Mark Trela Photography

they blow us away. From the engagement photoshoot, to the planning process, to the wedding day, Mark was extremely professional and communicative. Your photographer should be the one driving the wedding day and let me tell you, you want Mark and Magda at the wheel. They led the entire day/timeline with a sense of ease and calmness AND delivered absolutely stunning, magazine-worthy photos. They captured every special moment as if they weren't there. We couldn't have made a better decision for our wedding photographer. Do yourself a favor, and book Mark Trela Photography. You will not be disappointed.

photographer was the only vendor I was picky about and as soon as I saw their wedding photography, I knew immediately that they had to be ours. I love the lighting and style of their work. They are incredibly talented and have an eye for what makes a good photo. I loved how their documentary style gave us a full story of that day. If that wasn't enough, Mark and Magda are incredibly kind and will put their whole heart into your day. They were present and attentive the whole time. When the events of the day were underway I didn’t even notice them buzzing around snapping photos. They were also responsive before and after the wedding and worked well with our wedding planner when it came to scheduling, etc. We received the photos within a couple weeks of the wedding. They also helped us select photos for a leather-bound book (honestly, they did most of the selecting/formatting themselves which was wonderful - I'm a hands-off kind of bride). I've told Mark and Magda I want them to be our family photographer forever! I'm just so in love with their work and I don't want our wedding to be the last time we work with them. I can't recommend them enough and they'll be worth every single dollar you spend on them (something pretty uncommon in the wedding industry!!)

pture the beauty in every moment and their eye is unmatched. We did a lot of researching before coming across Mark Trela photography, and once we saw his gallery we knew instantly we had to book him. From the beginning Mark was very professional but approachable, always making himself available and open to suggestions. These guys know what they are doing and we put our complete trust in them. When we got our photos, our jaws dropped in awe of how each photo turned out so beautifully. A few months after the wedding, we also received a very special gift from them which we will treasure forever. Words cannot describe how thankful we are to Mark and Magda for immortalizing the best day of our lives in the most beautiful way. You will NOT regret hiring Mark, and if you're even considering it, just DO IT before he books up!!

very thoughtful about getting the right natural lighting and setting up his compositions. We met with Mark before the wedding and he scouted out some of the places he wanted to get photos of us on the big day, which was another great sign for me. The day of, Mark and his wife Magda were a dream team. They're both so friendly and kind and easygoing, they made us feel really comfortable in a very stressful time! And now that we have our photos back, I can truly give them a full 5 stars. They knocked it out of the park. There are so many gorgeous shots, it's hard to narrow them down. And I loved that everything had a stylish fashion magazine vibe to it. No cheesy, wooden shots! Highly recommend Mark and Magda!

d more grateful for the experience we had with Mark. They made us feel comfortable from the get go when we had our first meeting. During the ceremony and reception, I never once noticed them even being present, yet they captured the most beautiful pictures. They were constantly kind and attentive. Truly, they are real artists who produce amazing work. And, their work is not cliche - they capture the real, beautiful, intimate moments of the wedding and of the experience/love between the couple. Mark and Magda put the feelings that are invoked at a wedding into the pictures they produce. I cannot recommend them more. They are amazing photographers/artists and wonderful human beings :)

also for their wedding advice, always being accessible by email and being quick to respond. I knew Mark was the perfect photographer for us when I stumbled upon his website through google. Looking through his portfolio, he stood out above the rest, capturing authentic and unique moments that portray genuine emotions. When we first started talking to Mark, he said he loves document the day by telling a story. And that's exactly what Mark and Magda did. From morning to evening they captured all the important moments and small details that we'll be able to look back on with fond memories and be able to relive it. We can't thank them enough. We highly recommend Mark Trela Photography.

are GORGEOUS. We had asked for unique and moody and I feel like he gave us exactly what was requested. His pre-production meetings with us and paperwork/notes made for a well oiled machine the day of. Very well organized. He even got coverage of moments that I didn't think would be important and am now so thankful that he did. My husband and I are both photographers and working with Mark and Magda made us feel completely at ease on our wedding day. What more can you ask for? They are well versed in their business and make beautiful photographs. I highly recommend.

