There’s something really special about photographing a couple for the second time. You already know a little about how they interact, the way they laugh together, and those small in-between moments that make their relationship feel like theirs. But getting to photograph M & B again gave me the chance to see a completely different side of them.


Earlier this year, I photographed their elopement in Chicago. That session was more editorial and intentional, with a formal feel that fit the city setting so beautifully. This time, they wanted something completely different.


They wanted to let loose, be themselves, and spend an evening simply enjoying each other.


And that is exactly what we did.

Couple walking hand in hand through a lush garden with pink roses and green trees on a checkered path.
Couple lying on green grass laughing together, surrounded by purple wildflowers in a romantic outdoor setting.
Couple lying on grass laughing together, woman in floral dress and man in white shirt, romantic outdoor photo.
A couple walks hand-in-hand across a lush green lawn, the woman wearing a tiered blush gown and the man in white.

For their couples session at Cantigny Park in Wheaton, Illinois, Instead of giving M & B a long list of poses and asking them to hold a certain position, I gave them prompts.


My goal was to give them something to do rather than something to pose.


We walked through the gardens, moved from one spot to another, laughed, played, talked, and gave them plenty of opportunities to interact naturally. The prompts were there to create movement and connection, but the moments in between were where some of my favorite photographs happened.


Because when couples stop worrying about what they’re supposed to do for the camera, they get to actually experience the session.


And M and B made that incredibly easy.


There was so much laughter and playfulness throughout the evening, mixed in with those quieter moments where they could simply be together. Nothing felt overly posed or forced. It felt like them.

Couple sitting on stone steps by a lily pond in a lush garden, man in white suit kissing woman in floral dress.
Couple posing on a wooden garden swing, woman in floral dress seated while man in white shirt stands beside her.
A smiling couple walks arm-in-arm through a garden arbor, woman in floral dress, man in white shirt and khakis.
Couple sitting on a garden bench, sharing a tender moment surrounded by lush greenery and a potted bonsai tree.

Their Chicago elopement was editorial, polished, and more formal. This session was relaxed, playful, and completely focused on the two of them.


Neither approach was better than the other, they simply told different parts of their story.


That’s one of the things I love most about being a photographer. Your photos don’t always have to look the same. You can have the beautifully planned, dressed-up photographs and the carefree ones where you’re laughing in the middle of a garden. You can celebrate the big moments and document the ordinary ones, too.


They all become part of your story.

Couple holding hands walking through a beautiful garden with stone steps and colorful flowers during an outdoor engagement session.
Couple sharing a romantic kiss in an elegant garden with stone urns, lush hedges, and floral archways at dusk.
Bride in floral dress walks through a romantic rose garden with lush hedges and a weeping willow tree.

We wandered through Cantigny, enjoyed a beautiful summer evening, laughed a lot, and let the photographs happen naturally.


After already getting to document their love story in the heart of Chicago, it was such a joy to capture this softer, more playful side of them in Wheaton.


A little less editorial.


A little more carefree.


A little more them.


And honestly, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Couple relaxing in Adirondack chairs under string lights in a cozy backyard garden at dusk, holding drinks.
Couple embracing romantically outdoors at night under string lights on green grass, woman in flowy dress, man in white shirt.
Romantic silhouette of a couple facing each other at dusk with warm string lights glowing in the background.