(From the Father of the Brides.) It’s high time we posted kudos to Mark Amelse – who has become our de facto family photographer. Mark photographed our middle daughter’s wedding in February 2010; did a family photo-shoot this past December on the occasion of our 35th wedding anniversary; and most recently performed an entire day’s yeoman’s duty as the photographer for our youngest daughter’s wedding, in April of this year. So our comments on Amelse Photography are grounded in considerable experience. Mark - often assisted by his wife – who frequently accompanies him at big events - is an incredibly talented photographer. Having been in the business for some time, he is familiar with many of the reception venues in the Chicago metropolitan area. In church settings, where numerous photography restrictions often apply, Mark is reverent, courteous, professional and unobtrusive without being ineffective. Most decent photographers are successful at catching traditional set-piece images of the bridal couple, families, wedding party, church and reception site - but Mark has an additional flare for capturing unexpected images and spontaneous, unrehearsed moments that truly capture the spirit of the event. Even in posed photos, he demonstrates an artist’s eye in using color, light, and composition to get the best results. I dare anyone who watches one of the online “teaser” slide show music videos, that Mark provides shortly after a wedding, to remain dry-eyed. Friends and family are still raving about the photos from our 2010 nuptials and the pics from this April’s wedding are similarly spectacular and likewise receiving enthusiastic praise. Mark’s prices are competitive and well worth the investment. He also offers the newlyweds the opportunity to purchase rights to all of the images in digital format - obviating the limiting, often annoying, and always tremendously expensive requirement to buy individual prints directly from the photographer. The DVDs we have from the 2010 wedding contain over 1000 photos! On top of it all, Mark is really a nice guy. He obviously loves his work and enjoys people – all clearly evident in the quality of the product he produces. Our family cannot recommend Mark Amelse too highly!

(Mother of the Bride) Amelse Photography beautifully captured all the special moments of my daughter and son-in-laws wedding day. Not only were the photos exceptional but the emotions of this important day came through as well. The memories we have to enjoy for years to come truly show the joy and happiness of all that shared in the celebration of this special couple. -Karen Beere . . . . . (Bride) Tara- Mark was phenomenal to work with through the whole process. He took our engagement photos and wedding photos. He has such a passion for his work and does everything he can to make the experience amazing for anybody he works with. He put us at ease through engagement photos, which allowed us to have so much comfort for the wedding photos. So many people at our wedding asked who did the photos not only because of the high quality of photos, but also because of his energy throughout the entire day. Some of our favorite memories from our reception are due to moments he created with our friends and family. He went above and beyond any expectations for a wedding photographer. We will, without a doubt, use Amelse Photography for any life events/photo needs in the future!

Teddy and I loved your creative, crisp, gorgeous images when we were researching photographers. Obviously, we heard of you by word of mouth (thank you Brooke and Jim!) and we loved the traditional mixed with the untraditional photos! You were so flexible to give us whatever images and poses we asked for but you were so great with directing and "posing" us to get us those great images as well! We have no idea how to pose or what would look best so that was absolutely helpful! The main thing we loved about you and Sherri was that you were with us the entire day!!!! Start to finish! You were there for our whole wedding day!!!!! Most photographers give you a time frame but who's wedding lasts only from, for example, 9-9? Unlike most photographers who are usually in the lobby taking traditional photos of the guests you were with US, the bride and groom, taking pictures of OUR memories that WE were making for OUR special day! That included everything from us talking, hugging and singing with our friends and family to dancing aaallllll night long!!! I could go on and on and on but there could never be enough I could say to make my point clear. You guys were so heartwarming and welcoming from our first meeting. You can absolutely, 100% see that this is your passion and you truly do love photography, people, and capturing those amazing memories for them We really just love you both xoxo - Julie Vlamis (Bride)

