Tamara Gruner Photography

he amazing Magnolia Rouge blog, we love her style of photography, her ability to capture our love for one another was truly remarkable. While the lighting was shifting and sun was setting, we did have to move a bit faster than naturally, but we're so pleased with the overall experience. We both highly recommend Tamara as a wedding photographer -- our photos (shot on film) are stunning. And a dream. And unique. <3 so much love!

ade us very comfortable, very humane, sweet and attentive it's a real pleasure to work with her! She has a very romantic and delicate universe. If you are looking for a photographer who cares about you, make you look good and put your personality forward. Tamara is your photographer! Saya & Alex xxx

were so beautiful and natural which is what I wanted for my wedding. I was afraid that Tamara would not be available as I had left it at the last minute but thankfully she was in Europe that December so it all worked out perfectly! Tamara was proactive from the very beginning, to finding out what my day would be like to the little details. It was a pleasure working with her as she is so wonderful in capturing those special moments and so professional at the same time. The most important thing is that she made us feel so relaxed which is what you want on your wedding day. Tamara, thank you so much and it was wonderful working with you! xxxxx

made me feel so at ease with everything and understood what I wanted. An angel to work with and very professional. I am so glad that she was the one who photographed us. Thank you so much Tamara and I hope to work with you again :)

r itself. We are obsessed with all the shots she has done for us. Not only is her work amazing but she is too. Tamara is the kindest person. She is always sweet, punctual, organized, and her response time to emails, texts, phones calls is amazingly quick (minutes/ hours). We are SO happy we found her. Thanks a million, Tamara!

nt – it all felt so romantic and ethereal. Tamara was an absolute dream to work with. She was very responsive, organized, timely, and provided great direction on how to pose. She captured gorgeous pictures and I would highly recommend her – you won’t regret it!

t that she shoots in film (my love) as well as digital and brings a second photographer was everything I wanted. Tamara is the sweetest person. From the very first email when I was just asking for pricing and details, she was perfectly attentive. Her responses to my emails, texts, and calls were always so fast, I couldn't believe it, usually within minutes or hours. We had such a good time at our engagement session, which Tamara had rescheduled because she had thoughtfully followed the weather and saw it would be raining on the original day. Tamara helped us with every step, expressed joy when we shared Pinterest boards and photos of our vision, and was such a pleasure. Our wedding day was a snowy, wet, late spring day and she and her assistant Camilla were INCREDIBLE. Their excitement while shooting our photos made us feel so special, beautiful, and at ease. Our families were pleased with the family photo experience as well. I have seen a few sneak peak pictures and cried with joy. Tamara, you captured every moment, emotion, and detail. These photos we will cherish our whole life. We can't thank you enough. Xoxo my friend.

I can't wait to see the pictures from our wedding! She had to deal with videographers and my amateur photographer uncle getting in the way, and I applaud her professionalism. Her and her husband were so lovely to everyone. Can't thank them enough!

amara, thank you for being such a fabulous addition to a beautiful day!

rolina, I knew I wouldn’t have opportunity to meet her before the big day…talking about taking a risk. I had a great conversation on the phone and researched/stalked the heck out of her work, I thought, alright, let’s do this. We kept in touch multiple times throughout the process, through email and by telephone, she set me at ease automatically with her laid back and easy to get along with personality. I had only taken a couple professional pictures in the past, and one of my biggest fears for my wedding was having pictures that looked “staged”. I couldn’t look at one more wedding photo of the typical bride/groom pose, I knew one thing, I wanted candid shots of my guests, of them enjoying themselves on this special day. Boy did she deliver. From the moment she arrived, Tamara set the tone, she was professional, open, and so much fun to work with. She made both my husband and I feel comfortable in front of the camera, she was prepared and didn’t waste any time getting what she needed done. She and her husband work so well together, they are efficient and all of my wedding party adored them. She knew what I wanted before we started the weekend and I couldn’t have asked for more. Throughout the crazy weekend I honestly had forgotten so many parts, speeches, conversations, Tamara, thankfully, captured so many images that had gotten lost during all of the wedding craziness. As I packed up for the honeymoon the day after the wedding, I hoped that she captured even a FEW great images, the day I after, I arrived in Punta Cana, I had an email, she had put together an incredible preview of the weekend and I couldn’t believe it. She was way quicker than I had ever imagined. Within weeks, the entire weekend had been sent to me, I was so impressed and excited I can’t say enough about Tamara. Not only did she capture my rehearsal dinner and wedding, we stared the weekend off my doing a Boudoir session, something that I wasn’t necessarily comfortable with to begin with, but she made me feel like a pro once I we had finished. I thank her from the bottom of my heart for giving me the best gift of the entire wedding, the photos that will last a life time, of the most important day of my life. Thank you Tamara Gruner Photography team!

