Madi Ellis Photography

ted the perfect environment for authentic pictures. We absolutely love the pictures she captured from our day! They are beautiful while authentically us! I would recommend Madi to anyone! Also if her pictures weren't enough, she also shares great vendor recommendations and day of tips. Most of our other vendors ended up coming from Madi's recommendations and were also wonderful. She really helped us have the perfect day overall!

there was one thing that we did right in choosing vendors, it was hiring Madi. From the first day we met her at the engagement photo shoot, there was a sense for comfort we found in her that made taking photos easy and fun. Something we thought was going to be an awkward experience was enjoyable because of her. She was extremely detail oriented, and receptive to all comments and feedback, which helped make the wedding day experience go smoothly. Upon receiving the first look photos the next day, we were absolutely floored with how amazing they turned out. We can't recommend Madi enough!

e is not only incredibly talented, but also professional, organized, and thoughtful every step of the way. On the day of the wedding, Madi somehow managed to strike the perfect balance between being the fun go-to gal and a commanding captain of the ship, guiding us and our big families through a long list of portraits ahead of schedule (a true miracle!). She was efficient without ever making us feel rushed, and always made sure we were enjoying the moment. After the wedding, we heard from so many guests and family members who couldn’t stop raving about how kind, professional, and wonderful she was to work with. And the photos? STUNNING. Madi captured every meaningful moment with an eye for emotion and detail, and we’ll treasure them forever. We feel so lucky to have had Madi as part of our day. If you're looking for a photographer who’s not only incredibly talented but also brings immense amounts of joy, ease, and professionalism to your wedding, Madi is the one!

l. If you’re considering Madi at all, this is an unequivocal and unreserved recommendation to work with her! We reached out to her because we loved her portfolio - from our very first meeting, we had all the confidence in the world that we were in good hands. She was one of the first vendors we spoke to, and as she was explaining her approach to us, she also helped explain other aspects of the wedding we hadn't thought about yet, outlining timelines and setting up initial expectations, as well as giving context for the rest of our planning (almost all our vendors ended up being those on her pre-vetted list of recommendations). Her adaptability and professionalism really stood out. She communicated incredibly well and transparently, including turnaround times, and always met or exceeded her commitments to us. Madi often mentioned she'd be our shadow for the day, and she truly was, in the best possible way: her presence was reassuring, confident, and never intrusive. Beyond taking amazing pictures, Madi collaborated closely with our day-of coordinators and other vendors, who clearly respected her professionalism and seemed to enjoy working with her. Her guidance and staging throughout the day helped everything run smoothly, allowing us to fully enjoy our time with each other and our guests. We are so incredibly grateful for her above-and-beyond approach that made her feel like an integral part of our wedding team, not just our photographer. The photographs themselves are incredible. Madi has a fantastic eye for candid moments; her directions for staging felt completely natural. The entire process was seamless, from the efficient, well-orchestrated portraits we wanted with our guests, to the countless beautiful candid captures that she delivered to us so quickly. Her thoughtful suggestions, like ensuring we had a group photo with everyone by the end of the night, demonstrated her extensive experience and genuine care for our wedding day. Madi has attended so many beautiful weddings, and is deeply empathetic to the fact that this was our one special day. She applied her wealth of experience but also used her keen attention to nuance and detail to carefully and sparingly curate and shape moments throughout the day. Those small touches made our wedding feel truly personal and unforgettable.

ay to getting our photo gallery back, Madi was beyond incredible. She was our ultimate hype woman and made us feel so at ease in front of the camera. She captured our wedding day and our love so perfectly it almost feels like witchcraft. We got our photo gallery back weeks ago and I still pour over it almost daily because the photos are so perfect. If you are looking for a photographer that gets to know you and your partner as individuals, takes breathtakingly gorgeous photos that you can't stop looking at, and sends you hype texts while she's editing your photo gallery to let you know how beautiful you looked on your wedding day, Madi is your only option. Hire her, hire her, HIRE HER! We love you, Madi!!

