Rachael Schirano Photography

Rachael was a great wedding photographer. She worked well with our very large wedding party (27 total!) and her pictures are awesome quality. The only complaint we had was that we missed the golden hour photos outside along the lake. It would have been great to get those since we had such a beautiful sunset that night.

We first got in touch with Rachael when we got engaged (in 2019) because we absolutely loved her work and knew we wanted her as our wedding photographer. We could not have picked a better person to capture our day and help us feel completely at ease. Rachael did an amazing job of not only capturing beautiful portrait shots but also all of those little candid moments that are so incredibly special to look back on. She has a great energy and really took the time to get to know us and our story as a couple. We would highly recommend Rachael for your special day!!

Rachael is an amazing photographer. You can see that in her work, but it's the way she captures photos and her relaxed personality that will make you so glad you chose her! My husband and I were a little nervous for our engagement shoot, but it only took about 10 minutes to feel comfortable with her and let our personalities shine through our session. The gallery was wonderful, and we were SO excited to work with her on our big day. Leading up to the wedding, she offered great advice and helped us sketch out a timeline for the day. When that day came, of course we ran behind schedule, but she was able to make up so much time during our portraits (which were still gorgeous), which allowed us more time for bride/groom photos and to feel more relaxed that we wouldn't be late to our ceremony. Throughout the day, she was helpful wherever she could be, rounding up people, directing them, climbing in the brush for the perfect photo, using her pants to wipe the water off my bouquet so it wouldn't drip on my dress. All these things are examples of ways she goes above and beyond to make your day the best it can be - all while capturing the moments you'll cherish forever! I cannot speak highly enough of Rachael; she does not disappoint!

Hiring Rachael to be our photographer was the best decision we made. I reached out to Rachael because I loved her style of candid photography. She captures the smallest and most lovely details. I also was very nervous about being the center of attention and preferred to have less posed photos. Rachael understood that and made it a point to ask us what we were looking for. She is very much into getting to know your personalities as a couple in order to prep for the big day. From start to finish, she was lovely to work with. She offered some great tips for our day of timeline and helped answer any questions that we had. When we received our photos and saw the finished album, we were so touched. The photos tell the story of our special day and captured the most intimate and loving moments that we will cherish forever. When the day flies by, and all the other details you spent months focusing on are a thing of the past --- the pictures are what you get to keep forever. Hire Rachael, she won't disappoint. <3

I couldn't feel luckier to have found Rachael to be our wedding photographer. From start to finish, with probably a year plus of communication in between, she has been nothing short of amazing and provided us with the most beautiful photos and album to remember our day. I'm so thankful, too, for her invaluable help in forming a timeline and ability to keep me grounded when worrying about herding cats for family photos. It also takes a lot of skill to pull my reclusive partner out of his shell and to unclasp his hands, and somehow she worked that magic.

I honestly do not think we could have picked a better photographer. We worked with Sara, one of Rachael's photographers, and she literally made everything so easy. We were both very nervous about how to act while being photographed (as most people are). She was genuine and friendly. She made it easy to be ourselves. Because of that, we had fun and it made for the most beautiful engagement photos, and then wedding photos. I would definitely recommend her and anyone in Rachael's team. It was a pleasure to work with them!

Rachael was fantastic. She was great to work with in creating a list of shots and even better on the day of the wedding. She took care of everything and made the day stress free! She gathered everyone and made our day so relaxing. The bonus when we received the gallery was there ALL the pictures. There were so many pictures to look through and all the wedding attendees loved to see the mass amount of pictures. We could not have asked for more from Rachael. Thank you!

Rachael and Karen worked our engagement photos and wedding. They both worked really hard to get an understanding of who my husband and I were as a couple, and wanted to know what we wanted out of our photos for our special day. They were able to capture one of the happiest moments in our lives the way we envisioned it! We are truly grateful and blessed to have worked with them. If you are looking for a photographer to work your wedding, look no further!

Rachael was everything we could’ve asked for in a photographer and more. My now husband is not usually into pictures and Rachael made our engagement session and wedding photos easier than we could imagine. We love how she captures real moments between couples and our favorites were us just laughing. She took my ideas and rolled with them and we truly couldn’t be happier with how EVERY. SINGLE. PICTURE turned out. It was so hard to choose even just a few to print from our wedding. Hands down would recommend Rachael to any bride looking for a photographer!

Rachael (and Sarah G) were an absolutely amazing photography team. I received Rachael's contact information as a recommendation from our decorator (Palace Events) and after looking at her portfolio online, I scheduled an appointment to talk with her. She was very comforting and professional during our engagement session and the pictures confirmed that we had made the right decision. During our wedding, she was flexible and fun, and really captured so many wonderful memories and moments - some of which we missed but are so happy to look back on. We could not be more happy with the final result and consider ourselves lucky to have someone with such talent record our wedding! Thank you for everything you do!

Rachael is such an amazing photographer. She is so easy to work with and makes you feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera, even when you have no idea what your doing. My engagement and wedding photos turned out so beautifully! I cannot thank Rachael enough for capturing our wedding day so perfectly.

Rachael was incredible. From start to finish, she takes the time to get to know you, your priorities, and what is so special about your story. Her photos are real, capturing light in breathtaking ways. I love how each photo really tells the viewer who we are. That's true art, and it takes a gifted and skilled person to pull it off. Rachael is simply the best.

Loved working with Rachel! The pictures she takes really captures the moment!

Rachael was everything we could have asked for and more from a wedding photographer!! She made the entire day stress-free and everyone in the wedding party felt so comfortable with her! Best part — the pictures are gorgeous!!

