Midwest / Destination Documentary-Style Photography
Chicago Wedding Photographer
Being deeply devoted to capturing every couple as they are is what helps me create genuine art in the photos that I take. I believe that creating the perfect blend of photojournalism and editorial photography is what will best preserve the memories from this important time in your lives. I'm a natural empath, a great communicator, and the ultimate fan of people making their own rules when it comes to their wedding.
Award-winning documentary & fine art Chicago wedding photographer
AS SEEN IN
Junebug Weddings
W|PJ Awarded Member
Chi Thee Wed
Chicago Style Weddings
Green Wedding Shoes
Equally Wed
The Knot: Best of Weddings for 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 + Hall of Fame Award
Party Slate
Award-winning documentary & fine art Chicago wedding photographer
True documentary style means that your wedding photos are real life time machines. My photography will always reflect the moment as it unfolds while adding in a pinch of fine art flair. Nothing in this world is more important to me than ensuring you have a gallery that allows you to relive the day.
I will always make you feel as comfortable as I can. We'll laugh, play around, and get those natural-looking shots of you that will convince your friends & family that you were most definitely a model in a past life. You'll never fear the camera again!
I form a bond with all of clients throughout the wedding process and our relationship continues even after the big day has ended! Choosing me as your wedding photographer means you're choosing to work with a close friend.
No matter who you are and how you identify, I am here to document your incredible love. I am a body-positive photographer and a queer woman who is a proud supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community. I do not tolerate bigotry, racial slurs, or shaming of any kind. I actively work to create safe spaces and will ensure that you and your person will get to be your most true and beautiful selves on your wedding day.
No. 1 / Preservation over everything
No. 2 / Painless posing
No. 3 / I want to be best buds
No. 4 / I see you and support you
Want to LEARN MORE?
I'm pretty biased, but my clients are a lot of freaking fun
MY PHILOSOPHIES as a WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHer
"Her eye for detail, soft direction on the best angles and poses, and knack for capturing pure emotion are unmet, and come across beautifully in her photos. On the wedding day, we had numerous guests and family members compliment how well Madi directed our guests for group photos, and how she took the most beautiful shots. That easiness and lightness shone through on our wedding photos, all thanks to the wonderful and talented Madi Ellis!"
Sarah + Drew
"My husband and I could write pages and pages about how beautiful the photos that Madi takes are!"
"She works closely with you and your partner to tailor your experience based on your needs and preferences, and her institutional knowledge and experience of the wedding industry, best practices, and event flow. Her work is bar none. She has a warm personality that managed to calm my nerves and instill confidence. She's a star and thinks of it all - an excellent vendor to have in your corner. If you're on the fence, here's your sign to book Madi ASAP."
Rebecca + John
"Madi is quite literally one of the most talented, capable, and fun event photographers in the game."
"She is such a warm and kind person who immediately put everyone in the wedding at ease. From getting ready to the ceremony to the dance floor, every photo perfectly captures the emotion of the day. Are you stressed about logistics? Madi was super-human levels of communicative leading up to the wedding and helped us plan and navigate various logistics without even batting an eye. Planning a wedding involves a lot of difficult decisions, but this one is easy."
Laura + Nathan
"Madi is an incredibly talented artist and we are absolutely in love with her photos."
"From putting together a realistic day of schedule, giving helpful planning tips, delivering a gorgeous engagement photo gallery, going above & beyond to scout locations for portraits at our very large venue, soothing our anxieties and keeping us on schedule day of, and delivering the wedding album of our literal dreams. Madi was also so deliberate in capturing the small details of the day (that were a blur for us!), pictures of so many of our guests, and candid moments with people who mean the most to us."
Hanna + Nick
"Madi is fun and friendly, and we loved getting to spend time with her throughout this process."
"Madi was so easy to work with - from planning everything, to her communication, to how comfortable she made us feel in front of the camera. She is so knowledgeable about all things wedding and was so helpful to us in more ways than just photography. BUT THEN THE PHOTOGRAPHY!! Her photos were absolutely stunning. She captured our goofiness in such a beautiful way, caught all of the little moments between us and guests, nailed all of the little detail shots."
Becca + Trevor
"She was so amazing to work with and we loved our experience with her."
"We LOVED working with Madi. I feel like she really understood me and my husband's wedding vibe from the beginning! We also got to know her fun personality even more that day. Many of our friends and family commented on how great she was! On top of that, she repeatedly checked in on me and my husband and made it a priority to ensure we were calm and happy throughout the day. She is so gifted at her craft; we are just in awe at how well she captured our day. She truly went above and beyond for us. We cannot recommend her enough!"
Maggie + Tom
"Taking so many photos can feel awkward at first, but she made us feel so at ease."
"She felt more like a friend tagging along than just a photographer, seamlessly blending into the celebration. Her warmth, friendliness, professionalism, and her incredible organization truly shone through. The humor she brought added to the incredible vibe of the day, making everything feel relaxed and joyful. Madi has an incredible talent for finding the most beautiful moments, from candid laughter to the most heartfelt glances. Every shot tells a story, preserving the joy and love we felt throughout the day."
Alex + Ian
"From start to finish, Madi made our special day feel so graceful and effortless."
"Not only does she have a stunning portfolio, but she had great insight on how to structure our wedding day. For the wedding itself, Madi truly went above and beyond though. She helped keep us to our timeline without feeling rushed and made sure that every moment we wanted was captured (and probably then some). Madi Ellis is worth every single penny and should probably be paid royalties every time her works of art are shared because they're that good. She's INCREDIBLE and truly the best in the business!!!!"
Mattie + Chris
"If we could give Madi 100/5 stars, we would!"
"What we got with Madi was not just color and emotion in photography style, but a soundboard to get ideas off of, a great communicator, someone who was genuinely invested in our engagement and wedding day experience. In the first intro call, Madi really showed an authentic yearn to get to know me and my husband's background and history together. I feel like I can remember every moment just by looking at our wedding gallery. It makes me emotional and so grateful that we picked her as our photographer."
Sam + Freddy
"Madi is truly a wonderful human who is respectful of all backgrounds and identities."
"When we told our venue vendor that we were working with Madi Ellis, her response was, 'the queen.' She was 100% right. I can't say enough good things about Madi. She was super engaged and responsive from the jump, making sure we didn't miss out on opportunities to capture the night. She helped our coordinator keep things rolling smoothly and was ready to take advantage of candid moments and set up group shots on the fly. And the photos are all stunning and captured us so well!"
Will + Jeff
"Madi went above and beyond to help us integrate our photo plans with our wedding day schedule."
My own wedding is on 6/6/26 and I will not be taking any weddings 5/29/26 - 6/14/26.
TRAVEL DATES for 2026
2/4/26 - 2/10/26 St. Croix, USVI
4/17/26 - 4/19/26 Sedona, AZ
2025 books are closed
2026 + 2027 books are open