edding, I was a bundle of nerves, but Madi’s calming presence instantly put me, my wedding party, and our families at ease. She felt more like a friend tagging along than just a photographer, seamlessly blending into the celebration. Her warmth, friendliness, professionalism, and incredible organization truly shone through. The humor she brought added to the incredible vibe of the day, making everything feel relaxed and joyful. Now, let’s talk about the photos—wow! Each image is breathtaking and perfectly captures the essence of our day. Madi has an incredible talent for finding the most beautiful moments, from candid laughter to the most heartfelt glances. Every shot tells a story, preserving the joy and love we felt throughout the day. The colors are vibrant, the emotions are palpable, and the details are captured beautifully. I genuinely can’t thank Madi enough for the stunning memories she created for us. I wish for everyone to have a Madi by their side on their wedding day! If you’re looking for a photographer who not only delivers stunning images but also enhances the overall experience, look no further. Madi is simply the best, and we are so grateful to have had her as part of our celebration!

aphers before making a decision (photography was the first vendor we booked after venue and was very important to us). Madi immediately stood out as very professional, talented, and kind. I feel like she really understood me and my husband's wedding vibe from the beginning! We got to meet Madi in person at our engagement shoot before the wedding which was SO much fun. We had originally scheduled the session for a Wednesday evening and right when we got there my dress zipper broke open. Madi was so nice about it and immediately offered to reschedule for 2 days later. Taking so many photos can feel awkward at first, but she made us feel so at ease, and we got to know her fun personality even more that day! Leading up to the wedding Madi was incredibly helpful and communicative - easing any small anxieties we had like a true professional. It was so fun to reunite with Madi on our wedding day - as expected, she was professional, fun, kind, and easygoing. Many of our friends and family commented on how great she was! We had a big wedding (300+ people) with a lot of family and friends to take photos of/organize and she handled it like a true pro. On top of that, she repeatedly checked in on me and my husband and made it a priority to ensure we were calm and happy throughout the day. And, of course, Madi took the most stunning photos at our wedding which perfectly capture all the emotions, love and joy. We have gotten so many compliments on her amazing photos from all our friends and family. She is so gifted at her craft; we are just in awe at how well she captured our day. We got 80 sneak peek photos back in literally 3 days - we had no idea we were going to get to see so many so quickly! We don't have the full album back yet but know it will be absolute perfection based on our sneak peek. We are so grateful to Madi for making our day so special; she truly went above and beyond for us. We cannot recommend her enough!

g day running smoothly. She knew exactly what she needed to get the best photos for us, and she always communicated it clearly. On the day, she was charming, efficient, and so fun!And most importantly, the photos were just astounding. If you work with Madi, you will not be disappointed one bit.

tely a self-conscious/awkward person in front of the camera but since Madi made me feel so comfortable working with her, the photos reflected that and in turn make me feel like I looked like star. I adore the work she created and will be excitedly using the photos for years to come. 10/10 highly recommend!!

otos, and was an expert at navigating busy spots where we wanted to take photos (the river front, Michigan Ave). We were so impressed at how she was able to commandeer a spot for us on the river front and make it look like not a soul was around in the photos. We also really appreciated her enthusiasm. We both were concerned we’d feel really awkward during our photos, but Madi was an awesome hype-person and made us feel natural and at ease. She also did a great job at navigating our changing timeline on the day of. We are so impressed and highly recommend her!!!

e camera. She is so knowledgeable about all things wedding and was so helpful to us in more ways than just photography. BUT THEN THE PHOTOGRAPHY!! Her photos were absolutely stunning - she captured our goofiness in such a beautiful way, caught all of the little moments between us and guests, nailed all of the little detail shots. She was so amazing to work with and we loved our experience with her.

ffortless. She talked us through our timeline (as offered in one of her packages) literally by the half hour and ensured that we all were on the same page. She was able to direct our very large wedding party with ease throughout our group photos, and even managed to get my very shy flower girl to stick her tongue out at the camera!! Madi is professional, accountable, fun, and brings the best energy to your day.

y to capture both candid shots and dancefloor shots. More than just the photos she was by far the most reliable vendor - we never had to question if she was going to respond or show up on time or get all the details. Also would strongly recommend getting the package with the second photographer! We think it really made a huge difference!

