I felt we got a great value for what we paid. My fiance and I ended up doing two engagement sessions with Lukas, one in Chicago and one in Milwaukee, and each session was extremely fun to participate in (for my fiance too, really) and the photos were so fabulous we ended up using several in frames at our wedding. Lukas made us feel very comfortable, as we did our thing he just shot everything as it happened, with only a couple poses here and there. Not only are Lukas's photos amazing, his personality makes him so easy to be around and discuss ideas, preferences, etc. He is very easy going, creative, and makes anyone feel very comfortable in front of the camera (parents, kids, etc). He has the unique ability to blend into the background when relevant-- after our wedding, I realized that during the reception, I barely saw him, but I know he was there from the amazing photos! That's exactly what we wanted-- a photographer who would just shoot the action as it happened and not make a fuss. One last awesome thing about Lukas-- you'll appreciate the enthusiasm and energy that he brings while he's shooting-- he literally uses every last second to get as many great shots as possible. The effort he puts in to capturing your on film is fabulous! I was thrilled that we worked with Lukas, and I would recommend him to anyone, especially those couples looking to capture photojournalistic style pics-- and work with an easy going, talented, energetic photographer.

xt thing we did was research photographers. We wanted to make sure we had our top choice and luckily every photographer we contacted still had our date available (it was a year away). Planning from a distance we relied initially on the internet. I looked at over 75 websites using every referral source I could find (e.g. theknot, ChicagoStyle, google search). After narrowing down the sites, I shared 33 with my husband and eventually contacted 11 that we were both interested in for pricing. Costs were all over the board and at the end of the day there were three photographers we wanted to meet in person based on talent and overall value. Since we were planning from a distance, I alone met with all three on my next trip to Chicago. Lukas was, in my opinion, the one that I felt the most comfortable with and who seemed the most professional. I met with one at his studio who seemed very concerned about changing his cameras for unique photographs and up-selling me on his photo albums. Another had talent but limited experience that was only apparent after meeting with him and asking questions. We wanted a second photographer and he did not have an established network so we were further worried about the quality of their photographs. I met Lukas last in a coffee shop and knew he was the one for us. He came prepared with a sample contract and easily rattled off the one person he really wanted as the second photographer (and a few others he would contact if she wasn’t available). I felt he would be the most adaptive to our wedding – willing to take the standard posed family pictures at the church, able to capture some incredible candid photographs while still using his artistic eye to capture beautiful photographs. His package was of very strong value: including an engagement session; unlimited time on the day of the wedding; a second photographer (not assistant); full resolution, edited and color corrected pictures on a DVD; copyrights to the images; and traditional photo albums for us with mini copies for our parents. On our wedding day Lukas coordinated with the second photographer (Elizabeth) and both showed up on time, were professionally dressed and knew exactly what to do. We did not give them a list of pictures we expected other than the family pictures we needed. They operated mainly behind the scenes except for when coordinating the group shots and had multiple creative ideas that resulted in fantastic pictures. If we thought of something we wanted to do they were willing to take the shot; no complaints or questions asked. When we arrived at the hotel they sprinted inside to take pictures of the reception hall before guests were allowed in. They were incredibly attentive for key moments; we started going around welcoming guests while they were eating their vendor meals and they came out of nowhere to capture the moment. We truly feel like Lukas made sure our wedding day was captured from start to finish, including many moments we didn’t even witness among our guests, that we will treasure for life. We highly recommend him – he is very talented, professional and an exceptional value.

phy is something that you not only want as part of your wedding, but something you hope is part of all the important events in your life, from anniversaries to photos of your newborn. Lukas is a remarkable professional who is very personable, supportive and respectful of his clients. You will not have to worry at all about the quality of your photos. He provided a beautiful variety of formal and candid shots throughout our wedding. I continue to receive compliments on his work! Many friends have commented that our photos are the best and most amazing they have seen! I have already recommended him to several of my close friends.I assure you that if you choose Avantgarde photography for your wedding, you will have photos that will tell a beautiful and amazing story for a lifetime!

e didn’t know what the shoot would be like or how the pictures would turn out. During the shoot, Lukas was relaxed and creative. The finished photographs were breathtaking and exceeded our expectations. We are going to take a second engagement shoot (included in the wedding package) soon, and can’t wait for Lukas to capture memories of our wedding day! My Mom's review: Captured Young Love :) Stunning! The engagement photos of my daughter Michelle and her fiancé are nothing short of priceless. The city settings are exactly what they wanted and both Michelle and Webster look natural in every pose. You successfully captured the essence of young love. I immediately called her to be sure she books the later of 2 start times at the reception venue to allow for maximum time for pictures on their wedding day. My husband and I are thrilled Michelle took the time to research photographers. She found the best! Kudos!

work with and get along with and he made me feel so beautiful. I once had a friend tell me that there are 3 things that are most important in a wedding: the guy, the ring, and the pictures since they all last a lifetime, and Lukas delivers the pictures you want for a lifetime. I am so proud to show off my pictures to all my family and friends and they too are shocked at how perfectly he captured the day, those special moments, and the wonderful surrounding. I highly recommend Avantgarde Wedding! Just check out his website and see for yourself!

l of the guests during the ceremony and reception so that there were good pictures of everyone who attended. He caught everything from artful poses to crazy candids and everything in between. We had access to all of the pictures with in a very reasonable period of time. It was a pleasure to work with him and I highly recommend him!

and then an additional for our true session with more photos. I really shopped around searching for the best deal, but also not losing the value in a great photographer. He is a hidden gem in Chicago. I loved each of our engagement session photos. My family was blown away! He makes the session fun and relaxing. He often says "pretend I'm not here" so he can capture your true interaction with your fiance. He is more creative then a tradition "stand here and smile" photographer. He loves photo journalism and creates more "action" shots then posed and stiff pictures. Lukas was wonderful on our wedding day as well. He arrived on time with his assitant and really went with the flow. He took thousands of pictures and stayed til the last guest left the dance floor. He works hard and puts in the hours to get the great shots you are looking for. I would recommend him in a heart beat. Its important to remember when you spend so much money on a wedding...the only thing you truly can bring home with you are the photos. Make the right choice on your photographer. I can confidently recommend Lukas - you will be as pleased as I will be 30,40, 50 years from now looking at your photos. How can you argue with that?!?! My family and friends also commented that they were the best wedding photos they have ever seen. Check out his website at www.avantgardewedding.com to see for yourself!