I had met Eynat and Ryan earlier this year when they were putting together details for their autumn Seaport Hotel wedding. During our meeting, I saw that they had a notably great connection together. When they decided to hire me as their wedding photographer, I was beyond thrilled because they seemed like such a cool couple. We met one night for a shoot in a neighborhood that both they had lived in together and I had lived in at various points over the last 10 or so years. We showed each other bits of “our” neighborhood that were significant and personal as we walked down the narrow and compact streets famed for shops and aromas that mimic life in a European village. We met at their old apartment’s red door in North Square and strolled through the streets. We stopped for laughs and stopped tThey sipped a shared bottle of root beer through red and white paper straws at the Prado, stopped for a moment at one of the wharfs, and went for a splash at the new Greenway. Part of me feels like I crashed the perfect date!

West Loop is a popular location for photography. Sara and Ryan hired me for their University Club of Chicago wedding photography coming up in September. I wanted a chance to work with them and to meet their great dane Lucy. Not only did we shoot around the West Loop warehouse area stumbling across some gorgeous ivy, I got to photograph on their rooftop across from Union Station. There was plenty of space and an amazing backdrop. If you love great danes, you might also enjoy Halley & Josh’s engagement session in Roscoe Village.

Dean and Erin are a match made in heaven, or maybe a match made at a pub crawl! Their wedding at the Omni Parker Hotel is coming up in a few months and I learned that Erin went to school with Andrea, another Omni Parker Hotel bride I photographed. Andrea’s wedding is due to appear soon on Beantown Bride so become a fan on Facebook to stay up to date! Dean and Erin wanted to do their engagements in their very own neighborhood, which is about as picturesque as it gets. Beacon Hill’s defining cobblestone private ways and famous gaslights look even more delightful as the sun is setting and that extra warm glow is cast onto the streets. We had the best weather too!

Night engagement shoots are often shied away from by a lot of couples, but they are often my favorite. Griffin and Patricia are having their upcoming wedding this summer at The University Club of Portland. My shoot with them took place on the one rainy day in Chicago as night was approaching. Because the rain began to taper off and the temperature was changing, the fog rolled right in. Just like Marta and William’s engagement session in the fall, the fog was a wonderful addition to work with.I love what twilight fog does to the lighting of a photograph. Trish and Griffin were natural in front of the camera.

So you get an idea of what we were working with for Griffin and Trish’s session, here is a photo of the skyline in the fog shot from the North Pond Restaurant in Lincoln Park.

It started to quickly get dark out, but that makes the photos way more interesting.

A record store Chicago engagement shoot was a break from the norm of shooting at tourist landmarks and in scenic parks. Annie and Sunil wanted to have a little fun for their shoot and do something different. Since Sunil used to be a DJ, Reckless Records was the starting point for our shoot around Wicker Park. With such a natural connection, they were so easy to work with and are more fun than a barrel of monkeys. I had a blast.

After shooting at Reckless Records, we navigated through sidewalks crowded with hipsters and made our way over to Wormhole Coffee.

In this last shot, you’ll notice Sunil has on a Technics shirt (they make DJ gear).The couple will be married in a matter of weeks at River East Art Center in downtown Chicago, where their wedding DJ will be Style Matters.

Whitney and Ian are another one of my Chicago couples getting married in Boston. This winter, they will hold their wedding at the iconic Trinity Church in Back Bay, with a reception following at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel. I had the opportunity to meet with them before they head off to the new place they’ll call home: Naples, Italy. They came to Boston to get a good chunk of their wedding planning done, and I had the opportunity to meet with them at the Oak Room. We had a great afternoon chatting, seeing the wedding reception venue, and going over photography details.

I met with Rachael and Todd for an engagement photo session in Boston at the Lenox Hotel at Sola’s. Since the weather behaved, we ventured around Back Bay’s Copley Square, into the depths of a subway station where Todd had actually worked on some of the new signs, and then over to the house in Southie where they had been introduced by a neighbor. We also went to a super secret location where there is a car crusher, but we arrived after business hours and to locked gates and possible junkyard dogs! I will be photographing Todd and Rachael’s upcoming wedding ceremony and reception this summer. They are one of my many Smith Barn at Brooksby Farm couples this year. After getting four pages of photos published in The Knot Magazine, I began booking even more weddings at the venue. The barn venue is on a working farm complete with orchards, an antique tractor, and vintage signs galore. For this recent engagment session, Rachael and Todd were super cool to work with game for all lots of offbeat locations. People like them are the reason I love my job.

This photo was taken as a trolley zoomed by. These subway cars which I refer to as “green monsters” snake their way through tunnels and eventually make their way above ground to come up for air.

The ironwork here was recently restored and looks similar to what the Paris Metro has. I love it!

Quite often, I get brides and grooms asking me about what to wear for their engagement shoot. Because I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a fashion expert, I’ve enlisted New York City personal wardrobe stylist Hilary Rushford to offer tips on what to wear. Hilary Rushford is the founder of Dean Street Society where she works as a stylist with men & women doing wardrobe remixes, personal shopping & engagement shoots/wedding parties/special events. Look for her at www.DeanStreetSociety.com & Twitter/Facebook.

From Hilary:

Close your eyes. Picture your engagement photo hanging on your best friend’s fridge. Envision a large print framed in your living room as newlyweds. Imagine one being passed down to your grandchildren. You’re creating a memory that will last a lifetime! Let’s make some magic people.

