Rachael here (she/her)! I'm a Wedding + Elopement Photographer based in Illinois, helping tell love stories in Chicago, St Louis, and beyond. 

Nyah & Sam and I meet up for their Nigerian pre-wedding shoot in Washington Park in Springfield, IL. When meeting up for their engagement session, it was so fun to film a trend done for Nigerian weddings. Nyah looks so good in gele!!! Nyah & Sam are no strangers to the blog! They got married […]

Emma & Logan reached out to me wanting moody vibes with some fun architecture, but wasn’t sure where to go for photos. Her inspo board had a lot of interior bar shots, and so I knew where to take them! We met up at Hotel Royer in downtown Urbana, IL. It’s a newly renovated hotel, […]

Alexa & Jeffery came from Bloomington for their Springfield courthouse elopement! And they made sure to bring their beloved dog, Nova, with them. Fun fact, you can bring your dog into the Sangamon Count Courthouse! When planning their day, we made sure to pick an establishment for them to have a celebratory linch afterwards with […]

Olivia’s parents built this venue. No, really!! It was just a forest & farmland before. Check out the first ever wedding day at The Hilltop Barn.

There is something magical about a golden hour engagement session, especially in the heat of the midwest summer. When Izzy came to me with her ideas I knew the outcome would be art.

When Anna & Jimmy were planning their special day, they rooted it around this: “It’s so important to Jimmy and I that we feel comfortable and excited about our wedding day. Neither of us love the idea of the attention of a room being on just us two. But also want to include our families […]

Elopements are one of my favorite things to help my couples plan and photograph, because you really can do it any way you want. I love them so much I wrote an in-depth blog for folks to learn how. Photographing AND planning a real elopement at Allerton Park had been on my bucketlist for a […]

“Would you want to get married again?” When I reached out to Sarah and Sky seeing if they would want to put their wedding dresses on again for a collaboration with other wedding vendors of a styled shoot. A new hotel & wedding venue popped up last summer, Hotel Royer, and I knew their outfits […]

After legally getting married in Colorado in August, Jac & Saif hosted friends anf family from around the world in the Pasfield House in October. The two put on their finishing touches at the beautiful historic wedding venue and hotel before meeting each other at the alter. Jac actually wore a different dress at her […]

“I’ve always wanted to get married in the mountains. Run around in a cupcake fairy dress in my hiking boots.” Anything for you Jac. 🤍 When these two invited me to photograph their Colorado elopement, I was over the moon with excitement.  We had already made magic together for their engagement session at Art Hill […]

When planning their wedding day, V&T said they wanted their day to be full of “joy, celebration and authenticity” and let me tell you, their Wisconsin Wedding at Over the Vines Vineyard had exactly that.  From group photos with all their loved ones, heartfelt speeches during the ceremony, vows that made us cry, their first […]

Whether you’re planning an intimate wedding with your friends and family or planning a solo trip to the Sangamon County Courthouse, I am here for it! I am a huge advocate for celebrating your wedding day the way YOU want to. Ambrielle and Alex chose to host their family and friends for a courthouse ceremony […]

Intimate guest list, lots of love, and the best mac n cheese I’ve ever had. Best day ever. Sarah & Kyle’s intimate wedding at Windsong Acres was a dream. Their love for this wedding venue, paired with the love they have for their newly merged family, was felt all throughout the wedding day. We took […]

Micro-weddings are back and I am so in love with them. The intimacy that comes having just your closest loved ones with you during your wedding ceremony makes for such a special day. Elisa and Eric spent their day getting married in a local chapel with their closest family members and friends present, followed by […]

Leading up to engagement sessions, I always reach out to my couples so we can collaborate on a vision for their photos. When I reached out to Haley, she sent over the perfect inspiration. I immediately saw that she was going for what felt like a scene from a 90s romcom at Washington Park in […]

Would you believe it if I told you that Kyley and Troy planned their perfect Peoria wedding day in 4 months? Well they did!!! We started off at Café Santa Rosa for photos. Kyley and Troy chose Café Santa Rosa it for its warm, cozy wood-paneled cocktail bar. It had such a dreamy and nostalgic […]

Sometimes, you just know when you’ve found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, and that was the case with Caitlin and Trevor.  These two met in high school, Trevor had snuck into a friend’s math class, saw Caitlin, and decided to shoot his shot.  Seven years later, they returned […]

One of the things I love seeing on a wedding day is all of the pieces my couples work so hard on come together. Planning any party is a lot of work and a wedding is probably one of the biggest kinds of parties to plan and execute. Karley and Nathan were so thoughtful when […]

“Everyday is Valentines Day when you’re in love with you best friend.” 👆🏻 This is a phrase Taylor (she/her) and Lexi (she/her) have used to describe their relationship over the years. Talk about coincidence when they decided to host their intimate wedding in Springfield on Galentine’s Day / Valentine’s day weekend. If you’ve looked around […]

You’re searching for wedding venues in the central Illinois area and not much has been popping up— until now. Introducing the newest wedding venue to Illinois— Chapter II Events. This new venue is tucked away in Jacksonville, IL. 35 minutes from the Springfield, and 1 hour & 40 from the St. Louis area. Historically this building […]

Looking for more candid moments from your wedding weekend? This post highlights Adam & Josh’s editorial, moody rehearsal dinner photos and shows what rehearsal dinner photography looks like in real time.

Engagement photos are extra special when they recreate moments that mean a lot to the couple. Anna + Jimmy wanted engagement photos at the public library in Urbana, IL.

Sydney and Joey’s plan: a courthouse wedding in Springfield, IL. But when Dad got injured, they pivoted and wanted to move the wedding closer to home in Knox County, Indiana. Another plot twist: there were no available ceremony appointments on their chosen day, AND the county over didn’t have their officiant in that week. WHAT […]

10 years after meeting each other while playing music, a first date sneaking into a concert together, and a midnight New Year’s Eve proposal led to THIS. Dani and Mitch got married at Arlington’s in Springfield, IL. A refurbished 1917 factory building turned wedding venue with contemporary art and moody historical vibes. SUCH a unique […]