Striking Images Start With The Perfect Match
$7,000 starting price
Available for Travel
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Elena Bazini
OWNER
AWARD WINNER (10X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Elena Bazini Photography is a wedding photography company based in Chicago, IL. They create stunning photographs that start with a personal connection. They strive to tell your love story with beauty, honesty, and a fun-loving spirit. Let them show the love you share and celebrate it.
Founder Elena Bazini is a skilled photographer with years of experience in the art form. She is a natural storyteller who approaches your big day with a candid style. She aims to capture all of the little moments that you will share with your loved ones on the special day. With her photojournalistic style and keen eye, Elena ensures that the images in your wedding album will be timelessly beautiful.
When you book with Elena Bazini Photography, you will receive a consultation where you can discuss your wedding vision. The team will tailor a package for your big day based on your unique needs. Around six weeks after your wedding day, you will receive your precious memories in an online gallery. You can also order a stunning custom album with prints from your celebration.
Woman-owned Business
Prices & packages
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Details
Destination Weddings
Destination Wedding Packages
Photo Shoot Types
Day After Session
Engagement
Photo & Video
Film Photography
Second Shooter Available
Social Media Sharing
Photo & Video Styles
Artistic
Documentary
Lifestyle
Modern
Wedding Activities
Getting Engaged
Rehearsals & Parties
Wedding
Any questions?
Meet the team
Elena Bazini
Owner
Elena Bazini studied photography at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She loves telling stories with her images, and can't wait to hear yours!
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.0109 reviews
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Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Elena Bazini Photography received glowing reviews for capturing weddings with creativity, professionalism, and inclusivity. Clients praised Elena for her calming presence, ability to blend in seamlessly, and for delivering stunning photos promptly. Reviewers highlighted Elena's excellent communication, diverse team, and affordable rates. Elena's artistic direction, personalized approach, and genuine care for her clients were consistently commended, making her highly recommended for capturing beautiful and memorable wedding moments.Review photos
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Mary Jane H
5.0
9/08/2024
Elena was hands down the best choice I made for my wedding! I promise, you will swoon over her bold lighting choices and eye for genuine human emotion. I've only seen the sneak peeks, but every photo is an immediate framer — and a memory that will be cherished forever. But more than her impeccable technique, Elena will immediately put you at ease. Weddings are stressful (and I had a few hiccups the morning of!) and she gently kept us on track, helped us relax, redirected the moments to me and Omar, and ensured everything was captured the way we wanted. Every guest who spoke to her commented on her kindness — she truly makes everyone feel special. You won't regret the decision to book her!
Hannah H
5.0
8/28/2024
Elena was a joy to work with. She photographed my sister's wedding and the photos were beautiful, so I knew I wanted to work with her for my wedding. She was very organized throughout the prep process and was available for phone calls beforehand. On the wedding day, I was pretty overwhelmed when the day started, but Elena has a very calming presence that put me at ease. She also worked seamlessly with our videographer.
On top of that, the photos came so quickly just a month after the wedding and they are fantastic! We are so pleased with how they turned out. Thank you, Elena!
Any questions?
Tom S
5.0
8/28/2024
Elena Bazini Photography received glowing reviews for capturing the special moments of weddings with creativity and expertise. Reviewers praised Elena and her team for their excellent communication, artistic direction, and inclusivity. They appreciated the diversity in the team and highlighted Elena's ability to blend in seamlessly on the day of the wedding, making everyone feel at ease. Clients were pleased with the well-designed photos received promptly after the events. Elena's professionalism, affordable rates, and personal touch were highly recommended, with multiple reviewers expressing their satisfaction with the experience and the stunning results captured.
Jessica C
5.0
7/15/2024
Elena was an absolute joy to work with! She immediately made us feel comfortable and captured all of the emotions and special moments of our wedding day. She made the whole process so easy from from helping with final timeline adjustments to knowing all the perfect photo spots at our venue, we could not recommend her enough!
Zev G
5.0
2/21/2024
Elena and her team were top tier in several tenets of our wedding experience.
Communication:
Throughout the planning Elena was in touch with both my partner and I in terms of expectation, scheduling, and most importantly: creative vision. We had a December wedding and only met Elena the evening before our wedding at the rehearsal dinner, but going in we were confident in her and the team based on their portfolio of work and the conversations we had.
Creative direction:
Elena and team had great eyes, especially considering our desire for a little less tradition and more avant gaarde. We love black and white composition. It is one thing to just add a B&W filter to a photo, but it's another to take into consideration contrast and light specifically for it. Elena and her team actively did this for us and the results speak for themselves.
Diversity and Inclusion:
We were very happy to boast a team of vendors that were all majority women, minorities, LBGTQ, and others. Having Elena be part of this very deliberate goal gave us a sense of 1) Platforming otherwise hard to platform vendors, and 2) a sense of pride knowing we are contributing to a progressive perspective when engaging in the most traditional of endeavors: marriage.
After the wedding we were sent the photos in an extremely timely manner (as promised too). Shortly after that we were sent the most incredibly well designed and packaged hard copy of the photos.
Overall Elena Bazini Photography met and went way above our expectations and if anyone I know needs a photographer I will most assuredly refer them to Elena!
