Greenbelt Forest Engagement Session by Joshua Harrison Photography

Sunkissed Greenbelt Forest Engagement Session with Guitar

This beautiful sunkissed engagement session in the Greenbelt Forest will give you all the smiles! From her popping yellow dress to their nonstop smiles! He even played the guitar for her during their session! The Greenbelt Forest near Chicago is the perfect location is you want to get away from the city! It has trails that curve through waterways, beautiful trees and it’s just a short drive from the city!

The couple’s story:

Alison and Ryan first met in middle school! They were in Mrs. Richardson’s English class together. When Alison first reached out to me about doing an engagement session, she wrote that she thought Ryan was cute, and he must have felt the same about her! So in seventh grade, they started dating.

After a while, the youngsters called off being boyfriend and girlfriend and spent several school-age years just getting to know each other as friends. But love was still in the cards for these two, because they got back together during their sophomore year of high school, and there really was a connection — definitely more than there was back in Mrs. Richardson’s classroom!

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Their Proposal:

Alison and Ryan graduated high school together and even went to the same college, and after they finished undergrad, Ryan popped the question in April 2019!

It was an easy “yes” for Alison when Ryan got down on one knee to ask her to be his wife. She said, “He has truly seen me at my best and worst, and because of him, I always want to be a better version of myself every day.”

All About their Session:

In 2017, Alison made a commitment to graduate studies in Cleveland, OH. The pair have stayed together despite the long distance. They have been together for eleven years now. The second Alison graduates with her master’s degree, she’s moving right back to Chicago to be with her forever person.

Every chance she gets, Alison undertakes the six-hour drive from Cleveland to Chicago. So she can visit Ryan at the weekends. It was on one such weekend trip back to Chicago that we were able to plan their engagement session.

When I learned that Ryan is a guitarist, I suggested that he bring his guitar along. As music is one of the things Alison and Ryan love to do together. Since they spent a large portion of this spring quarantined at home, Ryan has been working on teaching Alison a few chords, too! And whenever Ryan writes a new song, Alison is the first person for whom he plays it. How sweet is that?

How Greenbelt Forest was chosen:

We selected the Greenbelt Forest Preserve for its beautiful walking trails and secluded, shady glens. We veered off our first trail to find the glade pictured below, and Ryan and Alison enjoyed a few minutes of slow dancing in the shade and guitar serenades as part of their engagement session!