Rachael was amazing to work with! We had never done any photographs together before so we were a bit nervous, but she made us feel comfortable. Also when we received both our engagement and wedding photos, there were so many good ones it was hard to pick! Thanks again Rachael!

It's hard to put into words how incredible Rachael is! From our first meeting, sending us little packages leading up to our wedding, to staying in contact after our wedding, Rachael is amazing to work with. She takes time to get to know her clients and truly cares about them. Her photos speak for themselves, they are simply stunning and timeless - I know I will love looking at them for years to come! Rachael helped us think about every detail leading up to the wedding and made great suggestions when needed. She was flexible with her packages - we had her come to our rehearsal dinner instead of doing an engagement session. On the day of our wedding, Rachael made my husband and I feel comfortable and that we could really be ourselves. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have worked with Rachael!

Rachael & Sara were amazing to work with. They made everything so easy, I never had to worry about a thing. Sara is very relaxed and makes everything comfortable. She also even helped out when there were other wedding-day issues that popped up and needed to be handled. My photos are amazing- I have so many beautiful ones to choose from, and they truly are pieces of art. I would recommend Rachael Schirano Photography to anyone- you will not regret it!

What attracted us to Rachael's photography was the stunning realness in every shot- from relaxed powerful joy and emotion in the sentiment to the vivid and artistic capturing of light, line, and shadow of the composition. We wanted our photos to feel current without being too trendy to stand the test of time. Rachael completely exceeded our expectations in our entire gallery. Every shot is real, full of breath and stands as a true time capsule of each moment- and she captured them all! One of my worries as a bride was that there would be moments I wouldn't fully be present for on the day, but Rachael knew exactly what to capture. Looking through our final gallery is definitely a full-on re-living of the day. Beyond her artistry, Rachael served almost as a wedding planner (and life-saver) for us! I was planning our Galesburg wedding from Canada, and with Rachael helping to organize the details of the day, I felt a great sense of relief to be in such good hands. She helped us create a timeline, with expert knowledge in what to realistically expect for time. And she carefully protected what meant most to us in the day, ensuring we would not miss the things most important- the brilliant light of sunset, and those oh so important first few moments alone as husband and wife. She even gave us a ride to our reception dinner when we realized we made arrangements for everyone else except us!! I would recommend Rachael to every bride. Her warmth and professionalism is matched by her sheer joy of all things wedding.

Hiring Rachael was one of the absolute best decisions I made when planning my wedding! Without a doubt, if I had to do it all over again, I’d hire Rachael again in an instant. From the start of wedding planning, my fiancé and I knew we wanted to dedicate a good part of our budget to photography. After the ceremony and celebration of that day is over, you have your memories, and you have your photographs. Hiring someone to capture moments on film of the most important day of you life is a daunting task. If they screw it up, there are no do-overs. Rachael was an absolute GEM to work with. Early on, she helped me form the timeline for the wedding day, which was the absolute basis of everything else I planned that day. She was patiently listened to all my questions and concerns during the wedding planning process. She always remained calm and had solutions for everything. Her expertise and guidance was worth every cent of what I paid her. The day of my wedding, there was a 90% chance of rain all day (of course). While the ceremony was inside, we had multiple outside locations we wanted to take pictures at. Rachael remained so calm and composed the entire day. Honestly, and this is a big deal for my Type A personality, I felt so confident letting her call the shots for the day. She never panicked, she just worked with the weather. As composed as could be, she moved a few things in the timeline around to work with the rain. My day turned out absolutely PERFECT, and Rachael was an extremely huge part of that. Plus, she was extremely easy and fun to work with! She made being photographed so relaxed. She captured genuine moments between the two of us. Nothing was staged or forced. Our photos are genuine moments of the two of us talking and laughing. I could not be happier with her footage of us. My husband and I cannot thank her enough for capturing beautiful photographs that we will treasure forever. Do yourself a huge favor and book Rachael! You will not regret it.

Rachael runs a very smooth operation and definitely is responsible for making our day stress free and fun. She is creative with angles and depth of field to capture some really breathtaking moments. We took pictures in a church, in front of a fire station, downtown Chicago, and on a boat... and she managed to capture the most interesting and flattering parts of each location. Rachel and her assistant(s) were extremely kind and calm, helping me stay/feel calm as well. We love our prints and have a great time showing them off to our friends and family. Best of all, after the wedding is over, there are no gimmicks. Rachel chooses the best pictures and they are yours. On top of all that, I would totally hangout with Rachael as friends, she is a lovely person. Good luck booking her!

5 stars really are not enough for Rachael. We found Rachael because she shot our friends wedding, and we fell in love with her ability to capture emotion and not rely on stiff posed photos to get great portraits. From the moment we reached out to her she absolutely blew us away. She's warm, sweet, kind and impossible not to love. The bride and groom are her focus, and she will make you feel fantastic, confident and completely at ease. It was important to us to feel relaxed on our wedding day, and Rachael helped us do that - she didn't add even an ounce of stress, she went with the flow, and was able to navigate families and lots of different personalities. In addition to loving spending the day with her, we are HEAD OVER HEELS for our photos. She captured every special moment and way, way more. From the subtle exchange we shared the moment after our ceremony, to the hilarious reactions to some of the speeches - she documented it all. I could not recommend her more to take photos that will bring you right back to all the best parts of your special day.