Kaitlin J
5.0
1/29/2024
Working with Elena was a dream! We were initially drawn to her work we found online and on her IG, and came to find that she is wonderful to work with as well. We found her packages to be fair and she was willing to work with us to customize so that we got everything we were looking for to capture and preserve our wedding season memories. Elena made us feel comfortable during all of our shoots, she made the whole process feel easy, and all deliverables were sent in a timely manner. We are thrilled with how everything turned out and couldn't recommend her enough. Thank you Elena!
Lisa B
5.0
10/25/2023
Elena Bazini for our wedding? ... Let's start with this Fun Fact ... one of our family friends (who is a photographer) picked Elena to be our wedding photographer! ... I bring this up, because what better review to give someone, than having another photographer pick another photographer to capture their family friend's wedding? It didn't take us long to realize why Elena was so good. And to see why "inside industry" people would admire her, without even knowing her. (our family friend had never met her)
Elena's social media is a great landing spot ... after our friend's suggestion, it's where we first noticed her "nuance photography." She subtly captures the moments ... the glances, the smiles, the brushes of love.
Elena is a top-notch organizer and communicator. An example? she took the time to call us, take notes, and make sure she understood the timeline of the day, as well as noting "our" details that would be important to capture.
Elena is real, and fun, and cool. We barely noticed her and her wonderful assistant, Lynn, all night. They both had the gift of being pleasant and engaging throughout, while simultaneously "disappearing" from the moment....to be able to capture the moments. They were seamless. And real. And Awesome.
Elena came with her own ideas about "location shots" beforehand. You could tell she had brainstormed and done her research on the venue and neighborhood. We walked away with some great snapshots to help us remember "the where" of our night.
Her rates are extremely competitive for the market these days, and especially for the packages, and the "personal treatment" of what her team offers. Elena was constantly open to adjusting her style, social media sharing, and editing based on requests we had made. She caters to the couple.
And finally, that leads us to this ... we just felt like Elena really cared. This wasn't just a "job" or a paycheck for her. Elena (and Lynn's) energy were beautiful. Think about that for a second ... your wedding photographer is not just the one who captures your special day, but also puts energy back into that day. What kind of energy do you want for that?
Elena Bazini.
Real.
Genuine.
Talented.
The perfect person to capture your perfect day.
Erin H
5.0
10/19/2023
Where do I begin?! Elena and I have been best friends for over a decade. When planning my wedding it was so clear I only wanted Elena to capture my day. Even if you just meet her she will treat you the same as a friend and her warmth and generosity are contagious. The combination of her authenticity and approach make her clients feel at ease in front of the lens and allows her to capture honest and beautiful portraits. Her ability to seamlessly blend into your background as a guest is truly a testament to her personality and a skill that I appreciated as hosting a small wedding. We received our sneak peek and were blown away! Not only are they incredible but we had a limited time for portraits and she totally nailed it! We couldn't be happier.
Lisa L
5.0
9/19/2023
Elena and here team were INCREDIBLE. We decided early on our photographer was one of the things we wanted to prioritize to capture our day forever so we were quite picky in our search. When we saw her work, we really loved how she captured the light and the raw emotions of the day. But she blew our expectations out of the water! When we saw the pictures of our own day, it was absolute art. Her work is unparalleled, and we would book Elena a million times over again. She was also an absolute joy to work with before wedding day and on the day. She was kind, patient, and so organized. She did a great job making sure she got the pictures we requested while still getting sweet candid moments. She also had a lovely, calm energy on wedding day, which really made us feel comfortable in front of the lens and helped us slow down the day.
It was very easy to communicate with her leading up to the wedding, which I really appreciated because we booked early and had a lot of time for us to think of questions! She always answered promptly, thoroughly and in a way that made us feel confident about our wedding day.
We HIGHLY recommend Elena. She is the best of the best. We are so grateful to Elena for turning our day into such beautifully documented moments we will have forever.
Ethan H
5.0
9/02/2023
We are so fortunate to have worked with Elena for our May wedding. When we first met Elena, we felt we immediately connected with her warmth and kindness. She shared with us her style and how she wants to capture our natural interactions and encompass who we are as a couple. This attitude spoke to us and made us confident that we wanted to work with her.
As the wedding came closer, we felt like collaborators with Elena as she planned out all the shots we wanted and made every effort for us to have everything planned before our bid day. And of course, on our wedding, everything progressed without a hitch. Her shots are magnificent and take us back to our wedding.
We feel truly lucky to have worked with Elena and would recommend her to everyone!
-Ethan and Liza
Jackie Q
5.0
9/01/2023
We had the pleasure of working with Elena for our wedding, and it was an absolute joy from start to finish. From our first interactions, Elena's kindness and thoughtfulness were evident. Her ability to direct us for posed shots was understated and effortless, and her true magic shone through in capturing candid and hidden moments. The life and emotion in her photos are simply unbelievable—priceless keepsakes of our special day.
A special shout-out goes to her assistant, Katie, who not only helped with photography but also came to the rescue when my sister's dress zipper broke off while we were getting ready! Katie, who is also a seamstress, saved the day by sewing my sister into her dress. We couldn't have asked for better support.
