I met Taylor and Nolan up in downtown Geneva two weeks ago to photograph them in their hometown. The leaves were just starting to turn a golden color and the weather was just perfect to capture these cuties during such a special time for them. I cannot wait to see what they have in store next September for their wedding at Arrowhead Golf Club overlooking the lush green fairways. It’s going to be magical!! xo

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For the LOVE of my great city and all the lovely couples I get to capture under its trees and city sidewalks- I decided to create this mini session location guide of my most favorite places to shoot Engagement Sessions around the Chicago area. This will be a continual project as I always have more awesome locations to add to this guide. But I thought it will serve as a handy little reference to send to my couples looking for Engagement Session location ideas. And no doubt that the hardest part will be choosing which beautiful part of this amazing city to visit! Click here to view more locations-thanks for taking a look 🙂 What are your favorite hidden gems to shoot in or around Chicago?!

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It’s not everyday I get to retrace the steps to where someone proposes to spend forever with their love. That’s exactly what I did on Sunday when I met Julia and Mike at the lakefront at Belmont Harbor around sunset. Seeing how they embraced each other almost every change they had the opportunity to was such an endearing experience to be in the presence of. I can’t wait to capture and celebrate along with their family and friends at their July wedding at Volo Restaurant.

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Looking to gift someone special a family or kids photo session this Spring or Summer? Wanna surprise your wife with an Anniversary OR Maternity session? Or traveling to the Midwest and want to capture an afternoon on the lakefront? Personalized gift certificates for any occasion are now available! Message me to start planning your next photo session. Email: info@coachhousepictures.com

When Kari told me they wished to visit a few special places in the city that meant a lot to her and her fiance Gino- I knew we were in for a very special Engagement session together. Starting at the Lincoln Park Conservatory  where Gino proposed to Kari in front of a small fountain. I couldn’t get over her dress and the perfect pop of florals against all the tropical plants.

We then went to a private roof top nearby where Gino used to live and where the first memories of their relationship blossomed. Can you believe those breathtaking views of Lincoln Park and the Chicago skyline?!  I instantly fell in love too!

To end the night we took a stroll through the South Pond boardwalk and toasted with Kari’s second love Starbucks.  Add one of the most perfect Fall sunsets to the mix which made for such an intimate and romantic Engagement session.

We can’t wait to celebrate with them next year for their July wedding!

When we first met with Amanda last year she excitedly told us that her fiance Luis was working hard to fully restore a vintage 1956 Dodge pickup in time for their wedding weekend!  After long hours of working in his shop at Auto Interiors and Design  Luis made it happen and we were able to incorporate this beauty into their Wisconsin Engagement session (the day before their actual wedding day!) in the cozy town of Burlington, WI.

What started out as a fairly foggy morning ended with clear sun filled skies.  I always love when couples like Luis and Amanda openly and authentically bring so much love and energy to their engagement session. There closeness and affection towards each other was so sweet to capture. The town of Burlington was definitely smiling down on these newly weds last month!

I had a blast photographing Eric and Natalia’s urban Engagement session last week. We started at the beautiful Chicago Riverwalk and ended the evening at Olive Park where I got to know more about their love for Northwestern (that’s where they first met), Harry Potter, and musicals. We are so excited to be working alongside Naturally Yours Events for there wedding next July at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago.

We are thrilled about creating our first Guestbook sample using one of our favorite Engagement sessions to date. We are so passionate about offering these to our current and future clients mostly because I so wish that we would have done this with our own engagement photos. Not only is it a great way to bring together all of your favorite photos but its also a way to share your Engagement photos with your guests. Leaving plenty of white space on each page allows your guests to write there best wishes too.

And we are beyond thrilled to have found such a great book making company as well. Redtree Albums are hand crafted and bound using beautiful Fuji Crystal Archive paper with lay-flat binding. The front and back cover make the best canvases to show case your favorite image, with a single photo that wraps around to the back. We love these albums for there modern and minimalistic take on an heirloom.

It will surely be the best coffee table book you will love to flip through for years to come!

When we first met up with Jamie to talk about what she was envisioning her Engagement session to be like, little did we know that she already had her favorite spot on the lakefront picked out. Loyola Park is a special place that Jamie and Chris visit regularly either by taking long walks or by riding their beach cruisers. Needless to say that our engagement session was one of our favorites to photograph for sure! It’s so special to spend time in an area that means so much to a couple. We cannot wait to photograph Chris and Jamie’s beach wedding this summer too!!

A few weeks ago, Joe and I jumped at the chance to adventure around the quaint Michigan town of Sawyer, with an amazingly sweet couple Chris and Criss! Chris’s childhood summers were spent in Sawyer at his families cottage.  We met with them their  first for coffee and chatted about how we would spend our day traveling around the town together stopping on the side of the road whenever something caught our eyes. And boy,  this little town did not disappoint, with its choices of beautiful rustic barns (check out the one covered in leaves!), open fields, and surrounding wineries. We had a blast hanging out with Chris and Criss while chasing the Michigan morning light. And what better way to end our engagement session than by savoring the local beers at The Round Barn Winery. We can’t wait to capture your wedding story next year!!