I honestly cannot say enough amazing things about Rachael. Trying to find a photographer for our wedding was one of the more stressful things to check off of my list but once I came across Rachael’s page here on the Knot I knew my search was over. Right from the beginning when we initially talked on the phone I knew I needed to book her. She is so down to earth and helpful and I think our wedding party loved her just as much as we do. From our engagement to our wedding photos, every single one of them just blew me away. I am forever grateful to have had the chance to work with Rachael and will truly treasure our photos forever. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!

Rachael is just the BEST. When I first saw our wedding photos from Rachael my heart actually skipped a beat. They are more beautiful than I ever imagined they could be and when we look at them we can still feel all the emotions we felt the day of our wedding. She does an amazing job at capturing that dreamy and magical lighting that really makes a couple glow, the candid photos show all the excitement and happiness we felt and the portraits are so beautiful. I knew when I was looking for a photographer, that I wanted someone who not only took amazing photos, but someone who I could also connect with and feel comfortable with. I knew right away that I wanted to book Rachael for our wedding when I looked at her portfolio (which has the most stunning photos) but her sweet and bubbly personality sealed the deal. She made our entire wedding process so special from the time we booked her until even after our wedding. You can really tell that Rachael has such a love for the work that she does and for the clients she works with.

From initial booking, Rachael and I hit it off! The many phone calls, texts, and emails, made it easy for planning purposes for day of the wedding and getting to personally know our wedding photographer. We opted out of an engagement session, as we had a photographer at our actual engagement in Charleston, SC. Therefore, our first in person meeting was day of the wedding, and it was like we knew her as a friend for many years! She was so easy going and made being in front of the camera fun and easy! Rachael cared about our input from style to the list of important photos, and made sure throughout the day she was capturing everything we had asked. We were so excited when we saw our "sneak peek" photo on social media 24 hours after the wedding. We received so many compliments on how beautiful that photo was during our bubble exit out of the church. We were anxious to see the rest of our photos, and were so pleased with our entire album. She has made it difficult to choose our favorites to hang around our new home and select for our professional wedding album. We are so thankful for Rachael and our timeless, elegant wedding photos that we will cherish forever! We would recommend her to anyone in the Central, IL and Chicagoland areas!

We absolutely could not have chosen a better photographer to capture our special day!! She was a joy to work with throughout the whole process -- so kind, helpful, and easy to work with. She caught so many sweet moments of us and of our guests, and did a great job of getting all the photos we wanted while keeping us on schedule. We are so thankful to have such beautiful photos of our wedding day. I'd recommend her wholeheartedly!!

Loved working with Rachael and her teammate Sara! They made the planning process and day of easy and organized! And we LOVE the photos! They did an amazing job!!

Having a great photographer was really important to us. This was an item that we were willing to splurge on in our wedding budget. I had looked at a lot of photographer's work, and found that cheap photographers did very cheap work. Rachael is slightly more expensive but well well worth it. She is very professional, which is important to us. She was easy to get a hold of if we had questions. Finally, the 2 most important photos that we wanted were one of us at the altar and one of our family (which is 35+ people). She got great shots of both, and with such a large party with lots of little kids, she handled it great and took charge when we needed her to take charge and tell us where to stand and where to look. She also asked us what were the most important things to capture about the day, and we said "our guests", so she got lots of good photos of people dancing and people smiling at the church. When we shared the photos, we got a lot of comments about what a wonderful photographer she is. She captured the day perfectly, and so many of the best moments!

Hiring Rachael was easily the best decision we made when planning our wedding. My now husband is camera shy, but she made made taking our engagement and wedding pictures such a fun experience! The pictures are absolutely stunning, I love going back and reliving the day over and over again. These pictures were definitely and investment that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

Rachael was AMAZING to work with! When looking for a wedding photographer, her work stood out the most to me. I was looking for someone who captures more of the raw & emotional moments and her work blew me away! We could not have selected a better wedding photographer! From our engagement session... to our wedding day... she made us feel comfortable & was fun to work with! We are still in such awe over our wedding pictures!! Thank you, Rachael for all you did! You are so talented! -The Litwillers 6-23-2018

Rachael is incredible. She is amazing to work with and her work is beautiful. She was able to capture the smallest but sweetest moments and for us that was so important on our wedding day, as we did not have a videographer. We are soooo in love with every single photo she produced. Highly, HIGHLY recommend and you will not be disappointed :)

Rachael is just the best. Our engagement and wedding pictures were so beautiful and captured us as a couple perfectly. We loved every single photo. She is so easy to work with and makes you feel so relaxed. Would highly recommend her to any couple! Loved loved loved working with her!

It's hard to write a review that will do Rachael's work justice. From the very start, Rachael was enthusiastic, kind, and welcoming. Her work truly speaks for itself. Rachael took the time to listen to our love story and understand what was important to us in order to get the most meaningful shots. We could not be happier with the end result. She is so experienced, knowledgeable, and made wonderful recommendations in order for us to have the wedding day of our dreams.

I can't say enough great things about Rachael and her team. Her skill with lighting, her warmth with difficult family, her joy for us on our wedding day, and her investment in our experience made us even happier that we hired her for our wedding photography. She wowed us with our engagement photos, but really blew us away with our wedding images. We decided that photography was one of our greatest priorities for our wedding, and we keep saying how lucky we are that we got to work with Rachael. You won't regret hiring her!

Rachael is amazing! We used her for both our engagement pictures and wedding day pictures. She captures beautiful moments and knows how to make you feel comfortable and smiley all the time! I would recommend Rachael to any bride who wants to remember the most beautiful and meaningful moments of her wedding. Rachael is sure to capture it all!