We opted for just a photographer instead of a videographer as well, and with Elena's photos, we have no regrets. She documented every moment, start to finish. What sets Elena apart is her talent for making everyone feel instantly comfortable in front of the camera. As a couple we'd never had professional photos taken, but Elena's guidance was clear and comforting. Her direction for us, our wedding party, and our families was succinct and calming during what could have been a very hectic day.
With Elena you will have the privilege of working with a real person who genuinely cares about her clients. After a long day of shooting, she went above and beyond, staying extra time to capture some moments of our after-party. Her commitment and care truly shine through.
Elena exceeded our expectations in every way, and we can't recommend her highly enough. If you want a photographer who not only captures stunning images but also makes your day feel effortless and special, Elena is the one to choose.
Thank you, Elena, for creating lasting memories we'll cherish forever.
Vicki K
5.0
8/20/2023
My husband and I got married on July 14th at Greenhouse Loft. Elena and her assistant Lynn were our dream photographers! We were so pleased with how comfortable our whole experience was.
My husband and I really wanted someone who could take great candid photos as neither of us really wanted to spend a ton of time posing for photos. We were so pleased with our photos and really had so much fun reliving our day when our photos were ready! Our happiness and joy was totally captured :)
We did spend some time posing for photos of course, Elena and Lynn made us feel so comfortable and at ease. It felt so natural and comfortable even with two cameras on us. They were patient and helpful with giving us direction.
My family, friends, and the venue staff all went out of their way to tell us just how great our photographers were! I recommend Elena Bazini Photography to everyone who wants a positive, calming presence with such a great eye for capturing candid, unique shots. Thank you!
Eleanor A
5.0
8/09/2023
Elena was absolutely amazing! From the first conversation we had with her my husband and I knew that she was who we wanted for our wedding photographer. She was great at working around our schedule for our virtual meetings and always answered our questions promptly. And day of I cannot speak highly enough about her. She was right on time (actually getting to the venue before any of the wedding party!) and immediately made everyone feel comfortable. Even when things got stressful, Elena remained calm and just had this great calming presence on everyone around her, something that is desperately needed at weddings. She did an excellent job wrangling all of my family members (not an easy feat) and had the perfect balance of kindness and professionalism. She got everyone into position and in the right place quickly but without making anyone feel like they were being nagged. My dad actually commented multiple times in the days following about how great Elena and Katie were. I cannot wait to see the photos she took of the wedding but just couldn't wait to post my review. If you are considering hiring Elena for your wedding or any other photo needs you should not hesitate! Hands down one of the best decisions I made concerning the wedding.
Meagan B
5.0
7/18/2023
My husband and I felt so comfortable working with Elena and we can’t express how grateful we are for her work and calming presence before and on our wedding day. She captured every moment beautifully, and our final edited gallery is stunning.
Kathleen H
5.0
5/16/2023
We hired Elena for our wedding day, and she was incredible! She was incredibly professional and patient with our large wedding party. Additionally, we had a catholic mass and she captured it beautifully. I love her style of photography- to me, it is very candid! As we reviewed her portfolio, it was a no-brainer, and the end result totally lived up to our expectations. Elena will give you photos that you will treasure for a lifetime! I cannot recommend her enough!
Veronica K
5.0
1/20/2023
My husband and I are so glad that we chose Elena as our wedding photographer. She is so easy to work with and did a great job at guiding us for photos during our engagement shoot and for our wedding photos. She had great ideas about where the best spots were for photos, was communicative through every stage of the planning, and she was fully active and engaged throughout the wedding day. We just got our photos back and love every one of them! Elena is a fantastic photographer, and I would recommend her to anyone.
Natalie T
5.0
12/15/2022
I hired Elena as my photographer for my engagement photos and my October 2022 Chicago wedding and it was one of the best wedding decisions I made. Elena is incredibly talented – her work is STUNNING. When choosing a photographer, I was immediately drawn to Elena’s portfolio. I love her artistic use of light and ability to capture such warm, natural, heartfelt moments. In addition to her creative talents – Elena was such a joy to be around. Elena was very responsive throughout the entire wedding planning process and was so easy to work with. She is such a fun, warm, calming presence on your wedding day – my entire family loved her. I cannot recommend Elena enough – she really is the “calm amidst the wedding storm." Hire her!
Rink P
5.0
10/12/2022
We loved working with Elena for our wedding! We had a traditional 3-day Hindu Wedding . Elena was able to capture all the colorful outfits, details and religious aspects of all of our events and multiple venues including our home, a hotel and the Chicago Botanic Garden. The photos are beyond spectacular! We also did a engagement photo shoot with Elena a few months earlier which made my husband and I even more comfortable the wedding weekend. We loved working with Elena and would highly recommend her as your wedding photographer!
Elaine S
5.0
9/04/2022
Elena is the absolute best. She was such a joy to work with and also took the most amazing pictures of our wedding day. She perfectly captured our happiness and how much fun we had. I am so glad to have these amazing pictures to look back on. She also is such a calm force and seamlessly managed our big families while taking our family photos. I cannot recommend Elena strongly enough! She is absolutely fantastic.
Alice H
5.0
6/05/2022
When looking at photographers, Elena came recommended with the venue we selected. What drew me to her is that her style of photography is very warm, and she has a knack for brining out the romance in a day that can be very eventful and hectic.
