Casual Urban Engagement Session

We love the laid-back feel of Angela and Justin’s Chicago engagement session! Gerald Carvalho Photography followed cute couple Angela and Justin to their favorite local haunts and captured them drinking coffee and just having fun together. These two are gorgeous and we adore Justin’s tailored coat and Angela’s fabulous boots! These two look right at home together, whatever they’re doing. Such a beautiful couple!

We love a casual, fun-loving engagement shoot, and Chris and Cassi’s Coney Island engagement photos by Jen Huang Photography are fabulous! The cute couple spent a day at the Brooklyn boardwalk playing games, trying out carnival rides, and just generally being in love. The result is adorable photos that show off Cassi and Chris’s personalities. We are completely smitten!

Megan and Josh look so sunny and in love in these charming shots from their engagement session with J. Layne Photography! Josh’s purple plaid with Megan’s bright yellow and blue is such a pretty combination in these outdoor photos. Of course, we simply adore vintage touches, and the icy blue bicycle complete with flowers in its wicker basket is almost too much fabulous to handle!

This elegant ceremony and handsome after-party are simply perfect for the quickly approaching cool weather! Greatest Expectations Special Events & Weddings, Inc., styled this shoot along with Julia Franzosa Photography, and it features a simple, Zen-like beginning followed by a crisp reception that includes a homemade s’mores and hot cocoa bar from Truffle Truffle. Genius! We adore the geometric color-block stationery in white, gray, and black from Sarah Drake, as well as the greenery arrangements paired with bronze succulents from Pistil & Vine. There’s just nothing better than a timeless Chicago affair—complete with traditional tuxes from Black Tie Formalwear—where no detail was overlooked! See it all in the gallery!

We are completely in love with Debbie and Kevin’s fun Huntington Beach engagement session! The California light is simply lovely, and the love that Debbie and Kevin have for each other shines through in every image. We love Debbie’s beautiful cobalt dress paired with Kevin’s dapper navy suit, and their quick change into more relaxed beachy-toned wear, too! Sit back and enjoy all of the beautiful images from Christine Choi Photography!

Connie and Ted’s adorable engagement session is so unexpected for Los Angeles—there’s no trace of the city, just lots of hearty succulents, a little potting soil, and so much love! These two genuinely enjoy playing and hanging out together, and it’s so clear in these fab photos from Caroline Tran. We’re sure that the couple who gardens together, stays together!

Amber’s Prince Charming is literally riding a white horse—how lucky can a girl be? Amber dreamed up the theme of her engagement photos with fiance Josh and Aislinn Kate Photography, and we think these images are so dreamy! The two of them met up in a field, complete with wildflowers and a white Percheron horse, to make this fairytale come to life. We love Josh’s pale pink shirt paired with Amber’s gauzy white dress and pink floral hair wreath by Supposey Wedding Florals to round out the soft, romantic feel. Our favorite part is the image of the two of them riding off into the sunset—stunning!

How fun is this safari-style engagement session from Esther Sun Photography? Jenny and Andrew headed out to Safari Barn in Winchester, California, for a laid-back day with camels, zebras, horses, and goats! We love their chic look against the rustic barns and quiet pastures. Enjoy these unique and lovely pictures from their shoot!

Hooray for engagement shoots with pets—and we’re especially partial to pups! Kris and Lauren’s lakeside photos in Dallas are the perfect family photos. Their two beautiful babies joined them to celebrate their engagement, and we just love the laid-back, playful photos from Matt and Ivy Photography!

We love this fresh approach to vintage wedding decor, with design by Chicago Vintage Weddings and images from Justine Bursoni! The woodsy setting is the perfect backdrop for bold-colored florals from Flowers by Stem; the brides peach and cream makeup by Karen Marie Salon is a neutral base for her classic strapless gown with unexpected details like rosettes on the bust and a bow at the base of the skirt. Vintage rentals and gold accents provide a touch of sparkle on the dark wood table set amongst the trees. Besides the lovely bride, our favorite part of this shoot is an amazing dessert table topped with ruffled icing cakes by Luscious Layers Bakery. Delicious! Drool over all of the beautiful details in the gallery!

Jackie and Paul’s crisp, sunny session with Brooke Images is half laid-back Florida chic and half sophisticated New England nautical, and we adore every single photo! The couple chose classic coastal colors for their clothing—yellow, navy stripes, turquoise, and white—as they played and posed on docks and beaches around Amelia Island, Florida. We especially love their creative save the date shot with a life preserver and oar. So cute! We hope you enjoy this fun couple’s lovely engagement shoot!

We love Laci and Dan’s sweet engagement photos, shot during the height of cherry blossom season in New York’s Central Park! Lindsay Madden Photography took these wonderful photos of the couple as they strolled the lush outdoors surrounded by pretty pink buds that perfectly complement Laci’s precious dress. We can’t think of a better, more romantic spot to be!

Akane and Gimpei are simply adorable in their engagement photos taken in breathtaking Kyoto, Japan! We’re huge fans of international photo shoots because they’re a fun way to show the personalities of couples. For a true taste of Japanese culture, Anna Wu Photography captured wonderful images of Akane and Gimpei in and around Kiyomizu-dera. The couple is stunning, and we love these playful and romantic shots!

We think Erin and Constantine are absolutely adorable, and so is their engagement session shot by Troy Grover Photographers! The couple started with oysters at Shuck Oyster Bar in Costa Mesa, California, before wandering around The OC Mart Mix laughing, smiling, kissing, and just being in love. What a wonderful way to celebrate their engagement!

Nicole and Jackie’s engagement session may be one of the sweetest we’ve ever seen! Captured by Adrienne Gunde Photography around Los Feliz and in Griffith Park, the couple smiled and cuddled outdoors in the California sunshine, and their love simply radiates in these images. So pretty!

We are mesmerized by the moody, sophisticated photos from Yoko and Andy’s engagement session. The wonderful Andria Lindquist took these chic images of the couple as they worked their way around Brooklyn and Manhattan. We just love the playfulness of these pictures against the serious New York backdrop!

It’s already so hard to resist photo booths, but add in antique details, vintage LPs, and fabulous accessories like these from Love, Lulu Mae? Sign me up! This team behind this Inspired Creations Contest put together the Ultimate Photo Booth. Guests use props like vintage hats, mustaches on a stick, sequined and feathered headbands to create photos, buttons, and even videos to post on friends’ facebook walls! Certainly, this is not your ordinary photo booth. It’s super interactive and has so many different options to play with. Doesn’t it look like so much fun?

We were so thrilled to have The Sweetest Occasion and Elizabeth Anne Designs team up with Chicago’s most fabulous bridal show, Indie Wed, to hold the first-ever in person Inspired Creations Contest!  Teams of Chicago wedding vendors submitted inspiration boards for the event, and 6 talented teams were chosen to exhibit their Inspired Creations Contest concept at Indie Wed in January.  In addition to the brides’ and grooms’ on site voting, votes from the EAD and TSO blog readers will be counted, so weigh in on your favorites!

What better time to do a little love shoot than Valentine’s Day!  Leanne and Gordon are an absolutely precious couple, and this whimsical and quirky Valentine’s engagement session in snowy Chicago suits them to a T.  Their little table for two featured raspberry tarts, blooms in the palette of kisses, romantic ribbon and adorable cross stitch messages of love.  Thanks to my lovely friends Jessie from Simply Jessie Photography and Kelly from Fleur for sharing!

For a city lover, this is the perfect engagement session. Danielle’s pink dress pops against the backdrop of Lincoln Park in Chicago, and JT’s fedora is the perfect funky accessory. Photography is by Maloman Photographers.