Wedding Photographers Chicago | Melissa Diep Photography | Blog bio picture

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Remember the scene in Sex and the City the movie when Louise from St. Louis gives Carrie her Love charm? That’s Melissa Diep. She’s in love with Love. She’s the kind of gal who wears her heart on her sleeve and cries a little when her brides and grooms take their First Look. She loves the thrill of photographing the magic that exists between her couples, the innocence of a sleeping newborn, and the simplicity of a family in their own backyard.

Melissa is always on the hunt for the new and interesting in her hometown of Chicago, by way of Saigon, Vietnam. It is because of her family’s hardships and tenacity during their flight from the communist North––spending 10 days on a cramped fishing boat, then living in a refugee camp in Thailand for nearly two years––that have shaped who Melissa is today as a woman, wife, mother and photographer.

Armed with only a handful of pictures from her early childhood––one single baby photo and just a few as an infant in her family’s camp––it’s easy to understand why Melissa employs a photojournalistic approach behind the lens. She aims to deliver photo memories with stunning visual impact; natural and unscripted while telling your story effortlessly.

Melissa’s upbringing motivates her to live fully and to appreciate the grand, the small, and the in between. In her everyday, Melissa rocks girly dresses with blazers on photo shoots and drinks Vietnamese coffee. She believes in finding beauty in unexpected places, always doing her hair and lusting over shiny red Minis (regrettably, but dutifully, she upgraded hers to a more baby-friendly vehicle).

Melissa lives in Chicago with The Giant and Little G, also affectionately known as her husband and one year old son, of whom she religiously takes one 100 photos a day.

Chicago Gibsons Bar and Steakhouse Wedding| Gina and Chris-MARRIED!!!

June 22, 2011

I love it when friends get married. I was more than happy to be their photographer even though they felt bad for asking me because they wanted us to enjoy the wedding. Lol!! You probably remember both Gina and Chris from our Christmas Eve E-Session. You can check out that session here. We went from a super cold day of shooting back in December to a gorgeous day in Chicago. I remember the day Chris told us he was going to propose to Gina. Giant and I were on the train on the way to the airport when Chris stepped onto the same train. He had the biggest smile on his face when he told us he’s about to take himself off the market. He then told us what his plans were to propose to Gina. It was at home. On their rooftop. We couldn’t be happier for these two. It was so nice to see that he had that same big smile on his wedding day. We’ve known Chris throughout the years and we’ve never seen him smile so much!

Congratulations you two! We had a blast at your wedding!!! Can’t wait to meet the little one this fall!

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