Carol DeAnda 1/14/18 Carol DeAnda 1/14/18

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!

chicago engaged couple walking on 12th street beach pier

chicago engaged couple outside Adler Planetarium

chicago engaged couple photography on museum campus

chicago engaged couple photography near adler planetarium

chicago engagement session photo near shed aquarium

kissing couple in front of chicago skyline

Carol DeAnda 6/1/14 Carol DeAnda 6/1/14

Chicago Museum Campus Engagement Photo Session LGBTQ+

I am so excited for you to meet Ian and Conor. I had the pleasure of meeting them about two weeks ago near the museum campus for their engagement shoot.

Ian is originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan (though he was born and spent his early childhood in Hartford, CT). He came to Chicago in 2003 to attend Loyola University and has been here ever since. Conor is originally from Atlanta, Georgia. He moved to Chicago in 2007 after graduating from Notre Dame.

How did you meet?

We met in an acting class at Black Box Acting here in Chicago, where we both now teach.

Who made the first move and who talked to who first?

Well, we met in an acting class and so we first got to know each other when the whole class would go out for drinks afterwards. After a few of these group outings it was Conor who asked Ian out officially (as in just the two of us).

What does you favorite date night consist of?

We have a tendency to be quite the homebodies. We have a ton of recorded Jeopardy’s saved up on our DVR and love to come home, cook dinner, and watch Jeopardy together with a glass of wine.

What are your plans for the summer? Anything fun?

We both have a pretty full teaching schedule at Black Box through the summer, but we’re hoping to take a weekend to visit Ian’s family in Michigan as well as Conor’s parents in New York.

Also, we should probably start planning our wedding…

How did the proposal happen?

To bring it back to Jeopardy… We can be quite competitive and have had to resort to writing down our Final Jeopardy answers and revealing them after everyone has had a chance to answer. On the night Conor proposed, he had pre-written a Final Jeopardy “answer” that asked Ian to marry him. We exchanged answers, Ian saw the proposal, and said yes! Conor had some champagne and roses ready and we celebrated.

(For the record…Ian got the question correct, Conor did not. It was something about Slurpees and 7-11).

What do you both do for fun, hobbies, interests?

We’re both actors. Ian is also a photographer (mostly actor headshots) and a yoga instructor. Conor is also a writer, a painter, he and does the marketing for Black Box. We like to cook and have friends over. We love spending time by the lake in the summer (although we’d love to be able to get over there more often)