ust as importantly, she is such a warm and kind person who immediately put everyone in the wedding at ease. In addition, she works incredibly quickly, meaning we had the full virtual album less than one month after the wedding!! Are you worried about being photographed for hours and made the center of attention? Hire Madi; she will make what could be an awkward encounter feel second nature. Are you worried that your venue has weird lighting or a lot of different locations? Hire Madi; from getting ready to the ceremony to the dance floor, every photo perfectly captures the emotion of the day. Are you stressed about logistics? Hire Madi; she was super-human levels of communicative leading up to the wedding and helped us plan and navigate various logistics without even batting an eye. Planning a wedding involves a lot of difficult decisions, but this one is easy.

to be a key piece in making our celebration as joyous as we hoped. To begin the process, Madi schedules a 30 minute "get to know you" phone call to discuss ideas, vendor support, etc. After we chatted on the phone for TWO hours, Madi quickly became my favorite person. She eased my anxieties and we could not wait to schedule our engagement pics with her. The day of the engagement pics are a highlight of wedding planning. Madi is hysterical and knows how to make you feel comfortable in front of the camera. She gives direct and clear instruction and can envision shots that are breathtaking. On the day of our wedding, Madi was second in command with our planner. She kept us on track, was clear in her timelines and captured the most beautiful photos that still make me cry. I felt so at ease knowing that Madi, and her awesome assistants Kate and Grace were shooting our wedding. They were so much fun to be around. Overall - there are not enough words to describe how talented, wonderful, and incredible Madi is. She was by far the best vendor we used in our wedding and we could not recommend her enough!

d ever worked with a professional photographer, but upon seeing Madi's gorgeous, documentary style photography, we knew we had to reach out to her for our wedding. We were worried about feeling awkward in front of the camera due to our lack of experience, but Madi is absolutely amazing at capturing breathtaking candid moments while also helping to pose you in a natural feeling way. Her responses to inquiries are lightning quick, and she is unparalleled in her organization and time/event coordination skills. Coordinating with multiple vendors, you will find prompt responses are an absolute god send! She provides you with a survey once you are booked, inquiring as to the details of your event along with the names of important people who are must haves in photos. I felt relieved knowing I could give her this info in advance, and not worry the day of that we would get photos with all the most important people in our lives. Madi also helped develop the timeline for our wedding day, taking lighting into consideration due to it being a late fall wedding, and it was an immense help in coordinating with all our other vendors. She has a great working knowledge of picturesque locations, especially in the city of Chicago, as well, which was amazing when we were originally trying to figure out where we wanted to host our ceremony and take photos before the reception. Finally, Madi came to our rescue a month before our wedding. We lost our reception venue 28 days before our wedding, and Madi was able to use professional connections to help us secure a new and even better location. Truly... if it weren't for her going FAR above and beyond her job description, we very well might not have gotten married after almost two years of planning. There is no amount of words I could use to over exaggerate Madi's professionalism, talent and dedication to her craft and to her clients. Madi immortalized our wedding day into artwork we will cherish our entire lives. Out of all my vendors, working with Madi felt like we were working with a close friend. A friend who is fiercely loyal, supportive, and has the most magnetic energy that just draws you in. She goes above and beyond in everything she does and was the hero of our wedding day. We will never be able to thank her enough for everything she did for us, but we have decided to at least try by singing her praises to anyone who will listen.

changing our wedding date because she's THAT GOOD. She made us feel very relaxed and natural, and the photos reflected that. Madi was an amazing communicator, so much fun and gave us not only the most beautiful photographs, but also wonderful memories.

moment and all the special little things and people that were a part of our day. Not only that, but due to some personal family matters she expedited us getting our photos back in record speed. Could not recommend her enough. Best decision we made. She was truly the MVP of our special day.

