Valen Studios

02/12/2025

During the big game on Sunday, I was live on the radio for 2 hours with my friend Bill, who's co-host of "The Bus Stop Blues" radio show. He just informed me that my show is only 5 listens away from breaking the record! Click the link and give it a listen....please 🙂 It's pretty entertaining! You might have to download the APP "podbean" to listen on your phone, but I was able to play it from my desktop without downloading.

https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-5wsgp-17f65a8

or

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-5wsgp-17f65a8?utm_campaign=w_share_ep&utm_medium=dlink&utm_source=w_share

04/04/2024

This is part 9 of my series of dedicating some of my favorite wedding venues between Chicago and Milwaukee.

As a professional wedding photographer I have seen my fare share of wedding venues.

Today’s shout out is Glen Flora Country Club in Waukegan, IL

Here are some things to know about this venue.

This venue accommodates 25 guests up to 200 guests.

Glen flora is surrounded by beautiful landscape. My favorite part is the ivy wall. It photographs well in all seasons. You do not have to walk far to capture landscape photos of the golf course with the bridal party and couple.

When looking for weddings venues it’s always nice to have a bridal suite and two locations for ceremonies. One being inside and the other outside. Glen Flora has you covered.

Step inside to the main dining room where you are greeted with a fireplace, cathedral ceilings, and a grand piano. When the sun sets the ambience is truly spectacular. It makes for perfect dancing photos.

04/03/2024

This is part 8 of my series of dedicating some of my favorite wedding venues between Chicago and Milwaukee.

As a professional wedding photographer I have seen my fare share of wedding venues.

Today’s shout out is Millburn Stables in Old Mill Creek, IL.

Here are some things to know about this venue.

This venue accommodates 100 up to 200 guests.

This venue provides you with a rustic charm meets timeless elegance. As you arrive at the venue, you’ll be greeted by the beautifully restored red barn.

Step inside, and you’ll be transported to a world of rustic luxury. The bride and groom both have their own suites for getting ready. The ceremony and reception are divided by a single wall. Cocktail hour is held in the horse aisle.

04/02/2024

This is part 7 of my series of dedicating some of my favorite wedding venues between Chicago and Milwaukee.

As a professional wedding photographer I have seen my fare share of wedding venues.

Today’s shout out is Bull Valley Golf Club in Woodstock, IL.

Here are some things to know about this venue.

This venue accommodates from 25 guests up to 200 guests.

When you enter from the front of the building you are greeted with a grand staircase to your left and a floor to ceiling fireplace in the middle of the room.

The layout is unique as the dance floor is also where they have indoor ceremonies right in front of the grand windows looking out onto the grounds. The reception room feels more intimate with how the layout is.

There is a lower level where you can also host your wedding reception.

The real magic is taking photos on the grounds. You’ll definitely want to give your photographer plenty of time to walk around to take advantage of the beautiful scenery.

04/01/2024

03/28/2024

This is part 5 of my series of dedicating some of my favorite wedding venues between Chicago and Milwaukee.

As a professional wedding photographer I have seen my fare share of wedding venues.

Today’s shout out is Starline Factory in Harvard, IL

Here are some things to know about this venue.

If you love exposed brick and ivy then you’ll love this venue. I would consider this an industrial wedding venue.

When looking to take creative photos with the bridal party and couple you will run out of time before you run out of ideas at this venue. There are so many locations inside and out to photograph.

Starline factory has a designated ceremony room called the hunt chapel that can sit up to 300 guests.

There are 3 reception rooms to pick from. All the rooms can sit up to 120 to 350 guest depending on which room size you pick.

03/27/2024

This is part 4 of my series of dedicating some of my favorite wedding venues between Chicago and Milwaukee.

As a professional wedding photographer I have seen my fare share of wedding venues.

Today’s shout out is Grand Geneva in Lake Geneva, WI.

Here are some things to know about this venue.

This wedding venue is great for having everything in one location. It is a hotel that has multiple rooms for wedding ceremonies and receptions.

Today I am just focusing on their non-traditional, rustic wedding venue called the chalet ski lodge, also known as the mountain top. This is isolated from the hotel where they have shuttles to take all your guests from the hotel to the reception.

The room itself can accommodate up to 160 guests. There is a great outdoor patio that overlooks the golf course. This area makes for perfect night photos.

03/25/2024

This is part 3 of my series of dedicating some of my favorite wedding venues between Chicago and Milwaukee.

As a professional wedding photographer I have seen my fare share of wedding venues.

Today’s shout out is for in Wadsworth, IL.

Here are some things to know about this venue.

It is on a golf course. There are so many great photo opportunities in a short walking distance. I have a few secret locations that have some of my all time favorite photos including some of the epic silhouette photos I share. The layout of this venue is a little more unique than most wedding venues so based on couples guest size will determine which room you’ll be in. Encore has 2 outdoor ceremony locations. There are 2 entrances to enter from. There are 5 rooms to pick from which 2 of them are mainly dedicated for indoor ceremonies when it rains or is too cold outside.

03/22/2024

This is part 2 of my series of dedicating some of my favorite wedding venues between Chicago and Milwaukee.

As a professional wedding photographer I have seen my fare share of wedding venues.

Today’s shout out is a newer venue called in Hebron, IL.

Here are some things to know about this venue.

It is on 30-acres on a vineyard. The beautiful white building is 10,000 square feet with 40 inch high ceilings. It has a nice size bridal suite. There are 2 ceremony locations to pick from. The venue can host up to 275 guests.

03/21/2024

This is the start of a series dedicating some of my favorite wedding venues between Chicago and Milwaukee.

As a professional wedding photographer I have seen my fare share of wedding venues.

I’m going to start off with my absolute favorite venue, This is a hidden gem in Spring Grove, IL

Here are some things to know about this venue.

It is on 30-acres of land surrounding by nature. There are 3 ceremony locations.
There is a Bridal suite on site. The reception room has a breathtaking fireplace that goes into the basement.
There is a covered pavilion. The guest maximum is 180 people.

02/14/2024

Serious business here. One take. Nailed it.

01/25/2024

Planning a wedding can be overwhelming for newly engaged couples, but we are here to help!

Join us on February 10, 2024 for a Mock Wedding to get an inside look at what to expect on your wedding day!

This presentation was a huge success last time. Brides and Grooms walked away, entertained, more knowledgeable about wedding planning and learned the value of professional wedding vendors.

We promise you will love this event!

Valen Studios will be offering a free engagements session! Sign up today :)

Additional details and ticket information are in the event link below.
https://e.sparxo.com/MOCK-WEDDING?rn=Valen-Studios

https://www.facebook.com/events/358790326873750?ref=newsfeed

Are you recently engaged and wondering where to start Wedding Planning? Come be a Wedding Crasher at Mock's Wedding! Come and see what really goes on at a successful wedding in a sped-up version of the BIG DAY. We will take you through every step ...

01/16/2024

Serious question, should I get tattoos like this?

01/11/2024

I'm honored that Dave Woll from Discovering Grayslake Podcast chose me to create some cool images for a magazine feature. Thanks for collaboration bro!!