The most important thing that I want my couples to remember during their Chicago engagement session is that you can make it whatever you want it to be. So whether you’re cozied up on your couch at home, or out exploring Downtown Chicago, at the end of the day, it’s always your choice.
In fact, some of the best moments are the ones where my couples and I are able to feel free to create and express their authentic selves throughout their entire engagement session. In the case of Sam and Rick, that’s exactly what happened.
Together, we explored some of Chicago’s most famous engagement session locations and a trip to one of Sam and Rick’s favorite places. These Lifestyle Chicago Engagement Photos with Sam & Rick were one that filled my heart with so much joy and laughter that honestly, I didn’t want to end.
Remember, your engagement is one of the most important moments in your whole life. It should be celebrated to the absolute fullest! Read more about why engagement photos are important here.
The Love Story
Sam and Rick met on good ol’ Bumble back in 2016. Their relationship took off after their first date at The Second City here in Chicago. For those of you who don’t know, Second City is a comedy club. Now if that doesn’t tell what kind of people Sam and Rick are, just wait. It was on this first date that Rick sang along to a Les Miserables skit and Sam was immediately hooked. From that point forward, their relationship only continued to grow and connect even more.
Since that first date, Sam and Rick have developed a relationship based on fun, connection, and of course… food. They absolutely love going to Cafe Ba Ba Reeba to enjoy some delicious Spanish tapas. However, their ideal date night consists of homemade grilled cheese dippers, tomato bisque, and a casual picnic in their living room. That, or heading to their fave grocery store… Aldi. This is important to the story, so hang on!
Together, these two make it their mission to constantly reassure their love for one another and live each day integrating their lives together. Now you’re probably wondering, “Emma, how does the love story play out?”. Well, Rick proposed to Sam, Sam said yes, and now they’re getting married in September of 2023 with yours truly.
Sam & Rick’s Lifestyle Chicago Engagement Photos At Aldi
It was a beautiful day celebrating Sam and Rick’s engagement session in Chicago. For them, it was important to keep things light-hearted, genuine, and fun to match their personalities. Those were all the words I needed to hear to know exactly the type of vibe that we were going for.
We started off at The Wrigley Building – you have stunning views of the Chicago River, skyscrapers towering above you, and beautiful structures and architecture. A short distance away is the DuSable Bridge which again, is another iconic photo location for your engagement photos. Don’t get me wrong though, even though these locations are “iconic”, don’t mistake that as overused. They are classic for a reason people!
A side note about The Wrigley Building – Sam and Rick took my advice on having their engagement session at this location during sunrise instead of sunset. While it is one of the most beautiful spots in the city, at sunset, it’s extremely chaotic and filled with people. By heading there at sunrise, we had the whole place to ourselves. You can absolutely tell based on how comfortable Sam and Rick are in their final photographs.
What Are Lifestyle Engagement Photos?
To many of you, this may look like your run-of-the-mill Chicago engagement session. Don’t worry, I would think that too. However, Sam and Rick are far from the average couple. Remember how I mentioned they love going to Aldi? For the second part of their engagement session, we made our way to Aldi to get some more “lifestyle” engagement photos.
For those of you who don’t know, lifestyle engagement photos are taken with capturing your everyday life in mind. Rather than working towards those more formal engagement photo-type imagery, we take your everyday life and basically ~ romanticize ~ it.
For Sam and Rick, they wanted to commemorate the time spent during their relationship where their weekly date night consisted of picking out items from each other in the “Aldi Finds” aisle. Since they were students trying to save money, these two created a special event out of their weekly trips to the grocery store.
Since some of their favorite memories together consisted of grocery runs to Aldi, what better way to celebrate their engagement?!
We ran throughout the entire store, soaking up as much of this moment as we could. It meant so much to recreate this slice of their story for their engagement session🤍 Oh, and if you’re wondering if we got permission from Aldi to shoot in here, the answer is yes 😉
Chicago Engagement Inspiration | Chicago Wedding Photographer
Looking for more Chicago engagement photo inspiration? Check out some of my other fave Chicago engagement sessions below!
City Engagement Photos In Downtown Chicago
Chicago Engagement At The Nature Boardwalk At Lincoln Park Zoo
Chicago Engagement Photos At Loyola University
