Welcome
I am a career photographer specializing in seeing an emotion surfacing and capturing it before it's gone.
Everyone has a story, let me tell yours.
Based in Chicago and available worldwide | Taking on a limited number of weddings annually
Everyone has a story, let me tell yours.
Based in Chicago and available worldwide | Taking on a limited number of weddings annually
| The Photographer |
Michelle Lytle
Owner/Photographer
is an experienced and skilled photographer working out of the Chicagoland area. Well into her 15th year of business, she has had the pleasure of working closely with over 500 couples, documenting and preserving memories of their big day. In recent years she has enjoyed turning her camera on her own family as she raises her three children along with her wife, Robyn.
Lesley + JonI think the best thing about Michelle's work is that when going through our wedding photos I saw how many little moments she captured without me even realizing she was there (my friends and I laughing at an inside joke, my brother-in-law and I hugging one another in the background of a shot, my mother-in-law straightening the bow tie of the best man). All those little moments that are so sweet and tender and are truly invaluable when captured. Melissa + DanielI just saw my wedding photos and WOW!! Michelle photograped my wedding exactly as we visioned. Sure, we have to please our families with the traditional photos, but those captured real life moments is what we wanted and she delivered. I have seen photographers at weddings that follow you like paparazzi. Not Michelle, it was as if she moved around like a ninja. We didn't even notice her photographing before, during, or after the ceremony. She just blended in with our guests. |
Annie + ChrisI couldn't be happier. She's great at capturing candid moments. While looking at our photos I kept thinking, "Wow, I didn't even notice she was taking a picture of me then!" Sarah + JasonMichelle took our wedding photos this past December, and they turned out AMAZING!!!!! We were very excited when Michelle was recommended to us because her site showed how she was great at the candid photos as well as posed family photos. We were really looking for someone who could catch the small moments as the night went along, and that was exactly what we got. When looking though our final photos Michelle caught pieces of the night that we never even saw. |
| The Moments |
The most common approach to showing a portfolio of work is to scroll through a selection of the very best images from each wedding.
I like to go a step further and share exactly what previous couples got in return. Every photo. Every moment.
I like to go a step further and share exactly what previous couples got in return. Every photo. Every moment.
- view more on our Instagram page -
@chicagoweddingphotography
@chicagoweddingphotography
| The Approach |
Planning a wedding is a huge undertaking.
You choose the decor, the vows, the venue, the guests...this day is a reflection of you and your partner, and when that day finally arrives I want you both to enjoy your hard work. Catch up with old friends and celebrate with family. Dance the night away. Let the moment really sink in.
This is the story I want to tell. Your story.
Think of your day as a book meant to be read from beginning to end. Sure, there are chapters you'll love all on their own. That photo of your whole wedding party at the lake. Your parents' faces during your ceremony. Your first kiss. These are beautiful moments that you'll have forever, but it's the story as a whole that will take you back and let you live it again.
This is my goal with photography. I document the day as it unfolds from the perspective of a guest, capturing all of those little details that make it unique.
That make it yours.
I don't just have my cameras trained on the obvious. I look to your guests, your parents, your wedding party. What are they doing during your first dance or your ring exchange? Are they crying? Laughing? There is so much happening on your day, and I work to try and capture it as thoroughly as I can.
Not just the moments you were a part of, but the ones you didn't even know happened.
One of the ways I am able to achieve this effect and tell an authentic story, is blending seamlessly into your wedding. It's hard to be natural when there's a camera in your face or a flash going off right when you take a sip of that drink. So how do I do it?
I'm sneaky.
I use telephoto lenses so I can photograph from across the room and high end, professional equipment to capture photos in low light that reflect the true ambiance of the space. For most events, I don't use a flash until the dancing starts.
If you're having trouble bustling your dress or that boutonniere just won't stay on, I'll be there to lend a hand with both, but when you don't need me, you won't see me.
My focus is on you so your focus can be on your wedding.
You choose the decor, the vows, the venue, the guests...this day is a reflection of you and your partner, and when that day finally arrives I want you both to enjoy your hard work. Catch up with old friends and celebrate with family. Dance the night away. Let the moment really sink in.
This is the story I want to tell. Your story.
Think of your day as a book meant to be read from beginning to end. Sure, there are chapters you'll love all on their own. That photo of your whole wedding party at the lake. Your parents' faces during your ceremony. Your first kiss. These are beautiful moments that you'll have forever, but it's the story as a whole that will take you back and let you live it again.
