Portrait + wedding photographer serving the Chicago and Iowa City areas

A B O U T    M E

Hi! My name is Marissa Kelly and I’m a portrait and wedding photographer currently based in Chicago, Illinois (although you can usually find me back in Iowa City at least once a month!).

From a young age, I always gravitated towards photography; in junior high, I would spend hours editing photos of my friends and me on Picnik (find the album on my Facebook titled ~PiCniK EdItS~ to see those gems), and on my About Me page, you can find pictures of me as a toddler with a disposable Kodak camera in hand, snapping away! I feel so lucky that I get to do what I love, all while helping preserve snapshots of people's lives with my camera.

When I'm not taking pictures, you can find me searching Yelp and OpenTable for the best restaurants in Chicago, enjoying an IPA or tall glass of wine, or crying throughout entire episodes of This Is Us. 

L E T ' S    C O N N E C T

I'd be honored to capture whatever special moment you're celebrating in life. Whether you're planning for your high school graduation that's right around the corner, celebrating your engagement to the love of your life, walking down the aisle on your wedding day, expecting your first child or raising your first child, my camera and I are ready! I love shooting back home in the open fields of Iowa and in the urban areas of Chicago; I also love exploring new places and am always open—and excited—to travel for a shoot or wedding!  

Head over to my contact form and let's capture some beautiful photos that you'll cherish for a lifetime.

W H A T    I    S H O O T

Weddings + Elopements

Whether you're getting married in a vintage loft in downtown Chicago, at a winery with 500 guests in Iowa, or on a mountaintop with your closest friends and family in Colorado, I'd love to be there to capture the day that marks the start of your married lives together.

Couples + Engagements

Engagement sessions are my very favorite to shoot. It's so fun to capture the special way a couple looks at each other or makes each other laugh. Your engagement session should be fun, not just another thing to check off of your wedding planning to-do list!

Proposals

The ring’s been bought, you’ve rehearsed what you’re going to say 100 times; now you just need someone there to capture the moment! I’m your girl to be there hiding in the bushes or on a bench nearby with a book covering my camera.

Seniors + Portraits

Senior photography has evolved since the days of getting a few posed pictures in front of a backdrop for the yearbook. Now it's a chance to blast some music, work it in front of the camera, and capture your personality in photos. 

F E A T U R E D G A L L E R I E S

Check out some of my favorite work from recent weddings, engagement sessions and senior sessions below! If you want to see more galleries, head to my Blog page and browse away!!