Anna and Francois-Marie live in the Chicago area and love nature, so it was only fitting to have their engagement photos taken at the Chicago Botanic Garden! Although their wedding was planned for the fall, we found that the garden looked very beautiful and romantic in the winter, making this time ideal for taking lovely pictures. We wanted to capture the snow falling in their winter engagement photos, so we kept an eye on the local weather reports and always communicated with one another in case we needed to do an impromptu session. Fortunately, we were able to catch the perfect snowfall on a random January day. Although it was snowing a lot, it wasn’t too cold, making it perfect for Anna and Francois-Marie’s outfits. They both wore classic black winter coats, and Anna had on gorgeous black high heel boots and a skirt. See this gorgeous engagement session in Amber & Muse!

Engagement Photos at the Chicago Botanic Garden

As a Chicago wedding photographer, I always love going to the Chicago Botanic Garden for photo sessions. It has a variety of themed gardens, with each offering pretty natural backdrops for images. For Anna and Francois-Marie’s winter engagement photos, I wanted to bring them to the Japanese Garden, English Walled Garden, and the Rose Garden.

The Rose Garden

We started Anna and Francois-Marie’s engagement photo session at the Rose Garden. The Rose Garden takes the shape of an alleyway and is surrounded by this magnificent tree area that reminds me so much of Paris. Although the trees here had lost their leaves in the winter, they still carried a certain charm and candidness I wanted to capture in their pictures. I also thought it would be an appropriate background for their Chicago engagement photos, considering Francois-Marie has roots in Europe. Anna and Francois walked along the path between the trees here, chatting, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company.

The English Garden

From the Rose Garden, we walked to the English Walled Garden, which showcased beautiful English architecture. Anna and Francois-Marie wandered up and down stairs that led to a small gazebo. It is here where the sweet couple took shelter from the snow before we moved on to the frozen, snow-covered lake nearby to take more engagement photos.

The Japanese Garden

We traveled under the branches of another alleyway of trees to reach the stunning Japanese Garden, complete with large Willows and a majestic bridge. The snow here continued to quietly fall to the ground, creating a peaceful setting for the lovely couple. How much more romantic could this get? The Chicago Botanic Garden was the perfect location for these winter engagement photos, but it can also be a wonderful summer wedding destination.