Aaliyah and Brenden’s Engagement Session at Chapter II Events

Give me two people in love, an incredible historical building, and permission to wander, and I’m pretty happy. Aaliyah and Brenden gave me exactly that for their engagement session at Chapter II Events in Jacksonville, IL.

Exploring Every Room: Our Chapter II Engagement Session

For their engagement session, we spent some time exploring Chapter II Events, wandering from room to room and looking for interesting light, hidden corners, dramatic architecture, and anything else that inspired us along the way. These two made it easy.

Two People Who Aren’t Afraid to Play

Aaliyah and Brenden love each other deeply, but they also have these wonderfully free spirits. They aren’t afraid to try something different, laugh at themselves, experiment, or trust me when I say, “Okay… I have an idea.” And that is usually where some of my favorite photographs come from.

We weren’t just trying to make nice engagement pictures. We were trying to create something together.

That makes me even more excited for their wedding, because I already know these two are going to let us explore, play, and make some pretty incredible art.

The History Behind Chapter II Events

Chapter II was the perfect place for it. The building was once the historic Henry Pfeiffer Library on the former MacMurray College campus. Today, Eric and Kayla are giving the property an entirely new chapter.

Their connection to the property became even more special when they also took over the neighboring Annie Merner Chapel, where Eric and Kayla were actually married themselves.

And Then There Are the Chandeliers

Several of the incredible European chandeliers inside Chapter II reportedly appeared in Disney’s Cruella. So yeah… give me a historic building, giant movie chandeliers, beautiful light, and an adventurous couple, and I’m probably going to disappear with my camera for a while.

A huge thank you to Eric and Kayla at Chapter II Events for being so welcoming and allowing us to wander, explore, and create.

This Was Only the Engagement Session

Aaliyah and Brenden, this was only the engagement session. I cannot wait for the wedding.

Now I want to know: which photo from their session is your favorite? Tell me in the comments!

Planning an Engagement Session or Wedding in Jacksonville, IL?

Chapter II is one of my favorite places to photograph in central Illinois. If you love the look of historic architecture and dramatic light, take a peek at the Cinderella-inspired styled shoot I did at Chapter II. Then come see how we approach wedding photography, or reach out to talk about your own engagement session.