stars as well. we had a different company do our videography and they met for the first time on our wedding day. Tamara worked so well with them and they each made sure that they got the shots they needed. I can't say better things about Tamara!!

bring all elements of our day together in a stylish and intimate collection of images. It is obvious that Tamara cares about the comfort and happiness of her clients, and went above and beyond to prepare for our wedding day. She brought calm and comfort to the day, but also was able to direct our bridal party and family members in a way that was natural and efficient. I was amazed at how quickly we received our photos following our wedding weekend, and was blown away by the stunning moments that she captured throughout the day. Even more amazing, Tamara recently informed us that our wedding photographs will be featured in The Knot Michigan Magazine in their upcoming spring edition. If you hire Tamara as your wedding photographer, you can put your absolute trust in her to provide you with beautiful memories that will warm your heart throughout your lifetime. We couldn't have asked for a better experience!

han a 10, her photos may not be as flattering. She simply does not seem to know what to do with you. It should have been a red flag that most of her portfolio on her website seems to be from staged photo shoots. The pictures from my wedding are some of the worst photos ever taken of me-I am washed out, look widened, and none of my best features come out. Luckily I have some photos taken by friends that day which I look better in. I truly can't look at most of the photos Tamara took. I hesitated for a long time to say this because Tamara is so nice, but the reviews on sites such as this are so skewed, probably because after our wedding she asked us to review her on a site only IF we could give her 5 stars. Brides-before you book her ask to see photos from brides that look more like you and less like a model.

s beautiful art work and is within our budget. Tamara was recommended to me by a friend. After I contacted her, I actually lost sleep hoping that she would be available and within budget because her photos were so beautiful. Thankfully everything worked out. And I loved working with Tamara. Her level of customer service is up there next to the Ritz Carlton in my mind. All of the engagement and wedding photos came back beautifully. We received SO many compliments! And we decided to do an after wedding photography session with her so we could dress up in our wedding finery again and appreciate a few more moments because the wedding day goes by so fast! I know so many friends who wished they had allocated more of their budget to the photographer because they hated their photos. The best decision I made for the wedding was hiring Tamara.

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k best to result in the best photos. She is shooting my sisters engagement photos this weekend and recommend her to everyone looking to have an affordable, yet priceless experience!

ala, we hit it off right away-we knew they were the perfect fit for us! To put it simply, they just got it-they completely understood what we were after!! They were able to take our attempt at expressing a vision and bring it to life. They had ideas, examples, and enthusiasm for our wedding-their excitement was infectious. For me, trust was the most important factor in choosing someone to immortalize my wedding day. I knew that with Tamara, I was dealing with someone who takes great pride in her work. And as a result, she would treat my wedding with extreme attention to detail and professionalism. On our wedding day, I was able to have fun and enjoy my day with my husband. I never even noticed Tamara and Bala snapping away. When we received our pictures, they took my breath away. It was then that I was able to re-experience the day in such a way that I wasn't able to in person. They captured it all without anyone breaking away from the day- all the details, the nuances, the emotions, the entire essence of my wedding day- something that my adrenaline state of mind caused me to gloss over-was all there. Not only did our pictures turn out beautifully, but so did our memory of the day (untainted by posing and reenactments of moments passed). I couldn't be more thankful for the work Tamara put into my wedding day and for her kind, calming nature (at a time that i needed that influence the most). Tamara is truly and exceptional photographer who goes above and beyond for her clients. I couldn't be happier with our experience!

