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Weddings

About

I'm Daniela, a Chicago-based photographer with over fifteen years of experience capturing weddings both locally and around the world. I aim to deliver timeless, evocative photographs that exceed my clients' visions. Your wedding is a unique moment in time—a celebration of life and love that deserves to be remembered in all its beauty and emotion.

Weddings can be stressful, and the pressure of the day can sometimes take you out of the moment. My role is to help you relax, enjoy, and fully immerse yourself in this special day, knowing that every detail will be captured just as you desire. With a passion for engagement and wedding photography, I combine classic portraiture with the principles of photojournalism to create imagery that feels both intentional and timeless. Looking back at your photos years from now, they’ll still resonate with the same emotion and significance.

Unlike large studios that juggle multiple weddings every weekend, I take on a limited number of 20 weddings a year. This approach allows me to give each client the personalized attention they deserve, ensuring that your photography experience is seamless and stress-free. I personally oversee all aspects of your engagement and wedding day photography, directing each shot and capturing every moment with care and precision.

Clients often describe my style as refined, meticulous, and authentic, with a calming presence that helps them feel at ease.

Whether you’re getting married at city hall, on a remote beach at sunset, or in a European castle, I’m here to help you remember the moment forever. My work reflects my commitment to capturing the true essence of your celebration—so that the photographs you receive are as enduring as the love they represent.

  • Woman-owned
illustration popular

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Frequently asked questions

Which of the following are included in the starting price?

2nd Shooter
High-Res Images
Multi. Locations
Digital Files

Which of the following are included in the price of your most popular wedding package?

2nd Shooter
Add'l Hours
Engagement Shoot
High-Res Images
Multi. Locations
Slideshow
Digital Files

What primary photographic style do you identify with?

Contemporary
Natural
Photojournalism
Traditional

What photography services do you offer?

Additional Hours
Boudoir Shoot
Destination / Travel
Engagement Shoot
High-Res Images
One Event / Day
Second Shooter
Wedding Portraits

What photography items do you offer?

Albums
Canvas
Digital Files
Matted Prints
Prints
Proofs

Reviews of Daniela Cardili Photography

This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Review summary

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Multiple reviewers highly recommend Daniela as a wedding photographer, praising her professionalism, creativity, and ability to keep events on schedule. They commend her calming presence, responsiveness, and spectacular results. They were impressed with her expertise capturing special moments and the efficiency in delivering beautiful photos promptly. Reviewers express utmost satisfaction with Daniela’s work, emphasizing her passion, dedication, and the unforgettable memories captured through her lens.

Review summary

Powered by AI
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Multiple reviewers highly recommend Daniela as a wedding photographer, praising her professionalism, creativity, and ability to keep events on schedule. They commend her calming presence, responsiveness, and spectacular results. They were impressed with her expertise capturing special moments and the efficiency in delivering beautiful photos promptly. Reviewers express utmost satisfaction with Daniela’s work, emphasizing her passion, dedication, and the unforgettable memories captured through her lens.

Sarah
Sarah Sent on 06/30/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Daniela can capture LOVE

Daniela Cardili photography was one of our most important and best decisions we made for our wedding. There are so many options available in the industry but I truly believe Daniela provides an element to photography that is rare and wonderful - authenticity! Daniela looks at the wedding holistically. She gets to know and understand her clients and forms true connections! I really do think of Daniela as a lifelong friend. My husband and I have never felt more ourselves than from her lens. I think what strikes me the most about Daniela is her ability to capture you at your best self - it's you, just elevated. When she took our engagement photos I remember thinking - she didn't just capture two people, she really captured our love. We just received our wedding photos back (in record time!!) and they are absolutely stunning. Along with our family and friends, we are just elated to be able to relive this special day. Photographs, especially wedding photos, are timeless. They will be in your family for generations to come and I couldn't be happier that Daniela was the one to capture them.
K
Kristin Sent on 06/20/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Wonderful photographer!

We were so happy with our wedding photography thanks to Daniela's fabulous work! She took beautiful photos and made everyone feel comfortable in front of the camera. I can't recommend her enough. I am so glad to have such lovely photos to look back on.
Lexy
Lexy Sent on 05/31/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Couldn't have chosen a better photographer!!