ll around thoughtfulness she put into our event. Madi was the first vendor we hired and was so amazing to work with in the 18 months leading to our wedding. She recommended other amazing vendors (like our kickass band), agreed to a two location engagement shoot so that our cats could be included, and was someone to talk through some of our logistical pieces leading up to the day. From early on in the planning process, Madi made sure we were thinking about the different kinds of photos we wanted to see from our wedding. In addition to having a comprehensive form to fill out with all our formal family photos, Madi checked in with us multiple times before the event to make sure she knew any other shots we'd be hoping for (candids with certain friends, group shots with work colleagues, etc). She was able to move us along efficiently through the wedding party shots (especially impressive as it was in a public park) and found the most gorgeous places to take pictures in. Her experience as a live music photographer allowed her to capture some absolutely bonkers shots on the dance floor that we will treasure forever. It’s so much fun to see the photo evidence of the rager on our dance floor! She was thoughtful throughout, making sure we were enjoying the day, even sharing her snacks when the bride realized she was getting a little bit hangry. The care she takes when getting to know a couple before the wedding itself made us that much more comfortable with her in the room, throughout the day, and led to some fantastic candids through the event. We were amazed with the speed with which she sent us photos, and were so excited to have sneak peeks before the full gallery was ready. We loved that she included some silly shots along with more formal ones, as we loved seeing our personalities come out in the photos! We have left this process feeling that Madi was an integral part of our wedding and are so happy to have her in our memories of the day. Our friends have all commented on how fantastic the photos have turned out, how great both Madi and her second shooter were to work with, and multiple have even taken her information for when they eventually get married. We hope that works out so we can see Madi in action again :)

ou can thank me later! I am a wedding & events planner and part of my career is to work with numerous different vendors for my couple’s weddings/events. When I tell you how incredible the experience was working closely with Madi on a friend’s wedding I mean it - and I have very high expectations! Madi and I understood each other from the start and our communication leading up to the wedding was phenomenal. She was extremely responsive, organized and thorough. Wedding day was a breath of fresh air with her and her team ensuring we were aligned on time and place of all the events happening throughout the day. Not to mention on top of Madi being highly organized, talented, friendly, a team player and thoughtful, she has a way of putting everyone at ease and it’s apparent in her skill of capturing organic moments in the most beautiful way. I honestly can’t wait to work with Madi again and I will with out a doubt be referring her to my clients!! HIRE MADI STAT!

and and I are both relatively camera-shy. Throughout our engagement and wedding photos, Madi knew what to do (and say) to make us feel comfortable. She never missed a beat, recommending poses and providing prompts and exercises to keep us relaxed in our photos. Madi was(is) a stellar communicator. She connected with us at the perfect times during the wedding planning process to ensure that she understood how the day would flow and what key moments and people we wanted to capture. Honestly, Madi could have very well been not just our photographer but our wedding planner. She was so organized and knowledgeable; we felt like we were in such good hands the entire day. Her incredible organization and preparation for our day allowed us to be a little more flexible with what photos she took. Madi could easily add extra shots that we hadn't thought to include. She even captured some impromptu Christmas card photos for our family friends. Not only was Madi a joy to work with on our actual wedding day, but holy smokes, she then delivered our wedding album to us in RECORD time. And it was terrific! I could go on and on; there were too many good photos to count. The icing on the cake is how easy it was to use Madi's photography platform to pick out favorite shots, share photos with friends and family, and buy prints. Madi's technology was the most user-friendly and seamless of all the vendors we hired. Even my 82-year-old grandmother could easily buy prints without having to reach out for assistance!! In addition to the platform to view and purchase prints, Madi utilizes a client portal that sends timely reminders for payments, makes payment easy and efficient (no sending of physical checks, which many vendors had us do), and allows her clients to easily submit all details Madi needs to know for the day. I can't stress the vast difference this makes in the vendor process. It was shocking how many vendors used outdated technology. Madi is not one of those vendors- she gets it. She is truly a master of her craft and business. We were so lucky to work with her and would recommend her in a heartbeat!!

