Engagements

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After matching on Hinge, T&A met up at The Literary in Champaign, IL for their first date. They ended up having lunch AND dinner there. Because when you know, you know! And you keep hanging out for hours. So it made sense to start their engagement photos there. Check out their date night engagement session […]

Engagements

Date Night Engagement Session in Champaign, IL

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I’ve been to a lot of places around central Illinois for engagement sessions, but never a flower farm!! Ginny & Elisha and I hung out at Delight Flower Farm outside of Urbana, IL for their summer engagement photos. and wow it was perfect. When to take flower farm engagement photos Florals are one of my […]

Engagements

Delight Flower Farm Engagement Photos

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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 […]

Engagements

Nigerian Pre-Wedding Shoot in Springfield, IL

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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, […]

Engagements

Hotel Engagement Photos at Hotel Royer || Urbana, IL

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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.

Engagements

Golden hour engagement session || Theme: Tuck Everlasting

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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 […]

Engagements

Romantic & Cozy Fall Engagement Session in Washington Park

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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.

Engagements

Candid & Moody Engagement Photos at Urbana Public Library

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Imagine this: one day you’re scrolling on Bumble, the next you’re planning a romantic engagement at Union Station in St. Louis to the love of your life. That’s how Gabriella and Evan’s story starts… well… kinda…Gabriella became too suspicious and Evan had to quickly pivot. He instead proposed in their kitchen (which is so intimate […]

Engagements

Engagement Photos at St. Louis Public Library

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Y’all when Lexi booked me, this was not the originally plan. And thank goodness we’re flexible because WOW we ended up with this truly amazing editorial inspired session for Lexi and Taylor’s LGBTQ+ engagement photos in Downtown Springfield!  Originally Taylor had wanted me to photograph her proposing to Lexi. However, Lexi beat her to it […]

Engagements

Editorial LGBTQ+ Engagement Photos in Downtown Springfield

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Engagement photos can reflect you & boo- how you two met, where you went on dates together. But we nixed the food poisoning for this engagement session. This one is a little near a dear to my heart- this is my good friend Jac! I met her when she was single, and remember her first […]

Couples, Engagements

Romantic Engagement Photos on Art Hill in St. Louis

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Springfield, IL is an absolutely amazing city to live in. There are endless things to do here and I love being able to share what this city has to offer with my clients, especially when that means a surprise proposal! I was able to photograph Cal (they/them & she/her) and Sophie’s (she/her) beautiful and unique […]

Couples

Unique LGBTQ+ Proposal in Springfield, Illinois

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I cannot believe I get to do this for a living. Getting to watch and photograph as two amazing people get engaged is really the best thing ever. And I’m so lucky that Carson just happened to find me on Pinterest while searching for photographers for his sunset proposal to Sarah at the University of […]

Couples

Sunset Proposal at the University of Illinois

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Willow tree? Check. Sunset? Check. A whole lot of love and laughter? Double check. Skyler and Sarah’s engagement session, where do I even begin?! These two beautiful souls booked me to document their engagement session in Springfield’s own Centennial Park, a go to favorite spot of mine for angelic sunset photos like these. The blanket […]

Engagements

Sunset LGBTQ+ Engagement Session at Centennial Park

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If the feeling of brushing shoulders with forest fairies could be photographed, this would be it. ✨🧚🏻 I am so so SO excited to share Sasha and Meg’s ethereal engagement session here on the blog today! These two have such a sweet, kind, joyous love for one another. I legit cannot wait for their wedding […]

Engagements

Ethereal LGBTQ+ Engagement Photos at the Garfield Park Conservatory | Sasha + Meg

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Emily and Andy are going to be celebrating their wedding at the Chevy Chase Country Club this summer and I am SO excited to be there for them! Unfortunately spring has just barely sprung, so I still have to wait a bit until I get to document these two again. On the plus side though, […]

Engagements

Dreamy Engagement Photos at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago | Emily + Andy

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As much as I adore my warm and lively summers, part of me LIVES for the moodier vibes of the fall! This is partly due to my love of Halloween, but it’s also because I get to document moody engagement sessions like Merrian and Ryan’s! Taking their engagement photos at Allerton Park, which by the […]

Engagements

Moody Engagement Photos in the Allerton Park Library | Merrian + Ryan

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For Megan and Jordan’s engagement photos, we knew we wanted to maximize the moody and classy vibes throughout, and there’s one place that immediately came to mind when deciding on locations, the Illinois State Capitol Building in Springfield! The Capitol Building has been a favorite of mine for a while, and thanks to the impressive […]

Engagements, Illinois State Capitol Building

Classy Engagement Photos at the Illinois State Capitol Building | Megan + Jordan

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Recently I had the pleasure of working with Bwayiask and Kenny to plan their courthouse wedding and engagement shoot. Unbeknownst to Bwayiask though, Kenny actually reached out to me individually in order to help plan his proposal to her! Together we came up with the plan for his surprise proposal to Bwayiask at the lovely […]

Couples

Surprise Proposal at Venue 1929 in Springfield, Illinois | Bwayiask + Kenny

Man slips a ring on a woman's finger as they stand in a large living room in front of a large fireplace with candles lit all around them.
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You all know how I love my moody and untraditional engagement sessions, and thankfully Elaina did as well as it’s what inclined her to book me for her and Clayton’s wedding and engagement session! On her inquiry Elaina noted: “I’m interested in some non-traditional images. I’m not super into the posed like getting ready photos […]

Engagements

Artful Engagement Photos in Champaign, Illinois | Elaina + Clayton

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While we may have had to completely scratch the entirety of our original plans, Val, Travis and I still made the most of their engagement photos thanks in part to their amazing Airbnb in Lincoln, Illinois! This session was SO much fun. Not only were we able to enjoy a variety of settings throughout the […]

AirBnb, Engagements

Moody Engagement Photos at an Airbnb in Lincoln, IL | Val + Travis

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Sometimes mother nature just throws in the most magical conditions possible for a dreamy, romantic engagement session! Abby and Al’s engagement photos at Allerton Park are the epitome of this phenomenon. Their engagement session took place mid May, so we knew there was a chance for some wacky Midwest weather to be thrown our way. […]

Engagements

Romantic Engagement Photos at Allerton Park | Abby + Al

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Boy do I have a FUN engagement session for you guys today! We’re taking a look at Cora and Andrew’s engagement photos which we took at Cora’s family farm in Central Illinois! This session was an absolute blast to document, a beautiful showcase of Cora and Andrew’s lives at the moment, and a perfect lead […]

Engagements

Central Illinois Engagement Photos on the Family Farm | Cora + Andrew

Couple kisses while sitting on hay with a red barn in the background and cows walking around them during golden hour at a farm in Springfield Illinois.
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Olivia and Camden’s couples session is one that I am SO excited to finally be sharing here on the blog! These two met one another at a Halloween event at their local bar, something they both describe as a once in a lifetime chance as that isn’t really a typical outing for either of them. […]

Couples, Engagements

Fall Couples Photos at the Lincoln Memorial Gardens in Springfield | Olivia + Camden

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If you know me then you know that I LOVE the non-traditional when it comes to my sessions, which is why I’m SO excited to share Cayti and Chris’ couples session in downtown Springfield! This session is special for a couple of reasons, one being the creative energy that both Cayti and Chris brought to […]

Engagements, lifestyle

Rainy Couples Session in Downtown Springfield | Cayti + Chris

A couple runs during a rainy evening across the street with clear umbrellas in their hands in downtown Springfield, Illinois.

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Whether you have 10 or 100 folks witnessing your vows, are planning the big shebang or a small backyard party, or just want to celebrate getting through life with your best friend—I'd be thrilled to document it for you.


Rachael Marie Photography values inclusivity and will never discriminate against your gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religion, body type, or abilities. You are wonderful, beautiful, and loved here.

All love is affirmed & celebrated here.