Working with Elena was easy. She was always pleasant, presented information clearly, and listened to us when we had questions or concerns. Overall, it was a joy to work with her.
The photos were available about 5 weeks after our wedding, and they look fantastic! Everyone has complimented us on them, and my husband and I absolutely love them.
Matthew S
5.0
2/18/2022
We initially chose Elena because we saw her portfolio, which was very impressive, so we came into this with extremely high hopes for exceptional wedding photos. What we ended up with exceeded our expectations. Not only are Elena and her team fantastic photographers, they really understand the dynamics of a wedding and know how to keep the bride, groom, and wedding party directed and focused while appearing calm the whole time. We had a number of locations which involved high traffic, parking challenges, etc. but the impression coming from Elena and team was that they had it all planned and figured out, which is very helpful on a day with so much going on. Most importantly, the end product is stunning photos which you will always treasure. Thank you so much to Elena and her assistant!
Alexa B
5.0
1/23/2022
My fiancé, Trevor, hired Elena to capture our proposal while we were visiting Chicago. Not only is Elena a wonderful photographer, but she is also the easiest person to be around. Creatively, her work is nothing short of amazing. She captured our emotions and the moment in a genuine way. Her editing skills are perfection, full color and timeless. Logistically, Trevor said that hiring her and working with her was so simple. She made him feel comfortable and walked him through everything in a helpful way. I am beyond thankful that Trev found Elena to capture the proposal! We get to relive this moment every time we look at our pictures, which is truly special. We love Elena's work and cannot recommend her enough!
Corinne B
5.0
12/12/2021
My husband, Mickey, and I were recommended to Elena and we couldn’t have been happier. Elena made us feel so comfortable in our engagement session and we couldn’t wait to put her work in our home forever. Our wedding day photos captured all the love, fun and excitement. Elena does such a beautiful job capturing moments.
Demi B
5.0
11/02/2021
Elena is a photography genius! We booked Elena for an engagement photoshoot and our wedding day. Our engagement photos turned out amazing and Elena knew exactly the vision we had and the locations to shoot in. The wedding day was spectacular. Elena makes you feel so comfortable, laugh, and keeps things light. Elena helps guide what to do for the photos while keeping it looking natural and fun. Elena was so responsive and even helped with day of timeline. She also was a trooper with a rather long family photo list. We had planned two stops for bridal photos and Elena added on an additional spot because we had enough time, which I think will be our favorite photos! We can't wait to see all our final wedding photos. We highly recommend hiring Elena!
REBECCA L
5.0
11/02/2021
Elena was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. She made us feel comfortable through the entire process and really listened to the style we were looking for. Her photos are BEAUTIFUL. She truly captured the light in everyone’s eyes at the reception… not sure how else to describe it. We now have some of the best photos we’ve ever seen of family and friends. Don’t trust anyone else with this important moment.
Mour & Saf C
5.0
10/29/2021
Elena is an absolute dream wedding photographer! From the moment we first spoke on the phone her calming, reassuring approach made us feel confident that we would be in the hands of a highly professional and knowledgeable photographer. Communicating ideas of location and ways to personalise our shoot was a breeze as she was very responsive and helpful. On the day of our elopement/court ceremony despite both our camera shyness she made us feel so relaxed and we just had so much fun- felt like we had known her for so much longer! Needless to say the photos turned out beautiful!!! We look forward to Elena being a part of all our future photography and wedding festivities. Thank you so much, Elena :)
Michael C
5.0
10/28/2021
Punctuality, personality, and professionalism—Elena has all of these and more! We spent countless hours researching different wedding photographers and chatted with five or six on the phone, but once we spoke to Elena we knew she was the photographer for us. During the initial conversation, she was receptive to everything we were throwing at her and she was kind enough to send us links to shoots she had recently done so we could get a better sense of what to expect. Booking her for the date couldn't have been easier. Between the time we first spoke to Elena and our wedding day, she was quick to respond to any questions, so we felt really good about the photos going into our big day.
We had a very small wedding (less than 10 guests) that kind of came together at the last minute, but Elena was patient and rolled with the punches. The morning of our wedding day, she arrived at our hotel early and, for the next few hours, she made shooting at various different locations around Chicago as easy as could be. We immediately felt comfortable with her and confident with her abilities, and she played a huge role in making our wedding day a success.
One of the things we really liked about Elena even before we spoke to her was her portfolio, and we were absolutely thrilled when she sent us our photos! She made us look better than we could have ever imagined!
Overall, we can't recommend Elena highly enough. She was a dream to work with and we'll always be grateful for the gorgeous photo she captured on our wedding day.
Betsy R
5.0
10/15/2021
We couldn't be happier with choosing Elena for our wedding and engagement photos! She is such a sweet and calming presence, made us feel super comfortable, and took the most creative and breathtaking photos of us and our day. We had so much fun with her and we are truly obsessed with our photos. She was also really flexible with us when we had to postpone our date. I would definitely recommend her to anyone and plan to reach out to her to capture our future milestones!!
Gail S
5.0
10/06/2021
Elena was incredible! She captured our day perfectly, was flexible when our entire day of schedule changed, and was so fun to work with. I was worried about booking a photographer that we wouldn’t be comfortable around that might end up with stiff photos, but working with Elena came so naturally and made both our engagement photo shoot and the day of our wedding breezy and fun! I would recommend her to anyone getting married in Chicagoland!!
