Deonna Caruso Photography

North Central College Presents “An Evening with Jazz Pianist Frank Caruso”

admin — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 01:12:59 +0000

I know I’ve been watching my dad play since I was a little girl but the older I get the more I appreciate his true talent! I also realize that one day I won’t be able to see him play in person like this anymore too so I take every opportunity I can to see him perform and I don’t take his presence and talent for granted. As great of a musician he is he’s an even better father and family man! I love you Dad!! I of course had my camera with me that night and my husband and I shot some great images of the rehearsal and the performance on April 20th at North Central College in Naperville. I never knew how old the college was but it was a great venue and an amazing performance. Here are some of my favorite images.

7th Annual “Dancing with Chicago Celebrities”

admin — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:31:32 +0000

On March 9th I had the distinct pleasure to photograph the 7th Annual “Dancing with Chicago Celebrities”. This was the second year in a row they asked me to photograph this wonderful event for Susan G. Komen for the cure raising money for breast cancer. What a great cause and such a fun night of dancing, raffles, auctions and live speakers. Among the celebrities this year were Ryan Baker of CBS, Bruce Wolf of WLS, Kim Vatis of NBC, Eric McElroy of WGN, Tammie Souza of FOX, Ragina Fraser from “Grannies on Safari”, Hannah Smith – Miss Illinois and finally Desmond Clark a former Chicago Bear. Desmond won the competition and he did a great job!! Arthur Murray Dancing Studio also celebrated its 100th year of teaching people how to dance!! Once again it was a pleasure and honor to be a part of the spectacular evening and I hope to be invited to capture this event for years to come!

My Sister Christina’s first Art Demo!

admin — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 22:19:10 +0000

On February 19th my sister,Christina Caruso (www.carusogalleries.com) did her first art demo at Starbucks in Clarendon Hills. Her and Kevin Krull were the demo artist doing their live model painting! It was really great seeing her paint in action…something I haven’t seen before. It was quite the turn out and her ability to paint the likeness of people is truly amazing! I can’t draw a stick person – LITERALLY so her talent is something I totally envy. I am going to soon collaborate with her on some projects which will be amazing. She can be commissioned to paint portraits so please give her a call if you are interested in that or interested in painting lessons! Here are some images of the event!! Keep creating. It’s what keeps us inspired and truly living!

Revisiting my Old Stomping Grounds….Beautiful Arizona!

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 20:27:03 +0000

In October of 2011 My husband, Pete, and I decided to visit family in Arizona. I wanted to show Pete the beautiful state that I grew up in! My family moved from Arizona to Chicago in 1983 so it’s obviously been a while since I’ve lived out West. I have paid Arizona a visit or two since then but on this trip I really got to remember what a gorgeous state I grew up in. When you’re young you obviously take all the natural beauty for granted and upon returning this time I really appreciated how majestic that part of the country really is. I also got to see it for the first time through my husband’s eyes since he’s never been to Arizona before. While out there we got to explore Canyon Falls, Tortillas Flats (this old town out in the middle of literally nowhere), and the old mining ghost town (Goldfields). Traveling and taking pictures is one of my absolute favorite things to do but when we got to take it one step further and fly to the Grand Canyon with Pete as our pilot I was so thrilled and proud of him to say the least. We flew from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon in a little over two hours! It was AMAZING! With the help of our new friend and pilot instructor, Kevin, it was a day that we will never forget and cherish forever! Being up in the sky overlooking such beauty is awe inspiring! We also took at road trip to the Sedona area. We went almost to Flagstaff and made our way down the mountainous area to beautiful Sedona where we once again decided to go up the air for a better view. We took a helicopter ride over the city! We just can’t get enough flying I guess. We finished out our trip visiting the Unviersity of Phoenix state of the art stadium which was fun!

I’m really happy we got out there to see my grandma & grandpa too. They are getting up there in age and I’m just happy we got to spend some quality time with family as well! My grandpa just turned 90 in December!! Wow!!

Here are some of the images we took on our unforgettable trip! I hope you enjoy them! Keep traveling and seeing the world! I believe it truly keeps you young!

Rachael & Jon are Married!!

admin — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:53:42 +0000

On November 5, 2011 Rachael Zelinski & Jon Joyce were married !! I was thrilled when they asked me to photograph their wedding!! I used to be a co worker of Brenda’s (Rachael’s mom) and they are just the nicest people around!

The day was simply gorgeous and I was so happy for them. November can definitely be a month where the weather can go either way but it was sunny beautiful skies all day long. Me and my talented second shooter, Ernst Jacobsen, start with the getting ready shots. I was with the girls at Rachael’s house and Ernst was at the hotel with the guys. We got some great preparation photos before heading off to Bobak’s Signature Events where both the outdoor ceremony and the reception were held. I love the grounds at Bobak’s. We got some pre-ceremony family portraits done and had some fun with the bridal party before the ceremony. The ceremony was held under the beautiful canopy outside which made for great photos. The ceremony was lovely!