we met Tamara, we knew we were going to have the most amazing engagement and wedding pictures as well as such an easy time working with her to execute on our vision for the big day. Tamara is so personable and throughout our entire wedding process was a delight to work with. She was very prompt with her responses (more than any other wedding vendor that we worked with and they were all great!) and easy to get in touch with if we ever had any questions. All you have to do is look at Tamara’s work and you can see the passion and beautiful emotion behind each picture. I have to be honest, when my husband and I started planning our wedding, we did not put pictures at the top of our list but after seeing Tamara’s work and meeting with her, this changed everything. We have received more compliments on our wedding pictures and this is all because of Tamara! I highly, highly recommend booking Tamara Gruner Photography for your big day! She is incredibly talented and simply wonderful to work with.

e to capture what you want but also have extremely knowledgable input. From the moment we sat down with her to go over our wants to saying goodbye on our wedding night, she never missed a beat! Here are the reasons that she deserves all 5 stars: 1. Responsive- It could be at any time during the day or the weekend, and she will respond to any email that was sent to her. Any questions we had, she always had a timely response. 2. Understanding- During our 2 year engagement, we suffered a pretty bad blow. As a result, we had to move our wedding to a different date. Tamara was able to switch her contract day with us without a question. While we did lose photography coverage for my husband getting ready (totally not Tamara's fault at all because our contract was a different day) her husband still made it to the wedding to help capture more photos. She gave us her word for the day switch and lived up to it. 3. Warm and kind hearted (very much lost in some of todays business world)- Every interaction we had with her left us feeling great. Meeting with vendors was sometimes intimidating because as a basic bride and groom, we don't always know the ins and outs of the wedding industry. With Tamara, we never felt lied to, manipulated or cheated out in any way. Her warmth and kind hearted approach just adds to her hard work and finished product. 4. Quality of work- We got married in a loft which got dim at night (this was intentional) but in her finished photos, it's almost like she had a secret spot light shining for clear precise photos. It's unbelievable how great the photos came out! She also captured a lot of the details that we weren't able to see because there were a million other things happening that night. My husband and I talked about how we think things looked and were pretty sure that certain things looked the way they should have. Also, being a perfectionist bride, I would start to get frustrated because I didn't see what was suppose to be at certain spots. Well that all changed the moment we received our sneak peek. I saw all the things that I doubted, as well as all the things that I didn't even realize were there. Let's just say that after seeing the sneak peak, I was a happy bride! She did such a great job making our hard work look stunning, that our wedding is going to be featured on the wedding blog Wedding Chicks:) Great quality of photos! Great work! Beautiful images captured! My only "go back" thing, would've been having a couple more images of the family. With everything going on, I got the basic photos out of the way but should've had a couple more taken. Other than that, everything else was flawless! Im so happy that we chose Tamara and wouldn't change a thing. I hope that if my husband and I have another big life moment, Tamara will be able to be a part of it:) Thank you for everything Tamara!!

t Bala have such an artistic eye that I am beyond pleased with the turn out. She gave us wonderful direction and knew all of the right poses and was able to capture both the candid and formal images we desired. Tamara remained in contact with us from the beginning with rapid responses via email resulting in a stress free aspect of our wedding. Very professional and have already reccommended her to family and friends. Great personality and was fun to work with as we travelled around the zoo to capture the most beautiful outdoor pictures. Looking forward to contacting her again when we want to capture all future big events! Tamara Gruner Photography was definitely the best decision I could have made!

