Ah, the first snow of the season. This brings mixed feelings to many of us. Either you’re dreading the long winter (and supposed return of Chi-beria) ahead, or you welcome snowy weather with open arms. Mary and William’s December engagement session was the perfect opportunity to embrace Chicago’s weather!

We began at Lincoln Park before dusk. Mary arrived with freshly curled hair, which I tried to capture before Mother Nature got the best of us. Miraculously, these two remained dapper as ever in spite of the wetness falling from the sky. I mean – they may have been a little bit distracted…

We had a blast playing on the Nature Boardwalk before dark, and even got a little rowdy (two words: snowball fight). As the day turned to night, we headed to Zoolights to explore and dance and listen to ever-present ‘NSync and Trans-Siberian Orchestra tunes. We even got to see some animals! I learned that William’s mother helped gather penguins from Iceland to introduce to Lincoln Park Zoo back in the day. Way cool. The original penguin’s habitat is now home to the pink-faced, pink-reared snow monkeys, who we had the pleasure of hanging out with between the glass.

Finally, we concluded our session at Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza. This is one of my favorite things to do in the city, hands-down. Turns out, I’m not alone! Mary and William brought their own glühwein mugs from Vienna, which were promptly filled upon request. We did some window-shopping, encountered a $1,200 German boot stein (sadly, none of us made the splurge), and fed each other roasted nuts (okay, THEY fed each other roasted nuts). A most pleasant end to an unforgettable winter session.

Mary and William – thanks for embracing the weather with me! I had so much fun with you both, and my head is spinning with ideas for your wedding next year. Fingers crossed the snow is melted by June…