After the ceremony we spend some time getting bridal party shots and then I focused on getting some great shots of Rachael & Jon by themselves. Bobak’s has a cobblestone walkway and nice stone bench that we had fun with. Rachael & Jon also wanted to do a thank you card for their guests so we took some shots of them with the cards. After the formal portraits under the canopy we headed inside for cocktail hour and the reception.

Everyone was having a great time at the reception. Dinner was delicious and they had a really cool tower of desserts instead of a traditional cake which I thought was great! Everything tasted great! The guests enjoyed dancing all night long and the dance floor was pretty packed all night. Later in the evening Jon was visited by some of his co-workers and we got a couple funny shots of Rachael & Jon in handcuffs!! The night ended with the guys hanging out outside with some cigars. What a blast!

Rachael & Jon I wish you so much joy and happiness in your new marriage! You are both really wonderful and I couldn’t be happier for you! Thank you for entrusting me with taking photos of your incredibly special day!! Here are some of the highlights! Enjoy!!!

Stephanie & E.J. are Married!!

admin — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:34:58 +0000

On October 23, 2011 Stephanie Sparks & EJ Farrell were married!! What a gorgeous day it turned out to be!! Stephanie and E.J. are such a great couple and their wedding was a joy to be a part of!

I started off with getting ready shots at the hotel with the girls and my talented second shooter, Ernst Jacobsen, met up with the guys at E.J.’s parent’s house. The girls were watching “Bridesmaids” when I came in which made for a fun morning! All the girls were getting their hair and makeup done and having a great time. Stephanie’s dad, Dick, started to tear up when he first saw her in her dress which I thought was so sweet!

After that we all headed over to the gorgeous Montefiori in Lemont. Stephanie & E.J. decided to do a first look on the bridge before the ceremony. E.J. was thrilled to see Stephanie for the first time in her lovely dress. His eyes just lit up when he first laid eyes on here! Then we took some time to get some beautiful pictures of the two of them on the grounds. Montifiori has such great picturesque places that make for stunning wedding photos!

The ceremony took place outside (which I love). It was a wonderful ceremony filled with laughter and some tears! They couldn’t have asked for better weather for an outdoor ceremony and I’m so happy for them. After that we took some formal family photos at the ceremony site and then headed inside for the cocktail and reception.

The reception décor was so cool with blue and white orbs hanging from the ceiling and I loved the flowers on their cake. Such rich fall colors!! Love Love!! After the cake cutting, first dance and entertaining toasts the guest enjoyed dinner and dancing all night long. There were tons of people out on the dance floor which I love and the band, Georgia Frances Orchestra was amazing!!

It was a wonderful day for two wonderful people!! Stephanie & E.J. thank you for entrusting me to capture your beautiful wedding day. I wish you all the love and happiness two people can handle! Here are some of my favorites of the day. Enjoy!!

Megan & Jonathan are Married!!

admin — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:24:34 +0000

On August 20, 2011 Megan Martin & Jonathan Meyer were married. It was a wonderful wedding and turned out to be a beautiful day despite the rain in the morning! I started at Megan’s parent’s house in Naperville for the getting ready shots. Megan looked amazing in her dress and her bridesmaids all had bright fuchsia dresses and these killer shoes!! Everyone looked great! After taking some pictures at the house we headed over to the Grace Methodist Church in Naperville. The church was decorated with such gorgeous flowers by Yanni Design Studio. They also did all the flowers and lighting or the reception and it was simply breathtaking! After the ceremony we took some formal family portraits and headed over to the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. The rain cleared by that time and the sun peeked out for a great shoot. We got some fun bridal party shots and wonderful shots of Megan and Jonathan around the grounds. I love the Arboretum because there are so many great locations for classic wedding photos that are timeless and romantic! After spending time at the Morton Arboretum we headed over to Meson Sabika where they ended up having their rehearsal dinner the night before. We had a great time getting some images in the front of the restaurant. I love the white pillars and the beautiful grounds. We finally headed over to the beautiful Bolingbrook Golf Club for the cocktail and reception. Like I said the reception room was amazingly beautiful with the soft pink flowers, white pearls and beautiful white flowing linens and sashes overhanging the extravagant wedding cake. This was one of the most beautiful cakes I’ve ever seen at a wedding! (And I see alot of weddings) The guests all had a great time eating, drinking, toasting, smoking cigars and dancing!! The night was so much fun and there were so many guests on the dance floor all night long. We had such a great time shooting and being a part of this gorgeous wedding!! Thank you Megan and Jonathan for entrusting me to photograph your beautiful day! I wish you so much happiness in your new life together!! I want to also thank Tracy Petersen, my second shooter, for taking such great shots throughout the day. Take a look at some great images from the day!!!

