A Chicago Wedding Photographer for Your Whole Story

Looking for a photographer for your engagement, wedding, and beyond?

✔ Engagement session
✔ Full wedding day coverage
✔ First anniversary

SCHEDULE A DISCOVERY CALL ➞

Capturing the moments that become your family’s story

Your story is made up of meaningful moments (the excitement of your engagement, the joy of your wedding day, and the beginning of your family's next chapter). The Legacy Collection is designed to preserve these milestones with a consistent storytelling experience from one of the most important seasons of your life into the memories you will cherish for generations.

Most couples hire one person for the engagement photos, someone else for the wedding, and start the search all over again when the baby comes. Working with a Chicago wedding photographer across all 3 milestones means you never have to explain your family, your faith, or what matters to you more than once.

The Legacy Collection was built for couples in Chicago & the surrounding suburbs who want their whole story documented by one photographer who knows it.

Wes Kinard holding a professional camera with a tripod and a telephoto lens, standing outdoors in front of a stone building and green trees.

U.S. Navy Veteran

Global service that shaped a respectful, cross-cultural approach on set.

M.A. Digital Media & Storytelling

Loyola University Chicago. B.A. in Advertising & Public Relations.

2025-2026 Student Emmy Nominee

Windy City Watch Newscast, graphics producer; The Love Fridge PSA

2022 ICPA Award

2nd place, sports photography, Illinois College Press Association.

INTEGRITY

COLLABORATION

EXCELLENCE

COMPASSION

INTEGRITY COLLABORATION EXCELLENCE COMPASSION

CORE VALUES

A woman wearing traditional Mexican clothing, including a large floral headpiece, and a man wearing a mexicano hat and bandana, dance together outdoors with onlookers in the background.

Engagement & Wedding Photography

One photographer.

One story told all the way through.

I’ll be there to document the chapters that shape your life together: engagement, wedding, anniversary, and beyond.

3 SESSIONS IN ONE PACKAGE - MOST POPULAR OPTION - $4,500

Signature Wedding Experience

Your wedding day is more than a collection of photos. It is the beginning of your family legacy.

Engagement Experience

  • 90-Minute Engagement Session

  • Up to 2 Locations

  • Curated Gallery of Professionally Edited Images

  • Personalized Engagement Keepsake — I’ll select a meaningful prop based on what you share about your relationship and incorporate it into your session. Personal props and sentimental items are also encouraged.

  • Complimentary Water & Snacks

  • Private Online Gallery

  • Gallery Delivered within 7 Business Days

A man and woman are holding hands and facing each other in a hallway with ornate arches and a chandelier overhead. The man is wearing a black suit and brown pants, the woman is wearing a pale pink sleeveless dress and black heels.

Wedding Day Experience

  • 8 Hours of Wedding Day Coverage

  • Pre-Wedding Getting Ready Photos

  • Wedding Ceremony Coverage

  • Post-Wedding Portraits

  • Reception Coverage

  • 200+ Professionally Edited, High-Resolution Images

  • Private Online Gallery for viewing, downloading, and sharing

  • Full Wedding Gallery Delivered within 5–7 Business Days

  • Print-Ready High-Resolution Images

  • Personalized Planning & Timeline Consultation

  • Travel Included Throughout Chicagoland & Milwaukee

A bride and groom kneeling in front of an altar during a wedding ceremony inside a church. The bride wears a white lace wedding dress and veil, and the groom wears a light-colored suit. Both are kneeling on red cushions facing the altar, with their backs to the camera. A priest is standing in front of them holding a chalice, and a large colorful mosaic depicting Jesus at the Last Supper hangs behind them.

First Anniversary Experience

Your wedding experience continues beyond the wedding day. Celebrate your first year of marriage with a complimentary portrait session.

Includes:

  • 30-Minute Session

  • 1 Location

  • Professionally Edited Gallery

  • Gallery Delivered within 3 Business Days

Your anniversary session should be booked within 60 days before or after your first wedding anniversary.

The complimentary anniversary session is a gift included with your wedding experience. If you choose not to use it, it is not redeemable for cash or credit.

A couple sharing a close, affectionate moment outdoors near a fountain with lush green trees in the background.
Inquire about the Legacy Collection ➞

Engagement & Wedding Experience

Need engagement or wedding pictures, but not a full Signature Wedding Experience?

SINGLE ENGAGEMENT SESSION - $700

Signature Engagement Experience

The complete engagement experience, giving you more time to slow down, explore, and capture the story of your relationship.

  • 90-Minute Engagement Session

  • 1 Location

  • Curated Gallery of Professionally Edited Images

  • 5-Image Sneak Peek within 24 Hours

  • Full Gallery Delivered within 7 Days

  • Personalized Engagement Keepsake — I’ll select a meaningful prop based on what you share about your relationship and incorporate it into your session. Personal props and sentimental items from your relationship are also encouraged to make the experience uniquely yours. You’ll take the selected keepsake home afterward as a gift to cherish.

  • Complimentary Water & Snacks for both of you

  • Private Online Gallery for viewing, downloading, and sharing your images

*Ask about the Mini Engagement Session for $500.

SINGLE WEDDING DAY SESSION - $3,500

Wedding Day Experience

Your wedding day is more than a collection of photos. It is the beginning of your family legacy.

