CHICAGO RIVER: VINTAGE BOAT ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS: MELISSA MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY

I’ve always been inclined to capture the emotion within an image. There's something about capturing the pretty & the personal together that just makes magic to me. But something I’m really leaning into lately is that most often that means initiating motion. Back in the day, when motion pictures came to be, it ushered in an entirely new way of experiencing a story. With these two movie lovers, it sort of clicked for me. Photographing an engagement (or really any portrait session) is like a real life movie. I’m the director, and they are playing the roles of themselves.

Where we are, and what they perhaps bring, rent, use, all set the scene and help tell the story; the story of them.

From where they had their first date, to where they got engaged, this is the story of Mo +Mel.

Also, let this be an example that renting a boat, a vintage car, a camper, any sweet vehicle is a ridiculously good idea. (: