Chicago elopement photographer:
Documentary Elopement photography
Chicago, Illinois, & Beyond
elopement
adventure awaits...
Drawing influence from classical and abstract expressionist painting, as well as analogue fine art photography, Rya blends candid, moment-driven documentary storytelling and editorial couples portraiture with a sophisticated artistry-creating exquisitely crafted fine art imagery with elegance and panache, and an emotional resonance that stands the test of time. A visual celebration of the unscripted, joyful moments, of love and laughter, and the memories you’ll cherish for a lifetime.
"... Urban Chic, A hint of Noir,
and A Touch of Sparkle & Panache..."
"... Urban Chic, A hint of Noir, and A Touch of Sparkle & Panache..."
Rya photographie
Chicago Elopement Photographer
Rya photographie
chicago elopement photographer
Every Couple Has A Story... Let's celebrate Yours.
Chicago Elopement & Intimate Wedding Photographer
Ryan Patrick clarke
Imagine it. You, the love of your life, and a handful of your closest friends and family; celebrating your love, your commitment, and the life you want to build together. All on your terms.
After all, elopements are still a celebration of two people getting married, except you get to make the rules!
If this sounds like your vibe and we are on the same wavelength, then it sounds like I am the Chicago elopement photographer for you!
So why not follow your adventurous spirit, forge your own traditions, and embrace what fits you?
It is probably fair to say that most people think of eloping as running away to some beautiful, far away destination to get married. But what if nature isn’t your thing? Or travel stresses you?
What if your ideal location is a garden setting in the city? Or a rooftop? Or an art museum? What if you live in one of those beautiful locations surrounded by nature and instead of mountains in the backdrop you want a gorgeous skyline? Or you crave something different and just want to get away?
Perhaps you already live and work in Chicagoland and instead of a stressful wedding experience, you want an intimate staycation elopement in the heart of the city?
Now you are speaking my language!
Urban Elopements can be as simple as a City Hall wedding ceremony downtown, or an intimate elopement ceremony in a secluded garden space, ending with dinner, drinks, and a night of fun, all surrounded by the energy of the city. Or they can be all day affairs, with many of the same elements as traditional weddings, but on a smaller scale, without the complications, the stress, and the chaos.
Every Couple Has A Story... Let's celebrate Yours.
"... Urban Chic, A hint of Noir, and A Touch of Sparkle & Panache..."
Rya photographie
Chicago Elopement Photographer
Chicago Elopement & Intimate Wedding Photographer Ryan Patrick clarke
If this sounds like your vibe and we are on the same wavelength, then it sounds like I am the Chicago elopement photographer for you.
So why not follow your adventurous spirit, forge your own traditions, and embrace what fits you?
After all, elopements are still a celebration of two people getting married, except you get to make the rules!
Urban Elopements can be as simple as a City Hall ceremony downtown, or an intimate elopement ceremony in a secluded garden space, ending with dinner, drinks, and a night of fun, all surrounded by the energy of the city. Or they can be all day affairs, with many of the same elements as traditional weddings, but on a smaller scale, without the complications, the stress, and the chaos.
Imagine it. You, the love of your life, and a handful of your closest friends and family; celebrating your love, your commitment, and the life you want to build together. All on your terms.
Rya photographie
Chicago Elopement Photographer
Rya photographie
chicago elopement photographer
My wife and I eloped in Chicago from Nashville in December 2024. Thanks to Ryan, our love was captured beautifully, and we have gorgeous photos to look back on for years to come. They were so kind and patient waiting with us at City Hall. They’re honestly such a cool human, and I hope we get to run into each other in the future!
• Taylor •
We cannot recommend Ryan enough! They stepped in on our wedding day when our original photographer had an emergency. Ryan truly saved the day! They jumped right in to understand our vision for the day and helped us feel comfortable and confident that they would get us each and every photo we hoped for.
They captured every special moment—from the big emotional vows to the smallest, most intimate glances—with such artistry and care. The photos are breathtaking, full of life, and truly reflect the joy of our day. Ryan was an absolute delight to work with—professional, fun, and incredibly talented.
If you're looking for a photographer who will make you feel seen, respected, and celebrated while delivering stunning photos, look no further. We are beyond grateful for Ryan and will cherish these photos forever!
Thank you for making our wedding memories so magical!
• Regina •
We booked Ryan for our June wedding in South Bend, Indiana, and we are so happy we found him! He was more than accommodating to travel outside Chicago to shoot our wedding. Ryan is very responsive to emails; he was warm and genuine. You can tell this is a person who is passionate about what he does. Very reasonably priced, and so easy to work with. After speaking with him in person, we felt so comfortable that he understood what we were looking for on our special day. He arrived on time, prepared and captured so many candid moments without us even noticing. We absolutely love his work; we could not be happier with the finished photos.
We highly recommend Ryan to anyone!
• Bethany •
Ryan is fantastic! Through our conversations and the pics on his website my husband and I decided to choose him as our wedding photographer. He was amazing! Reasonably priced, on-time, stayed 30 mins extra for a few more shots. He made great suggestions and was "present" without being intrusive, professional and friendly. Our family loved him as much as we did. He was easy to work with and really got the vision we wanted. We were married at the Chicago Cultural Center and we wanted most of our photos to include architectural elements. Since the venue is open to the public we needed to be quick at getting shots so people were not walking in/out of them. Ryan got the shots and our vision right away. The end result is about 400 photos which we, our family and friends can't stop raving about! Our photos are exactly what we wanted and more beautiful than we expected! I would recommend Ryan to anyone.
• Sarah •
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