Working with Nicole Kilday — Illinois Wedding Photographer
What it actually feels like to
work with me
From the moment you book to the last photo delivered & beyond — here's exactly what you can expect when you work with me.
— Dan + Breanne, N. Illinois Wedding
It was the first time I met Nicole and it felt like having a close friend around, not just someone there to take pictures.
Every moment she captured feels real, not staged — and looking back at them brings us right back to how the day felt.
"Brings us right back to how the day felt."
★★★★★
— Moira + Colton, Lake Geneva Wedding
There was not a doubt in my mind who I wanted as our wedding photographer. Being in Nicole's presence gave me a sense of calm and reassurance — she will make you feel like you have someone in your corner.
"Nicole's art is the epitome of life, love, candidness, and real moments captured."
★★★★★
— Tess + Kyle, Chicago Wedding
I booked my services with Nicole all the way back in 2019 before the pandemic (she’s been with us the whole way!). I can’t even put words together to describe Nicole but I’ll do my best. She stuck with us through thick and thin of COVID, rolled with every punch, guided us the entire way, and doubled as so much more than our wedding photographer. Her photography skills are out of this world, but more than that, she is the purest soul I’ve ever met. I honestly viewed her as my wedding angel. I could rave forever — and I probably will.
"I honestly viewed her as my wedding angel. I could rave forever."
★★★★★
— Lea & Max
"She helped build a seamless timeline, kept the day flowing, and captured every emotion and moment beautifully."
★★★★★
— Sabrina & Phil
"She went above and beyond with planning our timeline, and made sure we got the important photos even when we fell behind schedule. She was literally my wedding planner."
★★★★★
— Amber & Otto
"Nicole was so helpful with timeline planning and keeping our lively group in order. She Collaborated with our officiant and DJ to make sure our schedule was seamless."
★★★★★
What should newly engaged couples do before researching photographers?
Before the planning begins
02.
When you're ready to begin, pour something good and sit down together. Talk about how you want the day to feel — not just look. Grand and full of everyone you love? Quiet and barefoot somewhere that's completely yours? The non-tangible things matter as much as the visual ones.
Have a date night before you research anything.
01.
Before you open a single vendor email — stop. Pop champagne. Make your favorite pizza. Let yourselves actually be in this. Engagement is a whole season on its own and it goes fast. The planning will still be there tomorrow.
Stop. Celebrate first.
03.
Write everything down in no order. All of it. Then reorder from most to least important. That hierarchy does the real work: it tells you where your money goes first, who to book first, and where to hold firm. (Location and date always go first — they set the entire calendar in motion.)
Build your priority list — then reorder it.
04.
Once your priorities are set, start finding your people. Stalk websites. Read every review. Look for who makes you feel seen, not just impressed. That includes your photographer.
Then find vendors who feel right — not just look right.
I'm also happy to help with the planning itself.
Vendor recommendations. Budget conversations. Decor brainstorming. Ways to maximize your budget without sacrificing the vibes you're dreaming of.
I've helped plan full weddings from scratch — florals, rentals, timeline, the whole thing. I have a lot of knowledge to share and I genuinely love this part of the process & helping you brainstorm options!
It's how we make sure your day is truly, completely yours.
The right photographer and the right couple just fit. It's a feeling more than a checklist. My work has a point of view — raw, film-adjacent, built on real moments and genuine connection — and when it's yours, you'll know it the way you know a song that was written for you. We spend so much time together & I want us to be humming the same tune!
You can't ask a Picasso to paint a Michelangelo.
Are we a fit?
The couples who book me aren't hiring a photographer to stand in the corner and stay out of the way. They're hiring someone who will grab the mic in a room full of 200 people when she needs a group shot. Someone who shows up with deodorant and an undershirt if you forgot yours. Someone who makes your grandmother feel like the most important person in the room — and then turns around and tells your wedding party to shake their ass to whatever song you've been air-drumming to since 2009. Someone who is anticipating moments while taking part in the celebration.
What booking me actually means
How I Show Up
My editing is true-to-life, vibrant, and film-adjacent.
I use prompts more than poses — think less "stand here" and more movie scene. I'm looking for your reactions while you're rolling through the motion. That's what I'm after.
On wedding day I lean heavily into documentary storytelling — fly on the wall, guest's point of view, except I have a camera. And I'll never pass up an editorial shot when the time and space call for it. So throughout portraits you'll get a solid mix: heavily directed moments, candid movement-based shots, and pure documentary as we move through spaces together.
How I actually Photograph & Edit Your Day
Life in Motion
"My husband and I are both shy and introverted and she had us laughing and posing like pros in no time."
— Kami & Josh, Northern IL Wedding
Camera Shy Doesn't Exist Here
You're probably my people if:
You love My work and want it all over your walls.
You would rather play tag barefoot than Stand Still
You trust the process and are willing to Laugh Your Way through It
You don't need perfection — you need the feeling.
You want a photographer who feels like a friend by the end of the day.
What happens after you book?
At Booking
I'll send a questionnaire that helps me come up with ideas for your engagement session that truly feel like you — location, outfit inspiration, the feeling of the shoot you want to convey. Nothing generic. All you.
Engagement session planning begins.
The Warm-up
Monday through Thursday. Designed around real life — whether that's your apartment, the drive-in in McHenry, or anywhere that's genuinely yours. This is also the warm-up: I'm learning how to move with you so I can be invisible when it counts on the wedding day.
The Engagement Session
6 Months Out
I'll send a detailed questionnaire: locations, vendor details, first look preferences, family portrait groupings, special traditions, anything you need me to know. Once I receive it back, I build your rough-draft timeline and send it your way — so you have the full picture for the rest of your planning stretch.
The rough draft timeline.
1–3 Months Out
We meet again to update the timeline with any changes, additions, or removals. I also help you build your complete family photo shot list — so I can call names with my mom voice and get every group done without missing anyone. (I can't promise I won't miss someone I've never met, but I'm working with everything you give me.)
Fine-tune meeting. Final details.
The Week Of
I'll send a check-in email with reminders for your detail bag — rings, perfume, shoes, invitations, grandpa's watch, the small things that make the big day big — plus my cell number in case anything comes up while I'm on the road to you. I've stopped for deodorant, lipstick, and undershirts more than once. Just ask.
Reminder email. Detail bag. My cell number.
Wedding Day
Wedding day is my job. Your job is to marry your favorite human. Nothing more.
If the weather shifts, we shift. If the schedule goes sideways, we adjust. I've grabbed the mic on the dance floor — I'll do whatever the day needs. I just genuinely love this part.
Your one job: marry your person.
After the wedding, the excitement doesn't just stop for me. Everything gets backed up to multiple drives immediately — your images are safe — and editing begins right away. Sneak peeks go out within the first week.
Full gallery delivery averages 6–8 weeks, with a contractual window of 4–16 weeks. I'll always keep you posted.
This doesn't end at delivery for me. Send me your honeymoon pics. Tell me how married life feels. I genuinely want to know where your story goes.
Backed up. Edited. Delivered. Yours forever.
After the Wedding