, I had sent them a list of must shot photos I had collected from Pinterest, etc. - where A LOT of my vendors generally ignored this kind of direction, Tamara and Bala made every best effort to capture everything I was looking for and much more! I was also very blown away by their level proactivity and patience. For my engagement shoot, I described the feel I was looking for and they immediately recommended a number of spots that I felt all fit our vision nicely. The day of the shoot, Tamara and Bala made sure to bring props to help add to a variety of photos. They also worked with our two dogs who weren't exactly cooperative. During planning for the wedding, Tamara helped review day-of timelines and sent reminders for things I would have never thought of (i.e. reminding me to bring our invitation suite, etc.). The day of the wedding, she arrived with Bala and got right to work - staging photos of the dresses, etc. They also made an effrt to work seamlessly with our videographers which was appreciated. All in all, out of all my vendors, no one was nearly as thorough and responsive as Tamara - she truly helped make the day less stressful. She was also is very good about giving specific deadlines to view photos, etc. and meeting them (we got out sneak peak for both shoots in record time!). Her talent and professionalism coupled with her more than reasonable pricing makes her services something that simply cannot be passed up. Thank you Tamara and Bala for your amazing work - hoping we can work together again in the future!

h and made sure they captured all of our special moments. They were so friendly and easygoing. They made sure to capture moments we requested and were very flexible with everyone. She is very timely on getting photos back and I love the "sneak peak" that is provided. We HIGHLY recommend Tamara for your wedding and/or engagement photos.

on. She wants to capture all the details and cares about every shot. She promises you pictures in two weeks, you will get those pictures in two weeks. She's professional, prompt to respond to email, knows what she is doing and knows what she wants from her photography. She will kindly direct you when needed and won't make you nervous. I would recommend her to anyone!

shots. She quickly grasped exactly the vibe we were looking for and made sure to capture amazing moments. I couldn't say enough great things about them. Thank you Tamara & Bala!

ook no further, Tamara will get the job done! Tamara was so responsive from the first time I e-mailed her to post delivery. She was very thorough in her follow up, very professional, and never failed my expectations. She asked us to have a list of must take photos prior to our big day (and I am so glad we did because half of the photos with my family would have not happened if it wasn't for the list). Tamara set clear expectations with me prior to my wedding day, she was very respectful and asked if she can move/touch my wedding dress, shoes, and accessories and I appreciated this very much. In addition to our must take shots which turned out beautifully, Tamara took wonderful pictures of getting ready/ceremony/reception details as well as pictures of our guests dancing. Delivery was very easy and fast, I loved all of my photos and three months later I'm having a difficult time picking out my top 100 for the album.

never had a chance to take a photographs with professional photographer so we were kind of nervous and don't know what to do, but Tamara's sweet and professional attitude made us feel so comfortable. Even though the weather did not help us and we were kind of nervous, she helped us a lot with her great attitude and kindness, and the photos came out so beautifully. When wedding was almost coming, I was so nervous and asked her few favors and she accommodate my situation in every way. On the wedding day, Tamara and Bala, they were the BEST! Everybody told me how nice and considerate they were. For the first look session, we had to kind of rush because of the tight timeline, but Tamara and Bala's positive and sweet attitude made me feel so much comfortable. At the ceremony and the reception, Tamara and Bala were perfect, they were so considerate and talented, I was so glad that I chose Tamara. After I have my wedding photos, all of my friends and family told me how the great pictures are. I LOVED how the photos turned out to be in every way. They are just beautiful! Wedding photography was one of the thing that I most worried about when I first start planning my wedding, because you are going to keep it forever, and I'm so happy that I made a right and perfect choice. Later when I have photo sessions with my family and friends, I will definitely choose Tamara again. Tamara is talented, has a great eye and taste, I definitely recommend her to every bride.