We were beyond blessed to have Rachael as our wedding photographer for our big day. From start to finish, she made us feel so special. From the love story session to the big day, she was always an email or text away to help give advice and plan out the perfect schedule for the day. Her photographs are flawless and really capture those moments you never want to forget. Rachael went above any beyond since the day we asked her to be our photographer. She was photographer turned into advice giver and a little bit of wedding planner on the side. We will forever be grateful for the amazing engagement and wedding pictures that will be in our home and it is because of her that we can remember every special moment of our wedding day. Thanks Rachael, we are so blessed that we found you! Highly recommend!!

I feel truly blessed to have had Rachael as our wedding photographer. She was with me from the very beginning. I called her my wedding godmother because I could not only trust her awesome photography skills but also her knowledge of the industry and her eye for beautiful things. She did an outstanding job at photographing our engagement shoot and our wedding day. She captured beautiful moments that I will always cherish. I can't say it enough - I would recommend her time and time again! She is incredibly easy to work with, she knows how to capture the love and magic of a moment, and she's very efficient with your time. I also have to mention that she has great recommendations for other vendors in the industry. All around, she's just great! Last, I searched for hours upon hours to find the right fit for our wedding photographer, and I found Rachael. So trust me when I say, she's one of the very best :)

My fiancé and I had the amazing experience of taking our engagement photos with Rachael. We could not be more thrilled with the experience and result. Our photos are incredible and it was truly an experience. In all honesty, we were a bit nervous with the unknowns going into the session (my fiancé loves taking pictures :) ), however Rachael made us both feel so comfortable and displayed her expertise as she walked us through the afternoon. We strongly recommend Rachael and look forward to working with her again!

My husband and I have worked with Rachael on several occasions, including engagement, wedding, and anniversary photos. And I have nothing but positive things to say. Having Rachael Schirano as your wedding photographer, is like hiring your best friend. Rachael is not only kind and laid back on your special day, but she will also make you and your loved ones look like a million bucks. Rachael's use of color in her photography is breathtaking. Photographs are an important way to cherish memories, and Rachael Schirano Photography is well worth the investment. I highly recommend hiring Rachael for your wedding and beyond.

Wow. That's really all that I can say about Rachael at this point. When we first met Rachael for a consultation, we immediately knew that she was the one we wanted to capture our wedding day. Her personality, welcoming demeanor, and energy was evident without seeing any of her work. Then we talked with her and saw the work and realized that these are the type of photographs that we wanted for our special day. Rachael was great to work with in the months and weeks leading up to the wedding, gave us insight into timing, what photos would work best and where to take them. On our wedding day, she brought her energy and helped us ensure that we took photos with all of our family and friends (it's hard to keep track of this yourself and keep yourself on a schedule!). She kept our wedding party organized, helped us find the best photo spots and did it all with a smile. A few weeks later, we received our entire wedding album and we could not be happier with our photos. Rachael has a real knack in taking photos with natural light coming from various directions and making the photos looks different and special. We are so happy that we were able to work with Rachael and would absolutely recommend her to anyone looking to have great wedding photos!

Rachael is, simply put, an artist. From our engagement shoot to our wedding day she captured the most amazing, intimate and sweet moments between myself and my husband. Every photo is a glimpse into the magic of the special moments; and Rachael caught them all. I am not a comfortable person in front of a camera but she made me feel completely at ease and it shows in her work. I would absolutely book her again. In a heartbeat. I promise you, you will not regret having her as a part of your wedding day. She is the best of the best.

Rachael played a big part in making my wedding day run smoothly and turn out flawless! Prior to the wedding, each time I met with her, she has this wonderful ability to calm your nerves. Of course she has the knowledge and experience to help you determine your timeline and what you need to get the pictures you want, but she also is fun, playful, and relaxed. Even though she helped me make a very detailed timeline for photos on the wedding day, I never felt like I was stuck to the timeline or that we were rushed. She builds in time for you and your husband to take some moments alone to really let the day sink in. These moments will be some of our best memories from the day! So far we have just received a sneak peak slideshow of our photos but they are so good!! She captured so many little details and special moments that I didn't even know she was photographing. I can't say enough good things about Rachael and would highly recommend her!

Rachael is not only an AMAZING photographer, but also just a genuinely kind person who truly cares about getting the best photographs of your day. From start to finish, she was SO helpful, so knowledgable and so talented. She helped make our experience so fun & pleasant every step of the way. We would recommend her 10,000 times to anyone looking for a talented wedding photographer in the area.

Chris and I were so blessed to have Rachael as our photographer. Her work is incredible, and her style was exactly what we were looking for in our photos. Rachael captured such special moments from our wedding day, and they are photos that we will cherish forever. Rachael was so accommodating and wonderful to work with. We had an instant connection with her and we both felt so comfortable with her on our wedding day. I would recommend (and already have) to anyone who asks me wedding advice. To me, it's a no brainer to choose someone who is so personable, and talented.

I think we are so blessed to be able to have Rachael as our photographer. I have never seen pictures so beautiful. We had two ceremonies for her to photograph. We had an Indian ceremony and a Christian ceremony and we absolutely cannot wait to see what the photos will look like when they are ready. Rachael is excellent at keeping things on time during the day and even better at keeping the bride calm! There were many times I would start panicking about time and she always stepped in to calm me down and reassure we were good. She was so much fun and it felt natural with her. Things didn't feel forced for pictures. I highly recommend Rachael. She is very flexible and open with ideas!

Rachael is an amazing photographer!! She was very helpful and responsive to emails. On the wedding day, she captured all the details perfectly, and sometimes I didn't even know she was around and all of the little moments were captured (which was perfect). I LOVED our engagement and wedding photos. Everything was organized and on-time, and she is so kind and thoughtful. We received multiple compliments from family and friends about how great she was and how much they loved the photos. So thankful and happy with everything!!

Rachael was the most wonderful photographer and captured all of the beautiful moments from both our wedding day and engagement shoot. Rachael was our very first hire for wedding vendors and in fact, was hired before we had even secured our official date. I fell in love with her work following a friend's ceremony she did. Not only were her pictures gorgeous, but my sister, who had been a bridesmaid, said rachael was to best to work with. Rachael had a way of making the engagement shoot feel effortless and natural. For the wedding, she caught so many beautiful moments throughout the day that I am eternally grateful. I would recommend Rachael 1000% and would also say to hire her for not only your engagement but your wedding too. She is so committed to her clients, understanding their style, supporting them Above and beyond the normal photographer duties. We were so sad after our wedding that we wouldn't be able to work with Rachael that my husband and I joked about having her shoot milestone anniversaries. I am in fact pretty serious about it!! She is the best and I would hire her!

It can be very overwhelming while looking for all the vendors for your wedding but when you are looking for a photographer look no further! The moment I had my first meeting with Rachael I knew she would be perfect to photograph my husband and my engagement, and wedding photos! Not only do I love her style, but her personality is the best! Her and her daughter snapped pictures the day of the wedding and were both so much fun to work with! They kept everything running smoothly and remembered the little details that I could have forgotten being in my own little wedding brain zone. Rachael also sends you sweet little gifts along the way to let you know how much you really do mean to her, and that she has not forgotten about you!!

Rachael was absolutely amazing to work with! She was very friendly and made us very comfortable and at ease around her from the start. I loved how she was willing to incorporate some of our ideas into the shoot was well. I also loved the natural look of the photos. I have always disliked "staged" looking photos; however, with Rachael, the photos looked natural. She was also surprisingly quick at getting our photos back to us, which I really appreciated. We got our photos taken in the middle of December, and I mentioned to Rachael that I was really hoping to print some of the photos to frame for Christmas presents. She was more than willing to work with me and got me the whole album back within a week! I would recommend Rachael to anyone looking for a photographer and plan on returning to her for our elopement, as well as our future anniversaries!

There are not enough good things I can say about Rachael and how amazing she made our wedding day! Right from the beginning she was easy to talk to and reassuring and she is extremely knowledgeable about photography and weddings-- you can tell she absolutely loves what she does and loves capturing couples' love stories. She made myself and the whole bridal party feel comfortable and relaxed during photos and was extremely helpful with staying with the timeline and making sure everything ran smoothly. She truly made our wedding day that much more amazing and we just got our photos back and cannot stop looking at them--they will forever be cherished and looked at for years to come. Rachael is absolutely amazing!!!

There is so much good to say about Rachael. Her work is amazing and I was smitten from the first time I saw her website and clicked through every picture available. My husband and I met with her to discuss everything and from the first meeting I felt like I could be myself around her, and that she was taking to heart all of the concerns I was pouring out to her. She is so personable and cares so much about her work that it was impossible for us to think of choosing anyone else. I find being photographed to be super uncomfortable and was terrified that I was going to dislike every single picture from what was supposed to be the best day so far just because I'm a girl and I pick everything about myself apart. She assured me that it was her job to make me fall in love with each picture, and boy did she! After our engagement session, which Rachael made so enjoyable, I knew we had made a fantastic choice. I adored every picture she captured because they were so uniquely us in a way I didn't know that we could be seen. As a photographer Rachael is everything you could want. She is thorough, organized, timely, understanding, flexible, patient, talented, caring, and so incredibly likeable. She's the kind of person that you meet and immediately want to be friends with. She has a way of figuring out what you want your photos to look like and making it happen without you realizing it. While looking for different vendors I know that it is every couple's task to make things work within a budget, which we had to do as well. Someone told me early on to invest in a great photographer because pictures would be all that would be left after the special day passed and it was the best advice I could have received. Rachael is the kind of great photographer that you should work with if possible.

Rachael gave us the most amazing wedding day experience! Our photos are EXACTLY what I dreamt they would be. Not only is she the best wedding photographer in the central Illinois area, but she knows how to put her clients at ease on the biggest day of their lives. I recommend her to all of my engaged friends and family.

We had our eye on Rachael's work before we were even engaged. Rachael had photographed the weddings of many friends and each time the photos seemed to perfectly capture their day. When it came time to choose our photographer we were sold within minutes of sitting down with Rachael. Not only is her work amazing, but she is truly a joy to work with. She immediately put us at ease knowing we were in her capable hands and we were not disappointed! Rachael has a unique way of personalizing everything she does down to the sweet gifts she sent throughout our entire process (six months later and we are still getting surprises!). Rachael an eye for catching all of the best moments and we couldn't be happier with our photos or our experience working with her.

I knew from the moment I met with Rachael that she was going to be the most perfect photographer for my wedding day. I didn't want to look any further! It was her sincere interest in our engagement story that showed me how much she truly cares about her couples. I had no idea what I was wanting as far as photography for the wedding but it was like Rachael knew EXACTLY what I wanted. Rachael guided my husband and I through every step of the way. She really put us at ease and there wasn't one moment during the process that I was worried. We were lucky enough to have Rachael along with us for the entire day of our wedding and we would highly recommend every couple to do the same. From getting ready the morning of, to our first look, to the ceremony and finally the reception she was there for it all. She captured every single moment that we asked for and even the ones we didn't know we wanted. We absolutely love her honest and pure style. She even helped us in ways that weren't photography (especially when I couldn't stand my painful shoes any longer)! Needless to say we loved having her with us. Although I am sad that the wedding is over, having Rachael's photos brings back so many wonderful memories of the best day of our lives. We love being able to relive the day through them. Those photos mean the world to my husband and I and we are forever grateful to Rachael for capturing our special day. We really don't know what we would have done without her!

We chose Rachael to capture our wedding day and engagement pictures, and it was the best decision we made. I loved every single one of our wedding photos. Rachael and her daughter worked together on our wedding day and they made me and my husband feel so comfortable. Getting photos taken can be awkward, but Rachael really does a great job making you feel less so. She did a wonderful job capturing moments I may have missed and candid photos, which I love. She took the time to ask questions and really find out what "style" I was looking for on the wedding day, and customized photos to fit what I was hoping for. She did a terrific job and feels more like a friend throughout the process than just your photographer, I highly recommend Rachael!

I was first drawn to Rachael's bright, romantic photos, but what sealed the deal was the hours-long first meeting we had over coffee. We bonded over so many topics, wedding related and otherwise, that I knew my husband and I could trust her style and ability to document such an important day in our lives. Rachael was there throughout the planning process to answer questions, assist with different tasks, and generally ease my mind. We had a somewhat unconventional wedding day planned, and I don't know how I would've figured out a timeline without her help! When the wedding day arrived, she was present and supportive, yet somehow managed to stay under the radar enough to capture natural, candid moments. Needless to say, the photos turned out beautifully, with many friends and family remarking that they had a fairy tale or "Jane Eyre" quality about them. Rachael definitely has the eye, talent and passion required of a great photographer. I also must mention Rachael continually goes out of her way to make her clients feel special. My husband and I are always pleasantly surprised to receive notes, mail and social media features from Rachael that remind us of our wedding day and our wonderful vendors that helped it all come together! We are forever grateful for the memories she has helped us preserve!

It might have been luck that we found Rachael to capture our special day but i'm going to chalk it up to fate. We, I, had an instant bond with her and I knew she would fulfill requirement or request I threw at her. She exceeded my expectations and even reassured my husband that we did indeed choose the best wedding photographer for our day! The photographer was one of the most important aspects of our wedding day. I was determined & wasn't willing to settle with just anyone. Rachael made our wedding planning experience that much more enjoyable and I knew on our wedding day I didn't have to worry, she had it taken care of! XOXO

Rachael was the best! She was able to capture all weddding moments from our engagement photos to late in the night at the reception! My husband and I are so thankful for how accommodating Rachael was with our schedule and willing to work with us-all while having so much fun! She was one of the best decisions of our wedding!

During the planning process, I had many recommendations for photographers, but wanted to make my own decision. I started researching local photographers on my own, studying their portfolios and comparing their experience levels and I choose Rachael Schirano Photography simply for the crisp, clean, artistic quality of her photographs. She was MORE than patient with my husband and I during our engagement photos and wedding day pictures. We are not a naturally affectionate couple, but she was able to pull the chemistry out of us in such a natural way. Not only is her quality of work exceptional, but shes in genuinely such a good-hearted person I feel lucky to know. She goes the extra mile with her personal notes, and special little gifts and her willingness to explore even the craziest ideas or locations you might have. I am so thankful that I trusted my instincts and chose her because she made out wedding day perfect!!

Rachael was a pleasure to work with ! She took the time to get all of the photos we needed with our entire family. Rachael is patient, classy, artistic, happy, loving, kind, and insightful. The photos she took, we will treasure the rest of our lives. Rachael also captured my daughters wedding day - and she did an excellent job for Lauren too. We are so thankful that Rachael came into our lives at just the right time to capture our moments!

Rachael photographed our wedding in July and went above and beyond to not only give us beautiful pictures, but make us comfortable and enjoy every moment. About one week before our big day, Rachael and I spoke on the phone one last time to discuss details and timelines. As we were finishing the conversation, she asked me to make sure I did one thing the day of the wedding. She said, find someone in my wedding party to pull me aside a couple times throughout the day to just pause and take it all in. The day goes by so fast but to take a short moment and slow down will be moments I look back on forever. In that moment she said that, I knew 100% we chose the right person to spend our most special day with us. Rachael is more than a photographer. The time we had to take pictures alone was one of the best parts of our day largely because Rachael made that time not just a photography session. I highly recommend Rachael because she makes your day special! And takes beautiful pictures of course :)

Rachael is one of the best decisions we made for our wedding.. I found her through organic search and fell in love with her candid, romantic style of photography. Like a few of the reviews below, she was above my original budget, but I came back because her style and approach was just what we wanted. I appreciate the way she takes care of her people, from the little goodies in the mail, to the comfort she offers when shooting. You're looking at your partner most of the time, not the camera. And she captures the story, not the fancy shots....even though that ends up making the photos fancy. She's a sucker for good light and what she calls "micromoments" or the small yet loving moments in between that she captures. I received the photos within 6 weeks of the wedding, in a fancy little box with a flash drive, and I was really proud to show them off because I feel like it captured our day authentically, not just pretty to look at. I can't imagine a person not being happy with her level of service, response, talent, and delivery. She's a GEM, darnit.

There are no words that will fully describe how wonderful it is to work with Rachael. She is by far the most talented photographer in central Illinois. From the first time you meet with her, she is focused on getting to know you and your fiancé and is determined to convey your love story through her photo sessions with you. Rachael has become a dear friend of ours and we consider ourselves so lucky to have gotten to know her during this season of our lives. She made us feel comfortable in front of the camera and really brought our love story to life through her lens. We would absolutely recommend her as an engagement and wedding photographer!

Absolutely THE BEST! Rachael's work is absolutely stunning and captures the heart and soul of each person. She got to know me and my vision to shoot exactly what I wanted for my engagement and wedding sessions. My husband hates taking pictures, but Rachael is so relaxed and easy to work with that she was able to put him at ease. I recommend her whole heartedly!!

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Rachael. To start, she is wonderfully talented. Our wedding photos are absolutely gorgeous! I cannot get enough of them! She was able to capture so many special moments of our day. The day goes so quickly and looking through our photos reminded me of the quick special moments that we had with family and between myself and my husband. Rachael is also so kind, patient, and understanding. She is so easy and fun to work with! She helped out in a lot of stressful moments and I will be eternally grateful for that. It really is hard to put into words how wonderful of a photographer and person she is, but if you are questioning whether you should book her-stop questioning and do it. She is worth it!!!

Where to start? Rachael was AMAZING. We planned our wedding from halfway across the country, and she was so easy to work with over Skype and email. Rachael took the time to understand what we wanted out of wedding photos, and she was extremely well-organized throughout the planning process. Working with Rachael and her assistant both in the months leading up to our wedding and on the big day was effortless! She is such a calming force of nature during all the stress of wedding planning. And of course, her photos are perfection. We've gotten so many compliments on them, and Rachael captured so many beautiful moments of our day. Having Rachael as our wedding photographer was one of the best wedding decisions we made. I honestly can't recommend her enough!

Rachael was absolutely amazing to work with - she did our engagement photos as well as our wedding day. From the first time we met her, we could tell that she would be so easy to work with and would capture all the little moments perfectly. No matter what the weather was, Rachael rolled with the punches and made the best of it. On our wedding day, Rachael and her second photographer blended seamlessly into our day and captured everything, from the small details of our decor/flowers/cake to the expressions and candid photos of us as well as all of our family and friends. I also especially appreciated that while she wanted to get posed pictures of the family and wedding party, she made it a priority to get us to our reception quickly so that we wouldn't miss out on anything (some of the candid photos that she took were my absolute favorites). I loved working with Rachael and would highly recommend her to any soon-to-be bride!

I cannot say enough good things about Rachael and her team. When I was searching for photographers I tried to find one that was within budget but had AMAZING photos. Rachael was slightly out of our budget but after searching and searching my heart came back to her photos and sweet approachable demeanor. We ended up booking and have never regretted it. Every time I look at our pictures I find something new that Rachael captured that I didn't notice the first time. It brings us right back to the day because she captures all the details and little moments that you may miss! She was also very patient with us as we were really focused on being with our guests and enjoying the day and did not want to spend hours on pictures. She made it work for us and still gave us tons of images that we adore. Also we received our photos in a very timely manner which I know a lot of friends who have had to wait even past their promised date. I have had quite a few friends book with her after our wedding and they all have the most positive reviews as well. You will not be disappointed.

Absolutely wonderful to work with from beginning to end.. She was the one vendor that I had absolutely no concerns with as she is extremely on it! She came up with wonderful suggestions in the consult, as her experience is vast, and her advice was very helpful in the planning process. I felt as if she truly cared about you as if you were family. If you want a photographer that provides an intimate experience, tailored to your personal wants and needs, and vast knowledge and skill- Rachael is a perfect fit!! I work in the industry so I am extremely picky and critical when it comes to vendors. But I am confident you will love Rachael- not only her personality but her unbelievable talent, professionalism, and, skill!

If someone asked us how Rachael could improve her work or service, we honestly would not know what to say because she did a truly exceptional job. She is organized, professional, punctual, and simply fun to be around. My wife and I felt comfortable and had a lot of fun during the photo sessions. We can't say enough good things about Rachael or the experience. Highly recommend her!

Everyone has an opinion about where to spend your wedding dollars, but if I had to do it a million times over again, I would never settle for less than Rachael. She made the day of our wedding so easy and captured each moment with so much realness and warmth. She sees the little things...smiles from your grandfather, exchanges between old (and new!) friends, the look on your parents' faces when they see your first dance, she sees it in a way that you will appreciate for the rest of your life. She's artistic, classic, and clean. She was the first vendor we booked and I recommend you do the same! We love her and her work to pieces!

Rachael was our first choice photographer and we were beyond blessed to have her capture our special day! She worked with us to give us exactly what we wanted and really helped to see our vision for the day. We love reliving our day through her photographs, she captured the sentiments of the day so well. You can tell she really cares and wants to make your day special. She had great recommendations such as first look photos, sunset pictures, moment alone after the ceremony, etc. Would recommend her to anyway! Thanks so much Rachael!! xoxo

After searching the internet for hours to find the perfect wedding photographer, I came across Rachael's site and immediately fell in love with her style of photography! After an initial phone conversation and then a meet and greet on FaceTime (we lived in different cities!), we sealed the deal and hired her for our engagement and wedding photos. It was the BEST. DECISION. EVER. (Right behind choosing to marry my husband ;) ) Rachael was such a dream to work with. She is incredibly flexible with timing, location, changes, etc. She is very timely and we never had to wait long at all to see proofs from the sessions. The quality of our photos for both the engagement and wedding were amazing; it was incredibly hard to choose which ones to print because we wanted them all! Aside from her work ethic and high quality product, Rachael is beyond kind and truly could not be easier to work with. She makes the sessions all about the couple; she is always completely present and in the moment. I cannot say enough great things about Rachael and her business. I would recommend her in a heartbeat!

It is hard to decide where to begin when describing Rachael and her photography work, but extraordinary, meticulous, unique, charming, and love are all words that rush into my mind. My husband and I heard of Rachael through close friends. The moment we saw their wedding photos our search was over – we had to have Rachael to document our own special day. Her photography style is a true art form that melds together her stunning eye for light and ability to capture emotion, to bring each and every image to life. While working with Rachael to plan our day she expressed all the qualities one would expect from a professional photographer. She was knowledgeable, organized, responsive, attentive, reliable, and understanding. Rachael was also very reassuring and this is the trait that meant the most to me in particular. I have a habit of second guessing myself and changing my mind, but Rachael was able to truly put me at ease after each milestone decision. Rachael was instrumental in planning and implementing the schedule of our wedding day. Her input and experience was a guiding light that made for a smooth and enjoyable event from start to finish. When it came time for Alex and I to sit down and review the portfolio of images from our wedding, we were both brought to tears. Rachael encapsulated our day into the most beautiful array of joyful, energetic, romantic, and modern photographs. The emotional moments she captured will be with us, our families, and one day our children forever. We are forever grateful!

Rachael was by far the best decision we made for our wedding day! We had a very small wedding and the one thing I wanted was amazing photographs. Rachael went above and beyond and was so wonderful to work with. After booking our wedding date with Rachael we had to move our day up 3 months and change locations. She was the first person I called and I was so happy she was available for the new date and was willing to travel to our new location. Our photographs are something I will cherish for a lifetime and I am so thankful we picked Racheal!!

Rachael is incredible - our wedding photos are stunning and organic and we couldn't be happier! She is an absolute delight to work with and very professional. She made it simple to plan a timeline and we easily got shots of everything we wanted. She does a beautiful job and makes the entire experience comfortable and genuine.

I was a Chicago bride getting married in Monticello, roughly three hours away. Planning a wedding is stressful enough, not to mention adding distance as a factor. I found Rachael's work through the Knot, and her website has a wonderful display of work that is artistic and composed, something I valued highly when selecting a photographer. We were married at Allerton Park which is home to formal gardens and landscape which I wanted captured in my big day. She did a wonderful job of meeting us at the location to "scope" everything out before the big day. We did some engagement shots which turned out wonderfully. Meeting Rachael for the first time after booking her, I was nervous about if we'd "click" or not. She's amazing. Rachael is exactly the person you want to photograph your big day. Professional, artistic, and enthusiastic about everything. The big day arrived and she handed our boisterous wedding party beautifully. Extremely professional and effective at corralling a large family and friends to do a huge group shot which turned out great. As if it couldn't get any better, she turned around our pictures in less than a month! What more can you ask for? The pictures were stunning, and I would not hesitate to hire Rachael again :)

It was so wonderful having Rachael photograph our special day! It is very easy to see her passion for capturing the love shared among a couple and their family and friends. Rachael was so easy to work with from start to finish, and her creativity shines through both during the shoot and in the photos after!! Only lots of great things to say about Rachael Schirano Photography! I am thrilled with my wedding photos and would recommend Rachael to anyone that is getting married soon, she is wonderful!

I found Rachael Schirano Photography from a referral of another local photographer as I was researching who I should book for my engagement/wedding. Probably one of the best referrals I've had, most specifically related to my wedding. I really appreciated the time that Rachael took to get to know my husband Michael and I in the beginning; and then continued to develop on that relationship throughout the year. In my opinion this was one of the toughest decisions to make regarding wedding expenses. To us, our pictures were the most important purchase we would make and what we would have to look back on as the best day of our lives! It was important to us that we felt comfortable and confident with our photographer as that person would be with you during your most intimate times. Rachael provided us with samples of her work, and the fact that I already had a reputable referral definitely helped. I really appreciated the detailed timeline that she created and went through with us as to how the day would play out. I was able to create a list of all the pictures I wanted and we organized it together, creating a breakdown that I could use so everyone knew how the day would play out. Rachael and her second photographer (Brandi Herrman) did a fantastic job of capturing every detail and candid moment from our day. She captured so much emotion from the day that I was able to replay the whole thing in my mind, and felt as if I never missed a beat. You don't realize fully just how much is going on that day and the little things that you miss, or take for granted how beautiful they can be. She captured all of that in the most dreamy, elegant, and romantic representation of our wedding. She is fun, engaging, flexible to work with, and most of all passionate about what she does! We truly enjoyed working with Rachael, and are completely in love with our photos! :) Allison + Michael Stephey

My husband and I live out of state. Our wedding was in IL, where Rachael is based out of. Rachael was so easy to work with remotely because she was very responsive to emails, texts, and phone calls. On the day of our wedding, Rachael and her assistant were relaxed, easygoing, and very professional. My husband and I are thrilled with our wedding photos! Rachael also had our photos posted in the online gallery less than 3 weeks after our wedding. She is an amazing photographer! My husband and I also had an engagement photo session with Rachael. We loved those photos, too! We can't wait for our "enagement story book".

My husband and I really enjoyed working with Rachael. We loved the little gifts she sent along our wedding preparation journey, and she was so flexible when it came time to make adjustments on the day of our wedding. We were so happy we chose her as our photographer, and not only that, the photos were terrific! We would recommend Rachael as a wedding photographer.