The apple blossom trees were in full bloom during Vanessa and Dixon’s shoot.

The only thing we know about Vanessa and Dixon is that they love banana-oreo-vanilla-peanut butter milkshakes. The rest is a mystery.

It was so much fun that Rachael and Jim brought along their wonderful dog.

Rachel and Jim were brought together by the Blackhawks the night they won the Stanley Cup. They ended up in the same place because of mutual friends and Rachel noticed Jim and his “gorgeous smile” as she calls it right when she walked in. Although Jim had his eyes glued to the game, and Rachel left early because of class in the morning, Jim made a point to approach their mutual friend after Rachel had left and ask her number. It was later that week that they planned their first date!

Rachael says she loves that “we can do anything together and have fun whether it’s a night in or a night out or a Saturday morning spending time with our dog.” I was lucky enough to witness this in person during their engagement shoot. They were SUCH a fun couple, which made them so easy to shoot. They even brought along their newly adopted dog, Jade! We got some beautiful shots of the three of them with the fall colors as well as stunning pictures of Rachael and Jim on the Stone Arch Bridge and down on the banks of the Mississippi. I cannot wait to see what new kind of fun you bring to your wedding!

“I-94 between Chicago and Marine on St.Croix saw thousands of miles from both Cody’s green pickup and Sarah’s trusty Ford Taurus.” This is what Sarah told me with a playful giggle, and it proves that even when they lived hundreds of miles away from one another, these two couldn’t stand to be apart. This is when you know you’ve found the one; when even though you are hundreds of miles apart, your true love makes it feel as if there is no distance that can separate you. You got lucky, Sarah and Cody!

Their love story was one that was traveled just like the long stretch of highway road that separated them. Eventually it would lead them to each together, but it would take a few miles and a few years before they realized they belonged together. They first met in 3^rd grade in Mrs. Wistricill’s classroom. It was their freshman year of high school, at 15 years old, that they would share their first kiss. But the lane to their love wouldn’t find them again until 2012, the summer before Sarah started medical school. Nursing broken hearts and failed past relationships, the two found solace in one another. Cody would convince Sarah that after years of friendship they should give each other another shot. As they navigated that stretch of pavement and the distance that separated them, so to did they navigate their relationship and eventually, they just knew…

When I arrived in downtown Chicago to shoot Sarah and Cody’s engagement photos, I knew that they were absolutely meant for one another. I loved when we were shooting in Millennium Park. There are so many great backdrops here, and we took some photos in places we probably shouldn’t have. As they always say, “it’s better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission!” I’m so pumped to photograph even more of your unique love at your wedding!