Words can’t even explain how excited I am to start shooting now that the weather is a tad more friendly. Derek and Lucy were first for the spring sessions and yeah, it was a darn good one! Lucy and I met in Milwaukee to chat about wedding details, hopes for photography, to eat delicious food, do a little shopping, and of course, chat about Derek! These two actually knew each other during high school, but only as friends. A group of girls from her school hung out with a group of boys from his (don’t you love high school!) Lucy is super adventurous and up for anything. She moved to Milwaukee and New York after high school, then back to Milwaukee and later to Appleton, where she ran into Derek! Soon enough, they became “boyfriend and girlfriend”, and are now happily engaged and living in Chicago, another adventure for Lucy, but this time, she gets to be with the one she loves most! To them, family is number one, which is why they find themselves back home more often than not. They wanted to capture their engagement there and are planning to host their wedding there as well. With traveling and moving, there really is no place like home. They value relationships, friends and family more than anything in this world (and both feel so incredibly lucky to be marrying into such wonderful families!) They love travel, trying new foods, cooking, going on walks, having coffee on the weekends together, and just simply being around each other. They get to spend each day together and claim that there is never a dull moment. I totally imagine these two in their apartment, Lucy doing crafts on the living room floor (one of the 1,000 reasons why I love her) and Derek flipping through sports. They have their own interests, but being around one another is their favorite thing on the planet. Being around their relationship for the last couple months has been so darn fun. This whole photography thing has brought so many friendships and inspiration to life!

I can’t wait to watch their love grow, to go on endless lunch dates and to throw glitter when they become husband and wife in January. That’s right, a winter affair that is going to make your jaw drop to the floor. I applaud their love, their dedication and excitement towards their relationship, their willingness to move around together, to start new adventures together, their appreciation for the other person and joy they have for their families. Their goals are the same and their hearts are all in.

Meet Derek + Lucy: