LOVE it when our couples introduce us to new locations.  It really inspires our creativity!  So when Mary Liz suggested Grant Park in South Milwaukee, we jumped at the opportunity to try the place out.  Luckily the fall color was still holding on as the couple walked throughout the park.  The beach was a lovely surprise!  The cascading landscape in the distance really drew this couple to this spot, so we definitely enjoyed capturing them along such a backdrop.  Another fun couple to work with – boy, are we lucky!  Their big day is sure to be spectacular.

Going on a romantic ‘picnic’ with our couples is one of our favorite engagement session styles to shoot.  What could be more romantic than curling up together under a warm blanket, reading your favorite book to each other in a field, all over a glass of wine?  Why, doing all of that in front of a photographer of course!  All kidding aside, this couple was a joy to work with.  The props were perfect.  We look forward to meeting their kiddos when we capture their big day next year.  It will be our first reception literally ON the water!

We LOVE referrals… especially when they come from friends.  So when our pal Jeff suggested his sister contact us about shooting her wedding next year, we couldn’t wait to work with her!  The engaged couple opted for the urban flavor of the Historic Third Ward.  Steven and I always love how much variety we get out of this location.  Getting to know Jordan + Joe during their session was easy as pie!  Their love for life and each other really showcased through our lens.  Super excited for the big day next year!  Thanks again to Jeff for sending his equally cool sis our way.

Our first meeting with Allison and Aaron at a wedding a few weeks ago helped set the tone for their engagement session. After chatting a bit and getting acquainted we went back to our wedding coverage knowing we’d have a blast shooting these two.  Double A (sounds like a cool “couples” nickname right?) were relaxed, laid back, and a breeze to work with.  Photogenic beyond belief and with an all-American-high school-sweetheart love story that makes the ladies cry and the guys cringe, we couldn’t help but also fall in love with these two.  The tenderness and love they easily share with each other was golden.  Not only did we get to see the spot where Aaron proposed, we were also regaled with the story behind said proposal.  We loved their sense of style and clothing selections for this fall evening shoot – especially the vintage high school athletic gear.  We can’t wait to work with these two again next year.

We always jump at the chance to capture our engaged couples in surroundings that speak to who they are.  These places often tell a personal or familial history that has shaped individuals lives and directed their paths to this very moment.  The landscape often becomes sacred ground and holds an almost equal importance to our shoots as does our subjects.  So, when we learned that Brooke and Ryan wanted to have us over to Ryan’s family farm for their engagement session we were ecstatic.  Not only did we get a personal tour of the farm with two tour guides who couldn’t keep their hands off each other, we got a chance to make some new furry friends.  Apart from the significance of the farm to Brooke and Ryan, it provided some perfect locations that left us jockeying for best camera position.  A backdrop is nothing without the subject however.  Though slightly nervous and apprehensive at first (who isn’t with two cameras and two boisterous photogs in their face directing them to “act natural”) Brooke and Ryan warmed up quickly and had no reserve showing the camera the love and connection they share with each other and with the places that have made them who they are.  Luckily we were able to capture everything we wanted before a serious storm rolled in.  As we said our goodbyes until next spring, the heavens opened up and a giant watering can came down from above drenching the farm with life giving water – as well as anyone not inside their vehicle (Steve).

When we were first contacted about shooting Sarah and Steve’s wedding we had to laugh out loud.  We’ve shot a few Steves, we’ve shot a few Sarahs and even some Saras, but never a Steve and Sarah.  Our nominal relationship broke the ice and helped us truly capture the love they share.  Since they met while attending college in Chicago it was only appropriate that we capture the two in the city where their love would eventually lead them to the decision to commit their lives to each other.  A relaxing stroll through Chicago’s Millennium Park turned out to be the perfect backdrop for our session.  Sarah and Steve’s interaction was poetry in motion.  There was never a time where we had to goad them to cuddle up to each other.  Of course being crazy photogenic and dressed to the nines helped as well.  We can’t wait to work with them again next year when they tie the knot.

With their big day only a few short weeks away, we were extremely anxious to finally meet Jenna and Danny and shoot their much awaited engagement session.  Working with this pair was the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  Jenna and Danny both share an awesome sense of humor that was easily captured.  We were especially thrilled to hear how they met – Danny worked as a rock climbing instructor and Jenna a student who quickly became teacher’s pet.  Their love is truly rock solid (and a whole bunch of other puns involving rocks).  We can’t wait to see the two again in September when they tie the metaphorical climbing knot.

We met Brittany and Matt last year while they made preparations for their 2014 wedding.  After hitting it off with them over drinks and conversation at the home studio we were awash in anticipation for their engagement session.  Since Brittany and Matt call the Third Ward home we thought it very apropos to capture the love they share at their stomping grounds.  From a first date at Vino 100 to  building a life -long commitment to each other to becoming proud parents of Lilly – the cutest beagle/basset hound ever to grace the Brew City’s Riverwalk – they’ve inextricably woven Milwaukee’s Third Ward into their love story forever.  To say the shoot went well is an understatement.  It was type of summer evening where the heat of the day was balanced perfectly by the setting sun and cool lake breeze.  With conditions like this, we only set the wheels in motion, sit back, and enjoy capturing the bond that keeps the two parts from ever separating.  Of course the star (or should we say dog- star since we are creeping into the dog days of summer) of the evening received her just camera coverage.  Lilly provided countless laughs and some wonderful expressions for everyone involved.  We can’t wait to witness Brittany and Matt’s vows next year.  Congrats.

It’s difficult to think of anything more relaxing and enjoyable than summer evenings in the Brew City with the ones you love.  The warmth of the setting sun coupled with a cool lake breeze can create a collective amnesia of the months of ice and chill.  We were delighted to have the chance to hang out with Jackie and Evan and their two fur-babies for a beautiful engagement session along the Milwaukee River.  Jackie and Evan took to the shoot like a fish to water.  The love they share and their desire to commit their lives to each other  was more than evident.  No need for overly confusing direction or even our best fashion photographer impersonations.  Even the thought they put into their coordinating outfits was incredible.  It’s hard to beat his and her’s Chuck Taylors in our book.  We can’t wait to see what their October wedding has in store for us.