Eloise + Dom ADORE the city of Chicago so freaking much. We knew that there was no better way to express that love than with a South Pond engagement session!

Prepping for the Proposal

“In March 2021, Dom suggested a weekend getaway to Michigan in May,” Eloise told me. “Seemed perfectly innocent to me because we both missed traveling so much. We were looking forward to taking a real vacation as soon as we both were fully vaccinated. He then started hinting that I should also block off a weekend in June because ‘some people were coming to town.’

Over the next couple months, he would continue to hint at this June weekend. He was also making some plans for Michigan that would otherwise have tipped me off. Things like, ‘oh, maybe we go out for a more fancy dinner one night, why don’t you look up some nice restaurants?’ and ‘Hey, maybe we dress up nicely for the drive?’ Which should have been a DEAD giveaway because why wouldn’t we want to wear comfy clothes on the drive? I was so convinced that it would be this June weekend though that these hints went completely over my head. I just thought he wanted us to do something special to celebrate our first trip since 2019!

The Big Question

The day of the Michigan drive, we planned to stop by Hyde Park to go to one of our favorite diners before really hitting the road. Some relevant context here is that I went to college in Hyde Park and we both work there so some of my favorite spots in the city are down there. Dom got off an exit earlier than I would have, but I just chalked it up to him not knowing the route as well as I do. He pulled over at Promontory Point Park and was so nervous! That’s when everything clicked! We took a walk to the lake and saw a picnic blanket with flower petals and some champagne. Our friends had set it up for us and were hiding behind the rocks to take pictures. Dom had a whole speech from the car to the blanket setup prepared and I was so surprised when he asked me to marry him!

His red herring of ‘the weekend in June where people are coming’ totally worked. What a fantastic surprise in my favorite spot in the city! We then proceeded on our way to Michigan, called everyone we could think of, and had a lovely weekend! He planned it so well because I was so focused on the June event that I was able to be properly surprised when we stopped at the Point!”

Running Around the South Pond

I met the couple on a GORGEOUS August evening at their South Loop apartment, where I snagged a couple of shots of of Eloise + Dom with their super cute kitties! The 3 of us then drove over to Lincoln Park. It was a perfect Wednesday evening for a South Pond engagement session. The bright summer sun dipped behind the high rises as these two giggled their way through the evening. Honestly, we could not stop laughing! I love hanging out with goofy couples like Eloise + Dom. They are a super solid pair with massive hearts. I am STOKED for their wedding at the University Club of Chicago next fall! :)