Elena Bazini Photography

Wedding photos were one of our top priorities when we started planning. When we asked around for the things to look for in a good photographer, someone mentioned something that stuck with us: “Look for the things that are missing in someone’s portfolio.” We sent out a few portfolios to numerous friends and family, and Elena came back as the top independent choice every time. Her portfolio speaks for itself, but our cousin put it best: “if people saw these photos of themselves, they would be very happy with them”. That is what drew us to Elena. A lot of photographers focus their energy on pictures that would look great in magazines and on Instagram, but Elena has those as well as a lot of smaller moments of joy between guests, capturing the emotions behind the photos. The bride and groom and their families looked happy in all of the photos, not like they were just posing for the camera. Our planners mentioned that she captures the day as it truly was, and that aspect was what made her portfolio stand out to us and everyone we showed it to. As soon as we used her for our engagement shoot, we knew our instincts had been right. She flew out to New York for a full day of pictures, and despite a ton of nerves at our ends, we felt so comfortable with her throughout. Even though these were the first professional photos we would take, and there were large crowds everywhere in New York, we were able to relax. When Elena sent over the photo gallery, the pictures reflected that. Her calming presence and her ability to capture the joy between us made our engagement photos look stunning. The multi-day Indian wedding was no different. Her and her second shooter Ryan were working across five days, morning to evening, and four large events and numerous smaller rituals. They probably took thousands of photos across the entire weekend. However, it never felt like a chore. We trusted her fully, even when we trucked through a mosquito-infested lawn because we knew the end results would be worth it (and they were). My dad was so impressed with how she took family portraits, positioning everyone effortlessly and quickly. Throughout, both her and Ryan focused on the emotions of the moments in addition to the flashy pictures. One of our favorite sneak preview photos showcases a young guest screaming for joy during the wedding ceremony. Elena has been a joy to be around, and we have loved getting to know her across these events. We have used photographers before, but we have never felt more at ease than when working with her. We believe that speaks to her personal qualities as well as her talent. One moment that stood out to us was when one of the people helping us out fell on the street. Elena was the first one there to pick her up, and Elena was the one that made sure she received help. We’ve also found it fascinating to see photos from guests where Elena pops up, smile plastered on her face or a tongue sticking out as she’s taking her photos. She genuinely had a great time as well. We are going to use Elena for all future photos, no hesitation. When discussing wedding photography initially, we discussed a lot of our priorities internally. We concluded that the thing we wanted most of all was a set of photos that we would be happy to show our future kids. Elena delivered that for us.

We hired Elena both for our engagement and our wedding photos and we are so so happy we did! My wife and I are a Chicago based couple but had our wedding in Detroit, and from the get-go Elena was incredibly accommodating of our needs, preferences, and location even though we were planning it from afar. One thing that really stood out is how much time and effort Elena put into scouting locations in Detroit given my wife and I were less familiar with the city. We just received our photos and we honestly couldn't be happier with them. Stylistically, Elena has an incredible eye. She has a unique ability to capture posed photos and candids in a way that are truly reflective of the feeling of the day. My wife and I spent hours looking through our photos and it genuinely felt like we were reliving the emotion of the day. That is a huge testament to Elena and her talent. Beyond her ability as a photographer, Elena was an absolute pleasure to work with. She found the perfect line between engaging us enough to give us confidence that she knew what our vision was and that she was on top of everything, but she also avoided the situation many vendors fall into of over-communicating and adding burden to an already stressful wedding planning process. It was exactly the right balance. Elena also did an amazing job navigating challenging family dynamics, cold weather, rain, children... the list goes on. Her professionalism and positivity made the whole thing feel easy even though my wife and I don't always feel natural getting our photos taken. We're so grateful for Elena and are absolutely ecstatic about the photos! Thank you!