Vinnie & Rachel | Downtown Chicago Engagement

August 18, 2018

It started at Google Ann Arbor seven years ago. The fateful friendship soon to be relationship of Vinnie from South Bend, IN and Rachel from Northville, MI. As a fellow Google Ann Arbor alum, I smile thinking about this wonderful city and office bringing these two together!

From Ann Arbor, Rachel & Vinnie moved to Google Chicago shortly afterwards. This is where I first met Vinnie. We work together in the Travel vertical where Vinnie is known not only for his sales prowess, approachability, and green thumb (no really, he has a lush garden he has grown by his desk window), but for his extraordinary entrepreneurship and courage to share and pursue big ideas. Vinnie comes from a large Italian family that started the incredible Macri's Italian Kitchen and Macri's Bakery in South Bend, which I'm hoping to try them soon one day!

I met Rachel through partnering on a diversity art project I started in Ann Arbor that we brought to the Chicago office together called Inspire. Right away, I knew we were kindred spirits from her desire to create, ideate, and make the beauty of this project come to life! She's just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside, has a can-do, up for anything attitude and is an incredibly faithful and trustworthy friend. Something I love about both Rachel & Vinnie is their closeness to and love for their families. Family is everything and you can see that so clearly in the way they live!

Vinnie asked Rachel to be his wife at the end of June and she said yes (of course)! They celebrated with family and friends at Cindy's Rooftop and joy ensued. I love these two together and was so honored and delighted to capture their romantic downtown Chicago engagement!

Believe it or not, we actually met up at 6am sunrise for this beautiful engagement session. I have to give a huge kudos to Vinnie & Rachel for getting ready way before the sun came up and *still* looking like super models. Am I right?! The beauty of a sunrise session is there are no tourists roaming about, even downtown where we were shooting by the Wrigley Building on Michigan Avenue. 

At Ohio Street Beach, Rachel & Vinnie did what no I&S couple has ever dared do before. They ran *into* the water and took the most proposal-esque photos of all time!! We absolutely love them for this. You know a guy loves you when he's willing to get his nice outfit wet in the water to take photos with you. Vinnie & Rachel raising the standard of what you'll do for love. You two are the best.

Cheers to Vinnie & Rachel! We are so thrilled for your engagement and feel lucky to call you our friends. Enjoy this engagement season and all of your upcoming adventures around the world! :)