We are absolutely thrilled with the incredible work Daniela & her team did for us! From the very beginning, Daniela was a true professional, seamlessly keeping our special day on schedule without a hitch. Her creative direction made our photos flawless, and she went above and beyond to ensure every shot was perfect.
One of the most remarkable aspects was how she kept us calm throughout the day. Her sweet and hardworking nature made us feel completely at ease, allowing us to truly enjoy every moment. I had specific ideas for my bridal photos, and she nailed every single one, giving us exactly what we wanted and more.
Daniela’s experience shooting at The Drake Hotel was invaluable. Other photographers might struggle with the lighting in the Gold Coast ballroom, but she captured everything perfectly. Her expertise really shone through, and it made a huge difference in the quality of our photos.
Our friends & family can't stop raving about our photos too! The compliments keep pouring in, and we couldn't be happier with the results. We were especially impressed with how quickly we received our photos. While many of my friends had to wait for months, we were delighted to receive a sneak peek while we were still on our honeymoon. It made our honeymoon even more special to relive those moments so soon.
I can’t recommend Daniela enough! She truly made our wedding day unforgettable and gave us memories we will cherish forever. Thank you for everything!
V
Victora Sent on 12/26/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Daniela is the best photographer!

highly recommend Daniela as a wedding photographer. She has a wonderful personality that makes you feel at ease in front of the camera, even during the hectic rush of a wedding day.

Daniela and her team were excellent at keeping everyone on schedule with the photography timeline. They made sure key moments like the processional, ceremony, and family photos stayed on track. This really helped minimize any stress or delays.

Throughout the planning process, Daniela was extremely responsive via email. She answered all my questions promptly and provided helpful suggestions.

On the wedding day itself, Daniela blended into the background but still managed to get fantastic shots. She captured all those special candid moments without ever interrupting the flow of events.

I would highly recommend Daniela to any couple looking for a talented and dedicated wedding photographer. She and her team exceeded all expectations. We could not be happier with how our wedding photos turned out thanks to Daniela's photography skills and friendly manner.
Victoria
Victoria Sent on 09/22/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Daniela exceeded our expectations!!

Choosing Daniela as our wedding photographer was the best possible decision we made for our wedding!! From the moment I spoke with her and shared my vision for the wedding, I could tell that Daniela was going to do everything possible to capture our special day in the best way possible. She was professional, knowledgeable, and radiated with passion for her craft. She made helpful suggestions on the overall schedule of the day and places to take photos. She reached out promptly and I didn't have to chase after her if I needed anything leading up to the wedding. On the day of the wedding, Daniela did not put that camera down for a second and was always looking for creative ways to capture special moments. I knew in that moment that our photos were going to be good and they turned out amazing!! I smile every time I look at them. I am so glad that we have these beautiful photos to have as a memory from our wedding day. I could not recommend Daniela more. I guarantee you will not be disappointed!
K
Kate Sent on 08/24/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing wedding photographer!

When I was looking for my wedding photographer, I stumbled across Daniela's portfolio and I was immediately impressed with the elegant and timelessness feel of her work. It immediately made me want to work with her! I inquired with Daniela, and our initial conversation was as if she was already my photographer - telling me when the sunset on our wedding day and exactly where we could go for my photos. Daniela was also willing to work with me on my package to fit the needs of myself and my extended family!
I have received an immense amount of compliments on how beautiful our engagement and wedding photos are all due to Daniela's ability to capture the raw, intimate moments with an elegant yet realistic feel. Daniela and her team were fabulous to work with the day of - and it truly shows in the gorgeous photos we've received!!
Stephanie
Stephanie Sent on 11/07/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Forever Thankful

Daniela Cardili Photography was the first photographer we reached out to for our wedding, and it became instantly clear that she and her team were the perfect fit. When going through different photographers' photos on review sites, we fell in love with the stunning compositions and authenticity in Daniela's collections. Shortly after arranging our appointment with her, we also found out that she was a friend's photographer for their wedding - they not only highly recommended her, but said they were planning to book her for their baby shower too. We were excited to meet with her knowing her work and our friend's experience, and she did not disappoint. From the start, she got to know us and what we wanted, and even arranged an example timeline based on our plan for both a morning and evening wedding - which we then used to guide a lot of our initial wedding planning! It was great to have someone so organized and confident involved because it made our planning (we did not have a wedding planner/coordinator) so much easier.