Heather & Joe are Married!!

admin — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 23:49:17 +0000

On July 30^th, 2011 I had the pleasure of photographing Heather Summers’ & Joe Klikas’ beautiful summer wedding! You couldn’t ask for a better day (and trust me we’ve had our share of rainy days this summer)! Me & my talented second shooter, Kyle Weaver, started at the Westin Hotel capturing the preparation photos. Heather looked so beautiful in her wedding dress and her hot Jimmy Choo shoes. Joe also looked very daper in his tuxedo as well. After they were all dressed and ready to go we got to capture a “first look” moment which I absolutely LOVE! Afterwards we made our way to St. Collette’s Church in Rolling Meadows. The ceremony was simply beautiful! After that we took a trip to the Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg and had a fun time getting some great bridal party shots & bride & groom shots as well. A combination of the big beautiful mature trees and the lovely pond area made for a perfect backdrop for memorable photos. After that we made our final stop to the lovely Metropolis Ballroom in Arlington Heights. I loved this venue with the modern trendy touches and the brick exposed walls. It was refreshingly different and fun!! They had a cool hanging board where the placecards where posted and I loved their wedding cake! It was very chic with intertwining doves on top! After the toasts and prayer everyone enjoyed dinner, which was simply delicious!! After the cake cutting and a little mingling with all of the guests at the tables the bride and groom enjoyed their first dance together as husband and wife! You could tell all of the guests were having a great time on the dance floor and those who were not dancing where enjoying some fabulous outdoor ambiance on the balcony just off the reception room! All in all it was a great wedding with a great couple! Heather & Joe were so laid back and easy to work with. It also helps that they are just a gorgeous couple & super photogenic!

Congratulations Heather & Joe! I wish you a lifetime of happiness together and I hope you enjoy this little sneak peek of your special day!!

Metropolis Ballroom – Arlington Heights

Stephanie & Steve’s Rockin Wedding!!

admin — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 21:46:44 +0000

On July 23rd, 2011 Stephanie Lucas & Steve Bledsoe were married at the awesome Hard Rock Hotel on Michigan Avenue!! To say this was a fun wedding to photograph and be a part of is a huge understatement! This was the most unique wedding wedding of the summer by far with such creative touches. This wedding had drumsticks as party favors, famous guitars for fun photos, a bestman named “Waterbed”, a Harley Davidson engraved wedding cake , and their adorable dog, Tucker, all decked out with his doogie bone bow tie and shades!! Stephanie did an incredible job with all these details! My wonderful second shooter, Tracy Petersen, and I started at the Hard Rock Hotel taking some getting ready shots and then made our way downstairs with everyone else for the ceremony. No string quartet for this couple… as people were waiting for the ceremony to begin they had their friend, Steve Yanula, rock out on the guitar. He did an awesome job! After the beautiful ceremony and a few formal portraits all of the guests went around town on the trolly for some fun and some pictures. We went to Olive Park for some great skyline shots and then headed over to Millenium Park for more fun under the Bean! Then we headed back to the Hark Rock Hotel where all the guests enjoyed cocktails and hor’s devours and got the chance to write special notes on records for the newlyweds. The reception was great. It was a nice intimate setting which I thought was wonderful. The decor was beautiful and the food was delicious! The rest of the night everyone danced and had an awesome time. There was a nice outdoor balcony overlooking the city streets which was also a nice addition to the ambiance of the night! I had such a blast photographing this wedding and was honored to be a part of Stephanie & Steve’s spectacular wedding day!! I wish them both so much joy and happiness together. Here are some of my personal favorites. Enjoy and ROCK ON!!!!

Colleen & Ted are Married!!

admin — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 15:42:55 +0000

On July 16, 2011 Colleen Nix & Ted Wieland were married! I had the pleasure of photographing their beautiful wedding day and I couldn’t ask for a sweeter couple to work with!! It was a beautiful sunny day thankfully as we have had our share of rainy days this summer! I’m so glad the weather cooperated for them!! I started at Colleen’s parent’s house in Arlington Heights. It was fun capturing Colleen getting her makeup and dress on with all her wonderful bridesmaids. I loved how the flowers were so colorful and the bridesmaids wore black. Everything popped and just looked great!! After getting dressed we headed next door to Colleen’s neighbor’s house. She was so gracious to open her breathtaking house to us so we could take lovely pictures in her gorgeous backyard area. It was like having your own private estate to take pictures which was so nice!! Once we got some shots with the girls and some family shots near the pond area we headed to St. James Church which was literally right down the street. Coleen and Ted did not see each other before the ceremony and it was a wonderful ceremony! After that we headed back to Colleen’s neighbor’s house for more great shots of the entire bridal party and Colleen & Ted together. We did a fun “Thank Your” shot with the entire bridal party as well which ended up on Colleen’s thank you cards to all her guests. After that we then headed to the Chicago Marriott in Schaumburg where they had a lovely cocktail hour under an outside tent. Colleen & Ted went upstairs to view the reception room with their family and they were overwhelmed with the room. Everything was beautiful and the cake was fun and colorful! The toast Colleen’s father gave was very creative and touching. Then the best man and matron of honor gave an equally creative and fun toast filled with humor and short musical references! Fun!!! The guests all had a great time on the dance floor and we also got some really nice family group shots on the dance floor as well! All in all it was such a great day and it couldn’t have happened for a nicer couple. Seriously Colleen and Ted are the sweetest and most appreciative couple you will ever meet!! I loved working with them and was honored to be a part of their wedding day!! Here are some of my favorite images of the day! Enjoy!!!!