the nicest people I've ever met. You can talk to them about what you're wanting and it isn't an awkward conversation with a "vendor" but more like you're talking to friends. And the shots that they managed to capture.....just wow!! I am one of those people who doesn't think they look good in about 98% of the pictures taken of them.....but I felt like a model! Everyone who saw our pictures were amazed with the quality but also the moments that were captured forever. Thank you so much Mark and Magda, we are very happy we were able to include you in our full of love day.

olutely delivered and are worth every penny. If you hire them, you will not be disappointed.

I was getting married in California, but decided to try my luck and see if it would be possible to have him shoot my wedding anyway. I am so glad I reached out! Not only was he happy to fly to California to do the wedding, but he was also very competitively priced compared to the photographers I was looking at in California. My husband and I had an initial meeting with him and his lovely wife, Magda, on Skype and instantly felt comfortable. We decided to hire both of them to shoot our wedding. They were both professional, friendly, and very passionate. Mark found a ton of amazing places to take photos. He and Magda helped my husband and me feel comfortable, despite our shared hatred of being in pictures. They weren't afraid of getting in the action on the dance floor to get some great shots. We ended up with incredible photos that are a mix of candid shots and portraits. We love the pictures so much and can't wait to hang prints in our new home. Hire him! You will not regret it! Thank you Mark and Magda for capturing our special day!

he always responded promptly to the plethora of questions that I threw at him. At our initial meeting, he really took the time to understand what I was looking for in a photographer and what was important to me when photographing our wedding day. From looking through his blog, I knew immediately that his style of photography was exactly what we were looking for; candid, artsy, and a unique way of capturing light (this was huge for me). After we signed the contract with him, Mark was great about keeping in touch over the months leading up to the wedding to get all the specifics of the day and to check in to see if I had any questions. He always made himself available via email or phone if I needed advice for how to best set up our schedule for the day or even if I had silly freak out questions about worst-case weather scenarios (which he always put me at ease about). I really appreciated that Mark & Madga took a day ahead of time to scope out our church and reception venue. I told him it was very important that we incorporate the outdoors as much as we could, and he made sure to find some great potential locations for photos. On the day of, Mark and Magda were able to coordinate perfectly to ensure that both my husband and I would have pictures of us getting ready with our bridal parties. They are both so personable and fun that they quickly put me at ease and really blended into the background to get all of these amazing candid shots throughout the morning. The ceremony went flawlessly and they coordinated group family shots with ease. I think that my favorite thing about working with Mark and Magda was how enthusiastic they were about taking amazing photographs. They went out of their way to convince an owner of a private barn to let us take pictures on his property and I couldn't help but really get into the photo session as Mark was so excited about the location and the light filtering into the barn. The photos from our cocktail hour were such a pleasant surprise to look at after the wedding as I barely even noticed them mingling in the groups to snag some amazing candid photos of all our friends and family. Mark was able to coordinate the timing perfectly at our reception to sneak us outside right after dinner to get these amazing golden hour pictures on the beach. I highly highly recommend Mark Trela as a Wedding Photographer. He is a true professional, a super great guy to have around on your big day, and he creates absolutely stunning photographs.

ughtful with their photography decisions while being supportive and calming at the same time. Together, they are an amazing team and were the best decision we made for our wedding. They are beyond talented and artistic and are able to capture all of the special moments unlike any others. The best part of all - they are great people! We highly recommend Mark Trela Photography.

or the photography, and they completely overdelivered! Mark and Magda are incredibly professional and personable. Many guests commented that they never even noticed them, yet they captured phenomenal shots. They take the time to sincerely meet with you and learn about your personal story and vision for the wedding day. We opted at the last minute to do a portrait session about a week before the wedding and they worked to accommodate us. They offer creative suggestions, and were open to any ideas we had as well. We were so pleased to have them with us on our wedding day, they both have a very good vibe/calming presence. They were very organized and had even captured some photos before arriving at the hotel in the morning. We received the photos sooner than anticipated and were completely blown away. The images speak for themselves, but wanted to share a review for anyone considering wedding photographers.... Do not hesitate to book Mark and Magda, they were an absolute joy to work with from start to finish.

