Ushma And Joseph’s Chicago Engagement Session Was Filled With Naural Beauty And A Hint Of Urban Wond

Every once in a while, life shows us miracles and gives us a chance to truly appreciate what nature has in store for us. The day, September 10, 2022, was a perfect example. Our engagement photographer met a wonderful couple late in the morning for their engagement photo shoot. Ushma and Joseph fit each other like pieces in a puzzle and were a lovely couple to photograph. The pair had been engaged for a while, but with their wedding planning already in motion, the two wanted to have their engagement photo session complete when they were not busy with other things, like planning and booking vendors so that they can enjoy their engagement photo session as much as they were sure they’d enjoy the photos. The Chicago couple chose the perfect day, a chance coincidence perhaps, and we, along with our photographer, loved every minute of it! For the outdoor engagement photo session, the couple decided on a magical-esque engagement photo session location. Ushma and Joseph were in the middle of their wedding theme planning, which is why they wanted something magical but also showing the best of Chicago for their engagement photos since they wanted to set the tone for their wedding theme, and use some photos for their save-the-date cards. With much anticipation, our photographer reached the venue, Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, which the couple had carefully chosen for the day as their first location, and met them at the gate. 

After their initial exchange of greetings, our engagement photographer couldn’t help but fall in love with the city, Chicago, and the venue more. The Windy City, which is also nicknamed the City of Big Shoulders, has long been known for its bustling life and impressive sights. And on the topic of interesting facts about the city, the first mention of the city’s name was Chigagou, which is an Algonquian word meaning “onion field.”  Moving away from interesting names, the most notable thing about Chicago is not really related to its world-famous deep-dish pizza and the melodious style of jazz music but is all about the wonderful skyline. With lots of things to do, Chicago is filled with museums, art galleries, universities, and parks, one of which was our destination for the day. The location for the photo shoot was as mesmerizing that day as it was intended to be by its creator, Alfred Caldwell. Known as the last Prairie School landscape architect, Caldwell was an advocate for conservation and a staunch critic of urban sprawl. Back in the late 1930s, Caldwell had designed the Lily Pond as a refuge from the urban space in his signature style, which soon was dubbed his masterpiece. However, Caldwell did not visit the Lily Pond until sixty years later after he created it, and by then his work had been dilapidated. Looking at it, Caldwell had sighed in dismay and said, “it’s a dead world.” The beautiful landscape, and the inviting stonework paths that circled the lagoon, were no longer what he had created. Had Caldwell been alive today, he’d probably look at his masterpiece and be inspired, with the combined efforts of the Chicago Park District and local community groups, Lily Pond is alive, breathing and wonderfully magical. 

Surrounded by beauty and nature’s best offerings, Ushma and Joseph were perfectly happy with their choice and super excited to get their day started. Of all the couples our Chicago photographer had photographed, these two were naturals. Happy, smiling, and ever-ready to try out new photo poses for the outdoor photo session. Before they started the day, the young couple shared their experiences with our photographer of their dates in the garden and how much they loved it there. After seeing the photos of their engagement shoot, we agree with them. The garden is a blissful mix of trees, unmatched beauty, stone-paved paths, melodious bird songs, and an even melodious waterfall. Ushma and Joseph were surrounded by lots of greenery, and their engagement photo shoot outfits were the stark opposite of the surroundings. Ushma was dressed in a beautiful deep cyan blue sleeveless dress, which she paired with a long pendant, brown flats, and a light brown shrug. Joseph, on the other hand, is dressed in different shades of blue. He chose a light blue shirt, deep blue pants, brown dress shoes, and a matching brown belt. As for the make-up, Ushma shared that she wanted them to look picture-perfect, but also natural, which is why she chose to wear natural-looking, light make-up, and her brightest smile for the day. Before we started the day, the couple spent some time discussing the different engagement photo shoot poses to try, and they were exceptionally excited to try some ultra-romantic poses, for their save-the-dates options, and some goofy photo poses for their wedding photobook. Ushma confided in our photographer that she was already planning the decor for their wedding photobook and had started collecting some photos of themselves they loved.  

Ushma and Joseph wanted to start their engagement photo session from the pavilion. The beginning of the beautiful day was perfect just like the engagement session venue. The moment our photographer and the couple reached the Lily Pond, it was obvious that these two wanted to start there instead of the pavilion. Pristine in every way, the pond took the center stage and was surrounded by beautiful wooden details and greenery. The work of the master architect was most prominent here, and their pictures don’t lie. The stacked stone details paired with the use of wood made this place the perfect start for the day. There was something eerily magical and beautiful about the space. Giggling like teenagers in love, Joseph carefully stepped around the stones to check if it was slippery or not before he held out his hand for his fiance to join him, Ushma smiled and took his hand, taking her spot next to him. Our photographer walked away from them to capture the wonderful scenery behind them in one frame. With the help of our photographer’s posing prompts for the couple, the two posed magnificently. Bumping their heads against each other, Joseph couldn’t help smiling at her. Right after the romantic couple posed, Ushma decided to take the shrug off. “It’s stuffy” she smiled as she found a spot to keep her shrug, 