Come the actual wedding day: we were amazed how everything happened like clockwork, and how easily Daniela and Tamara navigated even the craziest parts. Family portraits aren't easy and so we had initially planned to take family portraits then with friends if there was time; but they not only made the family portraits happen, they made them happen in time for us to get all of our friends in too! The attention to the details was simply incredible. They caught wonderful moments of every event across the entire day, of which there were many: getting ready, the Baraat, morning Hindu ceremony, first look, Ketubah signing, evening Jewish ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, dancing, and of course, the photoshoots. The photoshoots were nothing short of a dream, to say the least (the photos are plenty proof of that; she also made a beautiful reel on social media). We had so much fun going to our different sites and enjoying our day to the fullest! Seeing how excited they were to be there too made it all even better.

After the wedding, Daniela was able to get us our pictures afterwards with amazing timeliness (despite us essentially having the same number of photos as two weddings!). The results were as breathtaking and stunning as we hoped for and more. We are constantly looking at our online album (so excited for the physical one!) not only because we love how beautiful the photos are, but also because of how intimately they capture the feelings of pure joy that we felt in those moments. Daniela and Tamara were truly an integral part of our wedding - we will forever be thankful for them, and for the wonderful memories they've given us through our time spent together and their truly spectacular photography.
M
Mita Sent on 06/25/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing Photographer and Team!!!

Just amazing!!! Daniela is such a sweet and talented person. Her passion for her job shines through and she takes such good care of her clients. We had an engagement session scheduled for outside and she texted me a few days before to let me know that it was going to be in the teens that day...she was still open to doing it outside if I wanted to (what a trooper). We decided against it but she also provided wonderful indoor suggestions as well. My now husband and I truthfully haven't taken many photos together as we met right before the pandemic. She was very patient with us and taught us everything we needed to know i.e. don't slouch and put your weight on your back leg. She is again so kind and took our individual personalities into account to make sure we had natural and beautiful photos. We also wanted to go off the beaten path a little and she was super passionate about our ideas and found ways to make sure the photos came out well. We had an Indian wedding and she was very knowledgeable about the process and was able to take pictures of every important detail during the ceremony. After the ceremony, the guests, as anyone that has attended an Indian wedding probably knows, decided to go a bit off-script and began to pose with us at the alter. Daniela was so kind and made sure we got a picture with everyone which was so amazing!!! Her assistant Melissa was also there for our wedding day and she had the best energy and was able to loosen us up a bit! That was not on the list of photos but she went with it and made sure to place us all in the right spot. I am so happy we decided to work with her for our wedding and I know she will be a friend to us for years to come!!! If you are on the fence, meet Daniela or speak to her on the phone and YOU WILL KNOW immediately!
Kaitlin
Kaitlin Sent on 06/11/2022
5 out of 5 rating

The absolute BEST

To put simply, Daniela is the best. We did an extensive search for a photographer and reading about Daniela is what first drew us in, but it was our initial conversations we had with her that solidified our choice. Pat originally spoke with her...
and I remember him telling me so confidently that Daniela was the one. We had another phone call and I knew he was right as Daniela not only knew our vision for our day but also had a lot of great insights for us. We then had the opportunity to have Daniela do our engagement photoshoot and while it was a cold day, she took such amazing shots that we were so confident that our wedding day photos would be priceless… and they were. Daniela is so talented, but also so enjoyable to work with. She is so incredibly kind and did a fantastic job with all personalities that weekend. I cannot say enough how much I would recommend Daniela! Thank you lastly to Daniela for photographing our Welcome Drinks - by the end of the weekend, Daniela felt like family and we are so incredible happy we had met her!
A
Alyssa Sent on 05/09/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Best Photographer you can find!

Daniela was hands down our favorite person to work with at our wedding. Her work is absolutely stunning, and she is so wonderful to work with. My husband and I are both on the shy side in front of cameras, and she really put us at ease for both our engagement session and the wedding day, and we ended up having so much fun. She has so many helpful tips to pose, and knows so many hidden gems in the City to give you truly one of a kind shots. We love our photos and are so happy we had the honor to work with her.
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Awards

54
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2022 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2019 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2012 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2011 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2010 Winner

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