Downtown Geneva Engagement Session

I was pretty excited to be the one telling Cesar what to do as he is usually the one kicking my butt as one of my Orange Theory coaches! I was so excited when he and Erin his fiancé spoke with me last year about me doing their wedding and engagement photos. How photogenic are these two though, and of course their adorable dog Leo was a ham as well! We met up right outside Riverside Receptions then we walked around the area, checking out the fox river, the bridges, Island Park and every area in between!

I had such a fun night with Erin and Cesar and can’t wait till their wedding at The Brix this coming winter!

How can you not love a couple who wants to end their session with finger guns and these sweet poses, all by them I might add.

Downtown Chicago Lincoln Park Engagement Session

Well it was a wild year, and I have so much blogging to catch up on but I figured why not kick it off with the amazing engagement session I did earlier this year with Nena and Gabe. They were so excited to have the engagement city in Chicago and hit some iconic spots and we had such a great time around South Pond and the lakefront on this perfect November day! Chicago engagement sessions are so much fun since there is just so much variety you can capture in a relatively small area! Take a peek at some of my favorites from their day. I can’t wait to celebrate their wedding with them this August.

Illinois State University Fall Engagement Session

Ryan and Mike went to ISU together and got engaged there as well and when they mentioned wanting to photograph there for their engagement session I thought it was a wonderful idea. We spent the afternoon walking around the beautiful grounds, exploring some of the buildings, then headed to the Sugar Mama bakery in uptown and finally ended at the local bar they had spent many nights at with friends! I can’t wait for the wedding next year!

St.James Farm Engagement Session

This was a special engagement session since I have been friends with Desiree now for about 4 years. I was so excited when her and Justin wanted me to photograph their wedding and engagement . We decided on St.James Farm in Warrenville. It really makes a perfect backdrop and offers so much versatility. They have finally finished construction there and the place looks just gorgeous! Enjoy!

Chicago Nature Boardwalk Engagement Session

Alison and Blake decided on Lincoln Park for their engagement session. We really wanted to highlight Chicago in their session since after their wedding they will be moving! We started around South Pond which they had never explored before. We then head to the honeycomb to check that out and since it was a weeknight we almost had the place to ourselves. Then it was time to walk over to North Ave. I have always loved the pedway bridge and we took a few images up there too. We finished the night off right off the lakeshore path.

Best Chicagoland Engagement Photo Ideas

If you want your pictures to really showcase your story, I have some ideas to help you plan the perfect engagement session. Let me help you prepare for your session, Think of the answers to the following questions:

Where did you first meet?

If you want to add some sentimental value to your session, tell me about how you first met. If it was at a local place, we can stop by during your session and recreate the scene. Did you meet in Chicago? I love being able to incorporate the Chicago Skyline and other iconic Chicago landmarks in your session.

What do you like to do together?

What kinds of activities do you enjoy doing together? This will help us to create memorable photos for you. Do you love riding your bikes together or racing model airplanes? Do you go to the park and push each other on the swings or playing laser tag together? What about riding around Chicago on your Vespa together. What are your hobbies and we will try to incorporate them.

What are your common interests?

By informing us of your interests, we can add a more personal touch to your photos. Are you both fans of the same sports team? Are you really into comic books or video games? Do you work in the same profession?  This couple below had bonded over one of my favorite shows "How I Met You Mother" at St.James Farm in Warrenville.

This couple bonded over "How I Met Your Mother" So we incorporated the iconic yellow umbrella

Do you have any pets together?

If so, they make a perfect addition to your session. I welcome your pets in your e-session. We will just need to plan for someone to come along to help wrangle them, such as a friend or family member. Here we had went to one of my favorite spots, South Pond which is in Lincoln Park in Chicago. 

Do you have ‘a spot’?

You know that place where you always wind up going on date night? Where was your first kiss? What is your favorite hang out spot? Tell me your favorite go-to locations and we can check them out to see if they would be good spots for a photo shoot. The image below we had went to Downtown Oak Park which is just 15 minutes outside of Chicago since that is where they both had lived and under that is one of the most beautiful suburban locations Fabyan Forest Preserve in Geneva.

There are just endless engagement session ideas that we could incorporate when we work together. Please contact me for booking and chatting about your engagement or couples session. We can talk about tons of different Chicagoland location and the Chicago suburbs alike!

Chicago Museum Campus Engagement Photography of Ashley + Ben

I will be photographing Ashley and Ben's wedding this September at one of my favorite suburban venues, Silver Lakes in Orland Park Illinois, but before the big day comes the engagement photos. We got together on October 3 to take these right on the Museum campus. Luckily they were able to make a weekday work so we practically had the entire place to ourselves. Also fun fact, Ben's birthday was on the same day as our session, which is just 1 day before my birthday! So we started over by the 12th street beach in Chicago, then walked to the Adler, and finished near the Shed Aquarium. I can't wait till your wedding this September!

St. James Farm in Warrenville Engagement Photos

Jobeth and Brett met me after being rained out on our first session. The weather was beyond perfect for our new session a few weeks later. Even though they were both very nervous they were naturals at having their photos taken! We explored St.James Farm together which is a favorite location of mine. We gushed about our mutual love of Disney World and these two love birds will be getting married there! How amazing is that?

DuPage County St.James Farm Engagement Photoshoot

John and Erika met me with their adorable dog Bellah at one of my favorite locations in all of DuPage County, St.James Farm. We explored and found a gorgeous little field filled with wildflowers that I was just in love with. The light was just gorgeous and we could not of asked for better weather. You can just see how in love John and Erika were and I am so honored to be able to capture their wedding next year.

Chicago Montrose Harbor Engagement Photos of Stephanie & Alex

Stephanie and Alex were my lucky winners from my free engagement session drawing at the Villa Olivia Wedding show this past April. We met on this past Saturday at Montrose Harbor in Chicago on what ended up being the PERFECT day, despite the weather reports saying it had a 80% chance of rain. They were both dressed for to perfection with Stephanie in a gorgeous blue maxi dress and and Alex in the most amazing boat shoes. We snuck into the docks with some help from Alex's friend and laughed as we explored the whole area. My favorite moment was Alex practically doing a Dirty Dancing style lift with Stephanie when I had asked for just a little lift. It was pretty much the most epic lift ever!