Jennifer M
5.0
8/24/2021
Cannot say enough good things about Elena. She shot both our engagement photos in 2019 and our wedding photos in July 21 - we were THRILLED with how the photos turned out - she truly captured every special moment. Not to mention she is awesome to work with, really listening and understanding what her client is looking for, handling all wedding reschedules with grace and kindness. I would recommend Elena to anyone looking for an amazing photographer in Chicago.
Marla P
5.0
8/08/2021
We couldn't be happier with our experience with Elena! She shot our engagement photos and wedding and captured the emotions better than we could even remember. Elena made us feel so comfortable while working with her. We have the best photos to look back on and relive our special day! THANK YOU Elena for being so amazing!
Tabitha J
5.0
3/15/2021
Elena is the best!! I was in search of a female photographer for a boudoir style shoot & I was searching through IG & her work stood out to me. I didn't question what she can do because I can clearly see she has an artist eye and is talented. This is also my first 'real' photo shoot, so I wanted to come correct for a project I was working on & she went above my expectations! She made me look like a star!!🤩 The pics she took looks like they belong in a magazine!!💕 So many compliments, even other photographers are checking out her work. I also wanted to add, I'm a person who is camera shy when it comes to showing skin & she made it fun, comfortable & showed me how to pose. Very professional & she definitely knows her craft. So lucky to have run across her. I will definitely book with her again. I cannot ask for a better photographer. 📸💕
Adrienne E
5.0
10/24/2020
Elena shot my wedding in Feb 2020. Photography was a top 3 priority for my partner and I.
Loved working with Elena! She was a dream vendor leading up to it, answering emails prompting and clearly, and really understanding what we liked and wanted to get out of photography for the big day. She was fun to hang out with day of, she kept us on task, and made sure we got all the posed photos we wanted done.
But most importantly - I am OBSESSED with our photos!! I could not have dreamt of them coming out better!!! I look at them every single day. I'm not typically this sentimental, but I really can relive every single moment of the day through these shots. I knew Elena was talented when I first looked at her portfolio, but holy moly some of the shots take my breath away, every time I look at them, no matter how much I look at them. And I think that reflects not only Elena's dedication to her craft but also her skill as a photographer that sets her apart from others in the field. She is really really excellent at this and it shows.
I will cherish these pictures forever. I cannot thank Elena enough for capturing our day perfectly.
Alexa S
5.0
10/21/2020
Cannot say enough amazing things about Elena! She did both our engagement photos and our wedding photos! She was extremely communicative when you needed her and truly delivered final products that were what we discussed and what we hoped for. She also is so kind, but gets the job done especially with our HUGE wedding party (23 bridesmaids and groomsmen)! As someone who has been a bridesmaid many times, this isn't a quality that most wedding photographers have! The photographer was probably the most important vendor to us as photos last way beyond the wedding so I researched a lot of photographers in Chicago. Elena's work speaks for itself and I also think she is one of the more reasonably priced Chicago-based wedding photographers! What more can I say, but HIRE ELENA!
Catherine O
5.0
7/30/2020
We could not have been more lucky to have Elena be a part of our day. We had to move our wedding and find a new photographer quickly amid all the Covid craziness and we found the absolute BEST photographer with Elena. She was incredibly responsive and made the process of working together so easy.
On the day of our wedding, Elena was SO professional, so kind and was so respectful. Our families kept saying how easy it was to work with her! She moved through all of the shots incredibly quickly and smoothly and knew how to organize the groups efficiently. She took all of the shots that we asked for and more that we hadn't even thought of that turned out beautifully.
When we got our pictures back, our jaws DROPPED! They were the most STUNNING pictures! The colors popped so beautifully. When shooting the pictures, she made us feel so comfortable and we were able to relax and just be ourselves - nothing felt forced!
I could not recommend Elena more. She's beyond easy to work with, so kind and professional and most importantly - her work speaks for herself! All my girlfriends want to hire her for their weddings after seeing my pictures :)
Hannah S
5.0
11/09/2019
Elena and David were absolutely wonderful to work with on our wedding day! From the very beginning we were impressed with her kindness and calm approach, which perfectly reflected what we wanted for our wedding. I thought I would get tired of taking pictures or self-conscious with all of the attention, but with Elena I (and my bridal party) were completely comfortable and had so much fun! My husband said the exact same thing about the second shooter, David. When we got the pictures back we immediately became obsessed. Her style and ability to capture little moments of joy was exactly what we were hoping for. Anyone looking for a wedding photographer who will capture the spirit of your wedding day, Elena is the perfect choice!
Elizabeth N
5.0
10/31/2019
We consider ourselves lucky to have had Elena with us on our wedding day! Not only is she a calm and reassuring presence, she captured the essence of who we are as a couple and all of the unique little moments throughout our wedding day, versus just the usual staged shots that you see at so many weddings (I've been a bridesmaid 9 times so I would know). Elena takes both an artistic and photojournalism approach that is just exceptional; you will be wowed by her images and they will also help you relive memories from the day. Cannot recommend her highly enough!
