Irene + Michael ~ Chicago River ~ Chicago Proposal Photography

I am SO EXCITED to share my first Chicago proposal with you guys!

These adorable love birds you may have seen before when I photographed an anytime session for them last summer – just because they are crazy about each other and wanted to document it! Awwww… (one of my favorite photos of all time)… 🙂

Michael didn’t make things easy on me this time by choosing a location at night, on the river, with only dim back-light to propose to Irene… but I came early, prepared my camera settings, and did my best to handle the situation I was given …all without flash, because I was hiding and supposed to be a secret… obviously! Eek! 🙂 (Photographers out there… we’re talking shooting with a 70-200mm lens, 6400 ISO, 2.8 at 1/40 shutter speed with manual focus because my auto-focus was FREAKING out in those dim/back-lit conditions. Yowsa. To say I was sweating bullets over this would be an understatement to say the least – Ha!)

Irene and Michael are complete sweethearts and so completely crazy about each other – it is impossible not to smile when you’re around them and feel their love. Michael arranged to have both of their families there to witness the proposal from the street level while he proposed to Irene down below along the riverwalk in downtown Chicago. Then, immediately following the proposal – the families snuck down to river level and surprised Irene to congratulate them! It was fabulous!!

And as if that wasn’t enough – then we all ran up to their neighborhood stomping grounds to surprise them with even more family and friends, where they had a big party to celebrate their engagement. So fabulous!

Michael did good… Michael did really good. Check it out!

It was a beautiful night in Chicago for a proposal, if I do say so myself…