From the minute I pulled up to their house, I knew I was going to fall in love with Eli and Ali. Ali had this gorgeous cream lace dress on and her hair was curled and Eli had a suit on. They were very well dressed and were so nice. We hugged (I’m a hugger) and they showed me around their new home that they had just purchased. If a wedding photographer could tell if a couple was “love at first sight” this would definitely have been the time! They were so easy going and within the first few minutes it felt like I had known them my whole life.

Eli and Ali wanted to start their session off at their home with their dog Mavis. She’s adorable and she was so comfortable posing with mom and dad that she literally fell asleep during pictures. So darn cute!!! After a few photos around the house, we made our way to this old church in Du Quoin, Illinois. When Ali planned on shooting there, she knew she wanted to find a lace dress, and she found the perfect one. It was so pretty she wore it so well. And it’s not every day that I see a groom-to-be in a suit for his engagement photos. I liked that they had such great style and changed up their look.

After they changed into more casual outfits, we made our way to a barn just outside of Pinckneyville. If you’re from that area then you’ll probably recognize it. It was perfect for Ali’s style. She likes all things primitive and even brought along an old bench, antique quilt and Coke in old fashioned bottles. I love all the little details that Ali thought of. It’s the little details that make up both of their personalities and styles and it was so much fun to capture.

I cannot wait till May when these two say “I DO.” But for now, enjoy looking through a few of my favorites from my time with them. If you love chunky blanket scarves, old churches, dogs and Coke… then this blog is for you!

I absolutely LOVED the Coke Bottles.