CHICAGO ENGAGEMENT: MELISSA MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY: GRAHAM + LAUREN

If only the windmill still worked, we might’ve had a little airflow on this 105°F day. 😅

But honestly, the heat had one major perk: pretty much no one else was around, which meant we got to wander, explore, and take our time getting to know each other.

Turns out, our parents’ houses were in the same town, on the same road — just on opposite sides of town. We had a good laugh talking about how much the place has changed over the years. These days, it’s a bustling like Chicago. Back in our day, we thought the town had officially arrived when it got an Old Navy. 🤣

One thing I’m learning more about thanks to these two is their passion for bird watching. As the sun was setting, they stopped to watch two birds fly across the sky — apparently a pretty rare sight, and even more special to see two of them flying together. It felt like a flying exclamation point at the end of an already great night.

Hot? Ridiculously hot.

Worth it? Absolutely.

Loved our time together Graham + Lauren.