Honestly, I am SO behind on blogging between moving and all the holidays, but better late than never! Today I want to give major props to Stephen and Kathryn for first, braving a Chicago winter day for their engagement session, creating a super stylish wardrobe for the afternoon, and most impressively, putting together a super impressive agenda that hit tons of gorgeous locations in such a short time.
Typically, I encourage couples to stick to one or two main locations that really highlight their personalities and are true to their relationship. Whether you're the kind of people who regularly go hiking in the mountains, like to stick to coffee shops and diners, or can be found most frequently at the park around the corner, I am a huge believer in making it part of your engagement photos!
When Stephen and Kathryn first called to talk over their engagement session dreams, they shared how Chicago the city has played a leading role in their relationship together. They lived in several different big cities near and far before they met on the east coast and later decided to make Chicago their home as a couple. Then, they sent me a list of 8 spots throughout the city that they loved and would want to feature in their session. EIGHT guys!!
Usually, when it comes to location scouting, the bulk of the work is on me, which is totally great because I love exploring places and finding the perfect spot that shouts *you.* Most often, I'll receive a vague list like "we'd like to have the city skyline and some photos near the water and maybe in a park"? So when I got a list of 8 specific spots from Stephen and Kathryn, I was totally floored and delighted with their vision! As much as I do love location scouting and creative problem solving, getting to work with a couple that knew exactly what they wanted was such a blast.
After a little back and forth, we settled on 5 that really honed in on the look and vibe they wanted. The key was to celebrate the city they loved by highlighting the skyline, Lake Michigan, the gorgeous architecture, classic Chicago views, and rounded it all off with a nod to the beautiful park district at Lincoln Conservatory. These two fantastic people created a timeline and logistical plan and carefully executed wardrobe changes that made my little type-A heart happy and away we went!
Extended sessions at multiple locations with travel in between and many outfits over several hours are not for everyone. But it really is such a joy when you can create art with people who want to share a vision with you in a beautiful place.