North Avenue Beach Engagement Session in Chicago, IL | Valerie and Cody

These two and their beautiful story in Chicago, IL was featured on Popped!

There is so much that I love about Valerie and Cody and our engagement session around Chicago, IL, but how much they love Chicago is definitely the highlight.

“For us, Chicago has played a significant role in our lives and throughout our relationship. Even from our start together, we would carouse the city streets to find new coffee shops, stumble into a new brunch spot, take photographs, or just wander and try anything that sparked our interest. Whether it was going to a Cubs game, losing ourselves in The Art Institute of Chicago, or sitting on the beach or at the park to relax, Chicago has always captured our hearts and has been the backdrop to many of our favorite memories together. ”

— Valerie

Our engagement session tracks their love story, and the places they went leading up to Cody’s winter proposal. We started off our engagement session at Elaine’s Coffee Call in Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL; the very first coffee shop these two frequented together, and traveled out to The Art Institute of Chicago in downtown, where they would wander around the art, or Cody would wait for Valerie to get out of class. Our last stop was definitely the most meaningful, as Cody proposed to Valerie on a winter Chicago, IL day at the Oak Street Beach, a few minute walk from the picturesque North Avenue Beach.

“A cold, sleety Saturday at the end of December was no different! Cody had asked if I wanted to go to Oak Street Beach to take some photos. We knew the weather obviously wasn’t optimal, but hey—why not? After a quiet bus ride downtown, we found ourselves on a snow-covered beach and a halfway covered skyline as our backdrop. Regardless, we loved the view of our favorite city and began taking photos like usual. The beach was so peaceful with only a few stragglers braving the windy lakefront. Cody had asked me to turn around and face Lake Michigan for his shot; naturally I did and began taking photos of the water. A few seconds later, he asked me to turn around and there he was with a sparkly ring in his hand, down on his knee in the snow, and asking me to marry him. It honestly couldn’t have been more perfect to us—snowy, gray day and all!”

— Valerie

The whole experience of capturing Valerie and Cody’s love was absolutely amazing, as we traversed Chicago, IL for all of their engagement session locations. They combined not only their love of Chicago, their love of the Chicago Cubs, but of course, their love of each other. I am so excited for their upcoming wedding back in Chicago, IL to see them tie the knot in their favorite place!