..but we still hadn’t decided on a photographer. We had about a month left because we were being so picky. We were looking for the perfect photographer with the mindset that these photographs would last forever and we would only get married once. As a designer and photography hobbiest, composition, editing style, lighting, and being able to capture real, candid pictures were all really important to me. Thus, it took us 5 months to find the perfect photographer until we met Mark. I just happened to google image “photographers in chicago” (I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of that before. I’d just used The Knot and other sites), as a last minute resort to finding SOMEONE! And as I scrolled through an abundance of happily marrying couples, there were a couple that stood out to me. Surprisingly, they were all Mark Trela’s. I contacted him and went through his portfolio with my then-fiancé. We loved his candid shots, color, and composition, but decided to sleep on it and entertained a couple of other photographers throughout the next couple of days. But the more we did so, we knew he was the one. So just a month before our wedding, we set up a skype call because we weren’t in Chicago and things started to click. Mark was so comfortable, personable, and professional. He took into consideration all of the shots we wanted to take. Asked us about our story, our hobbies, and wanted to get to know more about us. i was just so thankful we had found him. It just got better from there. On the wedding day, he and his partner, Grace, arrived punctually and just did what they did best. Everyone felt very comfortable around them as they took candid photos of us getting ready, laughing, talking, sharing. What I was really impressed about was how he could come into the room, and know how to capture the perfect lighting, what resources laying around to use to make the picture beautiful, it was like he was drawing the story in his head in real time as the events took place! I could tell Mark saw beauty in things and knew hos to capture them to tell a story. My wedding day was the best day of my life. And when I saw my pictures exactly 6 weeks after my wedding (as promised), it really showed. He and Grace had perfectly captured all of our tears of joy, laughs, hugs, kisses... I went through the album twice already. It took about 2-3 hours to do so but each time, I was deeply moved by how I was able to relive each of the joyous moments through his pictures. And he took over 950 pictures! That means he captured more than 100 pictures for us per hour! And all of them were just so beautiful! Thank you Mark and Grace for this irreplaceable, inforgettable gift. We’re so blessed to have found you. P.S. Mark’s photos got us a spot on The Knot magazine! He’s that talented!

From our initial meeting, my wife and I could tell Mark truly cared about providing excellent service and we immediately knew we were in good hands. The planning went smooth. Mark helped pick a first look location and scouted the spot beforehand to make sure it was ideal. Mark and Magda were able to capture the most memorable events of the day without being in your face and controlling. They provided solid advice regarding the best times to shoot and tips and tricks to get the best shots that really made a difference and helped capture the most beautiful wedding photographs I've ever seen (I am a bit bias). One of the best aspects was Mark offers hi resolution images without those nasty watermarks and an online gallery for family and friends to view. Seriously, stop looking for a photographer and hire Mark and Magda right now. You won't regret it.

t about Mark Trela was he asked us what we wanted and how we envisioned the flow and schedule for our wedding day. That was refreshing after speaking with several photographers who insisted we skip cocktail hour to take photos, not do a first look, etc. The pleasant phone conversation was telling because Mark and his wife Magda were a joy to work with throughout the rest of the process. We don't live in Chicago, but they made every effort to accommodate our travel schedule and find a time to sit down and meet with us before the wedding. On the day of the wedding, they were punctual, looked professional, made great suggestions on places to take photos and poses, and were just fun to be around. After the wedding, they delivered our pictures promptly and worked with us to create a beautiful wedding album. We were thrilled with the photos themselves - the pictures were natural, candid, not sappy, and truly captured the emotion and happiness of the day. Many thanks Mark and Magda!

ally told a story. It was so fun to re-live the day as we looked through the images. It was a joy to spend our special day with these two for this is a true passion of theirs and they were wonderful to work with. They captured everything and were not obtrusive. We really were able to focus on each other on our wedding day because of them. They are very personable, creative, and professional. I highly recommend this powerhouse team who pays attention to the details, the light, the candid moments, and the overall story of our wedding.