Lauren S
5.0
10/25/2019
Elena is such a talented, kind, creative, calming photographer who I was truly lucky enough to hear about and have for my wedding day. She is so easy to work with and was excellent about communicating throughout wedding planning. The photos are beyond beautiful, and genuinely capture the emotions and story of your day. She has a way of capturing all of the beautiful feelings. Each photo brings back so many amazing memories that we will cherish forever. The day of, she was awesome to be around and handled all of the logistics of family photos seamlessly. She's also super fun to hang out with and I loved having here there! I cannot recommend her enough.
alyson t
5.0
10/16/2019
I did a super fun boudoir shoot with Elena this summer! We did the shoot in the comfort of my apartment and Elena made the whole experience comfortable and fun. Elena has a way of directing the shoot that made everything feel so breathless and easy, and the photos came out AMAZING!
Katie B
5.0
10/05/2019
Elena Bazini is an AMAZING talent. She is everything anyone would want in a wedding photographer-easy to work with, her team was fantastic, her style is easy going/capture-don’t create-the moment, flowing with the celebration-not interrupting it, and most of all, putting you at ease on one of the most important days of your life. Not only did the photographs exceed our expectations but the whole experience of working with Elena and her team was just a dream. Her website is very professional and well maintained and serves as a testimony to her expertise and vision. We enjoyed our time with her and highly recommend Elena and her team.
Haley S
5.0
9/27/2019
Elena (and Cathy) were absolutely fantastic. Not only is Elena a great photographer with an impeccable and creative eye, but she emanates warmth and makes everyone around her feel comfortable in front of the camera. She was such a joy to work with and we're looking forward to seeing her photos (we love what we've seen so far)! Would recommend to anyone lucky enough to book her.
Elizabeth K
5.0
6/05/2019
We got married in March in Chicago. Knowing that there was a real risk of snow, we wanted a photographer who would embrace that if it happened, and Elena's blog completely sold me. Well, we didn't get snow, but we also didn't get a pleasant day - it stormed like crazy, which meant that a lot of the photos we hoped to get weren't possible, and our venue, the Lincoln Park Conservatory, leaked like crazy! Elena was completely upbeat and helpful throughout the less-than-ideal situation, even bringing a bunch of clear umbrellas for our friends to use, and she worked fast to get images in the limited amount of time the rain left us for pictures. Many friends commented to us that Elena was completely sweet and very relaxed and how much they liked her. The venue was so cold and wet, and my dress so filthy by the end, that I had an image in my head after the wedding that we all looked like miserable drowned rats...but when we got the pictures, I was thrilled to see that in the limited amount of time we had, she got so many lovely images, with the beautiful colors of the flowers in the conservatory, and she captured the happy spirit of the evening. She also got a lot of really lovely images of my son, which was so important to me, and she figured out how to get a group picture, which I really wanted. Also, we only needed a photographer for a couple of hours, not the usual all-day affair, and Elena was completely happy to accommodate that. She was completely wonderful to work with and I would recommend her to absolutely everyone! As a funny side note, Elena posted an image of my son on her blog, and one of my colleagues saw it - it turned out Elena had been her photographer too, a couple years earlier! I'd been looking at pictures Elena took at my friend's wedding, framed on her desk, for a year and had no idea!
Kimberly B
5.0
6/02/2019
Elena was the photographer at my brother's wedding and after seeing her photos, I knew I wanted her to photograph my wedding as well. She is so nice and easy to work with and she has a way of capturing beautiful moments without being intrusive into the wedding at all. I would definitely recommend her and hope I get to work with her again!
Jenny K
5.0
12/26/2018
There are not enough wonderful things to say about Elena! We met her at our friends' wedding, took one look at their photos, and we were hooked. It was an added bonus working with her husband, David, as well.
Elena has an incredible eye, and an outstanding ability to capture even the subtlest of moments. Our wedding photos were fantastic and her work speaks for itself. We really enjoyed spending the day with her and David, and feel so fortunate to have worked with them.
She's the best!
Megan M
5.0
11/06/2018
Elena is amazing! She is so incredibly talented, our photographs turned out beautiful. I am absolutely thrilled with them and we have received so many compliments. She does a fantastic job of capturing the small moments and emotions throughout the day which stood out to us when selecting her as our wedding photographer. She was also really helpful throughout the entire process. She always responded promptly to our e-mails and was very organized. She had good ideas for photo locations that worked with our schedule for the day as well as back up locations in case of rain. Elena was such a pleasure to spend our day with, very easy going and enjoyable to be around making us feel so comfortable. I am so glad she was our wedding photographer!
Lisa Z
5.0
11/03/2018
I haven't seen the pictures yet, but I can say that having Elena and her staff photograph our wedding was an honor. She fit into the group naturally, offered candid advice when appropriate, and has a great sense of humor. Looking at her previous work, I know the photographs will be beautiful too! Thank you, Elena!
Jennifer N
5.0
10/28/2018
Having Elena capture of our wedding was hands down one of the best decisions we made for our day. She was such a pleasure to work with and the moments she captured were simply incredible. My husband and I had a blast spending the day with her. She made us feel comfortable and ensured all of our photoshoots throughout the day went smoothly. Her photos melted my heart instantly and immediately reminded me of the countless special moments of the day. She is simply amazing!
