Bee & Anth were unsure exactly where they wanted their engagement session. They had some ideas, like maybe at an arcade, but Anth specifically called this “gooney”, haha. They were worried that if they took their photos in a “staged” location, that they’d feel exactly like that — weird, staged, and not like themselves at all. I suggested instead, “let’s try at your place?”, and they invited me into their home for this Chicago engagement session.

We took some time to just hang out and talk first. I spend a lot of time with my couples during engagement sessions, because they serve a greater purpose than just photos to put on invites later. I want your session to really showcase who you are as a couple, and having this extended period of time where we can relax and hangout, really gives us some time to bond and form trust before the wedding. They gave me the tour of their little Chicago apartment and it was rad as hell; I loved Bee’s office where they store their music and creative things, and loved their living room space with the big open windows.

Something that was evident right away was their best friend energy, and how much they love their fur baby. Despite being worried about feeling “gooney”, they were giggly and fun while we got creative. We photographed inside, in their office, outside around their block and in their apartment building’s “backyard” area for some greenery. They also added some of their dinner into the session and I thought it was so funny; their first date was at Culver’s (and I used to work there, it was my first job!), so it was a fun addition to add a few of these to commemorate those moments for them. As always, their Chicago engagement session was shot in a mix of digital and film.