Graham & Cassie: engaged || cantigny park, chicago il wedding photographer

Cassie's first impression of Graham at age 14 was that he was "a little weird and wore nerdy glasses" aaaaand that he wouldn't stop following her around at band camp.  But really, what could she expect from any boy with half a brain--because who wouldn't want to follow around the little blonde girl with startlingly blue eyes?  Thankfully it wasn't soon after that that Cassie was able to see past his awkward stage (hey, we ALL go through them, right?!) and developed a major crush on him that lasted through all of highschool.
But it wasn't until just over a year ago that they actually started to really get to know each other, and quickly became the best of friends.  Graham sealed the deal (and won the rights to follow her around forever ;) last winter and they're getting married later this summer!
Graham described Cassie to me as a "no-nonsense pure beauty" whose full bodied, doubled over kind of laughter never fails to make him smile.  And Cassie's first impression of Graham quickly went from "nerdy/weird" to "the coolest person ever" whose "unrealistically positive attitude is the most adorable thing ever..."
Enjoy their engagement pictures taken a few weeks ago in Chicago, and I can't wait to share pictures from their wedding in just over a month!
Much Love, Jessica Shae

Christian & Renee || cantigny gardens, il wedding photographer

Decades before either of them were born their grandparents went to the same church, their parents attended the same school, and their mothers have been the best of friends for years, so it was only natural that the two of them grow up as playmates.  They were friends long before Christian realized that it wasn't *cool* to play with girls (because of cooootieesss!) and while their friendship faded a bit while they both went through that awkward 11/12 year old phase (where you can't look the opposite gender in the eye) by the time they were in their teens they were back to being buds again.
They went to each others birthday parties, he taught her how to fish and play chess, and she returned the favor by teaching him how to do proper jumping jacks.  He was the older brother she never had, and he never thought of her as anything more than a little sister.  Seriously.  They told each other everything, including who their latest crush was, until one day when Renee asked Christian if he liked anyone and he had to admit that he did... and it was her.
It hasn't taken long for their lifetime friendship to turn into something so much sweeter and more meaningful to the two of them.  So while they have pictures of the two of them together dating back to their sandbox days, a few weeks ago when I was in Chicago for a wedding Renee scheduled a session with me to celebrate their almost year of being "officially" together, and to document a lifetime friendship that has turned into a forever kind of love.

Much Love, Jessica Shae

just one || dfw engagement & wedding photographer

"The best thing about dreams is that fleeting moment,

when you are between asleep and awake, when you don't know the difference

between reality and fantasy, when for just that one moment you feel with your entire soul

that the dream is reality ...and it really happened."

this is the first in a friday series I'm starting titled "just one" featuring one of my favorite pictures that I'm currently working on + a favorite quote.