Included:

  • 8 Hours of Wedding Day Coverage

  • Pre-Wedding Getting Ready Photos

  • Wedding Ceremony Coverage

  • Post-Wedding Portraits

  • Reception Coverage

  • 200+ Professionally Edited, High-Resolution Images

  • Private Online Gallery for viewing, downloading, and sharing

  • Full Wedding Gallery Delivered within 5–7 Business Days

  • Print-Ready High-Resolution Images

  • Personalized Planning & Timeline Consultation

  • Travel Included Throughout Chicagoland & Milwaukee

ENGAGEMENT

WEDDING

FIRST ANNIVERSARY

ENGAGEMENT WEDDING FIRST ANNIVERSARY

Close-up of a person holding hands, showing a diamond engagement ring on their finger.

Why couples book the Legacy Collection

The files are yours to print

Every gallery is professionally edited and delivered online with a print release for personal use, so you can order the album, the frames, and the gifts you want.

Faith is part of the plan

Your engagement props can be built around your faith, your hobbies, or shared experiences.

Planning included

Your collection includes a strategy call for your engagement session and timeline planning support for your wedding day. I’ll help you work through the details, plan your timeline, and create a smooth experience from start to finish.

A storyteller by training

I am a U.S. Navy veteran, photographer, and filmmaker with a background spanning video production, photography, journalism, and donor engagement.

You see photos next day

A 30-photo sneak peek gallery is delivered within 24 hours after each session and event, so you have something real to share while the day is still fresh.

One photographer for three milestones

The same person plans your engagement session, shoots your wedding day, and returns for your baby shower or first baptism. Your story stays consistent because the storyteller does.

A bride and groom are dancing at their wedding reception in a warmly lit room with wooden walls and ceiling.

“We can’t recommend Wes highly enough! From the moment we met him, he made us feel comfortable, relaxed, and excited for our wedding day. He has an incredible eye for capturing genuine moments and somehow managed to document every emotion, every laugh, and every special detail without ever feeling intrusive.

The photos are absolutely stunning and exceeded everything we hoped for. Looking through our gallery brings us right back to our wedding day, and we’re so grateful to have those memories captured so beautifully.”

—ROBERT GORDON

Two gold quotation marks overlapping each other.

How we work together

Strategy & Discovery Call 

We talk about your engagement, your wedding date, and what you picture for your family down the road. No pressure.

The number 1 in gold within a navy blue circle, with a surrounding dark blue arc.

Plan Your Story Together

A planning consultation shapes your engagement session around your story, interests, and vision. Choose personalized props and map your wedding day timeline.

Number 2 in gold on a blue circle and outlined in blue.

Receive Your Galleries

A 30-photo sneak peek lands within 24 hours of the event. Full professionally edited gallery follows with a print release for personal use.

A large gold number 3 surrounded by a blue circular border with smaller blue arcs.

Every story begins with people, and every person deserves to be served with dignity, compassion, and genuine care

CURA PERSONALIS · CARE FOR THE WHOLE PERSON

Nice things my clients say

Frequently Asked Questions

about engagement and wedding photography

  • The Legacy Collection is designed for couples who want their story documented across multiple milestones. Individual sessions may also be available based on availability.

  • You will receive 30 edited sneak peek images within 24 hours after each session or event. Your complete gallery will be delivered according to the timeline outlined in your agreement.

  • Yes. Your engagement session is created around your story. I will work with you to provide meaningful props based on your interests, hobbies, faith, or experiences together.

  • Yes. Personalized engagement props are included as part of your experience, and you get to keep them as a lasting reminder of this season of your relationship.

  • We will plan together and create a backup strategy. If conditions allow, we can also embrace the weather and create unique, memorable images.

  • Yes. For every Legacy Collection booked, 10% of proceeds are donated to your church or parish as a way to celebrate the role faith communities play in supporting marriages and families.

  • Your Legacy Collection includes:

    • Professionally edited online galleries from all 3 milestones

    • A print release for personal use

    • Your personalized engagement props

    • A handwritten blessing card from your wedding day

A man and woman smiling and holding drinks at a social gathering in a warmly lit, wood-paneled restaurant or bar. The woman is holding a glass of dark beer and the man has a beer bottle, with the woman also holding a purse.
A couple holding hands and walking outdoors near a garden with green bushes and pink flowers. The woman is wearing a white dress and high heels, and the man is in a white shirt and blue pants, both smiling and looking at each other.
A bride and groom holding hands outdoors, smiling. The bride wears a lace wedding dress with a veil, holding a bouquet of white roses. The groom wears a beige suit with a light blue shirt, patterned tie, and a boutonniere. In the background, there is a white statue of a woman with a child, surrounded by greenery.
A bride and groom dance together at their outdoor wedding celebration, surrounded by musicians playing bagpipes, in front of a brick building with a sign for oysters and fish.
A woman with blonde hair smiling and hugging a man in a suit, holding a bouquet of white roses, in a warmly lit room with wood-paneled walls. A woman with blonde hair and a black dress is in the background.
Close-up of two hands holding baseballs with handwritten messages, one reads 'You're my MVP' with a smiley face, and the other reads 'my homerun' with a heart and smiley face, dressed in wedding attire.

Let’s capture the chapter you’re living right now.

From your first steps toward marriage to the moments that define your family, the Legacy Collection is created to preserve the memories you will look back on for years to come. Let's talk about your dates.

Schedule a discovery call ➞