Tracy H
5.0
10/18/2018
Elena has the unique ability to capture not only the "big" pictures that you think that you want, but all of the small moments that will really speak to you later about your day. I am not a "photo person" and I was actually nervous at the idea of having my photo taken all day long, but Elena made me feel at ease and beautiful the entire time. She was creative in her approaches and made sure she covered everything that we asked...and more. Her style is warm and approachable. She helped make our day even more fun!
Our photos were edited and delivered quickly. Our friends and family could not stop complimenting her and her gift of noticing the details and her ability to tell the story of the day through images. Our pictures are truly a gift to us as they now will forever record all of the beauty and emotions of a very special day. Elena and David are an amazing team. They are both extremely professional and show their passion for photography in every thing that they do.
Lauren L
5.0
10/07/2018
Elena is simply amazing. We knew the wedding photos were the most important part of preserving our wonderful wedding memories and Elena did not disappoint. She captured every moment of the wedding perfectly. Elena is also so incredibly kind and welcoming. She makes everyone feel so comfortable, which is so important for a photographer. You can tell she really feels honored to be part of your special day. The day of the wedding I couldn't believe the lengths she was willing to go to so that we could get the perfect shot. She literally climbed up on a high median in the middle of a busy street to capture us. It was phenomenal. You simply can't go wrong with Elena and her team!!
Kate A
5.0
10/05/2018
I cannot overstate Elena's contribution to our wedding experience. If you're fortunate enough to book her, you've already made the best and most important decision about your big day! Elena is immensely talented as a photographer; she is in a class of her own and clearly stood out to us as we sifted through the portfolios of dozens of wedding photographers. But it's not just her skill that makes her amazing. She's the person you want to have around for such an important (and long) day. She was professional and efficient but also fun and at ease. She captured every moment perfectly, and we were able to enjoy those moments without feeling like we were posing for a photo every second. We enjoyed her presence almost - ALMOST - as much as the exquisite collection of photos we now have to enjoy for the rest of our lives. Thank you Elena!
Marina A
5.0
8/01/2018
To put it simply: Elena and her team are THE BEST! Not only that, but picking her was easy. After reaching out to her initially, we spoke on the phone and my husband and I both knew she was the photographer for us. She is amazingly talented, and getting to work with her on our wedding day made everything so much easier. She's an expert at making the stress melt away with how easy-going she is. Her and her team really are the "Dream Team." We loved her portfolio, and the images she captures are worth more than just 1,000 words. The value in her work is truly priceless, and I am still reeling that THE Elana Bazini was my wedding photographer! She really is one of the best, if not THE BEST wedding photographers in Chicago. We would hire Elena again in a heartbeat after the experience we had with her on our wedding day. She knew exactly where to take the perfect shots and how to pose us, even if we initially felt we were awkward photo-takers. By the end, we felt like seasoned models thanks to her.
I would give Elena more than 5 stars if possible. If you are looking for an amazingly smart, professional, dedicated and talented photographer, look no further than Elena Bazini! <3 <3 <3
Annie G
5.0
6/11/2018
One of the best decisions I made for my wedding was hiring Elena! Her laid-back and confident personality was exactly what I was looking for and meshed perfectly with our family full of women who like to take charge! She turned every setting into an opportunity from parking lots to stone brick walls and I could not have been happier! She completely captures the day in
ways I would have never imagined. My husband is not the world's biggest fan of taking pictures and she managed to capture all of our natural moments of
smile and laughter throughout the day which is exactly what I was hoping for! Elena was extremely professional throughout the entire process but
also super friendly and easy to approach! Beyond happy with my choice!! Thank you!!
Ali W
5.0
5/21/2018
If you are looking for an incredible wedding photographer… look no further! Elena is THE BEST. I stumbled upon some of Elena’s work when scrolling through Facebook. One of my sorority sisters used Elena for her wedding and the pictures were absolutely stunning. I knew that my fiancé and I had to meet her and see her availability for our wedding date. Our first meeting with Elena was great. We were able to see her portfolio and just loved how all her shots looked natural vs. staged. Elena is very professional and knows exactly what she is doing. We ended up booking for her for our wedding date and also scheduling a time to do an engagement photo-shoot prior to wedding. The engagement photo-shoot was so fun! We laughed a lot and Elena made us feel so comfortable. It was also very beneficial to have photos taken before the wedding because we could see what we liked and what we didn’t prefer. Elena was super quick in getting us the engagement photos- it was just a couple days later that she delivered them to us via email!!
Fast forward to our wedding date… literally I cannot express what a wonderful job Elena did. October 28, 2017 was a cold and cloudy day in Chicago, but I still wanted to get some photos outside. Elena had no problem with that… she found the perfect location on the River Walk and even let me wear her coat while we were in between shots! So nice!!! Elena captured every moment: from getting ready, to my first look with my parents, to seeing my husband for the first time, wedding party photos, the ceremony, toasts, first dances and of course candid’s on the dance floor! Everything turned out SO WELL. Elena also delivered out wedding photos very promptly—at least 2 weeks before we expected them. All in all, I cannot stress how great Elena is… she was such a joy to work with- I highly recommend her!
