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MICHELLE ZAPANTA

PORTRAIT & WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

est 2016

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For sentimental souls who value luxury with heart, joyous story-telling and guided experience

Elegant & emotionally rich wedding photography

Meet MICHELLE

chicago-based
photographer

What started as a childhood hobby evolved into a great passion. Hours after I got engaged, I browsed through dozens of wedding photographers' portfolios and realized I was looking at my dream job. I fell in love with the idea of telling people's stories in images rather than words. It is my utmost goal to make you look back at these memories we create together as if you're experiencing these moments again, nostalgic yet exquisite.

I'm Michelle

- aaron & lingzhen

She was on top of all the photography timelines and questions throughout the entire planning process and especially the day of the wedding. Michelle will make you feel comfortable even if you are not great at posing or taking pictures. She is very professional and responsive throughout the entire process and will help tailor to whatever requests you have. 

"Michelle went above and beyond!"

no. 2

- katie & jake

 I don’t know what it is about Michelle, but she makes this so fun, easy, and natural. I felt so comfortable the entire time and the pictures we received were above and beyond. I have left every session feeling like Michelle is part of our family and an amazing friend.

"You will not be disappointed!”

no. 2

- sarah & aaron

I've known Michelle for a long time and knew for sure she would be fabulous and super detail-oriented. She lived up to every expectation and we couldn't have been happier with the results. We can't thank her enough for such gorgeous pictures and such an easy, carefree experience

"Fabulous and super detail-oriented.”

no. 3

- lucia & jake

Michelle captured a perfect mix of posed and candid moments, showing great creativity with our venue and details—especially with my veil. She even brought a styling kit to enhance shots, which was amazing. Michelle and Erick were absolute pros—friendly, respectful, and full of good humor despite a heatwave. Michelle’s thoughtful way of working with everyone made us feel comfortable throughout.

"The final photos blew us away.”

no. 4

- katelyn & bram

Not only are we impressed with the photos, but Michelle and her assistants were great to work with on the wedding day. They were all kind and were a calming presence in the midst of a big day for us. Also, Michelle was always responsive and helpful before and after our wedding. I realized after that I forgot to include a clutch made from my grandma and mom’s wedding dress in our detail shots, and she made the effort to come by after the wedding to photograph the clutch so it would make it into our gallery.

"Hire Michelle, you won’t regret it!”

no. 5

- zerlynn & ryan

Michelle is so professional yet knows how to still trace the fine line of forming that friendship with you, so you won’t feel awkward during your session. She truly helps bring out your fun side and is so supportive along the way! She threw out so many compliments to encourage us the whole time, and we appreciate her and her work so much! Her full gallery came back quickly, even though she’s so busy, and we love every single image she delivered!

"I highly RECOMMEND her to anyone!”

no. 6

- gary & lina

Michelle is clearly passionate about what she does, is very organized and often checked in with us to ensure things were going smoothly. She made us feel at ease and was incredibly easy to work with during our engagement session and on our wedding day. Having Michelle there on the day of our wedding took so much stress away. She was incredibly professional and navigated corralling our bridal party, as well as family members, effortlessly. Most importantly, she truly captured the magic and love on our wedding day and we are forever thankful to her for that! 

"Look no further. Michelle is wonderful!”

no. 7

- suzie & jon

Michelle and her husband Erick were incredible! Fun and professional and so accommodating. They helped my “I hate photos” husband through the day getting candid shots that turned out beautiful. We had so much fun working with them and we were so pleased with the results. They should’ve charged me double what they did. 

"They should've charged me double what they did!”

no. 8

- ashley & manny

Once we found Michelle, we knew we made the right choice for our wedding photographer. Neither my husband nor I knew how to pose for pictures, but Michelle made us comfortable on the other side of the lens. She was very thorough with her directions to capture the perfect picture. We knew immediately after seeing our engagement pictures that our wedding pictures would be everything we imagined. Michelle is so kind and truly takes the time to get to know her couples and their vision for their wedding photos. She took the time to make our vision a reality. 

"Easily the BEST decision we made for our wedding.”

no. 9

- shannon & jon

Michelle took the time to get to know us as a couple through conversations and surveys to best capture our personalities and relationship in her photos. She even was happy to make the trip out to Starved Rock State Park to photograph us in one of our favorite spots for our engagement photo session. Moreover, Michelle is incredibly organized and detail oriented, making her a true joy to work with. 

An immense help in our wedding planning process.”

no. 10

Kind Words

Our work has been featured in these publications 

In the Press 

lakeshore in love

glamour and grace

THE KNOT

love, inc

bajan wed

brides and weddings

modern weddings

gay weddings mag

multiyear awards from theknot & weddingwire