This is my goal with photography. I document the day as it unfolds from the perspective of a guest, capturing all of those little details that make it unique.
That make it yours.
I don't just have my cameras trained on the obvious. I look to your guests, your parents, your wedding party. What are they doing during your first dance or your ring exchange? Are they crying? Laughing? There is so much happening on your day, and I work to try and capture it as thoroughly as I can.
Not just the moments you were a part of, but the ones you didn't even know happened.
One of the ways I am able to achieve this effect and tell an authentic story, is blending seamlessly into your wedding. It's hard to be natural when there's a camera in your face or a flash going off right when you take a sip of that drink. So how do I do it?
I'm sneaky.
I use telephoto lenses so I can photograph from across the room and high end, professional equipment to capture photos in low light that reflect the true ambiance of the space. For most events, I don't use a flash until the dancing starts.
If you're having trouble bustling your dress or that boutonniere just won't stay on, I'll be there to lend a hand with both, but when you don't need me, you won't see me.
My focus is on you so your focus can be on your wedding.
| The Clients |
I find enjoyment in doing my best. Providing a service and making the process as easy as it can be for the people I work with. That doesn't start the day of your wedding. It starts the moment you reach out to me.
Responding promptly to your emails, recommending vendors and helping you lay out your timeline is all a part of the service I offer.
To put it simply, this is my chosen career. I take pride in that, and I want to do the best job for you that I can which is why I take the time to illustrate a very clear idea of my approach and what type of coverage you can expect. The more accurately I can represent this, the happier you will be with the end result, and when you're happy with the work I've done, it's an amazing feeling! I strive for that experience with everyone I work with.
Do you hate being center of attention?
Are you camera shy?
Is your dog part of your wedding party? (please!)
Is the most important thing on your wedding day...your partner?
These are the couples I work best with. The ones that roll with the punches, don't take themselves too seriously, and want to keep things simple. It's about them. Their flowers are from Whole Foods, DIY crafted using old love poems, or maybe they are foregoing flowers all together. Their cake isn't always a cake. It's a pie or cupcakes or a dessert table...or whatever they want!
They don't always follow tradition...they start their own. Together.
Picking the right photographer means picking someone who offers the style and approach you're looking for and who you work well with.
I'm not looking to sell you. I'm looking for the couples who will work best with my style, so I can do the best job I can for them.
Responding promptly to your emails, recommending vendors and helping you lay out your timeline is all a part of the service I offer.
To put it simply, this is my chosen career. I take pride in that, and I want to do the best job for you that I can which is why I take the time to illustrate a very clear idea of my approach and what type of coverage you can expect. The more accurately I can represent this, the happier you will be with the end result, and when you're happy with the work I've done, it's an amazing feeling! I strive for that experience with everyone I work with.
Do you hate being center of attention?
Are you camera shy?
Is your dog part of your wedding party? (please!)
Is the most important thing on your wedding day...your partner?
These are the couples I work best with. The ones that roll with the punches, don't take themselves too seriously, and want to keep things simple. It's about them. Their flowers are from Whole Foods, DIY crafted using old love poems, or maybe they are foregoing flowers all together. Their cake isn't always a cake. It's a pie or cupcakes or a dessert table...or whatever they want!
They don't always follow tradition...they start their own. Together.
Picking the right photographer means picking someone who offers the style and approach you're looking for and who you work well with.
I'm not looking to sell you. I'm looking for the couples who will work best with my style, so I can do the best job I can for them.
| The Investment |
For a sample timeline and detailed pricing tailored to your celebration, please fill out our inquiry form by clicking the button below
Pricing is simple.
$800 | HOUR
Includes the following
- All of the full resolution digital image files stored online, protected and accessible by you forever (You are in possession of your full resolution digital files)
- Individual processing of each photo
- A full set of the images in color and a full set in black + white
- All of the images returned to you no more than 2 weeks from the date of your wedding
- Lytle House Clients discounted $100 | HOUR -
$10,000 | 12 Hours
Includes the following
- Second Photographer
- One hour engagement shoot within Chicago City Limits
- All of the full resolution digital image files stored online, protected and accessible by you forever (You are in possession of your full resolution digital files)
- Individual processing of each photo
- A full set of the images in color and a full set in black + white
- All of the images returned to you no more than 2 weeks from the date of your wedding