Sam (Bride) - I’m not quite sure how to put a “rating “ into words for Mark . It’s just really an experience you need to experience. You can sit there and scroll through my images alone from my wedding and compare them to other photographers, and see the difference. He goes above and beyond to enhance the backgrounds to your liking . I wanted my wedding in fall, but couldn’t get my Venue in fall. Guess what? Mark made it fall in my pictures . He gave my pictures life, depth, and it wasn’t filters. We all still looked like ourselves. He was EVERYWHERE on our wedding day. I will say his mind works a mile a minute, so you’re left wondering “ I hope he got that, I wonder if he seen this moment “… I can assure you, he did. He’s miles ahead of you. The amount of compliments we received from our pictures are countless. The shares from our venue, of course, family and friends. Family and friends that said they regret using who they did and how much better ours came out. Mark has been highly Complemented from our wedding from everyone. Don’t stress, hire Mark. You’ll be well taken care of. __________________ _____ Mike (Groom)-__________ I can not recommend Mark enough. The photos that he took at our wedding are absolutely stunning. But Mark goes beyond being a photographer at your wedding. The day of your wedding is stressful. You’ve been planning for this day for a while and it’s all packed into a short amount of time. Mark made sure we were ok. He made sure we were taking breaks and actually enjoying our own wedding. He made sure we got the shots that we would want and even the shots we didn’t know we wanted but love now. I don’t enjoy getting my picture taken but Mark made it an enjoyable experience. His enthusiasm, passion, and skill is something to admire.

Wow. All we can say. The pictures Mark and Sherri took of us on our wedding day are absolutely STUNNING. I can honestly say that I've never felt beautiful until that day, and seeing the photos that Mark was taking throughout the day. He was there for us literally every step of the way to coordinate the most perfect day, and dealt with every curveball down to a last-minute ceremony location change because of rain and a poorly placed tent at our original venue. I cannot recommend them enough, and the pictures speak for themselves. Thank you SO much for capturing and helping us craft the most perfect day. We are forever grateful - The Irizarrys

(From the Mother of the Groom.) Mark, I thought I could give you a smile today by sending you just a few of the comments (yes, there are actually more, but this is a decent sampling) that I have been receiving from family and friends regarding Cory and April's slideshow. I figure you'll just say, "Aw, shucks", but I think it's important to pass on the good things that are said about someone. As I said before, if you ever need a reference, just let me know. Here you go: Very Nice Diane!!!! Thanks for sharing.Very cool! I loved how April's eyes looked so beautifully blue in so many of them! OMG, simply beautiful, the photographer did a fantastic job. I absolutely love the rain and beach shots. Beautiful pictures with a beautiful bride and handsome groom. What a great break you just gave me..this slide show was wonderful. Every picture was great! I absolutely loved the beach pics..so precious!!! thanks for sharing these, kiddo!! Great shots! I like their special effects... OMG, what amazing beautiful pictures! I love the one where they are outside and it looks like they are standing by a waterfall, with the brick wall behind them. The boy on the dance floor was really cute too! Where did the beach pictures come from? The photographer was amazing. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I loved seeing this! I will watch it again and again. What a beautiful tribute to a lovely couple. You all look so happy! Very nice!!! I LOVE the beach photos at the end. Wow! Beautiful! These are ABSOLUTELY the most beautiful pictures that I have seen. Great angles - beautiful people and it truly reflects the classic moments of the day. Thanks for sharing! :) Awesome pictures! Felt like I was there. so fun! thanks for sharing it! I loved the slideshow. The pictures were amazing! Great pictures!!!!! Enjoyed looking at them J Thanks for the chance to view these fantastic pictures!!.... thanks for sharing. =) Okay, Di, is it pathetic that I sat at my computer blubbering as I watched this? What a beautiful day, what a beautiful family.WOW! That was the coolest digital wedding album I have ever seen. I love the variety of all the photos, black & white, panorama, close-up, etc. You gotta be happy with their work. Thanks for sending it along. So there you have it, Mark...it appears to be unanimous that you and your wife are amazing :-) Diane

When we first spoke with Mark on the phone we knew right away we found our guy! His photos speak for themselves but his passion and personality are what made him stand out from other photographers. His overall enthusiasm and excitement are contagious and got us out of our comfort zone and the end product was amazing shots. With Mark, we not only got a photographer but an overall wedding expert. From timelines to general advice, which we followed and made our special day smooth sailing. We will definitely be returning customers for all the next milestones in our life. Thank you Mark! Jake and Becky