ter a blur of a weekend, and we wanted to capture the event like we experienced it. So hiring more of a documentary photographer like Mark was exactly what we wanted. No posed shots, no forced smiles, no awkward moments. Just capture thr authentic moments of the day. From our initial call with Mark, to our meetings with him, and the day-of, he was professional, efficient and personal. He made us feel comfortable with the process, explaining everything and instilling confidence in his process and incredible work. Not only did he overdeliver on the quality of the work, the dedication to us and our wedding, our families, but he also had an incredible assistant who made the day so much smoother and better, and essentially doubling the amount of shots and capturing moments from a second angle. Mark is the reason we'll remember our wedding so vividly forever and be able to share our experience with everyone who was there, and to everyone who couldn't be there. Thank you, Mark.

are multiple conversations before the wedding to ensure everyone is on the same page. They were very professional and timely each time we encountered. But most importantly, we felt comfortable about Mark and that made our photos turn out amazing. Our number one priority for the wedding day was finding the perfect photographer to capture our big day and I could not be happier with the results. If you have the opportunity, definitely work with Mark Trela for your wedding! (Married Oct 2016)

ls to be photographed while being more intimate than you might normally be. They knew some of the best spots in the city of Chicago to go for photos, and the engagement session photos were so good we ended up using them for the save-the-dates and at the wedding itself! As for the day of, what can I say? They were incredible. We rented a trolley with a million friends of ours (no formal bridal or grooms party) and Mark and Magda managed the whole crew to perfection. They were not afraid to take charge when our friends were being stupid and uncooperative, and they let us have a lot of fun with it as well. They were always prepared and on time, and you hardly even noticed they were there during the ceremony/reception. It was reassuring to be able to come to Mark with any questions or concerns I had on the day of, as they were basically with us the whole time! The actual pictures themselves were stunning. Each detail shone perfectly in all the photos, and they really captured the ambiance of the evening. They used some very cool blurring and shot angles, which created some very unique and original looking wedding photos. I don't know anything about photography, but as someone who hates looking at photos of himself, they even managed to make ME look photogenic! All in all I highly recommend using Mark Trela Photography for your wedding - they are worth the price and you will not be disappointed.

umans and responsive and flexible and friendly and professional. They take the time to get to know you and make you feel comfortable, but in true journalistic style, they allow you do be natural and slide easily into the background. Our engagement photos were truly far beyond our expectations -- Mark and Magda scouted the location several times before and just found the loveliest spots for photos. They are passionate and kind individuals who are insanely talented and fun to be around. We just feel so grateful they were able to capture our day.

Mark and his wife. Mark and Magda are very talented and professional with their work. All of our friends and family couldn't believe how great the pictures were. We were looking for a unique look to our photographs because we aren't crazy about the tradition wedding staged photos, and Mark and Magda really exceeded our expectations with your documentary feel that really showed the whole event. We are so happy that we were able to work with Mark and Magda, and their hard work has created lastly reminders of how special our wedding day was.

why I took my time to find someone that would meet my needs. I believe that a talented photographer can capture in a picture all the emotions of a moment. Every time I look at my wedding album I feel like I am reliving my wedding day. I can see the excitement and happiness I felt at that time. Magda and Mark Trela did an amazing job at our engagement and wedding sessions. The pictures are artistic, beautiful, and creative. I am very happy with my choice and I highly recommend Mark Trela Photography.

were so professional from beginning to end. My family can be pretty particular, and they were so happy with the results! My husband and I both agree that it felt so natural to have Mark & Maggie at our reception. They made us feel incredibly comfortable in front of the camera, even when we did our private photo shoot outside in 20 degrees! Mark Trela Photography is extremely affordable, has great taste and appreciation for details, documented our event beautifully, and had our pictures ready in such a timely manner! We could not have been happier!!! We highly recommend Mark Trela Photography for your event!