Emma Mullins Photography

Earlier this year, Alexis met up with Elizabeth and Leah for their Chicago Cultural Center engagement session! These two wanted “something that feels vibrant and eclectic” for engagement photos, with a hint of Wes Anderson style. When we started planning their Chicago session for February, we knew we’d need at least one indoor location with lots of variety. Naturally, we decided on the Cultural Center! The result was a success… Elizabeth and Leah brought so much joy, and we are getting so excited for them to tie the knot this fall!

Chicago Cultural Center Engagement Photos

If you’re looking for an indoor location in the city to take engagement photos in the winter, look no further. The Cultural Center is filled with gorgeous light, picturesque locations, and rotating art installations. And the best part: It’s FREE to take photos here, provided there are no other events taking place in the building! The Cultural Center is also in the middle of downtown Chicago, so if you can brave the weather for a few minutes, you’ll be able to capture the cityscape, too. Spoiler alert: That’s exactly what Leah and Elizabeth did for their February session 🙂

Elizabeth and Leah: We loved helping your Cultural Center engagement photos come to life! Can’t wait for all the magic your wedding day will bring!!

Last month I finally got to have a snowy winter engagement session with Alex and Matt! We had been watching the weather for weeks, and the stars aligned for us one weekend in January with a fresh snowfall. What’s more – we were lucky enough to meet for this session right before temperatures got really cold!

I met these two on a Saturday morning at one of their favorite local nature trails in Gurnee. Of course, they brought their pups Willow and Kira – who were absolutely thrilled with the fresh snow! We had a blast walking their usual route and finding the most picturesque locations. Alex and Matt’s first date was in January, so it was fun to celebrate their anniversary in such a gorgeous winter scene. These two were a breeze in front of the camera – and experts at keeping each other warm!

After some family photos with the pups, we made our way to a second location with romantic gazebo and majestic evergreens. We couldn’t end our session without a snowball fight – and I’m not even sure who won! Before long, Matt and Alex were back in each other’s arms, full of joy. I am so, so excited to capture their elopement day this spring!

Alexandra and Matthew: I’m so happy we were able to make your snowy winter engagement session dreams come true!! Can’t wait to do it again in just a few months 🙂

Today we’re throwing it back to Kate and Ben’s Chicago winter engagement session last year! These two are getting ready to tie the knot this weekend, and I couldn’t be more excited to capture it all 🙂

We met downtown for photos at some iconic locations that were meaningful to them, including Orleans Street Bridge. Outdoor sessions in the winter can be tricky, but Kate and Ben were all for it! One of my favorite things about winter sessions is that the downtown locations are more accessible for photos… and this was no exception. I even got them dancing in the street!

When the sun began to set, we took a quick break to stay warm and an outfit change. I learned that Ben and Kate were champagne enthusiasts… hence the bottle of bubbly they’d been carrying around for photos! They popped it open to celebrate in front of our skyline, and we got to enjoy one of the most romantic and colorful winter sunsets. I am SO excited to do it all again in a few days!

Kate and Ben: I had so much fun during your Chicago winter engagement session last year! Your wedding day is going to be awesome, see you SOON!!

Happy 2023, friends!! I’m excited to share Alana and Philip’s Chicago winter engagement session as my first post of the new year. I met these two through Katherine and Robb – you may recognize Philip as a groomsmen in their wedding last summer! These two will wed in North Carolina this June, but wanted to commemorate their city with engagement photos. Of course, I was more than happy to help them out!

We started at my home away from home, the Garfield Park Conservatory. Besides being a popular wedding day portrait location, I always recommend starting here for a winter engagement session! I was thrilled when Alana and Philip expressed similar affection toward this place – they even considered tying the knot here! We had a blast exploring each greenhouse, talking wedding plans, and discussing our green thumbs (in my case, whatever is the opposite of green). These two are so clearly over the moon about each other, I don’t think they stopped smiling for a second!

After a lovely time at the conservatory, we headed to North Avenue Beach. Here we experienced Chicago weather in all its glory – I’m pretty sure we were in the middle of an actual cloud! Luckily we were still able to see the skyline, and the photos we created are some of my favorites to date. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: you can not go wrong with this portrait location! There is something so unique and stunning about Chicago’s lakefront no matter the time of year (or the weather!).

Alana and Philip: Thank you again for having capture these moments for you! You two were a dream to work with, I know your wedding this year is going to be beautiful. Congrats again!!