My wife and I chose to use Mark for our wedding photography at the recommendation of a friend and were extremely happy with the service he provided! My wife is a very shy person, especially in front of the camera, and Mark's experience and professionalism really set her at ease and made her feel so comfortable in front of the camera. Mark has a story for everything and we loved hearing about all the past bride's and groom's he has worked with. He's a genuinely good person and his prices are extremely reasonable. I would recommend him to any of my friends or family looking for a photographer! I hope I never need photos for another wedding shoot, but maybe anniversary pictures down the road :)

Mark & Sherri were absolutely wonderful, honestly words cannot express how grateful my husband Zach and I were on our wedding day. From the beginning of the morning when we were getting ready for our beautiful wedding day all the way until the end. Mark & Sherri brought such a joyful spirit with them. Honestly it made our wedding day so much easier. My husband was so nervous, ended up being so much better. Now onto the actual photographs, I mean come on the images captured that day will be with us forever and THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!! Just speaking from our experience, if you're getting married, you don't need to look any further for your photographer.....they are right here in Mark & Sherri @ Amelse Photography. - Trang & Zach

Mark (and second photographer Kortney) did our wedding photos in January and they did an absolutely phenomenal job. Leading up the special day, Mark was very prompt and responsive when it came to questions from us. He really put us at ease and all our worries aside through the planning process. He is obviously very experienced and was able to make suggestions as needed. Even for things past the photography. Other than the pictures being great, Mark really brought the energy out of myself, my wife and all the guests to capture some amazing moments. Above all, the price is absolutely fair and worth what Mark did for us. I can’t recommend Mark and his team enough and really appreciate him (and Kortney) being a part of our special day.

Mark and Sherri are absolutely amazing! Mark put me at ease after our first phone call and continued to do so throughout the entire wedding planning process! Not only did he help me pick the perfect wedding date after looking at previous year’s photos, but he also sent me several suggestions for ceremony and reception venues. He also helped with finding an officiant! He is extremely knowledgeable about the wedding industry and has amazing recommendations! On the day of the wedding, he captured every picture on my list and then some! The guests loved having portraits taken of them at the reception, and I love seeing them when I visit their home. His pictures speak for themselves and are absolutely stunning! I love Mark and Sherri's style and highly recommend them!!

I would say the photographer is the most important choice you'll make for your wedding day. It goes by so quickly and much of it you actually don't "see." Well, if you select Mark of Amelse Photography you have nothing to worry about. If you view his website, you can see at first how talented he is. Naturally, you need more than that and you'll get that with Mark too. The attention to details, extremely accommodating, passion, and dedication to capturing the true essence of your day and a wonderful personality that always him to quickly feel like he's part of your family. Also, with Mark's packages you get a DVD of all the images which is really priceless. I'm still in awe at the engagement and wedding day photos that Mark took. We'll forever be able to not only look back at the day but really relive the experience. I HIGHLY recommend Amelse Photography.

Dear Mark, I can't thank you enough for doing such a wonderful job on our wedding pictures. They are just perfect and so much more than I could have imagined. It just amazes me how you were able to capture every detail of that day all by yourself. I feel like I am reliving that day every time I look at the images. Not only did you do a beautiful job with our pictures, but it was also fun having you at the wedding. Everyone just loved you. I don't know how many times I was approached by one of our guests wanting to know who our photographer was and commenting on how nice you were. You are unbelievably talented and it is clear to see that you truly enjoy your work.I look forward to the next opportunity to use your services. In the meantime, take a break from your computer and take your family for some ice cream. Thanks again!-Jamie & Matt

" I have never seen such incredible Photography as Mark's work!!! We used him as our wedding photographer this past April, and it was the best decision we made. Zach and I didn't get to meet him till our wedding day because we live out of state, and it was seriously like we knew him forever. He knew what we wanted, knew the "players" in the wedding, and captured more incredible shots than we could have dreamed of. I would recommend to anyone I have met or known to use him for their wedding, you will never regret it!!!!!!!!!!!!"-Zach & Lucy

