I say it all the time, but I’ll say it again – I love my bride tribe!

Meet Jillian and Ryan! I met these two back in 2017 when they were both in Shelby and Tim’s wedding alongside another one of my lovely brides, Brittany.

Jill and Ryan’s story goes back to 2012 when they met in college through a mutual friend. After meeting at a friend’s gathering, they were quicky interested in each other, and the rest is history. This past August, Ryan completely surprised Jill with a proposal! They were outside the Loyola University Church. Ryan told Jill that they were going to meet his family for breakfast. But first, his mom wanted to stop by the church. Ryan’s actual plan? Proposing to Jill alongside the lake with BOTH their families (Jill’s family driving in from Cleveland the night before!) waiting just inside the church doors. What a celebration that day was with these two and their loved ones!

Shortly after their engagement, I was so excited to see Jill’s name pop up in my inbox! I loved meeting and working with her at Shelby and Tim’s wedding, so it was just a joy to be talking about her wedding day this time around. It’s an honor to work with brides that are all connected! We hit it off from the start and soon enough, we were planning their engagement session in Chicago.

On the original date of their engagement session in Chicago, it was a snowy mess! It was our second snow in Chicagoland this year, and it was just wet and freezing cold outside. So, we opted for a reschedule, and we were a million times thankful that things played out the way they did! A few days later, we met to start their engagement session at the Lincoln Park Nature Boardwalk before heading over the North Avenue Beach for skyline photos. It was a gorgeous, sunny November day, and we were thankful.

This was the first time Jill and Ryan had been professionally photographed – just the two of them as a couple. What an honor! I am truly grateful that they trusted me to guide them and help them feel comfortable throughout the session because it made for beautiful photos of this time in their life together!

Can’t wait for your wedding next summer, Jill and Ryan!

P.S. – Wanna see more engagement sessions like this? Click here!