Megan W
5.0
5/07/2018
Elena did my engagement photos and a boudoir photo shoot and I could NOT be happier how both turned out! During the boudoir she made me feel comfortable and confident in my own skin while also being professional. Elena has this calming energy that you automatically feel in her presence. She gave me amazing poses and I can't wait for my fiance to get the book on our wedding day! 10/10 would recommend her and do another shoot with Elena!
Sarah B
5.0
3/15/2018
There are not enough good things to say about Elena. As someone who used to work with a wedding photographer, I knew that photography would be an important part of our wedding. From the moment I saw Elena’s work, I knew I wanted to work with her. Her photographs emote joy, love, and a zest for life…which also pretty much describes Elena! She is incredibly easy to work with, and makes you feel like you are in the best hands. This was really important to us, as we found wedding planning to be pretty overwhelming! Shooting with Elena is like hanging out with a friend during one of your best days. She never makes you feel “posed” or “cheesy” …which was a major concern of my husband’s. We had the best time during both our engagement photos and during the wedding. Elena was incredibly patient, answering all of our questions and emails, and helping us to solidify our day-of-timeline. Even my dad made sure to tell us how much he loved working with Elena, and how much he loved her smile! The experience would have been enough, but the memories and photographs she has left us with are priceless. Elena, I cannot thank you enough!!
Phil O
5.0
1/31/2018
Elena is an incredibly skilled photographer, can't recommend her more. Not only that, but she's just an amazing person to work with and took our vision into something tangible and added her own unique artistic touch. Her eye for the moment elevated our wedding into something that we can continue to enjoy for years to come!
Amy L
5.0
1/28/2018
Elena and her team did a phenomenal job capturing our wedding day in Chicago on one of the rainiest days of the year! She captured everything from small moments to big moments from our day in such a special and creative way. Elena was great about getting us setup for off site photos that still stayed true to getting exactly what we wanted even during a downpour! She was easy to work with and very flexible to day of changes. Her photos are beyond exquisite and we couldn't be happier reviewing our photos and starting to work on designing our album with her! My husband and I live out of town in Washington, DC, and planned everything with her remotely for our wedding day in Chicago. She is incredibly responsive and turns things around very quickly. We highly recommend working with Elena and her team to capture all the moments you will always want to remember from your special day!
Laura S
5.0
1/09/2018
BEST PHOTOGRAPHER EVER!!
We hired Elena Bazini to do our daughter's and (now) son-in-law's engagement shoot and wedding photography after checking out Elena's website and blog, (which illustrate her very impressive portfolio—be sure to go to her website to see for yourself. They are her best recommendation, for sure!), and then meeting with her. The couple did a really early, summer morning engagement shoot, (Elena actually suggested it to be able to get the prettiest summer light), and the photos turned out sooo GREAT! Some people have described them as "simply stunning." (We agree!!) Most importantly, the couple had a lot of FUN with Elena, and they knew immediately they had chosen the right person to shoot their wedding. Elena (and Liz) did not disappoint!
There were multiple indoor and outdoor locations for wedding photos, a large wedding party (including four little ones who were flower girls and a ring-bearer), and lotsss of family; and even with all those "moving parts" and though the weather wasn't ideal at times, none of that affected the outcome of the pictures she took. Our guests have told us the wedding was gorgeous, and the celebration was unforgettable and so much fun, (we agree!!), and the moments Elena (and Liz) captured were truly wonderful and have made lasting, beautiful memories for us all. And, people who have seen the wedding photos have described those pictures as “STUNNING,” too! (We totally agree!!)
Elena is so talented and her direction was spot on. She is very creative and really skilled, and so she knew just what to do with the lighting and how to use the elements to her advantage to take AMAZING photos. She was so organized, before (she and the couple discussed ahead of time locations and which special photos they wanted to have, if possible), and then during the wedding day and into the evening; she made really good suggestions but also knew what specific photos the bride and groom had in mind, as well, and Elena and Liz delivered! Everyone enjoyed working with Elena because she is so enthusiastic and a true pro!
Not only will we highly recommend Elena Bazini, but we can't wait till our next celebration because we will gladly hire her to be a part of it, and to record those events, too. What a wonderful, lasting gift she gives to others with her artful photography! Thank you, Elena!
Natalie S
5.0
10/14/2017
Elena was wonderful. When we first met her, we quickly agreed to work with her simply because of her sweet and comforting personality. She made us feel at ease in front of a camera, which can easily be awkward if you aren’t used to being photographed all day (most of us aren’t!). Our first shoot with her was for our engagement photos, which was just so much fun. We got lucky and had snowy weather, which Elena captured perfectly. And the wedding photos are off the charts. I never imagined having memories captured so beautifully. I honestly feel like I’m reliving my wedding day in an even better version when I look through the photos from Elena! In addition to being exceptionally talented, Elena is professional, responsive, and truly loves what she does. She is wonderful to work with and will give you the best photos for your wedding!
Liz C
5.0
10/06/2017
There are not enough words to describe how perfectly Elena captured our wedding day. I am in love with every single photo she took. We've already gotten so many compliments on our photos. She was amazing about staying organized and making wonderful suggestions. She was also very professional and easy to get in touch with prior to the wedding. Elena took such fun candid photos throughout the day. Most of the time, I wasn't even aware that she was capturing the moment! I would highly recommend Elena! She is absolutely wonderful!!
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