d when basically half our wedding fell apart for various reasons, Madi was there and our most solid advocate that day along with our amazing wedding planner! She even called us an Uber to leave our own wedding after our original plans bailed on us when we were one minute late!! Seriously the most solid photographer you could ask for. Thank you, Madi, thank you!! The photos themselves made us cry, laugh, giggle, and overall have so much love! My family has bought prints already and I’m planning to purchase a ton more. They’re stunning! Truly captured the magic we felt that day. Leading up to the event, though, I had a lot of difficulties with a bridal party member. In short, Madi tried her best to protect me from that toxic person but it still ended up backfiring and causing the friendship to be severed shortly after the wedding. Despite this, Madi did her job brilliantly and smoothed over so if you have any difficult people in your life Madi will work her magic. I’m not sure if that difficult person led to Madi not liking the photos (this is all purely conjecture from here on out and not verified so grain of salt), but I was a bit disappointed that Madi never included our photos in her Instagram feed or portfolio. I thought her work was worthy of her feed or portfolio, but instead it was forgotten about. Though, two pictures went on her story, one that was gorgeous and featured my bridesmaids. Sooo many people loved that one, especially me! I hold that picture in high regard. The other one was an embarrassing picture from when I Iost my footing during our shaky first dance and I made a weird face. I know she probably meant it in jest and was lighthearted but it sort of hurt my feelings. I’m super self-conscious and not confident about dancing at all so it was a bit of a bummer to be reminded of how not graceful I can be sometimes. I’m a heavy set tattooed woman so I guess grace was always lacking for me, but I just didn’t want to be reminded of that fact after my wedding day by someone I consider a friend. So, all in all, my mixed feelings about personal issues associated with the photos are probably coming through in this review. I knew Madi for several years before she transitioned to wedding photography and made me feel like a client she cared about and was always going above and beyond for. Thank you for getting beautiful, natural, candid pictures of our wedding! I just wish I had gotten a candid photo with my brother- the family shot list was quickly done one after another. An essential for a busy wedding day FOR SURE. However, hindsight being 20/20 I wish there had been a bit more flexibility because I had forgotten to write it on the sheet when I was writing it, and that translated to no picture with my brother on my wedding day. Again, this was my fault because it wasn’t explicitly written down, but i can’t help but think the rigidity around the shot list contributed to this photo that now feels like a missing void. Again, hindsight is 20/20 so take it for what you will. I have a lot of gratitude for these photos as I know my family and I will treasure them for years to come.

in, because Madi just *sees* the love and the joy. Oh my gosh, both those things are just dripping out of our photographs. I usually don't love photos of myself, so it feels strangely self-centered to just be ogling all these works of art, but that's really what they are - art. She's made us love our wedding and each other even more than we already do. Also, there were a couple moments from the day where I thought the photos would look completely bonkers, and somehow those photos are some of the most amazing ones. Aside from her beautiful work, Madi is such a genuine and delightful person to spend your wedding day with. She handled our memories with such care. She's enthusiastic, but in an organized way, which is exactly what we needed. She made us feel comfortable. On top of just doing her job brilliantly, she helped keep us on schedule, she helped us figure out a new location to shoot bridal party photos at the literal last second, and she photoshopped out the microphone stand on one of our photos to make an already beautiful moment even more beautiful. Alex Maldonado, her second shooter, was also amazing - they worked together so seamlessly, and it was so cool to see them hype up each other's creative ideas. I am not a take-it-as-it-comes type of person, so it was difficult for me to just trust that everything would come together on the day, but Madi was the one part of this wedding that I never stressed out about. Hire her for gorgeous photos and an equally wonderful personality!

in our photos. We opted for a second photographer and on the day of our wedding, we met Kate. She complimented Madi perfectly and we couldn’t have been happier with our choice. Madi is an amazing human being and we are grateful to have stumbled upon her. Hire her. You will NOT be dissatisfied. I literally wish we were best friends. :)

day. She was the glue that held the whole day together, even going as far as providing bandaids to my bridesmaids and giving me her sunglasses when the sun was too bright! All of that is not even related to her photography - which was INCREDIBLE. She made us feel comfortable in front of the camera and made us laugh throughout the day. Even as she was taking the photos, we knew they were going to be amazing. When we received the full gallery of photos, we could not have been happier. She captured the joy and excitement of the day along with all of the small details that made the day complete. We could go on and on about how grateful we are to have worked with Madi and for all of her amazing work. The comment we received the most about our wedding was how amazing our photographer was, and we could not agree more. Not only is she an amazing wedding photographer, but she is also just a great person. We could not recommend Madi enough!!

oto session to our outdoor (super humid!) summer wedding, Madi was the absolute best. When you have multiple wedding guests and family members saying multiple times during--and after--the wedding that "Your wedding photographer is so good. Can she take all my photos?!" you know you lucked out. Madi knows how to put everyone at ease in front of a camera; she corrals wayward folks; she makes everyone feel like a star; and she is an extra set of hands/eyes/ears to rely on to get through the most insane whirlwind of a day. Oh, and she also creates insanely drop-dead gorgeous photos (seriously, they're all so stunning and dreamy!). Thank you, Madi, for sharing your talent with us and capturing our day so beautifully!