All good things are to be said about Mark and his work. Mark not only takes time on his work but takes the time to get to know his clients as well. He stands back and observes. By doing so, he is able to capture the emotional journey toward marriage. He also turns life's simple pleasures into a work of art. Since our wedding in 2008..., we have recommended Mark to so many people. You don’t know how many people have told us our engagement and wedding photos are phenomenal – like nothing they have ever seen before. He has such a great eye and a unique talent for capturing life’s biggest moments in the most brilliant ways. Working with Mark was our favorite part of the whole wedding planning process. When everything was all said and done, we were not only left with some truly amazing photographs of our special day, but we also made a really great friend along the way. Thank you, Mark!-Adam & Sara

Mark & Sherri, Thank you so much for taking photos at our wedding! All the shots are absolutely amazing. We couldn't have asked for a better couple. Your kind hearts and creative personalities captured every moment, every emotion, and truly did tell the story of our day. You made it so comfortable and free-flowing, that the day seemed to go by flawlessly. Your hard work gives us endless memories to cherish forever. Words can not express our appreciation to both of you! We will definitely keep you in mind for future events, and recommend you to our friends and family. Thanks again for making our day so special and what we've always dreamed of.-Tom & Katie

Mark is the best photographer ever!!! I used him for my wedding in 2007 and have recommended him to many of my friends. Mark is simply amazing, easy to work with, and his passion for photography can be seen in all of his work! Thanks to Mark I have many beautiful pictures that captured my speical day. -Kathleen (& Josh)

My wedding day was chaos, I felt like nothing was going right and I had no idea what was supposed to be happening when. Mark kept everything flowing. He got pictures of literally every detail and person that attended and helped guide the whole entire day. Our DJ ended up being pretty much a no-show and Mark somehow still got people out on the dance floor while others figured out how to fix the issue. Mark not only did our wedding photos but we keep going back every time we need photos for anything else. He literally is the best of the best when it comes to photography of any sort.

There's a very noticeable difference between someone that has a camera and takes pictures and a professional and an artist like Mark. I don't think I've ever found any better value in a service in my life. We have so many amazing pictures from our wedding that we don't know what to do with all of them. Thanks Mark for everything! -Jason (Groom)

I attached just a few photos from my wedding that Mark and Sherri took for us. A quick snippet of all the different photos they got for us (they got soooo many amazing photos of that day). On top of everything, their professionalism, the quality of the photography, the organization, the value, and the priceless memories captured, they were so genuinely kind. What could have been a really rough day (due to other factors) was amazing and my husband and I got to have an amazing time. Mark and Sherri were our cheerleaders all day and kept us smiling and laughing with the rest of our bridal party. We are sure to be repeat customers for our anniversary photos and future baby and family photos. They are truly amazing people who take so much pride in what they do and do everything they can to make sure you’re enjoying it as much as possible. Thank you Mark and Sherri.

Mark Amelse and his wife Sherri are an amazing pair of photographers!!! Not only is their work beautiful beyond words, but they help to make sure the big day goes smoothly! They were always making sure we were on schedule and that the bridal party was eating and staying hydrated! They made taking pictures fun! I HIGHLY recommend them and would choose them again and again without hesitation!!!

Mark is tremendous! I was an active husband-to-be who was budget minded, he was able to explain the Amelse Experience well. I felt confident after the phone chat, and then saw his work, I was ecstatic. He helped us plan photos, but more importantly, caught a lot of the moments of the gala, as well as his editing is impressive. He even gifted us a really nice collage on our anniversary. He captures the moment without being in the moment. I had two couples sign up with him after they saw his work. This is a genuine experience and not some contracted freelancer!

Jon and I would like to thank you again for everything. Your work is amazing. We are so thrilled with everything. I will definitely be recommending you to everyone. Thanks again for all your amazing work.-Jon & Katie

My husband and I used Mark for our wedding in August 2006. His work is very artistic and affordable. He knows how to capture the beauty of the day, as well as the personalities and emotions of the couple.-Erin & Seamus

Mark is an amazing photographer with a wonderful personality. I knew he was the photographer for us when I viewed his work, I felt like I was in the moment of every picture and felt all the emotions of the couples special day. Mark did all of our photo's for our engagement and our wedding and I have received so many compliments on them. My Husband and I now have beautiful memories to cherish for a lifetime thanks to Mark.