Do your homework. Search wedding blogs for engagement photos you’re crazy about. Study them. What is it you love? Be specific. Look at what the bride is wearing, the groom, their shoes, the colors, patterns, props & background. Take notes & replicate your favorite elements. (P.S. Find couples who look similar to you to help envision what you’ll look like.)

Douse yourselves in color! Many engagement photos are taken outside. This means you could have a grey day, empty tree branches & neutral colored buildings as your backdrop. YOU make the pictures vibrant. Your photographer can have the best skills & equipment, but if your wardrobe is bland, all the editing in the world won’t make it colorful.

(Anthropologie.com)

You’ll notice I said “yourselves.” Don’t forget the groom needs color too! Many men shy away from color in their wardrobe, but try a plaid button down, a striped tie, under a colored v-neck pullover — the elements aren’t scary & or far-off from what he may already sport. Just take the color up a notch & make sure he’s wearing pattern to keep the photos visually interesting.

(Gap.com and JCrew.com)

If you want your photos to look fresh & modern, invest in new outfits. A groom in particular may want to turn to his favorite trusty sweater & broken in jeans, but odds are that well loved pieces look … well, well loved. And that makes photos look dated faster. Be a stickler for fit. A groom shouldn’t be in pants or a shirt one size too large. They’ll only make him look heavier. A bride should belt almost anything! It will instantly nip in your waist at the narrowest part. A cardigan hides bra straps & slims arms, a knee-length skirt is universally flattering, & Spanx are every girl’s best friend.

Be the superstar version of yourselves! Even if you want natural, everyday “us” … this is a professional photo shoot. Add a higher heel, a bolder necklace, a brighter belt. Grooms, embrace the word “accessorize”. Brides often arrive at a shoot with a plethora belts, scarves, colored shoes as options. Step up your game to match her for the moment you’re capturing. Hats, suspenders & bow ties are everywhere these days from Urban Outfitters to Ralph Lauren. Check out

Consider having a timeless vintage moment. There’s a reason so many couples choose to style themselves from the 30’s-50’s era: the look has stayed classic for this long, so odds are it’ll still look chic when your grandchildren are looking at them. In this case, go back to Tip #2! Gather all the details from vintage-inspired engagement shoots you love. Brides can visit Mod Cloth & Unique Vintage. Grooms get off even easier: implement details like bow ties & suspenders. And for both of you, it’s all about the right shoes! Visit Remix Vintage Shoes for inspiration. Remix Vintage Shoes for inspiration. For a mens look from Unique Vintage click here. For an elegant ladies dress from Mod Cloth, click here. It’s wise to invest in a professional to do your hair & make-up, but if you’re strong in that area there are oodles of tutorials on YouTube these days. This is a great time to utilize your hair and makeup trials with your wedding hairstylist and makeup artist. If you do take this opportunity, please make sure to allow more than ample time for a punctual arrival to your shoot.

Don’t exceed your budget. If you spend more than you wanted on wardrobe, you’ll feel extra pressure & stress the day of the shoot. Budget-conscious brides can try RentTheRunway.com which allows you to wear a designer dress without the price tag. Order a second dress option for just $25, plus you can also rent jewelry & be done in one fell swoop!For the groom check out H&M, Gap, or your local department store. (The dresses below are all $50 or less!

Pack extra. Your photographer can always help you edit, but the more belts, cardigans, ties, shoes you arrive with, the more they have to work with. Help them help you!

Enlist help. helping them choose the wardrobe for their shoots. While easiest & most fun in person, it can be done even cross-country entirely with online window shopping, vision boards, Skype chats & camera phone pics. If you don’t go with a stylist, seek out your most fashionable friend or go to your favorite store, find a salesperson who’s style you like & ask them for help. (Beware that an in-store stylist may just be trying to sell you something, so take multiple options into the dressing room & ask for their favorite vote, not just a “yes/no” on one item.)

Get a great night of sleep & get excited to take pictures with your favorite person in the whole wide world: your brilliant fiance!

For a reasonable price, Hilary Rushford of Dean Street Style is available for advice and guidance on styling for your engagement photography session via Skype, email, phone, or locally in the NYC/Brooklyn area. Be sure to visit and subscribe to her blog at Dean Street Society for useful tips!

On the hottest day in Chicago in months (it was 88 degrees in early April folks!) I met Craig in front of the Kerryman Irish Pub in the Loop. Moments later, Katie arrived looking lovely from her hair appointment for the engagement session. Our original plan was to shoot indoors due to severe storms in the forecast but because it was such an unseasonably warm day, everyone was out… at the bar. We decided to avoid the crowds and took advantage of the warm weather by walking around the Loop area. We had a lot of laughs as we made our way to one of my favorite locations. This shot was taken at the Wabash Underbridge Canopy at the Chicago Riverwalk. On hot days, being in the shade right next to the river is great. What I’ve always loved about this spot is that the reflective metal surfaces catch light from the river and illuminate the space. Katie brought along a bouquet of red balloons to splash a bit of color into the shoot.

Stay tuned to the blog for photos from Katie and Craig’s upcoming wedding ceremony and reception at the Adler Planetarium. If you haven’t already subscribed to my blog for updates, you can do so easily by clicking here.