Just a few days ago this Sunday we headed out at sunrise over to Chicago for a sunrise Engagement Session for Katie & Kevin! We hadn’t seen these two since our in-person wedding meeting with them 7 months ago at the start of October, so it was great to see them again in person rather than chatting via email! Originally back 5 months ago we’d planned on having their Spring Engagement Session the 3rd weekend of May to ensure some Spring flowering trees, but these two had a big change (moving out 45 minutes away to a Chicago suburb once May started today), so they asked if they could use their tentative April date (which we’d reserved for if the trees flowered a month early like they sometimes do).
Luckily even though we booked our trip months before these two wanted to change their date from the end of May to the end of April, we’d planned our trip to Arizona to return us to South Bend just a day and a half prior to the new desired Engagement Session date in April. (We hadn’t been out West to see immediate family (Jason’s) in a year & a half and hadn’t been to Arizona in two and a half years, so we opted for an Easter trip to see Jenny’s 4 immediate family members, 2 dogs, and 7 aunts & uncles!) Originally set for sunset, these two opted instead for a sunrise Session. We asked weeks in advance if we could have the Session on Sunday rather than Saturday which they were fine with and we’re EXTREMELY thankful that we did that, because JUST the day prior on Saturday it had snowed from mid-day (noon) through the entire night leading to Sunday! Talk about a 3rd Winter-!! Luckily when we woke up Sunday morning there was really only snow stuck to the house roofs around us and there was some slush on the ground, so we were optimistic that by the time we got in to Chicago it would all be melted in the bright sun and it WAS! The weather Sunday morning went from cool straight to sunny and warmer, so we couldn’t have asked for better weather given the circumstances!
We met Katie & Kevin semi near the zoo in Chicago and headed on to a route we’d pre-planned based off of locations that they loved in a couple of our Chicago location galleries that we’d sent over to them. Since the city of Chicago is the 3rd biggest city in our nation, parking, traffic, and logistics are always crazy for engagements or weddings, but we were thrilled to have our parking well-planned.
We even planned ahead to photograph these two on a wonderful bridge NOT in the immediate downtown of Chicago so that we wouldn’t be walking through traffic to photograph them on it. This particular bridge even happened to have an opened drawbridge behind it! Chicago actually has the most drawbridges of any city in North America AND the 2nd most drawbridges of any city in the WORLD (surpassed only by Amsterdam), so it really was a unique treat to get to photograph these two on such a unique bridge that showcased an opened drawbridge in the background!
Another classic spot that we photographed these two at was at the water’s edge in Chicago. There are a few spots in Chicago where we love photographing couples on the coast of Lake Michigan, but this was their favorite from our galleries that we’d sent over, so we did head there first right in the morning near sunrise! We were shocked when we got there to see waves over 10 feet tall crashing down onto the bottom 3 tiers of the long, wide platform steps near the water! We kept Katie & Kevin safe and dry throughout, but Jason did literally have to tuck & roll out of a wave to save himself and his camera gear when a rogue wave tried to get him on the second step-!
We are also photographing Katie & Kevin’s wedding coming up in 5.5 months in mid-October at a resort in Plymouth, Indiana! These two chose the spot because Kevin hails from Illinois while Katie hails from Indiana, so they figured this would be a perfect in-between spot for their families and friends to travel to to celebrate these two! They have nearly everything set for their wedding (other than a couple final easier details) and we’re really looking forward to getting there in October (our 1 year mark of knowing them) to capture their beautiful day!
While walking around Chicago we talked to these two about how their move was going (that had to be finished in two & a half days) and they told us that they were likely moving all of the rest of their apartment items out that day (including their bed)! They said that they were sort of sad to leave downtown Chicago for the time being, but that they’d be getting a newer place later that year and that the suburb living was temporary & relatively easy because it allowed them to take the Metra into the city!
Since today is May 1st, these two are officially moved into their new place in the Chicago suburbs and are looking forward to their wedding coming up in the fall and then another move into their new home after that! 2019 holds much change for these two, but they’re excited for it all!
Katie originally hails from just outside of Indianapolis (New Palestine), while Kevin is from the Chicago suburb of Homewood-Flossmore, so it’s a big coincidence that we’re actually photographing down in Indianapolis for a couple in just a day and a half this Friday (within the same week as their Chicago Engagement Session)!
We had a blast capturing these two at a handful of locations in Chicago and can’t wait to continue to edit their photos throughout the rest of this week! We’re so thankful that the snow only stuck around on Saturday and cleared up for their Engagement Session on Sunday morning!
Katie & Kevin: We hope that you two didn’t have too difficult a time moving the rest of your things out of your apartment in Chicago at the start of this week to move temporarily to the suburbs and we hope that your work week has been going well! We’ll finish up editing your photos this week through Saturday and cannot wait to talk with you two more soon (and photograph your big day in a little over 5 months-!!)
____ Coming up in a couple days we head down to Indianapolis to photograph a couple wonderful folks down there! This week happens to be graduation week for many university, Master’s, and PhD students, so we’ll also be capturing Graduation things as well! We’ll return Friday evening from Indianapolis to a jam-packed weekend & week full of photo editing. We then capture Victoria & Alex’s wedding NEXT week here in South Bend at St. Casimir Church & The Armory! These two will be traveling in from their home in Chicago next week for their wedding and we are so excited to capture their big day in downtown South Bend SO soon!
After Victoria & Alex’s wedding here in South Bend next weekend, we have 3 more local weddings here in South Bend within the month! We have two University of Notre Dame weddings to capture as well as an Oliver Mansion wedding (which will end up at a lake in Michigan for the reception)! We have so many more wonderful couples to share with you coming up this month and throughout the year and we cannot wait! For now though we’ll catch you next Weekly Wednesday!