The couple made the most of their time around Lily Pond, using anywhere and everywhere to pose, the couple had a happy vibe, which our photographer found to be contagious, and looking at the photos, we understood why our photographer felt so. Joseph and Ushma used the backdrop of the pretty landscape to try out romantic poses first, befitting the couple’s love for each other. They saved the goofy face engagement photo ideas for the latter half of the photo session. Using the backdrop of the pond, the two posed in different ways to capture the entire space in their photos, sometimes around the stacks of stones and sometimes with their backs to the pond. After they were done with the rustic backdrop, the two asked to check out the photos, just so they knew if they had enough from a space they deeply loved in the park. Satisfied with the photos, the two had broad smiles of appreciation for our engagement photographer. After this, Ushma and Joseph promptly agreed to click some in-motion photos for their engagement session. They quietly walked down the uneven stone paths, nestled in the greenery. As our photographer took photos of the couple as they walked, and admired the hidden gem of a place, they would tell our photographer about the dates they’d had in the very park. And sometimes, they would talk about the natural beauty of the park with happy expressions and natural smiles. It was in these moments that our photographer took some candid engagement photos. During their walk around the park, Joseph took Ushma’s hand in his, and urged her to follow to a space he knew Ushma hadn’t seen before. Smiling at Joseph, she knew she had to see this secret location her fiance was talking about. 

Joseph led Ushma through the paths and took her down an area that had a lot of steps, and all of these steps were made of stacked stones, just like the ones around the pond. With trees and loads of greenery around, the small area of steps led the way to more stacks of stones, looked like the stairway to heaven, not literally but if you see the photos, you’ll know what we’re talking about. The short walk up the stone-stacked stairs was perfectly romantic. With birds humming a soft sound, a light breeze, and a chill in the air, these two held hands and admired their surroundings. On these steps, Joseph softly pulled Ushma close and planted a kiss on her forehead. They held each other like that for a while, with Joseph's head resting on Ushma’s forehead, as he held on to her. Time seemed to stop when these two stood like that. Before breaking away from their warm embrace and continuing with the outdoor photo session, Ushma planted a soft, yet romantic, kiss on Joseph's lips. Chuckling at the spontaneity of the act, the two continued their exploration of the park. As they reached a small clearing that was surrounded by beautiful stone stacks with speckles of moss, the two stood next to each other, looking around. It was easy to see that the two found the beauty startlingly wonderful, and even more than that it was easy to see how easy these two were around each other. Looking at each other, smiling, and then slowly inching even closer to steal another kiss off each other, the two were loving the day as much as our photographer. Posing in front of taller stacks, the two decided that this would be the photo they’d want to frame and keep on their mantle. Our photographer’s heart warmed at that comment. 

The next spot for the day was Lincoln Park, just to have some shots of the beautiful Chicago skyline. Right after reaching the next location, Ushma ran to the bridge railing to look at the skyline. She commented that it was not the North Ave Beach, but it was still one of her favorite places in Chicago to visit. And we absolutely agree with that statement, Lincoln Park is one of the most visited and the best places for photo shoots in Chicago. Using the Chicago skyline as their backdrop, the two decided to pose next to railings. Before our photographer could take photos of the couple, Ushma wanted to add a scarf to her engagement photo shoot outfit. She paired a beautiful blue and white scarf around her neck to add a new element to her outfit. Joseph smiled at her, the kind of smile that starts in your eyes, and that warmed our photographer’s heart. The two posed for some lovely romantic photos, and then some goofy photos for keepsake. Looking at the photos the couple softly chuckled and decided to move to the park seats for some delicately posed photos. Joseph loved the yellow plants in the background, and Ushma instantly fell in love with the spot. They found a spot to sit down and pose. Then as the engagement photo session was coming to an end, the two quickly found a bench with wonderful pink blooms in the backdrop and knew they wanted some photos there as well. 

And for the last spot for the day, in Lincoln Park, our photographer helped the two to find an interesting underpass where the two posed for some stellar photos as well. And just like that, the magical day had come to an end. As Ushma and Joseph were walking away from our photographer, our photographer thought back on the day. The day had been nothing short of a fairytale-like photo shoot. Starting from the first location, Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, to the most-loved park, Lincoln Park, in the city, the day had turned out beautifully heartwarming. The couple was bright and alive with so much love to share with the world and each other, so much so that the two were constantly surrounded by the vibrancy of the nature around them. The Windy City was perhaps a little livelier, and a little prettier thanks to their bright smiles. Being in their presence, reminded our engagement photographer of a quote by Frances H. Burnett, “If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” Being in the presence of Ushma and Joseph, our Chicago photographer saw the city in a different, and more vibrant, light, something they’ll never forget.