cting people on how to pose to get good shots when doing portraits and photos of details, but then during the ceremony and reception she's able to just sink into the background and beautifully capture the moments as they naturally happen. On top of that, my husband and I really appreciated how kind and positive Tamara and Bala were. They're very professional and personable to work with. Whenever I have an occasion to have professional photos taken in the future, I will contact Tamara Gruner Photography. I would recommend this vendor to any bride.

also stayed later to take pics of our first dance which was above and beyond what they needed to do. The pictures turned out beautiful and also were given ina very timely fashion. They are a very special team and I would defintely recommend them to any one needing a photographer for any event.

a true professional and has great taste. I'm so happy I picked her to capture our wedding day because our pictures turned out great!!

d and so personable it was such a delight to work with her during the planning and day of my wedding. The engagement photos turned out to be gorgeous and I couldn't be more pleased with the way that the wedding photos turned out. It was everything that I wanted and more!! I would highly suggest using Tamara Gruner Photography for your wedding or in any event. I hope to use her once again for family photos and so forth. She is so kind and wonderfully talented I guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

She listened attentively to our ideas and added many unique ideas of her own, which we loved! The result was more beautiful than I could ever imagine. The colors, the lighting, the backdrops...every choice was just genius! My husband and I really re-live those moments now when we look at our photos!

ded me!! The albums they provide are modern and hip and much more of what modern brides are looking for. They are an excellent value and the picture quality is impeccable..I couldn't be happier with Tamara Photography! I am a stylist for a living so I have high standards..Tamara Photography have greatly exceeded our expectations!!

D what I saw so my fiance and I asked if she was available for our May 10 wedding. We were bummed to learn that she was already booked, but wanted to do engagement photos with her anyway! We are SO GLAD that we did!! They came out beautifully. I rarely like photos of myself, but Tamara did a great job capturing my good side :) My fiance and I are both so pleased with our photos and will have them for the rest of our lives. Tamara's second shooter is her husband, Bala, who is just as kind and a joy to be around. Their positive attitudes and are perfectly professional and make you feel comfortable all at the same time. We had never had photos taken of us before and were a little nervous, but within 5 minutes, we were having a blast and were totally comfortable. Not only did they catch us at our best, but they also were happy to photograph our dog, and they took pictures of a bunch of details around our apartment which really add variety to a photo book (which I made for my fiance just in time for V-Day :) I am already looking forward until we have an excuse to take more photos with Tamara & Bala!! We would hire them for our wedding in a heartbeat if they were available. Very highly recommend to any brides or brides to be if you're looking for gorgeous fine art style photos and a great experience.

ing taken care of so seamlessly. Both were professional, well prepared, polite and understanding and experts while working. Tamara and her husband captured every moment of our wedding events without feeling like a photographer was at the parties, nor forcing shots or asking people to make room (as other photographers would obnoxiously act). They both worked around us and our big families so patiently and with much ease. Her edits are magical and feel so real. When I reviewed my wedding pictures I felt like I was back living those moments for a second time! Lighting, composition, angles...everything was on point. I recommend Tamara Gruner Photography to everyone I know or hear of getting engaged/married/or for any photography need. I attend weddings almost every month and have seen a lot of other photographers work, but nothing to me stands out more than Tamara's work especially because of her range from traditional American weddings to other cultural weddings. She captures the true spirit of her brides & grooms and their loved ones. Pictures make your memories from your biggest days concrete, and I wouldn't trust anyone else with those memories other than Tamara.

ses, shots, and scenery. Her turnaround time is also reliable and she delivers in the timeline promised. Most of all, the quality of her work speaks for itself. I highly recommend Tamara Gruner Photography for all your memory capturing needs!

the perfect picture. Tamara told us that she would have a sneak peak of our pictures in a week and we ended up receiving them in less than 2 days!! They were absolutely gorgeous and my family and friends loved them just as much as we did! We are so glad we had Tamara as our engagement photographer and I will definitely be contacting her in the future!

