Nicole Kilday,

The Girl Behind The Camera

About Your Illinois & Wisconsin Wedding Photographer

The Camera Found Me When I Needed Grounding

Hi, I go by Nicole, Cole, Or Bill

Behind the scenes of Nicole Kilday photographing the bride getting ready before her church ceremony in Chicago, Illinois
Honeymoon couples photos in Evergreen Colorado with a muscle car by Nicole Kilday
Two young children, a baby and an older boy, lying together on a trampoline, smiling and relaxed in a lifestyle family photography portrait by Nicole Kilday Photography

You’re probably here because you felt something.

You likely already know — I’m Nicole. Five-time mom (two humans, three German Shepherds), wife to a blue-collar guy, homebody by choice, third-generation photographer by fate, awkward unless my camera’s in my hand.

Chaos doesn’t scare me. It’s kind of where I thrive.

  • Most of the photos on this page?

    Shot on an iPhone.
    Pulled from my archives.
    Taken when professionalism didn’t matter because life was happening.

    They’re not polished.
    They’re honest.
    They’re me.

    I might suck at documenting my own life in a picture-perfect way —
    but I absolutely do not suck at documenting yours.

  • It was handed down.

    Cameras everywhere.
    Film gear older than me.
    A dad who learned in a basement darkroom.
    A grandpa who taught him to pay attention.

    That’s where I learned this:

    Photos aren’t just photos.
    They’re proof.

    That you were here.
    That you loved.
    That it mattered.

    That belief never left — it just grew up with me.

  • 1992 — born into a family where cameras were everywhere
    2015 — took a Christmas photo that unexpectedly went viral
    2016 — photographed my first wedding
    2018 — became a legal business
    2019 — went full-time
    2020 — slowed down, learned, grew… and grew my first tiny human
    2021 — photographed 42 weddings + dreamed up My Whole Heart Collective
    2021–2024 — made bomb art with Ashley Bowling
    2025 — reopened Nicole Kilday Photography to realign my art, life, and goals

    Still here. Still evolving. Still giving a sh*t.

Some things about me & the beautiful mess of life

What I care about (in no particular order):

• my dogs’ Frito feet
• babies when they find their voice
• immaturity, used responsibly
• hoodies that smell like last night’s bonfire
• laughing so hard my abs hurt
• swears as sentence enhancers
• dancing to songs that make me feel alive
(yes — Levels by Avicii)
• spending too much money on fair food
• Sundays reserved for paying attention to my own life

The Intro Vlog

I mean blooper reel —

POV: trying to make an introduction vlog but instead ended up with a blooper reel.

I attempted to make an introduction vlog; but, I ended up with a blooper reel.

So here’s the gist of what I was trying to say:

“Hi, I’m Nicole, A Hebron, IL based wedding and family photographer documenting love all over the US & beyond. My art ebbs and flows, always leaning into emotion. I move between a blend of documentary, cinematic, candid, and editorial styles — depending on the feeling of the moment, the way the light hits, and anticipating how the story will unfold. You are my deepest inspiration & study-guide when I’m behind the camera – connection & transparency is important.”

I cry easily. I laugh loudly. I care deeply because I’m paying attention. And I think that’s kind of the whole point.

“I’m not a mess but a deeply feeling person in a messy world. I explain that now, when someone asks me why I cry so often, I say, ‘For the same reason I laugh so often—because I’m paying attention.’ I tell them that we can choose to be perfect and admired or to be real and loved. We must decide.”

— Glennon Doyle Melton, Love Warrior

I choose real.

Reach Out

2026 & 2027 Bookings Open

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Weddings Photographed / 120+

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Families Documented / 180+

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2026 & 2027 Bookings Open ○ Weddings Photographed / 120+ ○ Families Documented / 180+ ○