the knack for putting life into her pictures. Samad and I used her for our wedding and I will say she was the most accommodating vendor we have for the entire event. She was prompt with all communication, listened to everything I wanted, and delivered beyond expectation. Amazing is simply an understatement. Tamara's joyous personality and friendly approach made our photo session memorable. She laughed and made us laugh with her, I not only found a photographer through my wedding hunt but also a great friend as well.

great ideas with us and the result was simply magnificent. I love,love my photos, they are so natural and they capture very special and romantic moments between my husband and I. I'm looking forward to do our first baby photo shoot with Tamara. M&M

were able to recommend anyone that was good in this field. I came across Tamara's pictures while looking for a photographer and contacted her about my day. I was blown away by her professionalism, attention to detail and genuine excitement/passion for what she does. She made us feel so comfortable throughout the whole experience and we couldn't be happier with the results!

sults. She is easy to communicate with and often responds quickly to any emails I send her. We loved her style of photography - she managed to capture all our intimate moments without being intrusive which resulted in very natural photographs. Overall we were thrilled and would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a great wedding photographer!!

recommend anyone looking for a fun, professional photographer Tamara is the one to turn to! She is hands down amazing! She will be doing our family photography for as long as she is in Chicago! She is just the BEST!

couldn't believe how amazing the pictures turned out when we got them back. Tamara gives you not only the quality in pictures, but also is super easy to work with. She is one of the sweetest people I've ever met and I know I'll be coming to her for more pictures! :) She made it very natural and easy to be around the camera and when I ran out of poses, she suggested some great ideas. Her style was a perfect match for us--photojournalistic. It was a great experience and I would highly recommend her to any bride out there looking for a photographer!

hotographs. For a few hours she is part of your life and shows it from inside out in the most beautiful light possible- literally! Our photo shoot took place on a beach and even though, I'm not usually a very "beachy" person, I would not have done it any other way. Tamara was so patient and made us feel so comfortable and natural and the pictures turned out amazing! Not one of them looks staged- its like she knew exactly when to click to capture the most beautiful shots of our family. I have worked with a few photographers in the past and I am certain that Tamara will be part of our life from now on. Everyone can take pictures but not everyone can be a photographer and Tamara is most definitely the one. Thank you Tamara for capturing my family in such a special way!

ition us and make us look relaxed and romantic. Tamara also was very timely with proofs and edits which I really appreciated. I wanted to send photos to my mom for her birthday and she gladly accommodated my timeline. I would absolutely recommended her.

e responds quickly to emails, texts and phone calls. She answers all questions you may have and is very knowledgeable in her profession. Tamara makes her clients feel important and her number one priority. Tamara is a pleasure to be around! She has positive energy, always smiling, friendly and easy to talk to. I felt like I knew her for years! Tamara was very patient when taking pictures of our daughter. We needed to stop every now and then for Ana to have a bottle or food. It was an extremely hot day at the Botanical Gardens, and Ana did become a bit fussy at times. Tamara was understanding and helped us by making Ana laugh and remain comfortable. Tamara is great around kids! Tamara promised us a 'sneak preview' of our photo session within 10 days. TWO DAYS LATER, Tamara emailed me our sneak preview. I was amazed with her quick turn-around time. And the pictures were beautiful! We loved every photo. Tamara did an outstanding job taking pictures of Ana, and family shots as well. She captured the joy and laughter in Ana's face! We are very happy with the quality of the pictures as well. Tamara's picture are creative and capture the moment. My husband and I are happy we chose Tamara Gruner for our photo session with Ana. And we plan on calling Tamara for future photo sessions as well.

o do photos is always very thoughtful. She gives good advice about poses which can be helpful if you're nervous or have never had professional photos before. She is quick to reply to emails and texts as well. I would highly recommend her to anyone!

ptured the essence of downtown Chicago. She was really approachable and easy to work with but also very professional. The pictures are amazing and she provided us a sneak peak in just a few days and then gave us over 150+ touched up pictures. Friends and family were so impressed with her work - I'd definitely recommend her!